Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
We're gonna run right out to the ka common spiral
(00:02):
hotline of bringing our guy Brandon Christal k you were
you were out of Canton when when Randy got enshrined,
why don't you take us through his enshrinement and a
chance to talk.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
To you a while. Yeah, it's always good to join
you guys and Nick. Welcome back to the dark side.
But it might be where you where you belong. At
least you know it's where your two feet are today, right.
There's so many sports figures like to say you got
to be where your two feet are, right, But my
(00:32):
two feet were in Canton over the weekend. It was
really cool because I wasn't sure if we were going
to get a chance to go cover it. And then
when the towers that, he said, hey, you know, let's
go on out there. Let's figure out what's gonna take
to get there. It was so cool because only Chris
Thomason from the Gazette was there, but I don't know
if he had any reaction with Randy. The Broncos obviously
had some of their you know, media digital folks there
(00:54):
and me and that was it. Okawa was in the
house and I got to walk in the parade with
TJ and Randy. Knier had ever been in a parade,
and Randy had his high school marching band. They lined
up the Champion High School marching band and they marched
in front of Randy's car for the whole two miles
and so that was really cool. And then the enshrinement
(01:15):
obviously the lake because the rain, but then Randy delivered
a home run speech. I think all the speeches were great,
and it's such a fun weekend and I know that
you guys have both been and to see the joy
not just for the Hall of Famers that are in,
I mean the Hall of famers getting in the first time,
plus the hall of famers that have been and welcomed this.
The most exclusive club in sports really are certainly one
(01:35):
of the few and most exclusive football. And then what
it means to their family and their friends that really
were a part of their journey from the time they
picked up a football or knew them before that obviously
with some family and friends and helped them along the
way and followed them and cheered for him and agonized
when they had tough losses. That it really just makes
you enjoy not just sports and football, but humanity right
(01:58):
and understanding that, Hey, even though these people are the
greatest of the great that have ever played this amazing
game that we all love, they're still just regular people
and they have moms and dads and cousins and aunts
and uncles, sisters and kids. And it was just awesome
to be a part of. And Randy waited far too
long to be in based on how great his career was.
But as Tom Jackson said, hopefully that broke the glass
and some more members of the Orangebrush will be there.
(02:19):
We know Mike Shanahan, Nick, one of your favorite people,
will be there sooner than later. And of course when von
Miller decides to call it a career five years after that,
we'll be there for Vaughn's and Trenton as well.
Speaker 3 (02:29):
You know what, that's the most intriguing thing because when
we look at how many Broncos players who played for
Coachehan who are now in the Pro Football Hall of Fame,
he is not. Now you've been here, You've covered this
team a lot. Do you think with this next rotation
(02:49):
Mike gets in and if he doesn't get in, what
does that say about the process itself.
Speaker 2 (02:55):
Well, the process is convoluted. And what's interesting talking to
the Hall of Famer is I think the coolest thing
they do is on Friday they have the Hall of
Fame lunching with just the Hall of famers, justicld jackets
with their you know, the new class, and the guy
that runs a Hall of Fame, whomever that may be.
It was David Bacon for a long time, and I
was an named Jim and I'm gone a blank on
Jim's or maybe uh. And they talk about all things
(03:18):
Hall of Fame. And because I was bringing up the idea,
I was talking with Andre Reid and Jimbo Colvert about
why not every ten years do like a bigger class
to get caught up on so many guys that deserve
to be there. And they said they're actually going the
other way. It's gonna be harder. And I talked to Leggi,
Jeff Legwell, who's the Denver voter, and he said, yeah,
they're gonna make it harder to get in. But because
of the way they do it with the coach contributor
(03:40):
category rotating and then the Senior Committee senior player. So
this year there are three senior players. Next year it's one,
maybe two coach contributors for they're still trying to put
a senior in every year if I'm not mistaken, and
I don't know how they'll change the process. But Mike
basically lost to Don Coryell last time, and Mike have
so much reverence for Don Kryel talking to Mike about it,
talking to Kyle about how much John Coryell meant to Mike.
(04:02):
He was fine with Don getting in because it was
long overdue there with how innovative he was for offense
in the game of football. But if let's say Robert
Kraft gets in and some people think of that documentary
may have worked against him, even though he's a gold
standard owner and they won six titles in his ownership
that you know, picking on Bill Belichicker or treating in
(04:25):
the way that documentary came across may actually hurt his
chances to get in sooner than later. But yeah, Nick,
Mike should be basically on deck as the next guy
up based on resumes for coaches that aren't in yet
in terms of his success, and then when you look
at what he's meant to the game and his coaching
tree and where the game has evolved because of Mike, Yeah.
