Joe Buck: For the Love of The Game
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Knowing football is about fourth on the list. You know, there's acting, there's the prep, there's the get it in within 20 seconds. There's a lot more to it than just knowing football.

Hey, everybody. I'm getting very serious today. I'm working on my broadcasting voice. I'm very nervous. Hall of Fame broadcaster, just sports savant. I mean, when I turn on a television, I hear his voice coming at me every time I watch sports. The great Joe Buck is on the show right now. One of my favorite people, favorite broadcaster, and just knows where everybody is buried. One of the great guys, and I'm hoping that I don't embarrass myself enough.

as a fledgling broadcaster in the likes of Mr. Joe Buck. Let's roll.

I just saw your partner, Troy Aikman, in the gym. He's such a beast, dude. It's gross. It's fucking, how? I don't understand. How is he? I don't know. I don't know what he's, it's just, that's his lifestyle, but that's your lifestyle. Aren't you on like low-carb cracker ads and stuff like that? Yeah, Atkins, man. Low-carb, high-protein. But I don't look like Troy Aikman. The guy's into, he looks like he's in better shape than when he played.

I think in some ways he is. I didn't know him back then, but I do get the sense that he is somebody called. I don't think he would dismiss it. And he's 50. I'm 54. So he's 56. Yeah. You know, he would put all these guys to shame. Brady. Rogers. You name it. He crushed them. Yeah.

Yeah. When is the first game this year for you guys? It's got to be around the corner. Yeah, September 11th in New York for the Aaron Rodgers Jets debut at Harlem against Buffalo. I mean, I was just telling Troy, what a year for storylines.

I mean, there are so many storylines around the league this year. Yeah, I mean, just in the game we're doing. I know. We've got Aaron Rodgers.

The Jets trying to finally put it all together. DeMar Hamlin coming back. We were there the night he had the cardiac arrest in Cincinnati. The Buffalo Bills safety. Josh Allen. The drama with Diggs. I mean, in that game alone, it's like, oh, and they're actually going to play a game. So we have to kind of cover that too. But that's what you live for. Yeah, I do. I love it. It's great. Yeah, it makes doing the game so much more fun. And

And so much more exciting for us to go in there and try to get all this stuff down while covering a game. I mean, you have to be disciplined in that you don't get caught up in everything off the field and everything that everybody else has already been talking about because nobody's seen the game we're going to do. So we got to really cover that well. What is your pregame assessment?

of the Aaron Rodgers era of the Jets. I think it'll be good. I think he's off to a good start. I mean, I don't know if you've watched any of Hard Knocks, but it's really been compelling to see him in kind of the mentor role now and be really hands-on with a lot of these young guys, including Zach Wilson, who I assume someday will take his spot back as the starter for the Jets. But

I just think he's... When you've got a four-time league MVP and a guy that talented who's, I think, trying to still prove people wrong, you know, I think he's ready to show the world that he's still got it. It's so funny how when you list the accomplishments, they're so amazing, and yet

They still have a chip on their shoulder. It's like... I know. After the third MVP, I'd be like, yeah, I made it. I don't care what anybody thinks. But that's what drove them to be great. That doesn't never leave. It's the same for you. It's true. Every time the red light goes on, it doesn't matter what you've done. It's the same for me. I mean, none of the history matters. That's the fun of this business. I mean, I'm not sitting around collecting checks because of what I did. I'm collecting checks because of what I'm doing. And that's...

That, I think, is what keeps me sharp. I mean, I feel an immense pressure to be my best now for ESPN after doing it for 28 years at Fox. It's not that the money drives me, but I think being honest and being, I guess, accountable to myself and to those around me is what keeps me working hard. For sure. You're with a new team. You want to

You know, you want to show them that they spent their money wisely and all that stuff. I mean, it is. I got to say, it was hard watching the World Series without hearing it. It was really weird. It was weird. It's weird for me. I did 24 of them. I think I did 22 in a row. And then I just gave it up like cold turkey. And I didn't expect to. It wasn't like, I think, Rob, at some point,

Nobody cares, really. You and I know each other a little bit, so you're probably listening for it. But I've done it for so long that I think it just takes a while for people to get used to the new voice. And then they roll on with that. Nobody really cares. Nobody's showing up at my house with torches trying to drag me back to the World Series. I think it's like, okay, that guy was fine. And now we're on to the next. But you realize it's part of growing up. I think

I've learned within the last year that what my dad said was so true. And he used to always say, and he did the Cardinals for 50 years, you know, if you get hit by a bus going into the stadium to do a game, they're still going to play the game.

And it's true. The game just moves on. Life moves on. And just like I'm sure it is for you dumping out of a show, it's like, well, you hope the roof caves in and they can never do the show again. And then you realize, well, no, they're still going. And that's how it was for me. It was like, okay, Mr. Big Shot, life goes on without you as a part of it. And it's time for you to do something new. And I think change is good no matter what you do in life. And that's...

It's been good for me. It's been energizing for me, but it's also been an awakening to know that life goes on elsewhere when you're not there anymore. And that's kind of a weird thing to understand.

For sure. And it's a great opportunity. I mean, listen, to bring back Monday Night Football to what it was, I think, is great because you and I remember what that was. It was the only time you could see football that wasn't on a Sunday. The ceremony around it was such a big deal. And I've always felt, without disrespecting anybody, that they haven't had the booth in a long, long time.

to make it what it should be. And now they do. It's funny. I mean, it's weird for me to talk about that stuff, but I do know what you're saying with regard to the property because my dad was doing the radio back then. And there's somebody who sent me this article when I first got hired at ESPN last year. My dad being quoted saying,

Because he was doing the radio, my dad was with Hank Stram. And then two booths down was Howard Cosell, Frank Gifford, and Don Meredith. I mean... And I mean, that's as good as it gets. I mean... And my dad's quoted in this article like, well, Howard's full of... You know what? You can now turn the radio, the TV volume down and turn the radio volume up and we'll take them on. I was like, damn, dad. It was feisty back in the 70s. But I...

