February 9, 2024 • 34 mins
Christopher "Mad Dog" Russo joins Peter for a wide-ranging conversation on the lost art of appreciating football history, Super Bowl pregame shows, the crafting of a memorable "morning after" monologue, and his thoughts on racket sports and the pickleball and padel crazes currently taking America by storm. Then, Peter gives his official Super Bowl prediction.
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Speaker 1 (00:07):
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 Schreger. If you're listening, you might
see in your feed that we have another podcast for
(00:31):
the Super Bowl. It's with Dan Soder, who's a die
hard forty nine Ers fan. He's a stand up comedian.
He's one of the most successful stand up comedians in
the game right now. We had an amazing hour long
talk heading into the Super Bowl and his experience being
in Niners fan going into it. But I wanted to
give a bonus odd for those who might be traveling
(00:51):
on Friday night, might be traveling on Saturday, might be
at the gym getting ready for the Super Bowl. This
is a two part of here. The first part is
going to be an interview with a hero of mine
and a guy that I think is quite arguably the
most influential person for me doing what I do every
day on a microphone, and that's Chris mad Dog Russo.
If you want the backstory, long before he was on
ESPN tearning it up on first take, Chris mad Dog
(01:13):
Russo was the voice of my childhood on sports. He
and Mike Francessa had the Mic and the Mad Dog
Show on WFAN, and they didn't just hit local sports,
they would hit everything. They would hit you know, Sopranos episodes,
they would hit what's going on in politics, they would
talk about movies, they would talk about everything. And it
was two guys who weren't necessarily best friends, but they
(01:35):
came from different paths and they made great, great art together.
I've always wanted to interview mad Dog. Now I've been
on Francissa's show a bunch, I've been on frances'spot, I
never had a chance to really, you know, meet mad Dog.
And with Super Bowl being in Las Vegas and knowing
what a hit he's been with some of his takes
(01:55):
over the last few months, I really went out there
and I tried to be aggressive in landing mad Dog
for our super Bowl episode. Well, he agreed to do
the podcast, and we're going to do is. I'm going
to toss to the interview, which I think is great,
and then I'm gonna give you my official super Bowl prediction,
and then we're gonna call it a day and call
it a weekend, and we're gonna go enjoy some wings
and some chips and go watch some football. So no
(02:17):
further ado, Christopher mad Dog Russo, with no further ado.
I've said it time and time again. He's my favorite
person in sports media. I grew up watching Mick and
the Mad Dog, and I have just sow in awe
of what he's done since then. I love the second chapter,
third chapter, and now we're in this chapter where a
whole new audience is learning about him from first take,
(02:39):
and he's incredible and his Wednesday ran say some of
the best things on television or radio right now, No
further ado, Christopher mad Dog Russo. Welcome, Peter.
Speaker 2 (02:48):
Nice to have you with us.
Speaker 3 (02:49):
I was not realize you were such a huge fan,
so right out of the gate, I get a nice
little bonus on a Thursday afternoon.
Speaker 1 (02:54):
Go ahead, dude, I remember you sending Mark Melus's to
a bar in Jersey while he was.
Speaker 3 (02:58):
Oh my god, do you remember that. Oh you are
a big crick You do understand.
Speaker 1 (03:02):
This is my entire childhood. From one o'clock to six o'clock.
I would listen to you guys religiously. I've been on friends.
Oh you were wrapped up and talk Iron Eagle as
your producer. I remember listening then, I mean, this is
this is how far I go back with you guys.
So so you're talking ninety the ninety four stretches like
you know this legendary you guys going back from Vancouver
to Houston, sitting in the airport and the whole thing.
Speaker 2 (03:24):
Oh my god, you are. Jeez, you're a groupeable.
Speaker 1 (03:28):
It's so funny. You referenced in your recent rant about.
Speaker 2 (03:32):
I got mad.
Speaker 3 (03:33):
I got mad at Mike and that chippy because you
wouldn't go to Vancouver, so the station made him go
out there for Game six when the Rangers had a
chance to win the cup. Mike wouldn't want to go.
It was a Saturday night, but they made him go.
Speaker 2 (03:42):
That was funny. So what was it?
Speaker 1 (03:44):
Game six was in at the shootout game and there
was a Game six.
Speaker 2 (03:47):
They got killed. They lost three or four nothing, okay, because.
Speaker 1 (03:50):
They lost Game one at home yesterday day in overtime.
Hits the goal and then a couple.
Speaker 2 (03:55):
Then then they went three row and then we come.
Speaker 1 (03:58):
Back to game seven, and of course you guys were
in the saddle, but I don't remember Game six.
Speaker 3 (04:04):
Yeah, Game six was a Saturday night. I'm gonna I
think the score was three nothing. Remember they had a
k They were three to one, and they lost Game
five at the Garden eight to five or something like that.
Everybody thought they were going to win the game and
celebrate their cup. How to go back to Vancouver. That's
the one that Mike didn't want to go to. This
is a Saturday night show. But we flew to Vancouver.
(04:24):
Did this show flew back to New York? I remember
Game seven was two days later. They had the extra
day for Game seven. That was a Tuesday night.
Speaker 2 (04:34):
Game six was.
Speaker 1 (04:35):
In Vancouver on a Saturday night, and Game seven of
Knicks Rockets. I want to say it was on a weekend.
I remember watching John Starks on a.
Speaker 3 (04:41):
Weekend game snow Game seven, Game six, Yeah it was
on a Sunday, Yes, right, yes it was on a Sunday.
Speaker 1 (04:48):
No, dude, And then check that game.
Speaker 2 (04:52):
Let's see the Knicks went back to Houston up three
to two.
Speaker 1 (04:56):
Yes, they lost two games.
Speaker 2 (04:57):
Game seven.
Speaker 3 (04:59):
Game six was a Sunday night after the US Open golf,
and Game seven was on Wednesday.
Speaker 1 (05:06):
Got it in Houston?
Speaker 2 (05:07):
Good job, Well you're sharp.
Speaker 1 (05:09):
These These were the years and then obviously during the
San Francisco Giants runs and you know, coming up short
and Barry Bond's killing you and swing the bat, Barry.
I mean, I'm telling you, your stuff is legendary, my friend.
We got my whole crew, we all worship you, and
it's just so cool to have you here to start it.
During the Dan Campbell rint you had which went viral
and was amazing, you referenced the the you know, the
(05:31):
sports geeks whatever, they wouldn't know Lombardi from Paul Brown.
And that's what I take away from this because I
do the Good Morning Football Today, I did a six
minute segment on Derek Thomas and how number fifty eight
super Bow fifty eight. He died twenty four years ago today,
Oh didn't how It's yeah, it's crazy that Derek Thomas
isn't alive to see this, because when I think about
(05:53):
the chiefs of that era, there was Marty Schottenheimer and
Derek Thomas and Neil Smith and Deron Cherry and Albert Lewis,
and they would come up short. And I go to
this because is there a place for the sports historian
and the guys like you and me who like you
referenced reference to Otto Graham a couple months ago, and
people like made fun of you online. I'm like, are
you serious? Like, of course, outo Graham, that's it. But
I find myself speaking into a wind tunnel sometimes when
(06:15):
I'm referencing Sonny Jurgensen.
Speaker 2 (06:17):
One hundred percent, right, Peter. I think that's been a
lost start.
Speaker 3 (06:20):
I think it'll remember it's also thirty forty years ago.
Whether they were talking, you know, nineteen seventy sports talk
where they're talking about Garrick and DiMaggio, who knows, But
it is a low start. The historical knowledge of the
young podcaster, sports talk show host media personality is a disaster.
Speaker 2 (06:41):
I don't know how you're going to solve that.
Speaker 3 (06:43):
You know when and I love Olasky, but Dan o'loski,
who I love, good guy despite me. I comment this
week when he didn't put Joe Montana his top five
of all time quarterbacks, I mean, come on, I mean
he's five and four and owen super Bowls, three MVPs,
eleven touchdowns and no interceptions. And even that's not that
long ago. It's in the early eighties. So if you
(07:04):
if that is too long for the young guys, and
how the hell is I know Graham going to be
in there, who was in ten straight championship games between
nineteen forty five and nineteen fifty five, So it's a
lost start. I don't care if they, I don't care
what the young fan thinks. I'm going to bring that
up constantly. When somebody dies. They always call me that
I do great with dead guys, with old guys who
(07:26):
dropped dead, because I always put Ernie your corsion or
somebody like that.
Speaker 2 (07:29):
I always do that. I do it for all the sports.
Speaker 3 (07:33):
I specifically do it for football with Ernie, but I
do with baseball too, and I you know, it's my childhood.
And since my childhood in sports is significant, you know
when I was eleven your age, when you were listening
to Mike and myself. If it means something to me,
I'm going to do it. And that's why there is
to it. And since I'm sixty three going on sixty
four years of age, you know, and still doing this.
(07:56):
If somebody died who I fifty years ago loved and
now he's dead, I'm going to talk about it. And
if you don't like it, all right, I'll live with it.
