January 9, 2026 • 37 mins
Dan and Aaron react to the national semi-final game between Miami and Ole Miss and what Miami did to win. Dan and Aaron welcome former Bucs' GM Mark Dominik onto the show to discuss the coaching carousel, the wild card weekend and all of the headlines around the NFL. Dan and Aaron talk about the possibility of Memphis trading guard Ja Morant.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Fox Sports Radio had the best sports talk lineup in
the nation. Catch all of our shows at foxsports Radio
dot com and within the iHeartRadio.
Speaker 2 (00:07):
App feazzey sec Bye Bye bye bye. Would it be
a wah?
Speaker 3 (00:14):
Is that?
Speaker 4 (00:14):
Is that French for goodbye bye bye?
Speaker 3 (00:16):
Goodbye?
Speaker 4 (00:17):
Sayonarra bye in any language?
Speaker 2 (00:19):
The SEC out of the college football playoff Happy Friday
erin Torres.
Speaker 4 (00:23):
How are you well?
Speaker 5 (00:25):
I'm great, enjoyed the heck out of the game on
Thursday night, and I was just telling Bow in the back,
is that listen? I love a good college football you
know narrative as much as the next. And I love
this old mysstory kind of proven Lane Kiffin wrong. I
was kind of pulling for Miami to win No SEC
team in the championship game for a third straight year.
(00:48):
And you know, I set out the meme last night.
But when Greg Sankie walks in all these commissioners meetings
over the next couple months, I hope all the commissioners
pull the Connor McGregor meme of who the F this guy?
Speaker 4 (01:01):
I don't think it's gonna happen, but I hope that
they do.
Speaker 2 (01:03):
Oh yes, a lot to get to Greg SANKI wanting
more opportunities for the SEC in the future college football playoffs. Right,
five plus eleven, so then the SEC could have what
nine schools in the playoff. Not so fast, my friend,
because for back to back years they can't get a
team in the National champions straight game. And yes, Michigan
(01:24):
Washington was yes, yeah, you're right, you're right. So now
three straight years, even with tonight's outcome, not set up
three straight years. The last time he was Georgia and TCU,
as he pointed out to a text of the PTSD
from attending that game and how bad it was. But
I do think that last night's game is interesting in
(01:47):
the fact of it eliminated an SEC school, an ACC
school has now made it to the National Championship Game,
and an ACC school Aaron that was the last at
large team in the bracket to make it. So there
are a lot of tentacles coming from last night's game.
Miami now gets to play a National Championship game in
(02:08):
their home stadium. That's been done before with them in
college football. But I don't feel that the National Championship
Game has been lacking at any point without an SEC
team in the National championship, and in fact, I think
that there was a time where we were just so
sick of it if you weren't an SEC fan. And
(02:30):
so now I feel that for as great as Miami's
tradition is of being the U, it feels like there's
new blood, new blood in the College Football Playoff. I mean,
even having Ole Miss representing the SEC, it just didn't
They didn't even I'm not saying they're not an SEC team,
but it wasn't the LSU Alabama, Georgia Florida quad that
(02:52):
you would get where we would be like, oh, it's
them again. So it was new. It was different, but
it also may be a changing of the guard that
we've come to now in the third straight year.
Speaker 5 (03:02):
Well, I know we're not going to spend too much
time giving the former Old Miss coach, you know, airtime here,
but I bring it up because to your point about
even within the SEC, there's a tier above the tier.
The reason Old Miss had what was essentially an interim
coach for this playoff. I know he's the full time coach,
which you get the point is because their previous head
coach said I don't think I can win a championship
(03:22):
here and so it speaks to that for so long
again it was the Alabama's, the Georgia's, the LSUS, the Whomever's.
Definitely new blood in this not only this playoff, but
I think that it speaks to a lot of quickly
changing narratives about everything that we think we know about
this sport, whether it be the SEC, how you build
(03:42):
a team, what teams can actually be competitive.
Speaker 4 (03:45):
It's a fascinating time in the world of college Could we.
Speaker 2 (03:47):
Also point out that Lane Kiffin staying in the SEC
proves that it's maybe not as strong as it once was.
Speaker 4 (03:53):
Okay, land On me, I don't know.
Speaker 2 (03:55):
So the thought process is is Lane Kiffin stays with
than the conference, But if he truly wanted to go
win a national championship, the thought process would be their
easier paths.
Speaker 4 (04:07):
All I see what you're saying.
Speaker 2 (04:08):
Yep. So like if he took his game to the ACC,
or took it to the Big twelve, or took it
to the Big ten and was able to coach there,
that maybe the path. If you think that the SEC
is king and that it's a murderer's row of week
in and week out, then maybe Lane kiffen wouldn't have
stayed in the SEC.
Speaker 4 (04:27):
That's an interesting point. I hadn't thought of it.
Speaker 5 (04:29):
What I will say is bigger picture and I know
we're kind of bouncing around here, but I think the
struggles of the SEC, not only in this postseason, but
the last couple of years, has been a very interesting,
you know, turning point in the sport. I will say though, like,
you know, one, after what Ohio State did last year,
after what Michigan did two years ago, I think there
was this notion that like, well, you know, I mean,
(04:52):
maybe an Ohio State has caught the SEC. But the
bottom line is when you really look at it, the
SEC is still deeper, and it's still this and it's
still that. And I said, I was saying this, I'll
me this morning like we got to get out of
that notion now too, because you look at the bottom
of this league this year, it was terrible. Now, part
of it is a byproduct of all these leagues are
too big, but Auburn was terrible, Florida was terrible, Arkansas
(05:13):
was terrible, Kentucky was terrible, and you start looking and
I'm not saying Ole Miss didn't deserve to be there.
I'm not saying, you know, Texas at they beat a
lot of dead weight at the bottom of the league.
And so now I think even the narrative of well,
you know, Ohio State's caught us at the top, but
the middle in the bottom, it's just different in the SEC.
Speaker 4 (05:31):
No, maybe it's the exact same as everything.
Speaker 2 (05:32):
And I don't think that it's bouncing around. I think
everything is connected to the point that we are at
right now on January ninth of twenty twenty six, yep,
that we are tonight about to watch a Big Ten
semi final for in the College Football Playoff National semi Final.
So you have two Big ten teams playing an ACC
team has made it through by going through the SEC,
(05:55):
the Big Ten, and the SEC again.
Speaker 6 (05:57):
Yep.
Speaker 2 (05:58):
So Miami's road to the NASH Championship Game is absolutely validated.
But I also think that there are points when you
look back at the last twenty to twenty five years
in college football, the SEC dominance in college football doesn't
really take over till about I'd say the Urban Meyer,
Florida years two thousand and six. They win it again
(06:19):
in two thousand and eight in Alabama and Nick Saban
end up taking over of course, there was a Nick
Saban LSU championship prior to that, but Les Miles and
LSU win a national championship, and it was how the
SEC built their teams. Then Urban Meyer leaves Florida, goes
to Ohio State and says, I need to build an
SEC school in the big ten yep and they do.
(06:39):
They go and they win a national championship in twenty fourteen.
So now other schools are trying to to compete. I
think that's something that you've pointed out as well, is
the path that Miami took to get to this national
championship game is not so different from maybe what we
have seen previously in SEC schools and right now, like
(07:01):
there was, there was a point too where Nick Saban
had to realize that I can't just win by being
bigger and tougher, that we're gonna also have to have
an offense that is gonna score some points. So then
you have Sarkisian, you have Lane Giffen, you have Brian Dable,
was there oc one here, yeah, Brian Dabel, Bill O'Brien,
all of these guys coming in and running the Alabama
offense because you needed to have an offense too to
(07:25):
support your studs, and now if you're not as good
up front, this is where this is where you are.
So I think it's all connected.
Speaker 5 (07:32):
And I think that was one of the themes of
last night is that, you know, I'm assuming most of
the audience watched the game from beginning to end, but
if you didn't, what was jarring was Miami just bullied
oh Miss. And you know, there was even a point
in the fourth quarter and there were so many back
and forth I can't remember exactly where where. I just
remember sitting there saying Miami did have the lead at
(07:55):
that point, and I said, if they passed the ball
on this possession until they have to until it's like
if they get into a third and long, that's obviously different.
But I said, they're out of their minds, run the
ball right at Ole Miss. They did end ended up
running it, they had to punt it away. Ole Miss
scored and it was a back and forth from there.
But I just bring it up because it's not just
(08:15):
you know, the results on the field, it is the
way the games looked in that you go back to
last year Ohio State Bullying Tennessee, Ohio State Bullying Texas
and then last night where it's just like Miami was
the physically superior team in every way that they could be. Now,
Old Mis made it a game. Trinidad Chamblis was incredible.
(08:35):
Don't want to take away what they did, but this
is now the trend as well. Of it's not just
the results on the field, but it's the way in
which the SEC was physically dominating that simply isn't the
case anymore.
Speaker 2 (08:47):
We are ten minutes into the show that is just
north of half the time of possession that Ole Miss
had last night.
Speaker 4 (08:53):
It's crazy.
Speaker 2 (08:53):
So it was about eighteen minutes they held the football,
but again they're thirty five yards away from from maybe
winning this game. They're twenty seconds away or from making
a Carson Beck tackle, and however it would have turned
out of maybe playing some more. But that's the way
that Ole Miss played. It's the way that Miami played.
In the end, Ole Miss had a chance to win
(09:14):
the football game and they didn't. What I find interesting
now is Miami is in the National Championship game, but
it doesn't feel like the U is in.
