August 3, 2024 • 16 mins
Hugh Millen joins Dave Softy Mahler and Dick Fain to talk about the ongoing Olympics in Paris, the interest and investment by the United States in top Olympic teams, the NFL kicking off the 2024 preseason with a new kickoff rule, and Mitch Garver’s comments.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 3 (00:00):
All right here he is.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
Every single week there's a lot going on, really focused
obviously on football during the football season with a football
mine on a football show. But there's a lot happening
right now around the sports world. So we let our
friend Nue Miller kind of touch it all, baby spreading
his weeks on the show every Friday at five o'clock.
Speaker 3 (00:18):
How are you, man? What's happening?
Speaker 5 (00:19):
Boys?
Speaker 3 (00:19):
How are you good?
Speaker 1 (00:21):
So the Olympics is at top of mind for a
lot of people. I believe the opening ceremonies were a
week ago, if I'm not mistaken, so tonight. Lots of
stuff going on out there. What have you observed so far?
Speaker 5 (00:32):
From pill?
Speaker 2 (00:33):
I think that history of the Olympics, obviously, there's a
history of politics and geopolitics en messed within the Olympics
nineteen thirty six Hitler and Jesse Owens nineteen sixty eight,
Black Pride and Tommy Smith and John Carlos seventy two.
I was eight years old, terrified of the Munich massacre,
the killing of eleven Israeli athletes, watching that play out.
(00:58):
The Cold War undertones of the seventies Miracle on Ice
highlighted that. But you had boycotts by the US in
nineteen eighty boycotts by the Soviets in nineteen eighty four.
So there's been a lot of politics, and so I
think I feel like I should preface what I'm about
to say. I'm left leaning on some issues. I'm right
(01:20):
leaning on some issues. Nobody cares. This isn't a politics show,
but I should say that one of the issues that
I'm left leaning about is gay marriage. I just haven't
heard a good argument why everybody shouldn't be given full
rights as citizens. Having said that, when I look at
the opening ceremonies and the decisions made by these Olympic
(01:42):
organizers and the theme clearly a theme of some variation
of diversity and inclusion in the opening ceremonies, let me
just present to you this Christianity is the most practiced
religion on earth with two point four billion. Second is Islam,
the one point nine billion third is Hinduism with one
(02:02):
point two billion. In France, forty seven percent professed to
be Roman Catholics. That's number one. Number two is four
percent in Islam. So what happened is these Olympic organizers
and here's the irony. They knowingly and willingly offended half
their population, and they mocked their religion clearly, And I
(02:25):
just find that I'm very ironic when the theme was
clearly trying to be about diversity and inclusion.
Speaker 3 (02:32):
Now, what should the response be.
Speaker 2 (02:34):
I mean, obviously, my sense of Christians and Christianity is
there's no nothing close to a Solomon Rusty treatment that's
stay in the office. But I think that the Olympic
Committee deserves criticism for the irony of just completely missing
the theme of diversity and inclusion in the manner in
(02:56):
which they.
Speaker 3 (02:57):
Offended Christians.
Speaker 4 (03:00):
I find the events themselves to be awesome, Hugh, and
I find myself probably more fired up watching these games
on a nightly basis than I have been in probably
thirty ish years something like that. And the numbers and
the ratings would indicate I'm not alone. What do you
think about the ratings bonanza that NBC is seen.
Speaker 3 (03:24):
Well, I think it's great.
Speaker 2 (03:25):
I mean, I think there's something about Olympic competition that,
you know, these particularly these obscure sports where they know
that their super Bowl is only once every four years
and just watching doesn't matter. You know, these gals on
the on the floor exercise that what have you knowing
that all that training just comes down to you know,
you know, two minutes or perhaps a couple of seconds
(03:47):
where they have to be at their best, and and
and watching that, I think that's always been the draw. Personally,
I alluded to the politics. I think it's hard for me.
It almost feels like, you know, when you're coaching football
at the high school level, you know, you've got the
JV game they play Wednesday night, and and yeah, there's importance.
