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Tony Boselli: "I'm on the right side of this thing now" · The Jacksonville Jaguars Official Podcast Network

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Speaker 1: A couple of weeks ago, our friend and colleague Tony
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Speaker 1: Boselli was diagnosed with the coronavirus COVID nineteen, sent to
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Speaker 1: the Mayo Clinic here in Jacksonville. He's gone through it all.
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Speaker 1: He's back home now and he's back on Jaguars Happy
0:13
Speaker 1: Hour today. Tony, it is good to hear that voice again.
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Speaker 1: How are you, sir? Well, I'm doing better, JP, and
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Speaker 1: I appreciate you. Um, it's it's been quite a few
0:25
Speaker 1: weeks and uh, but I'm feeling better home from the
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Speaker 1: hospital and uh, I'm on the right side of this
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Speaker 1: thing now, Tony, We're gonna break some of this down.
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Speaker 1: We'll talk a little football to This is a football show.
0:37
Speaker 1: I don't you know. It's been a while. Good, we'll
0:40
Speaker 1: get to that. There's been a lot going on between
0:44
Speaker 1: now and then. Um, how did this start? When was
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Speaker 1: your initial reaction to it? The symptoms? When did you
0:50
Speaker 1: find out? When were you tested? And then all of
0:52
Speaker 1: a sudden, when were you at Mayo? Yeah, so, uh
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Speaker 1: two weeks ago, I guess they would, uh two weeks
1:01
Speaker 1: ago from yesterdays when I got tested, and uh the
1:04
Speaker 1: reason I got tested, I started feeling uh first just
1:08
Speaker 1: like a cold. I didn't think anything of it and
1:11
Speaker 1: uh and maybe some allergies or something. But woke up
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Speaker 1: a Wednesday morning feeling really lousy, and uh, that same morning,
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Speaker 1: I got a phone call saying that I was around
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Speaker 1: and individual that it tested positive. And so at that point,
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Speaker 1: I UH called my doctor at Mayo and I said, Hey,
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Speaker 1: here's what's going on, and feel great, And I just
1:32
Speaker 1: found out that I've been around somebody. So they got
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Speaker 1: me in and I got tested that Wednesday, and uh,
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Speaker 1: I stayed at home and just kind of hung out waiting,
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Speaker 1: and then found out Friday, UM, two weeks from tomorrow,
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Speaker 1: that I was positive, and uh, at that point was
1:52
Speaker 1: still feeling okay, but I started going down wet downhill
1:55
Speaker 1: over the weekend, I thought I was getting better, and
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Speaker 1: then Tuesday, UM of last week, UM really started feeling
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Speaker 1: bad and and uh, throughout the day was going the
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Speaker 1: wrong direction. And Wednesday, mid morning called my doctor again
2:14
Speaker 1: and told him what was going on, and he sent
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Speaker 1: me to the hospital I thought I was just going
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Speaker 1: into and he gets some fluids and some medicine, and uh,
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Speaker 1: the next thing I knew, I was there five days.
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Speaker 1: The Yeah, when you get in there. Um, how did
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Speaker 1: they greet you at the door? I mean, this has
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Speaker 1: to be obviously they know that you have it at
2:33
Speaker 1: this point and then you're in the hospital. What happened
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Speaker 1: the next few days after that? Yeah, so I'm really fortunate.
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Speaker 1: I mean the people were great, um throughout the health
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Speaker 1: care you know, sina Mere and Jacksonville, and I was
2:46
Speaker 1: fortunate to be at Mayo the great people. So they
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Speaker 1: called ahead, they knew I was coming, and uh so
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Speaker 1: I was greed with you know, an individual who at
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Speaker 1: the er who was there where I was coming and
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Speaker 1: was in the full um mask and uh, you know
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Speaker 1: out you know, making sure they're completely covered head to
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Speaker 1: toe and they will be into the emergency room, into
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Speaker 1: the private room away from everybody, and uh start doing
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Speaker 1: tests and next raising my chest and everything. And that's
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Speaker 1: when uh, pullman all just came in and said, you're
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Speaker 1: not going anywhere. I'm gonna stay. We're gonna put you
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Speaker 1: in the ICU for a while. And that was a
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Speaker 1: little bit of a shock obviously. I mean, you don't
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Speaker 1: number one, you don't think it's gonna ever be you.