I did see that as a kid. Two booths down, I was like, man, I thought my dad was cool. Look at what's going on over there. They're wearing these burnt yellow jackets and they're having fun and it's bright lights and they've got security and police escort out of the game and we're like hitching a ride to get back to the hotel. So it was ingrained in me as a young man

what that was all about and to get a chance to do it is, is pretty cool. I mean, cause it's like there are some, and the reason that you have been so successful for so long is I think you occupy that perfect spot between person. You have a personality, you have an opinion, you have a point of view, you know, it's you, you know, it's you, it's not anybody else. It's you. And, and,

But you also let the game come to you. And for me, Monday Night Football for years has felt... The folks broadcasting it have felt very corporate. And I haven't felt any point of view. It felt like they're working for the man. And you have such a history. You've done so much. You can't help but bring a point of view to the game. And I like that. I like a little bit of...

Do you know what I'm saying? I want to know. I got a real guy with blood going through his veins. Yeah, no, I get that. I think, I mean, I could do a class at a university on this. I think it is, you've touched on something that's real. I think it's harder and harder in today's world

to be willing to stick your chin out and have a point of view on anything, really in any arena. That's true. Let alone when you work for a network. And I've made a lot of fans mad, people online. I've told half of a television audience every year,

for 22 straight years, 24 times overall, that their team, their beloved team, has just lost the World Series. So every fan base who hears their local announcers do all year long, which I used to do for the Cardinals, it's a totally different job. When you do the Dodgers, or you do the Cardinals, or you do the Pirates, or you do the whoever,

You do the game from that point of view and you are the eyes and ears and the, the mind of the fan. And so when, when our guy hits a home run, everybody's happy. When the other team hits a home run, everybody's sad. Now you show up and you do the national game and you go, you know, I fly ball to right. That ball's got to hear it's a home run. And, and, but everybody in the other fan base is going, Oh my God, why is this guy so excited? I don't hear that all. So,

So it's a long roundabout way of saying having a point of view. I do feel like I don't want to be a stuffed shirt and I want to be there as somebody who has an opinion. But for younger people getting into it who are so tied to social media, the minute you veer out of the center lane and you start

spouting off or trying to be funny or try whatever it is, you're going to get smashed back into the middle lane because social media is there to tell you you're not funny, your point of view is stupid, whatever. And I think a lot of people pay a lot of attention to it. I've just done it long enough where I almost don't care and I kind of invite it a little bit, but...

I think it's a real thing. And it's made people like my dad and Harry Carey and guys back in that era, they didn't live with any of this stuff. So they were free to be them. And I think we're less free to be us as we grow into the social media world. So you think it's more social media than it is? Here's what I worry about, what I see, particularly when I watch the NBA. Good Lord. Nobody wants to criticize NBA.

anybody. It's like a guy is obviously traveling. He's traveling. I can count steps. Nobody says a word. And I think it's because everybody's hitting everybody up and everybody's tweeting at everybody and everybody's hitting. It's like it's just a different world than... It is. And the lines of

come down a little bit, meaning the barriers, I think, and it gets blended in. I think everybody's kind of putting on an act, I think, personally. I try not to,

But it is still acting a little bit. Nobody talks like that. Nobody goes into a conversation and is like, good evening, everyone, and welcome to a beautiful night here at Dodger Stadium. And here's a base hit and a right, and now the ball's going to trickle. Nobody talks like that. Let alone the guys who are like, there's a base hit and a right. Back of the wall, that ball is out of here. It's an act. So how much of the act do you want? How much of your real self

do you want to be? And how crazy do you want to go with opinions, jokes, your personality? And like you say, I think criticism is blended into that too. Do you want to take on

Whoever it is, I don't even know. LeBron James. You want to take on LeBron James and say anything critical about anything he does because you're afraid it's going to come wheeling back around on you? Or do you want to just do your job and go home and see your family and get up the next day and enjoy life? Anytime you step out of the middle...

you're going to have to answer for it. And, and it's, it's a week's worth of crap putting up with that stuff. Well, cause all of you, particularly with football, the prep going into the game, you're meeting with players, you're meeting with coaches, you're in a private situation with them. You're, you're getting your storyline, your fodder, your notes. And I'm sure if, you know, you say something that they don't like, you probably hear about it or, you know, you do. I think you have to be smart. Um,

And that was the beauty of being my dad's son growing up is I was a kid and I knew that

and I've joked about this before, but I knew when I walked into the hotel lobby and I walked past the hotel bar and I saw Player X with a woman that didn't necessarily look like his wife, I was, as my dad would say, keep your head down, Buck, keep walking. Like there are certain, I'm not condoning, everybody's got to give a disclaimer. I'm not saying that's good, right? It just was back in the day. And, you know, I think that,

that you have to know where the line is. So when a, when a player comes in and sits down and goes, you know, this running back has got no chance or my left tackle sucks. I mean, I, I'm, I'm looking over my shoulder this entire game because this guy can't block anything. He needs a turnstile over there because they're just coming. You know that he's venting and you know that

He's trusting you that you're not going to lead off the broadcast with. And by the way, Troy, such and such quarterback knows he's in for a long day because he told us his left tackle sucks. It's just not going to happen. So you have to be smart enough to know that some things... I got in trouble on an HBO show, The Real Sports Thing, where I said,

I don't consider myself a journalist in that I might know stuff that I file away from my information and it forms my opinion.

