Latest / Pittsburgh Sports Memories / BONUS EPISODE: Pgh Sports Current Events - September 2025

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BONUS EPISODE: Pgh Sports Current Events - September 2025 · Pittsburgh Sports Memories

0:00
SPEAKER_01: Hello and welcome to another current events episode of Pittsburgh Sports Memories.
0:04
SPEAKER_01: We are covering July 26th to August 30th.
0:09
SPEAKER_01: I'm your co-host, Steve Wirt.
0:11
SPEAKER_01: I'm joined by Tim Hannon.
0:14
SPEAKER_01: And Tim was really into the Pirates season.
0:16
SPEAKER_01: Are you sad to see that even though it's not really over, it's over?
0:20
SPEAKER_00: I I am so ready for football.
0:22
SPEAKER_00: Steve, I went to two Pirates games in August.
0:25
SPEAKER_00: Wow.
0:26
SPEAKER_00: I'm having trouble sleeping at night over that.
0:28
SPEAKER_01: I don't know.
0:29
SPEAKER_01: They've got they've gotten better, Tim.
0:31
SPEAKER_01: They beat Toronto two out of three.
0:33
SPEAKER_00: I was at one of the Toronto games.
0:34
SPEAKER_00: I was at the Toronto game where they threw the ball around.
0:37
SPEAKER_01: Was that the one where they Toronto couldn't like look like a little league team?
0:41
SPEAKER_01: It was.
0:42
SPEAKER_00: And I got to see Skeens, which was fun.
0:44
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, of course he ended up with a no decision because, you know, Pirates.
0:49
SPEAKER_00: But uh yeah, I I'm um uh football needs to start, which it is.
0:54
SPEAKER_01: Bubba Chandler looks good.
0:55
SPEAKER_01: They got this Burroughs, Santana, uh they got a bunch of pitching coming back next year, like legitimately eight starters.
1:03
SPEAKER_01: And I'm sure they'll vote around that with some quality free agent signing.
1:06
SPEAKER_01: I think I think they're signing Kyle Schwarber as we speak.
1:09
SPEAKER_01: Right.
1:11
SPEAKER_01: Could you imagine Kyle Schwarber in like uh PNC Park?
1:14
SPEAKER_01: Isn't he a lefty?
1:16
SPEAKER_01: Oh my god, he would hit like so many home runs.
1:18
SPEAKER_01: But anyway, um maybe next year the the pitchers and catchers do report in February.
1:23
SPEAKER_01: So Tim Tim's looking forward to that.
1:25
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, I'm um, yeah, like I said, World Series 2026, here we come.
1:28
SPEAKER_01: Um the next the rest of this podcast will be the Pittsburgh Sports Memories Football Extravaganza.
1:35
SPEAKER_01: Woo! Yay! Um so Pitt Football, Tim.
1:38
SPEAKER_01: How many how many wins do we get this year?
1:41
SPEAKER_01: Do we do we do better than seven?
1:44
SPEAKER_01: I don't know.
1:44
SPEAKER_01: I have no idea.
1:46
SPEAKER_01: I if nobody gets hurt, I could see them winning the ACC.
1:49
SPEAKER_01: If everybody gets hurt, I could see them winning three games.
1:52
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, uh it's Pitt, so that's kind of like the the MO for Pitt normally.
1:57
SPEAKER_00: But boy, I mean they're they're running back that same offense as last year.
2:02
SPEAKER_00: And and they were if people forget, they were 7-0 and ranked in the top 20 last year, and then of course it all fell apart.
2:10
SPEAKER_00: But Eli Holstein was a freshman.
2:12
SPEAKER_00: I mean, I I really think I I I'm a can they can they beat your alma mater today?
2:18
SPEAKER_01: They do play in a half an hour.
2:19
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, they'll they'll I this will be this will be released after Pitt plays Duquesne, but I'm pretty safe in saying that Pitt won that game.
2:27
SPEAKER_01: Uh well if they don't, we'll go back and edit it.
2:30
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, there you go.
