A Huddle is a production of the NFL in partnership with iHeartRadio. Hello everyone, Malcolm Rodriguez, Detroit Lions linebacker. You listening to the El Huddle podcast. Yes, that was Malcolm Rodriguez, also known as Rodrigo. A spectacular guest that we had. We've had great guests every week on the l Huddle podcast. Glad you are with us, Oleal, Glad to be with my prima Ermana, Mi prima Ermana. M Caste Ruiz fresh from Banama. Sound like you had an awesome time, amazing ten out of ten, beautiful beaches, a little adventure mixed in between. That's a whole other podcast episode, will m. That's what we like to call a TAS friends. Also at s AS, we have a very very funny comedian on, Steve Travino. He actually was seen by MJ in person and he's got a special on Amazon Prime. Huge fan of his. We're gonna talk to him about the Cowboys, growing up, his background, all of this and that. And right now we have breaking news and the main I guess only one really that we've been talking about mainly is the Alamar Jackson thing. And Jay still doesn't have a home. It's been very vocal on Twitter about his displeasure, along with reportedly asking the Ravens for a trade. Of course, John Harbaugh is like, wait, wait, what what had happened? Well, this is what happened when he was asked by reporters about the tweet that was sent out while he was speaking to reporters at the annual league meeting. I haven't seen the tweet. That's timegoing process. I'm following it very closely, just like everybody else is here, and uh looking forward to a resolution. I'm excited thinking about Lamar all the time, thinking about him as our quarterback. We're building our offense around that idea, and I'm just looking forward to getting back to football. I'm confident that's gonna happen. Do you interest rate him being your quarterback in Week one? I do you know? You gotta you gotta planning for all the contingencies for sure, But I'm pretty I'm pretty fired up about Lamar Jackson. I mean, Lamar Jackson is a great player. Lamar came back in great shape last year. He's fired up to play. That's the Lamar that I'm looking for, looking forward to seeing. I can't wait to get back on the grass and go to work and confide that's gonna happen. So you're following him on Twitter and seeing all the post and now, I don't live in that world, Jerry. You know I'm not. I'm not a real Twitter guy. Have you seen my tweets lately? No? I love that he's like Twitter, what are you talking about? I am not on the Twitter. I am not checking tweets that he's on the snap, face on the book of face on the Graham of Insta. Yeah, that's how I feel. I wish coach. I wish we didn't have to tweet. Um, it's a lot. It's a lot, and it was like a planned move by Lamar. I'm not gonna say, you know I live for the pettiness. Well, yeah you do. Yeah, I'm on the petty train at all times. However, it's almost a little off putting to me because I don't think that an elite quarterback, which is the which is the group that I put Lamar in as a former league MVP, needs to be doing this, needs to be tweeting for his life. It's not a knock on him. I understand why he's doing it. There is he doesn't have a representative. Everybody, it's very deeply personal, right, this is your entire career, and he is the one who's steering the ship. He has made that decision, and it is it is it is his right to do so. But this is how you know that things have spiraled, because you don't need to be out here defending yourself lamar, because the whole conversation, I think everybody on the NFL planet is like, pay this man, already, get it done. We want to see him paid. We know he deserves it, we know that he's earned it. I don't want to hear anything about, oh, well he missed the last five games whatever. When he's healthy, he is one of the best in this league. And of the thirty two teams, not all thirty two have an elite quarterback, unless that's just the real rule. But I think if you're at the point now where you have to go on Twitter to try and defend yourself, like I wish that he would just let his that wall down just a little bit and get a team in place, somebody who is approved by the NFLPA, a certified agent who can go in there and do the message dirty work for him right like there is. I think there does come a point where you sort of have to be compartmentalized from all of that. You know, I don't want to see him have to get in there and roll in the muck right like he's you're too elite for that, Lamar, You're too no, I agree. I think if he had an agent, the agent would have steered him in the direction of the offers that the Ravens had on the table. There'd be back and forth. It gets personal, and I think he would have benefited greatly. Paying three percent for an agent. It just seems to be whatever, that's that's what the going price is. What we've seen it is it is, and we've seen Laramie Tunsul, Roquan Smith, other guys do it, but they're few and far between. And I think now he's feeling like, I'm going to set this up for guys behind me, the Justin Herberts, the Joe Burrows, that Jalen Hurts. But what's interesting is that the Bengals have said, yeah, we're interested in getting an extension done here in the near future. Justin Herbert has also said, or at least the representation has said, the Chargers from what we know from reports that they are open to getting an extension done so exactly exactly, so I think the representation isn't needed. And then what's the endgame here? I mean, they have until