But I don't pin it on the person who told it to me. A lot of times coaches will say, hey, just so you know, it's not from me, but, and then fill in the blank. And so that helps you so you're not saying dumb stuff that doesn't apply. Or you might know who's not available in the bullpen that night because they're tired or they've got a bad day.

lat muscle or whatever. You've got to keep some things close to the vest. Otherwise, you start dishing all that out. They're never going to tell you anything ever again. Well, yeah. And the guys on the sidelines, they're the journalists. They're the ones who should have the dish and know that your job is to be the representative of the fan. I mean, I would think the story, the storyteller. I think so. And I think the fan has gotten way more

and educated since I started. I mean, if you think about the NFL, like I've got two daughters, they're in their mid-20s, they're living in New York. My younger daughter is...

a diehard fantasy football player. And she will ask me questions that I can't answer. And it was not always that way. And I think fantasy football and people's knowledge of rosters and what the storylines are, everybody's got some skin in the game, so to speak. So when my daughter goes, hey, the backup tight end for the Bengals, you know, whoever, I'm like, I have no idea. I don't have never even heard that name. And she's like, oh my God, dad, he's got 40 catches. He's okay, Trudy. Well,

That's a real thing. So I think the one thing we can bring that people haven't been hit with all week is the personal stuff, are the stories that we may have heard and we can put it through our own mind and say something that lets you in on things.

that you haven't read already or isn't flashing across your phone as an update. I mean, we all are getting those same updates. So what am I bringing other than saying touchdown Johnson and now the Cowboys lead 21 to 10 or what am I doing? What am I bringing to the game? Other than that, it's some of the personal contact I've had with those people that, you know, maybe that guy was visited by his high school football coach that week and no

Nobody knows, but he's in the stands. And that's the guy who kept him involved in the game when he wanted to quit back when he was 18 years old or whatever it might be. It's that kind of stuff that I think it's up to us to uncover and bring in. That makes perfect sense. ♪

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Qualifying plan required. Wi-Fi were available on select U.S. airlines. Deposit and Hilton Honors membership required for 15% discount terms and conditions apply. Baseball. Just going back to that for a minute. Yeah. Shohei Otani. I mean, I'm pouring one out for him. Because listen, I don't think it's... Look, disclaimer. Everybody knows I'm a big Dodger fan. And yes, I'm very friendly with...

ownership. Yes. I'm not speaking on behalf of the Dodgers. I have no inside knowledge. There's no headline here, but I think this is just me as a fan. I think it's pretty clear the Dodgers have been clearing the decks for him for quite a while. And now what happens? I mean, he,

He has to take a haircut, Otani. He has to. I mean, whatever. He was going to make $700 million a season. I don't know what it was going to be. It was going to be the biggest contract in the history of sports for sure. Now what do you do? Yeah. For those non-diehard sports fans, he is going to have to undergo another Tommy John surgery. So you automatically go into the category of a two-time Tommy John surgery recipient.

which is ligament replacement, an operation that transplants a ligament into the elbow. And there are quite a few stories of people who have had success after a second Tommy John. But yeah, the number's got to come down. So now if you're Shohei Otani...

and his representation, what are you looking at? Are you going to do some bridge deal? It's fascinating because you're going to do a bridge deal to get you through this time where you're rehabilitating a second Tommy Jambi. You can still hit 50 home runs a year and still run and still be the DH. You don't ever have to put a glove on your hand and throw. Or do you just say, you know what?

pitching's fun. I'm going to let, you know, I'm going to rehab this injury, but I'm just going to focus on hitting for a while. And if pitching comes back to me later on in a, in this big contract I do with multiple years, I'll do it at some point. If you're talking about, is he going to get $500 million or is he going to get,

$600 million or $700 million in a deal. I mean, what did Mike Trout is right around is just under that $500 million. And he's not pitching. So I think you could make the case that this guy is worthy of...

a trout-esque contract even if he never pitches another inning in his life but if he does you consider it gravy and so what do you do as the player I I don't know where it goes but I'm with you I think the Dodgers have been clearing the decks for him they've been so good about being so competitive and uh so consistent and yet they're not locked into a lot of terrible long-term deals Mookie Betts is really the only long-term deal they've done and he's worth every penny and

He's a younger player. So I don't know. I'm anxious to see where this thing goes. Yeah, it's amazing. Somebody was telling me there's a notion that maybe now he's more likely to stay in Anaheim for a year. Well, that's what I mean. I mean, let's say he stays in Anaheim for a year and they go, look, neither one of us know where this is going to go. We like you. We love you. You seem to like playing in Southern California. Yeah.

rehabilitate with us and hit your home runs and let's just leave this go for another year. That could be, I don't know, but I know a lot of teams would line up if he never pitched another inning and said, you just be our, be our DH or be our right fielder. And we don't really care if you ever pitch again. Do you have any issues with the workload that the angels put on him?

