The around the NFL podcast. There's a quiet storm brewing from the Chris Wessling podcast studio. It's around the NFL. I am Dan Hansis. I have heroes along for the ride, Greg Rosenthal and Myark Sesler. But Myark, we are not alone.

I cannot stand what you've done already.

What?

We opened the show previously, and you did not lace in that insulting intro of me. And then the second time around, we do it, you announce my name that way.

Whoa.

Incorrect.

I love the way this is beginning.

Whoa. Cess dog coming in hot, and I love it. To my right, legend.

Hey, everybody, it's Colleen Wolf escalator.

Oh, my God.

Welcome back, Colleen.

Thank you. This is kind of fun. Reminds me of high school.

Catchy little 311 vibe.

Yeah. You had a lot of different phases musically in your life.

I have an eclectic mix of music that I really like, and, yeah, I was actually just. I went to the beach Life festival in Hermosa, and they had the dirty heads there, which remind me a lot of 311. So I actually have been listening to a lot of 311 lately, randomly. So this kind of, like, fits right in.

I'm surprised it ages well enough for getting repeat listening in the year 2024.

It's more of, like, a beach vibe. Like a 311 radio that brings in some other, like, reggae tones and stuff, too.

Am I the only person that doesn't hear 311 at all in that song?

Really?

I didn't really hear it. I hear, like, a pop punk type vibe. Almost like a little. Maybe a little ska sneaking in there.

Yeah.

Anyway, good to see you, Connor.

Well, hey, guys.

Been a while.

I know it's been a while. Dan is sick, and it's already unnerving me a bit that he's sitting next to me. Did not tell me that he had a fever yesterday.

I'd say, yes, he may be sick, but he's brave, because it's brave to, you know, I know you were cuddled up under a quilt at home with fault.

Tough Wednesday.

Yeah. But here you are, and so it's like, that says a lot about you, but also, you have exposed us to potential illness.

That's a good rebound, though. Like, I'm surprised that you were as sick as you say you were.

It is a good rebound. I agree. I rebounded.

Did you say you were?

My wife was giving me a hard time this morning that I was perhaps taking the symptoms too seriously. What? Which was a total trap, because I know what she's trying to do.

Why did she call you?

I mean, listen, the old insinuation that men can't handle getting a cold is how she put it. The little c, how I put it. And then, like, she wants me to then say, yeah, but women also complain about other things. Didn't do it. Didn't take the cheese. Didn't take the cheese.

In your weakened, maybe intellectual state, you know, physically and intellectually, she's trying to trap you, and you didn't go down that road.

I didn't have the strength to do it, but I wanted it.

It wasn't like a phantom thread situation where she truly only loves you when you're sick.

That's exactly what she was doing, Dan.

She does not love me when I'm sick. All right, today's show also, the only thing I did do to enrage her when she was getting for work is I put on I am the warrior by Patty Smith.

Oh, my gosh.

I put it on loop until she came in and said, I get it.

God bless Emily. Honestly, she's a saint.

All right, today's show. Here we go. It is May 9. That's an interesting time on the calendar. Interesting in the fact that it's not a very interesting time on the calendar, but we're going to have fun because we're going to do a little bit of a news in a bit. We're going to have a fun seg. Be like a high level, a potential breakdown here in communication. Like, will Connie get the seg?

Why is it on me? Why is it. I don't like this pattern of me being tapping again.

I'm sorry. I'm just saying maybe Greg gets it wrong.

Maybe Mark gets it wrong. Maybe you have it different than all.

Of us, Dan, to go first to set the. And then I'm gonna follow it. And I wanna just see how Mark's simmering nature to start the show, how that continues.

You came in real hot for the show.

I don't like that the way that you.

Which one was it?

I mean, I know why. It's cause we were on the show, Greg. It builds slowly. It's like a boiling pot of water as we get further and further away from the original estimated time to start the show.

But we have a cocktail hour before we actually start the program. So we do, like, a little mingling for minus.

That was blown away. That was with our computers.

Like, the show needs to simmer a little bit before the mics turn on. And you guys are all going to be the beneficiaries of a tremendous show. The schedule released, by the way. And I am so annoyed about hearing about when the schedule is coming out as if it's the be all, end all. But we still don't know the exact day, although we kind of do know the exact day, but it has been officially announced, so it's coming out next week as we understand it. So originally there was an idea that it might be around now, going to be next week, and then we'll talk about it then. So there's your update on the schedule release. All right, let's get to the news first. Hunley holds, steps up NFL history. What has tied Michael Strahan's single season record 22 and a half sacks? Let me just start, let me just start by saying thank you to the listeners of our show who are always so supportive of my, my bottomless well of pity bull. I have to say, you people make sure I see the things that need to be seen, and I appreciate you for that.

With that said, what you heard right there was TJ Watt taking down Lamar, not Lamar Jackson. That was Ty Huntley for sack number 22 and a half in the 2021 season. That tied, as you heard. What was that, the bird? No, that was Iron eagle.

Yeah, I mean, I type a bird, but yeah.

What was the old, when it was fouts and Iron eagle? What were they?

The bird and the bird and the beard.

Bird and the beard. Anyway, that tied Michael stray Strahan's NFL record that had been set 20 years earlier. A record. Mark, as you know, I've been very vocal and consistent in denigrating because Brett Favre, for those that don't know, slid at Strahan's feet in a pre orchestrated flop job to give him the record that was previously held, not for nothing by jets great Mark Gassano. Anyway, get out the red string because this story goes even deeper. Let's head to it. Let me see it from Jaguar Gator nine on Twitter. Okay. While researching for this video, I may have uncovered something absolutely insane. I don't think Michael Strahan sack record from 2001 is legitimate. He didn't have 22 and a half sacks. It was a stat error. And no, I'm not talking about Brett Favre sack in week 17 next week. And he goes on to show this play from week eight against the Cowboys, counted as a sack for Strahan. Clint stick snaps the ball at the 44 yard line. He makes it to the 43 and a half yard line. He gains half a yard. You can even see it on the official, the official on the near side ahead of where the original line of scrimmage was.