Speaker 4 (09:23):
The National Championship game.
Speaker 2 (09:25):
Interesting Okay, so I think that the U is a
different entity sure, and I think that this is Miami.
I don't think that this is the U because I
don't think that this team. I think they are a
very very good team. Can I jump in on this rum? Yeah?
Speaker 5 (09:38):
Us living in LA, this is like the Lakers might
make a run with Luca. This isn't showtime though. Yeah,
I'm saying yeah, yeah, absolutely, absolutely so. It's Miami in
the National Championship Game. And it's not the you that
has been number one throughout the season that's gonna put
you know, twelve guys in the NFL Draft, and ten
of those are going to be in the first two rounds.
Speaker 4 (09:59):
That's not what this is.
Speaker 2 (10:00):
They're gonna have high draft picks, They're gonna have top
five picks. That's gonna end up happening. But it's just
not the teams that we saw twenty five years ago
or even in the nineties or the late eighties. So
it's Miami's in the National Championship Game. And Jason Stewart,
our executive producer, isn't even necessarily looking at Miami being
(10:22):
a factor in this. It's that they're non acc champion
Miami in the National Championship Game. That's kind of not
your bone to pick, but that's what stands out to you.
Speaker 3 (10:33):
It seems silly to me that, unless I'm wrong, that
Miami could win a national title before they win an
ACC championship. That's strange to me. That doesn't hit my
ear right. It doesn't hit my ear right that we're
gonna likely have a game of participants for the second
straight year of teams that didn't even win their conference championship.
(10:55):
It's just again, all these things are just very odd
to me. And I know you guys, we get in
the minutia of this whole thing and you don't take
like the thirty thousand food view of this stuff. But
to me, those are silly aspects of this sport.
Speaker 2 (11:09):
I look at it as the conference championships that you
have are like the divisions in the NBA. We don't
care about them anymore. You can. The ratings may tell
us differently. Ohio State and Indiana great ratings one versus
two in the Big Ten Championship game. Maybe ultimately it
(11:32):
could have changed fortunes. Maybe if Indiana plays Miami, there's
a different outcome in the quarterfinals. Maybe Ohio State beats
Alabama and the Rose Bowl if they end up being
the number one seed. Who knows, We'll never know the case.
But winning a conference championship I think now in most
leagues is just more of an enticement because of how
(11:54):
it affects where you're going to be in the bracket.
Then would it be anything else now? The bracket separate
conversation on whether it helps to have a buy or
not in the college football playoff. But I just don't
think now, when you're a conference or you're a team,
that winning your conference championship is important anymore. Just like
(12:16):
winning the Central Division in the NBA, When was the
last time you looked at an NBA division standings as
opposed to the conference standings to see where everybody is
seated in the playoffs. And I think as more and
more time goes on, and if the playoff expands, and
it's why other leagues are trying to find value and
how do we take this window that is a championship
game and make value of it, I just don't think
(12:37):
that conference championships matter anymore. So while it may be
a blind spot for me of not considering that, I'm
also looking at it as in a way of the
championship weekend in college football just isn't important anymore.
Speaker 5 (12:50):
Yeah, And I think to the bigger picture of what
we were kind of talking about is this world of
college football is changing so fast where in Indiana in
an old miss can be in competition for a national championship,
which was something that was probably inconceivable even five years ago.
I think this is just a new reality is you know,
I think we're in a not too distant future where
we don't even have conference championship games, and I think,
(13:13):
you know, there will still be somebody that probably finishes
with a better record and they get to hoist a
banner at the end of the year and it helps
with seeding. It just it doesn't matter anymore. It's about
you know, I hate to say it, but it's like
college basketball, it's like the NBA. It's about putting yourself
in position to get into the field and then be
in the most advantageous spot you can be. So it's
(13:34):
an interesting point, but it just speaks to how quickly
this sport is changing and what does and does kind
of matter in this new world.
Speaker 2 (13:40):
It's a one game situation, the Jason points out, but
ultimately it's a one game tournament. The conference championship game.
So like, if you're comparing it to college basketball, as
you and I do the Selection Show and have for
the past six years here on Fox Sports Radio. Every
year we talk about how the conference tournaments in the
(14:01):
big leagues, Yeah, don't matter as much anymore when it
comes to seeding and placing teams in and putting teams
in so you may win the conference tournament, and that
does not mean success in the Big Dance. And I
think now instead of looking at as a conference champion
a championship game, we just kind of have to look
at it as a one game tournament that there isn't
(14:23):
necessarily value. And so even though Indiana won and they
could be the team to do it, I mean, last
year's national semifinals were Texas and Ohio State. Texas lost
the championship game. Ohio State wasn't in there, and then
you had Notre Dame who didn't play in one, and
he had Penn State who ended up losing in the
championship game. So it was even last year in the
semi finals, there weren't even conference champions let alone the
(14:45):
national championship game.
Speaker 5 (14:46):
Yeah, it's funny to use the college basketball analogy. So
Michigan basketball, they're really good this year, number two in
the country, whatever, and they just happen to be showing
b roll of them from you know, since this new coach,
Dusty May took over showing b role of them winning
the Big Ten championship last year and cutting down the nets.
I remember a lot about college basketball. I didn't even
(15:08):
remember them winning the Big Ten Tournament last year. It
was just like, oh, they had a good year, had
a good run in the tournament, really good this year,
but it wasn't something that registered of like part of
that good season that led to success in the tournament
was winning the conference tournament.
Speaker 2 (15:20):
And I know we got to take a time out,
but it would make sense to have conferences be a
feeder situation where you fed teams into the bracket. Know
that something that ioa Sam would be a fan of.
It's just can you find value? The Big Ten talked
about having a three versus six, four versus five game
within their own conference to determine who could get a
(15:42):
spot in a sixteen team bracket if you went to
a four automatic. Big deal with the Big Ten. So
they don't want the TV window to go away. They
make money from the networks. People watch the game just
like they watched the Ohio State in Indiana. But to
think that it has any sort of importance on the
college football bract it. It doesn't, And you don't have
to look at the Big Ten. You can look at
(16:03):
the SEC as well. For what we've seen.
Speaker 1 (16:05):
As of late, Fox Sports Radio had the best sports
talk lineup in the nation. Catch all of our shows
at Fox sports Radio dot Com and within the iHeartRadio app.
Speaker 2 (16:15):
It's Fox Sports Radio. He's eron Torres. I'm Dan Byer.
With the iHeartRadio app, you can stream us wherever you
happen to be. Catch us and all of our Fox
Sports Radio shows. I'll have twenty four to seven in
the new and improved iHeartRadio app. Just search Fox Sports
Radio and the app to stream us live all day
at every day. We sure to select Fox Sports Radio
as one of your presets in the iHeart app, so
will always pop up at the top of your screen.
(16:38):
He is erin Tarris, finda mat Aaron Underscore Torres on
x You can find me dan Byer at dan Byer
on Fox. At the start of the show, we got
a tweet right away saying the fact that the first
topic that the SEC not being in the championship game,
the fact that that's leading our show tells us that
the SEC is still king.
Speaker 4 (16:56):
No, I don't think so.
Speaker 5 (16:58):
I actually just found discrewit that it shows they used
to listen we lead the show with the Lakers stinking
all the time. It doesn't mean it's nineteen eighty six
and Magic Johnson's running down the floor like I think it.
It shows that they are certainly the most relevant league.
From a discourse standpoint, I don't think it means anything
(17:19):
other than that. Again, no different than when we lead
with a Lakers win rather than a Lakers loss, rather
than an OKAC or San Antonio win.
Speaker 2 (17:27):
It it allows some of us, maybe including myself, to
take a victory lap after the SEC had so many
victory laps after so many seasons. And as the great
Ben Maller has always said, the story is in the
losing locker room, not in the winning locker room, and
that seems to be the case for the SEC. Coming
(17:48):
up in just a little bits, actually coming up right now.
He's on the line. He's spent over twenty years in
front offices in the NFL, including a role as the
general manager the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Joins us every Friday
on the program. Mark Dominic joins us here on Fox
Sports Radio. Hey Mark, how are you? I'm great?
Speaker 6 (18:08):
What a what a week of football we have begun,
and we get to go through tonight, through the weekends
and all the wild card as well.
Speaker 2 (18:15):
It is it truly is amazing college football. As he said, tonight,
Oregon and Indiana last on a heck of a game,
and then are six games of wild card weekend. But
you know that's what we're not going to start with.
We're going to talk about that coaching carousel that is
going nine million miles per hour right now, because this
is right in your wheelhouse the Dolphins Today, John Eric
(18:38):
Sullivan's going to go from Green Bay to Miami. Could
this be a precursor on who the Dolphins end up
hiring as their head coach?
Speaker 6 (18:46):
No, I don't think so. I think the reason why
they're able to get the GM done is because they've
been able to start the search a long time ago,
right with Chris Career being fired during the season, or
you know, they walked away from each other. It just
allowed them to get moving. But I certainly think that
John Eric Sullivan would have their candidate in mind. However,
I think everyone including teams that still a head coaches,
(19:09):
are considering Harbaugh and whether that's.
Speaker 5 (19:12):
The right move staying with the Dolphins sort of. I
just want to ask you, I could be crazier. So
Mike McDaniel's out. The early returns are that he could
be named the Lions OC. I understand the Lions need
a new OC and whatever a Dan Campbell mister testosterone,
(19:32):
Mike McDaniel wears capriz on.
Speaker 4 (19:35):
It feels weird to me, and I'm not saying it
won't work.
