Latest / Scene Projects Sports Network / Vikings Rebuild: Charity Game Highlights, GM Hiring, and Season Predictions

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Vikings Rebuild: Charity Game Highlights, GM Hiring, and Season Predictions · Scene Projects Sports Network

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Put our hands above our head when we clap our hands.
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I said clap your hands and put your hands above your head when you clap your hands.
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That's all we know.
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Purple and gold.
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Purple and gold.
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This how we roll.
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Purple and gold.
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Now holler's gold.
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Purple and gold.
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This how it goes.
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Purple and gold.
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We holler's gold.
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Purple and
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What's up, everybody?
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Welcome into the scene, Project Sports Network.
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I am your host, Bubba Starts.
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You are here tonight for Vikings United.
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I am joined by my cohost, Big B.
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What's shaking, B?
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Not much, bud.
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I wish there was there was a football talk we could talk about today.
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I know.
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Nothing
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going on in the Vikings world whatsoever.
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Right?
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Not nothing at all.
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No big trades.
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No team getting better, but no GM set.
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No.
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We we got a lot to talk about, and it all started last week.
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So definitely can't wait to get going.
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Yeah.
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I'm grateful, Lee.
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I'm gonna get the stream shared out there because I was working on your PGA credentials,
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while we were loading up the stream there.
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But I'm gonna go ahead and maximize you here.
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I want you to kinda start with the experience.
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Obviously, we were at the unreal, charity softball game at the Saint Paul stage Saint
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Stadium in, Saint Paul there, CHS Field.
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Why don't you kinda talk about that experience and lead us in?
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I'm gonna get the share stream shared out there and kinda get some more for a bit.
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So last Thursday, Bubba came in from his hometown, met up at CHS Field, and we got to be
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part of the media for the unreal out the wild Charlie softball game.
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It started, I believe, 05:30.
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We had the press conference, got the media out of feeling, got to hit hit him with some
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questions, not too hard.
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You know, kinda like softball questions about the game.
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Couple retirement questions.
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There.
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Then then we got into the press box where I sat.
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Bubba set us up.
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It had a beautiful view.
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Home run derby started at six, and, you know, I think the longest ball that was hit went to Bo
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Richter.
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I think he hit one to the warning track.
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And for people that play softball, you know, those balls aren't supposed to fly that far,
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you know, they did.
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The game came at 07:00.
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Paul Allen was doing the on field play by play, so you got to hear him.
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Bubba and his lovely wife Danielle made their way down to a little media area where the Saint
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Paul Saints public address announcer does his thing.
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And they're camped out there most of the night shaking hands, rubbing shoulders, elbows with
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the players as I was up in the press box calling the game.
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It was a great game to call.
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Yes.
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It was a charity softball game, but to be able to, you know, say professional athletes' names,
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you know, Justin Jefferson, JJ McCarthy, Brian O'Neil, Dallas Turner, Bo Richter, you know,
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all those guys that came out.
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You could tell they had fun.
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It ended if nobody has seen any highlights you'd have heard.
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It ended in a bottom of the sixth home run by the host, Adam Thiele, almost like it was set
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up that way.
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Justin Jefferson had a had us stop our breathing for about ten seconds when the ball
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got hit back up the middle.
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He was pitching, and he went to go glove it with his bare hand.
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And we above a boat, like, lost our breath for a moment there and screamed, no.
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Don't do that.
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But it it was a fun time.
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Definitely can't wait to do more stuff with the seed project, stuff like that.
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Can't wait to do it next year.
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I know, Bubba, you probably your mind's already turning on how we can make it better.
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Yeah.
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There was some glitches and some mishaps on my end where I kicked out the power cord and the
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and the laptop went dead, so I lost signal.
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But, you know, a learning moment, but definitely a fun moment.
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You know, what what once the home run derby, you know, got underway, I think that's when I
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kind of was like, oh my god.
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This is actually for real.
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You know?
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So
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Yeah.
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The the press conference and and I remember from being at the first, you know, big press
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conference that I did and getting to interview, you know, sir Nick Faldo and, you know, Chris
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Carter, Ronda Barber, and getting to ask them questions and that that tension at first.
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And then you start talking and, know, to have these men look you in the eye and answer your
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question and really make you feel like you're part of it.
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And to them, they don't they don't know that we're not.
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Right?
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They don't know that we're not from some other news organization and what it is.
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So while it can be a little unnerving for us, they made us feel right at home, you know, out
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on the field.
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We got autographs for everybody.
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We actually the the gloves that we got that Danielle was showing off on the show, those are
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the gloves that everyone was wearing at the home run derby.
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And then they just sat there in front of us all night.
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Nobody was during the game.
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Right?
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So it was cool.
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And they were just a pair of Vikings receiver gloves.
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They weren't even batting gloves.
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So They had some big hands in them.
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I mean
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I have a piece of the field.
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Danielle got a couple autographed jerseys.
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To be there, to be part of it was really awesome.
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I still need to get some of this, you know, footage edited and kinda show it off for them
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and reaching out.
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For me, it was all about the networking opportunity to get to shake Aaron Jones senior
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hand, Adam Thielen, CJ Hamm.
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All these guys have foundations that they do a ton of philanthropic work.
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And to me, it was way more about how do we build a future with these organizations and
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with these men, but but with the people behind the scenes just as much.
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Right?
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So got to meet Gates, the, you know, social media manager of the Thielen Foundation,
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connected with her on LinkedIn now.
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So we can kinda stay in the know about all the things that they're doing.
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And, yes, it's great when they get all those Vikings players together, but it's much greater
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when we can serve these nonprofits and to be a part of that.
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And because everybody wants in on the big things.
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Right?
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It's how do you serve and bolster those relationships when the, you know, when the
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chips aren't all on the table.
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Right?
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When they're out, you know, serving the youth and being a part of these different things and
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there could be more opportunities to, you know, shine a light on theirs and capture some
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stories around that.
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That's what I'm interested in.
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So great opportunity for us.
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Unreal action.
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The they went back and forth all night.
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A lot of long home runs.
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A lot of really exciting play.
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JJ McCarthy out there with the team.
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Some interesting stuff there, right, as as all of know, you it feels like all of the Vikings
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fans have kinda given up on the young man, but this team hasn't.
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And I think that was notable during the game that they still had a lot of love for the young
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man.
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You know, seeing the the past players and present and how much they enjoyed it and how
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much they enjoyed engaging with the young fans.
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I think that was just really awesome.
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It it was such a blessing to be there, to be a part of it, and and to now get to, you know,
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spend this next, you know, the next year preparing for the next time.
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Right?
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Because I
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think they're really thrilled to
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know that somebody had taken the initiative to broadcast it out there on YouTube.
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And and granted, it probably doesn't have as much, you know, as as much juice on the replay
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as it would have live, and there really just wasn't an opportunity for us to really get that
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out there, you know, outside of our small following.
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But next year now being the guys that have already done it, we have a really big leg up on
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it to go, hey.
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We know the field.
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We know the situation we're walking into for next year.
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It sucks that we have to wait three hundred and sixty days to do it again, but that will be
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ready.
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And it's gonna be an even better product that we put out there and really looking forward to
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just capturing even more of
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it and getting a little bit
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better access maybe.
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Right?
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Maybe we have more access next year and we're able to capture some more interviews and to
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have these guys on the field and to bring a little bit better, you know, production to it.
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So really excited.
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You
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knocked it out of park.
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I heard nothing but compliments on the broadcast from everybody that was tuning in
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live.