July seventeenth to come up with a long term contract or at least a one year contract. Then after that, where do they go? And then is he going to then say, Okay, I'm going to sign this non exclusive franchise tag, which by the way, is still below market what he would be earning. So so what what what are we doing here? And right now? Teams, well, they should be out there lining up to put forth operas they haven't. I mean, I guess the Colts would be a great spot. You can even throw out the Lions because they got the draft capital. But they seem to be happy with Jared Goff. I don't. I don't know what the endgame here is for him. I just feel like we're seeing this public split up. But they need each other. They need each other, right, It's just a bit of of a broken home at this moment. I do. Look, I respect Lamar, not just for what he does on the field, but you got to respect somebody who's betting on themselves. Who's going ten toes down for their own well being, for their own you know, longevity, for their livelihood. I get that. I get it tremendously. And I think there was one tweet where he said, like, oh, while they offered me this, but I still need an agent. It's not I think he's almost taking it, I would assume by his tweets as as personally as us. Right, And that's not it. That's not it at all. That's not it at all. It's just that, even if you go from the reverse side of this, from the team side, they don't want to have the conversations that they typically have and are necessary to have with an agent a representative, with the guy that's going to be in their building every day, right, Like that's just that's just how it is. Like they want to keep that relationship to the basics, like let's amp up our guy, this is our dude, which is what we've heard from coach rbon I believe that coachar Bob means that when he says it, then you got behind closed doors and when negotiations goes down while he's been heard, well, he's been this. You don't want to hear that stuff, I wouldn't want to hear it. No mean either And yeah, well, I mean I couldn't imagine being in those discussions. And they've been trying to read some sort of agreement for over two years now. This should have been done two years ago. Way and reflects poorly because in that time we've seen Mahomes get a mega deal and Josh Allen get a mega deal. So we'll see how that plays out either way. Excited for our next guests. On the other side, we'll be hearing from comedian Steve Throbino. We else coming up on the Idle podcast. All right, trying real hard not to fangirl, but we're gonna do it anyway because joining us right now it is the legend median that Steve Trevino now turn analyst for the purposes of hudcast. I'm like, all of this is so crazy to me. You know, I'm a huge NFL fan, and the reason I was late to the podcast is because I gotta take this off. Okay, I'll put that on. We go, here we go, and it Beacins. I I gotta support I gotta support the big d Well. Why does it look crooked? It looks crooked. I thought you were just trying to be swaggy. I like it. Now you said the big D like, like you're representing depression because it's the Cowboys, Like, what's what? Well, it has been a rough twenty five years. Let's just be honest. It has been a rough twenty five years, and it has hurt so bad to the like is like I used to make fun of, like the Raiders right back in the day. It was like, Okay, y'all used to be relax, We're the Cowboys, and now I feel like the Raiders. Mmmm. Yeah, the commitment to excellence, all that the Raiders would always talk about, Uh, just just win baby, none of that stuff. So you're so so, why do you think that the Cowboys haven't been able to get to those Super Bowls and win one? You're gonna make men? I hate, I hate, I hate. I did not do well in Hollywood because I could not lie. You know, people would have people would hand me a script and go, what do you think? And I'm like, oh, I really wish you wouldn't have asked me. I think it's terrible, you know, And and in Hollywood you have to be able to lie. So you asked me why I think the Cowboys have not returned to their glory. And I hate it because Jerry Jones is an amazing owner, horrible GM and I think that the Ry Jones needs to take his hands off the tuna set it years ago. If you're gonna let me cook, let me pick my groceries. And Jerry Jones also, in my opinion, there's a reason that so many NFL teams continue to be successful year after year, and that is because of culture. It doesn't matter if they have the studs, it doesn't matter if they have big, big stars. Is a winning culture. They play as a team, They win as a team. You know, the Steelers have been so successful for so many years without quote unquote stars. They actually create stars. And Jerry Jones continues to try to win a Super Bowl now, so he gets all these individuals to create a team. And I just think that in the NFL, if you're not a cohesive team that feels like, hey, we're out here together, it just doesn't work. And in my opinion, and Jerry Jones breeds this where the Cowboys, we're the best, you're the best. And he breeds individuality and to me, you can't win football games as an individual, and you can't be arrogant, and you can't have this idea of So ask your question, Jerry Jones, that's a take, m JA, that's a take right there. Steve coming in hot, Yeah, no, for sure. So let's talk about this scheme a little bit because in the off season there has been some changes and I feel, I don't know if you