You know, you know, you hope you beat Skyline or Bellvue,
(04:08):
but you know, Friday night is the varsity game. Obviously
in this analogy, the Olympics are the varsity. But I think,
and I'm just speaking for myself, I wonder if people
my age have the same thought. Living through the Cold
War and the way the Olympics just were, as I said,
(04:29):
the overtones and the undertones, it was just it felt
so dramatically more like way it just transcended sports, right,
And and so I think now there's a little bit
more of a purity, uh in that regard. I don't
I don't feel the nationalism to that extent, like we're
on the brink of war and and so you know,
(04:51):
just watching the world's best athletes, maybe there's a breath
of fresh air in the you know, the sense of
kind somewhat of an amateurism, right, Dick, that you know,
and certainly some of the sports you get, you know,
from Lebron on down. I know that there's well paid
athletes in the Olympics, but some of these sports where
they're not well paid, not well known, just watching them
(05:11):
thrive in a more pure competitive environment, maybe that's a drag.
Speaker 5 (05:15):
Yeah, it's funny.
Speaker 1 (05:16):
We're actually talking before you showed up to you about
how much this country prioritizes the Olympic Games. Soccer obviously
is not prioritized at all. Golf in some ways not.
But I was reading we're in Hong Kong. If you
win a gold medal, you get seven hundred and fifty
thousand dollars. Here you get thirty eight grand in this country, right,
(05:36):
It's just well, in North Carola different in Korea.
Speaker 5 (05:39):
You don't have to serve in the military. Unbelievable medal.
Speaker 1 (05:42):
I mean, it just doesn't it feel like, guys, and
Hugh will start with you, that the Olympics has prioritized
much more in other countries.
Speaker 5 (05:50):
Around the world that it is here.
Speaker 2 (05:52):
Well, based on what you just said there, Yeah, that's
my sense, and I think you know, in the United States,
I made the argument last week that we're like the Yankees,
and I thought, for those who missed it, I that was.
Speaker 1 (06:05):
A great stat phenomenal stat stabulous.
Speaker 2 (06:10):
Well it was, And for those who missed it, I
just stumbled this upon this, just crunching some numbers on
a on a on my Excel spreadsheet. But the Yankees,
obviously you have the most world titles at twenty seven.
The Cardinals are are second with eleven. That means the
Cardinals have won forty point seven percent of of the
(06:30):
This is total medals of all Olympics leading into Paris,
summer and winter. And the United States is number one
going into the Olympics, just like the Yankees, and the
Soviet Union was number two, just like the Cardinals, and
that percentage was forty point seven percent.
Speaker 3 (06:48):
Like, I can't make this up.
Speaker 2 (06:49):
When I saw this, I like you go so so
I think in many respects, you know, there may be
a I don't know, a confidence whatever whatever the Yankee
mentality is, and how we view ourselves and how the
rest of the world views us. I do think it
somewhat mirrors the Yankee phenomenon, as I'm suggesting, and so
(07:11):
but but to Dick's point, a lot of people are watching,
so some people are finding something very compelling about that.
Speaker 5 (07:16):
By the way, forty seven rounds up to forty one
forty one yards.
Speaker 3 (07:21):
I just say, you guys, know.
Speaker 5 (07:22):
You switching the switching the topic on ya.
Speaker 4 (07:25):
They played two and a half quarters of football yesterday
before it get got rained out. But it was our
first look at the new kickoff rules, your first impressions,
and and you know, is how.
Speaker 5 (07:37):
Big a deal do you think this is going to be? Well?
Speaker 2 (07:41):
I got a lot of thoughts about it, and I
have it in kind of Roman and number one and
Roman numeral two.
Speaker 3 (07:46):
Okay, so very organized.
Speaker 2 (07:49):
Roman number one is just kind of the view from
thirty thousand feet about what's happening in football and what
led to this. And you know, they have the term
we've all heard unnecessary rougherence, right, and so that implies
that there is necessary roughness. It is football, after all, Right,
So you go back to the sixties, there's all those
those highlights of Dick buck Is dumping guys on their
(08:11):
heads and in nineteen seventy six. If you look at
the YouTube, Turkey Jones of the Browns put picked up
Terry Bradshaw wee style and literally just boinked him on
his head, just pile drove him. Well, that's that's unnecessary roughness, right,
And then you had this defenseless receivers. Remember James Harrison's
hit on Mohammed Massaqui and the Black Monday that ensued
(08:33):
from that.
Speaker 3 (08:34):
Yeah, okay, well back when.
Speaker 2 (08:36):
I was quarterbacking, you know, it was like I was
on the quarterback, Hey, don't throw them a hospital ball,
and and there was no such thing as defensive receiver. Okay,
but it seems reasonable. Let's le let's let's guard for
defensive receivers. Well, that led to targeting all of a sudden,
Wait a minute, we're going to defend not just the
receiver looking back for the ball. We're gonna we're going
to defend a running back from targeting. Oh boy, how
(08:58):
about the quarterbacks. Quarterback's knees, that's happened the last couple
of days. We'll protect those. Well, we're gonna protect the
quarterback on the weight of the defender landing on him.
