The Season with Peter Scheger is a production of the NFL in partnership with iHeartRadio. What's Up, everybody, Welcome to the season with Peter Scheger.

The Season with Peter Scheger is a production of the NFL in partnership with iHeartRadio. What's Up, everybody, Welcome to the season with Peter Scheger.

This is the calm before the storm. This is the week after preseason before the regular season. Everyone kind of catches their breath. No, it used to not be this way. It used to be you'd make final cuts on Labor Day and then Week one was like in four days later. Now they moved from four preseason games to three preseason games. They finished the final preseason game. Make your cuts by Tuesday. You have a full weekend and then you have a full week to prepare for your Week one. Opponents some surprises on cut day. I did. Look, I'm just plugged in with the Rams, anybody. I was a little surprised they traded twenty four year old linebacker Ernest Jones to the Tennessee Titans. But nothing, you know, with all the contracts that they have to pay eventually, nothing surprised me at the Rams. I'm sure they have a reason behind that move. Cedee Lamb got his deal. If anything else, are surprised it took so long. It seems like he missed all of training camp. They had this long, you know, drawn out process with it hovering, and then he got his money anyway, and Jerry seemed to be beating his chest a little bit afterwards. But it's like I could have done that when Jefferson got his and you could have had CD at camp all summer. I curiously how he comes out week one having not played with the rest of the team all summer. All right, So the question I'm getting the most the last few weeks is what's up with Hassan Reddick and the Jets? And I could tell you it's It's the same answer I had a couple of weeks ago. Nothing's up with Hassan Reddick in the Jets. Right now it is at a stalemate, and the Jets they're not shaken about it. Let me explain the Jets made a trade and whether it was ill advised to trade for Hassan Reddick without a contract being done or not. They brought him in, passed his physical, did a press conference, they haven't seen him in the building since the players, they're not connected to Hassan Redick the player. They might know he's a good pass rusher, but they're not limited breathing with them every day. Meanwhile, the Jets have one of the best defensive lines in all of football, and it was showcased this summer in practice and in training camp, but also in the preseason game where they were so loaded that they ended up keeping three different undrafted players from this rookie class on the final fifty three. I'm talking about Leonard Taylor out of Miami, i am talking about Braden McGregor at of Michigan, and I'm talking about Eric Watts at a Yukon. So now you take those three players, you added the veteran Tac McKinley. You've got Solomon Thomas, You've got Will McDonald, you got Jermaine Johnson, you got Quinn Williams, you got Javon Kinlaw, and you've got Michael Clemens. And you're telling me what's going on with Hassan Redick the Jets, maybe the strength of their team is defensive line. Hassan Reddick is a wonderful thing to have, but right now the Jets are not shaking in their boots. So for Hassan Redick, if he's there, amazing, they'll be happy. But they still feel like they have one of the best offensive lines in football, and these players they're ready to go to battle. I U Trent Williams. These are dragging on as we record this on a Wednesday morning. I don't know if either one of those is coming in before the season starts. Everyone assumes that they will both get done because the Niners do take care of business, and they'll take it to the wire and they'll just figure it out. Now, you thinks Tricky though he wants wide receiver won money, he hasn't budged from that. Although I heard things were a little closer to a deal, or that conversations have warmed over the last few days or a few weeks. I don't see that happening today necessarily unless something major breaks through. I presented this on on X. All right, this is what we do in the Bill Simmons world. But let's just get the TikTok camera on. Here Kaufman, here we go, Here is Eron. Here's what we're doing. I UK to Pittsburgh has been rumored all off season, and make sense because Omar Khan has been big you know, big game hunting in this whole off season, something that the Pittsburgh stirs On technically usually do and you know, they got Russell Wilson, they got justin fields. They were adding players left and right. They've been moving and shaking. But I said this last week on X and I'll say it again, as this deal still hasn't gotten done between Pittsburgh and San Francisco, and you still has not arrived at San Francisco. I think Washington makes the most sense if you're looking at a trade partner. Hear me out. Washington trades Johan Dotson, former first round pick, gets a third round pick, So they lose a first round talent, a wide receiver, so the old you know, front office believed he was. They get a third round picks, another third round pick, they have the second round pick, they have a first round pick. Adam Peters, the current general manager of the Washington Commanders first year guy, spent the last seven years working in San Francisco with John Lynch, Peraguemarte, who runs their salary cap, Brian Hampton. No, those Jed York very well, those those forty nine ers guys. Guess where he was when Brandon Yuk was drafted by the forty nine ers. He was in that cockpit, right there, in that front office with the forty nine Ers. Now he's with the Commanders. Brandan Nyuk's breakout season as a college football player had thirteen hundred yards. It was the number one guy at Arizona State. Who is the quarterback, a young kid named Jayden Daniels. And these two still have a great relationship, still talk all the time. Ayuk and Daniels are like brothers. Like that's how close they are. So from the Commander's side, it makes a lot of sense. From the forty nine Ers side is where it gets a little trickier. For the forty nine Ers side, it's like, well, what are you giving us back? Because the forty nine Ers are not trading Brendan and Ayuk for like a wish and a prayer in the future. And yes, they did draft a wide receiver in the first round and were keep pearsall but to me, it would have to be a talented player. And then also maybe your second and your third, So give me a defensive lineman and you're second and the third. Now, a lot of forty nine Ers fans would come back and say give us Terry McLaurin and your third, or Washington fans would even say, don't don't do that trade, because then Terry's gonna be upset. Okay, Terry McLaurin, I don't see going anywhere. I'll put that out there. Also, I just watched Philadelphia give one receiver money. Everyone say what about the other receiver? Well, then they gave him his money too. Like, if they make this trade to bring an Ayuk, I don't think it's crazy that you can then say to Terry McLaurin like, yeah, no, it's fair. We're gonna we're gonna raise you up. Also, they have salary cap room. So to me, it's a second, it's a third. It's a defensive player. You go and you get Brandon Ayuk, you bring him to Washington, you pair them up with with his guy, Jayden Daniels. And if you're a forty nine Ers fan, you at least have two draft picks next year, and you got a new defensive player that's gonna be playing, and you just lost Eric arms Sett in the offseason. That's to me the trade. That's to me the trade partner. And as I say, all this watch, you's gonna be happy signed an extension with the forty nine Ers and all this will be moot. A couple of things I want to recap before we bring in our guests who I'm fascinated to talk to. It's John rand from Puck who's launching a podcast himself, and I don't understand, or I shouldn say I don't understand. I need someone to dumb down and explain this private equity headline that was kind of buried on NFL dot com at ESPN dot com and Chefter kind of put out a bunch of you know, posts about it, but like, I need an explanation on what it is. We're gonna have him on. But I did want to give you a quick recap of my Saturday night where I got to call the Jets Giants game with the Iron Eagle. All right, first, how did it come to be? This wasn't some brainstorming session with a thousand executives. I actually did two Jets preseason games in the twenty nineteen season with Iron Eagle as the play by play guy and Anthony becked the old tight end from the Jets, and I was the third guy in and then Otis Livingston was on the sideline. So basically Beck would come on break down the play, then I would give you color on the players. We had a good dynamic. We went to Atlanta and did a game, and then the Saints were actually playing in New Jersey and I did that game. And what was interesting with that one was the day Andrew Luck retired. So during the broadcast, Andrew