agree with this, that over the past few seasons, they've been trying to replace that Amari Cooper production. So now we've got Brandon Cooks coming into the mix. Defensively, we've got stuff on Gilmore coming. Remember last year when all everybody wanted to see was physicality, run the ball, get after it out of the backfield. Now Zeke is gone, although Zeke wasn't quite the Zeke that we remember the right right, So now this next step, I mean, potentially they could go for a running back in the draft and start building from there. What are your thoughts. My thoughts are that Jerry Jones came along, he hired Jimmy Johnson, and he saw what Jimmy Johnson did to create Super Bowl winning teams. I think that here we are twenty five years later, and if you look at what Jerry Jones continues to try to do, he tries to model exactly what Jerry Jones did or Jimmy Johnson did. He's he's trying to get the big, huge offensive line because that's what Jimmy Johnson did. He's trying to get the magical three. He's trying to get that Troy Aikman. Yeah, he's look right, I think that he's trying to replicate what Jimmy Johnson did. Football has evolved. Football has gotten faster and quicker, and there's there's schemes on the on the field that are changing so fast, and the West Coast offense has come along, and there's so many things that you know, he wants to replace that Mitt Smith with Ezekiel Elliott. He wants to replace Trey Aigman with Dak Prescott. And and I also think that Jerry Jones's ego doesn't let him let go. I think if Jerry Jones comes in and says Dak Prescott is an elite quarterback and he's the best in the league, I said it, And now I don't think Dak is that elite quarterback. And I think now he's doubled down so much that he's gonna stick to it right and again, trying to make individual moves instead of team moves as a whole. You look at the Green Bay Packers. They continue to compete every single year. There's no stars. I mean, Aaron Rodgers, he might be a little out of his mind, but a little. But then you got guys like Tom Brady to go to Tampa Bay and all of a sudden, you know, he brings the pieces of the puzzle that he needs and the writings on the wall Tampa. I mean to me, tom Brady set the standard for elite quarterbacks when he opened up that salary cap and said, I don't have to be the highest player paid player on the team because I want to spend that money on that defense, which, by the way, that defense is the reason they were able to be Kansas City. Because now they're not. They're put they got a front four. They can put pressure on a kid's like a kid like Mahomes, and they didn't have to spy him, they didn't have to double team him. And Tom Brady was smart enough to be able to say, I don't need to be the highest player on the team. Let's spend some money on some defense and let's go get Gronk. Well, what do you think of Dak? I mean, Dak gets a lot of heat too for not producing the results that everybody's expecting. Are you a Dack fan? Do you think that they should look in other directions instead? Like? What's your take on Dak? Again? Being honest, you know, I love Dak as a human being. He seems to be a very very classy young man, which which I always look for and play. You know, I want to look for those guys that are classy, those guys that are giving back to the community, those guys that are that are because my look, my seven year old, Oh my god, he loves these football players, right, So I want my seven year old to fall in love with somebody like a Dak who is community driven, classy. The guy seems like an amazing human being. I just don't think he's an elite quarterback. I think that that he doesn't pump fake, he doesn't he telegraphs his passes, and I don't think that he can make those changes up front that other quarterbacks can. I mean, the Manning brothers couldn't run a damn forty yard dash. To save their lives. But they knew football like nobody else's business. Tony Romo undersized, small guy, but god, he knew football. Right. Tom Brady forty five years old still able to compete on that level because he knew football and the guy probably ran up fivety. Nobody cares about his forty. The forty is irrelevant at all. One thing about Cowboys fans, we know they're gonna shoot it to the straight and they're gonna know. The sports acumen is just off the charts there. Plus I think the fandom too, Like there's just something about I've only been to Dallas a couple of times, but like you can't go two blocks without running into a Cowboys fan. Like it's it's part of the tapestry, part of the DNA of the fan base there. But there are other fan bases that would argue with that, Steve, is there another fan base that you think can rival the Cowboys? I will tell you and and my Cowboys fans are gonna hate me for this. In my opinion, the best fans are Steelers fans. And okay, I was not expecting the Steelers fans. Okay, if you go to Pittsburgh, if you go to Pittsburgh on a Friday before a game, and I have been in Pittsburgh on a Friday before a game. There is not one human in that town that is not wearing Steelers gear, right. I mean old ladies have Steelers earrings, and little little babies they're wearing little Steelers uh classifier. I mean it is. And then if you go on the road like I do, and you go anywhere on a Sunday, you are going to see a Steelers fan dressed to the ninth. I mean, I'll wear a hat. I mean I'm talking about they have earrings. I'm more subtle about it. I understood a fan are