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Speaker 1: You're gonna get it, and then when you do get it,
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Speaker 1: you think I'll just you know, I'm young, only forty
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Speaker 1: seven years old and completely healthy, have no health issues.
3:40
Speaker 1: This will be kind of a quick thing. Turn it
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Speaker 1: around and uh get to it, and uh, next thing
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Speaker 1: you know, you're in the nice you and I had
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Speaker 1: a bunch of machines hooked up to you, and you're
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Speaker 1: in oxygen and and uh it was quite an interesting time.
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Speaker 1: So I was there, ended up being at Mayo for
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Speaker 1: five days, half of that time the s and then
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Speaker 1: uh Monday, Um, I was able to kind of uh
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Speaker 1: turned the corner and get good enough to come back home.
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Speaker 1: And then I've been at home the last few days
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Speaker 1: and really starting to head in the right direction. Tony
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Speaker 1: Boselli with us on Jaguars Happy Hour, his first radio
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Speaker 1: appearance since returning home from the hospital. We're also simulcast
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Speaker 1: on The Frank Franzie Show currently on ninety two point
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Speaker 1: five FM. What goes through your mind, Tony when you're
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Speaker 1: in intensive care and you're by yourself and that's really
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Speaker 1: all you have time to do is think about things. Yeah,
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Speaker 1: I'll tell you it's uh, it's scary, that's for sure. Um. Uh,
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Speaker 1: you know your mind runs and obviously you know that
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Speaker 1: people are dying from this and and you're in the
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Speaker 1: hospital and you're in the I see you, and you
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Speaker 1: know no one can cut you can't leave the room,
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Speaker 1: and no one come see you unless you're in a
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Speaker 1: fool you know, a protective suit and all the protective equipment. UM.
5:00
Speaker 1: So it's really scary. Your mind runs and you just
5:02
Speaker 1: you know, you know, you know, you can't see your
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Speaker 1: family or anybody until you get better. Um. Thankfully, I'll
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Speaker 1: tell you the people, you know, the doctors, you know,
5:13
Speaker 1: the p a's, the nurses, I mean attacks, I mean,
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Speaker 1: everybody that I dealt with was unbeaivable and they you know,
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Speaker 1: they they take their own you know, they know they're
5:25
Speaker 1: at risk and thankfully they have the right equipment, but
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Speaker 1: they're still at risk and they come in there and
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Speaker 1: serve you. And so they made it a lot better.
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Speaker 1: I mean even all the way to the individuals have
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Speaker 1: to come in every day to clean my room. And um,
5:38
Speaker 1: so that was I mean, seeing somebody and you know,
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Speaker 1: these individuals that are taking care of you and talking
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Speaker 1: to you and trying to encourage you. That was helpful. Um.
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Speaker 1: But it was pretty experience, pretty interesting experience. And uh,
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Speaker 1: there's a lot of times to kind of lay there
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Speaker 1: and uh, just you and your thoughts, Tony Boselli with us,
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Speaker 1: you get moved back in to a general room, and
6:01
Speaker 1: now you're obviously back home. At what point did you
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Speaker 1: see or find out that the story was on social media?
6:09
Speaker 1: Mike Freeman of Bleacher Report had tweeted out your situation.