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They said you absolutely knocked it out of the park.
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And I I got to provide a great experience for my wife, which keeps me out of the doghouse.
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So I'm I'm happy.
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Well and I think too and and I think CJ put it, you know, in a clear picture is, yeah, they're
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sport athletes and stuff like that.
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But now that he's retired, he can enjoy stuff with his kids and be part of their their life.
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And I and I think that's where some of the fans don't understand that.
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And to hear him say that, even Thiela kinda said it too that, you know, he gets to work on
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stuff with his kids and stuff like that and help them be prepared.
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You know?
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So there wasn't you know, it's not football twenty four seven where he might get a day off
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here to go do some family things.
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He could do it all all summer, all winter.
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So but, no, I I I can't wait for our next time and the next time I get to call a game.
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I think it was a fun experience for me.
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So
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Well, and that time might be coming a lot sooner.
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Really encourage everyone to go and check out the coverage.
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It's on the YouTube channel here and to see what we were up to during the night.
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I'll be find some some things here.
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You know what, B?
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Before we kinda get into all the football talk, and this is someone that you're gonna know a
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lot more of yourself, but like to address the, the passing of Larry Fitzgerald senior.
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And, I'm gonna go find a couple of photos to share from our experience there.
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But go ahead and, you know, let let's recount the man and, rest in peace to Larry Fitzgerald
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senior, the father of Larry Fitzgerald, junior, the, obviously, the the wider hall of fame wide
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receiver.
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But, his dad was a Viking, and I didn't realize that, that he was part of the Vikings
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organization and part of the Vikings family for a long time.
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So I'll let you do that.
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I'm gonna find some photos that we can share with the people from our game experience.
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So yeah.
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So Larry Fitzgerald senior, passed away, yesterday, June 1 at the age of 71, you know,
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what what can we say?
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Minnesota born, photo journalist, sports journalist for nearly fifty years.
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So to do something you love for that long, definitely, and then, you know, get to cover
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your kid in there, you know, and, you know, so there are probably a lot of different good
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conversations there.
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But, you know, to be tied to the Minnesota Vikings for as long as he was, and I was
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listening to, you know, of course, sports media on the way cape in on the way to work that day
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that they're talking about it.
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And, you know, everybody had the respect for him, and and most of them were just like I've
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met him 100 times.
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I probably said three words to him.
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You know, you just it was just a guy that you knew, you saw around, had a respect for, he had
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your respect.
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You know?
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So thoughts and prayers definitely go out to, you know, the Fitzgerald family, the Vikings
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organization, you know, all his colleagues that he worked with.
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You know?
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So definitely props to him and the long journey that he had.
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And I I think I think in the perspective too that, you know, we just, you know, put into
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light, you know, what life means and, you know, go do what you want, you know, go have fun, you
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know, follow your dreams, you know.
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And if it's not, you know and don't get discouraged if it's a no and, you know, go
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somewhere else.
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But, you know, you know, do what you love.
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Enjoy it.
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You know?
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But yeah.
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You know?
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It it it was sad news when I saw that and, you know, just listening to K Fan and talking about
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his meeting.
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You know, I really didn't think he was that tied into Minnesota sports, but he definitely
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was.
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Just looking at here, who passed away before he was born, Minneapolis, so he's a ball boy for
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the Minnesota high schooler.
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Yeah.
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So so, you know, rest in peace to mister senior there.
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So but Yeah.
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Hey.
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Hey to see you.
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And I would say gone too soon.
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I mean, mean, I'm probably in his sixties, I would assume.
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One.
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71.
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One.
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Okay.
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So, yeah, early seventies, still way too early.
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Oh, yeah.
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You know, you wish you woulda had some more time.
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But, yeah, I hadn't realized, until you had shared it that, he was so tied into the
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Minnesota sports family.
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Yep.
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And I had not realized that being a relatively, you know, new fan to the the the team and
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things on my side that it it was something I wasn't aware of.
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But so, yeah, mostly in the radio world that he was Yeah.
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Radio world broadcasting, you know you know, there's pictures of him in the broadcast booth
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at some big games.
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But, you know, definitely, you know, for doing something for fifty years, you know, that
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that's definitely longevity, and you you knew you love you love what you do if you're doing
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it that long.
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Yeah.
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Pretty incredible.
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And I hope that we get to do it, for that long,
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ourselves.
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Right?
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And to keep on, you know, doing exactly what we've been doing here, and just really, you
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know, hearts go out to, you know, Larry and, obviously, you know, he his kids too lost their
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grandpa and and that's so sad to kind of think about that, but it's, you know, lost the legend
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there.
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So really grateful that we got to.
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Let's share some photos up here.
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I'll pull us off the stage and got a good one here.
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Who's that who's that handsome guy in the middle there?
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I I don't know, man.
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But, yeah, it it that was a fun experience.
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You know, probably two cool dudes that are, you know, just out to have fun.
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Really awesome, to get to bring that experience to to life.
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Pretty incredible for us to get to go and do what we do and, just to bring it to a a lot
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bigger stage.
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Right?
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A much bigger stage.
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Obviously, the biggest one of our career, working together, and by far the biggest one of
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my career as well.
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It was nice to it was nice to have some experiences beforehand where I felt at home.
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Like, this wasn't my first rodeo, if you will.
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In fact, the rodeo a few years ago was was my first reel.
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It had a big sporting event, but I've always been someone who kinda act like I belonged
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there even even if maybe I
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didn't you did.
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You you really made made your presence felt on the concourse there.
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You know, not not afraid.
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I mean, I know you said if it wasn't for the lovely wife, you would have been out on the
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field a lot more over by the dugouts and stuff where we were told we couldn't go, but
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everybody else was going there.
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And there was kids that you said sneaking in and stuff.
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So, you know, you kept to your word and, you know, kept to what we were told we could do and
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not do.
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And, you know but, you know, at at times, it probably was hard to sit back and watch
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everybody else get where you wanted to go.
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So
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You know what?
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It didn't it didn't bother me.
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Be you know, I was very grateful for the opportunity Mhmm.
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And I didn't wanna do anything to, you know, to to put that in jeopardy.
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Not because it's not just for myself.
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Right?
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It's for all of us.
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Yep.
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Obviously, my wife doesn't wanna be embarrassed in the moment, but, also, I I don't want to
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screw this up for us, next year.
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Right?
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Oh, yeah.
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So so we wanted to make sure that we we made a good appearance and Yep.
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You know, really honed in on, you know, this is we're meant to be here.
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Right?
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And and it's not a, this isn't a flash in the pan for us.
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This is something that we plan on doing a lot a lot more and really, just grateful that we got
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to have the opportunity, but also looking forward to the next time.
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So it it was nice to, to jump in there and and to do our thing.
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Because, yeah, maybe if we, if we try to sneak in and do it, you know, not by the book and not
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follow the rules, then at the end of the game, we don't get the opportunity to, you know, snag
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the gloves that that are there.
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And so, you know and I didn't just swipe them and stick them in my pocket like, hey, Adam.
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Are these, you know, are these yours?
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And and then my wife doesn't get this opportunity at the end of the game.
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Right?
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To stand there with her signed jersey and to get to have this moment standing next to Adam
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Thielen.
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And Uh-huh.
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So doing it by the book this time, although not my preference, was necessary, to make sure that
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we set ourselves up for a great time in the future.
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And, man, just what an experience.
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What an experience to be there, right next to these guys and to shake their hands, right, and
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to let them know, hey.