are rabid in there, and they're crazy and they are committed. You know, I don't think they're as big as the Cowboys nation, of course, but you know, like my aunt, for example, you know, she would every time we were watching football, she'd walk by and go, who's winning me that Cowboys? Like she had no clue. You know, who's who's winning the Cowboys? That's good. I'm like, in Saturday, we're watching. But yeah, but you meet at a steel you meet a Steeler's grandma, and she knows the game right, right, yeah, well, let's let's talk about your upbringing here, because uh m J and I always talk about it on on our podcasts. I mean, I've talked about it. It's like I shared a room with my grandmother growing up, you know, when I was six years old. And so for you when you were talking about your your aunt, like, how was it like growing up you know, and and having your aunt and and having your parents and having you know, me hoo esto meho, oh no, meho, like like talk to us about your upbringing a little bit. Well, you know, I mean a huge family. My mom is one of nine, right, so okay, and they all they all migrated from Mexico. Yeah. I always tell the story my my uncle, who is my mom's oldest brother, he married a woman who was Mexican American and she actually taught our family Thanksgiving. Our family did not know what Thanksgiving even was, so right, think about that for a second. They didn't They didn't celebrate Thanksgiving in Mexico. So when they came here, my uncle, my oldest uncle's wife was like, you guys, don't do Thanksgiving weekhold every week? Yeah, well, but you know, after church, it was go to Alela's house, right, and now it's Sunday and all the uncles would sit around watching the Cowboy game, rooting them on, and it was family time. It was barbecue time. It was hey, we're gonna root for our Cowboys and and my uncle's making um Plywood Dallas Cowboys stars and sell me. I wanted to know. And of course my mom, oh yeah, yes, yes, we want for our house. But where that where that die hard Cowboys fan came. What people don't realize is I'm a I'm a first generation football fan, right. You know, my my parents became NFL fans because of the United States, and Sundays became parents. Um, it was a special day for us on Sunday. Yeah, you know, it was. It was family. It was it was rooting for your team. It was going to church and going to our last house and you know, and and back then, you know, you didn't have access to every single game. Right. It was like, the Cowboys game is going to be at one? Are here noon? Or three? Yeah, that's it. And if it was if it was noon, then we had to go to church. And the men didn't Wow, they got this church radio. I'm like, how come Dad's not here? Like Oh, they're watching the game. They're watching that Cowboys, right, and being a Texan, you know, I get so frustrated because Texas should have another NFL team, but we can't because there's the fans are not jumping ship and a franchise is not coming to San Antonio, Texas because they know that you're not gonna get a fan base. Everybody loves the Cowboys and then Houston, Texas loves the Texans and that's it. Yeah, that is large enough, I think to House three. Yeah, no, no question about that. Okay, we think about that like upbringing, right, like that very traditional space and Will and I have talked about this before. Like my parents also immigrants to the Coming country from Dominican Republic, and they their American dream for me was get yourself a good, safe job that's gonna put food on the table. And I was like, I want to be a dancer, I to work on TV. And they're like, okay, great, right, But so how did your parents feel when you're like comedy? That's like my dad made it very clear to me. I said, I'm gonna be a comedian. He goes, Then you're on your own, he goes, don't ask you for money. He goes, don't ask me for money, and I will not ask you for money. He goes. If that's what you want to do, then knock yourself out. He goes. If you want to go to college, I will help you get through college. No college, Yeah, you're on your own. Yeah. So I took it like a man. Well I'm gonna go do this and and see you later kind of a thing. And you know, now years later he's like, I'm the one that told him. Yeah, see Claro, Claro, Hey, go go go be a comedian, make us money. I want to be on the field at the Tampa Bay game. So proud. Um. I see your your comedy store hoodie on there. And my husband and I went to one of your shows in San Diego back in twenty eighteen. Many feels like a lifetime ago, Steve. I mean, there's no way, but we did take a photo with you. We were very excited, very kicked out, like you know, your your your bits and all your coming there. We go, um, oh my god, you don't stop it, Steve. It's okay. So my wife was there and we actually commented about your hair. Yeah it's Angela. She always come. But I bought the Captain Evil shirt that day and everything. And Steve, like, when I tell you, like, I'm fangirling because like, we quote your stuff all the time. Now we see it on social media, right the TikTokers are stitching you and they're saying this. My husband put a Steve Ravigno line in his vows. Okay, he said, and you made the wedding we eloped, by the way in the middle of pandemic. So I was very very dramatic, but he made sure to put that there because it's something that we quote constantly. He said. And I can't wait to spend the rest of my life with you together together, and you know, we're together together. If you