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Speaker 1: It was known around town. It wasn't a public media
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Speaker 1: thing yet though, but at that moment it changed. When
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Speaker 1: did you find out about it and what was your
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Speaker 1: reaction to see it? Yeah, first of all, I want
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Speaker 1: to thank all my all the good you know, all
6:28
Speaker 1: the media in Jacksonville, and a lot more of my
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Speaker 1: friends and and uh, and they knew obviously, you know,
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Speaker 1: and I'm closer to some than others, and and some
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Speaker 1: of them that I talked that they knew I was sick,
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Speaker 1: and and uh, and I wasn't responding to any of
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Speaker 1: the media at all, um from that standpoint of wanting
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Speaker 1: to talk to anybody, and in each of them really
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Speaker 1: respected my privacy. Um, you know, I got stick, and
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Speaker 1: I knew it was a big deal, you know, out
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Speaker 1: there publicly, but I was feeling pretty lousy and a
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Speaker 1: lot of going on, and and the family that will
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Speaker 1: worry about and everything else. And so I just wasn't
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Speaker 1: ready to talk. And so thank you to all the
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Speaker 1: Jacksonal media and a lot of the national media that's
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Speaker 1: friends of mine that the kind of knew something was
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Speaker 1: going on, and we're respectful of my privacy. So I
7:15
Speaker 1: was purposely not saying anything, not that I would never
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Speaker 1: just when you're that sick and you're not doing good,
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Speaker 1: it just wasn't the right time. And the fact that,
7:23
Speaker 1: you know, Mike Freeman decided on his own without ever
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Speaker 1: even trying to reach out to me, um, to do
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Speaker 1: what he did. I thought, you know, last what do
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Speaker 1: you want to call it ethics or reality? I don't
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Speaker 1: know what the exact term is, but it was sure
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Speaker 1: wasn't should feel very good as you're laying in the
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Speaker 1: hospital and you're gonna learn on your phone that someone's
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Speaker 1: talking about you, uh, and especially when you were, you know,
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Speaker 1: that sick. So that was tough. UM. I mean, I like,
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Speaker 1: I couldn't even tell my friends that I was that sick,
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Speaker 1: and so a lot of them found out through him,
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Speaker 1: and uh, and I didn't like that, and I was
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Speaker 1: pretty upset, but it want him and he made a
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Speaker 1: decision to do what he did. Um. I completely disagree
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Speaker 1: with that. I think it lacks specials him. But that's
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Speaker 1: his choice and that's what he ended up doing. Has
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Speaker 1: he reached out since? No, I mean never you stopped
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Speaker 1: before to ask, you know, at least have the decency
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Speaker 1: to ask me, if you know and find out we
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Speaker 1: talk to maybe some my family, what was really going on?
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Speaker 1: You know, God forbid, what if I was dying in
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Speaker 1: there and you're out there reporting this thing. Um, I
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Speaker 1: just think it's unfair to me. It's a personal matter,
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Speaker 1: you know, and to do that without even trying to
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Speaker 1: reach out, it was really really disappointing. Tony Basselli with
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Speaker 1: US Pride of the Jaguars Left Tackle, co host of
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Speaker 1: this show, Jaguars Happy Hour, his first radio appearance since
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Speaker 1: returning home. Glad to hear that voice again. UM, Now
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Speaker 1: moving ahead, you're back home. Are you in the clear? Now?
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Speaker 1: How far away are you from being in the clear?
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Speaker 1: And what's your appeal to everybody listening today? Yeah? You know,
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Speaker 1: I'm I'm took a test yesterday, UM to see if
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Speaker 1: the virus is there was negative, was gone, so um.
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Speaker 1: But because I was in the hospital and taking you know,
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Speaker 1: back to that back to back test. I'll take I
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Speaker 1: took another one to day, assuming that comes back negative
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Speaker 1: as well, then I'll be clear. Um. Well, I guess
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Speaker 1: one of the silver linings in this steal for me
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Speaker 1: is I'm probably the safest you know person to be
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Speaker 1: around because I can't get it. I got all the antibodies. Um,
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Speaker 1: but I can't obviously give it to anybody because you know,
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Speaker 1: I can't get it any longer. So that's the one
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Speaker 1: positive that once I get through this, I'll be uh,
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Speaker 1: they only go out and be safe and and uh
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Speaker 1: and so that's a good thing. So um, even then,
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Speaker 1: you know, the overall messages, you know, this is real obviously,
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Speaker 1: I think sometimes, um, we all do it. I'm no different.