And yet despite the quarterback gaining yardage, they credited Strahan with the sack.

Well, that's a wait.

And what week was that sack?

That was week eight.

Okay.

Against the Cowboys.

Can they go back and change that?

No, but we can. We can just no longer recognize that. And I think, as you know, NFL podcast at the league, we have some influence and we can be the change that we want to see in the world famous.

Our reality is completely shattered.

Prince.

Yeah, prince once said that.

Yeah. So what are your thoughts on that one?

Well, I think, number one, let's talk about the fact that it's an incredible piece of, you know, 11th hour journalism. Not even 11th hour the next day.

Right.

I mean, this happened a long time ago.

Apparently, this is an unrelated project that Jaguar Gator nine was working on, and he just stumbled upon historic malfunction in the stat keeping of the national football.

I'm impressed. And I think it's another example of not just your bravery, Dan, to be here today, but this is a case you've been on personally for a long time. And while you also, not unlike others, pointed to the far sack, you could sense that something else was amiss all along. And Jaguar Gator nine has helped you in that effort.

That was your intuition talking to you, Dan.

He's helped us. He's helped us all. Thank you, Kelly.

Your intuition or this guy.

I'm not taking any credit for it. I'm saying Jaguar Gator nine deserves all of the credit. And you know who deserves none of the credit? Michael Strahan. Cause I really, I'm down to take two sacks away if we are the, we're the tastemakers here. Let's knock them down to 20 and a half.

Maybe we should investigate all of these records, honestly.

Well, that's. If you think about every rushing play that's basically ever happened in the NFL. You know, there's some. It was that, it's when it's three and a half yards, do you give them four or do you give them three? Like, who's, how, how, on top of things, are we really on all this stuff?

Do you get a, do you get credit for a sack if you get back to the line of scrimmage?

No, I don't.

I don't think so. Right.

No. Once it's at the line of scrimmage, you don't get it. And that sounds like this case is.

One where he's closer to gaining a full yard than half a yard.

Wouldn't it be on Michael Strahan, who's still alive and with us and, you know, is a thinking individual to say accountability. I can't, I can't claim this record.

Yes, that's the next step. And I'm sure someone will reach out to.

Have you guys reached out? Maybe that's the.

Not yet.

Well, it is. It is. We were talking about this. What was the story? How the NFL, when it's slow, the news that does come up starts to snowball fast because there's nothing else to talk about. Someone is going to reach out to Strahan very quickly on this and we'll see if he could be man enough to acknowledge the truth.

There also was, remember back in the day, and this was a big storyline on this podcast, that Al Baker was actually the unofficial holder. We spent like a solid, I think.

We had Al Baker.

Absolutely.

We spent a solid week on this. Al Baker in 1978 had the unofficial record before they kept track of sacks, and we wanted to recognize him. So this really is a passion project for you, Dave.

No limits to the pettiness. All right, let's get to the rest of the news. Greg, explain to me how this works. So the Patriots are continuing to interview for executive vice president of player personnel. They have not had this team an official general manager since 1990. That's silly. Bill Belichick was the defacto GM while he was there forever.

Same with parcels.

Elliot Wolfe this offseason was the de facto. Enough with a de facto. A little bit with de facto. Anyway, so this team is not looking for a GM, but they are looking for the EvP of player personnel. I don't know why that guy's not in place before the draft.

Exactly.

But who is it going to be and why is it happening in the middle of May?

I think other people in the NFL that were asked to interview for this job believe it's going to be Elliot Wolf. And so they refused the interview. Pro football ducks been writing all the different people that have opened, yes, this.

Is our lead news item.

Right. But it is ridiculous. And it's just sort of a note that, like, they're probably going through a Sherrod to then land on, and if not, then they just let Elliot Wolf run the draft and made these important decisions. And it does make you wonder exactly like, what's going on here, who's making these decisions? Like, let's be definitive.

Is this because of the Rooney rule?

That could be. That could be part of it. That they have to.

I think that's why.

Hey, scan, way to sniff it out.

But I would think that the Rooney rule would have a rule within the rule that it would have to be done before the draft. Right.

Well, I guess this is the time of year that scouting departments and general managers do, do often change or whatever, but it does seem a little outrageous. And there's, there's been talk of, like, who's, who's making all the decisions here? Just why not, why not give a GM? Even when Pete Carroll was there, they didn't. I mean, you have a lead executive. Who was it with Pete Carroll? Gosh, I forget his name. Greer, I believe it was Bobby Greer was his name. So, like, and there was clashes between him and the coach and Pete Carroll. And, and so you gotta, you gotta look. You gotta look and wonder who's making the decisions.

It's fair to ask that question, Greg. In other news, after playing the Chiefs in two straight AFC title games, Joe Burrow had a sit out last year for most of it anyway, including the most important games of the year. Cause he suffered that terrible wrist and what a mess 2023 was. One injury after another at the game's most important positions, many of them right in on island games. Who could forget Burrow bending over, doubling over in pain after trying to do a warmup throw on the sideline? Imagine, as a Bengals fan, the way you felt at that moment. Anyway.

That's right. That was a Thursday night game.

It was. He's back. He's ready to return. He's ready to kind of get back to where he was, which is Patrick Mahomes is number one nemesis. Here's what he said at a Tuesday press conference when asked about the defending back to back champion chiefs.

Yeah, they were great.

Their, their defense was one of the best in the league. They have great players on that side of the ball. And then obviously they got Patrick and Travis in their old line and those playmakers. So, you know, they're, they're the gold standard right now. Everybody's chasing them, obviously back to back world champs. Somebody's got to knock them off. I'm hoping it's us.

At the risk of repeating myself, I've said multiple times on the show what a bummer it was when Burrow and the Bengals exited from the conversation last year because they are such a great foil and challenger to the Chiefs, and you get the feeling that Burrow, who, by the way, we're hearing, has really gone next level in training, and as he looks to speaker two.

Oh, yeah, he's not skipping any meals. That's what I.