haven't seen that bit, I highly recommend that you go and find it. It's about a Vegas trip. We're here together together. Yeah. That that is what is why I do comedy. I truly do comedy because I am a giver. I love the host. I love to I love to make other people happy. You know, people say it all the time, they go Steve, you know you do so much. When it's my birthday and you go out of your way and I go. But that that's what makes me happy. Yeah, making other people happy is what makes me happy. So then when I don't celebrate my birthday, all my friends and family go, well, we want to do something for you, and I go, but that that makes me uncomfortable, like wow, me and the giver. I like being the one that makes a big deal about somebody else. So when I hear people say you saved my marriage, you know, oh my god, we were on the verge of divorce and you got us through it. Or my wife got cancer and the only laughter we got was watching you. Those are the things that for me are very special, and that is exactly why I do comedy, is for you. So when you say things like that, I'm like, oh my gosh, that's exactly why we do it. And that's why I shake everybody's hand after a show, you know, because I'm number one, I can't believe that you came to see me, and number two, you are paying my bills because I get a portion of that ticket. So I look at anybody that buys a ticket as an employer, and what kind of employee would I be if I don't shake my employer's hand. So that's how I look at things, and it's important to me. When you tell me things like that, I'm like, oh my gosh, and I wish my wife was here. She's out being my life. But um, you know, I will tell her that because we are a team. Me and her are a team. Me and her do things together. And being Latino in this business, you don't have a choice but to do things on your own and to figure it on your own. Yeah, your wife also source material, right of course, so a lot of material. How did that come about? Where where she's just letting you anything that you guys go through, where she's shopping. Because the thing that makes you so great and any comedian who's very successful is the relatability. And with all the bits that you have, they're so relatable. Because I think about that is it's like, you know, my wife is buying things and returning things all the time, right, buying, returning, buying, returning. At least he returns. I don't even return things anymore. I'm just like, well, it lives here now. If I come home with deans that, don't think I ain't going back. I'm not going back to the I tie her up. But the reason the reason it relates is because I literally I call it a documentary whatever. I don't make up, like, I don't look at my wife and go, okay, how can I write funny things about her that doesn't happen. I live it in the house and then I take it on stage. So there's this one joke right now that I'm so happy about, and Renee and I are in this argument and then we both bust out laughing and I go, why are you laughing? She goes, I'm just laughing. She's why are you laughing? I'm laughing because you're laughing. And then she goes, I just wrote a joke for you, right, And I go right, And the joke is, I go, when my wife asked me to do something for her, there are no questions asked. I just do it. But when she when I asked her to do something for me, oh my god, there's questions. Yeah. So all I wanted was promoted by two K. Yeah. All I wanted was we were going on a trip to a water park with some other couples, and the other couples were like the other husbands, they go, let's get combandas that way we're comfortable. There's a lot of us will get two I got you got it. I went to my wife and said, hey, baby, can you book two commanders? Why don't we need two commanders? Because I'm asking, can you please book two cabandas well? I don't want to pay for two cabandas well. Baby, We're not gonna pay for two cabandas. We're all gonna split it. It's gonna be split three ways. Can you get two commandas? Are you sure that we need to commandas? Yes? Yes, I am sure. That's why I keep asking, can you get two cabadas well? One cabanas seas? Ten people? I mean, how many people are we gonna have. We're gonna have fourteen. We're gonna have fourteen people. That is more than ten. Can you please book two cabadas well? Not all of us are going to be in a command And I'm like, just that, I move my mind. But I literally told the story right now, exactly the way it happened, and when people they know it's real and they've been through it, right, So that's where the relatability comes from, And I mean it has to have That's what's so hard for me to write material. It's hard and it's easy because, um, I don't have anything I told my wife all the time. I go, when you're nice to me for a long time, it's not good for business. I'm writing any I'm not making any money with you being nice to me. Right. Stop it. If I go to my wife and I go, can you buy two cabanas? And she does, of course, maybe I respect you, I love you, and I agree with your decisions. End of the career, career, I never but but but I also take great pride. My wife is Latina, I'm Latino. I take great pride in showing America a Mexican American couple that is very normal and very you know. I love George Lopez and I always will. But George spends a lot of time explaining how we're different, and I my whole act is we're all the same. Yeah. Yeah, Me and my wife wake up every day. We try to be the best husband and wife to each