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We are we are very grateful for the opportunity now, but how can we serve you in the future?
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How can we continue to, you know, serve your foundations and hold those relationships?
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And, you know, you this is our end.
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Right?
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So really just grateful grateful for you.
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You did an awesome job.
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I'm so happy that we got to share that experience with you and to really watch you be
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in your element up there in the booth and to just be doing your thing.
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I think people really appreciated your broadcast and your demeanor up there.
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And, you know, while we might not always be calling, you know, the Vikings names on the
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back of the jersey, that I I think we're building ourselves a future as a broadcast
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Yeah.
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You know, vessel for some leagues out there, and we're gonna continue to grow in this and
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and wait for, you know, we're gonna keep knocking on doors.
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We're not gonna wait for stuff to happen for us necessarily, but, to go ahead and make those
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things happen.
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And that and that's one thing too that I don't think.
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Just, you know, pretty much keep knocking down doors and, you know, do what you want.
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But, no, definitely, you know, I'm I'm up for
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the
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journey to do that.
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And, you know, I know you're on a rap show and, you know, talking about flexing muscle.
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You know, we got that little charity softball game we can flex around and be like, hey.
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You know, we are able to broadcast a charity softball game.
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How about we come to your league and, you know, let's do this and grow grow everything
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together.
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You know?
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And that and that's one thing I think your your vision is is not just to exclude anybody, but
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let's grow it together, you know, instead of, you know, I'm just looking out for this c
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scenic project, but no.
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You're looking out for other leagues and other opportunities and, you know, so I I think
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that's definitely a good company model just to be able to grow together.
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Yeah.
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Well, and other creators too.
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Right?
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I and I wanna shout out Rap, and I appreciate him having us on, his program.
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I had a great time, kicking it with him, talking ball, talking about the, obviously, the
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game and everything because they got such a great thing going on over there, not just with
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his channel, VocalVyke on YouTube.
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Shout out to our boy, r a p.
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But also, they got Skullfest coming up, and that was something that I was circling early on
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in our, you know, in our in our time as a you know, becoming a broadcaster was like, hey.
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We wanna be a part of these events that are going on.
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It's been something that's come up quite a few times, and now we know that we're gonna be
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there.
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Right?
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I don't know that they've announced the location yet officially, but the scene projects
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will be a part of Skullfest this year.
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They have a date, September 12, opening home game weekend.
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We're gonna be up there.
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We're gonna be broadcasting live from the event, kinda give those guys a chance to just
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hang with their people in person, but also providing a a chance where they can come in,
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hot mic, and just sit down.
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Right?
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They don't have to worry about the whole production.
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They can come in and, sit down, talk to their people, broadcast it on all the multichannels,
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obviously, out on the Booms TV two point o as well.
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I don't know if we'll broadcast it live there, but, obviously, the replays are going out
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there.
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Shout out to you guys.
24:52
If you're tuning in now, you wanna check out the replay of this, download Booms TV two point
24:56
o on your Roku, and you can check out everything there from our, you know, time at
25:03
the charity softball game.
25:04
It is on Booms TV two point o.
25:07
You can see it there on the screen.
25:09
Download the app.
25:10
Check out all of our content there.
25:11
We're gonna be sharing more from wrapping the guys too.
25:14
Quick shameless plug here as well.
25:16
If you wanna support the show, go and buy some merch.
25:19
Shop.thesceneprojects.com.
25:22
We got some awesome hoodies and some new stuff up there as well.
25:25
Get yourself a new coffee cup like I have to since I left mine in Saint Paul.
25:30
And and we just I
25:31
don't know you did it.
25:33
I left it at Paul's house.
25:34
I'll get it back in July when we're up there for the three m open.
25:36
No big deal.
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Quick word from our sponsor at Odyssey Exteriors, and then we're gonna come back.
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We're gonna talk about Viking's new GM, Nolan Teasley, who just got hired over the weekend as
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well.
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So excited about that.
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Quick word from Odyssey Exteriors, and we will be right back.
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Really appreciate Paul Quinell there and Odyssey Exteriors for supporting the program,
27:03
supporting the events that we're doing, growing with us.
27:05
It's gonna be an incredible incredible run here as the season gets going, and I can't wait.
27:13
They have obviously been in off season training activities, team activities this week.
27:19
A lot of talk about the QB competition, but the Vikings made a huge move in their front office
27:25
hiring Nolan Teasley as their new GM filling the role that Rod Brzezinski had been in.
27:33
Rod Brzezinski, excuse me, there.
27:35
That he had been interim following in.
27:37
Rob goes back to his position in the organization.
27:41
Although he was a candidate for the full time GM job, I think it was obvious that they really
27:46
wanted to go with someone that had the, you know, player development and scouting
27:51
background, which Nolan has in spades, a former d two, running back himself.
27:57
His background, he rose through the ranks thirteen seasons in Seattle with the Seahawks
28:02
organization.
28:03
He was an intern first and then in the scouting department, director of pro personnel, and then
28:08
serving as assistant GM.
28:10
His philosophy, more traditional and process driven, not analytics necessarily, highly
28:15
disciplined.
28:16
This guy is an animal.
28:18
He is about his work, and it seems like he is maniacal about the details, which I really like
28:23
that.
28:24
Emphasizes talent evaluation at both the collegiate and professional level.
28:28
So it's not just about scouting these guys in college.
28:31
It's about the continued scouting process and the development of players.
28:35
So, you know, a player we talk about a lot, Jordan Addison, who has been getting by on
28:39
that, you know, 40 time for the last three, four years and assessing that talent.
28:44
I feel like that that no one's gonna bring in a a mentality that, like, you have to prove it
28:50
every day with this team.
28:51
We ain't riding on what you've done.
28:53
It's what have you done for me lately, and I really like that.
28:56
Vikings finalized the hire after the after the draft here, concluding this multi week search.
29:02
They started with, I think, 10 applicants.
29:05
They narrowed it down to five finalists and then finally settled on Nolan Teasley.
29:10
B, how do you feel about the the hire and the the GM that we got here to lead this
29:15
organization into a new era?
29:18
Well, I mean, it would have been nice if they would have, you know, got the GM done, you
29:24
know, prior to the draft, but they had a plan after, you know, they let the old GM go, which
29:31
is fine.
29:32
You know?
29:32
And, of course, now you got a guy in that comes from a winning background.
29:38
And it and it sounds like he's a motivator too that he wants to get the job done, you know,
29:42
because, you know, I was listening to KT when they broke it.
29:46
They're giving him some backstory, You know, after his, you know, football career ended, he
29:52
went into business world.
29:55
Kinda got bored with that.
29:56
Got back into the
29:57
hated every second of it.
29:59
Got back into the sports world, and supposedly, rumor is is that he sent a letter to every GM
30:08
or every team possible to wanna get back into football, wanted to be an intern, became an
30:13
intern at 30, and moved up from there.
30:15
And he was part of both championship teams, so he's seen it.
30:21
He's helped it.
30:22
So he's built a culture of winning.
30:26
So go take
30:26
an unpaid intern position at 30 years old when you've already been working in the workforce,
30:31
that shows you just how much.
30:35
One, he's passionate about the game, and two, he's willing to bet on himself.
30:39
And I love that.
30:40
Oh, I
30:41
you know, I wasn't surprised or I wasn't like I was surprised by the hire, but not in a bad way
30:46
like this team usually does to us.
30:48
Right?
30:49
Well, no.