But the key to it is, if you're a talk
show host, sell it. If it means something to you
as a fan and you're emotional about it and I'm
passionate about it, you can convince the audience that it
(08:18):
means something to them.
Speaker 2 (08:19):
So that's that's my approach.
Speaker 3 (08:21):
So if it means something that Christopher Russo when you
know Jim Brown dies, well then you know, God done it.
If it means something to me, I'm going to tell
you about it, and my enthusiasm will hopefully convince you
that should be mentioned and it will mean something to you.
Speaker 1 (08:34):
That's the first. That's great. There's a great author, Michael McCambridge,
who I'm sure you love him. He's incredible out of
Saint Louis. He just wrote a book called The Big
Time and it's all about seventies sports and it goes
through free agency in the NFL, and it goes through
you know, everything from doctor j having to have to
be sold off, from the from the New York Nets
(08:55):
when they become the New Jersey, all this stuff, and
it's so interesting and I want to share it with people,
and it's like, I don't know if there's an audience
anymore if anyone gives it about what the world tennis
ascaw good point.
Speaker 3 (09:05):
I did McCambridge twice in the last six months. I
did not read the original book that he did, The League,
which came out and oh two, which is like a
tremendous book, and I got a hold of that and
for some reason I didn't read it at the time.
Speaker 2 (09:20):
So I put him on last summer for an hour.
Speaker 3 (09:23):
And then this book came out in October, the seventies book,
and I put him on again for an hour. So
in the last six months I've had him on for
an hour apiece. That's another thing, Peter that people find
with me. I will always do book authors, and when
I put a book, I'll put.
Speaker 2 (09:39):
Him on for sixty minutes.
Speaker 1 (09:41):
I think you had said this anachro biographer early this
early this week, which I love. We're in Vegas. I
would love to hear it.
Speaker 2 (09:47):
Yeah, I did thirty minutes on that. Now.
Speaker 3 (09:48):
That one was a little shorter because I'm at Vegas,
I was Super Bowl. I only did that one for
thirty minutes. But most authors of books, I will do
an hour. Because the guy sold this book, he wrote
a book I enjoyed it, and I want to make
sure he sells as many copies as he possibly can.
Speaker 2 (10:05):
I'll tell you one.
Speaker 3 (10:06):
A few years ago, I ran into a Shid Luckman
book on the Bears.
Speaker 1 (10:11):
Would love to read that.
Speaker 3 (10:12):
I don't know where I found it. I got it,
and somebody I found it read it. I loved the book.
I put The Guy on the Air. Book came out
about ten years ago. I put The Guy on the
air on a Friday for an hour. He the you
do on Amazon that hour, the book like jumped three
thousand spots, and he emailed Eddie Erkson, our producer, to say,
Holy thank he Chris, thank you for all many books
(10:35):
I've sold in the last hour. I don't care. My
job is to sell the guy Is book. If I
like the book. If I like the book, you should
like the book too. And so I like to give
the author an hour. If it's a book I enjoy, I.
Speaker 1 (10:47):
Take pride in it. I've got enough clout on our
morning show Going Morning Football where I can say, hey,
I want to do a segment on this, and they'll
just be like, all right, the Guy of the way.
Now what I have which is incredible and it's underutilized
at the NFL Network and NFL Media, I have access
to the entire NFL Film's vault, so I could call
for I want to see an air Coriel piece that
Steve Sable did in seventy six, can we find some thing?
Or I want to do a piece, you know, so
(11:08):
everyone knows who Bert Bell was, like, can we find that?
And it's again, there's a niche audience that loves it
and appreciates it. I feel like you and I are
kindred spirits. And then I don't know if you have this.
I have the photographic memory where if you mentioned a
Kent Graham Giants game from ninety eight, I could tell
you exactly what happened.
Speaker 2 (11:25):
Absolutely and good one.
Speaker 1 (11:26):
And it's special to me to do that. And then
this week, going through all these Niners Super Bowls, I
could talk about all these Niners teams because I grew
up with it. And you notice that it might not
be the vocal majority online, but the real fans absolutely
love it and appreciate it.
Speaker 2 (11:41):
I did the same thing in the last three weeks.
Speaker 3 (11:43):
I watched the two championship games on the NFL Films,
the seventy nine Er Dallas game seventeen ten Keys are
last last game.
Speaker 1 (11:52):
Ever played nineteen fifty seven, right.
Speaker 2 (11:55):
Well that's seventy okay, so that was the Niner game. Yep.
Speaker 3 (11:58):
I watched the fifty seven game too, and then I
watched the seventy one Niner Dallas championship game in Dallas
when Dallas.
Speaker 2 (12:07):
Beat him fourteen to three.
Speaker 1 (12:08):
Okay, I thought you were talking Lions Lions nine ers
fifty seven because I went back and I watched that
one from fifty seven, and then seventy one I watched
because it was the last time Baltimore hosted an AFC
championship game. I was Oakland, Baltimore, Oakland, which there's like
twenty ho I put twenty put in the game.
Speaker 3 (12:24):
Yeah, you know what I put on two weeks going
to bottomore Oakland game Norman Budash.
Speaker 2 (12:30):
Five o'clock for a half hour a lot.
Speaker 3 (12:32):
So I will do that as it was the last
AFL championship game. As you said before the game here
against Kansas City for the Ravens, I did the same thing.
Speaker 2 (12:41):
So you and I are kindred spirits as far as
the history is concerned.
Speaker 1 (12:44):
You also mentioned on a an either podcast or someone
I was listening to an interview. Maybe it was with
Kevin Clark, who I like and I think he's really
good at what he does. He were saying, you don't
do the whole watch the pregame shows. Well, I'm on
the Fox pregame show where we did eleven straight hours. Yes,
I'm on the NFL network one this year, which are
doing ten straight hours. You don't watch those? What is
your up? Your thought is just I do this for
(13:06):
a living. I'm good. Let's just get to kick off.
Speaker 3 (13:07):
Well, first off, I've also been here for a week,
so I mean I might watch the Sunday game with
the CBS.
Speaker 2 (13:15):
They're going to do a history of the citok I watched.
Speaker 3 (13:18):
That was about one o'clock. I got.
Speaker 2 (13:23):
Mcmanuson today. I'll get some details on that.
Speaker 3 (13:27):
I don't watch the pregame at all. I don't want
to go to any party. My kid called me today
from Wisconsin and he said that podcast got some juice
with me, saying, I want to watch the game by
myself with no interruption. I want to sit in my
freaking little room with the door shut, with the game
on around six o'clock and it's the last football game
(13:49):
you're going to watch until September and it's the last time.
Speaker 2 (13:52):
You really a guy like me, you have to do
it more than I would. With the draft.
Speaker 3 (13:56):
And the free agency in the schedule, I don't do
as much of it as you would do. But once
that game is over on Friday Sunday night, you don't
got a lot to work with with the NFL and
we need so I'll be quiet. As far as the
sports talk is concerned. It gets to be a little
bit of a low. But I will watch the games
by myself, watch the game by myself, nothing fancy, and
(14:18):
I won't sit there and watch three hours of the pregame.
I'll probably put it on around five five point fifteen
and have it on, not watch it, but have it
on at least.
Speaker 1 (14:27):
It's funny because I sat down with Mahomes for the
NFL Network one. It's a big that's a good one.
Good for you get it's great. I've known him since
he was in college Kingsbury.
Speaker 2 (14:35):
That's a great job on your part. Thank good job,
and he's.
Speaker 1 (14:37):
Great in it. But to tell you know, twelve hours
of pregame, yeah, I want to. I want that to
be here, to that to be seen. But like how
many times can we talk about the X factor in
the game.
Speaker 2 (14:47):
One hundred percent?
Speaker 3 (14:48):
But having mahomes that's a great that's a great coup
for you.
Speaker 2 (14:52):
Uh yeah, I mean I listen. I think getting to Sunday.
Speaker 3 (14:55):
At six thirty is very difficult because you know, there's
not a lot on early in the day. There'll be
some NBA or college basketball, but getting this Sunday at
six thirty is a very difficult proper position. It's a
long day in the East before you get to the game,
so that's a problem. You gotta kill the day per se.
But I know on Monday will be easy, Tuesday will
(15:17):
be easy, and then it will be a little slow.
From a sports talk standpoint.
Speaker 2 (15:21):
You have to live with it.
Speaker 4 (15:23):
We'll do it.
Speaker 2 (15:23):
We want that I do.
Speaker 1 (15:25):
And we do a little parade talk Wednesday. Who's gonna
be funny on the parade? And we do a little
and it's like, let's get to the end of the week.
For me. You know, I'm on these studio shows. What's
your studio show? Like if you were building it?
Speaker 2 (15:38):
I do with this.
Speaker 1 (15:38):
I do Bill Simmons' podcast every Friday, and his thing
is there's just too many, like we don't need there's
six guys on there, so give me your dream, make
your dream studio.
Speaker 2 (15:50):
Have to people who the people and two people.
Speaker 3 (15:54):
You don't need six seven guys, I mean, my god,
is so much. I mean, look at CBS. They got SIMS,
and I have Burlson, and I have James Brown, they
have Coward they're gonna put obviously.