No meals being skipped. This is bulked up a little bit bulked up. All those old tropes are in play. But with Burrow, I kind of buy in because I think he's that type of killer.

They are the team that they knocked off the Chiefs in the AFC title game. They've beaten them in each of the, they beat them in the regular season two years ago and three years ago. We're built more than the bill, so I see them as the better challenger. But I will say this last year, like, you're in a division where you came in fourth. So there's three other teams you need to take care of first. And one of those teams went through about six quarterbacks and made the playoffs. The others was the Steelers, who decided their starter shouldn't be their starter about eight minutes after the, the season ended. So I get it, but come on. Well, it's a tie. You're spicy at this point. It's wind in the Willows and it's the wind gusts to talk about. Someone's got to take over the Chiefs. Like, we get that. That's not news.

It is interesting that within that same division, you have Joe Burrow, who's bulking up and he's saying that he's seen results and he's not. He's got his meal schedule on and everything else. And then Lamar Jackson, who is slimming down and doing the opposite, he said.

He'S down at 02:05.

He like 20 pounds.

Like 15 pounds. That, yeah, that's a lot surprising.

Like Burrow not on a diet plan before this offseason.

I think he just, maybe the rehab, adding some weight, that Bengals team last year wasn't going anywhere because the defense stunk. As far as, I mean, that's the only, it's not the only reason they made the Super bowl, but it's the main reason they made the Super bowl. They carried Joe Burrow in some ways who had maybe his worst, you know, three game stretch of the year in the playoffs before the Super Bowl. I also noticed he was getting creative, and I don't think Mark or any of us would like this because I'll put myself into that. He suggested talking about the potential 18 game schedule if that happens. He also wants like a second bye week in there at some point. So we're really pushing this, pushing this schedule release is I do, I like.

The second bye week.

I like the second bye week better than the 18th game. Just add a second bye for everyone. If you want to add a week, don't add a game. And that, that does make the week the season longer and then you finish and you have national holiday.

Well, we know that. We know. We know that's happening. And I think it's where the season is going to stretch nearly into March at this point. That just. That's life. That's how it's going to work.

And that would look out for the international games, though, too.

Well, there'll be nine of those. So, I mean, it's like, I think let's just. Let's stop, push against it. It's just happening.

Yeah, exactly. It's a slow creep, by the way, because I have a traditional with my bosom buddy Bob and our families. We go to Big Bear, that president's day weekend, and five years ago, it was two weeks clear of the Super bowl. In the last couple of years, it's been now one week clear of the Super bowl. And now whenever the next labor agreement or whatever it is, comes in, it will be that week, and there will be no more trips, mark, to big bear. No more memories. It will be see you at the game.

You'll have different memories. They'll be very different.

It really gives me extra anxiety with tax season, too. Like, the more the NFL season, the more, like, the deadline gets closer and figure things out.

The season ends and it's just.

Life stuff, transactions. Tyler Boyd is off the market. The wide receiver goes to the Titans. Okay. It's a nice little signing for Tennessee on May 9. Allen Robinson signs with the Giants. Who cares? Andrews Pete, the offensive lineman to the Raiders, by the way, while we're here, big funk, how are you, bud? What's up?

How's it going?

So let's hear it.

Sorry.

You know, funk is, if the listeners have noted, I don't know if we've brought it up, but ATP is. Him and his wife are getting very close to the arrival of the baby. So now you have. Let's hear it, dude. Yeah. Now you have funk helping us out every Thursday behind the glass, very capably.

Oh, I love this.

He's doing great. Listen to that. So, funk, I kind of forgot what I was gonna say. Oh, yeah, that's what it was. I'm not 100%.

Oh, God.

Brain fog. Yeah.

I do like when you just clear your throat every five minutes or so.

Can you. Can you pull up the Greybeards roster? Let's see who's left.

I wish we had, like, a partition I could put up between me and Dan.

You could be like Kurt cousins pumping up.

All of you.

Remember Kurt?

He was in his own little booth.

Whatever happened to Gary Cooper? The Greybeards roster, which we put together as a group about a month ago. Now I want to say who's left? Let's see. Brian Tannehill and Blaine Gabbard at quarterback. Tannehill out there. Zeke is now signed by the Cowboys. Jericho McKinnon still around. Wide receiver is Odell. He is off the market. Lloyd is now off the market. Michael Thomas still out there.

101 on the top.

101 mv's available. Tight ends Logan Thomas and Marcia Lewis available.

This feels like a quiz.

Big bone.

Randy at kicker, eternally available.

Sean Lindetta.

We did it.

Andrew's Pete is taking, but yeah, most of them are still Gilmore, still there. A lot of cornerbacks. Xavier Howard's another one we mentioned the other day, Tyler Boyd is actually a meaningful signing. I feel like for this late in the mix, I think that's a good move just because they're thin. DeAndre Hopkins, okay, number one at this point in his year, I mean, his career, but a good starter. Calvin Rilly, solid starter. Little inconsistent, but made a lot of money for a reason. But it was a pretty big fall, I think, to Traylon Burks is now probably number four.

Yeah, I think Birx is taking a seat to some degree.

Yeah, I think it's where he should be. Not a seat, but, like, you throw in 30 snaps a game, you get them in the mix.

I love that. Offensive coordinator.

We talked about the flautis. Frank Cignetti, Frank Signetti. We talked about the flautis.

Yeah, medieval times. This is how flautis actually sounded.

Can we not sleep on the saxman?

You couldn't. You couldn't. They really work well together. The whole.

You're making me wonder. Cause Walker is in the decision making process. They have to choose an instrument for orchestra next year.

Oh, yeah.

Or do chorus, but he doesn't want to do that. Well, don't go play the saxophone.

Don't go flute.

No sax. I think flute, though. You guys are talking up the flute. The flute, it's light. I'm thinking more what's the heaviest to carry to school?

I've always wanted to play the saxophone. And you can, like, jam out to the saxophone. Saxophone. At a wedding.