2:32
SPEAKER_00: Uh but but yeah, I do think that I think that they're capable of nine wins.
2:36
SPEAKER_00: I really think that.
2:38
SPEAKER_01: Nice.
2:38
SPEAKER_01: Uh yeah, I think it's the big question is Eli Holstein stay healthy and progress.
2:43
SPEAKER_01: Desmond Reed, stay healthy and progress.
2:46
SPEAKER_01: Kate Bell, I guess, can an offensive coordinator get sick?
2:49
SPEAKER_01: Okay, well, I wouldn't wish ill health on anybody.
2:52
SPEAKER_01: So hopefully he stays healthy, but more importantly, he progresses to the Division I level.
2:57
SPEAKER_01: Because we got something here on this guy.
2:59
SPEAKER_01: This guy, if he can keep learning and keep getting better, I I think you know, as he grows with the team, that's that's a really nice hire by Pat Narduzzi.
3:08
SPEAKER_01: Um speaking of Pat Narduzzi, is his coaching ten years?
3:11
SPEAKER_01: Is his seat warming up a little bit there?
3:13
SPEAKER_01: Does he uh depends on yeah?
3:16
SPEAKER_00: If Heather Like were still here, I would say no.
3:18
SPEAKER_00: But when she got fired, that's where I'm not I'm not sure.
3:21
SPEAKER_00: I'm actually not sure at this point.
3:23
SPEAKER_00: I I still think it's pretty unlikely.
3:26
SPEAKER_00: Unless he just has like a terrible season.
3:28
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, like a two or three win year, right?
3:30
SPEAKER_01: He's probably gone by the middle of the season.
3:32
SPEAKER_01: So well, that's it.
3:34
SPEAKER_01: I don't care about West Virginia or Penn State.
3:38
SPEAKER_01: I mean, a pit does play West Virginia, Florida State, Notre Dame, and Miami.
3:42
SPEAKER_01: Are we going to the West Virginia game, Tim?
3:44
SPEAKER_00: In a couple weeks.
3:47
SPEAKER_00: Is that here?
3:48
SPEAKER_00: I thought that was in Morgantown.
3:49
SPEAKER_01: It's in Morgantown.
3:50
SPEAKER_01: You up for a remote.
3:51
SPEAKER_01: I'm not that brave.
3:52
SPEAKER_01: I think I might do it.
3:54
SPEAKER_01: I think I I'm very better.
3:55
SPEAKER_01: You better go incognito because I'm wearing my pit gear head to toe.
4:00
SPEAKER_01: Better wear a helmet then.
4:03
SPEAKER_01: Ready to fight.
4:06
SPEAKER_01: Anyway, um, we're gonna move to the Steelers.
4:09
SPEAKER_01: The professional.
4:10
SPEAKER_01: Well, the other players are paid, just not as much as these guys.
4:14
SPEAKER_01: Um, Aaron Rodgers, Tim.
4:16
SPEAKER_01: He's the new Steelers starting quarterback.
4:18
SPEAKER_01: And boy, I'm finally glad to say that because I was sick of talking about it.
4:22
SPEAKER_01: Is he over the hill?
4:24
SPEAKER_01: Does he have one more year left, Tim?
4:26
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, no idea.
4:28
SPEAKER_00: Again, we'll find out soon enough.
4:29
SPEAKER_01: I think this is his last year, right?
4:32
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, yeah.
4:33
SPEAKER_00: And and I think, again, it's probably they they think it's the best they could do.
4:38
SPEAKER_00: And it'll be kind of fun because we have a Hall of Fame quarterback.
4:43
SPEAKER_00: Uh, but I mean, I that's another thing where if they went six and eleven, I wouldn't be shocked.
4:50
SPEAKER_00: If they went eleven and six, I wouldn't be shocked.
4:53
SPEAKER_00: I I I just don't know.
4:55
SPEAKER_01: Well, that was that was gonna be my last question how many wins and who wins the division.
4:59
SPEAKER_01: But sure, Tim, who wins the division?
5:02
SPEAKER_00: Who wins a division?
5:03
SPEAKER_00: I think Baltimore.