Speaker 2 (16:07):
JJ Watt Boomer.
Speaker 3 (16:08):
I mean he got six guys. Oh my god, I
don't need six guys talk to me about this game.
Couple of guys enough, Oh Drives, You're crazy. And that's
one of the reasons why I tune out. I can't
deal with six guys talking about the same game for
four and a half five hours.
Speaker 2 (16:24):
It's way, way, way too much.
Speaker 3 (16:26):
And I'd say it pet peeve of mine and I
do it all the time with the postgame, and it's
the network NFI network, and it's also ESPN, and ESPN
did this after the Lions game. They went to Campbell
and they cut out before Campbell talked about the missfield.
Why do you go for the field goals?
Speaker 5 (16:47):
Now?
Speaker 3 (16:47):
Hold on, hold on, hold on, that's what America wants
to know right now. Why did he opt not to
kick two field goals in the second half on fourth down,
and they did not go to the SoundBite of him
answering that question and when they losing coach, especially when
he gets to that microphone after the game Sunday.
Speaker 2 (17:07):
I want to hear the press conference. Okay, I don't.
Speaker 3 (17:09):
Need to see Steve Young or anybody else babbling about it.
Speaker 2 (17:13):
Booger. I love the guys.
Speaker 3 (17:15):
I want to see the freaking press conference that goes
for you too. About network, I get it, Show me
the people on the press conference, the losing coach.
Speaker 2 (17:23):
I want to hear the questions.
Speaker 3 (17:24):
I want to hear ten straight minutes of it, and
they refuse to give it to you, and it drives
me absolutely. That's not having a feel of the American
football fan in that scenario. Losing coach off every big
event as a fan is essential, and too many producers
don't understand that, and they cut out of it before
(17:45):
you get.
Speaker 2 (17:45):
The gist of what the losing coach has to say.
Speaker 1 (17:48):
I think one of the coolest things of the NFC
AFC Championship games and the Super Bowl is that a
lot of times on camera and sometimes I remember it
was Aaron Andrews A couple times and it was Chris
Meyers one time that I gotta think Wolfson does the winner,
and then Evan Washburn I guess on Steia. I like
when they interview the losing coach in the locker room
(18:08):
right after the game, and you've got the that's a good,
that's good, but again not as promoted as often as Hey,
after this, we're gonna get back to the guys in
the studio. They're gonna break down the game.
Speaker 3 (18:19):
And there's too many examples where the questions in that
spot they're generic.
Speaker 2 (18:25):
If somebody blows the game, I got to hear it.
Get specific.
Speaker 3 (18:28):
They're afraid of getting them aggravated and everything else. Get specific.
And I know it's a difficult job. You got somebody
in your headset job and you're crazy, but you know,
for instance, when Mahomes beat the Bills, yep okay had
him on the field.
Speaker 2 (18:46):
The first thing they asked, well, how about Baltimore? Even
the second game.
Speaker 3 (18:51):
I don't want to hear about the ravens now I know, Sibby,
I'm not interested talk about the first pass in the
third quarter when Scottling made a big catch on the
right sideline.
Speaker 1 (19:01):
First time in the season. He had two catches for
more than thirty yards and heldus Scanley, who mahomes his
public supported throughout Like that's a cool story.
Speaker 3 (19:08):
It's a good one, you know, talk about the idea
you want a road game in Buffalo, the fact that
you heard that you couldn't win, and there's not enough
of that going on, and it drives me absolutely crazy.
Speaker 2 (19:18):
And boy, what a bet I had.
Speaker 3 (19:20):
I had scolding on the over of sixteen and a
half yards against the Ravens.
Speaker 2 (19:24):
Last played a game again.
Speaker 1 (19:28):
Till the game that's a great one. Uh, you know
it's the sideliner for all that stuff? Is it the
game of itself? Now? I love Monday mornings during the
football season because I know that at seven am Eastern
there there might not be the same amount people watching
want to give content what I have to say, and
(19:48):
people want to hear what I when you when you
have to write that monologue Monday after Super Bowl, super
Bowl Sunday or not right, but do that at one
o'clock or whenever the radio show starts. And I go
back to when you guys used to recap sopranos back
at Mike and the Mad Dog. Is that your favorite
moment that you when you first given the.
Speaker 2 (20:09):
Monologue after a big game. There's nothing better. Now listen, A.
Speaker 3 (20:16):
Mannequin could have done it. But Campbell is a perfect example.
They played the game Sunday night. It's it's over ten thirty,
and I'm on the next day at three. I don't
listen to any other shows. I want to make sure
I'm not swayed, so when I go in here, you'll
block it all out. I don't follow. I mean, I
(20:37):
watched the postgame the night before, but the morning off,
I don't watch much. But one Sunday at three Monday
at three o'clock rolls around days a perfect example. I'm
gonna go twenty minutes and I'm going to kill in
this case Campbell, which is to me an absolute lamp.
And I don't rehearse it. I have it in my
head what I'm gonna say, but I don't rehearse it.
(20:59):
I just let it flow. And that is the perfect
storm of a big game, controversy, terrible loss, and a
night game the night before.
Speaker 2 (21:10):
You're on.
Speaker 3 (21:10):
Now, if that game Saturday, you can't do as much
on it because you've got a day in between.
Speaker 2 (21:15):
So you need this Sunday.
Speaker 3 (21:16):
But That is an absolute perfect storm for a talk
show host like me. It's simple, and I'm good at
the rants. I can talk forever. I don't have to
rely on a lot of calls early now. For instance,
on Monday, if I have a Shanahan screw up, or
if I have a terrible conclusion of the game, that's
an easy layup to.
Speaker 2 (21:35):
Get to the show.
Speaker 3 (21:36):
I'll do it at three, I'll do it again at five.
I'd probably have something to work with on Tuesday. So
I'll have this game. If it's got a good conclusion
with some drama, it will get two or three days
out of it. And that's what I need for next week.
Speaker 2 (21:51):
On the show.
Speaker 1 (21:52):
We'll wrap with this. You and I might be the
biggest tennis fans in mainstream media as far as just
openly say how much we love the racket sports. I
don't do pick a ball. I don't know if you do.
But I've recently becovered I've discovered adell. Have you heard
of now? It's unbelievable.
Speaker 3 (22:10):
Where I live, where I play my tennis in Fairfield County, Connecticut,
we just put a padel court in.
Speaker 2 (22:19):
There's only two in Connecticut.
Speaker 3 (22:20):
There's one in Norwalk and one in New Canaan, and
we put a padel court in. Now I don't play it,
but all my buddies this last pass to the summer
loved it and played it.
Speaker 2 (22:31):
I tried it. I still love the tennis more.
Speaker 3 (22:35):
But all my buddies in September did not want to
play tennis doubles. They wanted to play padel So I'm
very familiar with it, much more than picketball they wanted
to play.
Speaker 1 (22:45):
Now.
Speaker 2 (22:45):
They play the paddle. They play a lot of that
in the winter, but they love the padell.
Speaker 3 (22:49):
We only have the one court and getting a court
reserving it was very difficult.
Speaker 1 (22:54):
Did I ever convince you to come out with me
and my buddies here I'm in Brooklyn, New York.
Speaker 3 (22:58):
Yes, to play tennis in the city, absolutely absolutely.
Speaker 2 (23:03):
I have not played a lot in the winter yet.
I play a lot. Once April comes, I'll play four
tames a week.
Speaker 3 (23:09):
I'll play a lot of tennis. Uh, yes, absolutely, I
can definitely do that. I'll come down and you know,
maybe on a first take day come over.
Speaker 1 (23:17):
And yeah, great, I'm not gonna waste any more of
your time. I could literally do this for three hours
and uh if then when you want to give me
a show on.
Speaker 2 (23:25):
You you got him a great job. You do a
wonderful job.
Speaker 3 (23:28):
I go to Connecticut Muffin and U Canaan every day
and they have the NFL network on there every day,
and I'm in there at about six seven o'clock.
Speaker 2 (23:36):
I watch you all the time.
Speaker 1 (23:38):
Love this. I so appreciate you. Thanks for all you doing.
Don't let jj Redick was a freaking They're gonna make Medeck.
I think they make Weddeck the replacing doc. Look for that.
I think he's good on the games. He's very good
on the games, very serious in the studio, and you
and him are a good counterbalance to each other.
Speaker 2 (23:56):
We have fun with them. We have fun. Good job, Pete,
you got the man.
Speaker 4 (24:00):
Thank you, Chris, You're the best.
Speaker 1 (24:26):
Mad Dog Russo Aaron wan Kaufman my producer here on here.
You could tell I was fanboying man out. I think
I pitched myself for a show on his network six
different times.
Speaker 2 (24:35):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (24:37):
I don't know if I've ever heard you say kindred spirits,
and I don't think i've ever heard you say it
three times four times? You but you you like clearly
I mean, I have always known that you love the
history of the game, and you have this recollection of
stats and previous games, and that was like watching.
Speaker 2 (24:57):
I mean that, I mean, I don't know.