other. We try to be the best parents we can be to our kids, and we try to get through this crazy life we're living in twenty twenty three with a smile. And you know we are. We're like everybody else, just trying to make it with a little bit of flavor, you know, and and you know, my da walking in the background, going, oh, who's doing in the cowboys? That cowboys? You know. So it's it's relatable and it's real and it's honest, and and that's what makes people gravitate to it, you know, absolutely love it. You come from a big family. I came from a big family too. In MJ and I, we talk about certain ways that say, like our moms were like, for example, if we were sick, it's all about vapo rube, like literally everything, Like you threw vapo rube at every problem. It seemed like if I got the sniffles, it's it's lights out, baby, it's vapo rube. And and you know, abioticos, you know, like that was the way to do it. There's no such thing as going out and getting day quill or. Now, my dad had an antibiotics from Dominican Republic. I don't know what's in them, but you were cured well. But I also like, I'm glad you said that, because I also like to show the difference in generations. Yeah, you know, my wife is Mexican American. When she is sick, it is my job to take care of her, right and when I'm when I'm sick. It's you're being dramatic. You're ridiculous. You can't be that sick. Oh my god, you want your mommy. And I'm like, yes, yes, I do want my mommy. My mom would be here with my mom would be here with VIC with a towel on my head, with a calling in. She would be doing the well. You have to acknowledge that when men get sick, it is a melodrama beyond scare. Because we're still no, don't do that now. All the producers are thank you sis, because we're still up. We're cleaning the house, we're running around, we're still running errands. And the guys are like, oh, why true, we got We're out. We're out for like five days. We're done. I love when I get sick. And then my wife is like, you're being dramatic. And then, because we're husband and wife, I end up giving her what I had, of course, and then and then and then she's like take me to the hospital. I'm like, oh, now you know what I got. Now you know what I got. If she's that hospital level, then you know it's bad. But I will say this, I do believe. Number One, I believe in God and I will say that God always makes the mom get sick. Last, right, well, yeah, my wife will take care of the kids are sick. Then I'm sick and I don't know how she's doing it. She finally all of us and then as soon as we're all good, she goes down. And now that's how it is, and I'm like, that is God's motherly Yep. Everything. There were there words Steve that you would hear um from family members that you'd never heard before, ones that were made up. Maybe they were in Spanish, like we like we had you know in our house. My parents were Nicaraguan so they say, yeah, though yo, but but those are things like but no one says I if I go to Mexico and say they look at me if like I have three heads anyway, Yes, I love I love more all the Spanish words that they turn English words in the Spanish words. Oh my god, yes, yes, you know, like like what is the fool like you fold me? Is that Spanish? You know, you go to Miami and all of a sudden there like yeah, it's not brother, by the way, it's broin. Yeah. Yeah, like all all cereal is cheatios to my grandma. It didn't matter if it was Koco pops fruit loops like Charlo mine was posts get it gets and I'm like, yeah, what's the post? How about choco? Mean, do you guys ever have that Joco meal that was choco? Oh yeah, choco chocolate milk you put in the milk? Yeah, yeah, choco meal. You know, it's like certain things like that, like wait what And then it's funny to me too, because everything is backwards in Spanish, right, So yeah, my dad would my dad would call burger king the King Burger. I'm like, the what and King Burger yellow Man King Burger? I go, what the hell is the king Burger King? Because if you translated in Spanish, the syntax would flip it. Yeah, the syntax always flips. Writer or he would say, I'm like, I'm like, what amazing? And then my favorite one lately is um he's trying to explain it. He goes, Amy, I've been watching the show Jo and Hbos and Dragons. I said, I said, I said, you mean Game of Thrones. He goes, yeah, yeah, Game of Throns, Game of Throne. You know, you know, Game of Throns. Hey, I wants they have nidgets. I'm like that, hey, we can say it's too much. You know. My father used to say, like if he was busy, he'd always say, I'm in the middle of people, is what he would say, you know, with his accent. Right, So you know, there were certain certain things like they couldn't they couldn't say the words or there were phrases, right, Yeah, they just couldn't. They just couldn't get there, you know, exactly to learn English when they got to this country. Do you guys remember that English INA's commercial. I don't remember that, one, will say, because I grew up in New York, so it was like, yes, that's exactly what it was, learning English in Spanish, which is if you think about it, brilliant. But like it was huge commercial and it was non stopping our house because all we watched was like that's all we had on in the house. People don't realize. People don't realize why the Latino loves the NFL. And I will tell you why. It is because the Latinos that moved to this country love this country and they love they embrace it, and they love the