Have you ever actually played the saxophone as someone who played some horns back? I mean, it sucks.

You were honking back then.

What do you mean, if you played some horns?

Remember our school was similar that everyone had to play an instrument. And I tried the trumpet and the saxophone.

Oh, this wasn't Delaware.

No. And I was like, this is terrible. And I switched it hurts your lips. It's hard.

I did trumpet. I did trumpet and tremba.

Yeah.

It's not fun.

Really?

Yeah, I played tuba. I did tuba. I played tuba out of the novelty of it. And then it became me lugging a giant tube at all.

Yeah.

How much does that weigh?

This is what I'm talking about.

I was like, what a mess.

I don't even remember. I was like, in middle school, I had this big thing. Our instruments were old.

Oh, my gosh.

We walked both the elementary and the middle school. So that's. It's a big consideration if you don't.

Want to be lugging around the immense instrument that you eventually leave in someone's car and it's gone across town.

It's like a five year decision too. If you go do it all through middle school, maybe it's a high school.

If you were born in and about 1980, the sax by the late eighties was a very cool instrument because it was all over music on the radio and things of that nature.

I'm still a Tupperware.

And I remember everyone when it was like, who could sign up for, like, Greg's talking about a band or whatever, music classes. Everyone wanted to get on the sax. And I signed up too late, couldn't get sax lessons. But then it turned out to be more like a criminal punishment for all the kids that were able to sign up because it was so hard. Apparently I quit so fast that it was like torture. And meanwhile, I'm just like an extended recess while they're like, in their own private hell trying to learn how to play an impossible instrument.

Awful. I went to school at a more realistic time where they realized, like, hmm, 87% of these people probably have no music abilities. So I had the option to take music history with a teacher named Mama Hodge.

Fun.

Yeah. Mama Hodge would just play records. And you sit in the back row and don't do what? You don't do a lick of business.

What is your theory there? A more realistic time. What is that?

The entire class learns how to play an instrument like the vast majority of people.

But all it takes is one kid that really has a natural gift for it. And there's only one way to find out. Mark, you gotta give child.

I knew I didn't though.

Access to music. Cause music programs are so important to the education system.

I'm not disagreeing with you. I don't have to believe in every child in terms of every skill or ability.

Wow.

Realism.

I played the piano. And I'm glad you're not an educator.

I'll put it that way. With that attitude.

Music history is valuable to. I can't blame that. But I do like the idea that everyone gets a shot if they want. Say no.

Well, I'm villain in this conversation.

Can I try a horn that. No, you can. Don't be. You got to be realistic, son, if.

They want to, but you got a bunch of people sitting in like, I did a chorus. It's like, I'm gonna be right.

I.

People.

What one thing I would say, a life lesson from the saxophone, trumpet time. I think I quit that stuff so fast. Like, never let your parents tell you you can't quit things if you feel it in your gut. I was. I was to chorus weeks later, and I'm not a good singer, but it was a lot more fun.

You can hide in chorus, Mark.

Imagine if you had a drum set that was just, like, put in front of you. How much would you have loved that as a kid?

We've got some breaking news. A trade on May 9.

What?

And it's a. It's a trade worthy of May 9. The Rams are sending Super bowl champion wide receiver on the field during the game winning drive to win the Super Bowl. Ben Scoronic to the Texans to trade.

Wow. I'm speechless.

Home in the desert over here.

So they cut him and then they didn't cut him.

Well, they announced there was a report that they were cutting him, and the Texans, apparently, then called them and said, like, we'll give you what I've been guessing is, like, a 7th round, conditional type of pick.

Ben Square neck, when they get some moments. When Odell got hurt in the Super bowl, he was. He was, like, thrust into a major role at the end of that game.

What I was saying.

Yeah, that was. Well, he was there, but he was being targeted. I think he made one big catch, but also had a couple drops in the game vantage last year because of.

Puka, but he was an interesting, like, 7th round player there for seasons.

Fullback, I believe.

Team captain, too. Last year, it was.

Yeah, Connie. Good nug.

Good on special teams.

All right, let's take a break, and then we'll play a little guess who. All right, we are back. It is time now to have a little. Have a little fun. Isn't that great, Colleen?

Oh, my God.

Yeah.

So important. Summer, how is, what's going on with the summer of Connie? I know. Speaking of fun, what do you have planned this summer?

You know what we are. We're in the early stages of things. Summer of Connie needs to unfold on its own, like, it's a more of an organic in the moment type thing. So you kind of go wherever the world pulls you at any given time. So sometimes having no plan, but no.

Tickets to Greece this year.

No tickets to Greece yet this year.

Not the play of the country.

Yeah, exactly. So staying stateside for right now.

All right, well, we all. We kind of live through you, so there's almost a little bit of pressure for you to give. Give us that experience.

She. If I recall, she talked about hosting a party at her compound, like. Like the hours after the draft ended. So that's what.

That is. True. And then also, I feel like usually the kickoff happens around the time that we do a remote for the show.

Right, right.

Well, don't hold your breath on the. On that.

Okay. All right, so blame the NFL schedule for that. Maybe not falling into place this year. All right, well, we will have a remote show. All right, let's get into it. Let's. A game called guess who. We're going to talk about some people in the NFL world. Who. These are people that matter. Put it that way. And everyone grab your whiteboard and a marker. The key to this game is we take turns laying out descriptions of this figure without trying to give it away immediately. Wait until the end of the setup to make your guess, write it down on the board, and then we'll see if you guys are able to guess it correctly. I will get us going.

Mark and I are making eyes at each other.

Well, I'm hoping. I did. I did it. I did it. The exercise.

How you feeling now that I've.

I thought we would be guessing after each one, but I'm gonna adjust. Okay?

I mean, we have multiple, like, clues.

Oh, no, it's a. It's. It's a building. Tiered tier.

We're all great improv actors. Like, now it's time to maybe kill the one that was too obvious at the very end that I had. Ready?

All right, hit it, funk. Let's get into it. I am an important fan figure in the landscape of pro football.

It's literally anyone.