Speaker 5 (19:39):
It just doesn't really feel like where I thought Dan
Campbell would potentially and nothing's official, but where he could
hypothetically go with this.
Speaker 6 (19:46):
Higher Yeah, I'm trying to think of the analogy. It's
not Doctor Jekyll mister Hyde, but it certainly two different personalities,
that's for sure. I think Mike is going to be
a guy that you know, Detroit would be a great fit.
I think anybody that could get Mike, you know, Tampa's
busy interview and Brian Callahan, I think that Tampa should
interviewed Mike mcdan. I mean, I think that I think
that he's a good coach and certainly a great offensive mind,
(20:07):
and a young guy that still has a lot of
potential in showing maybe more development to become another shot
at a head coach. But I think it will fit
Dan Is. You know, if you've ever had a chance
to be coach Campbell, he's an amazing guy, and I
think he's able to chameleon and adjust himself into what
needs to be done at the time. And I think
Mike would be a great fit in Detroit, and I
think Detroit fans would be lucky to have him.
Speaker 2 (20:28):
Mark Dobinick joining us here on Fox Sports Radio on
McDaniel's dismissal from Miami, were you surprised at least at
the timing of it, because I mean, is it all
Harbaugh connected? Is that that's the sense that I got.
How do you see in the move that Steven Ross
had to wait a couple of days before firing Mike McDaniel.
Speaker 6 (20:50):
Well, Stephen Ross always likes Michigan guys, and I think
he regrets not getting Jim Harbaugh years back, and I
think that this is a chance for him to finally
get a Harball into the building. And so I think
it absolutely had something to do with that. It's not everything.
They've got to follow the Rooney rules, as we all know,
but there had to be some pretty strong conversation to
get to that point to to say I'm going to
(21:12):
go ahead and move on from my coach. I can't
imagine anything else that's changed other than knowing that Harball
was available. Other than that, you would have just done
the move on Monday or Tuesday. And it is what
it is. It's amazing, guys, because a week ago I thought, Wow,
it's going to be bizarre, and I've known better, right,
I always know better. But I was like, it's only
maybe it's only four possibly five head coaches and we're
at seven and just you know, unexpected changes. Maybe there's
(21:37):
more stuff happening. But I think Harbaugh absolutely as much
as Atlanta wants Harbaugh and some other teams want Harbaugh,
I think Miami is certainly the front runner based off
their actions.
Speaker 2 (21:45):
So there was also a report from Tony Grossi, who's
based in Cleveland on ESPN Cleveland, said today that Harbaugh
would want to pick his general manager. Does that kind
of go along with maybe on why you said Miami
got a head start, But would they run this past
Harbaugh and would that rule the Giants out as a
possibility for the former Ravens head coach.
Speaker 6 (22:05):
You know, I don't. I don't think it fully. I mean,
you know, Harball's been around a lot of great people
over the years, certainly been in the Baltimore organization for
a long time, but a lot of people have branched
out from him. I don't think as a head coach
you have to pick your general manager. I certainly want
you want to have a working relationship or knowledge of them,
(22:25):
and so I don't think that's detriment, don't. I don't
think that Ruins pulls the Giants out. You know, Joe
Shane is one of the nicest, easiest, workable guys you've
can find in the National Footballague. For the Giants, I mean,
everybody's going to get along with him because he knows
how to do that. So I don't think that's going
to be the issue. And when you really think about
the overall arching opportunities and that just plays Atlanta is
(22:47):
really the only option. If that's the truth, then it
means only Atlanta could be the team that would sign
Harball because it's the only thing who has a GM opening.
Speaker 5 (22:54):
With the playoffs going on tonight in college, Mark, I'll
just ask you obviously projected Fernanda Mendoza Dante More many
believe could be the two best quarterbacks hypothetically available in
this draft, not asking you to evaluate them, but just
ask you, like if you were the let me point blake.
(23:14):
If you're the Raiders GM, I don't even know who.
I don't even know who's been hired and fired there.
But anyway, if you were Raiders brass, if you're Mark Davis,
maybe that's a good way. Are you in the building
tonight at the Peach Bowl? Are you Is this a
small part of the evaluation? Does it matter to you
at all? What are you doing right now? If you're
the Las Vegas Raiders and there are two guys that
(23:35):
you could hypothetically be drafting number one overall playing head
to head tonight.
Speaker 6 (23:39):
So I think their situation is if I was a GM,
would I like to be there?
Speaker 2 (23:43):
Yes?
Speaker 6 (23:44):
Do I think I'm there? Probably not, because we've got
to get everything else wrapped up in the building and
that's critical. So I'd send either my director of college
or my director player, or maybe both to get there
to be able to watch it live just kind of
see how they interact between what we don't get to
see on TV. What are they like on the sign
least when a guy celebrates, who celebrates with them? I
want to see how the team reacts around success and
(24:06):
failure of each quarterback individually. And that's a lot of
the sideline watching. And that's why you send a scout
to the game, because we can all watch from TV
to some extent of the quarterback position because we've got
so many eyes on it. But it's really watching the
off the field that's critical, and that's why you've got
to have a scout there, at least one. If I'm
the Raiders, I have too because I just want to
watch those two guys throughout the game. Your role on
with your binoculars. You're watching Mendoza and you're watching more
(24:29):
and that's all you're doing. And you're going to kind
of write an entire report of how they handle the
championship game, because I think that's critical information.
Speaker 2 (24:34):
I was going to ask you about the games coming up,
but since you bring up like the Raiders situation, is
that an appealing one for a potential head coach? Do
you see the number one pick. Is that enough for
somebody to be like, yeah, I want that, or is
it everything around it that is more important.
Speaker 1 (24:49):
Yeah.
Speaker 6 (24:49):
I think that it's appealing there number one. Yes, it's
nice to be able to know that you can select
a quarterback and they will. And at the same point,
it's nice to know that you have some pieces there
like a brock Powers, which is incredible, right, and then
there you know you've got defensive pieces. And I think
you've got an offensive line that's trying to figure out
its combination and stay healthy. But I think there's an
offensive line at the Raiders too that just has got
(25:11):
to find the right pieces for the five guys they have.
So I think it's somewhat certainly more exciting to grab
that job than a couple of the others. And so
I think the Raiders have something to sell and I
think that's important. And I think that being able to
say you get to choose your quarterback makes it extremely
attractive because at least as a as a head coach,
you didn't walk in and say, hey, here's your quarterback.
(25:32):
Make it work. It's let's go pick a quarterback and
let's make it work.
Speaker 5 (25:36):
Let's reverse course from the Dolphins talk with potentially John
Harbaugh to Baltimore. Just bigger picture again, don't necessarily look
for candidates necessarily, but what is ownership looking for? In
your opinion, I think I have an idea, but curious
for your perspective on what they are or should be
looking for in the next head coach in Baltimore.
Speaker 6 (25:57):
Well, I got to think they're looking at an offensive
core more in that role. I think they feel like
they're in decent hands defensively, and I think they're probably
going for something useful, kind of like they did with
Harball when he first got the job there. You know,
it was an out of the box higher and it
was tremendous, and I think that that's got to be
probably what they're looking for. Someone that can work with Lamar,
that understands Lamar and you know it doesn't let Lamar
(26:21):
walk over you. And I don't think Lamar would do
that either. I don't truly believe all the reports we
heard out of Baltimore those that kind of dysfunction because
it's just not Baltimore's mo to be successful that long.
So I think you're looking for an offensive coordinator. I
think you're looking somebody long term, because I think you're
hoping you get the person that can call the plays,
that can keep this offense going and if everything goes right,
(26:43):
you don't lose them next year to the next team
that wants to hot. New name.
Speaker 2 (26:47):
Mark Dominic joining us here, former general manager of the
Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He's Hear and Torres. I'm Dan Byer.
Let's look ahead the wild card weekend. I want to
talk about the forty nine ers because in week sixteen
and seventeen, this was an offense that was cooking. I
know they gave up some points to the Bears, but
they had the Monday night win in front of everybody
in Indianapolis, followed it up with that shootout with the
(27:09):
Bears on Sunday night, or that's what you adding back
to back weeks, and then all of a sudden, the
Seahawks comes down to town completely shut down the offense.
And now you go to Philadelphia and the Eagles are
sitting there now as a six point favorite in this game.
Who are the real San Francisco forty nine Ers.
Speaker 6 (27:27):
Yeah, I don't know. You know, it's hard to get
a sense of them when they're kind of banged up,
and things don't feel like it's coming together, and I
feel like the Eagles are the team that will win
this game. I feel like the Eagles will four speed
sake one Barkers and he'll touch the ball twenty to
twenty five times easy, and just it's time to run
taque as much as you can and throw the ball
(27:48):
at the backfield and just let that happen. You know,
I thought the forty nine Ers certainly had a great season,
have had a great season, and still obviously have the
talent around there to win this game. But I just
feel like the Eagles at home are going to be
a bigger match because I don't think they're gonna be
able to shut down the run, and I think that's
going to be the piece that's going to be a
frustrating part for obviously the forty nine Ers in this
(28:09):
game this weekend.
Speaker 5 (28:10):
Probably a pretty obvious question, but I'll ask anyway. How
much pressure is on Buffalo get heading into Sunday? Obviously,
no case, go ahead, Mark Floorizer, Yeah I know where.
Speaker 6 (28:19):
Yeah, No, I'm with you. It's it's tremendous pressure across
the board in it in a game that you know,
I feel like both defenses, both offenses, you know, both
have explosion plays. I'm I'm going to fall track to it.