30:50
And that and that's
30:50
the thing.
30:51
You know, the only thing the only thing that's concerning right now is they went back to k.
30:56
Now we got three people to try to make things right.
30:59
You know, you got the GM, you got the owner, you got well, Przyzinski, I guess.
31:04
He's the money guy, and then you got the coach.
31:08
So, you know, it's just like, okay.
31:10
How are we gonna make this?
31:11
And then you can't forget about b flow either.
31:14
I mean, because he's in the background too and, you know,
31:16
he's He's
31:16
got a lot of lot of
31:18
sense.
31:18
Yeah.
31:18
So, I mean, you know, trying to make everybody happy, trying to build this team from three
31:23
different visions into one.
31:25
I mean, it's it could be a battle.
31:27
So I'll be interested to see how it was formed, but props to him.
31:30
Like you said, he bet on himself at the age of 30 to get back into where he wants to be, and
31:36
now he's, you know, mid forties.
31:40
And he's a GM of a professional football team that hope to be the one to right the ship and
31:46
sail it home here and bring in a Super Bowl contending team.
31:51
Well and what's really amazing about his you know, not just the story, but the situation
31:56
he's coming into is that this team isn't a bottom feeder, right, which most make a change
32:03
at the general manager position.
32:05
They are, you know, at the bottom of the league, and you're really in a rebuild.
32:09
And Yeah.
32:10
This team is not there.
32:11
This team needs I mean, really, you rebuilt this season, this off season through the draft.
32:18
They're in
32:18
a competitive rebuild.
32:19
They're not in a full meltdown.
32:21
I mean
32:22
Right.
32:22
Well and I don't know that it necessarily needs a rebuild.
32:25
You just needed to refresh the talent base.
32:27
Yeah.
32:27
Maybe that's what it is.
32:28
To do that through the draft this year.
32:31
I I think that the scouting department necessarily didn't need a teardown, but it was
32:37
obvious that the man that was making the final decisions in Quasi, was not making the right
32:45
decisions at the end of the day.
32:47
Why he's not with the league any or, you know, with the team anymore, also probably not
32:51
getting another job in the league for that matter.
32:55
So they're bringing someone here who is a football mind.
32:58
He knows the game.
32:59
He knows it from multiple different levels, working his way up to that assistant GM level,
33:04
and now to be the general manager of a team.
33:07
Now that said, because he's a young man and he kinda has you know, a KOC is a younger coach
33:12
too, so he's not much older than Nolan is.
33:15
Rob's kinda the old guy in the group, you know, a little bit maybe of the curmudgeon, but I
33:20
don't mind that guy being the one that's holding the purse strings.
33:22
Right?
33:23
Like,
33:23
that And doesn't that's the thing.
33:24
That's what Rob's the best at is that he could get the contracts to work out.
33:29
He can work the money angle.
33:31
He can you know, he he's the number guy.
33:34
It's definitely somebody that I would wanna buy back pocket and be like, hey.
33:38
If we get this guy, can we make it work?
33:41
You know?
33:41
And It's gonna be interesting, b, to see what his big splash move is.
33:46
Right?
33:46
Is it cutting ties with Jordan Addison?
33:49
Is it, you know, finding Yeah.
33:50
But would that be would that be a big,
33:53
like, oh my god.
33:54
The mic is just
33:55
because I think you could have done it already.
33:56
I I think other teams, other championship teams dealing with this and the lack of production
34:02
and things that that have maybe already made the move and maybe took less than what they do.
34:07
The thing coming in now that I really like is that you have someone coming in from the
34:11
outside that doesn't have any emotional ties to these picks, these players, this thing at all.
34:16
That they're coming in now, and they don't owe anybody a damn thing.
34:20
And That that that is the one thing.
34:23
In at the top.
34:24
It's going to be interesting to see where they really factor in.
34:30
How much control does he have?
34:31
Does he have full control of this team to make every decision with nobody, kind of being able
34:36
to tell him no?
34:37
Right?
34:38
You know, except and that's not to say that you just come in and you start cutting and trading
34:41
and and everything and tearing things down to the studs.
34:44
I don't think this team needs that.
34:45
But does he have autonomy?
34:47
Right?
34:48
And and can he make those decisions?
34:49
And whether he looks for input from different guys or not, obviously, KOC was heavily
34:55
involved in the interviewing process.
34:57
Whether you agree with that or not, me and Rap definitely had some things to go back and forth
35:01
on his show kind of talking about that.
35:04
I'll get a little unorthodox for a guy to be in the process of hiring his new boss.
35:09
Right?
35:10
But what is
35:11
does does he have
35:12
the authority if this team is underperforming as we've said over the course of the first six
35:17
weeks of the season?
35:19
They come out and lay some eggs and go two and four with what we feel like is a competitive
35:24
roster.
35:25
Does he have the authority to say, hey, man.
35:27
This KOC guy ain't getting it done, he's being too rigid with with his play calling and his
35:33
unwillingness to give it up, will he make that call to look down at him and say, you either
35:38
give it up or you lose your job, or does he just say, hey, man.
35:42
This thing's kinda running course.
35:43
Brian Flores has proven himself with this defense.
35:46
We're gonna roll with B Flo as the head coach of this team before you sink this season.
35:51
You know?
35:51
It it's gonna be interesting to see how this all plays out now.
35:55
Yeah.
35:55
It it is gonna be to
35:56
see how it all plays out.
35:59
Definitely I mean, like you said, he has no ties to anybody on this roster.
36:03
He didn't pick anybody.
36:05
And, of course, I mean, people are gonna say, well, you mean he's gonna get rid of Jefferson?
36:10
No.
36:11
I mean, he he did bring him in, but he's not gonna get rid of the best guy in the league.
36:17
You know?
36:17
So, I mean, he's gonna go forward.
36:19
He's I'm I'm I'm with you, Bubba.
36:22
I'm kinda waiting to see what his big move is gonna be.
36:25
You know?
36:26
Now do I agree that, you know, KLC should have been in the process of hiring his new boss?
36:33
You know, it's it's kinda like saying, should your superstar athlete be involved in hiring
36:37
the new coach?
36:38
I mean, yes and no.
36:40
You know?
36:41
Yeah.
36:41
You're gonna find
36:42
opinions on both sides of that too.
36:44
And we don't know how involved in the interview process necessarily that KOC was.
36:48
I haven't necessarily seen reporting on, like, he was in on every single interview.
36:53
He was there for every moment of it.
36:55
Well, I think if it was like that.
36:57
Got in the final five or six guys they were interviewing.
37:01
I mean, he KLC had ties with, like, all but two of them, I think.
37:06
So
37:06
He's also been in the league now for a long time too.
37:09
It's hard not it's a small pool.
37:10
Right?
37:11
Yep.
37:11
Everybody knows everybody.
37:13
They they've, you know, they they've been in different organizations and been around the
37:17
league.
37:18
So I don't necessarily put a ton of stock into that.
37:21
It's easy to have tie I mean, right now, we can say we have ties to TJ Hawkinson.
37:25
Right?
37:25
Well, you know Well, you do.
37:26
I mean,
37:27
you actually got the interview with you know, sit down with him, or I should say sit down
37:30
with him, but no.
37:32
It next to him?
37:33
He's a big
37:33
dude still.
37:34
I I It's
37:35
gonna be interesting to see what this year brings, you know, if they turn it around.
37:41
And and the thing is is, let's say we turn it around.
37:45
Well, was it the turnaround or was it the influence of the new GM?