The look. The look, Greg.

Just going to take my whiteboard.

You should have seen the withering look that mark just gave you, Greg, when you started tugging at his chair.

Why not share when a chair, buddy?

Because we all have one.

Why would we found one under the table?

I need. I need a marker, but I don't want you to touch it.

All right?

I, in case you missed it, am an important figure in the landscape of pro football. Okay. I'm hot. Or maybe I'm not.

Hmm.

It's actually hard to say for sure.

Fake.

Don't let people see your answer, by the way.

I'm gonna write errors.

My NFL career, to this point, has not been a disappointment. But, you know, it's rarely been through. Thrilling. I'm not a bust or a direct hit. The highs have been memorable but not iconic. The lows mostly forgettable, more explained away. I'm laying in the weeds right now, mostly forgotten, as other players in my position group have assumed the mantle of the next big thing. I still could be the next big thing. Society moves so fast, and we tend to make snap judgments on things that require more time to effectively understand. You know, on top of that, I'm not the type to run my mouth in the media or write a dopey personal letter on Derek Jeter's website. This is me, direct to the people, unfiltered by anyone. But enough. I'm actually largely formless in terms of personality, which has, in some ways, ascribed a kind of mystery to me. Still, I remain a figure of legitimate intrigue and immense promise. Who am I?

Mm.

All right, we're gonna go around, feel very confident.

All right, well, let me go to you third, then.

Okay.

Let's start with Colleen.

I almost want to hear the clues again, but I know that's not part of the game.

Would it be great listening experience, and those at home can play along? Obviously, the game has layers.

Okay, I'm gonna say that it is a quarterback, and that's correct. The first quarterback I wrote, it was a ding. Sam Howell.

But leading the segment with Sam Howell would be dead.

I'm gonna go Zach Wilson.

All right, we're gonna go now to Greg. I'm not gonna say what cleaned away.

No. Cause he said this person was not a bust, so no way it's Zach Wilson. I wrote him down very early, and then as you got towards the end, I grew less confident. I'm going with Kyler Murray.

Interesting. Okay, Mark Sesler, what's going on with your whys? Did you show your board, by the way?

Oh, maybe not.

I got a little less confident as you crept along there, too. I wrote this about two sentences in, but I went, Trevor Lawrence.

That is correct. Yeah, that is it.

That's it.

Trevor Lawrence.

I got stuck on Kyler.

Great job, Mark.

Didn't get it.

I knew you'd get it.

Well, I also, you know, I listen to what you say on the show, and Trevor Lawrence has been a figure that you brought up in the terms that you described right there multiple times.

Unbelievable. The way you see it all pays off.

It does.

Having that level of good job.

But isn't it interesting that Kyler also a number one overall draft until you got to the part where, like, you had no idea about his personality, which that I was like, people kind of do have an idea about Kyler.

I mean, Kyler Murray sort of has written posts. Annoying.

He's saying a lot.

Let's start with that. I mean, that's where I went.

Trevor Lawrence was like. He's, like, statuesque, but it's hard to tell if he's, like, classic.

He's kind of like a Disney prince. But when you take that and you take it out of animation and make it a real person, it's like, is that he looks a little, almost too angular and cartoonish.

This is the main reason.

How about you, Colleen? What do you think? Is Trevor Lawrence an attractive man?

I mean, he's fine.

No takes. Okay.

I mean, he's like six'six, I think, in person. You think that he's struck by him.

He's a good looking kid. I look at him like he's a kid, though, so.

Well, he is a full blown adult.

But I get it, though.

And now, you know, just to kind of go over it, I do think he is laying in the weeds because he does have in that division where everyone now has counted out the Jags. He could be the difference maker there. If. And I know you've made a point of it, Greg. Like, if you go back and rewatch, that was an absurd Jaguar season. Last year was a disappointing one. Obviously, coming off the eagles kind of.

Let them off the hook of, like, unbelievable collapses. Cause they. They had collapsed on the stage.

They, like, reverse outshine them.

And Lawrence obviously ended the season injured and was banged up. But there were so many different moments where Trevor Lawrence almost had a huge play, a huge touchdown. The ball was bobbled or was 1ft down in the back of the end zone. Like, that was a hallmark of their season. Incredibly frustrating. So you kind of, you wipe the board, and he's obviously, you would think comes back 100% healthy. They do not. I think Doug Peterson said, we're now we're no longer like the. The hunted. We're the hunters and all that. I think if you believe in Doug Peterson, Connie, and I know that you have reason to believe in Peterson, Super bowl champion, there are some pretty good bulletin board material and ways to get that team that does have talent, a lot of talent, actually, to buy into the idea that nobody believes in us, and that matters in sports.

It was a disappointing year for him. Highest sack percentage he's ever had. Struggled to connect down the field. And then they suddenly had Gabe Davis and Brian Thomas junior, who. There wasn't the plan. They wanted to keep Ridley, and they got outbid. And those two guys are very similar to me, just like total burners. So it's sort of the opposite of last year, where they weren't throwing the ball down the field. He felt a little too conservative, had a lot of intercepts. He wasn't bad, but this is a guy. I kind of forgot this, but he finished 7th in MVP voting in 2022. He actually got a few, like, third place votes there in MVP and was.

The quarterback of one of the great comebacks in playoff history in round one.

It was fine, though. But you're right that the world moves on. That was the part where I thought you were talking about Kyler. Cause I was like, kyler is sneaky. Only one year older than Michael Pennix, and he's still a very talented player, and the world's really moved on from him. But Lawrence made more sense.

I mean, there were. I thought there were, like, trade whispers around Kyler Murray. Like, trevor Lawrence is years away of unproductive play to be called a bust. I think, if anything, he's good. Big bounce back candidate.

I need to write down the clues so I can reference them as they build.

All right, now that, you know, this.

Is, like, quarterback ranking season, and I've seen some pop up, and I still see him creeping into the top ten, which surprised me.

Did you roll that other market off the table?

I did.

Yes.

It was unintentional, but it rolled off the glass table. There's no bouncies on the table.