I don't. I've heard people say that, but I think that's bullshit. I think he wanted to do what he wants. It's up to him. Yeah, exactly. I will tell you this, Rob. I met him, the last baseball all-star game I did was

a couple of seasons ago at, uh, at Coors field. I think it's still called in Denver. And I, I have never been more impressed. I've been around professional athletes. Thanks to my dad since I was zero. And I watched that guy in the home run Derby the night before I met him, just go off. The guy's been pitching and hitting all first half of the season. He had every reason to tap out of the home run hitting contest. He didn't do it. Uh,

he delivered. And then he walked in with the biggest smile on his face, the nicest guy. He's a big, strong athlete that is friendly. I mean, he's everything that you want. And I sat there like, oh my God, this is like greatness. And everybody goes, oh, well, it hasn't been done since Babe Ruth. It's never been done. Babe Ruth, by the time he became the home run hitter, the hitter we all know, the Bambino, he was totally getting out of pitching and

And that was more a thing of the past for him. So nobody's done what this guy's done. And he's just, he's a freak and he's a hell of a guy too. Yeah, that's what I said. I mean, I hope the Dodgers still get him. I mean, I really do. There's been nobody like him. That and my man for the Reds, the rookie. God, I'm drawing a blank on him right now. Dela Cruz. Oh. Ali Dela Cruz who can fly and seems to know that,

He's got a ton of swagger. Love him. Yeah, I do too. I mean, we haven't seen a guy come up like this

in a long time. And he's a, I mean, he's the second baseman or shortstop and middle infield are doing this and he's big. It's like six, four. He throws a hundred miles an hour to first base. It's, it's awesome. I mean, there are some great athletes in baseball. Uh, Cunha juniors, a great athlete to tease. Junior's a great athlete. Vladimir Guerrero juniors, a great athlete. All these guys are all juniors. Dante Bichette, his kid, uh, is a stud with Toronto. Uh,

Um, but yeah, it's, there's a lot there, there are better athletes, I think playing baseball than there ever have been. Um,

I, for whatever reason, I think people understand their bodies better. I think they, uh, the days are long gone of like the Terry Forster pitching for the Atlanta Braves that Letterman would call a big tub of goo. Uh, and it was like, Oh my God, did that really happen? It did look it up. Uh, those days, those days are gone. I mean, these guys are unbelievable athletes that,

that have the ability to really, they're all basically five tool guys. And those used to be the rare, the rare players. What do you say to people who, I had this long discussion with somebody the other day who is involved in purchasing the rights to MLB, that it's shrinking because less kids are growing up playing it. Baseball's always had nostalgia as a part of its appeal. And with each generation growing,

there's less it's less nostalgia so less appeal and that the audience is between how long the games are although the pitch clock has made a huge difference got that pitch clock turned out to be an amazing thing do you have an opinion on the prognosis of

of baseball going forward as compared to the NFL and the other big sports. Yeah, I mean, you're right about the pitch clock. And I think it was such a drastic measure that they took, and they took it because they had to. It was, everybody was so hung up, even baseball. I remember when I was there and they're like, hey, we got the average time of game from

309 down to 302. It's like that to me is not the problem. NFL games last three hours. NBA games I'm sure are shorter, but

that's not the issue. The issue is there's a lack of action once the inning starts. And so, you know, guys stepping off, guys stepping out of the box, it takes forever to throw a pitch. Your Dodgers had a guy, right-hander Baez. When you're broadcasting games, like, oh my God, throw the ball. It just, and it went on and on and on. There was no

There's nothing pushing them to actually make a pitch. So they did the right thing. And hopefully speeding things up helps. I also think banning the shift. And I never, I was not smart enough to know the byproduct of all this, but when you have left-handed batters coming up and you put everybody on the right side of the infield,

I was waiting for hitters to adjust and they never adjusted. I don't get it. Why did that not happen? I talked to Joe Maddon about it for an hour. I'm like, what? First of all, you know, I brought up Matt Carpenter, who was a Cardinal player, Max Muncy. Yeah. You know, that kind of guy. Yeah. I said, how many times would it take him to bunt successfully to the left side

And I'm talking about it in like one, two run games in the eighth, ninth innings of World Series games. How many times would it take him to bunt successfully for you to not shift against him? He's like, I'll take that bunt hit all day long. I don't want the home run. I'm like, really? But if he said, okay, 12th.

I mean to see it 12 times for me to not shift. But what it did is now if I'm a left-handed batter, if I'm Muncie or Carpenter or Otani or whoever, the one place they can't get it if they overload the infield and in times the outfield is over the wall. So it's just launch, launch, launch. Well, when guys stand up there against pitchers throwing 98s,

And it's just launch, launch, launch. It's just swing and a miss, swing and a miss, swing and a miss, foul ball, swing and a miss, struck him out. It's just, and yeah, you're going to get your home runs. But that action is like that. Like the game I fell in love with, and this gets into the get off my lawn stuff. And I hate it because it's not, I truly feel like the game was more compelling when,

with the Dodgers teams you grew up on. It wasn't all power. There was nuance. There was get a guy on, steal a base, move him over with the ground ball to the right side, bring him in with a fly ball to the outfield. Kind of the strategy and the beauty of the game is gone. So I feel like

it's a tough sell for kids. I've got five-year-olds with the girls in their twenties and, and I want them to love baseball and, and I hope they continue to evolve and make changes that speed up and add to the action of the game to try to get it back to, to the game that, that I know I fell in love with. And I'll, I'll love baseball until I'm gone. It's a part of my DNA, but, but,

But I know they worry about the next generation and what the next generation and the one after that thinks about the game. And I think they have to do everything they can to get them into the tent to watch the sport. And they know that. That's why they've made the changes they've made. I mean, I just remember as a big red machine guy living in Ohio, when Joe Morgan got on base, everyone in the stadium knew he was going to steal. Everybody. Yeah. And that became a story. That became a thing.

It was a thing. Well, so now, as you know, being a baseball fan, you can only throw over twice. I know. Can you imagine? Which it's so you either hold that in your pocket or you throw over twice. And if you throw over twice and the guy doesn't go, you can't throw over again. So he should take the most gigantic unless you pick him off. You can take you can do it again. But if you don't pick him off, he goes down to second base.