I mean, I appreciate what Jacksonville's done. You've looked at
their roster and they've had some or their schedule and
they've had some, you know, really big victories, but they've
(28:40):
also had probably a much lesser schedule in terms of
pure toughness of what they're going to have to handle
when they play the Buffalo Bills. It's important like Dalton
kon Kaid looks like he's going to be a good
to go. That is a big piece. When they get
all through those tight ends working, it gets very hard
for defensive coordinators to handle them. And so I think
that's kind of the hidden gem for the Buffalo Bills.
It looks like their tight end rim is going to
be healthy and that is critical. And then defensively, I
(29:03):
know Terrell Bernard looks like for the Bills isn't going
to play. That's disappointing as he's a tackling machine. But
I just think the Bills will find a way to
get this thing done because I think that they're a
team that you know, I feel like because we've seen
the Ravens out and the Chiefs out. It's kind of
the open door right now for the Buffalo Bills to
finally play. And I think in the postseason they played
(29:23):
pretty well, even though they've had some heartbreaking losses.
Speaker 2 (29:25):
Okay, And if they don't get it done, or if
there's another result this weekend that may not be as
favorable for a team, could we see nine head coaching vacancies.
Could we see a playoff team make a move from
their head coach depending on what happens this weekend?
Speaker 6 (29:39):
Well, I think every all. I mean, I think when
John Harbaugh got fired, I think thirty one other teams
have to really look at their roster and say, would
he be the right fit here? I just think because
of his consistency and his demeanor and his talent is
the ability to you know, work with gems and put
together teams. I think thirty one teams need to look
at that. And if he's not off the board, which
I don't expect him to be off the I think
(30:01):
you've got to have a heart to heart and so yeah,
I think that there's a potential of that there that
you know, here's a here's a head coaching job, and
I think Buffalo internally should already be having that conversation,
you know, do we want to if this then that?
And I think he saw that a little bit throughout
the league. Like I didn't think that Raheem Morris was
going to get fired. I think the Atlanta Falcons thought
(30:21):
a month and a half ago, we're going to fire him,
and then they won four games, but they'd already made
their mind. It was hard for me to look at
Raheem and say you have fire him after two years
when you go eight nine. I know it's frustrating, but
it's like you just won your last four games in
a row. But I think their mind was already made
the same thing. For Tampa Bay, I think they felt
like they were in it, but Todd Bowles was like,
we just lost a couple of close games, still lost
lost lost the we win, but then they lose. I
(30:42):
think they Tampa would have been the same situation. Todd
Bowles might not be the head coach today either. So
I think it's all about like planning in advance, and
I think that's where Buffalo is right now. They need
to have the pow wow, and I'm sure they have
what if and and what's our reaction And therefore you
needed to make the call out to coach Tarball's representative
just to put.
Speaker 5 (31:00):
A button on my previous question about the Ravens. They
the team account just announced that they have completed an
interview with Kevin Stefanski. So don't know that that means anything,
but it doesn't mean nothing either.
Speaker 6 (31:11):
So no, I like that. I mean, I think this
is a good year to get coaches that have been
head coaches before, and meaning that you know, uh, you know,
is it a good is an opportunity when you can
have something he's already been a head coach, when you're
certain teams. I think that that's a very desirable situation.
And I think he obviously is Stefanski to me, will
(31:32):
get a head coaching job in this carousel.
Speaker 2 (31:33):
Yeah, especially with so many vacancies. There weren't a laundry
list of coordinators that were, you know, lining up to
be head coaches. And so I think your point is right, Mark, Mark,
We always appreciate it. Enjoy wildcard weekend and enjoy college
football tonight, and we'll talk to you next week.
Speaker 1 (31:47):
Thanks talking you guys, have it right with Fox Sports
Radio has the best sports talk lineup in the nation yet.
Catch all of our shows at Fox Sports Radio dot
Com and within the iHeartRadio.
Speaker 4 (31:57):
App Fox Sports Right.
Speaker 2 (32:00):
He's Aaron Torres, I'm Dan Byer, Glad to have you
with us on a Friday. Jason Stewart's here as his
IOWA sam Isaac Lohinkron giving us all the news that
we need, news in the NBA that we're gonna get
to in a sec. But it's time now for our
ti Iraq Play of the Day. For over forty years,
Tirek has been helping customers find the right tires for how,
what and where they drive. Ship Fast and freeback by
(32:20):
free Road has a protection with convenient installation options like
mobile tire installation Tiraq dot Com. The way tire buying
should be. Deck holds his hands out, takes drops to
the right, look.
Speaker 4 (32:35):
First, back to the EZO.
Speaker 7 (32:37):
He rents it in over the left side person back
takes it in for Miami touchdown. Miami touchdown for coursing
back is that the winning moment is a three yard touchdown.
Speaker 2 (32:52):
The quarterback with the tatt at arms use his legs
to get the game winning score. On the Hurricanes Radio Network,
as Miami is back in the National Championship Game for
the first time since the two thousand and two season.
Speaker 4 (33:03):
How do you know his legs aren't tatted? I don't know.
Speaker 2 (33:06):
I just know his arms. Are they sure that the
arms are his legs? Maybe? But we see we see
more of the arms than the legs. He used to
have a sleeve and I thought he was just going
the one arm and then he did a ball. So
now he's doubling up and I'm sure there's probably more
to come. I don't know there's going to be more
to come for John Morant in his NBA career, but
(33:28):
if it does, it may not happen in Memphis. A
report from ESPN Sham Sharania saying that the Grizzlies are
entertaining offers to move the two time All Star guard.
Multiple teams are pursuing Morant in talks, according to Shams,
and rival execs, according to this report, say the Grizzlies
(33:50):
would want draft picks and young players in return. You
shocked that John Morant is on the trade block.
Speaker 5 (33:56):
I am not shocked John Moran is on the trade block.
What I will be sed as if they get a
whole of draft picks or young players to acquire him
from any any of the twenty nine other teams.
Speaker 2 (34:05):
I know it's one of Jason Stewart's favorite players, Jahn Morant.
I do want to read verbatim please from the ESPN
piece where this news broke, because this will tell you.
This will tell you I think the trade value of
Jahn Morants. This is verbatim. Morant, twenty six, is under
(34:26):
contract with the Grizzlies through the twenty twenty seven to
twenty eight season. He's eligible to sign up a three
year extension up to one hundred and seventy eight million
dollars this summer, and here's where the fun begins. He's
averaging nineteen points in seven point six assists in twenty
eight point three minutes per game this season, while shooting
a career low forty percent from the field in twenty
(34:50):
point eight percent from three point range. He has played
in only eighteen games this season because of injuries and
a one game suspension stemming from a postgame exchange with
his coach. Memphis ten and nine with him in the
lineup Okay six and twelve when he plays. He played
just fifty nine games over the previous two seasons because
(35:11):
of two suspensions for incidents with guns along with various injuries.
Two full paragraphs on why any other NBA team would
not or should not want Ja Morant, And it was
I thought it was gonna be one. I thought it
was gonna end at the three point shooting. But then
when you get into all of the other things that
(35:33):
John Morant has done for a guy who is thought
to be a future star in the NBA, to me,
extremely toxic and would be nothing I would want around
my organization.
Speaker 5 (35:43):
Yeah, and it's a different it's a different circumstance with
the Trey Young situation. Obviously there weren't off the court
issues with Trey Young. I want to be respectful of that.
But volume guards who in Jahn Morant's case, can't shoot
and have, you know, previous legal issues, not exactly a
line out the door to get those guys.
Speaker 2 (36:02):
Jason Stewart, you're always intrigued by John Morant's.
Speaker 3 (36:05):
Well, I'm intrigued by this. You asked the question to Aaron,
will any team be interested? And I was thinking, if
if you put a gun to my head, I'd probably
come up. But yeah, but I just googled this he
fired his agent, because I was thinking Sharania usually does
the bidding of agents, but Jof fired his agent. Youet
(36:25):
another thing to like about this guy, just another thing
to appeal teams to him is that he doesn't have
a representation.
Speaker 2 (36:32):
It took. I mean again, this is two full paragraphs
of everything that is wrong with John Morant and why
a team wouldn't want him. At some point you get
into some of the good stuff. But oft injured, off, suspended,
and his team is actually better without him than with him.
That is not a good sign.
Speaker 5 (36:50):
I just think the Wizards trade for him, and you
play him and Trey Young on and off each quarter.
Don't try to win, just try to get four or
five Sports Center highlights and at least be relevant.
Speaker 2 (37:00):
For a little bit, just chucking the basketball up NonStop.
Yes man, what could have been? I mean, honestly, there
was a point and there's you know, stuff with Zion
going on as well. But when he and Zion came
into the league, I mean, there was going to be
a new World era, you know, new World Order if
you will, nWo, and it has not turned out that way.
Speaker 4 (37:20):
Zion got hurt at Summer League. On my wedding night,
and it's never been good for him since.
Speaker 2 (37:24):
Good for me, though it wasn't a good night for
officiating in college football or officials in general. We'll talk
about it next on Fox
Fox Sports Radio had the best sports talk lineup in
the nation. Catch all of our shows at foxsports Radio
dot com and within the iHeartRadio.
Speaker 2 (00:07):
App feazzey sec Bye Bye bye bye. Would it be
a wah?
Speaker 3 (00:14):
Is that?
Speaker 4 (00:14):
Is that French for goodbye bye bye?
Speaker 3 (00:16):
Goodbye?
Speaker 4 (00:17):
Sayonarra bye in any language?