Luck surprises everyone, and I spent the whole second half of the broadcast like on my phone, like just reporting about a random Indianapolis Colts quarterback, and most jetsmans were like, we don't care anymore about Andrew Luck. I get back to the Jets game, all right. That was that. I also did Rams preseason for one season with Andrew Sicileono and Nate Berlisson, same kind of deal. I was the third man in. Really enjoyed it. Thought it was fun, but also really cherish my summer weekends in the years that would follow. The Ravens approached me and asked if I wanted to play a role in their broadcast with of course another player and a play by play guy and being in the booth. The Seahawks approached me and asked me. I said, the thought of me flying from Seattle and back and then doing twenty two different weekends of travel to LA and back, it just doesn't work for me, it doesn't work for my family. So this year, no one really called. It was quiet. I'm barely watching the preseason if I'm being honest, I'm watching the replays on NFL Network like during the week. But like I so cherished these Saturdays Sundays in the summertime because there's really the last ones I get till probably about this. You know, it's definitely to the super Bowl, but with combine and with you know, free agency. So middle of March, I really have my weekends back. So I hadn't thought about it. And I get a call from Eric Gelfand, who runs the Jets communications department, and Eric says, look, I'm talking with CBS. We really liked having you with Anthony Beck that one year. Would you be willing to do Jets preseason games this year? And I said, I will not do that. I'm not giving up three weekends. I just can't. It's, you know, my one last gas of summer with my family. Again. I know this sounds crazy if you listen to how when you're urt cope, It's like I'm not with my family on the weekends for you know, several several months. So every weekend matters and to me in August like, that's just great time, you know whatever, family time. So I say, no, thank You's all right, Well, we appreciate it. We would have loved it. You and Anthony would have been great. About ten days before the start of preseason, Eric calls me again and says, hey, listen, we have a pretty cool opportunity for you. It's it's just you and the booth. It's not actually the Jets Giants game. Specifically, Anthony's moving into a role where he's going to be doing the radio full time with the Jets with Bob was Shoes and cool promotion for him. Great job, that's like a lifetime job. You do that, you do that for thirty years. Great for Anthony instead of us going the ex player route. I've been talking with the CBS local partners and we really liked what you did. A couple of year ago. Would you and I and be one to do Jets Giants? You know the Jets, you knew the Giants? Said absolutely, sorry, kids, absolutely one weekend, one game, no press release, no big push about it. And then I got to work and I think this is my takeaway on this whole thing. I obviously studied the depth chart for both teams, knowing this is going to be the third and fourth rounders. But then I also ended up calling folks from the Senior Bowl, calling folks from the UFL, folks from the East West game. I also spoke to both head coaches off the record, spoke to offensive coordinators and defensive coordinators from both teams, at least informally, you know, just texting ended general man, like no one has prepared for a football game like I just prepared for Giants Jets preseason Week three. But there's also this resistance if I have all this information, like I could do forty minutes on Leonard Taylor, the third undrafted out of Miami. But I'm not looking to show off. I'm not looking to just dump data and stats and stories. And I also wanted to make sure that I brought what I bring to this and when I bring to all the podcast appearances I do to that broadcast, which is just banter. I want you to want to hang out with me, I want you to want to sit and talk with me. I just want to tell stories and be a cool hang. And there's no cooler hang than Iron Eagle. So the game starts start talking about that dynamic kickoff. I have my insights, he's got his insights, and then we're just off and running. And Iron and I had an absolute party for three hours while informing, while entertaining, and I'll tell you, Aaron, I didn't use the tellustrator once. I didn't say the word pad level once. We didn't really show many replays and break down how something happened at all. Happened. One time when Adrian Martinez, the third quarterback, like broke a run, I said, watch what he does with his legs here. That was my big analysis. It is not what you're getting anywhere else. And I don't look at that as a weakness. You know, there's been a lot of articles written OFFU announcing, really complimentary one which I appreciated, and there's been like some trend pieces. And Brian Curtis at the press box with Dave Schumaker, they did a whole intro about is it time to have a non ex player, non ex coach in the booth. I would have said yes ten years ago. I don't make the decisions, but I will say this. Our approach to the game is not the same as the ROMO the Akman, the Collinsworth, the Tom Brady as this is gonna be. I also sometimes watch sports TV, and I don't even understand who's who's watching some of these breakdowns and things like I love dan Orlotski breaking down the quarterback stept, but when we get in the weeks talking about the offensive line play like I don't, I don't, I don't know, like I don't. That's not necessarily everybody's cup of tea. And I think most of these broadcasts are trying to teach you how a play happened or instruct you like your high school coach. When my thing was I was going to tell some stories and give me some insight from the front offices. Does that work over a full course of a season. I don't know. Maybe it'd be a major swing in a miss, but it sure worked for a preseason game. In that preseason game in particular, I will say this, I had an absolute blast doing it, and I just wanted to shout out the guys who helped me do it. And that's Iron Eagle, That's that's his great sad guy, Dave Freed, and then Ken Mack, who's the producer at CBS, who actually does iron Eagle in Charles Davis's games during the season and also does the Final Fours. Was unbelievable. It was like Schrager, b you, we're not hiring you to be Brian Baldinger, or we're not hiring you to be Adam Rchiletto, We're not hiring you to be Tony Romo. Just be you. And I was. And we did a full analysis of the wave going on in the crowd. We I gave a full Hassan Reddick update. I mean we did that. I don't think you're getting anywhere else from anyone else. So all those trend pieces, all those wonderful articles written, I read them. Obviously they were very complimentary. It's where you get any compliments from sports media folks, and it meant a lot. And if you tweeted me, ninety nine percent of the tweets were positive, which is so rare. I'll take it, and I gotta say I really enjoyed it. So if it ever gets to happen again, I would be open to talking. And if there's another non ex player or ex coach who gets that opportunity in the booth, I'm here to talk to them and take them through it, because I will say it was really cool to not only get to do it, but to also see the reaction, being like, this is a different kind of broadcast. This feels like just two people talking and wow, imagine that it was cool. I didn't say the word hip drop once. I didn't say I didn't mention the safety blitz whatever terms again not my forte. They knew what they were getting and CBS was I think, pretty happy with what they got. All right, let's get to our guests. Our guest is made the move from Sports Business Journal over to Puck about a year ago, and he immediately has become one of the most influential voices in sports media sports business. He's going to help to cipher whatever this headline was that came out yesterday. John Oran's coming up after this. As I said in the monologue, John Orran is one of the most respected voices in sports media today. This past year, he took his talents like Lebron did to the Heat, he took it to Puck where he rides it twice weekly newsletter that is appointment reading for anyone in sports media, anyone in sports business. It's called the Varsity and Trust me. Everyone in our industry gets that newsletter, reads it, looks for the bold print and enjoys the Andrew marshand in the beginning. And today when it's Wednesday in August, he is launching a new podcast with Puck and it's called The Varsity. His first guest is an unlikely media mobile, but a guy who has been dominating in our space, Peyton Manning. So go check that out where we listen to podcasts. But I was gonna have John on regardless about some of the news that came out in the NFL yesterday. John Rand Welcome to the season with Peter Schriger.