So again, that's what they're trying to legislate into is more stolen bases. The bases are bigger. So you should have a little bit better chance of stealing a base. So they're trying to legislate into the game things that we all grew up just knowing were part of the game that have just over time been phased out.

It's really a fascinating time, I think, for baseball. Yeah. I mean, it really is. What are you looking forward to the most this year in the NFL? What's your favorite storyline? What's your favorite team to watch? I'm super, I'm a big Sean Payton fan. I'm very excited to see what goes on in Denver. It's great. There's great ownership. I know the owners there. Yeah. They're great. It's a great franchise, a great history. Yeah.

Got my eye on them a ton. I'm wondering what's going on with my Rams. Very, very quiet. They've got a rookie apparently who is lighting it up at camp. But I don't know what the hell's going on there. It's a big year in the NFL as well.

It is. And just to take the Rams, they went after what they got, which was the championship. They moved from where I'm sitting in St. Louis and they went back to LA. And as you know, if you go out there and you're not a compelling product, there's a million other things to do in Los Angeles than go pack into a football stadium. So they built everything toward the year that they won and they won. And now it's like, okay, well, we haven't had a first round draft pick and

since the ice age. And, and, you know, they're kind of in a transition and that's what happens with these teams. Now it's hard to sustain greatness unless you've got a quarterback like Kansas city. I think Patrick Mahomes is not only the best player in the NFL, but it was a guy that gets it. He's not going back to the negotiating table and going, wait, all of a sudden I'm underpaid. I don't know how that happened, but yeah,

Five minutes ago, I was overpaid, and now I'm underpaid with the way the market has moved. And he's like, I'm good. I'm good. We're going to keep being as competitive. The salary cap will keep going up, and they'll have a little more room each year to add to their team. Same with Jalen Hurts in Philly. To answer your question, I think who is going to come out of the NFC that can challenge the Philadelphia Eagles because they're so far and away, in my opinion,

They're the best put together team. They have the most talent. They have the most talent at the right age. They have a quarterback that's a leader and is just a hell of a kid in Jalen Hurts. They've got two good receivers. Everywhere you look, it's like, wow, they got him too. They got the tight end. They got a good offensive line. They got a good defense. So I don't know who's coming out of there. And then the one team that nobody talks about is Jacksonville.

And Doug Peterson, who won it all with Philly a few, not that long ago, 2017, got them into the playoffs last year. They overcame a 27 to nothing deficit in a playoff game at home, but in a playoff game to the Chargers and won. And they're just, I mean, Trevor Lawrence is in his third year and they've got a loaded roster.

I think they're a team that nobody talks about. AFC, it's all Buffalo, Kansas City, Cincinnati, Jets now with Aaron Rodgers. And nobody says Jacksonville. I think Jacksonville, because of their youth and their talent and their coaching, is a legitimate chance to go to the Super Bowl and the AFC. I really do. But all these teams, as you know,

are one injury away from being irrelevant, which is why Sunday night football has flex scheduling. Why us now? This is our first year of Monday night football because what looks like a great game now in August, if you take whoever, Jalen Hurts out of Philly, all of a sudden he's not there. Well, the Eagles game doesn't look as exciting anymore as it did when we were all getting ready for the season to start. So it's all based on health.

But, you know, I think Jacksonville is a team to keep an eye on. Yeah, they're going to be fun to watch.

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Qualifying plan required. Wi-Fi were available on select U.S. airlines. Deposit and Hilton Honors membership required for 15% discount terms and conditions apply. When you were calling the famous Atlanta Patriots... Overtime one, yeah. Super Bowl. What do you...

Do you just feel it where you just go, oh boy, this is about to go bad. This is about to be, we're about to see something extraordinary here. You kind of feel it in the arena, right? Yeah, I mean, we had done the Super Bowl that was in New York, which I think was the one immediately, we were doing them every three years because CBS would get it, then NBC, then Fox, and then you just go on that rotation. And I think the one we did prior to that

was the one in New York. In fact, I'm sure of it. And that was the game that was Seattle against your Denver Broncos. And really, they're kind of my Denver Broncos because I married a former Bronco cheerleader who now works with on-air at ESPN, Michelle Beisner. She's the best part of

my life. And, uh, and so that Superbowl, she's bringing her brother in and her mom, and we're getting tickets for the, everybody she's ever met in Denver coming to New York. And I did the pregame meetings with Denver first. And she was like, well, how, how were they like these production meetings? I said, Oh, Peyton was great. They, they look good. Um, blah, blah, blah.

The next day, I do one with the Seahawks. They were working out at the Giants facility. And we met with their entire secondary, the Legion of Boom. Those guys were Earl Thomas and Richard Sherman and Cam Chancellor. Jesus. And I go back to the hotel. She's like, well, how was that? Are the Seahawks team ready? I said, honey, the Broncos have no chance. And she goes, what do you mean? I said, I just met

With four of the most intimidating people I've ever met in my life, there wasn't one smile to be had. These guys are on a mission. And so that game unfolds. And if you remember, the first snap from center goes over Peyton Manning's head out of the end zone or into the end zone. It was like a safety right out of the gate. And I'm like, oh my God, it's on. And so Seattle builds up this huge first half lead and we're at halftime. And I don't even know who was performing at halftime.

And Aikman and I look at each other like, oh, my God, we've got 100 million people watching this game. And it's awful. And he goes, well, come on. This is Peyton Manning. Peyton Manning is one of the best ever.