We're also Okay, let's also protect the quarterback's head even
though those are glancing in incidental blows. Let's give it
fifteen yards even though he's wearing a helmet. Horse callar Okay,
(09:19):
that seems reasonable. Let's outlaw that on side kick balance
used to be. Remember they put ten guys on one side. Well,
let's undo that because that's too dangerous. The crackback block
he used to be defenders, Hey, keep your head on
a swivel. Well, now of a sudden, it's a fifteen
yard penalty to block backwards in towards the kick. Then
now we're gonna outlaw the kickoff, and the surprise on
the inside kickoff is gone. And so there's a term
(09:43):
that's coming up, which is most injurious, the most injurious play,
and we're continuing to focus on the play that causes
the most injuries.
Speaker 3 (09:52):
Well, let me make an analogy.
Speaker 2 (09:54):
If you wash your dishes at home, you got a
handful of plates, You wash the dishes, and then the
dishes are done. If you're a dishwasher at a restaurant,
the dishwasher, the pile just keeps coming.
Speaker 3 (10:05):
What's the analogy If you're gonna look at the pile.
Speaker 2 (10:08):
Of all the plays that are quote unquote the most injurious,
there's always going to be the next one up. There's
a and and so where this line of necessary roughness
to now we say, well, that's unnecessary roughness.
Speaker 3 (10:22):
Look, I think some a lot of those are reasonable.
Speaker 2 (10:25):
I think some of them aren't. I think the overprotected quarterbacks.
I think getting rid of the kickoff is nonsense in
my opinion.
Speaker 3 (10:31):
Uh. To me, that's part of football.
Speaker 2 (10:33):
These are grown adults that understand, just like race car
drivers understand and and mm A boxers and and and
and real boxers.
Speaker 3 (10:41):
Uh uh and and all the other you know guys
who get on the back of a bowl. Everybody understands
the risks.
Speaker 2 (10:47):
And so we're in feebling the game piece by piece
and taking away the game in my opinion.
Speaker 3 (10:53):
So that's Roman number one. Uh. Roman number two would
be that, Uh, I've watched.
Speaker 2 (10:58):
The tape, the just tape the sideline in the end zone,
and uh, I was interested in the schemes of what happened,
And I actually think I was prepared to come on
and just rip it, but I actually think it was
a It's a pretty good football play.
Speaker 3 (11:10):
For the following reason, if you just.
Speaker 2 (11:12):
Kind of think, blink your eyes as if your your
your TV had a glitch. Okay, just like for one second,
and then all of a sudden that the TV you know,
came back in and and now you're gonna watch everybody
run down On the kickoff.
Speaker 3 (11:28):
It looked more like a football play, a kickoff play,
than I thought.
Speaker 2 (11:31):
And and from a scheme standpoint, all I saw from
all the kickoffs was manned a man blocking mand a man.
I thought, you know, there had been theorized they're gonna
do some zone blocking. What No, it was just, dude,
you block your man.
Speaker 5 (11:44):
Now.
Speaker 2 (11:44):
There was one time where the Texans took a guy
from the middle of the field and he was assigned
a guy what's called R two, that's the second guy
in from the sideline, and so but it was still
man to man. It was man to man across the board,
and and I think there was an opportunity for some collision.
Speaker 3 (12:01):
So I think that again, if you just kind.
Speaker 2 (12:02):
Of pause for a second, I think a lot of
the the elements of a kickoff were maintained. It hurts
me to say that because what I said about Roman
number one, but I actually think it's a decent play,
and it's definitely a better move than what we've been
watching over the last couple of years.
Speaker 1 (12:15):
I thought it had the potential to be even more
violent than the original kickoff, to be totally honest with you,
So yeah.
Speaker 5 (12:21):
I agree with you.
Speaker 1 (12:22):
Hey, Hugh, before you go, you obviously were a pro
athlete one time in your life back in the day,
highest paid player in the history of Patriots football, so
you know what expectations are all about and responsibility.
Speaker 5 (12:34):
Mitch Garver.