This is the calm before the storm. This is the week after preseason before the regular season. Everyone kind of catches their breath. No, it used to not be this way. It used to be you'd make final cuts on Labor Day and then Week one was like in four days later. Now they moved from four preseason games to three preseason games. They finished the final preseason game. Make your cuts by Tuesday. You have a full weekend and then you have a full week to prepare for your Week one. Opponents some surprises on cut day. I did. Look, I'm just plugged in with the Rams, anybody. I was a little surprised they traded twenty four year old linebacker Ernest Jones to the Tennessee Titans. But nothing, you know, with all the contracts that they have to pay eventually, nothing surprised me at the Rams. I'm sure they have a reason behind that move. Cedee Lamb got his deal. If anything else, are surprised it took so long. It seems like he missed all of training camp. They had this long, you know, drawn out process with it hovering, and then he got his money anyway, and Jerry seemed to be beating his chest a little bit afterwards. But it's like I could have done that when Jefferson got his and you could have had CD at camp all summer. I curiously how he comes out week one having not played with the rest of the team all summer. All right, So the question I'm getting the most the last few weeks is what's up with Hassan Reddick and the Jets? And I could tell you it's It's the same answer I had a couple of weeks ago. Nothing's up with Hassan Reddick in the Jets. Right now it is at a stalemate, and the Jets they're not shaken about it. Let me explain the Jets made a trade and whether it was ill advised to trade for Hassan Reddick without a contract being done or not. They brought him in, passed his physical, did a press conference, they haven't seen him in the building since the players, they're not connected to Hassan Redick the player. They might know he's a good pass rusher, but they're not limited breathing with them every day. Meanwhile, the Jets have one of the best defensive lines in all of football, and it was showcased this summer in practice and in training camp, but also in the preseason game where they were so loaded that they ended up keeping three different undrafted players from this rookie class on the final fifty three. I'm talking about Leonard Taylor out of Miami, i am talking about Braden McGregor at of Michigan, and I'm talking about Eric Watts at a Yukon. So now you take those three players, you added the veteran Tac McKinley. You've got Solomon Thomas, You've got Will McDonald, you got Jermaine Johnson, you got Quinn Williams, you got Javon Kinlaw, and you've got Michael Clemens. And you're telling me what's going on with Hassan Redick the Jets, maybe the strength of their team is defensive line. Hassan Reddick is a wonderful thing to have, but right now the Jets are not shaking in their boots. So for Hassan Redick, if he's there, amazing, they'll be happy. But they still feel like they have one of the best offensive lines in football, and these players they're ready to go to battle. I U Trent Williams. These are dragging on as we record this on a Wednesday morning. I don't know if either one of those is coming in before the season starts. Everyone assumes that they will both get done because the Niners do take care of business, and they'll take it to the wire and they'll just figure it out. Now, you thinks Tricky though he wants wide receiver won money, he hasn't budged from that. Although I heard things were a little closer to a deal, or that conversations have warmed over the last few days or a few weeks. I don't see that happening today necessarily unless something major breaks through. I presented this on on X. All right, this is what we do in the Bill Simmons world. But let's just get the TikTok camera on. Here Kaufman, here we go, Here is Eron. Here's what we're doing. I UK to Pittsburgh has been rumored all off season, and make sense because Omar Khan has been big you know, big game hunting in this whole off season, something that the Pittsburgh stirs On technically usually do and you know, they got Russell Wilson, they got justin fields. They were adding players left and right. They've been moving and shaking. But I said this last week on X and I'll say it again, as this deal still hasn't gotten done between Pittsburgh and San Francisco, and you still has not arrived at San Francisco. I think Washington makes the most sense if you're looking at a trade partner. Hear me out. Washington trades Johan Dotson, former first round pick, gets a third round pick, So they lose a first round talent, a wide receiver, so the old you know, front office believed he was. They get a third round picks, another third round pick, they have the second round pick, they have a first round pick. Adam Peters, the current general manager of the Washington Commanders first year guy, spent the last seven years working in San Francisco with John Lynch, Peraguemarte, who runs their salary cap, Brian Hampton. No, those Jed York very well, those those forty nine ers guys. Guess where he was when Brandon Yuk was drafted by the forty nine ers. He was in that cockpit, right there, in that front office with the forty nine Ers. Now he's with the Commanders. Brandan Nyuk's breakout season as a college football player had thirteen hundred yards. It was the number one guy at Arizona State. Who is the quarterback, a young kid named Jayden Daniels. And these two still have a great relationship, still talk all the time. Ayuk and Daniels are like brothers. Like that's how close they are. So from the Commander's side, it makes a lot of sense. From the forty nine Ers side is where it gets a little trickier. For the forty nine Ers side, it's like, well, what are you giving us back? Because the forty nine Ers are not trading Brendan and Ayuk for like a wish and a prayer in the future. And yes, they did draft a wide receiver in the first round and were keep pearsall but to me, it would have to be a talented player. And then also maybe your second and your third, So give me a defensive lineman and you're second and the third. Now, a lot of forty nine Ers fans would come back and say give us Terry McLaurin and your third, or Washington fans would even say, don't don't do that trade, because then Terry's gonna be upset. Okay, Terry McLaurin, I don't see going anywhere. I'll put that out there. Also, I just watched Philadelphia give one receiver money. Everyone say what about the other receiver? Well, then they gave him his money too. Like, if they make this trade to bring an Ayuk, I don't think it's crazy that you can then say to Terry McLaurin like, yeah, no, it's fair. We're gonna we're gonna raise you up. Also, they have salary cap room. So to me, it's a second, it's a third. It's a defensive player. You go and you get Brandon Ayuk, you bring him to Washington, you pair them up with with his guy, Jayden Daniels. And if you're a forty nine Ers fan, you at least have two draft picks next year, and you got a new defensive player that's gonna be playing, and you just lost Eric arms Sett in the offseason. That's to me the trade. That's to me the trade partner. And as I say, all this watch, you's gonna be happy signed an extension with the forty nine Ers and all this will be moot. A couple of things I want to recap before we bring in our guests who I'm fascinated to talk to. It's John rand from Puck who's launching a podcast himself, and I don't understand, or I shouldn say I don't understand. I need someone to dumb down and explain this private equity headline that was kind of buried on NFL dot com at ESPN dot com and Chefter kind of put out a bunch of you know, posts about it, but like, I need an explanation on what it is. We're gonna have him on. But I did want to give you a quick recap of my Saturday night where I got to call the Jets Giants game with the Iron Eagle. All right, first, how did it come to be? This wasn't some brainstorming session with a thousand executives. I actually did two Jets preseason games in the twenty nineteen season with Iron Eagle as the play by play guy and Anthony becked the old tight end from the Jets, and I was the third guy in and then Otis Livingston was on the sideline. So basically Beck would come on break down the play, then I would give you color on the players. We had a good dynamic. We went to Atlanta and did a game, and then the Saints were actually playing in New Jersey and I did that game. And what was interesting with that one was the day Andrew Luck retired. So during the broadcast, Andrew Luck surprises everyone, and I spent the whole second half of the broadcast like on my phone, like just reporting about a random Indianapolis Colts quarterback, and most jetsmans were like, we don't care anymore about Andrew Luck. I get back to the Jets game, all right. That was that. I also did Rams preseason for one season with Andrew Sicileono and Nate Berlisson, same kind of deal. I was the third man in. Really enjoyed it. Thought it was fun, but also really cherish my summer weekends in the years that would follow. The Ravens approached me and asked if I wanted to play a role in their broadcast with of course another player and a play by play guy and being in the booth. The Seahawks approached me and asked me. I said, the thought of me flying from Seattle and back and then doing twenty two different weekends of travel to LA and back, it just doesn't work for me, it doesn't work for my family. So this year, no one really called. It was quiet. I'm barely watching the preseason if I'm being honest, I'm watching the replays on NFL Network like during the week. But like I so cherished these Saturdays Sundays in the summertime because there's really the last ones I get till probably about this. You know, it's definitely to the super Bowl, but with combine and with you know, free agency. So middle of March, I really have my weekends back. So I hadn't thought about it. And I get a call from Eric Gelfand, who runs the Jets communications department, and Eric says, look, I'm talking with CBS. We really liked having you with Anthony Beck that one year. Would you be willing to do Jets preseason games this year? And I said, I will not do that. I'm not giving up three weekends. I just can't. It's, you know, my one last gas of summer with my family. Again. I know this sounds crazy if you listen to how when you're urt cope, It's like I'm not with my family on the weekends for you know, several several months. So every weekend matters and to me in August like, that's just great time, you know whatever, family time. So I say, no, thank You's all right, Well, we appreciate it. We would have loved it. You and Anthony would have been great. About ten days before the start of preseason, Eric calls me again and says, hey, listen, we have a pretty cool opportunity for you. It's it's just you and the booth. It's not actually the Jets Giants game. Specifically, Anthony's moving into a role where he's going to be doing the radio full time with the Jets with Bob was Shoes and cool promotion for him. Great job, that's like a lifetime job. You do that, you do that for thirty years. Great for Anthony instead of us going the ex player route. I've been talking with the CBS local partners and we really liked what you did. A couple of year ago. Would you and I and be one to do Jets Giants? You know the Jets, you knew the Giants? Said absolutely, sorry, kids, absolutely one weekend, one game, no press release, no big push about it. And then I got to work and I think this is my takeaway on this whole thing. I obviously studied the depth chart for both teams, knowing this is going to be the third and fourth rounders. But then I also ended up calling folks from the Senior Bowl, calling folks from the UFL, folks from the East West game. I also spoke to both head coaches off the record, spoke to offensive coordinators and defensive coordinators from both teams, at least informally, you know, just texting ended general man, like no one has prepared for a football game like I just prepared for Giants Jets preseason Week three. But there's also this resistance if I have all this information, like I could do forty minutes on Leonard Taylor, the third undrafted out of Miami. But I'm not looking to show off. I'm not looking to just dump data and stats and stories. And I also wanted to make sure that I brought what I bring to this and when I bring to all the podcast appearances I do to that broadcast, which is just banter. I want you to want to hang out with me, I want you to want to sit and talk with me. I just want to tell stories and be a cool hang. And there's no cooler hang than Iron Eagle. So the game starts start talking about that dynamic kickoff. I have my insights, he's got his insights, and then we're just off and running. And Iron and I had an absolute party for three hours while informing, while entertaining, and I'll tell you, Aaron, I didn't use the tellustrator once. I didn't say the word pad level once. We didn't really show many replays and break down how something happened at all. Happened. One time when Adrian Martinez, the third quarterback, like broke a run, I said, watch what he does with his legs here. That was my big analysis. It is not what you're getting anywhere else. And I don't look at that as a weakness. You know, there's been a lot of articles written OFFU announcing, really complimentary one which I appreciated, and there's been like some trend pieces. And Brian Curtis at the press box with Dave Schumaker, they did a whole intro about is it time to have a non ex player, non ex coach in the booth. I would have said yes ten years ago. I don't make the decisions, but I will say this. Our approach to the game is not the same as the ROMO the Akman, the Collinsworth, the Tom Brady as this is gonna be. I also sometimes watch sports TV, and I don't even understand who's who's watching some of these breakdowns and things like I love dan Orlotski breaking down the quarterback stept, but when we get in the weeks talking about the offensive line play like I don't, I don't, I don't know, like I don't. That's not necessarily everybody's cup of tea. And I think most of these broadcasts are trying to teach you how a play happened or instruct you like your high school coach. When my thing was I was going to tell some stories and give me some insight from the front offices. Does that work over a full course of a season. I don't know. Maybe it'd be a major swing in a miss, but it sure worked for a preseason game. In that preseason game in particular, I will say this, I had an absolute blast doing it, and I just wanted to shout out the guys who helped me do it. And that's Iron Eagle, That's that's his great sad guy, Dave Freed, and then Ken Mack, who's the producer at CBS, who actually does iron Eagle in Charles Davis's games during the season and also does the Final Fours. Was unbelievable. It was like Schrager, b you, we're not hiring you to be Brian Baldinger, or we're not hiring you to be Adam Rchiletto, We're not hiring you to be Tony Romo. Just be you. And I was. And we did a full analysis of the wave going on in the crowd. We I gave a full Hassan Reddick update. I mean we did that. I don't think you're getting anywhere else from anyone else. So all those trend pieces, all those wonderful articles written, I read them. Obviously they were very complimentary. It's where you get any compliments from sports media folks, and it meant a lot. And if you tweeted me, ninety nine percent of the tweets were positive, which is so rare. I'll take it, and I gotta say I really enjoyed it. So if it ever gets to happen again, I would be open to talking. And if there's another non ex player or ex coach who gets that opportunity in the booth, I'm here to talk to them and take them through it, because I will say it was really cool to not only get to do it, but to also see the reaction, being like, this is a different kind of broadcast. This feels like just two people talking and wow, imagine that it was cool. I didn't say the word hip drop once. I didn't say I didn't mention the safety blitz whatever terms again not my forte. They knew what they were getting and CBS was I think, pretty happy with what they got. All right, let's get to our guests. Our guest is made the move from Sports Business Journal over to Puck about a year ago, and he immediately has become one of the most influential voices in sports media sports business. He's going to help to cipher whatever this headline was that came out yesterday. John Oran's coming up after this. As I said in the monologue, John Orran is one of the most respected voices in sports media today. This past year, he took his talents like Lebron did to the Heat, he took it to Puck where he rides it twice weekly newsletter that is appointment reading for anyone in sports media, anyone in sports business. It's called the Varsity and Trust me. Everyone in our industry gets that newsletter, reads it, looks for the bold print and enjoys the Andrew marshand in the beginning. And today when it's Wednesday in August, he is launching a new podcast with Puck and it's called The Varsity. His first guest is an unlikely media mobile, but a guy who has been dominating in our space, Peyton Manning. So go check that out where we listen to podcasts. But I was gonna have John on regardless about some of the news that came out in the NFL yesterday. John Rand Welcome to the season with Peter Schriger.