Who wants to go next?

Gotcha.

Who wants to go next? Colleen?

Okay, here we go. I'm an NFL bad boy from Mississippi, Greg Rosenthal, that just enjoyed my first Pro bowl season. I set franchise records my rookie year and melted hearts across this beautiful country. I have hair like a God, and my grandfather wanted me to be named Beowulf, after an old english poem about a hero from Sweden who travels to Denmark and kills man eating monsters, and later in life, confronts and kills a fire breathing dragon, but dies in the effort.

I remember that one from 9th grade.

My current team was always my one seed. And unlike less need, I certainly know how to change a tire.

Oh.

After spending an off season on an old prison bus, I often find myself in a competition.

Whoa.

But I'm still number one in your wife's heart. I like rock and roll. Throwing dimes, catching up on my hunter Thompson collection. Jock straps and lava lamps keep me going strong into my 6th NFL season. On my fourth team. I can go one more little bit.

Here, but I like that none of us will get it at this point, but. Okay, maybe I'm wrong.

6Th NFL season, four teams. The ladies love him.

Okay.

Is from Mississippi.

I'm so happy.

Number one is wife's heart. That one is.

Yeah, that's.

Do you want to give us the last ten?

Sure.

Okay.

I'm going to write mine now.

And just see, I like denim and patches, aviators and bandanas.

Oh.

Oh, hey.

I'm totally lost.

I actually still don't really know, but I have a guess. Do you want to.

Oh, wait, I. How many teams did you say?

Four.

Oh, I think I know it is. That's still the number one in your wife's heart is a weird one to me, but.

All right, let's see. Who am I?

We all are thrown up. I got Gardner Minshew. Greg has Gardner Minshew Thessler.

Oh, I thought it was a defensive player.

But you had me stumped until.

I thought it was for some reason.

Is that it?

I am.

That's good.

Jockstrap king. I am Uncle Rio. I am Gardener Minshew.

I don't know.

Do. Do you think that the typical wife longs for Gardner Minshew?

I think only because it's probably because I have a text chain with some people that you probably you all know who.

And they fire into the on the ground reporting, though.

Really.

That's what we want.

I mean, I guess he's conventionally attractive. I never put that together.

Oh, yeah.

She's sometimes called personality, though, you know?

Yeah.

I need to find out who's saying this. Yeah. And also you'll love it, too. The way he carries himself with a lot of confidence. Like, I can understand that.

Absolutely. The personality and the overall min shoe esque.

There's a great relationship with his dad. Like, that kind of stuff is like, oh, he's sweet, too.

Yeah, that was good.

That was good.

That was great, Pallie.

And you're on fire.

Excellent.

All right, Greg, you are up next.

Okay, play the music. Wish I got more.

I don't need your pen, Mark.

That was getting me sick. I was featured on the Netflix series QB QB One beyond the Lights. I changed my nickname in college because it was problematic.

Oh, no.

Dixie Chicks.

The owner of the team that drafted me once called me a superhero. I've started 17 games at my position since high school. In my first three starts, I had four rushing touchdowns, setting an NFL record. I don't want to give you the next one. I'll give it away.

Well, I'm stumped. I don't know who you guys are.

Okay.

How you doing, Mark?

The 17 starts threw me way off.

Course since high school.

Okay, I'll give you one more, then. Which is. I was a top five pick in the NFL draft.

Oh, top five picks.

17 high school starts, 17 games at his position.

Since I saw 17 games at his position.

Maybe I made it too hard.

I like that. You weren't going to give us the last one. He's only played, so he's not a quarterback.

But he was on the quarterback.

He was on the Netflix series Q one show.

I don't know. I missed that one. QB one beyond the lights is like a deep Greg cut.

He changed his nickname in college. This is because it was problematic for me. That was.

Can you give us the nickname? Maybe that will as a hint.

Oh, I shouldn't have even answered you.

Cloak and dagger.

17 total starts or 17 starts at the position he was playing?

17 games at his position.

Okay.

And did he play different positions?

What is this now?

It's questions 21.

Questions.

Yeah.

Truth or dare.

I said what I said that's not truth or dare. All right, go ahead.

All right, let's look around the room. Mark has crossed out Marcus Mariota, Julian Edelman.

No, it's not Edelman, but I thought it was maybe Mariota until the 17 starts off the. Wasn't he on the other quarterback?

I'm totally. You got me.

Were they successful in the NFL?

I wish I. His position seems to really have thrown you. He didn't actually change positions. Did you write anything?

No, I just wrote down the hints, thinking it would help.

All right, I will get. Should I give you the nickname? Yeah, at least. But the nickname was AR 15. I mean, it is Al Robinson. It is Anthony Richards.

Oh.

Spencer Rattler was on that show, too, and it hurt his draft stock. Also on that show.

He should get darted for that.

Anthony Richards.

1517. That's all there, Greg. That's a good one. Good job by you, Greg.

Yeah.

Should have had that. The superhero thing. That's what Ursay said that.

Right? Said that.

Damn it. All right, let's take a break and we'll go around one more time.

Stumped us.

Mark, you're up.

Okay.

Can I have your board?

Yes. Here is my hero of my contact. You could hold onto your board and pen.

Your marker.

Okay.

Yeah.

Drums, please.

No drums. It's pensive. I decided to be okay.

I'm a controversial figure, lodge in the american football conference. I'm so controversial that some like to act as if I'm not even part of the league to make themselves feel better about their worldview, which says more about them than me. When I'm not on the football field, I am involved with my music. And when I enjoy lunch, I like to have a glass of milk with freshly baked bread. Who the wouldn't?

Bread is underrated.

I have an unusual name that small minded types make fun of because it's somewhat androgynous and in fact, used liberally by groups of young girls. I have a family line that dates back to the early 16th century. When I was a child, a relative gave me this write up about my lineage, which reads, we are typically hairy chested and live in houses and farms with people. We undertake a range of domestic and agricultural chores on the understanding that we get free board and lodging. Some people complain that I dominate the football field in a way that makes it tough to focus on the actual game. There's one more clue.