Speaker 1 (04:46):
I'm talking with Brendick Cristal here or who's out there
in Canton. There's a couple of head coaches that kind
of a fuddle mate. They're naughty and Mike obviously, what
if the George Sea for Tom Coffin. Both those guys
won two Super Bowls and it feels like that's the standard.
You know, talk a little bit about Sean Payton in
his legacy and how he's cognizant of the fact that
if he wants to make the Hall, he's probably gonna
have to do something that no one has ever done
(05:07):
before that's won a Super Bowl with two different teams,
given the fact that you know he has won one,
but you know he's got some red in his ledger
with some of the scandal stuff. Is there a sense
that Sean Payton, if he wins one here is a lock.
Speaker 2 (05:19):
To win to get the Hall. I would think so,
because it will separate him from all of his contemporaries,
Say for Andy Reid, and you could argue, you know,
Andy is a little bit older than Sean, and Sean
kind of came after him. But and we know Andy
is a lock for the Hall of Fame, whenever he
decides to hang it up, right, we know this will
be his last stop, so five years after Andy's done,
and maybe that's this year with the three wins in
(05:39):
four years and what all the winning he did in Philly,
and certainly now in Casey, he'll be in. But when
you let's talk about those other guys, Pete Carroll, John Harbaugh,
Mike Tomlin. We know Bill Cower got in and Mike
Tomlin probably gets into just based on their excellence even
if he doesn't win another Super Bowl. Mike McCarthy's never
going to get in because, as we've covered, he's the
worst coach that ever won a Super Bowl, and hopefully
the Cowboys fire him sooner than later. But when you
(06:01):
look at all those other guys, I meant the way
that Sewn can separate himself because we know how much
he did win in New Earns and the scandal stuff. Honestly,
it almost feels like it's more Sean has an issue
with the league, right, so the league has nothing to
do with the Hall of Fame honestly, in terms of
and not getting along with Rogers Dell maybe or wanting
to go to dinner with him necessarily won't. I don't
(06:23):
think hold up his induction. But he's not getting in
ahead of any of those guys that headed John Hardball, Adam,
Mike Tomlin, ahead of Pete Carroll if he doesn't have
that second ring. But if he can win a second
ring here or somewhere else, but let's certainly cross our
fingers that it's here, then I think that does make
him a slam dunk because you look at all the winning,
you look at the offensive numbers and what he and
Drew Brees were able to do and with those offenses,
(06:45):
and then to go to a second place and be
the first guy to win a Super Bowl. If he
is in fact that in two locations with you know,
two franchises, I think that that cements his legacy. And
then it just becomes a question of you know, house
you and he gets in with the other people that
are around him that are that are also eligible, like
the George Seferts and Tom Cofflins, if they're not in
by them all.
Speaker 3 (07:05):
Right, So it's almost game time le Broncos first preseason
matchup against the Indianapolis Coades. What are you going to
be tuning in for looking for on Sunday?
Speaker 2 (07:17):
Well, obviously the way the snaps break down, specifically with
the quarterbacks. And this is something that I was able
to talk to Cruise with the other day before that
parade because you're there and writing the Braiders Andre Johnson,
We're able to sit and have breakfast with him and
he's asking me about the quarterback battle and then kind
of just talking about them in generally. But yeah, it's
so hard because of the way these preseason games are
set up. He's like, you basically would have to leave
(07:39):
your starters in the whole time with whomever you want
to look at to get a good look. So let's
say it's Jared Sidham this week and Bone next next week.
You'd have to play your starters well towards halftime. And
I don't think they want to do that with certainly
their offensive line, the four guys that we know are
locked in at starter. Do you don't want to do
it with Courtland Sutton and guys like that. You don't
want to do it with your backs necessarily, although those
(07:59):
guys are young and you probably got to continue to
work them other than samaj p Ryan. So I think
it's about looking at those battles on the other side. Honestly,
when you get past the quarterbacks and it's linebacker with
Cody Barton and Jonas Griffin. Is something that I asked
Sean about yesterday and asked Dance about today. How easy
is it for them to separate? And He's like, really easy,
especially with games. That's a VJ said today. But then
(08:20):
the cornerback spot, you know Levi Wallace, I like his
chances to maybe win the starting job if he was
going to participate in the preseason. But if his hamstring
I believe it is, or if his leg's not letting
them because he has to, you know, chill out and
just get healthy, then it is a two man race
between Riley Massin and to Mary Mathis. So I want
to see how that shakes out. And then those young
safeties that are opposite of PJ. Lockwell, Brandon Jones, we
(08:42):
think he's going to start and they brought him in
the start. Well he's on the shelf, how to Jail
Skinner and Devin Key. Look, so those are the spots.