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Speaker 1: You hear about these things in the news or of
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Speaker 1: people that you don't know. Maybe it feel like it's
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Speaker 1: a far long way away every different place, and you
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Speaker 1: kind of question it and you're like, oh, this it's
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Speaker 1: not gonna happen to me. Or I'm young, I'm healthy.
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Speaker 1: You know, this is something that only affects somebody's old
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Speaker 1: or as other diseases, you know, a compromised immune system whatever,
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Speaker 1: and it's just it's just not true. It is real.
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Speaker 1: It can affect any of us. Um, you know, seven healthy,
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Speaker 1: I got. It took me down pretty good. But even
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Speaker 1: if I got, and I guess they're thing is, even
10:31
Speaker 1: if it doesn't, you know, maybe you are fortunate in
10:34
Speaker 1: the odds or in your favor because you're you know,
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Speaker 1: you're healthy and young. But you can still give it
10:39
Speaker 1: to somebody else. And so I think it's a you know,
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Speaker 1: time right now to listen to the health care professionals
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Speaker 1: and the experts what they're telling us, because it is real.
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Speaker 1: They're not making this up, and they really think about
10:49
Speaker 1: our community and think about each other and uh everyone
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Speaker 1: around us, Tony Baselli with us people have been distancing
10:57
Speaker 1: for me for a long time anyway, Tony, Yeah, really
11:00
Speaker 1: it's patur you right, that's like another another week, Um, Tony,
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Speaker 1: let's talk a little football, shall we and wrapping up
11:07
Speaker 1: our conversation here. I don't know how much um you
11:11
Speaker 1: were following in intensive care obviously, UM, but you know
11:15
Speaker 1: he can has been in the news the last week
11:17
Speaker 1: or so tweeting about the Jaguars business practices lately. Um.
11:22
Speaker 1: The Jaguars as of the last week heard don't have
11:24
Speaker 1: any official offers from any teams for him, and I
11:28
Speaker 1: don't think they're planning right now. I want to send
11:30
Speaker 1: him away. I think they wanted to be here, but
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Speaker 1: it sounds like he's willing to sit down and I
11:35
Speaker 1: think he's had enough of the Jaguars. It feels like, well,
11:38
Speaker 1: I mean, here's here, here's the reality. I mean, they
11:41
Speaker 1: got him under contract because of the franchise tag. And
11:43
Speaker 1: I've been you know, reading Twitter, you know, through Twitter
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Speaker 1: and stuff a little bit here and there, and obviously
11:48
Speaker 1: you know he's a big deal. He's a very good
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Speaker 1: player and his guy that's done a lot of really
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Speaker 1: good things. And the Jaguars user leverage. They have it,
11:55
Speaker 1: and Yahn's have to make a decision and I can't
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Speaker 1: imagine him not playing if it comes to, you know,
12:00
Speaker 1: making nineteen million dollars or nothing. Um and uh, I
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Speaker 1: know he wants to be traded, but you have to
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Speaker 1: find a partner who's willing to give you what you want.
12:09
Speaker 1: And I think the Jags are gonna sit back and
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Speaker 1: be very patient because they do have the leverage, and
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Speaker 1: I think they're probably pretty confident that he would play
12:18
Speaker 1: if pushed came to show because you know, he wants
12:20
Speaker 1: to make his money. Um, it's unfortunate it's come to this.
12:23
Speaker 1: You know. It's obviously if a guy who's upset mad,
12:27
Speaker 1: and that's what happens a lot of times form relations.
12:29
Speaker 1: You feel like you've been cheenies are done wrong. It
12:32
Speaker 1: gets emotional and and a lot of feelings comes up,
12:35
Speaker 1: and a lot of bad you know, bad feelings come
12:37
Speaker 1: up and those are hard to overcome. Um, but this
12:40
Speaker 1: is the business side of it, and a lot of
12:42
Speaker 1: times in these situations, no one side is not happy.