37:50
I mean, you know, now people are gonna rub heads that way.
37:52
So it's just, you know, if they do start two and four like you said, okay, KLC, we we gotta
37:59
cut ties with you.
37:59
I mean or give up the play call.
38:02
Let somebody else call the play to see what happens.
38:04
But
38:04
Yeah.
38:04
I mean, you've already let go of the general manager of the team that was there.
38:07
So who's kinda next on the list?
38:09
And you just committed, recommitted to Brian Flores in the offseason.
38:13
So to me, the first person on the chopping block at this point is the head coach play
38:17
call.
38:17
Oh, yeah.
38:17
If this especially if this offense doubles, because I really feel like the defense is going
38:22
to gel rather quickly.
38:24
A lot
38:24
of talk about hitman staying in shape already and talking you know?
38:28
So, I mean, things are coming out.
38:30
Gotta love OTAs.
38:31
We're gonna get more into that talk.
38:32
I don't know how closely you've been following it.
38:34
I've watched a couple of highlights from Tyler.
38:37
Couple good throws from JJ.
38:39
Yeah.
38:39
That that's what that's
38:40
the whole thing with preseason.
38:41
It's just like they're gonna hype it up.
38:43
I mean, last year, they're hyping up how JJ looked.
38:46
This year, it's well, look at Tyler had, you know, four great throws to Jennings.
38:51
Oh, McCarthy had four great throws to, you know, Addison.
38:56
Oh, Addison's running, you know, like a bent out of hell.
39:00
You know, JJ's do you know,
39:01
Justin's doing his Yeah.
39:03
Yeah.
39:03
He better Yeah.
39:04
So so it's
39:05
all the perspective of who's reported and stuff.
39:07
I mean, granted, they're not gonna come out and say, oh, JJ looks like garbage or, you know,
39:14
know, Kyler can't see over the seven foot offensive line, so he do three picks in the old
39:19
piece, you know, in practice.
39:21
They're not gonna say that.
39:22
They're gonna definitely say all the good thing, but, you know, we'll we'll see what
39:27
preseason game one does and and and make judgment there.
39:30
I don't I don't put too
39:31
much stock
39:32
in OTCs and, you know, all the off season workouts and stuff like that.
39:37
I wanna see what they are in game action.
39:39
That's why I don't put much stock into the combine because you're seeing people not in
39:44
their element.
39:45
Now with pads out, of course, they're gonna be a little bit faster moving and stuff like that.
39:48
Give me the pads, and let me see what rolls.
39:52
I mean, coach Cody could probably say the same thing.
39:54
You know, he'd rather see people in pads than not just running around with no
39:58
noticeable, though, is it looks like mechanically, JJ's leg kick seems to be gone,
40:04
and that was something that we pointed at a lot.
40:07
Now Kyler Murray, a little more entrenched athlete in that, but, you know, making a deal
40:12
of that.
40:13
I think everybody's gonna make a big deal out of anything.
40:15
The talk and and I just saw another I saw a clip from ESPN and one guy that said anybody
40:21
with a heartbeat could beat JJ McCarthy in a competition.
40:25
And just like, man, this is why I don't watch your networks.
40:27
Right?
40:28
You guys just talk out the side of your necks, and you say the the stupidest shit I've
40:32
ever heard.
40:33
And and those would
40:33
be the same guys that come out week seven.
40:37
The Vikings are seven and o and be like, oh my god.
40:40
McCarthy's lighting it up.
40:41
He's a MVP candidate.
40:43
You know, I had faith in him since day one.
40:45
You know, just be you just had to give him time because that was the same thing we're here with
40:50
with Caleb Williams last year.
40:53
See, now look at it.
40:54
He's grown into his own.
40:55
You got 18 games under your belt.
40:57
That's the average quarterback need.
40:58
Now, you know, now let's see what's going on with them.
41:01
I mean, you know, everybody doesn't they don't wanna look like you know, they don't know what
41:07
to talk about.
41:08
That's why they always have to backtrack.
41:10
You know what?
41:11
I so I got a way crazy I got a way crazy prediction.
41:15
What I think best for the organization, check this out.
41:18
Okay.
41:19
So Tyler starts.
41:20
Yep.
41:21
Plays your first seven games, maybe goes 500, but looks like the same player that he's always
41:25
been.
41:26
Meanwhile, JJ McCarthy is really starting to turn a corner in his development behind the
41:32
scenes.
41:33
One of the starting quarterbacks in the league gets hurt, and you're able to trade Kyler for
41:38
some serious draft capital after only signing him to a vet minimum deal.
41:43
And you're able to restock the coffer selling a guy that would not be on your team probably
41:48
next year anyway because you're not gonna pay him and you made the decision.
41:51
Talk about a move for a young GM to entrench himself into Vikings lore.
41:57
Nolan Teasley, make it so.
42:00
Well, and that that's the whole thing.
42:01
That's the big what if.
42:02
I mean, what if the Vikings are at 500 to trade down a lot, but Kyler Murray is just lightening
42:08
it up stat wise.
42:10
I mean, definitely, you can move him.
42:13
I mean, you're definitely gonna wanna if if you know he's not gonna be the guy next year, you
42:17
gotta move him.
42:18
And if he does have, you know, a better year, above average year, you're gonna to pay him.
42:23
So do you wanna pay him?
42:24
And then, you know, what's that do to the kid?
42:27
You know, you know, and the thing is is everybody's gotta worry about what the thought
42:32
is on JJ, you know, Justin Jefferson because he's the key factor because, you know, we lose
42:38
him.
42:38
I mean, well, that's a big chunk.
42:40
That's a big shoes to fill if we if we have to move him because he's not happy.
42:47
Yeah.
42:47
I I just don't I I everybody talks about that and him wanting out, and I don't
42:52
I don't think
42:52
he wants out, but, I mean, I mean, but sooner or later
42:56
personality.
42:57
He's a competitor.
42:58
He's committed to this team.
42:59
He loves the city of Minneapolis.
43:02
He loves the the Minnesota Vikings fan base.
43:05
You can see what it means to him on every level.
43:08
I don't see him ever.
43:09
It would have to be so bad.
43:11
And and even in the worst season that he's had, that he still got his thousand yards.
43:16
And and then and I'm sure these personal stats probably don't mean a lot to him anyway.
43:20
I mean, the guy's gonna be a first ballot hall of famer pretty much no matter what he does.
43:24
Right?
43:24
He could quit now and be there.
43:26
What's up, Paul?
43:27
Good to see you, man.
43:28
What's up,
43:29
Paul?
43:29
Talking new yeah.
43:31
Cody's not here.
43:32
He's fired.
43:34
No.
43:34
That's why he's not here.
43:37
And so you can't fire someone and then expect them to show up the next week.
43:41
Paul, we're just talking OTAs making some crazy predictions about trading Kyler Murray mid
43:48
season for some serious draft captain.
43:50
And that that
43:50
could be something I mean,
43:51
it might not even have
43:52
to make make headlines at mid season.
43:55
You know, the Vikings are you know, we're talking two and four going into the biweekly or
43:59
something like that.
44:00
You're talking about co KLC maybe getting the, you know, boot.
44:05
You know, Kyle America could be that one too.
44:06
I mean, we cut them.
44:07
We don't we we don't get that big of a cap in because we're only paying them.
44:11
No.
44:11
You trade him.
44:12
No.
44:12
No.
44:13
No.
44:13
He is trade you make him trade bait, and I don't know why more people aren't talking about
44:17
that.