Speaker 5 (24:59):
That was like some young quarterback getting to work out
with my homes and being like, wait, yeah.
Speaker 1 (25:04):
Dude, he's referencing y He's referencing Keysar Stadium, and I'm
trying to one up him. But I'm like, he's like,
I's talk about fifty seven fifty seven keys Our stadium.
That's That's what I'm talking about.
Speaker 5 (25:14):
Now.
Speaker 1 (25:14):
He's great, and I love how he just he's got
he's got. He's got that. I don't give a leap
where he's like the CBS pregame show, you know, it
doesn't do it for me, and he just like goes
off and You're like, I would never do that because
those are like, you know, who knows I might be
working with those guys, right. He doesn't care. He's like,
I'm mad dog, I'm in my sixties. I'm gonna say
what I say. Uh gosh. She was great and I
(25:36):
so appreciate his place in the sports media landscape. That said,
it is time to unveil my official Super Bowl prediction.
If you listen to this podcast or you watch me
on TV, you know I've had a bit of good
fortune with these picks over the years. We went back
in the tapes, it's not five years straight that that
was a that was an outright mistake. Truth is, I've
(25:58):
either picked the right Super Bowl matchup or the winner
in the last four Super Bowls. And in this years instance,
I actually before the season picked the Chiefs and the
forty nine Ers to square off. And I'll tell you
I had the Rams winning the Super Bowl. I had
the Rams being the Chiefs. The Rams actually beat the Bengals.
(26:19):
I had the Chiefs winning last year, and I said
very specifically that Nick Bolton was going to have the
game winning touchdown or the game winning play, which he did,
and I said they were going to beat the Packers.
Packers didn't even make the playoffs last year. They actually
ended up beating the Eagles, so I didn't even have
going to the tournament before the season started. But this
year I've been spot on, and this year I have
(26:41):
a flawless record with every single playoff game except one.
I had the Cowboys beating the Packers in the wild
or in the Divisional round. That is the only was
that Wildcar round or division that was the Wildcar round? Right?
It was Wildcar Round. That's the only game I've gotten wrong,
I think as far as the playoffs, and no, I
might have had another one. Oh I had the Browns.
I had the Browns beating the Texans them. So I'm
(27:04):
sitting pretty I wawless divisional round picks, wawless Championship round picks.
And before the season. Let's go to what we did
on the podcast. Let me toss to the clip. Here's
what we said on September seventh, before kickoff on how
I thought this season Super Bowl matchup would go. My
winners from the NFC, the San Francisco forty nine ers.
(27:27):
I think they play a punishing brand of football that
is with Nick Bosa or without. I think their defense
always sets the standard. And as much as I love
Demko Ryans, I don't think they missed that much of
a beat without him. They keep ongoing. They've got young
talent at every position there and then on offense, Kyle
Shanahan is a mad genius. I think he finally has
a quarterback that can operate his offense that he believes
(27:48):
he could put in trust and really get them over
the hump. He's a former mister Irrelevant and that is okay.
I've got McCaffrey as my MVP. I think Deebo has
a big year. I think Ayuk is a big year.
I think Trent Williams might going out on a swan
song here in his last couple of seasons, but I
think he's still the best tackle in the league. I'm
going with the San Francisco forty nine ers as my
(28:09):
team out of the NFC. As for the AFC, really
really struggled with this. Yeah, I can't pick against the Chiefs.
I don't care if Chris Jones is there. I don't
care if Tyreek Hill's not there. I don't care if
any of those guys aren't there. I can't pick against
the Chiefs. The Chiefs have been the standard and last
(28:30):
year was a great lesson. I stuck with them. I
picked them the wins Super Bowl despite losing Tyreek Hill.
I think I might have been in an island on that,
and that sounds wild considering how much success they have.
I will not pick against Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelcey
until I am forced to and I am not forced
to pick against them. They are still at the peak
of their game. I had a chance to spend time
with them this offseason at that big Slick Charity Classic,
(28:51):
and I was hanging with them, and I swear to god,
I left that thing being like, those guys are great.
And then I talked to us some people around the
league and I'm like, I don't know. They seem like
we haveing a little towo good of a time this
offseason with the golf and this, and there are concerts
and it's like Mahomes and Kelsey are everywhere in the
podcast and start turning away and then you're like, holy crap,
they're just so good. I am going with the Chiefs.
I don't know how they get there. I don't know
(29:12):
if it's through a one seed and they host all
these games at Arrowhead. I don't know if they've got
to go on the road. But like I said, it's
one of those deals, my eyes will not deceive me.
And if there's a fourth quarter and Patrick Mahomes needs
to get it done in a big spot, he has
gotten it done every single time. I'm going with Kansas City. Now,
this was a super Bowl, A few years back in Miami.
We go from one party city to the next. We
(29:33):
go to Vegas. Forty nine Ers versus Chiefs, the Super
Bowl Champions for the Super Bowl in Las Vegas on CBS.
Drum roll please, Aaron. The Kansas City Chiefs will be
your first back to back Super Bowl champion winners since
the New England Patriots did it in two thousand and
(29:53):
three and two thousand and four. I am going with
the Chiefs. I love what they are all about. I
love that people are doubting them, and I love the
fact that Mahomes and Kelsey are ready to go. Back
on September seventh, here we are as we head towards
the Super Bowl, less than forty eight hours away, and
here's how I see it going down. I do still
(30:14):
think it's going to be a shootout. I know that
sounds crazy. Spags's defense has been so dialed in, but
you give Kyle Shanahan two weeks to prepare, you better
believe you're getting the best at Christian McCaffrey, Deebo, Samuel
George Kittle, Kyle Yuschek, and then the sunsung hero of
this team, Brandon Ayuk, who has become an incredible wide receiver.
I think you will see a couple plays to a
(30:34):
guy they called third and Juwan. That's Juwan Johnson. I
think he make a couple of big plays. I also
think that offensive line is healthy. I think Trent Williams
has been outstanding these playoffs. This team is going to
move the ball on spags and that's something that the
Baltimore Ravens could not do. It is something that the
Miami Dolphins absolutely could not do. But I have full
(30:55):
confidence that Kyle Shanahan will dial it up in a
million ways, and between he and Clint Kubiak and Brian
Greci and the rest of those offensive coaches, they will
put up points. I don't know if we see Cadarius Tony.
I think he had one of the greatest out of
nowhere performances in the Super Bowl last year with the
big punt return and the touchdown. But I don't know
(31:15):
if he plays in this one, as he has been
not on the field throughout the playoffs. But if he's
out there, I'd watch for him to have a couple
of cool gadget plays. Truth of the matter is, Chaeco
has been as good a running back in the NFL
as anyone not named mccaff free in the last sex
six weeks of the season. He is reliable. He killed
the Ravens and he killed the Dolphins a couple weeks earlier.
(31:38):
I think Pachaco eats. I think this game goes back
and forth, back and forth, back and forth. Now, the
tragedy of it all is that you know who I'm picking.
I'm picking the Kansas City Chiefs. The tragedy is this
let to be one of the great great Super Bowls.
I really do think so shootout the whole deal. I
think it's gonna be like twenty one to twenty one
or twenty four to twenty one heading into the fourth quarter,
(32:01):
and I think that the Niners are going to have
a lead. The Niners are going to have a lead
at say twenty eight to twenty seven, and it's going
to be one of these deals where they're up, they're
holding on. And I do think that it is going
to be a Trent McDuffie, he's six in the fourth
quarter at will ins the game of the Kansas City Chiefs,
(32:23):
and I do think that the Kansa City Chiefs defense
slams the door one more time so I've got to
go in this way, thirty four to twenty eight. Thirty
four to twenty eight. Now, I got that figure out
how how that scoring works, because if they're down a point,
they wouldn't kick an extra point, they would go for two.
Whatever it is, I'm going with thirty four to twenty eight,
(32:45):
and I cannot say it enough. Trent McDuffie. Trent McDuffie,
Trent McDuffie. Now, Aaron, here's the issue. Trent McDuffie has
never had an interception in the NFL, never, and yet
I think in the Super Bowl he saves the best
for the last. He's one of the most physical corners
in the league. He and Steed have been great all season.
I see an interception, Bang, bang, Niner Gang. I love it.
(33:06):
The Niners have done this season. I picked them to
win the NFC. They have done that. It's an amazing story.
And yet at the end of the day, I think
it's Kelsey, I think it's Mahomes, I think it's Reed,
I think it's Spagnolo, I think it's stone cold Chris Jones.
And I think it's those guys winning another Super Bowl,
the first back to back Super Bowl winners since two
thousand and four, when the Patriots won back to back
(33:28):
Super Bowls, beating the Carolina Panthers and the Philadelphia Eagles
in consecutive years. Mahomes majestic again. He will be your MVP,
but Trent McDuffie will make the play. On that note,
I signed off. I will see you guys next week.
Will recap the Super Bowl. This is Peter Schreger. This
is the Season with Peter Schreger. This is the Trent
(33:49):
McDuffie pick six that we will be talking about for
the rest of time. Enjoy your super Bowl weekend, ever, everybody,
thank you for Elisabeth. The Season with Peter Schrager is
(34:17):
a production of the NFL in partnership with iHeartRadio. For
more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts,
or wherever you get your podcasts.