Speaker 2 (00:19):
The SEC out of the college football playoff Happy Friday
erin Torres.
Speaker 4 (00:23):
How are you well?
Speaker 5 (00:25):
I'm great, enjoyed the heck out of the game on
Thursday night, and I was just telling Bow in the back,
is that listen? I love a good college football you
know narrative as much as the next. And I love
this old mysstory kind of proven Lane Kiffin wrong. I
was kind of pulling for Miami to win No SEC
team in the championship game for a third straight year.
(00:48):
And you know, I set out the meme last night.
But when Greg Sankie walks in all these commissioners meetings
over the next couple months, I hope all the commissioners
pull the Connor McGregor meme of who the F this guy?
Speaker 4 (01:01):
I don't think it's gonna happen, but I hope that
they do.
Speaker 2 (01:03):
Oh yes, a lot to get to Greg SANKI wanting
more opportunities for the SEC in the future college football playoffs. Right,
five plus eleven, so then the SEC could have what
nine schools in the playoff. Not so fast, my friend,
because for back to back years they can't get a
team in the National champions straight game. And yes, Michigan
(01:24):
Washington was yes, yeah, you're right, you're right. So now
three straight years, even with tonight's outcome, not set up
three straight years. The last time he was Georgia and TCU,
as he pointed out to a text of the PTSD
from attending that game and how bad it was. But
I do think that last night's game is interesting in
(01:47):
the fact of it eliminated an SEC school, an ACC
school has now made it to the National Championship Game,
and an ACC school Aaron that was the last at
large team in the bracket to make it. So there
are a lot of tentacles coming from last night's game.
Miami now gets to play a National Championship game in
(02:08):
their home stadium. That's been done before with them in
college football. But I don't feel that the National Championship
Game has been lacking at any point without an SEC
team in the National championship, and in fact, I think
that there was a time where we were just so
sick of it if you weren't an SEC fan. And
(02:30):
so now I feel that for as great as Miami's
tradition is of being the U, it feels like there's
new blood, new blood in the College Football Playoff. I mean,
even having Ole Miss representing the SEC, it just didn't
They didn't even I'm not saying they're not an SEC team,
but it wasn't the LSU Alabama, Georgia Florida quad that
(02:52):
you would get where we would be like, oh, it's
them again. So it was new. It was different, but
it also may be a changing of the guard that
we've come to now in the third straight year.
Speaker 5 (03:02):
Well, I know we're not going to spend too much
time giving the former Old Miss coach, you know, airtime here,
but I bring it up because to your point about
even within the SEC, there's a tier above the tier.
The reason Old Miss had what was essentially an interim
coach for this playoff. I know he's the full time coach,
which you get the point is because their previous head
coach said I don't think I can win a championship
(03:22):
here and so it speaks to that for so long
again it was the Alabama's, the Georgia's, the LSUS, the Whomever's.
Definitely new blood in this not only this playoff, but
I think that it speaks to a lot of quickly
changing narratives about everything that we think we know about
this sport, whether it be the SEC, how you build
(03:42):
a team, what teams can actually be competitive.
Speaker 4 (03:45):
It's a fascinating time in the world of college Could we.
Speaker 2 (03:47):
Also point out that Lane Kiffin staying in the SEC
proves that it's maybe not as strong as it once was.
Speaker 4 (03:53):
Okay, land On me, I don't know.
Speaker 2 (03:55):
So the thought process is is Lane Kiffin stays with
than the conference, But if he truly wanted to go
win a national championship, the thought process would be their
easier paths.
Speaker 4 (04:07):
All I see what you're saying.
Speaker 2 (04:08):
Yep. So like if he took his game to the ACC,
or took it to the Big twelve, or took it
to the Big ten and was able to coach there,
that maybe the path. If you think that the SEC
is king and that it's a murderer's row of week
in and week out, then maybe Lane kiffen wouldn't have
stayed in the SEC.
Speaker 4 (04:27):
That's an interesting point. I hadn't thought of it.
Speaker 5 (04:29):
What I will say is bigger picture and I know
we're kind of bouncing around here, but I think the
struggles of the SEC, not only in this postseason, but
the last couple of years, has been a very interesting,
you know, turning point in the sport. I will say though, like,
you know, one, after what Ohio State did last year,
after what Michigan did two years ago, I think there
was this notion that like, well, you know, I mean,
(04:52):
maybe an Ohio State has caught the SEC. But the
bottom line is when you really look at it, the
SEC is still deeper, and it's still this and it's
still that. And I said, I was saying this, I'll
me this morning like we got to get out of
that notion now too, because you look at the bottom
of this league this year, it was terrible. Now, part
of it is a byproduct of all these leagues are
too big, but Auburn was terrible, Florida was terrible, Arkansas
(05:13):
was terrible, Kentucky was terrible, and you start looking and
I'm not saying Ole Miss didn't deserve to be there.
I'm not saying, you know, Texas at they beat a
lot of dead weight at the bottom of the league.
And so now I think even the narrative of well,
you know, Ohio State's caught us at the top, but
the middle in the bottom, it's just different in the SEC.
Speaker 4 (05:31):
No, maybe it's the exact same as everything.
Speaker 2 (05:32):
And I don't think that it's bouncing around. I think
everything is connected to the point that we are at
right now on January ninth of twenty twenty six, yep,
that we are tonight about to watch a Big Ten
semi final for in the College Football Playoff National semi Final.
So you have two Big ten teams playing an ACC
team has made it through by going through the SEC,
(05:55):
the Big Ten, and the SEC again.
Speaker 6 (05:57):
Yep.
Speaker 2 (05:58):
So Miami's road to the NASH Championship Game is absolutely validated.
But I also think that there are points when you
look back at the last twenty to twenty five years
in college football, the SEC dominance in college football doesn't
really take over till about I'd say the Urban Meyer,
Florida years two thousand and six. They win it again
(06:19):
in two thousand and eight in Alabama and Nick Saban
end up taking over of course, there was a Nick
Saban LSU championship prior to that, but Les Miles and
LSU win a national championship, and it was how the
SEC built their teams. Then Urban Meyer leaves Florida, goes
to Ohio State and says, I need to build an
SEC school in the big ten yep and they do.
(06:39):
They go and they win a national championship in twenty fourteen.
So now other schools are trying to to compete. I
think that's something that you've pointed out as well, is
the path that Miami took to get to this national
championship game is not so different from maybe what we
have seen previously in SEC schools and right now, like
(07:01):
there was, there was a point too where Nick Saban
had to realize that I can't just win by being
bigger and tougher, that we're gonna also have to have
an offense that is gonna score some points. So then
you have Sarkisian, you have Lane Giffen, you have Brian Dable,
was there oc one here, yeah, Brian Dabel, Bill O'Brien,
all of these guys coming in and running the Alabama
offense because you needed to have an offense too to
(07:25):
support your studs, and now if you're not as good
up front, this is where this is where you are.
So I think it's all connected.
Speaker 5 (07:32):
And I think that was one of the themes of
last night is that, you know, I'm assuming most of
the audience watched the game from beginning to end, but
if you didn't, what was jarring was Miami just bullied
oh Miss. And you know, there was even a point
in the fourth quarter and there were so many back
and forth I can't remember exactly where where. I just
remember sitting there saying Miami did have the lead at
(07:55):
that point, and I said, if they passed the ball
on this possession until they have to until it's like
if they get into a third and long, that's obviously different.
But I said, they're out of their minds, run the
ball right at Ole Miss. They did end ended up
running it, they had to punt it away. Ole Miss
scored and it was a back and forth from there.
But I just bring it up because it's not just
(08:15):
you know, the results on the field, it is the
way the games looked in that you go back to
last year Ohio State Bullying Tennessee, Ohio State Bullying Texas
and then last night where it's just like Miami was
the physically superior team in every way that they could be. Now,
Old Mis made it a game. Trinidad Chamblis was incredible.
(08:35):
Don't want to take away what they did, but this
is now the trend as well. Of it's not just
the results on the field, but it's the way in
which the SEC was physically dominating that simply isn't the
case anymore.
Speaker 2 (08:47):
We are ten minutes into the show that is just
north of half the time of possession that Ole Miss
had last night.
Speaker 4 (08:53):
It's crazy.
Speaker 2 (08:53):
So it was about eighteen minutes they held the football,
but again they're thirty five yards away from from maybe
winning this game. They're twenty seconds away or from making
a Carson Beck tackle, and however it would have turned
out of maybe playing some more. But that's the way
that Ole Miss played. It's the way that Miami played.
In the end, Ole Miss had a chance to win
(09:14):
the football game and they didn't. What I find interesting
now is Miami is in the National Championship game, but
it doesn't feel like the U is in.
Speaker 4 (09:23):
The National Championship game.
Speaker 2 (09:25):
Interesting Okay, so I think that the U is a
different entity sure, and I think that this is Miami.
I don't think that this is the U because I
don't think that this team. I think they are a
very very good team. Can I jump in on this rum? Yeah?
Speaker 5 (09:38):
Us living in LA, this is like the Lakers might
make a run with Luca. This isn't showtime though. Yeah,
I'm saying yeah, yeah, absolutely, absolutely so. It's Miami in
the National Championship Game. And it's not the you that
has been number one throughout the season that's gonna put
you know, twelve guys in the NFL Draft, and ten
of those are going to be in the first two rounds.
Speaker 4 (09:59):
That's not what this is.