Peter, you asked me to come on the pod. I'm coming in a heartbeat. I think this is my inaugural visit on the podcast. So this is a big deal for me.

Peter, you asked me to come on the pod. I'm coming in a heartbeat. I think this is my inaugural visit on the podcast. So this is a big deal for me.

This is this is a a little success story in itself the NFL. As a part of my deal with Good Morning Football about a year ago, said just do a podcast like let's figure it out with iHeart and last, and it's made news and we're taking off and it's one the NFL podcast right now. And one of the top NFL stories came out yesterday and I am not well versed in some of the stuff that's going on in the fine So the headline was now involved in NFL ownership. Immediately, I clushed my propose and thought of John Marra and Mike Brown and some of the or traditional owners of the and said, well, what the hell does that mean? Because I don't need private equity in my NFL, but I mean cold not to worry. This is a good thing for the NFL. And break it down for us, private equity in the NFL the first and why is unique story, Peter is great news.

This is this is a a little success story in itself the NFL. As a part of my deal with Good Morning Football about a year ago, said just do a podcast like let's figure it out with iHeart and last, and it's made news and we're taking off and it's one the NFL podcast right now. And one of the top NFL stories came out yesterday and I am not well versed in some of the stuff that's going on in the fine So the headline was now involved in NFL ownership. Immediately, I clushed my propose and thought of John Marra and Mike Brown and some of the or traditional owners of the and said, well, what the hell does that mean? Because I don't need private equity in my NFL, but I mean cold not to worry. This is a good thing for the NFL. And break it down for us, private equity in the NFL the first and why is unique story, Peter is great news.

These billionaire owners are going to get richer. I mean, that's essentially what the story is. I don't think that. The way I see this is that fans aren't going to notice a difference, and so when people are saying, don't worry about this, everything's going to kind of continue on. That's what That's what we're going to see. It was overwhelmingly supported by ownership thirty one to one, uh the Cincinnati Bengals incidentally, they were the only descending vote on this. And what it basically what a big what is happening right now is that the valuations of the teams are increasing at such an to such an extent that rich guys can't afford to buy teams anymore. They can't just cut a check and write the team you had. You know, in my hometown in Washington, the Commanders just sold for more than six billion dollars. And that's after our former owner spent a quarter century making the worst decisions and for the team and making it you know somehow they they he went from buying it for you know, just just around a billion and a little bit less than a billion, and then selling it for six billion after running it into the ground for twenty five years. So the the the valuations and how much the teams are worth are growing so much that the NFL is looking to private equity to help supplement a lot of these a lot of these purchases being the NFL. They didn't just jump into this. The NFL is the last of all the leagues to do it, and of all the big leagues to do it. You have the NBA, MLB, the NHL, MLS, the Women's soccer league as well. They allow private equity to take up to thirty percent stakes in the leagues. The NFL is keeping it at ten right now, although all of my sources say it's almost certain that that's going to go up to thirty within a couple of years. And what the NFL was doing was looking at these other leagues, seeing how private equity was affecting affecting those leagues, how those leagues were run, how those teams were run, and realizing that the private the private equity that was coming in wasn't really making any change. They weren't making any changes to how the teams will run. Or all I was doing was sort of helping these these rich owners were from being too cash strapped with teams that were worth so much, so they waited, they looked at it, and I think that's what more than I think, I'm pretty certain that's what we're going to see. What the NFL is a lot of nothing coming out of this other than the riche owners getting a lot richer.