Denver's coming back. We're going to have a hell of a game before it's all over. I said, all right, from your mouth to God's ears. They kick it off to start the second half. And Percy Harvin from Seattle runs it back for a touchdown. I look at Troy. He looks at me. We're like, we're screwed. So I felt that one coming. Then you flash forward to the one that was a 25-point game. And you realize that the big difference there was it was an inexperienced team.

Atlanta team on that stage and it was Tom Brady on the other side. And it was like, ah, we're not giving up on this game yet. And then it like a play happened and then another, and then all of a sudden it's a touchdown and then it's a two point conversion. Then it's another touchdown and you could feel it building and just growing as we went. And, and it was like the Red Sox in 2004 after they beat the Yankees from beating down three games to nothing. Yeah.

They weren't going to be denied and Brady and the Patriots, once they got to overtime, it was like, if it's going to be the first drive or the second drive, they're going to win the game. And they did. I was proud of us that we didn't give up on the game. And I think it was probably just common sense because it was Tom Brady and there's only one Tom Brady. Do you ever think that there are, because I know there are actors like this who have a,

a role or a moment and they never, ever recover? Like, do you think, like, I watched that Atlanta game and I go, I don't know if they'll be back anytime soon. And sure enough, Matt Ryan was gone within two years and you just, it's just such a public meltdown. I don't know how you recover. I don't know how you recover from it. Yeah, I've never thought of it in those terms, but it's hard. It's hard to recover from something like that. I'm not going to ask you to name names of actors or people who have had those moments, but it's,

Yeah, and it just reminds, I think, everybody that we all forget that these are people. These are human beings that are under these helmets. And many times, I did a show for DirecTV where I interviewed the best of the best. And the interviews would last two and a half hours. It cut them down to an hour. But you realize, I don't care if it's Wayne Gretzky, Michael Phelps, Derek Jeter,

I interviewed all of them. Bob B. Knight. Everybody has had something they've had to deal with. Everybody has had moments where they didn't believe that it was going to turn out for them. Everybody's been in the workout room or on the field with the lights on and nobody else around trying to get better. And it's hard to pick yourself up off the mat and go back at it. So

Yeah, I mean, I didn't think of it at the time, but really the one guy who's thrived since then is Kyle Shanahan, who was the offensive coordinator for Atlanta, is now the head coach of San Francisco. And he's had, you know, he's had a good run there, but they still haven't won at all. So, you know, he had a lead as a head coach in the Super Bowl right after that. And Kansas City came back and beat him. So it's hard.

It's hard to put that stuff in the review mirror and not let it be a defining moment for you. And yeah, until you turn the corner, look at Andy Reid. They were like, can't win the big one. He can't win the big one. And now, you know.

sometimes you just got outlast people maybe too. No, that, yeah, I agree. That's a great example. And, and somebody that when we, you know, we did so many of their games back then because we were covering the NFC at Fox and you knew that, that he was in charge more than other head coaches. I mean, he built that roster year after year and he knew that he was so smart. And then he got connected with the right guy and the right guys, Patrick Mahomes and,

Uh, they've been really good with the team they put around him and Kelsey, the way they've developed him as, as somebody who even when it's third and 19 somehow gets wide open and nobody's around. It was like, Hey, you think he should cover 87? Uh, they, they seem to look for him quite a bit, but they, they scheme that all up. So it's not luck. It's hard work and it's game planning and it's late hours and all that stuff. But,

Some people put it in and some people obviously don't. What about Belichick? The press on him has been so positive for so long. He's a genius, which he clearly obviously is. You can't take anything away from him. He'll go on the Hall of Famer, all that great stuff. But now all of a sudden people are going, what's going on with Belichick in New England? I mean, we all know when that marriage broke up, and by the way, I'm talking about the Belichick-Brady marriage, there was going to be a little bit of, hmm, I wonder who goes on to...

have the hottest girl after this. And it was clearly, it was Tom. Yeah. In every, well, he had the, yeah. Yeah. And, but you're right. And, and I think it's unfair that,

to then just go, oh, well, clearly it was Brady who was driving that bus. I think it was a lot of things. It was Brady's, there's only one Brady. He's the best I've ever seen. He's the best Troy's ever seen. And that opinion carries more weight than mine because he played it and he knows what that takes. But for Tom to go on and then immediately take the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and win the Super Bowl, I mean, come on. You know, that's unbelievable.

unreal and then everybody goes okay let's go back to this guy now how are the patriots doing and uh i i think they've made some draft mistakes i think so so i think the chatter is real i think eventually bob crafts is going to say well we haven't won in a little while here and while i know you're one of the greatest coaches of all time how much of the autonomy is still warranted

If we're not getting results and if he tries to bring someone in, who knows what that does to Bill and Bill says goodbye. But Bill's got probably two seasons of realistic win totals to become the all time winningest head coach in the history of the National Football League.

I don't see him getting up to the doorstep and not busting through it. So it'll either be with New England or somebody else. Somebody would hire him in five seconds if they moved on. But I think it's time to win again. And they've cast their lot with Mac Jones, a young quarterback. And we've got another guy, Bailey Zappi, who's the backup, who had a flash or two last year. But I think it points out that in this league...

you can't win without great quarterback play. And, and Bill tends to do it in his own way. Like having Matt Patricia is the offensive coordinator when he was the defensive coordinator before that. It's amazing. Like, how can I make this more difficult for myself just to prove how great of a coach I am? He's, he's one of, if not the best ever, but eventually you got to win. And so I think there's some pressure on him to win this year and, and it ain't going to be easy. Um,

with Buffalo and the Jets and the Dolphins in the same division. That's six hard games right there. Tua is obviously healthy. He's ready to go. But it's different. As you know, every time he goes down, you hold your breath because it's what he's dealt with with concussions. So he seems like a great guy. I've never met him, never done one of his games.