Speaker 2 (10:00):
They're gonna have high draft picks, They're gonna have top
five picks. That's gonna end up happening. But it's just
not the teams that we saw twenty five years ago
or even in the nineties or the late eighties. So
it's Miami's in the National Championship Game. And Jason Stewart,
our executive producer, isn't even necessarily looking at Miami being
(10:22):
a factor in this. It's that they're non acc champion
Miami in the National Championship Game. That's kind of not
your bone to pick, but that's what stands out to you.
Speaker 3 (10:33):
It seems silly to me that, unless I'm wrong, that
Miami could win a national title before they win an
ACC championship. That's strange to me. That doesn't hit my
ear right. It doesn't hit my ear right that we're
gonna likely have a game of participants for the second
straight year of teams that didn't even win their conference championship.
(10:55):
It's just again, all these things are just very odd
to me. And I know you guys, we get in
the minutia of this whole thing and you don't take
like the thirty thousand food view of this stuff. But
to me, those are silly aspects of this sport.
Speaker 2 (11:09):
I look at it as the conference championships that you
have are like the divisions in the NBA. We don't
care about them anymore. You can. The ratings may tell
us differently. Ohio State and Indiana great ratings one versus
two in the Big Ten Championship game. Maybe ultimately it
(11:32):
could have changed fortunes. Maybe if Indiana plays Miami, there's
a different outcome in the quarterfinals. Maybe Ohio State beats
Alabama and the Rose Bowl if they end up being
the number one seed. Who knows, We'll never know the case.
But winning a conference championship I think now in most
leagues is just more of an enticement because of how
(11:54):
it affects where you're going to be in the bracket.
Then would it be anything else now? The bracket separate
conversation on whether it helps to have a buy or
not in the college football playoff. But I just don't
think now, when you're a conference or you're a team,
that winning your conference championship is important anymore. Just like
(12:16):
winning the Central Division in the NBA, When was the
last time you looked at an NBA division standings as
opposed to the conference standings to see where everybody is
seated in the playoffs. And I think as more and
more time goes on, and if the playoff expands, and
it's why other leagues are trying to find value and
how do we take this window that is a championship
game and make value of it, I just don't think
(12:37):
that conference championships matter anymore. So while it may be
a blind spot for me of not considering that, I'm
also looking at it as in a way of the
championship weekend in college football just isn't important anymore.
Speaker 5 (12:50):
Yeah, And I think to the bigger picture of what
we were kind of talking about is this world of
college football is changing so fast where in Indiana in
an old miss can be in competition for a national championship,
which was something that was probably inconceivable even five years ago.
I think this is just a new reality is you know,
I think we're in a not too distant future where
we don't even have conference championship games, and I think,
(13:13):
you know, there will still be somebody that probably finishes
with a better record and they get to hoist a
banner at the end of the year and it helps
with seeding. It just it doesn't matter anymore. It's about
you know, I hate to say it, but it's like
college basketball, it's like the NBA. It's about putting yourself
in position to get into the field and then be
in the most advantageous spot you can be. So it's
(13:34):
an interesting point, but it just speaks to how quickly
this sport is changing and what does and does kind
of matter in this new world.
Speaker 2 (13:40):
It's a one game situation, the Jason points out, but
ultimately it's a one game tournament. The conference championship game.
So like, if you're comparing it to college basketball, as
you and I do the Selection Show and have for
the past six years here on Fox Sports Radio. Every
year we talk about how the conference tournaments in the
(14:01):
big leagues, Yeah, don't matter as much anymore when it
comes to seeding and placing teams in and putting teams
in so you may win the conference tournament, and that
does not mean success in the Big Dance. And I
think now instead of looking at as a conference champion
a championship game, we just kind of have to look
at it as a one game tournament that there isn't
(14:23):
necessarily value. And so even though Indiana won and they
could be the team to do it, I mean, last
year's national semifinals were Texas and Ohio State. Texas lost
the championship game. Ohio State wasn't in there, and then
you had Notre Dame who didn't play in one, and
he had Penn State who ended up losing in the
championship game. So it was even last year in the
semi finals, there weren't even conference champions let alone the
(14:45):
national championship game.
Speaker 5 (14:46):
Yeah, it's funny to use the college basketball analogy. So
Michigan basketball, they're really good this year, number two in
the country, whatever, and they just happen to be showing
b roll of them from you know, since this new coach,
Dusty May took over showing b role of them winning
the Big Ten championship last year and cutting down the nets.
I remember a lot about college basketball. I didn't even
(15:08):
remember them winning the Big Ten Tournament last year. It
was just like, oh, they had a good year, had
a good run in the tournament, really good this year,
but it wasn't something that registered of like part of
that good season that led to success in the tournament
was winning the conference tournament.
Speaker 2 (15:20):
And I know we got to take a time out,
but it would make sense to have conferences be a
feeder situation where you fed teams into the bracket. Know
that something that ioa Sam would be a fan of.
It's just can you find value? The Big Ten talked
about having a three versus six, four versus five game
within their own conference to determine who could get a
(15:42):
spot in a sixteen team bracket if you went to
a four automatic. Big deal with the Big Ten. So
they don't want the TV window to go away. They
make money from the networks. People watch the game just
like they watched the Ohio State in Indiana. But to
think that it has any sort of importance on the
college football bract it. It doesn't, And you don't have
to look at the Big Ten. You can look at
(16:03):
the SEC as well. For what we've seen.
Speaker 1 (16:05):
As of late, Fox Sports Radio had the best sports
talk lineup in the nation. Catch all of our shows
at Fox sports Radio dot Com and within the iHeartRadio app.
Speaker 2 (16:15):
It's Fox Sports Radio. He's eron Torres. I'm Dan Byer.
With the iHeartRadio app, you can stream us wherever you
happen to be. Catch us and all of our Fox
Sports Radio shows. I'll have twenty four to seven in
the new and improved iHeartRadio app. Just search Fox Sports
Radio and the app to stream us live all day
at every day. We sure to select Fox Sports Radio
as one of your presets in the iHeart app, so
will always pop up at the top of your screen.
(16:38):
He is erin Tarris, finda mat Aaron Underscore Torres on
x You can find me dan Byer at dan Byer
on Fox. At the start of the show, we got
a tweet right away saying the fact that the first
topic that the SEC not being in the championship game,
the fact that that's leading our show tells us that
the SEC is still king.
Speaker 4 (16:56):
No, I don't think so.
Speaker 5 (16:58):
I actually just found discrewit that it shows they used
to listen we lead the show with the Lakers stinking
all the time. It doesn't mean it's nineteen eighty six
and Magic Johnson's running down the floor like I think it.
It shows that they are certainly the most relevant league.
From a discourse standpoint, I don't think it means anything
(17:19):
other than that. Again, no different than when we lead
with a Lakers win rather than a Lakers loss, rather
than an OKAC or San Antonio win.
Speaker 2 (17:27):
It it allows some of us, maybe including myself, to
take a victory lap after the SEC had so many
victory laps after so many seasons. And as the great
Ben Maller has always said, the story is in the
losing locker room, not in the winning locker room, and
that seems to be the case for the SEC. Coming
(17:48):
up in just a little bits, actually coming up right now.
He's on the line. He's spent over twenty years in
front offices in the NFL, including a role as the
general manager the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Joins us every Friday
on the program. Mark Dominic joins us here on Fox
Sports Radio. Hey Mark, how are you? I'm great?
Speaker 6 (18:08):
What a what a week of football we have begun,
and we get to go through tonight, through the weekends
and all the wild card as well.
Speaker 2 (18:15):
It is it truly is amazing college football. As he said, tonight,
Oregon and Indiana last on a heck of a game,
and then are six games of wild card weekend. But
you know that's what we're not going to start with.
We're going to talk about that coaching carousel that is
going nine million miles per hour right now, because this
is right in your wheelhouse the Dolphins Today, John Eric
(18:38):
Sullivan's going to go from Green Bay to Miami. Could
this be a precursor on who the Dolphins end up
hiring as their head coach?
Speaker 6 (18:46):
No, I don't think so. I think the reason why
they're able to get the GM done is because they've
been able to start the search a long time ago,
right with Chris Career being fired during the season, or
you know, they walked away from each other. It just
allowed them to get moving. But I certainly think that
John Eric Sullivan would have their candidate in mind. However,
I think everyone including teams that still a head coaches,
(19:09):
are considering Harbaugh and whether that's.
Speaker 5 (19:12):
The right move staying with the Dolphins sort of. I
just want to ask you, I could be crazier. So
Mike McDaniel's out. The early returns are that he could
be named the Lions OC. I understand the Lions need
a new OC and whatever a Dan Campbell mister testosterone,
(19:32):
Mike McDaniel wears capriz on.
Speaker 4 (19:35):
It feels weird to me, and I'm not saying it
won't work.
Speaker 5 (19:39):
It just doesn't really feel like where I thought Dan
Campbell would potentially and nothing's official, but where he could
hypothetically go with this.
Speaker 6 (19:46):
Higher Yeah, I'm trying to think of the analogy. It's
not Doctor Jekyll mister Hyde, but it certainly two different personalities,
that's for sure. I think Mike is going to be
a guy that you know, Detroit would be a great fit.
I think anybody that could get Mike, you know, Tampa's
busy interview and Brian Callahan, I think that Tampa should
interviewed Mike mcdan. I mean, I think that I think
that he's a good coach and certainly a great offensive mind,
(20:07):
and a young guy that still has a lot of
potential in showing maybe more development to become another shot
at a head coach. But I think it will fit
Dan Is. You know, if you've ever had a chance
to be coach Campbell, he's an amazing guy, and I
think he's able to chameleon and adjust himself into what
needs to be done at the time. And I think
Mike would be a great fit in Detroit, and I
think Detroit fans would be lucky to have him.