opportunities that they have here. And they look at the NFL as a very American thing and they want on board and they want to be part of it. I mean, you know, my dad served in the Vietnam War. He loves this country. You know, my dad is proud of this country. My dad watches the NFL and loves the NFL because it is very America. And that's what I hate about sometimes our society, how they look at us and they say, well, you know, they must love soccer, Like, no, you were mistaken. We love the NFL because we love America and we love watching the NFL because it's very American and we get to pick our team and we get to root for our team. And for whatever reason, Latinos definitely migrate towards certain teams. Yeah, you know, you know the Dolphins. You know, you want to find Cubans, you're gonna find them with their Dolphins fans, right, And you want to find the Mexicans where you're gonna find them with the Raiders or the Cowboys. You know, there's definitely a something about I mean, I'm gonna mention, Yeah, it's a regional thing in Mexico. Loves the Dallas Cowboys, you know, and it's just one of those things. They love the Niners as we found out and a lot big Nitor fans fans, but I was also you know, I always tell people too. They go, well, Steve, you know, how do you know which players are Latino? I go, when you're Latino? You just knows the time, you know, you know, we talk about Yeah, Tony Romo, we all knew he was Latino. And then and then you meet his grandma and his grandmother goes, they go, hey, how do you keep how do you keep Tony going? You know, and she goes, power, yeah, making every morning, you know, and you go, yeah, but you know, say Chris Jim kick Chris. I don't know. Oh no, you would do it if you was Tony Romo talking in Spanish, you know what I'm saying? Right, Yeah, well for sure. But you know, we're super proud to be Americans, and we're super proud to get behind our NFL teams, and and we love our players, and ultimately, you know, the the American Latino we are so assimilated that it's so hard to find us. Because I listened to Mexican regional music. I listened to mariachi, I listened to rap, I listened to country music, I listened to classic rock. I listened to everything because I was raised with everything. Right, Well, that's the whole thing. We're not a monolith. And you can love soccer and you can love American football and you can listen to this. And boys said, yeah, like both things can exist at the same time. We talk about that all the time and it doesn't make you or any less American. Right like the World Cup. The World Cup, I'm gonna root for USA and when they lose, I still got a dog in the ah that part. Yeah, yeah, I got a root for Nicaragua. Right is it? If they're in it? Do they have a team US team? I don't know. We got well based Ball Classic, Yeah, yeah, we did that. We didn't you know. We commented on on on the on the coins behind it. I think anybody who has a military family, members from military family knows exactly what that is. You mentioned your dad served, UM and I love that you carry on that legacy through helicopters for heroes. Tell us a little bit more about that, we um. You know, I have a passion for our veterans and and my father being a Vietnam vet UM growing up with him, I saw the effects of what happens to a man Um who is a combat veteran much like your husband, Um, And and you fall in love with these guys and you realize that what they went through this unexplainable and and very goodicult to deal with. So we got involved with Helicopters for Heroes about seven years ago and that is my charity. And this year we raised over a million dollars for our veterans and we are one volunteer and we were able to give back ninety six percent of that money to the veterans. And again going back, going back to staying on topic, you know, a Latino has served in an American war since the Revolutionary War. We have defended this country since day one, and we are very young out to defend this country. And it is important to me to celebrate all people who serve this country. But people like my dad, who you know, gosh, I'm getting a little torn up here because Fourth of July, my dad puts his flag on his tree and he always takes the picture every year, you know, saluting his neighborhood because he loves this country, you know, proud, proud of our culture. But we love this country. And that's why I got involved with the veterans, because so many people have sacrifice to give us a much better life than had my I would assume had my family chosen to say in Mexico, I think I would be living a much different life. And of course they came here. They came here for that opportunity. They came here to have a home to watch the Dallas Cowboys play after church on a Sunday. That's what it was about. Yeah, no question, that's that's and that's the I think the driving force behind all of us right that we know, the sacrifices they made was for this stream, and we were able to turn their American dream into our American dream and then pass that on to the next generations. And it looks like, I mean, look how soft our hands are. I mean, you know, we're on a we're on a podcast right now talking. You know that that is the American dream. But you know, and again for the three of us, what we're doing right now is one in a million, two million, one in five million. I tell people all the time, pleased on one hand, show them on two hands, show me successful Latino comedians. You know, the list is