Uh, we do not have them on our schedule on Monday night football. So I won't see them this year. They are on the schedule, but it's a double header game and the other crew will be covering them. So, um, I only know him as a, as a fan from the, from a distance. So I, I just hope that that stuff is behind him. Uh, no kidding. Uh, and if it is, they're going to, I think they're going to be really good too, but I, I, yeah, totally healthy. Uh,

And you just hope that it's not going to be one of those, well, it was just the right kind of hit that did it again. And because I know that it's going to be a short leash if he starts going through that again. Yeah, it has to be. I mean, that's how you forget, you know, with Troy, we've been talking about a lot. I mean, Troy took a beating. He took a real, I mean, he was a strong, strong dude. And the league was different then. I mean, they've legislated against, they've done such a good job. And this is,

It's going to sound like, you know, company towing the company line, but they've done a lot with these shells that they're putting on helmets during camp. Yep. They've done a lot of research. They've been in with manufacturers of helmets and knowing that they put sensors on these guys during camp. So they know that most of the, a lot of the concussions, especially for quarterbacks are coming when they hit their head on the ground, when they go backward. Yeah.

And that's so they've reinforced that part of the helmet more than they have in the front. They've changed those helmets. They've done as much as they can in a really tough, violent sport to try and limit. They've legislated against a lot of that stuff. But it is still tackle football. And it's a rough game. And so, yeah, Troy went through a lot.

I'll tell you, he retired more because of his back than he did any hits to the head. But he took a few and, you know, I can only tell you that he is as mentally sharp as anybody I've ever been around. Like to the point where he makes me wonder about myself because I'm like, I know I was there, but how do you remember all that stuff? So I don't worry about him, but...

you know, it's a part of the game. And so then the question is, would any of these guys knowing what, how tough that game is say, I'm going to pass? No, I think a lot of these guys would still sign up for it, go play, become great. And, and, you know, there's a price to pay for everything, but,

It's pro sports. I mean, that stuff happens in all of them. For sure. 100%. You know what? I was at the Monday Night Football booth once, in the booth. By the way, it's really exciting. I mean, I know you guys don't have guests or anything, but I was able to go once. It was the booth. How about this booth? Al Michaels, Dan Fouts. Are you ready for this? Dennis Miller. Oh, my God. You were in that booth. I was in that booth.

And the thing that blew my mind, and I want this in life, I want the guy who points to the number when someone makes a tackle

draws your attention to it. It's got all the information right there. That's so-and-so number 23. This is where it's called. Like, I need that in life. I need somebody to go, that's Joe Buck you're talking to. Oh, yes, Joe. Joe, how are you? Yes, yes. You know what I mean? Exactly. It was that little thing was the coolest thing I'd ever seen. I thought that was amazing. So that person's called a spotter. So I do a game and I think what people don't,

know is I think most people just think we just show up and do the game. And there's a lot of, so that, that board, which I've got a whole cabinet full behind me as I sit here, it's stuff that I do that every week. I build that from the ground up and it's like the great, I don't know if you had them, but when I was in high school, every once in a while we'd have an open book test, which at the time I was like, why? I don't really understand the point of this. It's the answers are right there, but

It's to test you to see how fast you can find the answer. If you know where the information is, you've obviously read it and you can get to it. And so that's kind of what it is every week. I show up.

With this thing loaded, I have a guy, a spotter next to me, Bill Garrity is his name. And then a stat guy next to him, Ed Svita, is his name. And a play happens, and he'll be pointing... He's always got his finger on what running backs in the game. So I never have to worry about that. If a play happens and they hand it off, I can just look down to my left, and he's got his finger on the name of Lowe running the ball. And now, you know, if it's a pass...

He'll put his fingers on who made the catch, who made the tackle. I don't lean on him that much because I feel like if I'm going to make a mistake, it's going to be my mistake.

But he's so good. I trust him so much that I pretty much go with anything he points to. Kind of like Ron Burgundy. Yeah, sure. Reading the teleprompter. Yeah. But then that happens. And then I look further down and the guy on a grease board would be like 18. Like there's an 18 yard completion line.

to the, I look back to the 42. Now Troy talks, takes us up kind of near the end of the play clock. And I'll say second down at four and the process repeats. So that's all it is over and over and over again. And so when I've had people in the booth, like you, somebody that, that had the,

performs or does stuff, they walk away like, how in the hell? Because I've got somebody talking in my ear while all that's going on. I remember they're going, and get ready, we're going to go to the package of, you know, whatever, and next opportunity. And then you're like, and you know, and then you realize, oh, they had the package. It's amazing to watch. It's amazing. There's a lot of seamless stuff that I think people, that's why athletes that just get off the field

They get up there and I'm like, what the hell is happening? I mean, I, you know, if you're so that was, that was the thing with Brady, you know, when, before I left Fox, they're like, we might get Brady. I'm like, that's awesome. I mean, I, you know, and they're like, would you want to work with Brady? I was like, I mean, I think so, but I don't know. You don't know until you know, until somebody does it and puts up with all that. And, and,

learns what it takes. I mean, like Troy will tell you, knowing football is about fourth on the list. You know, there's acting, there's the prep, there's the get it in within 20 seconds, there's the, you know, there's a lot more to it than just knowing football. So,

There have been some great players, some of the greatest of all time, that tried to be analysts and it didn't work out. There's some guys that are no-namers as players that have become Hall of Fame broadcasters. I mean, it's a roulette wheel and you don't know until you know. So it's why when Troy left and went to Monday Night Football, it was up to me to try to join him over there. And fortunately, Fox let me out to go do it. When does Brady...

come on the air at long last. Next year is the plan. And that's the hard thing. We're in Vegas. You and I are in Vegas now. We're going to bet. Listen, I know nothing. Again, I know nothing. Neither do I. I know nothing, but I just feel like it might never happen. I don't know why. Why do I feel that way? Because I think for somebody like Tom,

Is there a win to be had? Where's the upside for him? There's only downside. He's got a crystal clean image. He's a businessman. I just went to a seminar recently

For another buddy where he's working for this investment firm in New York, he's playing golf, he's living his life. This is the after playing career time and he played for a long time. Do you really want to go back in and do the Falcons against the Buccaneers on a Sunday and do the prep and do the pregame interviews and sit down? Maybe. I don't know. I don't know him that well. I know what I know. I love him.