I can use it.

Miles Garrett steps all over me, but he believes in me.

What.

Controversial figure? Oh, okay. I guess he kind of gave it.

I would bet that Greg has it.

A name that girls use.

Now, thinking back to all the clues, it's amazing.

I don't know. You know, I'll guess first of this week. Cause I really don't know. First I thought it was like Deshawn, but no. And then Mason Rudolph, but he was batched in the helmet with a helmet by Miles Garrett. Right? Taylor Heinecke.

No, I mean, you had it, Dan. It is Mason Rudolph, I believe. No, it's not.

No, I don't. I don't have. I wrote down to Sean Watson first. It is bread and milk.

Never discount Chad. Utter confidence in himself.

I mean, how would.

I thought you had it. Here it is. It's brownie the elf.

Oh, damn, that's good.

The brownies, girls.

Controversial figures.

I like that, Mark.

I thought it was like a trendy thing on TikTok, like girls were calling guys.

No, I mean, Mark, how would any of us ever guess that?

There is, if you think about it, like a lot, one of the people they had, they've done polls for people. A lot of brown skins don't like that midfield giant elf. And it does on television. Depending on how the browns are dressed, they get a little lost in the weeds.

Visually, but he believes in me. No. I wish. I think he led us in a beautiful direction. Really good. The lineage was hilarious. That was good. For some reason, then I was like, all right, must be Mason Rudolph.

Bread and milk.

That's the true thing about them. According to what? A more recent.

That's amazing. That is amazing.

Okay.

All right, who's up?

I can't top that.

Okay, big funk, here we go. On both.

The board, please. What board, please?

Oh, God. Geez, you're so needy. Okay, here we go again. Take.

All right, here we go. Are you ready?

I'm gonna kill you. I'm going to slap you.

All right, go ahead.

You're good. Okay. I'm both the villain and the hero. The sinner and saint. I will dictate your future whether you like it or not. I'm tied to not one, but all. I'm everywhere and nowhere. And once I bestow the fruits of my labor, they will be etched in stone for the rest of time.

Whoa.

Now it's my turn. My time. I'm the darling. I call the shots. I do the interviews. I get the shine.

Ooh. It's about me, okay?

I operate in the shadows with a deep network of intelligence. I have the answers. You only have questions. But soon my information will be revealed, and I will again retreat to my bunker of silence.

Oh, yeah.

A seemingly endless array of combinations is my wheelhouse. Only Cynthia Freeland likes algorithms more than me. And if you tell my secrets before I'm ready to share, the wrath of the almighty will take you swiftly, and the rapture will begin. Who am I?

Wow.

That was well written, Colleen.

Thank you.

I'm gonna go with Howie Roseman.

No, no, I went NFL schedule makers.

Okay, that is.

That. That's close enough. Who did you have?

I went with the Pell raiser.

I am Mike north, vp of broadcast planning.

The pill raiser.

Howie Roseman.

I'm gonna file an official complaint and tell me that none of any of that wasn't connected.

Everything. I'm listening now going through my head. Yes, everything does connect, technically.

Yeah.

Except me.

Hellraiser doesn't disappear into the shadows. I feel he's constantly with us.

Right.

That's fun. That's a fun one.

I love Mike North. Mike north so much.

It's Mike north season.

To get a text like, hey, he's.

Going to be all of them. Yeah.

What I believe. But, yeah, people in that office listen to this show, you know, because, well, shout out my times, that they were basically right around the corner when I had a desk at the NFL offices in business development and then this all yarn. Saw them over the years and I believe they are fans of around the NFL.

All right, we have one more.

Okay.

And it will be from Greg.

Okay.

All right.

My career started much like Mark Sesler, by writing a letter to a famous NFL figure. This NFL figure was Ron Wolfe.

Letter to Ron Wolfe.

A recent video counted the number of times I said the word buddy during the NFL draft. I said it 22 times.

Body.

I currently have a lot of dip on my chip, including the making of a social video right before the draft, arguably mocking our team's fans that were up in arms over a silly story. Lot of dip.

Dip off my chip.

A lot of dip.

Seven expression.

I helped to acquire every member of my franchise's only title except for four. One of those four players was Brandon Mebane.

I hate Greg.

Just the train. Should I leave it there?

I think I have a yes.

Okay. I think you've got it. The last one's probably gonna give it away.

That actually is not what gave it away, but I don't even know if I'm right.

Okay. My last two. Just for the hell of it. Mark does have it right. Is that I'm famous for a shirtless picture.

Yes.

And that I quietly pushed out the man this offseason most associated with my success.

So I had it wrong, actually, I had less need.

I thought maybe that Elliot Wolf wrote Ron Wolfe a letter at first, but I'd cross that out. I thought Chris Ballard was spicy during the draft. Trent Balky had that thing happen to him that the John Schneider?

Yes.

Oh, that's good. That's real good.

Lot of dip on the tip.

I thought it was a silly Seahawk story, though.

So everyone was upset that the new coach took down pictures in the hallway. This is like a. This is an off season trope, by the way, that new coaches do this and then the fans get upset. Supposedly they had taken down a lot of the pictures in certain parts of the hallways of the Seahawks. So then Schneider and Mike McDonald taped multiple social clips, like in front of various pictures saying how they were excited for the draft.

Yikes.

That was a fun move. I liked it.

Dip on my chip is real great.

And I'm just noticing, kind of like we're noticing with Chris Ballard certain things. There's a difference with Schneider. It's kind of like he's been involved, almost like a vibe, like he's been in this middle management position. Not that he has been, but as if the boss that he's always been waiting to leave is gone, and now he's running the show.

I know that that's happened in our newsroom at times.

Sure.

I'm pretty. I don't want to say I'm pretty sure, but who knows? But I think less need is a dip guy, by the way. So that's where I was.

I was thinking about a dip. Yeah, same.

No, I was thinking more like the phrase, you know, a dip on your chip.

You're like Dick Clark over here, world's old teenager.