Speaker 2 (20:28):
Mark Dobinick joining us here on Fox Sports Radio on
McDaniel's dismissal from Miami, were you surprised at least at
the timing of it, because I mean, is it all
Harbaugh connected? Is that that's the sense that I got.
How do you see in the move that Steven Ross
had to wait a couple of days before firing Mike McDaniel.
Speaker 6 (20:50):
Well, Stephen Ross always likes Michigan guys, and I think
he regrets not getting Jim Harbaugh years back, and I
think that this is a chance for him to finally
get a Harball into the building. And so I think
it absolutely had something to do with that. It's not everything.
They've got to follow the Rooney rules, as we all know,
but there had to be some pretty strong conversation to
get to that point to to say I'm going to
(21:12):
go ahead and move on from my coach. I can't
imagine anything else that's changed other than knowing that Harball
was available. Other than that, you would have just done
the move on Monday or Tuesday. And it is what
it is. It's amazing, guys, because a week ago I thought, Wow,
it's going to be bizarre, and I've known better, right,
I always know better. But I was like, it's only
maybe it's only four possibly five head coaches and we're
at seven and just you know, unexpected changes. Maybe there's
(21:37):
more stuff happening. But I think Harbaugh absolutely as much
as Atlanta wants Harbaugh and some other teams want Harbaugh,
I think Miami is certainly the front runner based off
their actions.
Speaker 2 (21:45):
So there was also a report from Tony Grossi, who's
based in Cleveland on ESPN Cleveland, said today that Harbaugh
would want to pick his general manager. Does that kind
of go along with maybe on why you said Miami
got a head start, But would they run this past
Harbaugh and would that rule the Giants out as a
possibility for the former Ravens head coach.
Speaker 6 (22:05):
You know, I don't. I don't think it fully. I mean,
you know, Harball's been around a lot of great people
over the years, certainly been in the Baltimore organization for
a long time, but a lot of people have branched
out from him. I don't think as a head coach
you have to pick your general manager. I certainly want
you want to have a working relationship or knowledge of them,
(22:25):
and so I don't think that's detriment, don't. I don't
think that Ruins pulls the Giants out. You know, Joe
Shane is one of the nicest, easiest, workable guys you've
can find in the National Footballague. For the Giants, I mean,
everybody's going to get along with him because he knows
how to do that. So I don't think that's going
to be the issue. And when you really think about
the overall arching opportunities and that just plays Atlanta is
(22:47):
really the only option. If that's the truth, then it
means only Atlanta could be the team that would sign
Harball because it's the only thing who has a GM opening.
Speaker 5 (22:54):
With the playoffs going on tonight in college, Mark, I'll
just ask you obviously projected Fernanda Mendoza Dante More many
believe could be the two best quarterbacks hypothetically available in
this draft, not asking you to evaluate them, but just
ask you, like if you were the let me point blake.
(23:14):
If you're the Raiders GM, I don't even know who.
I don't even know who's been hired and fired there.
But anyway, if you were Raiders brass, if you're Mark Davis,
maybe that's a good way. Are you in the building
tonight at the Peach Bowl? Are you Is this a
small part of the evaluation? Does it matter to you
at all? What are you doing right now? If you're
the Las Vegas Raiders and there are two guys that
(23:35):
you could hypothetically be drafting number one overall playing head
to head tonight.
Speaker 6 (23:39):
So I think their situation is if I was a GM,
would I like to be there?
Speaker 2 (23:43):
Yes?
Speaker 6 (23:44):
Do I think I'm there? Probably not, because we've got
to get everything else wrapped up in the building and
that's critical. So I'd send either my director of college
or my director player, or maybe both to get there
to be able to watch it live just kind of
see how they interact between what we don't get to
see on TV. What are they like on the sign
least when a guy celebrates, who celebrates with them? I
want to see how the team reacts around success and
(24:06):
failure of each quarterback individually. And that's a lot of
the sideline watching. And that's why you send a scout
to the game, because we can all watch from TV
to some extent of the quarterback position because we've got
so many eyes on it. But it's really watching the
off the field that's critical, and that's why you've got
to have a scout there, at least one. If I'm
the Raiders, I have too because I just want to
watch those two guys throughout the game. Your role on
with your binoculars. You're watching Mendoza and you're watching more
(24:29):
and that's all you're doing. And you're going to kind
of write an entire report of how they handle the
championship game, because I think that's critical information.
Speaker 2 (24:34):
I was going to ask you about the games coming up,
but since you bring up like the Raiders situation, is
that an appealing one for a potential head coach? Do
you see the number one pick. Is that enough for
somebody to be like, yeah, I want that, or is
it everything around it that is more important.
Speaker 1 (24:49):
Yeah.
Speaker 6 (24:49):
I think that it's appealing there number one. Yes, it's
nice to be able to know that you can select
a quarterback and they will. And at the same point,
it's nice to know that you have some pieces there
like a brock Powers, which is incredible, right, and then
there you know you've got defensive pieces. And I think
you've got an offensive line that's trying to figure out
its combination and stay healthy. But I think there's an
offensive line at the Raiders too that just has got
(25:11):
to find the right pieces for the five guys they have.
So I think it's somewhat certainly more exciting to grab
that job than a couple of the others. And so
I think the Raiders have something to sell and I
think that's important. And I think that being able to
say you get to choose your quarterback makes it extremely
attractive because at least as a as a head coach,
you didn't walk in and say, hey, here's your quarterback.
(25:32):
Make it work. It's let's go pick a quarterback and
let's make it work.
Speaker 5 (25:36):
Let's reverse course from the Dolphins talk with potentially John
Harbaugh to Baltimore. Just bigger picture again, don't necessarily look
for candidates necessarily, but what is ownership looking for? In
your opinion, I think I have an idea, but curious
for your perspective on what they are or should be
looking for in the next head coach in Baltimore.
Speaker 6 (25:57):
Well, I got to think they're looking at an offensive
core more in that role. I think they feel like
they're in decent hands defensively, and I think they're probably
going for something useful, kind of like they did with
Harball when he first got the job there. You know,
it was an out of the box higher and it
was tremendous, and I think that that's got to be
probably what they're looking for. Someone that can work with Lamar,
that understands Lamar and you know it doesn't let Lamar
(26:21):
walk over you. And I don't think Lamar would do
that either. I don't truly believe all the reports we
heard out of Baltimore those that kind of dysfunction because
it's just not Baltimore's mo to be successful that long.
So I think you're looking for an offensive coordinator. I
think you're looking somebody long term, because I think you're
hoping you get the person that can call the plays,
that can keep this offense going and if everything goes right,
(26:43):
you don't lose them next year to the next team
that wants to hot. New name.
Speaker 2 (26:47):
Mark Dominic joining us here, former general manager of the
Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He's Hear and Torres. I'm Dan Byer.
Let's look ahead the wild card weekend. I want to
talk about the forty nine ers because in week sixteen
and seventeen, this was an offense that was cooking. I
know they gave up some points to the Bears, but
they had the Monday night win in front of everybody
in Indianapolis, followed it up with that shootout with the
(27:09):
Bears on Sunday night, or that's what you adding back
to back weeks, and then all of a sudden, the
Seahawks comes down to town completely shut down the offense.
And now you go to Philadelphia and the Eagles are
sitting there now as a six point favorite in this game.
Who are the real San Francisco forty nine Ers.
Speaker 6 (27:27):
Yeah, I don't know. You know, it's hard to get
a sense of them when they're kind of banged up,
and things don't feel like it's coming together, and I
feel like the Eagles are the team that will win
this game. I feel like the Eagles will four speed
sake one Barkers and he'll touch the ball twenty to
twenty five times easy, and just it's time to run
taque as much as you can and throw the ball
(27:48):
at the backfield and just let that happen. You know,
I thought the forty nine Ers certainly had a great season,
have had a great season, and still obviously have the
talent around there to win this game. But I just
feel like the Eagles at home are going to be
a bigger match because I don't think they're gonna be
able to shut down the run, and I think that's
going to be the piece that's going to be a
frustrating part for obviously the forty nine Ers in this
(28:09):
game this weekend.
Speaker 5 (28:10):
Probably a pretty obvious question, but I'll ask anyway. How
much pressure is on Buffalo get heading into Sunday? Obviously,
no case, go ahead, Mark Floorizer, Yeah I know where.
Speaker 6 (28:19):
Yeah, No, I'm with you. It's it's tremendous pressure across
the board in it in a game that you know,
I feel like both defenses, both offenses, you know, both
have explosion plays. I'm I'm going to fall track to it.
I mean, I appreciate what Jacksonville's done. You've looked at
their roster and they've had some or their schedule and
they've had some, you know, really big victories, but they've
(28:40):
also had probably a much lesser schedule in terms of
pure toughness of what they're going to have to handle
when they play the Buffalo Bills. It's important like Dalton
kon Kaid looks like he's going to be a good
to go. That is a big piece. When they get
all through those tight ends working, it gets very hard
for defensive coordinators to handle them. And so I think
that's kind of the hidden gem for the Buffalo Bills.
It looks like their tight end rim is going to
be healthy and that is critical. And then defensively, I
(29:03):
know Terrell Bernard looks like for the Bills isn't going
to play. That's disappointing as he's a tackling machine. But
I just think the Bills will find a way to
get this thing done because I think that they're a
team that you know, I feel like because we've seen
the Ravens out and the Chiefs out. It's kind of
the open door right now for the Buffalo Bills to
finally play. And I think in the postseason they played
(29:23):
pretty well, even though they've had some heartbreaking losses.