5:04
SPEAKER_00: And if you want me to predict the Seor's record, that'll be really easy.
5:08
SPEAKER_00: Nine and eight.
5:11
SPEAKER_01: I think they win a playoff game finally.
5:13
SPEAKER_01: I I something something tells me they win a I could be dead wrong about this.
5:17
SPEAKER_01: I think even if Aaron Rodgers, hopefully, like Aaron Rodgers like gets a break in the middle of the season and we start Rudolph for like three or four games, because I don't think he could hold up for a 17-game season.
5:28
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, and there's a lot of guys like that on this team.
5:31
SPEAKER_01: So I hope we have some that key positions.
5:34
SPEAKER_01: How about Derek uh DK Metcalf?
5:36
SPEAKER_01: Uh, same question.
5:38
SPEAKER_01: Is he over the hill?
5:39
SPEAKER_01: I don't think so.
5:40
SPEAKER_01: I think he's got more I think he's got more in the tank than Aaron Rodgers.
5:43
SPEAKER_00: He's he's a stud, I think.
5:44
SPEAKER_00: That's why they paid him all that money.
5:46
SPEAKER_00: And Aaron Rodgers is one of those quarterbacks that hyper-targets his favorite receiver.
5:51
SPEAKER_00: That's why DeMonte Adams always did so well with him.
5:54
SPEAKER_00: So I think I think D Make DK Metcalf is gonna be a stud.
5:58
SPEAKER_01: Uh, you want to talk with Cam Hayward hold in, hold out, hold in?
6:03
SPEAKER_01: He just wanted more money.
6:04
SPEAKER_01: He he's like, how old is he?
6:06
SPEAKER_01: He's in his 30s now, isn't he?
6:07
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I mean I I think this is it.
6:09
SPEAKER_01: I mean, this is his last contract.
6:11
SPEAKER_01: Unless he goes chasing a ring somewhere else.
6:15
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, well, they signed him, they re-signed him last year to a three-year extension.
6:20
SPEAKER_00: And and so he signed a new contract last year.
6:23
SPEAKER_00: He had a really good year last year, and then the timing of this was really dumb.
6:29
SPEAKER_00: I mean, if you're gonna hold out or hold in, do that like back in minicamp.
6:32
SPEAKER_00: He he waits till like the end of the preseason.
6:35
SPEAKER_00: It was a really bad look.
6:37
SPEAKER_00: His agent kind of mismanaged it.
6:39
SPEAKER_00: And and and like so so this was this was dumb.
6:42
SPEAKER_00: He eventually ended the hold in and all that.
6:46
SPEAKER_00: But but I have to say, there's two things I just want to say about this, Steve.
6:52
SPEAKER_00: Number one, the overreaction from the fan base was just so ridiculous.
6:57
SPEAKER_01: I mean, the way people give him whatever they want.
7:00
SPEAKER_01: Pay him off, pay him as much as Ben.
7:02
SPEAKER_00: No, I mean it was the complete opposite.
7:04
SPEAKER_00: I mean Oh, was it?
7:05
SPEAKER_00: I tell I've not been listening to it.
7:07
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, the the people just completely get rid of him.
7:10
SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
7:10
SPEAKER_00: Oh, he never won anything anyway.
7:12
SPEAKER_00: He's a bum.
7:13
SPEAKER_00: Uh one guy wrote on Facebook, you know, uh, he had this nice guy stick, but now his true colors have come out.
7:21
SPEAKER_00: Like you've never asked for a raise, or like well, and and and that was Cam's Cam's plan all along, right?
7:26
SPEAKER_00: To fool us for 15 seasons, then reveal what a dastardly villain he was.
7:32
SPEAKER_00: I mean, talk about playing the long game.
7:33
SPEAKER_00: And I was bored.
7:35
SPEAKER_00: And and I just can't believe people are that angry about a guy wanting more money from an entity as wealthy as the NFL.
7:43
SPEAKER_00: Like, it always amazes me that in a blue-collar town like this, like like we're the city where the homestead strike practically birthed labor unions.