Speaker 1 (12:35):
The other day, Mariner DH Catcher came out with some
comments and statements and he said it's the hardest he's
ever had to grind, by far, the worst I've ever
played in my career. Tough on myself and my family
with the death threats, the retire and that you suck
and effing kill yourself and all that crap. It's getting old,
says Mitch Garver. When you heard that from him, what
(12:57):
were your thoughts.
Speaker 3 (12:58):
Well, it's been liking to trade turn.
Speaker 2 (13:00):
A year ago on August third, booted the ball against
the Marlins, and then now he was in the middle
of it at the beginning of eleven year, three hundred
million dollar contract. So if you're a Philly fans like
you got you gotta make this work.
Speaker 3 (13:11):
Right.
Speaker 2 (13:12):
What he said in that aftermath is he's and I'm
quoting Trey Turner, who at the time was hitting two
thirty five and a six fifty seven ops. Big disappoint
quote pretty disappointed. I feel like, obviously I'm the reason
why we lost that game. So just frustrated by But
I only know one thing, just keep on working.
Speaker 3 (13:30):
So that's what I'm going to do.
Speaker 2 (13:31):
If I make the play, the game's over, it's a play,
I gotta make end quote, that's all he said. And
so for those who are trying to put it in
the same category, for me, it's not the same category. Now,
let's compare what Mitch Garver said. He said, quote, I'm
resigned that I'm not going to hit two hundred this year. Well,
guess what, mathematically, you guys were pointing out if he
hits two seventy for the rest of the year, he
(13:53):
can that's not a you know, we're not asking to
be Ted Williams right. So I didn't like that, he said.
He said it could get it worse. Really, you're gonna
say that, what the when when you have teammates reading
that you know, uh uh, he says, I could be
you know, has this this thing about it could go Uh,
I could be home with my family. Well, that's just
a manipulation. Yes, of course, every professional athlete is well paid,
(14:17):
they could be uh home with their family. That's a manipulation. Like, hey,
you got to feel sorry for me. As for the
death threats, I've I have nothing profound to add here.
All decent people condemned that that's absurd, and and and
and and I don't really have anything new.
Speaker 3 (14:31):
It's it's just kind of obvious. But uh, you know,
if I'm cal Rawley.
Speaker 2 (14:36):
Or somebody invested in the long term or you know,
Huli or whatever, you know, and he's talking about you know, uh,
it's hard enough to get.
Speaker 3 (14:43):
Guys to come to Seattle. Wait, like you're gonna talk
about death threats. Why that's just a manipulation as well.
Speaker 2 (14:49):
Look, professional athletes have the physical traits and the skill
sets to be professional athletes, but they also need to
have the mental strength to handle the rigors and the
pressures of the job. And to me, I think that
for him to say those things, it's not in the
category of Trey Turner's comments that induced that that nice
(15:09):
ovation from the Phillies fans.
Speaker 3 (15:11):
I don't know.
Speaker 2 (15:11):
If I was at the game, I probably would give
in the in the weeks and give a kind of
a golf clap. But there's a lot of things that
I don't like what he said within the confines of
a team environment.
Speaker 1 (15:23):
Well, Brett Boone said pretty much the same thing yesterday.
As an ex major leaguer, he didn't like it either.
Speaker 2 (15:28):
All Right, here one my thought, Wait, one last thought.
If you take the twenty four million and you just,
you know, pay taxes. What if he paid If he
spent five hundred grand a year and he put the
rest and after taxes he put the rest in a
money market account, he'd be making fifty seven thousand a
month after playing, and just a conservative S and P
(15:50):
five hundred conservative mutual fund, he'd be making eighty.
Speaker 3 (15:54):
Eight eighty nine ninety thousand dollars a month. Damn with them.
And so yeah, yeah, why don't we putting twenty.
Speaker 5 (16:01):
Four million dollars in the bank? Yeah, how's wrong with us? Yeah?
Speaker 2 (16:04):
I mean, I think that's my happiness. I get you can't,
you know, he shouldn't. Obviously, I'm not saying he shouldn't
get death threats. That's just obvious. That's like saying Wednesday
follows Tuesday. But but the other things, No, I don't
think that that is a nope buenal for me within
the confines of a team environment.
Speaker 5 (16:20):
Got it all right? You're the man.
Speaker 1 (16:21):
We're talking a week about Humil and actually he's gonna
be a free week on Monday with you. So we'll
get more of that from you on Monday at three
o'clock from the Emeral Queen. A big day for you, dub.