44:17
Well, no.
44:17
I I get that.
44:18
But, I mean, it's kinda
44:19
has to pay him.
44:20
Right?
44:20
He's, like, the perfect trade.
44:21
So you're like, cool.
44:22
You want it.
44:23
On the deal that we got him for, we need three first round picks.
44:27
Yeah.
44:27
You're not you're you're not gonna
44:28
get overall pick.
44:29
We want we need a first, your second, and another first net.
44:33
Like, you can ask for the world because they're not trading for a contract either.
44:39
And I think that's something that's getting massively overlooked in this process.
44:43
And I don't know if this was in the cards there anyway because that puts you in a position in a
44:48
very, very draft heavy for you know, in a quarterback heavy and better class this year
44:55
that if you think because why would you wanna keep the guy who's gonna be approaching 30 here
45:00
soon that you're gonna have to pay $40.50 mil when you could go out and potentially get a
45:06
first or two first for a guy?
45:08
I mean, what what is the price tag?
45:09
He's the number one overall pick that you're paying no money for.
45:12
And I think
45:12
Well, and that and
45:13
that's and that's the thing too.
45:15
They're you know, it also depends on how good he's doing here because if he if he puts up the
45:21
number that we saw our quarterbacks do last year, you're not gonna pay $3,040,000,000
45:27
dollars for No.
45:28
No.
45:28
He's putting up on tape, b.
45:29
You're I think you're wrong.
45:30
I don't think what he does this season matters at all.
45:33
I don't think his stat matters at all.
45:35
There are people that believe in Kyler Murray, the player.
45:38
Right?
45:39
No.
45:39
It might be the fact that maybe
45:41
maybe it's not in the NFL.
45:43
Maybe maybe, you know, NFL career is over.
45:46
If he doesn't put up numbers, he goes plays baseball too.
45:48
No.
45:49
No.
45:49
No.
45:49
People love Kyler Murray.
45:50
He's supposed to be the MVP this season for the Vikings, man.
45:53
Listen how people talk about him.
45:55
He is extremely valuable.
45:57
And and and I think you're gonna get hated on by the fan base who are like, this could have
46:02
been our guy.
46:03
And even if he goes on, you could set your team up with so much top tier talent with something
46:10
like that.
46:10
I just don't think enough people are talking about it.
46:12
And and I don't
46:14
I don't think it is.
46:14
Especially
46:15
if JJ McCarthy and I think this team's gonna run differently too.
46:19
If this team has a running game and leans on their running game, you make the playoffs last
46:23
year.
46:23
Right?
46:24
And JJ McCarthy gets another game to develop and maybe shows you a little bit more in the
46:29
playoffs and
46:29
shows you
46:29
And that's and that's the thing too is, you know, you also gotta you gotta fix those
46:34
mistakes that cost you those games.
46:37
You know, we we talked about heavily that, you know, Addison missing the first three games,
46:42
then all of a sudden happened overseas.
46:44
That could have been a game changer overseas.
46:47
We could have walked away with both of those victories.
46:49
The return in the bears
46:50
game where guys will bear
46:52
the blindness.
46:53
Yep.
46:53
I
46:53
mean, it it was it was a few plays during the season, and our whole people are looking at
46:58
this Vikings team completely different.
47:00
So I think, man, I I would be I would be very intrigued to see the talks that are going on
47:07
when the trade deadline is approaching and because it happens.
47:11
Injuries happen.
47:11
I mean, think about the Indianapolis Colts and losing Daniel Jones.
47:14
What would they give up to get a Kyler Murray on their team for a vet minimum deal?
47:19
What are you willing to give up?
47:21
Right?
47:21
Well, I'm about to
47:22
say too.
47:23
You, you know, you talked about the Colts there.
47:25
They they're they're in another situation like the Vikings.
47:28
They got a young guy.
47:30
They got two young guys, as a matter of fact, sitting in their wings.
47:33
One, Anthony Richardson that they had a big high hopes for and has done nothing.
47:38
We got I can't think of the guy that they like now.
47:42
Leonard, I think his name is.
47:44
And then, of course, you got Daniel Daniel Jones.
47:47
So, I mean, they're kinda the same that the Vikings are in.
47:50
You know, let's see where we go at.
47:51
We we saw what Daniel don't Daniel Jones did.
47:55
We know Anthony Richardson ain't the guy we thought he was gonna be, but, you know I mean
48:01
and then like you said, next year going into a heavy class draft class for quarterbacks, how
48:08
many teams are gonna be willing to, you know, risk draft picks?
48:12
I mean, unless you got a quarterback.
48:14
Trading with a team you're trading with someone who has playoff aspirations.
48:18
Right?
48:18
The teams that are are tanking to the bottom, they're not trading their first round pick for
48:22
a guy right now.
48:23
But teams that you would be looking at would be those middle tier teams that are like, man, if
48:27
we have that guy, we would be in the playoffs and can make a run at this right now.
48:31
Right?
48:32
And it's not just the quarterback.
48:33
What happens in a quarterback heavy class, though, is that guys that would go top 10 now
48:38
fall into the 12 to 15 range.
48:41
And if you could have two or three picks in that range and their second round picks in a in
48:46
a what they're calling already a historic deep draft, it changes the look of this team.
48:53
So I'm keeping my eyes peeled on that.
48:56
It's way too early to tell.
48:57
It's it's to me, it's all the it's it's all dependent on the development of JJ McCarthy out
49:05
of the spotlight.
49:06
Right?
49:06
I think Kyler has enough
49:08
What's up, Daniel?
49:09
I
49:10
I think Kyler, just because of what he's done in this league and already being there and I
49:15
don't think it's a slight to JJ McCarthy, the the player.
49:17
And I think a lot of fans are gonna look at that and be like, he's done.
49:21
He's and a lot of fans already are.
49:23
That he ain't the guy.
49:24
He ain't gonna be there, but they could be already be seeing stuff in OTAs that they're
49:28
seeing corrections that have been made mechanically, little things that they're
49:32
looking at that we're not seeing in the four highlights that the Vikings are posting.
49:36
Right?
49:36
Like, there's not a lot of access in these in these OTAs.
49:40
And the thing is is those people that are talking about that McCarthy's gone and, you
49:45
know, we need to move on
49:46
for a
49:47
little water, young man.
49:48
We're in our stream.
49:50
Yeah.
49:50
He's you know, those guys are gonna be the ones that when McCarthy does do good, they're gonna
49:56
shy away until he has that bad game again.
49:58
Be like, oh, see, I told you he used garbage.
50:00
K.
50:00
Where were you with the on those other four victories that he had 300 yards, three
50:04
touchdowns, no picks, you know, stuff like that.
50:07
You know?
50:07
So
50:08
I think this team has gotten so much better.
50:11
It's crazy to look at the talent.
50:12
You you I think you improved at every position that we talked about you needed to.
50:16
Now maybe it wasn't like the big splashes that you thought it was gonna be.
50:20
It wasn't the names that ESPN was talking about, but I think this team got dogs at all of
50:25
the spots that they needed it.
50:27
They got help on the offensive line.
50:28
They got help at wide receiver.
50:30
They got help in the running back room.
50:33
They got help in the safety and the cornerback position.
50:35
Like, and and and you got a really you got a monster at linebacker in in that second round
50:41
pick.
50:42
Right?
50:42
The
50:43
Well, that you got the monster.
50:44
You know, you got the you know?
50:46
And defensive tackle.