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 Schreger. If you're listening, you might
see in your feed that we have another podcast for
(00:31):
the Super Bowl. It's with Dan Soder, who's a die
hard forty nine Ers fan. He's a stand up comedian.
He's one of the most successful stand up comedians in
the game right now. We had an amazing hour long
talk heading into the Super Bowl and his experience being
in Niners fan going into it. But I wanted to
give a bonus odd for those who might be traveling
(00:51):
on Friday night, might be traveling on Saturday, might be
at the gym getting ready for the Super Bowl. This
is a two part of here. The first part is
going to be an interview with a hero of mine
and a guy that I think is quite arguably the
most influential person for me doing what I do every
day on a microphone, and that's Chris mad Dog Russo.
If you want the backstory, long before he was on
ESPN tearning it up on first take, Chris mad Dog
(01:13):
Russo was the voice of my childhood on sports. He
and Mike Francessa had the Mic and the Mad Dog
Show on WFAN, and they didn't just hit local sports,
they would hit everything. They would hit you know, Sopranos episodes,
they would hit what's going on in politics, they would
talk about movies, they would talk about everything. And it
was two guys who weren't necessarily best friends, but they
(01:35):
came from different paths and they made great, great art together.
I've always wanted to interview mad Dog. Now I've been
on Francissa's show a bunch, I've been on frances'spot, I
never had a chance to really, you know, meet mad Dog.
And with Super Bowl being in Las Vegas and knowing
what a hit he's been with some of his takes
(01:55):
over the last few months, I really went out there
and I tried to be aggressive in landing mad Dog
for our super Bowl episode. Well, he agreed to do
the podcast, and we're going to do is. I'm going
to toss to the interview, which I think is great,
and then I'm gonna give you my official super Bowl prediction,
and then we're gonna call it a day and call
it a weekend, and we're gonna go enjoy some wings
and some chips and go watch some football. So no
(02:17):
further ado, Christopher mad Dog Russo, with no further ado.
I've said it time and time again. He's my favorite
person in sports media. I grew up watching Mick and
the Mad Dog, and I have just sow in awe
of what he's done since then. I love the second chapter,
third chapter, and now we're in this chapter where a
whole new audience is learning about him from first take,
(02:39):
and he's incredible and his Wednesday ran say some of
the best things on television or radio right now, No
further ado, Christopher mad Dog Russo. Welcome, Peter.
Speaker 2 (02:48):
Nice to have you with us.
Speaker 3 (02:49):
I was not realize you were such a huge fan,
so right out of the gate, I get a nice
little bonus on a Thursday afternoon.
Speaker 1 (02:54):
Go ahead, dude, I remember you sending Mark Melus's to
a bar in Jersey while he was.
Speaker 3 (02:58):
Oh my god, do you remember that. Oh you are
a big crick You do understand.
Speaker 1 (03:02):
This is my entire childhood. From one o'clock to six o'clock.
I would listen to you guys religiously. I've been on friends.
Oh you were wrapped up and talk Iron Eagle as
your producer. I remember listening then, I mean, this is
this is how far I go back with you guys.
So so you're talking ninety the ninety four stretches like
you know this legendary you guys going back from Vancouver
to Houston, sitting in the airport and the whole thing.
Speaker 2 (03:24):
Oh my god, you are. Jeez, you're a groupeable.
Speaker 1 (03:28):
It's so funny. You referenced in your recent rant about.
Speaker 2 (03:32):
I got mad.
Speaker 3 (03:33):
I got mad at Mike and that chippy because you
wouldn't go to Vancouver, so the station made him go
out there for Game six when the Rangers had a
chance to win the cup. Mike wouldn't want to go.
It was a Saturday night, but they made him go.
Speaker 2 (03:42):
That was funny. So what was it?
Speaker 1 (03:44):
Game six was in at the shootout game and there
was a Game six.
Speaker 2 (03:47):
They got killed. They lost three or four nothing, okay, because.
Speaker 1 (03:50):
They lost Game one at home yesterday day in overtime.
Hits the goal and then a couple.
Speaker 2 (03:55):
Then then they went three row and then we come.
Speaker 1 (03:58):
Back to game seven, and of course you guys were
in the saddle, but I don't remember Game six.
Speaker 3 (04:04):
Yeah, Game six was a Saturday night. I'm gonna I
think the score was three nothing. Remember they had a
k They were three to one, and they lost Game
five at the Garden eight to five or something like that.
Everybody thought they were going to win the game and
celebrate their cup. How to go back to Vancouver. That's
the one that Mike didn't want to go to. This
is a Saturday night show. But we flew to Vancouver.
(04:24):
Did this show flew back to New York? I remember
Game seven was two days later. They had the extra
day for Game seven. That was a Tuesday night.
Speaker 2 (04:34):
Game six was.
Speaker 1 (04:35):
In Vancouver on a Saturday night, and Game seven of
Knicks Rockets. I want to say it was on a weekend.
I remember watching John Starks on a.
Speaker 3 (04:41):
Weekend game snow Game seven, Game six, Yeah it was
on a Sunday, Yes, right, yes it was on a Sunday.
Speaker 1 (04:48):
No, dude, And then check that game.
Speaker 2 (04:52):
Let's see the Knicks went back to Houston up three
to two.
Speaker 1 (04:56):
Yes, they lost two games.
Speaker 2 (04:57):
Game seven.
Speaker 3 (04:59):
Game six was a Sunday night after the US Open golf,
and Game seven was on Wednesday.
Speaker 1 (05:06):
Got it in Houston?
Speaker 2 (05:07):
Good job, Well you're sharp.
Speaker 1 (05:09):
These These were the years and then obviously during the
San Francisco Giants runs and you know, coming up short
and Barry Bond's killing you and swing the bat, Barry.
I mean, I'm telling you, your stuff is legendary, my friend.
We got my whole crew, we all worship you, and
it's just so cool to have you here to start it.
During the Dan Campbell rint you had which went viral
and was amazing, you referenced the the you know, the
(05:31):
sports geeks whatever, they wouldn't know Lombardi from Paul Brown.
And that's what I take away from this because I
do the Good Morning Football Today, I did a six
minute segment on Derek Thomas and how number fifty eight
super Bow fifty eight. He died twenty four years ago today,
Oh didn't how It's yeah, it's crazy that Derek Thomas
isn't alive to see this, because when I think about
(05:53):
the chiefs of that era, there was Marty Schottenheimer and
Derek Thomas and Neil Smith and Deron Cherry and Albert Lewis,
and they would come up short. And I go to
this because is there a place for the sports historian
and the guys like you and me who like you
referenced reference to Otto Graham a couple months ago, and
people like made fun of you online. I'm like, are
you serious? Like, of course, outo Graham, that's it. But
I find myself speaking into a wind tunnel sometimes when
(06:15):
I'm referencing Sonny Jurgensen.
Speaker 2 (06:17):
One hundred percent, right, Peter. I think that's been a
lost start.
Speaker 3 (06:20):
I think it'll remember it's also thirty forty years ago.
Whether they were talking, you know, nineteen seventy sports talk
where they're talking about Garrick and DiMaggio, who knows, But
it is a low start. The historical knowledge of the
young podcaster, sports talk show host media personality is a disaster.
Speaker 2 (06:41):
I don't know how you're going to solve that.
Speaker 3 (06:43):
You know when and I love Olasky, but Dan o'loski,
who I love, good guy despite me. I comment this
week when he didn't put Joe Montana his top five
of all time quarterbacks, I mean, come on, I mean
he's five and four and owen super Bowls, three MVPs,
eleven touchdowns and no interceptions. And even that's not that
long ago. It's in the early eighties. So if you
(07:04):
if that is too long for the young guys, and
how the hell is I know Graham going to be
in there, who was in ten straight championship games between
nineteen forty five and nineteen fifty five, So it's a
lost start. I don't care if they, I don't care
what the young fan thinks. I'm going to bring that
up constantly. When somebody dies. They always call me that
I do great with dead guys, with old guys who
(07:26):
dropped dead, because I always put Ernie your corsion or
somebody like that.
Speaker 2 (07:29):
I always do that. I do it for all the sports.
Speaker 3 (07:33):
I specifically do it for football with Ernie, but I
do with baseball too, and I you know, it's my childhood.
And since my childhood in sports is significant, you know
when I was eleven your age, when you were listening
to Mike and myself. If it means something to me,
I'm going to do it. And that's why there is
to it. And since I'm sixty three going on sixty
four years of age, you know, and still doing this.
(07:56):
If somebody died who I fifty years ago loved and
now he's dead, I'm going to talk about it. And
if you don't like it, all right, I'll live with it.
But the key to it is, if you're a talk
show host, sell it. If it means something to you
as a fan and you're emotional about it and I'm
passionate about it, you can convince the audience that it
(08:18):
means something to them.
Speaker 2 (08:19):
So that's that's my approach.