They're guy spending day one in the Big Ten? What
does day one of the Big Ten feel like for
Heather Tar? Has the atmosphere changed at all? Has the
chaos calmed down a little bit since the last time
(16:43):
we talked to Heather Tar. We'll talk to her next
on ninety three three KJRFM.
All right here he is.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
Every single week there's a lot going on, really focused
obviously on football during the football season with a football
mine on a football show. But there's a lot happening
right now around the sports world. So we let our
friend Nue Miller kind of touch it all, baby spreading
his weeks on the show every Friday at five o'clock.
Speaker 3 (00:18):
How are you, man? What's happening?
Speaker 5 (00:19):
Boys?
Speaker 3 (00:19):
How are you good?
Speaker 1 (00:21):
So the Olympics is at top of mind for a
lot of people. I believe the opening ceremonies were a
week ago, if I'm not mistaken, so tonight. Lots of
stuff going on out there. What have you observed so far?
Speaker 5 (00:32):
From pill?
Speaker 2 (00:33):
I think that history of the Olympics, obviously, there's a
history of politics and geopolitics en messed within the Olympics
nineteen thirty six Hitler and Jesse Owens nineteen sixty eight,
Black Pride and Tommy Smith and John Carlos seventy two.
I was eight years old, terrified of the Munich massacre,
the killing of eleven Israeli athletes, watching that play out.
(00:58):
The Cold War undertones of the seventies Miracle on Ice
highlighted that. But you had boycotts by the US in
nineteen eighty boycotts by the Soviets in nineteen eighty four.
So there's been a lot of politics, and so I
think I feel like I should preface what I'm about
to say. I'm left leaning on some issues. I'm right
(01:20):
leaning on some issues. Nobody cares. This isn't a politics show,
but I should say that one of the issues that
I'm left leaning about is gay marriage. I just haven't
heard a good argument why everybody shouldn't be given full
rights as citizens. Having said that, when I look at
the opening ceremonies and the decisions made by these Olympic
(01:42):
organizers and the theme clearly a theme of some variation
of diversity and inclusion in the opening ceremonies, let me
just present to you this Christianity is the most practiced
religion on earth with two point four billion. Second is Islam,
the one point nine billion third is Hinduism with one
(02:02):
point two billion. In France, forty seven percent professed to
be Roman Catholics. That's number one. Number two is four
percent in Islam. So what happened is these Olympic organizers
and here's the irony. They knowingly and willingly offended half
their population, and they mocked their religion clearly, And I
(02:25):
just find that I'm very ironic when the theme was
clearly trying to be about diversity and inclusion.
Speaker 3 (02:32):
Now, what should the response be.
Speaker 2 (02:34):
I mean, obviously, my sense of Christians and Christianity is
there's no nothing close to a Solomon Rusty treatment that's
stay in the office. But I think that the Olympic
Committee deserves criticism for the irony of just completely missing
the theme of diversity and inclusion in the manner in
(02:56):
which they.
Speaker 3 (02:57):
Offended Christians.
Speaker 4 (03:00):
I find the events themselves to be awesome, Hugh, and
I find myself probably more fired up watching these games
on a nightly basis than I have been in probably
thirty ish years something like that. And the numbers and
the ratings would indicate I'm not alone. What do you
think about the ratings bonanza that NBC is seen.
Speaker 3 (03:24):
Well, I think it's great.
Speaker 2 (03:25):
I mean, I think there's something about Olympic competition that,
you know, these particularly these obscure sports where they know
that their super Bowl is only once every four years
and just watching doesn't matter. You know, these gals on
the on the floor exercise that what have you knowing
that all that training just comes down to you know,
you know, two minutes or perhaps a couple of seconds
(03:47):
where they have to be at their best, and and
and watching that, I think that's always been the draw. Personally,
I alluded to the politics. I think it's hard for me.
It almost feels like, you know, when you're coaching football
at the high school level, you know, you've got the
JV game they play Wednesday night, and and yeah, there's importance.
You know, you know, you hope you beat Skyline or Bellvue,
(04:08):
but you know, Friday night is the varsity game. Obviously
in this analogy, the Olympics are the varsity. But I think,
and I'm just speaking for myself, I wonder if people
my age have the same thought. Living through the Cold
War and the way the Olympics just were, as I said,
(04:29):
the overtones and the undertones, it was just it felt
so dramatically more like way it just transcended sports, right,
And and so I think now there's a little bit
more of a purity, uh in that regard. I don't
I don't feel the nationalism to that extent, like we're
on the brink of war and and so you know,
(04:51):
just watching the world's best athletes, maybe there's a breath
of fresh air in the you know, the sense of
kind somewhat of an amateurism, right, Dick, that you know,
and certainly some of the sports you get, you know,
from Lebron on down. I know that there's well paid
athletes in the Olympics, but some of these sports where
they're not well paid, not well known, just watching them
(05:11):
thrive in a more pure competitive environment, maybe that's a drag.