50:48
Yeah.
50:48
With with a big citrus there.
50:50
So You've
50:51
got some talent, man.
50:53
So
50:53
That defense hard to
50:55
that defense is probably gonna take a lot of stress off if if healthy, and they could come
51:00
together and Beefo seems to be that guy with the magic wand, you know, if if Banks can you
51:07
know, if Banks and Big Citrus could be the players that they're projected to be,
51:12
especially Banks coming off the foot injury, that defensive line is gonna be scary.
51:17
The linebackers are gonna be scary.
51:19
But disruptors at every level of the defense because I think Jacoby Thomas can be a
51:24
disruptor from that safety position as well.
51:27
And
51:27
And then and then just think if you bring back Harris to Smith.
51:31
I mean, he was already a disruptor already.
51:34
Now you bring him into with more disruptors?
51:36
I mean, you know, I you know, if I'm like coach Cody, who's a defensive minded player, I'm
51:41
loving this defense.
51:43
I mean, you know, I'm
51:44
I'm They're
51:45
gonna be a problem.
51:46
You know?
51:46
I I right after the draft, I looked at what they had done and knowing the coach that Bflow
51:52
is, and not just him, but the defensive the staff that he has to be able to coach these
51:56
guys up.
51:57
I think it's gonna be really impressive what they're putting together and really able to
52:02
attack offenses now and dictate play instead of kinda more playing a bend, don't break style of
52:08
defense that you saw from them, especially early last year.
52:11
It started to get a little bit better in the end as Dallas Turner came on and started to
52:15
apply more pressure.
52:16
Now you have a little bit more experience, little bit heavier, a little bit more stout, a
52:21
little bit more experience with his hands and knowing what guys are trying to do to him, I
52:26
think it's really gonna, we're gonna turn a lot of heads, and I think they can do it early.
52:30
And I think that defense can dictate some of these games, early in the season.
52:35
I know a lot of people are kinda picking us to split against the bears and Green Bay, you
52:40
know, who which one you win, which one you don't.
52:42
That's the only that's
52:43
the only with, you know, the interdivision games is you kinda like
52:48
Well, two and o in
52:49
those games because your defense is on fire, and Kyler Murray is able to give you something
52:53
that they haven't seen out of a Vikings offense ever.
52:56
Right?
52:57
A a mobile quarterback, you haven't really seen it.
52:58
Even Dante wasn't I mean, he could move a little bit, but he wasn't Kyler Murray.
53:01
In his in
53:02
his first few years was was the mobile quarterback.
53:06
He was a bigger dude.
53:07
But even though, I mean, Keller Murray has breakaway speed from back there.
53:10
You there aren't a lot of guys that can do what he what he does.
53:14
What I'm hoping for is is see, if we don't put both quarterbacks on the field a couple of
53:20
times early in the season and leave you going, what what do we
53:24
what do we do?
53:25
You know?
53:26
Like But but the thing is
53:27
sideways pass to Kyler Murray in the flat, you know, a backwards pass to Kyler in the flat.
53:33
What are you gonna do when you got, you know, Addison and Jefferson streaking down the field
53:39
and two quarterbacks on the field at the same time?
53:42
There's some tricks up the sleeve, and I bet we see him early.
53:45
And I wouldn't be surprised if you saw him in those first two games against your division
53:49
rivals.
53:50
Because if you go two and o to start the season Yep.
53:54
You are in control moving forward.
53:57
Yep.
53:58
And you have put the entire, not just the division, but the NFC on notice, especially if
54:03
that defense is is starting out there.
54:05
Now they obviously, we're in our way too early OTAs.
54:08
Well, I didn't I
54:09
in there.
54:09
And the
54:09
thing is too is how dominant are those first two games.
54:13
I mean, if you go out there and just, you know, put the pedal to the metal and you're you know,
54:18
yeah, you're definitely going to put everybody head shriveling and and shaking and be like, oh
54:23
my god.
54:24
The Vikings are for real, you know, and what's gonna happen?
54:27
But, again, you know, and I hate I hate to keep bringing it up, but a lot of it's gonna have to
54:31
be that office line.
54:32
How could they protect?
54:33
I mean, yes, Kyle Murray's got the breakaway speed, and he he makes things develop, but you
54:38
still need an office line that could hold those guys off for a good ten seconds, You know?
54:42
Well and I
54:43
something happened.
54:44
No.
54:44
No.
54:44
You need someone that can hold the line for four seconds.
54:46
That would be nice.
54:47
I don't think we even sniffed that last year on average.
54:50
It was pretty bad.
54:51
But I think getting these guys moving downhill and running the ball more, which was really
54:56
something that was
54:57
positive about Frank Smith coming in and joining this organization.
55:02
To be that extra voice in KOCs had to say, hey, man.
55:06
We gotta run the ball here.
55:08
Right?
55:08
You gotta give these guys.
55:09
You gotta get them moving downhill.
55:11
It's gonna open these things.
55:12
I promise you.
55:12
I know you wanna throw the ball.
55:14
I know you wanna do all these these things from the backfield, and you wanna run this team, but
55:18
you have to run the ball.
55:19
And I think that extra voice because what happens during the course of a game is you
55:23
kinda get stuck in your tendencies, and you're starting to call the plays that have worked for
55:27
you before, and you're getting away from, the the things that you should be doing with the
55:32
things that you think you should be doing.
55:34
And I think just having another trusted voice, And I think, you know, that's what inspires me
55:39
a little bit with Frank Smith being there is it's someone that is a trusted voice.
55:44
It is not your Wade Phillips, you
55:46
know, the the ghost of Wade
55:48
Phillips in there, you know, and being in the in the voice and not speaking up.
55:52
You have someone from without the organization that came from the outside now to say, hey,
55:57
man.
55:58
Like, you you somebody that's willing to stand up to these guys.
56:01
Right?
56:01
And and I think that's what's needed, and I hope that was also what Nolan Teasley brings to
56:06
the table as well to say, hey.
56:08
You need to
56:09
get up and
56:09
run call, man.
56:10
Like, you need to run this team how it is and to be that and whether it I mean, not during
56:15
the game necessarily, but, you know, after the game when they're doing kind of their
56:19
debriefing sessions to be like, hey.
56:22
I wanna see more of this from this team.
56:24
This is how
56:25
it should be doing it.
56:26
And now you have a football guy in that GM spot to be able to put a little pressure on there,
56:30
which KOC has not had for his entire career.
56:34
Right?
56:34
Well, no.
56:34
And and that's the thing too is, you know, with Nolan coming in, you know, he's got a blueprint
56:41
on what a championship team looks at.
56:44
I mean, yeah, they had two running backs and one of them left.
56:48
What are they gonna do?
56:49
Well, but, again, they had two running backs.
56:52
They got the ball rolling.
56:54
I mean, our longest run came from our wide receiver, I mean, that's should not happen.
56:59
Already
56:59
gonna change.
57:00
That's already I guarantee you, we see a a 50 plus yard run out of, our new cornerback,
57:10
Drummond Claiborne, guaranteed.
57:13
Right?
57:13
He just has that home run speed.
57:15
If these guys can open a hole, he can hit it and absolutely be gone.
57:19
We're gonna see some runs.
57:21
And you still have Aaron Jones senior who is reliable in the backfield as a third down,
57:26
blocking, running back, and can catch the ball.
57:29
And you put Jordan Mason in the position that I think he should have been all year last year as
57:34
being your workhorse back, a guy that can carry it, you know, 15 to 20 times a game and really
57:39
wear a defense down because of his style.