Speaker 3 (08:21):
So if it means something that Christopher Russo when you
know Jim Brown dies, well then you know, God done it.
If it means something to me, I'm going to tell
you about it, and my enthusiasm will hopefully convince you
that should be mentioned and it will mean something to you.
Speaker 1 (08:34):
That's the first. That's great. There's a great author, Michael McCambridge,
who I'm sure you love him. He's incredible out of
Saint Louis. He just wrote a book called The Big
Time and it's all about seventies sports and it goes
through free agency in the NFL, and it goes through
you know, everything from doctor j having to have to
be sold off, from the from the New York Nets
(08:55):
when they become the New Jersey, all this stuff, and
it's so interesting and I want to share it with people,
and it's like, I don't know if there's an audience
anymore if anyone gives it about what the world tennis
ascaw good point.
Speaker 3 (09:05):
I did McCambridge twice in the last six months. I
did not read the original book that he did, The League,
which came out and oh two, which is like a
tremendous book, and I got a hold of that and
for some reason I didn't read it at the time.
Speaker 2 (09:20):
So I put him on last summer for an hour.
Speaker 3 (09:23):
And then this book came out in October, the seventies book,
and I put him on again for an hour. So
in the last six months I've had him on for
an hour apiece. That's another thing, Peter that people find
with me. I will always do book authors, and when
I put a book, I'll put.
Speaker 2 (09:39):
Him on for sixty minutes.
Speaker 1 (09:41):
I think you had said this anachro biographer early this
early this week, which I love. We're in Vegas. I
would love to hear it.
Speaker 2 (09:47):
Yeah, I did thirty minutes on that. Now.
Speaker 3 (09:48):
That one was a little shorter because I'm at Vegas,
I was Super Bowl. I only did that one for
thirty minutes. But most authors of books, I will do
an hour. Because the guy sold this book, he wrote
a book I enjoyed it, and I want to make
sure he sells as many copies as he possibly can.
Speaker 2 (10:05):
I'll tell you one.
Speaker 3 (10:06):
A few years ago, I ran into a Shid Luckman
book on the Bears.
Speaker 1 (10:11):
Would love to read that.
Speaker 3 (10:12):
I don't know where I found it. I got it,
and somebody I found it read it. I loved the book.
I put The Guy on the Air. Book came out
about ten years ago. I put The Guy on the
air on a Friday for an hour. He the you
do on Amazon that hour, the book like jumped three
thousand spots, and he emailed Eddie Erkson, our producer, to say,
Holy thank he Chris, thank you for all many books
(10:35):
I've sold in the last hour. I don't care. My
job is to sell the guy Is book. If I
like the book. If I like the book, you should
like the book too. And so I like to give
the author an hour. If it's a book I enjoy, I.
Speaker 1 (10:47):
Take pride in it. I've got enough clout on our
morning show Going Morning Football where I can say, hey,
I want to do a segment on this, and they'll
just be like, all right, the Guy of the way.
Now what I have which is incredible and it's underutilized
at the NFL Network and NFL Media, I have access
to the entire NFL Film's vault, so I could call
for I want to see an air Coriel piece that
Steve Sable did in seventy six, can we find some thing?
Or I want to do a piece, you know, so
(11:08):
everyone knows who Bert Bell was, like, can we find that?
And it's again, there's a niche audience that loves it
and appreciates it. I feel like you and I are
kindred spirits. And then I don't know if you have this.
I have the photographic memory where if you mentioned a
Kent Graham Giants game from ninety eight, I could tell
you exactly what happened.
Speaker 2 (11:25):
Absolutely and good one.
Speaker 1 (11:26):
And it's special to me to do that. And then
this week, going through all these Niners Super Bowls, I
could talk about all these Niners teams because I grew
up with it. And you notice that it might not
be the vocal majority online, but the real fans absolutely
love it and appreciate it.
Speaker 2 (11:41):
I did the same thing in the last three weeks.
Speaker 3 (11:43):
I watched the two championship games on the NFL Films,
the seventy nine Er Dallas game seventeen ten Keys are
last last game.
Speaker 1 (11:52):
Ever played nineteen fifty seven, right.
Speaker 2 (11:55):
Well that's seventy okay, so that was the Niner game. Yep.
Speaker 3 (11:58):
I watched the fifty seven game too, and then I
watched the seventy one Niner Dallas championship game in Dallas
when Dallas.
Speaker 2 (12:07):
Beat him fourteen to three.
Speaker 1 (12:08):
Okay, I thought you were talking Lions Lions nine ers
fifty seven because I went back and I watched that
one from fifty seven, and then seventy one I watched
because it was the last time Baltimore hosted an AFC
championship game. I was Oakland, Baltimore, Oakland, which there's like
twenty ho I put twenty put in the game.
Speaker 3 (12:24):
Yeah, you know what I put on two weeks going
to bottomore Oakland game Norman Budash.
Speaker 2 (12:30):
Five o'clock for a half hour a lot.
Speaker 3 (12:32):
So I will do that as it was the last
AFL championship game. As you said before the game here
against Kansas City for the Ravens, I did the same thing.
Speaker 2 (12:41):
So you and I are kindred spirits as far as
the history is concerned.
Speaker 1 (12:44):
You also mentioned on a an either podcast or someone
I was listening to an interview. Maybe it was with
Kevin Clark, who I like and I think he's really
good at what he does. He were saying, you don't
do the whole watch the pregame shows. Well, I'm on
the Fox pregame show where we did eleven straight hours. Yes,
I'm on the NFL network one this year, which are
doing ten straight hours. You don't watch those? What is
your up? Your thought is just I do this for
(13:06):
a living. I'm good. Let's just get to kick off.
Speaker 3 (13:07):
Well, first off, I've also been here for a week,
so I mean I might watch the Sunday game with
the CBS.
Speaker 2 (13:15):
They're going to do a history of the citok I watched.
Speaker 3 (13:18):
That was about one o'clock. I got.
Speaker 2 (13:23):
Mcmanuson today. I'll get some details on that.
Speaker 3 (13:27):
I don't watch the pregame at all. I don't want
to go to any party. My kid called me today
from Wisconsin and he said that podcast got some juice
with me, saying, I want to watch the game by
myself with no interruption. I want to sit in my
freaking little room with the door shut, with the game
on around six o'clock and it's the last football game
(13:49):
you're going to watch until September and it's the last time.
Speaker 2 (13:52):
You really a guy like me, you have to do
it more than I would. With the draft.
Speaker 3 (13:56):
And the free agency in the schedule, I don't do
as much of it as you would do. But once
that game is over on Friday Sunday night, you don't
got a lot to work with with the NFL and
we need so I'll be quiet. As far as the
sports talk is concerned. It gets to be a little
bit of a low. But I will watch the games
by myself, watch the game by myself, nothing fancy, and
(14:18):
I won't sit there and watch three hours of the pregame.
I'll probably put it on around five five point fifteen
and have it on, not watch it, but have it
on at least.
Speaker 1 (14:27):
It's funny because I sat down with Mahomes for the
NFL Network one. It's a big that's a good one.
Good for you get it's great. I've known him since
he was in college Kingsbury.
Speaker 2 (14:35):
That's a great job on your part. Thank good job,
and he's.
Speaker 1 (14:37):
Great in it. But to tell you know, twelve hours
of pregame, yeah, I want to. I want that to
be here, to that to be seen. But like how
many times can we talk about the X factor in
the game.
Speaker 2 (14:47):
One hundred percent?
Speaker 3 (14:48):
But having mahomes that's a great that's a great coup
for you.
Speaker 2 (14:52):
Uh yeah, I mean I listen. I think getting to Sunday.
Speaker 3 (14:55):
At six thirty is very difficult because you know, there's
not a lot on early in the day. There'll be
some NBA or college basketball, but getting this Sunday at
six thirty is a very difficult proper position. It's a
long day in the East before you get to the game,
so that's a problem. You gotta kill the day per se.
But I know on Monday will be easy, Tuesday will
(15:17):
be easy, and then it will be a little slow.
From a sports talk standpoint.
Speaker 2 (15:21):
You have to live with it.
Speaker 4 (15:23):
We'll do it.
Speaker 2 (15:23):
We want that I do.
Speaker 1 (15:25):
And we do a little parade talk Wednesday. Who's gonna
be funny on the parade? And we do a little
and it's like, let's get to the end of the week.
For me. You know, I'm on these studio shows. What's
your studio show? Like if you were building it?
Speaker 2 (15:38):
I do with this.
Speaker 1 (15:38):
I do Bill Simmons' podcast every Friday, and his thing
is there's just too many, like we don't need there's
six guys on there, so give me your dream, make
your dream studio.
Speaker 2 (15:50):
Have to people who the people and two people.
Speaker 3 (15:54):
You don't need six seven guys, I mean, my god,
is so much. I mean, look at CBS. They got SIMS,
and I have Burlson, and I have James Brown, they
have Coward they're gonna put obviously.
Speaker 2 (16:07):
JJ Watt Boomer.
Speaker 3 (16:08):
I mean he got six guys. Oh my god, I
don't need six guys talk to me about this game.