Pretty good.

You have too much dip on your chip means that being lost in something can affect other parts of your life.

I've never heard this phrase before.

Phrase uses hurt to encourage you, but not to rule you. What the.

I think it's. I think of it also sometimes, according to TikTok, for instance, like, baker Mayfield would strike me as a person influencer, that sometimes even on the field, a little too much dip for his chip. He almost trying to be a little too much extra. And maybe it's gonna come back to.

See I'm a heavy dipper. So I don't know, like, it's tough. I feel like there's a lot of, like, innuendo.

There's an old texan saying that I know from my family now that too much sugar for a dime.

I like that.

I have no idea what it means.

But too much sugar for a dime is like, it's not worth it. It's not worth the trouble.

The other one, the other phrase can only be post chips and salsa. And I was trying to think, how long have chips and salsa been around? Does anyone know? I don't know.

54 years.

Show should have ended about five minutes ago.

It's the advent of time.

Chips and dip, 1992. That's when it started.

And, yeah, he came up through that. Ron Wolf packers front office back in the day. John Schneider.

Very nice. Very nice. All right, that is it.

Elliot Wolfe writing Ron Wolfe a letter.

I thought that might have been how that relationship began, but it's just.

Well, I think it began much earlier.

All right, let's take a break and we'll close up.

Welcome back to the show.

Very nice. Very nice. Colleen. We are wrapping things up. By the way, big soccer weekend coming up.

Oh, boy.

Shalin Patel, my buddy, owner and possibly of West Brom. Big, big home and home with Southampton. I actually reached out to Johnny Gonzalez.

Oh, yeah.

You're familiar with this work, right?

Yes.

To kind of explain to me the, what's, what's at stake this weekend for West Brom. The. The team. The footy team of around the NFL. Anyway, West Brom plays Southampton at a home and home, winner of that, on aggregate advances to play, winner of Norwich City. And Leeds, winner of that, is promoted to the Premium League.

Premier League.

Premier.

Premier. Excuse me. Jesus Christ.

The Premium League.

It is the Premium League. It's not totally wrong.

And it's Premier League.

Premier. Yeah, the Premier. The Premium Premier League.

And never too late for a rebrand for them.

Yeah. South Southampton and Leeds got relegated from Premiere last season. So this is huge. In fact, Shalin had told me if they do jump up to the Premier League, there might be a private jet involved and a trip to celebrate.

For you?

No, like, for the group.

Oh, when does that happen? During the summer of Ghani.

Yeah.

This is why I keep my schedule open.

I'd have to go back and check the wording to see if it, like, involves Mark, for instance. But I think it was like a collective.

He was just like, yeah, Greg, you know, Colleen, all the guys.

Please clarify. Yeah, I'd love to know.

And I do know it now. Speaking of big funk. Big funk is actually kind of our source. He really knows, you know, you're a big fan of that. The European.

The Premium League.

I love.

I love Premier League. So below. So below the Premier League, it's called the EFL Championship. English football league championship. Below that you have leagues two and one. And then below that is like the national side. It's a pyramid. Pretty much.

Right.

The way it constructs. That's why sometimes online you'll see, you know, 9th tier side, whatever, played against league two side, whoever, such and such. So it's a big. It's a big deal because when you.

Get so much better with your theme song underneath it, by the way.

Okay.

All right, fair enough.

I feel okay.

All right, start over.

Okay.

Sure.

So it's an inverted pyramid.

Yeah, pretty much. So the top of the top is the Premier League.

It's a regular pyramid.

That's how pyramids work.

Inverted.

It's a pyramid. All the leaves. Okay, go ahead.

All right.

So the way it works is you want to get promoted up because if you get promoted up, you get tv money, you know, you get sponsorship money.

That's why you get private jets.

You get private jets.

Yeah.

And the opposite happens when you get relegated. So if you get bumped down a league, you lose players, you lose out on lots of revenue. And sometimes that can leave teams in financial ruin. So it's a really big deal. These guys get promoted because just because you make it one year doesn't guarantee you'll make it the next year.

Right.

Last year Coventry made it with Lewton. Lewton got promoted. Coventry ended up 8th this year. And so you can. You can, like, you can make it really close and then be stuck in that league for a decade or decades.

So it's the last time that West Brom has been in the Premier League.

I think it's been a little under ten years. I don't remember exactly. For instance, second place side Ipwich, which finished below Leicester, they're automatically promoted, is the first time in 20 years they've been promoted. So. And I think they're called the tractor boys or the tractors, but they're getting promoted up, so it's a big deal, so.

All right, that's a great rundown. Thank you very much.

You betcha. I think it's up West Brom. Up west Brom there. About that.

And, I mean, your friend is suggested.

Coming over your house at 615 in the morning or something to watch this.

I'm down, I'm down. If anybody wanted to come over to watch it, I would not turn the door.

Your friend is about to close the door. Very, very. Sounds wealthy to begin with. The whole contingent.

I mean, he owns or even wealthier.

You're basically an owner, Daniel, how does it feel?

I'm the friend of a rich person. That doesn't really help you, actually.

Well, it does if he sends his jet.

That's true.

But if you were in need, nice.

Experience or nice little PJ action.

What do you mean? Like, come to him with my hand out? That's not my style, bro.

Well, that's not.

I don't come in my handout.

But if you were in dire need, he would. He could help my style sources to help you.

But you would, you would fly on the private jet?

Oh, yeah, yeah, a little bit. You would do?

Absolutely, yes.

What if they gave me a list of seven people can go on the jet?

Oh, my God. That would be Dan's dream to pick this up.

I'd definitely hold interviews.

It would become a full reality show, right?

It would be. It would take care of a lot of summer programming for the podcast, so.

That would be good.

All right, thank you to everybody for listening. Go Baggies. Let's do this thing. And we'll be back on Monday with more football goodness. And yes, I believe we'll talk about the schedule at some point as well, whenever they deign to let us know officially.

Take your time.

Come on, Mike.

North, we'll be here. Northy till then, he's the call.