Speaker 2 (29:25):
Okay, And if they don't get it done, or if
there's another result this weekend that may not be as
favorable for a team, could we see nine head coaching vacancies.
Could we see a playoff team make a move from
their head coach depending on what happens this weekend?
Speaker 6 (29:39):
Well, I think every all. I mean, I think when
John Harbaugh got fired, I think thirty one other teams
have to really look at their roster and say, would
he be the right fit here? I just think because
of his consistency and his demeanor and his talent is
the ability to you know, work with gems and put
together teams. I think thirty one teams need to look
at that. And if he's not off the board, which
I don't expect him to be off the I think
(30:01):
you've got to have a heart to heart and so yeah,
I think that there's a potential of that there that
you know, here's a here's a head coaching job, and
I think Buffalo internally should already be having that conversation,
you know, do we want to if this then that?
And I think he saw that a little bit throughout
the league. Like I didn't think that Raheem Morris was
going to get fired. I think the Atlanta Falcons thought
(30:21):
a month and a half ago, we're going to fire him,
and then they won four games, but they'd already made
their mind. It was hard for me to look at
Raheem and say you have fire him after two years
when you go eight nine. I know it's frustrating, but
it's like you just won your last four games in
a row. But I think their mind was already made
the same thing. For Tampa Bay, I think they felt
like they were in it, but Todd Bowles was like,
we just lost a couple of close games, still lost
lost lost the we win, but then they lose. I
(30:42):
think they Tampa would have been the same situation. Todd
Bowles might not be the head coach today either. So
I think it's all about like planning in advance, and
I think that's where Buffalo is right now. They need
to have the pow wow, and I'm sure they have
what if and and what's our reaction And therefore you
needed to make the call out to coach Tarball's representative
just to put.
Speaker 5 (31:00):
A button on my previous question about the Ravens. They
the team account just announced that they have completed an
interview with Kevin Stefanski. So don't know that that means anything,
but it doesn't mean nothing either.
Speaker 6 (31:11):
So no, I like that. I mean, I think this
is a good year to get coaches that have been
head coaches before, and meaning that you know, uh, you know,
is it a good is an opportunity when you can
have something he's already been a head coach, when you're
certain teams. I think that that's a very desirable situation.
And I think he obviously is Stefanski to me, will
(31:32):
get a head coaching job in this carousel.
Speaker 2 (31:33):
Yeah, especially with so many vacancies. There weren't a laundry
list of coordinators that were, you know, lining up to
be head coaches. And so I think your point is right, Mark, Mark,
We always appreciate it. Enjoy wildcard weekend and enjoy college
football tonight, and we'll talk to you next week.
Speaker 1 (31:47):
Thanks talking you guys, have it right with Fox Sports
Radio has the best sports talk lineup in the nation yet.
Catch all of our shows at Fox Sports Radio dot
Com and within the iHeartRadio.
Speaker 4 (31:57):
App Fox Sports Right.
Speaker 2 (32:00):
He's Aaron Torres, I'm Dan Byer, Glad to have you
with us on a Friday. Jason Stewart's here as his
IOWA sam Isaac Lohinkron giving us all the news that
we need, news in the NBA that we're gonna get
to in a sec. But it's time now for our
ti Iraq Play of the Day. For over forty years,
Tirek has been helping customers find the right tires for how,
what and where they drive. Ship Fast and freeback by
(32:20):
free Road has a protection with convenient installation options like
mobile tire installation Tiraq dot Com. The way tire buying
should be. Deck holds his hands out, takes drops to
the right, look.
Speaker 4 (32:35):
First, back to the EZO.
Speaker 7 (32:37):
He rents it in over the left side person back
takes it in for Miami touchdown. Miami touchdown for coursing
back is that the winning moment is a three yard touchdown.
Speaker 2 (32:52):
The quarterback with the tatt at arms use his legs
to get the game winning score. On the Hurricanes Radio Network,
as Miami is back in the National Championship Game for
the first time since the two thousand and two season.
Speaker 4 (33:03):
How do you know his legs aren't tatted? I don't know.
Speaker 2 (33:06):
I just know his arms. Are they sure that the
arms are his legs? Maybe? But we see we see
more of the arms than the legs. He used to
have a sleeve and I thought he was just going
the one arm and then he did a ball. So
now he's doubling up and I'm sure there's probably more
to come. I don't know there's going to be more
to come for John Morant in his NBA career, but
(33:28):
if it does, it may not happen in Memphis. A
report from ESPN Sham Sharania saying that the Grizzlies are
entertaining offers to move the two time All Star guard.
Multiple teams are pursuing Morant in talks, according to Shams,
and rival execs, according to this report, say the Grizzlies
(33:50):
would want draft picks and young players in return. You
shocked that John Morant is on the trade block.
Speaker 5 (33:56):
I am not shocked John Moran is on the trade block.
What I will be sed as if they get a
whole of draft picks or young players to acquire him
from any any of the twenty nine other teams.
Speaker 2 (34:05):
I know it's one of Jason Stewart's favorite players, Jahn Morant.
I do want to read verbatim please from the ESPN
piece where this news broke, because this will tell you.
This will tell you I think the trade value of
Jahn Morants. This is verbatim. Morant, twenty six, is under
(34:26):
contract with the Grizzlies through the twenty twenty seven to
twenty eight season. He's eligible to sign up a three
year extension up to one hundred and seventy eight million
dollars this summer, and here's where the fun begins. He's
averaging nineteen points in seven point six assists in twenty
eight point three minutes per game this season, while shooting
a career low forty percent from the field in twenty
(34:50):
point eight percent from three point range. He has played
in only eighteen games this season because of injuries and
a one game suspension stemming from a postgame exchange with
his coach. Memphis ten and nine with him in the
lineup Okay six and twelve when he plays. He played
just fifty nine games over the previous two seasons because
(35:11):
of two suspensions for incidents with guns along with various injuries.
Two full paragraphs on why any other NBA team would
not or should not want Ja Morant, And it was
I thought it was gonna be one. I thought it
was gonna end at the three point shooting. But then
when you get into all of the other things that
(35:33):
John Morant has done for a guy who is thought
to be a future star in the NBA, to me,
extremely toxic and would be nothing I would want around
my organization.
Speaker 5 (35:43):
Yeah, and it's a different it's a different circumstance with
the Trey Young situation. Obviously there weren't off the court
issues with Trey Young. I want to be respectful of that.
But volume guards who in Jahn Morant's case, can't shoot
and have, you know, previous legal issues, not exactly a
line out the door to get those guys.
Speaker 2 (36:02):
Jason Stewart, you're always intrigued by John Morant's.
Speaker 3 (36:05):
Well, I'm intrigued by this. You asked the question to Aaron,
will any team be interested? And I was thinking, if
if you put a gun to my head, I'd probably
come up. But yeah, but I just googled this he
fired his agent, because I was thinking Sharania usually does
the bidding of agents, but Jof fired his agent. Youet
(36:25):
another thing to like about this guy, just another thing
to appeal teams to him is that he doesn't have
a representation.
Speaker 2 (36:32):
It took. I mean again, this is two full paragraphs
of everything that is wrong with John Morant and why
a team wouldn't want him. At some point you get
into some of the good stuff. But oft injured, off, suspended,
and his team is actually better without him than with him.
That is not a good sign.
Speaker 5 (36:50):
I just think the Wizards trade for him, and you
play him and Trey Young on and off each quarter.
Don't try to win, just try to get four or
five Sports Center highlights and at least be relevant.
Speaker 2 (37:00):
For a little bit, just chucking the basketball up NonStop.
Yes man, what could have been? I mean, honestly, there
was a point and there's you know, stuff with Zion
going on as well. But when he and Zion came
into the league, I mean, there was going to be
a new World era, you know, new World Order if
you will, nWo, and it has not turned out that way.
Speaker 4 (37:20):
Zion got hurt at Summer League. On my wedding night,
and it's never been good for him since.
Speaker 2 (37:24):
Good for me, though it wasn't a good night for
officiating in college football or officials in general. We'll talk
about it next on Fox
Host
Doug Gottlieb
Popular Podcasts
Math & Magic: Stories from the Frontiers of Marketing with Bob Pittman
How do the smartest marketers and business entrepreneurs cut through the noise? And how do they manage to do it again and again? It's a combination of math—the strategy and analytics—and magic, the creative spark. Join iHeartMedia Chairman and CEO Bob Pittman as he analyzes the Math and Magic of marketing—sitting down with today's most gifted disruptors and compelling storytellers.
Eye On College Basketball
CBS Sports’ official college basketball podcast is the most entertaining and informative of its kind. Gary Parrish and Matt Norlander bring the sport into your ears at least three times per week with commentary, reporting, insider information and statistical analysis throughout college basketball all year long.
The Questlove Show
The Questlove Show builds on the award-winning Questlove Supreme podcast, bringing listeners into intimate, one-on-one conversations with peers, influences, and friends. Hosted by Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson, each episode uncovers the unexpected — from morning rituals and hidden talents to the art and experiences that shaped a guest’s journey. Sometimes playful, sometimes profound, always curious, QLS offers rare insight into leaders in music, film, television, comedy, literature, mental health, and beyond. It’s a fresh, unpredictable spin from a trusted source — a place where randomness is encouraged, tangents are welcomed, and conversations are anything but ordinary.