These billionaire owners are going to get richer. I mean, that's essentially what the story is. I don't think that. The way I see this is that fans aren't going to notice a difference, and so when people are saying, don't worry about this, everything's going to kind of continue on. That's what That's what we're going to see. It was overwhelmingly supported by ownership thirty one to one, uh the Cincinnati Bengals incidentally, they were the only descending vote on this. And what it basically what a big what is happening right now is that the valuations of the teams are increasing at such an to such an extent that rich guys can't afford to buy teams anymore. They can't just cut a check and write the team you had. You know, in my hometown in Washington, the Commanders just sold for more than six billion dollars. And that's after our former owner spent a quarter century making the worst decisions and for the team and making it you know somehow they they he went from buying it for you know, just just around a billion and a little bit less than a billion, and then selling it for six billion after running it into the ground for twenty five years. So the the the valuations and how much the teams are worth are growing so much that the NFL is looking to private equity to help supplement a lot of these a lot of these purchases being the NFL. They didn't just jump into this. The NFL is the last of all the leagues to do it, and of all the big leagues to do it. You have the NBA, MLB, the NHL, MLS, the Women's soccer league as well. They allow private equity to take up to thirty percent stakes in the leagues. The NFL is keeping it at ten right now, although all of my sources say it's almost certain that that's going to go up to thirty within a couple of years. And what the NFL was doing was looking at these other leagues, seeing how private equity was affecting affecting those leagues, how those leagues were run, how those teams were run, and realizing that the private the private equity that was coming in wasn't really making any change. They weren't making any changes to how the teams will run. Or all I was doing was sort of helping these these rich owners were from being too cash strapped with teams that were worth so much, so they waited, they looked at it, and I think that's what more than I think, I'm pretty certain that's what we're going to see. What the NFL is a lot of nothing coming out of this other than the riche owners getting a lot richer.

Okay, So traditionally, to go back, the NFL held off because they're like, we're unique. We're a club of thirty two. It's just us thirty two owners. And even those owners can have minority owners. But what's the difference between having per se example, the Pittsburgh Steelers have minority owners. You know, Thomas Toll was a minority owner. David Tepper was a minority owner. What's the difference between having those guys and then private equity? The word pe that everyone kind of says, oh, here comes private equity. What's the difference between being a minority owner with a lot of money and then a private equity firm.

Okay, So traditionally, to go back, the NFL held off because they're like, we're unique. We're a club of thirty two. It's just us thirty two owners. And even those owners can have minority owners. But what's the difference between having per se example, the Pittsburgh Steelers have minority owners. You know, Thomas Toll was a minority owner. David Tepper was a minority owner. What's the difference between having those guys and then private equity? The word pe that everyone kind of says, oh, here comes private equity. What's the difference between being a minority owner with a lot of money and then a private equity firm.

I think what the NFL is going to tell you is that there's going to be no difference.

I think what the NFL is going to tell you is that there's going to be no difference.

Uh.

Uh.

And judging by what's happened at those other leagues that I mentioned, it doesn't look like there really is going to be any any difference with it. There is a big fear. Look, I come from newspapers, you know, I saw you've seen what happens when private equity comes in with it with the promise of a lot of money and uh and and and and making things better, and then they come and slash and burn and because because private equity wants to make money out of it, and so they're going to come in see the inefficiencies, you know, cut where they can.

And judging by what's happened at those other leagues that I mentioned, it doesn't look like there really is going to be any any difference with it. There is a big fear. Look, I come from newspapers, you know, I saw you've seen what happens when private equity comes in with it with the promise of a lot of money and uh and and and and making things better, and then they come and slash and burn and because because private equity wants to make money out of it, and so they're going to come in see the inefficiencies, you know, cut where they can.

Uh.

Uh.

The stakes that they're taking are not that high, so they for for private equity companies. Look, it's a good investment, of course, I mentioned the Commanders earlier. It's it's definitely a good investment, but it is a vanity play. You know, these some of these private equity owners would love to have an ownership stake, get that box for the games on Sunday and and uh bring their clients to it. So I think that there, you know, there's not much of a difference. It's just the access to much more cash and making it a lot easier for owners to define that as well.

The stakes that they're taking are not that high, so they for for private equity companies. Look, it's a good investment, of course, I mentioned the Commanders earlier. It's it's definitely a good investment, but it is a vanity play. You know, these some of these private equity owners would love to have an ownership stake, get that box for the games on Sunday and and uh bring their clients to it. So I think that there, you know, there's not much of a difference. It's just the access to much more cash and making it a lot easier for owners to define that as well.

Again, this is rudimentary questions. I love having you on. Is this okay? So say, is there like a yearly return on an NFL team, like where you get like an envelope or you get it? Or is it you only make your money if the team is flipped like Washington where Snyder after all those years sold it for six hundred percent whatever it was worth when he brought it. But like, is it an investment or is it just a vanity play? Like do these with the private equity see in a return on investment on any given season just being a part of the deal.

Again, this is rudimentary questions. I love having you on. Is this okay? So say, is there like a yearly return on an NFL team, like where you get like an envelope or you get it? Or is it you only make your money if the team is flipped like Washington where Snyder after all those years sold it for six hundred percent whatever it was worth when he brought it. But like, is it an investment or is it just a vanity play? Like do these with the private equity see in a return on investment on any given season just being a part of the deal.

No, it's it's an investment still, even if they're not getting you know, yearly returns on it. I mean they're they're they're putting their money into something that they think, and I think is going to grow. I mean, there's no there's no sign that these franchise valuations have hit a ceiling or that the ceiling is anywhere close, even though you know, we're talking about valuations of the Cowboys being you know, I think Supportico had them at like ten billion dollars, setting in an all time record. So the and that's the thing about private equity is they can come in and then they can sell out to sell their steak, So they can sell their steak at any time, and when they sell their stake, that's where they really see their return. They're not going to see a return on a year over year basis.

No, it's it's an investment still, even if they're not getting you know, yearly returns on it. I mean they're they're they're putting their money into something that they think, and I think is going to grow. I mean, there's no there's no sign that these franchise valuations have hit a ceiling or that the ceiling is anywhere close, even though you know, we're talking about valuations of the Cowboys being you know, I think Supportico had them at like ten billion dollars, setting in an all time record. So the and that's the thing about private equity is they can come in and then they can sell out to sell their steak, So they can sell their steak at any time, and when they sell their stake, that's where they really see their return. They're not going to see a return on a year over year basis.

One of the parts of the articles that I've read that it's like they kind of vetted which private equity is allowed to invest, so there's almost like a gatekeeper to that as well. Right, it's only certain private equity companies can get involved. There's been a select number that can have the option to invest.

One of the parts of the articles that I've read that it's like they kind of vetted which private equity is allowed to invest, so there's almost like a gatekeeper to that as well. Right, it's only certain private equity companies can get involved. There's been a select number that can have the option to invest.

Yeah, that's where the NFL's great. I mean, the NFL, it seems.

Yeah, that's where the NFL's great. I mean, the NFL, it seems.

Like they're like, all right, you can't, but you can't. We know where your money's coming from. But I'm not doing the work on that wildcard. It does seem interesting that that was kind of buried there as well. And one of them, cool enough, Curtis Martin's a big part of which is a former player, which I thought was really neat.

Like they're like, all right, you can't, but you can't. We know where your money's coming from. But I'm not doing the work on that wildcard. It does seem interesting that that was kind of buried there as well. And one of them, cool enough, Curtis Martin's a big part of which is a former player, which I thought was really neat.

Yeah, and not only that the NFL approved these, Uh it's only a handful of private equity companies, but then the owners still can come out and have to vote and ratify it once once they get in there. And another interesting uh angle of this is a private equity company can invest in more than one team, So it's not like they, you know, go and say, okay, we want to go with.