But I'm with you. I mean, it is now another job and it's a job where you are

doing things publicly and making opinions and maybe pissing off somebody with something you said because it came out of the mouth of, Troy deals with that. When it comes out of the mouth of somebody that's in the Hall of Fame, it carries a lot of weight. You start getting critical, but you kind of have to be critical. Where's the win? So the answer is, I don't think we know. I hope he does it. I really do because I want to see it. I want to see him try and tackle it. I assume he'll be great.

But again, until you see it happen, you don't know.

It's going to be fun to watch. I mean, if it happens. It is. I'm still in the if category, but I'm hopeful. Same. I'm super psyched for this season, for Monday night. When you get to LA, let's get some golf in. Please. How's your golf game? It's always decent until I get out to Tahoe and I play in that celebrity event. Well, that's insane. First of all, that place is nuts. Okay. That is without a doubt the most insane thing

celebrity golf tournament on the planet. It's intense for me because I am a grinder at golf. And now you're playing in front of people, which doesn't totally bother me, but it's still there. And then it's set up. I have such respect for Steph Curry, who just won it. Yeah. He had a frigging hole in one. He made an eagle on the 18th hole to win.

The greens are so fast that I start getting defensive on the greens. And so I tip my cap, man. Those guys are just flat out great athletes at whatever they do, but it's impressive to see guys perform that well. So I was right in the middle of the pack. I didn't embarrass myself, but I didn't impress myself at all either. That's all I want in my golf game. I just don't want to embarrass. If I'm in the middle of the pack, I'm fine.

Yeah. In fact, I'm going to, I don't know if you noticed my Augusta hat I have on. Yes, I did. I'm headed out today. I'm going to go try to play right now. But let's do it. Let's get a game. You know, call up Smoltzy. Get him out of retirement. We'll get Smoltz. We'll get Bateman. Oh, yeah. Bateman's great. Will Arnett. Those are the homies. Yeah. They're the best. Yeah, good dudes. Thanks, brother. This was great.

I loved that. I hope that's not too in like in the sports weeds for you guys. I don't think it is. I hope not. I love sports. What do you want from me? I got Joe Buck on here. We got to talk sports. Don't forget Monday Night Football. I'm so excited. ESPN and ABC, Bill's Giants, September 11th. Let's go. Or as they say, LFG. All right. Just one more thing before we end today's episode. Let's check the lowdown line.

Hello, you've reached literally in our lowdown line where you can get the lowdown on all things about me, Rob Lowe. 323-570-4551. So have at it. Here's the beep.

Hello, Rob. This is Ron from your hometown of Dayton, Ohio. Love your podcast, but I have one serious question that is bothering me. I hear you talk several times about your love of baseball, and we share that love, and you're a big Dodger fan. And I just wonder how someone growing up in Dayton, Ohio during the big red machine days could be a fan of

of the Big Red Machine's most dreaded rival back in the days. To this day, I'm 71 years old, and to this day, I cannot stand the Dodgers because of that rivalry back then. Just wondering about your thoughts about the old Cincinnati Reds when you were nearby and how you became a Dodger fan. What a great question. I ask myself that a lot. I can tell you exactly what happened.

I lived and breathed Cincinnati Reds. And...

I think when they broke up the big red machine, I think the GM's name was Bob Hausam. I still remember something like that because it broke my little teenage heart when they broke that team up. And I never recovered. Still love the Reds, but I never recovered. I think they traded Tony Perez was the first thing that happened. And then it was then Sparky Anderson was gone and

you know, it all sort of came apart and I hated the Dodgers. When I moved to California, I hated the Dodgers. And then the Reds went through their March shot phase,

And the Dodgers sort of ascended and a little bit of out of sight, out of mind. And over time, I just drifted away. And that's how I became a Dodger fan. But my first, I'd say almost five years of living in Los Angeles, maybe more, I would go to Dodger Stadium only to see the Reds. And it just sort of

crept in it's funny they're not really rivals now I don't think of the Reds and Dodgers as as rivals like but you're right in our day oof I hated them but it's a different world I still love the Reds I loved coming back to Cincinnati and and I mean particularly now I mean they're so fun this year but yeah Dodger blue for now but that I can still be I can still be Dodger red I can have it both ways thanks for the question see y'all next week

Don't forget to come back, play with us, here on Literally. You've been listening to Literally with Rob Lowe, produced by me, Nick Liao, with help from associate producer Sarah Begar, research by Alyssa Grawl, editing by Jerron Ferguson, engineering and mixing by Rich Garcia. Our executive producers are Rob Lowe for Low Profile, Adam Sachs, Jeff Ross, and myself for Team Coco, and Colin Anderson for Stitcher. Booking by Deirdre Dodd, music by Devin Bryant.

Special thanks to Hidden City Studios. Thanks for listening. We'll see you next time on Literally with Rob Lowe.

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