12:45
Speaker 1: And right now, John, it's not happy. And we'll see
12:48
Speaker 1: where it goes. But my guess is, at some point
12:50
Speaker 1: in the next two weeks, I think the Jags will
12:52
Speaker 1: probably get an offer that they want that makes sense
12:55
Speaker 1: to them, and then uh, you'll probably see unique traded.
13:00
Speaker 1: But with that said, you have to find somebody's willing
13:02
Speaker 1: to pay you one million dollars a year, you know,
13:06
Speaker 1: that's what it's reported he wants. There has to be
13:09
Speaker 1: a trade partner and it's not only willing to give
13:11
Speaker 1: you the draft pick, but it's willing to pay the
13:14
Speaker 1: long term deal that Yawning's looking for. So I have
13:17
Speaker 1: to find the right trade partner, I think they will. Uh.
13:20
Speaker 1: And my guest is before the draft that Yanni equal
13:23
Speaker 1: be on a different team, Tony. It's uh weird that
13:26
Speaker 1: football seems so irrelevant compared to what you've been through
13:30
Speaker 1: the last couple of weeks. But yeah, I tell you, JP,
13:33
Speaker 1: it puts things in perspective. That's for siophoria and uh
13:37
Speaker 1: and uh, you know, and I think when I know,
13:40
Speaker 1: for me going through something like that to try to
13:42
Speaker 1: find you know, what can you learn from it? You
13:44
Speaker 1: know what what can I tell you? And I think
13:46
Speaker 1: for me, what it's done is more than anything. It's
13:49
Speaker 1: reminded me of you know, how many great people have
13:52
Speaker 1: my life and great friends and I cannot I mean
13:55
Speaker 1: I talked about the healthcare workers and they're just complete studs.
13:59
Speaker 1: I mean, if you let that with me, your studs,
14:01
Speaker 1: there's no other way to say it. There's no regard
14:03
Speaker 1: for themselves and to take care of me like that's awesome.
14:06
Speaker 1: But also I mean this, the people have my life
14:09
Speaker 1: and my family, so many good friends to the Jaguars
14:14
Speaker 1: organization and people at my church, and um, I can't
14:17
Speaker 1: tell you how many people drop meals off and taking
14:20
Speaker 1: care of my family when I would be really sick
14:22
Speaker 1: and making sure we have everything we need from medicine
14:25
Speaker 1: to everything else because everyone's been quarantined here. So UM,
14:30
Speaker 1: really thankful for you know, I feel pretty blessed by God.
14:34
Speaker 1: You know, we're a great life. But part of that
14:37
Speaker 1: is the great friends and the great people. Um that
14:41
Speaker 1: He's put in my life. Means that so many people
14:44
Speaker 1: reaching out to me and still do by text and
14:47
Speaker 1: asking what they do and bring food over and everything else. Um,
14:52
Speaker 1: it's just been amazing. So I've got great friends and that.
14:55
Speaker 1: So those things you look back and you're thankful for it.
14:57
Speaker 1: And I get to work for a great organization, you know,
15:00
Speaker 1: like the Jaguars. Also my other company that worked with
15:02
Speaker 1: has been great of them. And so you said, you
15:05
Speaker 1: feel pretty blessed to have that many people care about you,
15:07
Speaker 1: and I really kind of take care of you at
15:10
Speaker 1: a time like this. Tony Basselli first radio appearance since
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Speaker 1: we're turning home. We love you, man, and glad you're
15:17
Speaker 1: getting healthier by the day and I can't wait to
15:19
Speaker 1: see you soon. Man, thanks for your good news. As
15:23
Speaker 1: soon as I get this last test back, you don't
15:24
Speaker 1: have to worry about social things to me, so what
15:27
Speaker 1: we can do the show. Will do the show together,
15:29
Speaker 1: ye come on over to the house next time. Tony
15:32
Speaker 1: bassellij wanting us. We'll talk to you soon. Man Pride
15:34
Speaker 1: of the Jaguars left tackle. If you want to us
15:36
Speaker 1: on the phone.