Yeah, and not only that the NFL approved these, Uh it's only a handful of private equity companies, but then the owners still can come out and have to vote and ratify it once once they get in there. And another interesting uh angle of this is a private equity company can invest in more than one team, So it's not like they, you know, go and say, okay, we want to go with.

The Bills across sports or across the NFL. So you could a private equity firm could have a ten percent take in the Bills and the Saints if they wanted. That's okay.

The Bills across sports or across the NFL. So you could a private equity firm could have a ten percent take in the Bills and the Saints if they wanted. That's okay.

Apparently so up to like six teams, I think it is and uh, and so that's another sort of interesting wrinkle that shows that this is much more of an investment play where for some of these private equity companies.

Apparently so up to like six teams, I think it is and uh, and so that's another sort of interesting wrinkle that shows that this is much more of an investment play where for some of these private equity companies.

Absolutely. Okay, I'm now going to shift focus to your podcast real quick, because because you've got the newsletter, you and Marshand had a great podcast that I listened to weekly. I was often or twice I was the big guest, which was a big get, which was a very honorable spot to be in. But now with Puck, with those guys who are doing tremendous work in the new media space and his appointment reading in Washington and politics and Hollywood and now sports with you, what is the podcast and what are you trying to get out of that? Uh?

Absolutely. Okay, I'm now going to shift focus to your podcast real quick, because because you've got the newsletter, you and Marshand had a great podcast that I listened to weekly. I was often or twice I was the big guest, which was a big get, which was a very honorable spot to be in. But now with Puck, with those guys who are doing tremendous work in the new media space and his appointment reading in Washington and politics and Hollywood and now sports with you, what is the podcast and what are you trying to get out of that? Uh?

Well, the podcast is it's going to come out twice a week and on Wednesday, I'm basically going to try to recreate what we did with the Marshan Podcast, which is I'm going to bring on somebody where We're going to talk about two maybe three topics that that are affecting the sports the sports business mainly sports media, but the sports business every uh every week. And then I'm trying to get uh, you know, the big get and and make that my my Sunday interview. So uh uh we launched on Wednesday and we got Peyton Manning and pay Manning's no matter how you look at him, he's a big get and getting him sort of to talk about his vision of media and and why he made the decisions that he made in his post playing career and we put that out on Wednesday. Our big get Sunday is going to come this Sunday. I sat down yesterday with Jimmy Pataro and up in Crystal, Connecticut. He's, of course the head of ESPN, and really just just talk to him for about forty five minutes just on the future of media and hearing him talk about you know, where things are going and ESPN Flagship, which is there directed consumer service that they're launching next year, and of course venue Spoolu, which was the ill fated streaming service that the ESPN was trying to launch with Turner and with Warner Brothers Discovery and with Fox and that that was a fascinating confer station. Kathy Engelbert, the w NBA commissioner, is another one that's gonna that We're gonna have the following Sunday. So, uh, we're getting started with the bang. It's going to be a lot of fun too. And why are we doing it? I just had a lot of fun doing it with Marshan.

Well, the podcast is it's going to come out twice a week and on Wednesday, I'm basically going to try to recreate what we did with the Marshan Podcast, which is I'm going to bring on somebody where We're going to talk about two maybe three topics that that are affecting the sports the sports business mainly sports media, but the sports business every uh every week. And then I'm trying to get uh, you know, the big get and and make that my my Sunday interview. So uh uh we launched on Wednesday and we got Peyton Manning and pay Manning's no matter how you look at him, he's a big get and getting him sort of to talk about his vision of media and and why he made the decisions that he made in his post playing career and we put that out on Wednesday. Our big get Sunday is going to come this Sunday. I sat down yesterday with Jimmy Pataro and up in Crystal, Connecticut. He's, of course the head of ESPN, and really just just talk to him for about forty five minutes just on the future of media and hearing him talk about you know, where things are going and ESPN Flagship, which is there directed consumer service that they're launching next year, and of course venue Spoolu, which was the ill fated streaming service that the ESPN was trying to launch with Turner and with Warner Brothers Discovery and with Fox and that that was a fascinating confer station. Kathy Engelbert, the w NBA commissioner, is another one that's gonna that We're gonna have the following Sunday. So, uh, we're getting started with the bang. It's going to be a lot of fun too. And why are we doing it? I just had a lot of fun doing it with Marshan.

Yeah, and I think why there's an audience for it?

Yeah, and I think why there's an audience for it?

I think there is too.

I think there is too.

Yeah, let me ask Pataro because I could go we could do a whole other you know, forty minutes on this or off this. But is he bullish on the future of sports media? I know there was a huge bubble with rights and there's been an expanded but like you know, we've also seen the sports media business see some layoffs, seen some seeing some busting of some companies, and we have seen in the case of you know, Warner Brothers Discovery actually saying you know what, we're not going to pay that money and we're not going to you know, go to that level to keep the NBA. Like, where's the future of sports business? As far as you said, see fully bullish on it or is he saying there might be a little step back in the with the recession, with whatever else is going on with the way that these rights fees are going.

Yeah, let me ask Pataro because I could go we could do a whole other you know, forty minutes on this or off this. But is he bullish on the future of sports media? I know there was a huge bubble with rights and there's been an expanded but like you know, we've also seen the sports media business see some layoffs, seen some seeing some busting of some companies, and we have seen in the case of you know, Warner Brothers Discovery actually saying you know what, we're not going to pay that money and we're not going to you know, go to that level to keep the NBA. Like, where's the future of sports business? As far as you said, see fully bullish on it or is he saying there might be a little step back in the with the recession, with whatever else is going on with the way that these rights fees are going.

Well, he's bullish about it, but he's also very clear eyed about all of the changes that are happening with with sports, especially with ESPN, and I think we saw that with the NBA deal and the UH and Warner Brothers Discovery. I've been writing about cord cutting for a decade now, and the cable industry is it's continued, and that means CNT and ESPN, they continue to lose subscribers at such a big rate, and so somebody like Jimmy Pataro has to figure out, Okay, we have this declining asset over here that's still so big and powerful of ESPN the channel. What can we do to take that great, big brand of ESPN start to stream and can and and compete maybe a little bit more with you know, the Netflix of the world, and and uh and and move forward that way. And so we're at a sort of a pivotal point right now where are things are going to start to change pretty wildly. And so of course he says he's bullish, and I do believe he's bullish, but there are a lot of risky maneuvers that are being taken over the next couple of years that's going to really determine how we all watch sports going forward.

Well, he's bullish about it, but he's also very clear eyed about all of the changes that are happening with with sports, especially with ESPN, and I think we saw that with the NBA deal and the UH and Warner Brothers Discovery. I've been writing about cord cutting for a decade now, and the cable industry is it's continued, and that means CNT and ESPN, they continue to lose subscribers at such a big rate, and so somebody like Jimmy Pataro has to figure out, Okay, we have this declining asset over here that's still so big and powerful of ESPN the channel. What can we do to take that great, big brand of ESPN start to stream and can and and compete maybe a little bit more with you know, the Netflix of the world, and and uh and and move forward that way. And so we're at a sort of a pivotal point right now where are things are going to start to change pretty wildly. And so of course he says he's bullish, and I do believe he's bullish, but there are a lot of risky maneuvers that are being taken over the next couple of years that's going to really determine how we all watch sports going forward.

And let's be honest, Amazon, Apple, these are trillion dollar companies that don't need sports necessarily, which when you look at a Disney or Warner Brothers or a Fox or a Paramount, it's like, no, sports is the lifeblood. So it's a lot of these leagues too have to decide like, well, yes, we can get in bed with the big eyes, but where are we long term with them? And are we still the apples of their eye. It's actually a really interesting dynamic, and the money has to make sense from both sides.

And let's be honest, Amazon, Apple, these are trillion dollar companies that don't need sports necessarily, which when you look at a Disney or Warner Brothers or a Fox or a Paramount, it's like, no, sports is the lifeblood. So it's a lot of these leagues too have to decide like, well, yes, we can get in bed with the big eyes, but where are we long term with them? And are we still the apples of their eye. It's actually a really interesting dynamic, and the money has to make sense from both sides.