57:42
He does not have that breakaway speed, unfortunately.
57:45
Right?
57:46
But he's got enough juice to really hit guys in the hole and not shy away from contact.
57:51
I really think you're seeing something interesting developing here.
57:55
It all comes back to the head coach play caller and what he's going to do to utilize the
57:59
weapons that he has around him.
58:01
You got a third down receiver now in Juwan Jennings who can go up and get him.
58:05
You saw him.
58:06
I don't know if you saw the highlight where he kinda tips the ball No.
58:09
To himself and catches it.
58:11
That that's something that you don't have from anyone else on this and he's big.
58:15
Is a he is a thick wide receiver.
58:17
I know they don't have pads on yet, but seeing him out there and the strength that he has to
58:21
fend off some of these guys, JJ is gonna beat you with his agility and his speed.
58:27
Not to say that he's not strong, but he's also not necessarily built like that.
58:30
Jawan Jennings is probably, I would say, fifteen, twenty pounds heavier than a Justin
58:34
Jefferson, and and maybe doesn't have the speed that JJ does.
58:40
But, man, the ability to fend off these receivers and and to clear out space for
58:46
himself, I I think is something that we've been missing because you don't even get that from
58:50
the tight end group.
58:51
I mean, Oliver a little bit, but Oliver doesn't have the speed to separate.
58:54
Hock doesn't necessarily have that strength.
58:57
And that's that and that's not what
58:58
you said that's supposed to do.
58:59
He's supposed to be there
59:00
to block, and he's supposed to be, like, the last option.
59:04
Not just the size not just the size to do it, but the want to.
59:08
Right?
59:09
The grit to get in there and to block guys.
59:11
I think that was really missing from this team last year.
59:15
Are you dying?
59:16
No.
59:17
My dog slipped on something.
59:19
So so yeah.
59:22
So Jetty is just, what is he, six three two twelve compared to a Jefferson who's six one
59:28
one ninety five.
59:30
So, yeah, he's
59:30
got Almost twenty pounds, man.
59:32
Yeah.
59:33
He's a big dude.
59:34
And then and then
59:34
you got and then you got good answer at five eleven at one seventy nine.
59:38
So, you know
59:40
Yeah.
59:40
I mean, I I'm not comparing myself physically to the specimen that Justin Jefferson is by any
59:46
means.
59:46
But, b, I'm, like, six one two ten.
59:48
Yep.
59:49
Right?
59:50
Juwan Jennings is more me, a little bit taller than, you know, Jefferson.
59:55
Jefferson is a slight guy, but he beats you with a home run hitting speed and the agility
1:00:01
and the the mentality of I'm gonna get open and you can't cover me.
1:00:05
Right?
1:00:06
The Well, and and that's the thing too.
1:00:07
What the Vikings have to do is they have to get those as other aspects of the game working to
1:00:14
give Jefferson that long home run.
1:00:15
Because if if people know that we're trying to get to Jefferson, they know it's gonna be on
1:00:20
the deep ball, so they're gonna cover them.
1:00:21
But now if we got the guys that can shorten up that field, catch it over the middle, make some
1:00:26
plays, that's gonna open up the door for Jefferson to not be double coverage or triple
1:00:31
coverage at sometimes.
1:00:32
So that's something that
1:00:33
KOC that we often have to look at.
1:00:35
And the reason that KOC leans on the deep crosser so much is that it's always open with
1:00:41
JJ because you have to respect his home run hitting speed.
1:00:45
Yep.
1:00:45
Right?
1:00:45
And he can get out of that break so fast that at 20 yards, he's always open.
1:00:50
Right?
1:00:50
Like, he's always open because once once he takes off off the line, the safeties are
1:00:54
dropping 30 yards deep, and they're not going to come up and be able to jump that route if
1:00:59
you have a guy that can anticipate that and get that ball in there.
1:01:03
And I think you started to see that from McCarthy towards the end of last year.
1:01:07
Kyler Murray thrives in those intermediate routes as well and has the accuracy to float
1:01:12
that ball in there.
1:01:13
So I think this team's gonna be super dangerous.
1:01:15
We we've added so much that I think a lot of people are sleeping on this team.
1:01:19
People picking this team Well,
1:01:21
they are.
1:01:21
Division is wild.
1:01:23
Wild to me, and and I don't I just don't see it.
1:01:27
And I and I see dangerous no matter who the quarterback is, to be perfectly honest.
1:01:32
And I think all the experts and a lot of fans from other teams and even some Viking fans,
1:01:39
they're they're looking at, you know, the old story that if you don't have a quarterback, you
1:01:44
don't have that leader.
1:01:45
You don't have that guy you count on.
1:01:47
So and then with our quarterback issues, they're that that's what they're looking at is
1:01:52
that we don't have stable play at the quarterback position to where we could be a
1:01:57
contender.
1:01:57
So a lot has to be with KLC, the quarterbacks, that offensive line to get us to start, you
1:02:05
know, winning games and and making people's head move and be like, well, we were 100% wrong
1:02:11
on the bikers and their issues.
1:02:12
They fixed it, and now they're heading to the playoffs.
1:02:16
You know?
1:02:16
So
1:02:17
Yep.
1:02:18
Well, I'm looking forward to those conversations.
1:02:20
Bea, I don't wanna keep us too long.
1:02:22
Tonight, we kinda covered everything that we had to, running the show all by our lonesome
1:02:28
tonight.
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Another shout out to our sponsors at Odyssey Exteriors.
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Yeah.
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See, absolutely a pleasure working with you, man.
1:03:16
Had a great time working with
1:03:18
you and
1:03:18
each in person.
1:03:20
You know, I I look forward to doing it a lot more.
1:03:22
I've already been reaching out to the Saint Paul Saints organization, letting them know how
1:03:26
good of a time that we had in their building, hoping that we can come back and do some more
1:03:30
for them.
1:03:31
Just got word this weekend.
1:03:33
I'm actually gonna be in Sioux Falls with the Sioux Falls Canaries.
1:03:36
They got a kids, youth camp going on.
1:03:38
So I'm gonna go up there, bring the cameras along, get to meet everybody up there in
1:03:42
person, and, shake some hands and, get to see the inside of the building there, film a little
1:03:47
bit of content with all the kids there, have something to share.
1:03:50
And we've been talking to the Northwoods League as well.
1:03:52
Had Ed Tuttle from the Traverse Traverse City Pit Spinners up there in Michigan on the show
1:03:59
today.
1:03:59
That's gonna be airing on Friday.
1:04:01
Great convo with him.
1:04:02
Northwoods League is in full effect right now.
1:04:04
College World Series is going on.
1:04:06
Check out seven eight nine next week.
1:04:07
We're gonna have some really great content for you guys there.
1:04:10
Just thrilled, man.
1:04:11
The the network is kicking ass right now.
1:04:13
We got a lot of great golf shots that are going out.
1:04:16
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Appreciate you guys.
1:05:02
Bee, I appreciate you.
1:05:04
Thanks for joining us.
1:05:05
You too.
1:05:05
Always.
1:05:06
Everybody, we'll see you next Tuesday for Vikings United.
1:05:09
Join us this Saturday on the Scene Project Sports Network for the Scratch Project cut line
1:05:14
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your home like it's our own.
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Call (952) 923-0062 or visit odysseyext.com today to schedule your free exterior
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inspection.
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Odyssey Exteriors, built Midwest tough, built for you.