Couple of guys enough, Oh Drives, You're crazy. And that's
one of the reasons why I tune out. I can't
deal with six guys talking about the same game for
four and a half five hours.
Speaker 2 (16:24):
It's way, way, way too much.
Speaker 3 (16:26):
And I'd say it pet peeve of mine and I
do it all the time with the postgame, and it's
the network NFI network, and it's also ESPN, and ESPN
did this after the Lions game. They went to Campbell
and they cut out before Campbell talked about the missfield.
Why do you go for the field goals?
Speaker 5 (16:47):
Now?
Speaker 3 (16:47):
Hold on, hold on, hold on, that's what America wants
to know right now. Why did he opt not to
kick two field goals in the second half on fourth down,
and they did not go to the SoundBite of him
answering that question and when they losing coach, especially when
he gets to that microphone after the game Sunday.
Speaker 2 (17:07):
I want to hear the press conference. Okay, I don't.
Speaker 3 (17:09):
Need to see Steve Young or anybody else babbling about it.
Speaker 2 (17:13):
Booger. I love the guys.
Speaker 3 (17:15):
I want to see the freaking press conference that goes
for you too. About network, I get it, Show me
the people on the press conference, the losing coach.
Speaker 2 (17:23):
I want to hear the questions.
Speaker 3 (17:24):
I want to hear ten straight minutes of it, and
they refuse to give it to you, and it drives
me absolutely. That's not having a feel of the American
football fan in that scenario. Losing coach off every big
event as a fan is essential, and too many producers
don't understand that, and they cut out of it before
(17:45):
you get.
Speaker 2 (17:45):
The gist of what the losing coach has to say.
Speaker 1 (17:48):
I think one of the coolest things of the NFC
AFC Championship games and the Super Bowl is that a
lot of times on camera and sometimes I remember it
was Aaron Andrews A couple times and it was Chris
Meyers one time that I gotta think Wolfson does the winner,
and then Evan Washburn I guess on Steia. I like
when they interview the losing coach in the locker room
(18:08):
right after the game, and you've got the that's a good,
that's good, but again not as promoted as often as Hey,
after this, we're gonna get back to the guys in
the studio. They're gonna break down the game.
Speaker 3 (18:19):
And there's too many examples where the questions in that
spot they're generic.
Speaker 2 (18:25):
If somebody blows the game, I got to hear it.
Get specific.
Speaker 3 (18:28):
They're afraid of getting them aggravated and everything else. Get specific.
And I know it's a difficult job. You got somebody
in your headset job and you're crazy, but you know,
for instance, when Mahomes beat the Bills, yep okay had
him on the field.
Speaker 2 (18:46):
The first thing they asked, well, how about Baltimore? Even
the second game.
Speaker 3 (18:51):
I don't want to hear about the ravens now I know, Sibby,
I'm not interested talk about the first pass in the
third quarter when Scottling made a big catch on the
right sideline.
Speaker 1 (19:01):
First time in the season. He had two catches for
more than thirty yards and heldus Scanley, who mahomes his
public supported throughout Like that's a cool story.
Speaker 3 (19:08):
It's a good one, you know, talk about the idea
you want a road game in Buffalo, the fact that
you heard that you couldn't win, and there's not enough
of that going on, and it drives me absolutely crazy.
Speaker 2 (19:18):
And boy, what a bet I had.
Speaker 3 (19:20):
I had scolding on the over of sixteen and a
half yards against the Ravens.
Speaker 2 (19:24):
Last played a game again.
Speaker 1 (19:28):
Till the game that's a great one. Uh, you know
it's the sideliner for all that stuff? Is it the
game of itself? Now? I love Monday mornings during the
football season because I know that at seven am Eastern
there there might not be the same amount people watching
want to give content what I have to say, and
(19:48):
people want to hear what I when you when you
have to write that monologue Monday after Super Bowl, super
Bowl Sunday or not right, but do that at one
o'clock or whenever the radio show starts. And I go
back to when you guys used to recap sopranos back
at Mike and the Mad Dog. Is that your favorite
moment that you when you first given the.
Speaker 2 (20:09):
Monologue after a big game. There's nothing better. Now listen, A.
Speaker 3 (20:16):
Mannequin could have done it. But Campbell is a perfect example.
They played the game Sunday night. It's it's over ten thirty,
and I'm on the next day at three. I don't
listen to any other shows. I want to make sure
I'm not swayed, so when I go in here, you'll
block it all out. I don't follow. I mean, I
(20:37):
watched the postgame the night before, but the morning off,
I don't watch much. But one Sunday at three Monday
at three o'clock rolls around days a perfect example. I'm
gonna go twenty minutes and I'm going to kill in
this case Campbell, which is to me an absolute lamp.
And I don't rehearse it. I have it in my
head what I'm gonna say, but I don't rehearse it.
(20:59):
I just let it flow. And that is the perfect
storm of a big game, controversy, terrible loss, and a
night game the night before.
Speaker 2 (21:10):
You're on.
Speaker 3 (21:10):
Now, if that game Saturday, you can't do as much
on it because you've got a day in between.
Speaker 2 (21:15):
So you need this Sunday.
Speaker 3 (21:16):
But That is an absolute perfect storm for a talk
show host like me. It's simple, and I'm good at
the rants. I can talk forever. I don't have to
rely on a lot of calls early now. For instance,
on Monday, if I have a Shanahan screw up, or
if I have a terrible conclusion of the game, that's
an easy layup to.
Speaker 2 (21:35):
Get to the show.
Speaker 3 (21:36):
I'll do it at three, I'll do it again at five.
I'd probably have something to work with on Tuesday. So
I'll have this game. If it's got a good conclusion
with some drama, it will get two or three days
out of it. And that's what I need for next week.
Speaker 2 (21:51):
On the show.
Speaker 1 (21:52):
We'll wrap with this. You and I might be the
biggest tennis fans in mainstream media as far as just
openly say how much we love the racket sports. I
don't do pick a ball. I don't know if you do.
But I've recently becovered I've discovered adell. Have you heard
of now? It's unbelievable.
Speaker 3 (22:10):
Where I live, where I play my tennis in Fairfield County, Connecticut,
we just put a padel court in.
Speaker 2 (22:19):
There's only two in Connecticut.
Speaker 3 (22:20):
There's one in Norwalk and one in New Canaan, and
we put a padel court in. Now I don't play it,
but all my buddies this last pass to the summer
loved it and played it.
Speaker 2 (22:31):
I tried it. I still love the tennis more.
Speaker 3 (22:35):
But all my buddies in September did not want to
play tennis doubles. They wanted to play padel So I'm
very familiar with it, much more than picketball they wanted
to play.
Speaker 1 (22:45):
Now.
Speaker 2 (22:45):
They play the paddle. They play a lot of that
in the winter, but they love the padell.
Speaker 3 (22:49):
We only have the one court and getting a court
reserving it was very difficult.
Speaker 1 (22:54):
Did I ever convince you to come out with me
and my buddies here I'm in Brooklyn, New York.
Speaker 3 (22:58):
Yes, to play tennis in the city, absolutely absolutely.
Speaker 2 (23:03):
I have not played a lot in the winter yet.
I play a lot. Once April comes, I'll play four
tames a week.
Speaker 3 (23:09):
I'll play a lot of tennis. Uh, yes, absolutely, I
can definitely do that. I'll come down and you know,
maybe on a first take day come over.
Speaker 1 (23:17):
And yeah, great, I'm not gonna waste any more of
your time. I could literally do this for three hours
and uh if then when you want to give me
a show on.
Speaker 2 (23:25):
You you got him a great job. You do a
wonderful job.
Speaker 3 (23:28):
I go to Connecticut Muffin and U Canaan every day
and they have the NFL network on there every day,
and I'm in there at about six seven o'clock.
Speaker 2 (23:36):
I watch you all the time.
Speaker 1 (23:38):
Love this. I so appreciate you. Thanks for all you doing.
Don't let jj Redick was a freaking They're gonna make Medeck.
I think they make Weddeck the replacing doc. Look for that.
I think he's good on the games. He's very good
on the games, very serious in the studio, and you
and him are a good counterbalance to each other.
Speaker 2 (23:56):
We have fun with them. We have fun. Good job, Pete,
you got the man.
Speaker 4 (24:00):
Thank you, Chris, You're the best.
Speaker 1 (24:26):
Mad Dog Russo Aaron wan Kaufman my producer here on here.
You could tell I was fanboying man out. I think
I pitched myself for a show on his network six
different times.
Speaker 2 (24:35):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (24:37):
I don't know if I've ever heard you say kindred spirits,
and I don't think i've ever heard you say it
three times four times? You but you you like clearly
I mean, I have always known that you love the
history of the game, and you have this recollection of
stats and previous games, and that was like watching.
Speaker 2 (24:57):
I mean that, I mean, I don't know.
Speaker 5 (24:59):
That was like some young quarterback getting to work out
with my homes and being like, wait, yeah.