But that's totally true, because if you're advising a league, I would say, whatever you do, do not get into bed with Amazon. That's a like you said, a three trillion dollar company that could decide they could they could have a management change and somebody could say, why are we doing video and sports, Let's get out of it, and they'll get out of it and it won't hurt the stock price at all. Could you imagine if Disney said, Okay, we're getting out of sports, or if we're getting out of sports, their whole life depends on sports. Yeah, that's absolutely a true dynamic. There's the promise of money, and the promise of growth and the promise of the future, and then there's the comfort of being with somebody who exists because of you.

But that's totally true, because if you're advising a league, I would say, whatever you do, do not get into bed with Amazon. That's a like you said, a three trillion dollar company that could decide they could they could have a management change and somebody could say, why are we doing video and sports, Let's get out of it, and they'll get out of it and it won't hurt the stock price at all. Could you imagine if Disney said, Okay, we're getting out of sports, or if we're getting out of sports, their whole life depends on sports. Yeah, that's absolutely a true dynamic. There's the promise of money, and the promise of growth and the promise of the future, and then there's the comfort of being with somebody who exists because of you.

Basically, yeah, let me give you three quick, rapid fire random NFL sports media questions and then we'll wrap this. I so appreciate you taking the time, especially on launch day for your podcast. This year, the NFL is adding in a new element to broadcasts where the sideline reporter or the people up in the with MU sure how they're gonna do it. It's going to speak in game with either the head coach, the offensive coordinator, the defensive coordinator, the special teams coordinator. The NFL wants to create more access for the fans than it is. Uh fan of this or not a fan of this. As someone who has been watching it in the NBA and baseball for many.

Basically, yeah, let me give you three quick, rapid fire random NFL sports media questions and then we'll wrap this. I so appreciate you taking the time, especially on launch day for your podcast. This year, the NFL is adding in a new element to broadcasts where the sideline reporter or the people up in the with MU sure how they're gonna do it. It's going to speak in game with either the head coach, the offensive coordinator, the defensive coordinator, the special teams coordinator. The NFL wants to create more access for the fans than it is. Uh fan of this or not a fan of this. As someone who has been watching it in the NBA and baseball for many.

Years, I'm gonna this. I'm the worst guest here because I'm not going to give you a good answer.

Years, I'm gonna this. I'm the worst guest here because I'm not going to give you a good answer.

Uh.

Uh.

If there's a good sideline reporter that knows somebody that's going to be able to open up and and present a good interview, I am totally a fan of it. Why wouldn't you want to hear like, oh, you know what, we tried. We tried to do this and it didn't work, and now we're going Uh. Unfortunately, the coaches are generally uh uh, they're not going to open up. We haven't seen them open up yet. And I just want to see the play on the field. That's all I'm That's all I'm focused on. So it's it's totally dependent on people in the on the sideline reporters, knowing who to go to, asking the right questions and getting the right responses. If we can get that, yeah, absolutely, I want more access.

If there's a good sideline reporter that knows somebody that's going to be able to open up and and present a good interview, I am totally a fan of it. Why wouldn't you want to hear like, oh, you know what, we tried. We tried to do this and it didn't work, and now we're going Uh. Unfortunately, the coaches are generally uh uh, they're not going to open up. We haven't seen them open up yet. And I just want to see the play on the field. That's all I'm That's all I'm focused on. So it's it's totally dependent on people in the on the sideline reporters, knowing who to go to, asking the right questions and getting the right responses. If we can get that, yeah, absolutely, I want more access.

All right, let me go in on this one, because of course my podcast, I'll make it all about me. A couple of years ago, I did a Saturday game on NFL Network, Bills versus Dolphins up in Buffalo, bad weather, They're throwing snowballs, the whole thing, And at halftime we had one of these and it was myself and Mike McDaniel, and it was an interview that was off the rails. McDaniel was incredible. He was alive and hilarious, and he did great banter back and forth with me. I've known him for ten years. We had a blast and it went viral and it more people remembered that interview than the actual game itself. Now is that great? Probably not for the overall product of the NFL football, But in that moment, it was pretty cool to see Mike's personality. I would argue guys like him Sean Payton McVeigh like, I think it's pretty cool to have this.

All right, let me go in on this one, because of course my podcast, I'll make it all about me. A couple of years ago, I did a Saturday game on NFL Network, Bills versus Dolphins up in Buffalo, bad weather, They're throwing snowballs, the whole thing, And at halftime we had one of these and it was myself and Mike McDaniel, and it was an interview that was off the rails. McDaniel was incredible. He was alive and hilarious, and he did great banter back and forth with me. I've known him for ten years. We had a blast and it went viral and it more people remembered that interview than the actual game itself. Now is that great? Probably not for the overall product of the NFL football, But in that moment, it was pretty cool to see Mike's personality. I would argue guys like him Sean Payton McVeigh like, I think it's pretty cool to have this.

Yes, yes, yeah, totally. But all of a sudden you're running up to Belichick.

Yes, yes, yeah, totally. But all of a sudden you're running up to Belichick.

I guess.

I guess.

That would be fun in its own right as well, But it totally depends on people like you, the relate relationships that you have and the getting the people to open up. If if you can't, then boy, that's a Is there anything more terrible than some of the sideline interviews where they.

That would be fun in its own right as well, But it totally depends on people like you, the relate relationships that you have and the getting the people to open up. If if you can't, then boy, that's a Is there anything more terrible than some of the sideline interviews where they.

Say no, they're all just one word and then you just yeah, And especially during the NBA games, and you're like, there's an actual game going on in a smaller box, why are we listening to this ladder? Yeah? Second one, I was at the Fox Seminar which was out in California about a month ago, and I had this new colleague and we had the most passionate forty five minute conversation himself and I about the new rules and how it affects quarterbacks. And this guy was so dialed in that I walked away being like I was transfixed with every word he said. That guy's name is Tom Brady. I am very bullish on Tom Brady the broadcaster. What have you heard from my FI colleagues? Because I have not been in any of these practice games that he's been doing with Burkhart, and I know you've got sources all over that building.

Say no, they're all just one word and then you just yeah, And especially during the NBA games, and you're like, there's an actual game going on in a smaller box, why are we listening to this ladder? Yeah? Second one, I was at the Fox Seminar which was out in California about a month ago, and I had this new colleague and we had the most passionate forty five minute conversation himself and I about the new rules and how it affects quarterbacks. And this guy was so dialed in that I walked away being like I was transfixed with every word he said. That guy's name is Tom Brady. I am very bullish on Tom Brady the broadcaster. What have you heard from my FI colleagues? Because I have not been in any of these practice games that he's been doing with Burkhart, and I know you've got sources all over that building.

Uh. Tom, Well, the thing about Tom Brady is that he sees the game differently than anybody else. As you just described, He's used to talking in short bursts because he's a quarterback. He has to call a play and what's a play clock at?

Uh. Tom, Well, the thing about Tom Brady is that he sees the game differently than anybody else. As you just described, He's used to talking in short bursts because he's a quarterback. He has to call a play and what's a play clock at?

Now? You know that?

Now? You know that?

And he has to call play before that that runs out. He's a he's a television star. He know, he knows how to present himself. I am, I haven't gotten Fox has been locked down that there's they have I have.

And he has to call play before that that runs out. He's a he's a television star. He know, he knows how to present himself. I am, I haven't gotten Fox has been locked down that there's they have I have.

I mean, I'm being honest with you. I'm I've been there twenty years. I Am like they're got I Detective Burkhart, I'm like, give me something. He's like, it's been great, Like there has been nothing leaking from Zaeger, nothing leaking from Shank Like it is science and Ruso don't talk about it. It's like, let's just a veili a week one because it's going to blow you away. I don't know. That's how I look at it.