Speaker 5 (05:15):
Yeah, it's funny.
Speaker 1 (05:16):
We're actually talking before you showed up to you about
how much this country prioritizes the Olympic Games. Soccer obviously
is not prioritized at all. Golf in some ways not.
But I was reading we're in Hong Kong. If you
win a gold medal, you get seven hundred and fifty
thousand dollars. Here you get thirty eight grand in this country, right,
(05:36):
It's just well, in North Carola different in Korea.
Speaker 5 (05:39):
You don't have to serve in the military. Unbelievable medal.
Speaker 1 (05:42):
I mean, it just doesn't it feel like, guys, and
Hugh will start with you, that the Olympics has prioritized
much more in other countries.
Speaker 5 (05:50):
Around the world that it is here.
Speaker 2 (05:52):
Well, based on what you just said there, Yeah, that's
my sense, and I think you know, in the United States,
I made the argument last week that we're like the Yankees,
and I thought, for those who missed it, I that was.
Speaker 1 (06:05):
A great stat phenomenal stat stabulous.
Speaker 2 (06:10):
Well it was, And for those who missed it, I
just stumbled this upon this, just crunching some numbers on
a on a on my Excel spreadsheet. But the Yankees,
obviously you have the most world titles at twenty seven.
The Cardinals are are second with eleven. That means the
Cardinals have won forty point seven percent of of the
(06:30):
This is total medals of all Olympics leading into Paris,
summer and winter. And the United States is number one
going into the Olympics, just like the Yankees, and the
Soviet Union was number two, just like the Cardinals, and
that percentage was forty point seven percent.
Speaker 3 (06:48):
Like, I can't make this up.
Speaker 2 (06:49):
When I saw this, I like you go so so
I think in many respects, you know, there may be
a I don't know, a confidence whatever whatever the Yankee
mentality is, and how we view ourselves and how the
rest of the world views us. I do think it
somewhat mirrors the Yankee phenomenon, as I'm suggesting, and so
(07:11):
but but to Dick's point, a lot of people are watching,
so some people are finding something very compelling about that.
Speaker 5 (07:16):
By the way, forty seven rounds up to forty one
forty one yards.
Speaker 3 (07:21):
I just say, you guys, know.
Speaker 5 (07:22):
You switching the switching the topic on ya.
Speaker 4 (07:25):
They played two and a half quarters of football yesterday
before it get got rained out. But it was our
first look at the new kickoff rules, your first impressions,
and and you know, is how.
Speaker 5 (07:37):
Big a deal do you think this is going to be? Well?
Speaker 2 (07:41):
I got a lot of thoughts about it, and I
have it in kind of Roman and number one and
Roman numeral two.
Speaker 3 (07:46):
Okay, so very organized.
Speaker 2 (07:49):
Roman number one is just kind of the view from
thirty thousand feet about what's happening in football and what
led to this. And you know, they have the term
we've all heard unnecessary rougherence, right, and so that implies
that there is necessary roughness. It is football, after all, Right,
So you go back to the sixties, there's all those
those highlights of Dick buck Is dumping guys on their
(08:11):
heads and in nineteen seventy six. If you look at
the YouTube, Turkey Jones of the Browns put picked up
Terry Bradshaw wee style and literally just boinked him on
his head, just pile drove him. Well, that's that's unnecessary roughness, right,
And then you had this defenseless receivers. Remember James Harrison's
hit on Mohammed Massaqui and the Black Monday that ensued
(08:33):
from that.
Speaker 3 (08:34):
Yeah, okay, well back when.
Speaker 2 (08:36):
I was quarterbacking, you know, it was like I was
on the quarterback, Hey, don't throw them a hospital ball,
and and there was no such thing as defensive receiver. Okay,
but it seems reasonable. Let's le let's let's guard for
defensive receivers. Well, that led to targeting all of a sudden,
Wait a minute, we're going to defend not just the
receiver looking back for the ball. We're gonna we're going
to defend a running back from targeting. Oh boy, how
(08:58):
about the quarterbacks. Quarterback's knees, that's happened the last couple
of days. We'll protect those. Well, we're gonna protect the
quarterback on the weight of the defender landing on him.