Speaker 1 (25:04):
Dude, he's referencing y He's referencing Keysar Stadium, and I'm
trying to one up him. But I'm like, he's like,
I's talk about fifty seven fifty seven keys Our stadium.
That's That's what I'm talking about.
Speaker 5 (25:14):
Now.
Speaker 1 (25:14):
He's great, and I love how he just he's got
he's got. He's got that. I don't give a leap
where he's like the CBS pregame show, you know, it
doesn't do it for me, and he just like goes
off and You're like, I would never do that because
those are like, you know, who knows I might be
working with those guys, right. He doesn't care. He's like,
I'm mad dog, I'm in my sixties. I'm gonna say
what I say. Uh gosh. She was great and I
(25:36):
so appreciate his place in the sports media landscape. That said,
it is time to unveil my official Super Bowl prediction.
If you listen to this podcast or you watch me
on TV, you know I've had a bit of good
fortune with these picks over the years. We went back
in the tapes, it's not five years straight that that
was a that was an outright mistake. Truth is, I've
(25:58):
either picked the right Super Bowl matchup or the winner
in the last four Super Bowls. And in this years instance,
I actually before the season picked the Chiefs and the
forty nine Ers to square off. And I'll tell you
I had the Rams winning the Super Bowl. I had
the Rams being the Chiefs. The Rams actually beat the Bengals.
(26:19):
I had the Chiefs winning last year, and I said
very specifically that Nick Bolton was going to have the
game winning touchdown or the game winning play, which he did,
and I said they were going to beat the Packers.
Packers didn't even make the playoffs last year. They actually
ended up beating the Eagles, so I didn't even have
going to the tournament before the season started. But this
year I've been spot on, and this year I have
(26:41):
a flawless record with every single playoff game except one.
I had the Cowboys beating the Packers in the wild
or in the Divisional round. That is the only was
that Wildcar round or division that was the Wildcar round? Right?
It was Wildcar Round. That's the only game I've gotten wrong,
I think as far as the playoffs, and no, I
might have had another one. Oh I had the Browns.
I had the Browns beating the Texans them. So I'm
(27:04):
sitting pretty I wawless divisional round picks, wawless Championship round picks.
And before the season. Let's go to what we did
on the podcast. Let me toss to the clip. Here's
what we said on September seventh, before kickoff on how
I thought this season Super Bowl matchup would go. My
winners from the NFC, the San Francisco forty nine ers.
(27:27):
I think they play a punishing brand of football that
is with Nick Bosa or without. I think their defense
always sets the standard. And as much as I love
Demko Ryans, I don't think they missed that much of
a beat without him. They keep ongoing. They've got young
talent at every position there and then on offense, Kyle
Shanahan is a mad genius. I think he finally has
a quarterback that can operate his offense that he believes
(27:48):
he could put in trust and really get them over
the hump. He's a former mister Irrelevant and that is okay.
I've got McCaffrey as my MVP. I think Deebo has
a big year. I think Ayuk is a big year.
I think Trent Williams might going out on a swan
song here in his last couple of seasons, but I
think he's still the best tackle in the league. I'm
going with the San Francisco forty nine ers as my
(28:09):
team out of the NFC. As for the AFC, really
really struggled with this. Yeah, I can't pick against the Chiefs.
I don't care if Chris Jones is there. I don't
care if Tyreek Hill's not there. I don't care if
any of those guys aren't there. I can't pick against
the Chiefs. The Chiefs have been the standard and last
(28:30):
year was a great lesson. I stuck with them. I
picked them the wins Super Bowl despite losing Tyreek Hill.
I think I might have been in an island on that,
and that sounds wild considering how much success they have.
I will not pick against Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelcey
until I am forced to and I am not forced
to pick against them. They are still at the peak
of their game. I had a chance to spend time
with them this offseason at that big Slick Charity Classic,
(28:51):
and I was hanging with them, and I swear to god,
I left that thing being like, those guys are great.
And then I talked to us some people around the
league and I'm like, I don't know. They seem like
we haveing a little towo good of a time this
offseason with the golf and this, and there are concerts
and it's like Mahomes and Kelsey are everywhere in the
podcast and start turning away and then you're like, holy crap,
they're just so good. I am going with the Chiefs.
I don't know how they get there. I don't know
(29:12):
if it's through a one seed and they host all
these games at Arrowhead. I don't know if they've got
to go on the road. But like I said, it's
one of those deals, my eyes will not deceive me.
And if there's a fourth quarter and Patrick Mahomes needs
to get it done in a big spot, he has
gotten it done every single time. I'm going with Kansas City. Now,
this was a super Bowl, A few years back in Miami.
We go from one party city to the next. We
(29:33):
go to Vegas. Forty nine Ers versus Chiefs, the Super
Bowl Champions for the Super Bowl in Las Vegas on CBS.
Drum roll please, Aaron. The Kansas City Chiefs will be
your first back to back Super Bowl champion winners since
the New England Patriots did it in two thousand and
(29:53):
three and two thousand and four. I am going with
the Chiefs. I love what they are all about. I
love that people are doubting them, and I love the
fact that Mahomes and Kelsey are ready to go. Back
on September seventh, here we are as we head towards
the Super Bowl, less than forty eight hours away, and
here's how I see it going down. I do still
(30:14):
think it's going to be a shootout. I know that
sounds crazy. Spags's defense has been so dialed in, but
you give Kyle Shanahan two weeks to prepare, you better
believe you're getting the best at Christian McCaffrey, Deebo, Samuel
George Kittle, Kyle Yuschek, and then the sunsung hero of
this team, Brandon Ayuk, who has become an incredible wide receiver.
I think you will see a couple plays to a
(30:34):
guy they called third and Juwan. That's Juwan Johnson. I
think he make a couple of big plays. I also
think that offensive line is healthy. I think Trent Williams
has been outstanding these playoffs. This team is going to
move the ball on spags and that's something that the
Baltimore Ravens could not do. It is something that the
Miami Dolphins absolutely could not do. But I have full
(30:55):
confidence that Kyle Shanahan will dial it up in a
million ways, and between he and Clint Kubiak and Brian
Greci and the rest of those offensive coaches, they will
put up points. I don't know if we see Cadarius Tony.
I think he had one of the greatest out of
nowhere performances in the Super Bowl last year with the
big punt return and the touchdown. But I don't know
(31:15):
if he plays in this one, as he has been
not on the field throughout the playoffs. But if he's
out there, I'd watch for him to have a couple
of cool gadget plays. Truth of the matter is, Chaeco
has been as good a running back in the NFL
as anyone not named mccaff free in the last sex
six weeks of the season. He is reliable. He killed
the Ravens and he killed the Dolphins a couple weeks earlier.
(31:38):
I think Pachaco eats. I think this game goes back
and forth, back and forth, back and forth. Now, the
tragedy of it all is that you know who I'm picking.
I'm picking the Kansas City Chiefs. The tragedy is this
let to be one of the great great Super Bowls.
I really do think so shootout the whole deal. I
think it's gonna be like twenty one to twenty one
or twenty four to twenty one heading into the fourth quarter,
(32:01):
and I think that the Niners are going to have
a lead. The Niners are going to have a lead
at say twenty eight to twenty seven, and it's going
to be one of these deals where they're up, they're
holding on. And I do think that it is going
to be a Trent McDuffie, he's six in the fourth
quarter at will ins the game of the Kansas City Chiefs,
(32:23):
and I do think that the Kansa City Chiefs defense
slams the door one more time so I've got to
go in this way, thirty four to twenty eight. Thirty
four to twenty eight. Now, I got that figure out
how how that scoring works, because if they're down a point,
they wouldn't kick an extra point, they would go for two.
Whatever it is, I'm going with thirty four to twenty eight,
(32:45):
and I cannot say it enough. Trent McDuffie. Trent McDuffie,
Trent McDuffie. Now, Aaron, here's the issue. Trent McDuffie has
never had an interception in the NFL, never, and yet
I think in the Super Bowl he saves the best
for the last. He's one of the most physical corners
in the league. He and Steed have been great all season.
I see an interception, Bang, bang, Niner Gang. I love it.
(33:06):
The Niners have done this season. I picked them to
win the NFC. They have done that. It's an amazing story.
And yet at the end of the day, I think
it's Kelsey, I think it's Mahomes, I think it's Reed,
I think it's Spagnolo, I think it's stone cold Chris Jones.
And I think it's those guys winning another Super Bowl,
the first back to back Super Bowl winners since two
thousand and four, when the Patriots won back to back
(33:28):
Super Bowls, beating the Carolina Panthers and the Philadelphia Eagles
in consecutive years. Mahomes majestic again. He will be your MVP,
but Trent McDuffie will make the play. On that note,
I signed off. I will see you guys next week.
Will recap the Super Bowl. This is Peter Schreger. This
is the Season with Peter Schreger. This is the Trent
(33:49):
McDuffie pick six that we will be talking about for
the rest of time. Enjoy your super Bowl weekend, ever, everybody,
thank you for Elisabeth. The Season with Peter Schrager is
(34:17):
a production of the NFL in partnership with iHeartRadio. For
more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts,
or wherever you get your podcasts.
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