I'm I'm really focused on those three on defense and
see seeing how you know, Cody and Jonas handled themselves
because they'll likely play more snaps than obviously out Singleton
will and honestly, after Alex is out there, they'll probably
be out there together fair amount, I think, rightly through
(09:04):
the entire first half.
Speaker 1 (09:06):
Because there's there's kind of there's kind of an echo
chamber or a bubble, I guess, surrounding the quarterback stuff here.
It's all anybody wants to talk about. But if you
step back and you look at the broader conversation about
rookie quarterbacks and this season in the NFL, for all
the quarterbacks that were drafted early, it sort of seems quiet,
doesn't it. I mean, you haven't heard much about Caleb Williams.
(09:26):
We've heard the Drake may has been struggling, Jayden Daniels
is the de facto starter in Washington. Paddicks didn't going
to play this year, probably unless Kirk Cousins get hurt
and you got both. It really has felt it's felt
rather quiet on the rookie quarterback front, despite the hype
of the class.
Speaker 2 (09:41):
Yeah, and I think that may get a little louder Ben,
but you're right, I think just in the coming weeks,
right because we're going to see these guys a little bit.
It's not a lot and you know that's going to
break down by a team. But yeah, I haven't heard
much about JJ McCarthy other than probably Sam Donald's gonna
start League one, right, and they're going to let j
J continue to to just learn and grow and age, right,
only twent two years old. But yeah, we've heard this
(10:01):
stuff about Drake May. I think part of it too, though,
is that Washington doesn't seem relevant right the Broncos because
of the Sean Payton factor and moving on from Russ
and did they reach for bon Nicks, They're being talked
about more loudly. I think because some people are picking
the Bears to win a bunch of games. I'm not
one of them because I just want to see it right.
I don't know if Matt Refluce is a good coach.
(10:23):
I don't know Shan Walden is a great play caller.
I love Caleb Williams Sallon and I hope he ends
up being really good because we could use more really
good quarterbacks to see and have on our fantasy teams
and to know they're going to win games every week.
But I think that because the Broncos are just a
crown jewel kind of franchise that's a slight slight Washington, Chicago.
They just haven't been necessarily really good for a long time,
(10:47):
and so I think that we're hearing a little bit
more about bo Nicks and Sean Payton factors into that,
but in general, I think once we see these games
get going and we start seeing these guys play, and
I think it's more people watch hard knocks and see
Caleb Williams a little bit and understand why he carries
a purse and just the kind of guy he is
and get to know him, then that buzz will get
a little louder. But I think we're just reminded that
with looking at Dak and looking at Kirk Cousins, and
(11:08):
looking at at some of the other quarterbacks Joe Burrow
coming off injury, who I like a lot more than
maybe some people are worried. You know, Nate Jackson. I
debate that a lot, because he'll have been healthy two
of four years. They're just really have that many good quarterbacks,
so it'll be great if a couple of these guys
turn out to be really good. And even in that
category of Kirk Cousins, Dak Prescott, let alone, whatever the
tier is above them, if there is one that they
(11:31):
can get to that isn't you know, the true Patrick
Mahomes Superstar tier. And so I'm hoping, like there's two
things I'm watching in the preseason, starting quarterbacks whenever they're in,
if they play. We know Aaron Rodgers won't play, we
know Safford won't play. And the kickoff, right, we just
want to see kickoffs and how does every single team
handle it? Where are the vulnerabilities and what are what
(11:51):
are what is your favorite team in this case, what
are the Broncos gonna do? Or if you've got a
team you like, how are they going to handle it?
Both as a kicking team and then as a return team.
Because it feels like if you feel it clean a
couple of blocks, if you've got if you've got it
blocked up right and steamed upright, there's gonna be some big,
big returns this year that we haven't seen in a
long time.
Speaker 1 (12:10):
Yeah, it'll be interesting to see how the new rule
shakes out. Hasn't been much excitement in the preseason that
thus far, but we'll see, Uh people start to tip
their hand maybe a little bit as it goes along.
Me can we we appreciate you joining us, look forward
to talking to you again next week.
Speaker 2 (12:23):
Sounds great. Thank you guys,