We're also Okay, let's also protect the quarterback's head even
though those are glancing in incidental blows. Let's give it
fifteen yards even though he's wearing a helmet. Horse callar Okay,
(09:19):
that seems reasonable. Let's outlaw that on side kick balance
used to be. Remember they put ten guys on one side. Well,
let's undo that because that's too dangerous. The crackback block
he used to be defenders, Hey, keep your head on
a swivel. Well, now of a sudden, it's a fifteen
yard penalty to block backwards in towards the kick. Then
now we're gonna outlaw the kickoff, and the surprise on
the inside kickoff is gone. And so there's a term
(09:43):
that's coming up, which is most injurious, the most injurious play,
and we're continuing to focus on the play that causes
the most injuries.
Speaker 3 (09:52):
Well, let me make an analogy.
Speaker 2 (09:54):
If you wash your dishes at home, you got a
handful of plates, You wash the dishes, and then the
dishes are done. If you're a dishwasher at a restaurant,
the dishwasher, the pile just keeps coming.
Speaker 3 (10:05):
What's the analogy If you're gonna look at the pile.
Speaker 2 (10:08):
Of all the plays that are quote unquote the most injurious,
there's always going to be the next one up. There's
a and and so where this line of necessary roughness
to now we say, well, that's unnecessary roughness.
Speaker 3 (10:22):
Look, I think some a lot of those are reasonable.
Speaker 2 (10:25):
I think some of them aren't. I think the overprotected quarterbacks.
I think getting rid of the kickoff is nonsense in
my opinion.
Speaker 3 (10:31):
Uh. To me, that's part of football.
Speaker 2 (10:33):
These are grown adults that understand, just like race car
drivers understand and and mm A boxers and and and
and real boxers.
Speaker 3 (10:41):
Uh uh and and all the other you know guys
who get on the back of a bowl. Everybody understands
the risks.
Speaker 2 (10:47):
And so we're in feebling the game piece by piece
and taking away the game in my opinion.
Speaker 3 (10:53):
So that's Roman number one. Uh. Roman number two would
be that, Uh, I've watched.
Speaker 2 (10:58):
The tape, the just tape the sideline in the end zone,
and uh, I was interested in the schemes of what happened,
And I actually think I was prepared to come on
and just rip it, but I actually think it was
a It's a pretty good football play.
Speaker 3 (11:10):
For the following reason, if you just.
Speaker 2 (11:12):
Kind of think, blink your eyes as if your your
your TV had a glitch. Okay, just like for one second,
and then all of a sudden that the TV you know,
came back in and and now you're gonna watch everybody
run down On the kickoff.
Speaker 3 (11:28):
It looked more like a football play, a kickoff play,
than I thought.
Speaker 2 (11:31):
And and from a scheme standpoint, all I saw from
all the kickoffs was manned a man blocking mand a man.
I thought, you know, there had been theorized they're gonna
do some zone blocking. What No, it was just, dude,
you block your man.
Speaker 5 (11:44):
Now.
Speaker 2 (11:44):
There was one time where the Texans took a guy
from the middle of the field and he was assigned
a guy what's called R two, that's the second guy
in from the sideline, and so but it was still
man to man. It was man to man across the board,
and and I think there was an opportunity for some collision.
Speaker 3 (12:01):
So I think that again, if you just kind.
Speaker 2 (12:02):
Of pause for a second, I think a lot of
the the elements of a kickoff were maintained. It hurts
me to say that because what I said about Roman
number one, but I actually think it's a decent play,
and it's definitely a better move than what we've been
watching over the last couple of years.
Speaker 1 (12:15):
I thought it had the potential to be even more
violent than the original kickoff, to be totally honest with you,
So yeah.
Speaker 5 (12:21):
I agree with you.
Speaker 1 (12:22):
Hey, Hugh, before you go, you obviously were a pro
athlete one time in your life back in the day,
highest paid player in the history of Patriots football, so
you know what expectations are all about and responsibility.
Speaker 5 (12:34):
Mitch Garver.
Speaker 1 (12:35):
The other day, Mariner DH Catcher came out with some
comments and statements and he said it's the hardest he's
ever had to grind, by far, the worst I've ever
played in my career. Tough on myself and my family
with the death threats, the retire and that you suck
and effing kill yourself and all that crap. It's getting old,
says Mitch Garver. When you heard that from him, what
(12:57):
were your thoughts.