I mean, I'm being honest with you. I'm I've been there twenty years. I Am like they're got I Detective Burkhart, I'm like, give me something. He's like, it's been great, Like there has been nothing leaking from Zaeger, nothing leaking from Shank Like it is science and Ruso don't talk about it. It's like, let's just a veili a week one because it's going to blow you away. I don't know. That's how I look at it.

I think they're scared to leak it because because I look, I've been covering this this beat for thirty years. I'm deep into Fox, and I get the same problem, like, oh, Yeah, he's great. You're gonna love him. I think he's gonna be really good. I would be really shocked if he doesn't come in. I think he's gonna be one of these analysts that you're gonna that, uh, you're he's just gonna, like I said, he sees his game differently, and he's gonna be able to explain it in a white way. That's gonna make me just like look and enjoy the game differently. Okay, A quick complaint though, uh yeah, please. By the way, I know I should get Sunday ticket, but I live in d C. I have to watch the Commanders and the Bucks instead of Tom Brady's opening game The Browns.

I think they're scared to leak it because because I look, I've been covering this this beat for thirty years. I'm deep into Fox, and I get the same problem, like, oh, Yeah, he's great. You're gonna love him. I think he's gonna be really good. I would be really shocked if he doesn't come in. I think he's gonna be one of these analysts that you're gonna that, uh, you're he's just gonna, like I said, he sees his game differently, and he's gonna be able to explain it in a white way. That's gonna make me just like look and enjoy the game differently. Okay, A quick complaint though, uh yeah, please. By the way, I know I should get Sunday ticket, but I live in d C. I have to watch the Commanders and the Bucks instead of Tom Brady's opening game The Browns.

And Window command Yes, in DC, let me tell you about let me tell you a little thing about this jade and Daniels, and I think you're gonna be just fine watching Jadeen Daniels. I have been very bullish on him. I have him as my number one breakout player of the year. I think you guys in DC are going to be blown away with what you're getting. Don't You don't need to watch the Browns Cowboys Week one. You'll get your Brady eventually, all Right, my last one here as as we wrap it's it's obviously the year after Taylor Swift entered our our football lexicon and they brought the results in the effects of the Taylor Swift was that a one year wonder does this thing drift off the second year where it is truly America's past time and we're going to see huger ratings this season.

And Window command Yes, in DC, let me tell you about let me tell you a little thing about this jade and Daniels, and I think you're gonna be just fine watching Jadeen Daniels. I have been very bullish on him. I have him as my number one breakout player of the year. I think you guys in DC are going to be blown away with what you're getting. Don't You don't need to watch the Browns Cowboys Week one. You'll get your Brady eventually, all Right, my last one here as as we wrap it's it's obviously the year after Taylor Swift entered our our football lexicon and they brought the results in the effects of the Taylor Swift was that a one year wonder does this thing drift off the second year where it is truly America's past time and we're going to see huger ratings this season.

We're going to see a pretty significant ratings drop this season. Uh, the the election historically has taken viewers away from the NFL.

We're going to see a pretty significant ratings drop this season. Uh, the the election historically has taken viewers away from the NFL.

You would think that they is their numbers like every four years, the November and December, November and October ratings are down because we were watching like MSNBC.

You would think that they is their numbers like every four years, the November and December, November and October ratings are down because we were watching like MSNBC.

And not every not every year, but that's that's the general trend that happens.

And not every not every year, but that's that's the general trend that happens.

That's interesting.

That's interesting.

There's also uh, well it's podcast. So I'm going to go inside baseball here. Last year there was the writers strike and so because of the writer's strike, ABC had nothing to put on on its schedule. So the NFL is allowed into simulcast. So all of a sudden, you're not gonna you're not gonna have all of those games on a broadcast network, getting all of those ratings points uh and it was being simulcast, so almost certainly you're going to see a ratings drop. Your question, though, was about the Taylor Swift and as long as uh Kelsey remains on the Chiefs and as long as they remained dating, I would expect that that that it's I think that the people that I talked to say that Taylor Swift was responsible for, you know, a little bit of the bump. It's not as massive as as some people have ever reported, but I would think that that bump would exist as long as they date and as long as he plays a.

There's also uh, well it's podcast. So I'm going to go inside baseball here. Last year there was the writers strike and so because of the writer's strike, ABC had nothing to put on on its schedule. So the NFL is allowed into simulcast. So all of a sudden, you're not gonna you're not gonna have all of those games on a broadcast network, getting all of those ratings points uh and it was being simulcast, so almost certainly you're going to see a ratings drop. Your question, though, was about the Taylor Swift and as long as uh Kelsey remains on the Chiefs and as long as they remained dating, I would expect that that that it's I think that the people that I talked to say that Taylor Swift was responsible for, you know, a little bit of the bump. It's not as massive as as some people have ever reported, but I would think that that bump would exist as long as they date and as long as he plays a.

Lot of It's anecdotal, right like you here, Like you know, obviously I talk to everyone. I'm a dad myself, and it'd be like, you know, my daughter never cared and now she's twelve and she's watching Chiefs football on four point thirty on Sunday, watching Tracy Wolfson and you know, Nance and Romo every week and she would have never wanted to, but she's doing it in pursuits of seeing Taylor Swift. That's real, right, Like, that's a real anecdote, and I think people have shared that. The question is is there a halo effect of Oh I came into watching football because I wanted to see Taylor Swift. But now I'm going to watch Saints versus Eagles on a Sunday because I don't know. I don't know if that exists if you're not a hardcore fan, or if you're not a football fan at all.

Lot of It's anecdotal, right like you here, Like you know, obviously I talk to everyone. I'm a dad myself, and it'd be like, you know, my daughter never cared and now she's twelve and she's watching Chiefs football on four point thirty on Sunday, watching Tracy Wolfson and you know, Nance and Romo every week and she would have never wanted to, but she's doing it in pursuits of seeing Taylor Swift. That's real, right, Like, that's a real anecdote, and I think people have shared that. The question is is there a halo effect of Oh I came into watching football because I wanted to see Taylor Swift. But now I'm going to watch Saints versus Eagles on a Sunday because I don't know. I don't know if that exists if you're not a hardcore fan, or if you're not a football fan at all.

Yeah, I have daughters that wanted to tune in to see if Taylor was at the actual game, and I couldn't care less about what was happening on the field. So yeah, I didn't raise that. I didn't raise that, right, Peter.

Yeah, I have daughters that wanted to tune in to see if Taylor was at the actual game, and I couldn't care less about what was happening on the field. So yeah, I didn't raise that. I didn't raise that, right, Peter.

No, that's okay, that's okay. Your oriol your Oriel. Can we talk? Can we talk about my O's let's go. I just I see it going one way here. As you know, my wife's family is all Baltimore. They're Orioles fans through and through, Ravens fans, Colts fans before that, and my father in law, David was just lamenting me. I don't even watch baseball anymore, and he's just lamenting to me, like five starting pitchers all in the DL three aren't coming back. You're Yankee. I'm like, I'm not. They're not my Yankees. He's like, whatever, New York's Yankees. I'm like, all right, go on, So you could either be positive or negative right now. I'm Dunner Henderson and the boys.

No, that's okay, that's okay. Your oriol your Oriel. Can we talk? Can we talk about my O's let's go. I just I see it going one way here. As you know, my wife's family is all Baltimore. They're Orioles fans through and through, Ravens fans, Colts fans before that, and my father in law, David was just lamenting me. I don't even watch baseball anymore, and he's just lamenting to me, like five starting pitchers all in the DL three aren't coming back. You're Yankee. I'm like, I'm not. They're not my Yankees. He's like, whatever, New York's Yankees. I'm like, all right, go on, So you could either be positive or negative right now. I'm Dunner Henderson and the boys.

Oh, I'm old. I'm totally positive. All of my friends are like your father in law, like they're just like, oh, we're not gonna win. After the last twenty five years, we're playing meaningful baseball in September, Like, who can't love this? I we're not set up to win the World Series this year, but we have a great, fun, young team that's so much fun to watch. So I'm still in the honeymoon phase with watching good baseball, so I'm okay with it, even though I don't think they're gonna win.