very very short, very very true. Right, I was watching Adam Sandler receive the Mark Twain Award for American Humor, and I immediately said, ooh, who has won this before? Not one Latino has ever won a Mark Twain Award. You know, no Mexican Americans have ever won an Oscar. Now, so for us to be in this business, you know, it is truly an American dream because there's not many of us, you know, especially when you don't have the blueprint to follow right like, oh, I've seen so and so do it like you have to believe so wholeheartedly in your success and in your talent when there is no no other reference point nor their source material, if you will. And I tell people all the time, you know, I live in a beautiful neighborhood. I do very well for myself. And I used to think that these rich kids advantage was money. That is not the advantage. The advantage that my son has now as a rich kid is not the money. It is accessibility, and it is the feeling and the and the a feeling of oh, this should be my life. This is how my life's supposed to be. And I'm going to make this my life. And you know, possibilities are endless for him, yet mindset. We were at Legoland and he writes this roller coaster and he gets off and he goes, dad, we got to put this roller coaster in our backyard. I mean, of course, but I admired the heck out of him and it made me proud that he believes all things are possible. Yeah, yeah, well and that's It has been fun to see your comedy evolve over the years, love to see the representation. We think you are funny as hell and we're so happy that you were able to come on the podcast. Also, you got a bunch of specials that you've done. You got one an Amazon Prime. I mean, you're you're really just a funny, relatable comedian and so glad that you're Latino too, and that you're you're on this podcast with us. So see if Throvino. It has been an absolute pleasure having you on my friend pleasure. Well, you guys had my infoe, now you had my number. Do not hesitate to reach out? Same Sames hanging out? Yeah, I will be in San Diego doing the Harris Castino soon. We're booking that a go go, So you know, anytime you guys want to comment, very quickly, I wanted to get this all I thought when I was doing this podcast, I thought about this, and I take it very serious. If you ever, if you're watching this, and you ever said to yourself, Tom Brady should shame on you. Shame on you people. I could not imagine somebody telling me to quit comedy. I could not imagine somebody telling me that what I absolutely love to do and put my whole heart and soul into, then one day you come to me and go, you have to quit and you are not allowed to play. So good for Tom for continuing to play as long as he could, and shame on you for saying that he should retire him. That's right, Steve. Thank you, go Steve boom. I see, thank you Steve. That's it now an official Primo. Yeah, thank you Steve. You're awesome. Say hello, thank well. I feel like we could have talked to Steve forever. Right y, so funny, just interesting perspective on everything, include his beloved Cowboys, which now brings us to the final part of the podcast, where we put a little bow on things we like to call e boomto and for me, my eat boomto is I'm living my best life watching my shows session. I am watching ted Lasso and watching The Mandalorian, and I'm enjoying all of it, and I am sad to see that two of those three series are going to come to an end. But with all of those series which I have, I've loved them, the drama and what we've talked about representation that is in that's in a couple of them, at least I've loved it. So that's my eat boomto just just let me be, let me binge, and we're gonna get into some of these discussions at some point in time. I'm gonna add one more to your life. If you haven't started watching Shrinking on Apple Plus YEA good things about that. Yes, fun nominal binged it in one day done. I actually no, I'm missing the last episode up an alley, so I still have a little nugget there. But yes, um, I agree offseason life quote unquote off season which doesn't really exist. It's a myth for us, um, But yes, Binging a lot of shows traveling for sure. Um, I think that balance right when you start finding that balance for ourselves, for our own lives, to keep everything, all all the wheels moving in the right direction. Because sometimes if all you do is work. As much as we love our jobs, we need that little balance. Well, so I'm so glad that you said that. My my epoomtow is actually an exclamation point co signing on yours. So I love that. That is my plan for the weekend. It's to binge as much as possible. If you need me, I'm on my couch. That's where you can find right, don't there's snacks in close proximity. That's all we're gonna do. It's fine. It's March. We got a month to the draft when things pick back up for us in full speed ahead. M So, so we're good. We're still working, we're still moving. But we're also in join um the the after the regular season life, so we'll still be rocking with you guys here on a huddle. Of course, if you like what you hear, and we know that you do, go ahead and like, subscribe, share, rate, review, all of those fun things wherever you get your podcasts. We will be right back here next week. Will love you, mean it and Huddle is a production of the NFL and partnership with iHeartRadio. For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the iHeartRadio, app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.