Speaker 3 (12:58):
Well, it's been liking to trade turn.
Speaker 2 (13:00):
A year ago on August third, booted the ball against
the Marlins, and then now he was in the middle
of it at the beginning of eleven year, three hundred
million dollar contract. So if you're a Philly fans like
you got you gotta make this work.
Speaker 3 (13:11):
Right.
Speaker 2 (13:12):
What he said in that aftermath is he's and I'm
quoting Trey Turner, who at the time was hitting two
thirty five and a six fifty seven ops. Big disappoint
quote pretty disappointed. I feel like, obviously I'm the reason
why we lost that game. So just frustrated by But
I only know one thing, just keep on working.
Speaker 3 (13:30):
So that's what I'm going to do.
Speaker 2 (13:31):
If I make the play, the game's over, it's a play,
I gotta make end quote, that's all he said. And
so for those who are trying to put it in
the same category, for me, it's not the same category. Now,
let's compare what Mitch Garver said. He said, quote, I'm
resigned that I'm not going to hit two hundred this year. Well,
guess what, mathematically, you guys were pointing out if he
hits two seventy for the rest of the year, he
(13:53):
can that's not a you know, we're not asking to
be Ted Williams right. So I didn't like that, he said.
He said it could get it worse. Really, you're gonna
say that, what the when when you have teammates reading
that you know, uh uh, he says, I could be
you know, has this this thing about it could go Uh,
I could be home with my family. Well, that's just
a manipulation. Yes, of course, every professional athlete is well paid,
(14:17):
they could be uh home with their family. That's a manipulation. Like, hey,
you got to feel sorry for me. As for the
death threats, I've I have nothing profound to add here.
All decent people condemned that that's absurd, and and and
and and I don't really have anything new.
Speaker 3 (14:31):
It's it's just kind of obvious. But uh, you know,
if I'm cal Rawley.
Speaker 2 (14:36):
Or somebody invested in the long term or you know,
Huli or whatever, you know, and he's talking about you know, uh,
it's hard enough to get.
Speaker 3 (14:43):
Guys to come to Seattle. Wait, like you're gonna talk
about death threats. Why that's just a manipulation as well.
Speaker 2 (14:49):
Look, professional athletes have the physical traits and the skill
sets to be professional athletes, but they also need to
have the mental strength to handle the rigors and the
pressures of the job. And to me, I think that
for him to say those things, it's not in the
category of Trey Turner's comments that induced that that nice
(15:09):
ovation from the Phillies fans.
Speaker 3 (15:11):
I don't know.
Speaker 2 (15:11):
If I was at the game, I probably would give
in the in the weeks and give a kind of
a golf clap. But there's a lot of things that
I don't like what he said within the confines of
a team environment.
Speaker 1 (15:23):
Well, Brett Boone said pretty much the same thing yesterday.
As an ex major leaguer, he didn't like it either.
Speaker 2 (15:28):
All Right, here one my thought, Wait, one last thought.
If you take the twenty four million and you just,
you know, pay taxes. What if he paid If he
spent five hundred grand a year and he put the
rest and after taxes he put the rest in a
money market account, he'd be making fifty seven thousand a
month after playing, and just a conservative S and P
(15:50):
five hundred conservative mutual fund, he'd be making eighty.
Speaker 3 (15:54):
Eight eighty nine ninety thousand dollars a month. Damn with them.
And so yeah, yeah, why don't we putting twenty.
Speaker 5 (16:01):
Four million dollars in the bank? Yeah, how's wrong with us? Yeah?
Speaker 2 (16:04):
I mean, I think that's my happiness. I get you can't,
you know, he shouldn't. Obviously, I'm not saying he shouldn't
get death threats. That's just obvious. That's like saying Wednesday
follows Tuesday. But but the other things, No, I don't
think that that is a nope buenal for me within
the confines of a team environment.
Speaker 5 (16:20):
Got it all right? You're the man.
Speaker 1 (16:21):
We're talking a week about Humil and actually he's gonna
be a free week on Monday with you. So we'll
get more of that from you on Monday at three
o'clock from the Emeral Queen. A big day for you, dub.
They're guy spending day one in the Big Ten? What
does day one of the Big Ten feel like for
Heather Tar? Has the atmosphere changed at all? Has the
chaos calmed down a little bit since the last time
(16:43):
we talked to Heather Tar. We'll talk to her next
on ninety three three KJRFM.
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