7:53
SPEAKER_00: You know, in this town, we're always on the side of rich owners.
7:57
SPEAKER_00: Always.
7:58
SPEAKER_00: And and I get, I get it.
8:00
SPEAKER_00: I get millionaire athletes aren't the same as some guy working in the mill, but billionaire NFL owners are the same as the guy running the mill.
8:08
SPEAKER_00: And if you need further proof, just look at the fact that you now have to subscribe to like eight different streaming services to watch games, or or or that there's going to be an 18th game pretty soon, or the ticket prices keep going up.
8:20
SPEAKER_00: But no, no, no, no.
8:22
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, that plays into our last topic, which is impossible to be a fan of the NFL.
8:26
SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
8:27
SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
8:27
SPEAKER_00: So, so, but no, Steve.
8:29
SPEAKER_00: Cam's the bad guy.
8:30
SPEAKER_00: Like, no, Cam, how dare you want to take more of the Steelers' money?
8:34
SPEAKER_00: They need that to pay for the you know, the$2,500 hotel suite at the owner's meeting.
8:40
SPEAKER_01: Well, I mean, you can't expect Art Rooney Sr.
8:42
SPEAKER_01: or I'm trying to think of a real David Tepper, who's like a real idiot like owner now.
8:47
SPEAKER_01: Jerry Jones, he's still around.
8:51
SPEAKER_00: Mike Brown.
8:52
SPEAKER_00: I mean, all those people in Green Muslims.
8:55
SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
8:56
SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
8:57
SPEAKER_01: He got a whole hey, say what you want about Jeffrey Haslum.
9:01
SPEAKER_01: He got the Ohio State Legislator to change that law so they could move to Berea.
9:05
SPEAKER_01: Like literally down the street.
9:07
SPEAKER_01: Good for the are they really gonna build a dome in Cleveland?
9:11
SPEAKER_00: I don't I don't know.
9:12
SPEAKER_01: But they're talking about it.
9:14
SPEAKER_01: That's crazy.
9:15
SPEAKER_00: But so that's number one.
9:16
SPEAKER_00: Number two, people are like, you know, he signed a new contract last year.
9:20
SPEAKER_00: Well, you signed a contract, so honor it.
9:23
SPEAKER_00: Okay, okay, fine.
9:24
SPEAKER_00: But guess what, Steve?
9:26
SPEAKER_00: If Cam so Cam had a really good year last year, if he sucked last year, like if he was just completely washed, guess who wouldn't have honored the contract?
9:33
SPEAKER_01: The Steelers.
9:34
SPEAKER_00: The Steelers.
9:35
SPEAKER_00: They would have cut him.
9:36
SPEAKER_00: And and if you don't believe that, and they did it to Troy Palomalo, they absolutely would have done it to Cam Hayward.
9:42
SPEAKER_00: And if that happened, how many fans do you think would have gone online and screamed, hey Steelers, you signed a contract, so you need to honor it?
9:50
SPEAKER_01: I don't know.
9:51
SPEAKER_01: I don't know what NFL contracts are, but they aren't like, don't they have a minute?
9:55
SPEAKER_01: Don't they still have to pay him a certain amount of money even if they cut out?
9:59
SPEAKER_00: They structure it in a certain way.
10:00
SPEAKER_00: They always structure it a certain way where you can get out after one year, two years, whatever.
10:05
SPEAKER_00: That's how they're structured.
10:06
SPEAKER_00: They're front-loaded.
10:07
SPEAKER_01: You mean backload backloaded or front loaded?
10:09
SPEAKER_00: No, they're front-loaded.
10:10
SPEAKER_00: They give the all the money, the guaranteed money goes up front.
10:14
SPEAKER_00: And and my point just being that we say, like the player, you know, the player signed a contract, so they should honor it.
10:21
SPEAKER_00: They shouldn't ask for more money or demand a new deal.
10:24
SPEAKER_00: But when the team says we sign a contract and you're out after the contract's not it's not a it's not a two-way street.
10:31
SPEAKER_00: It's not a two-way street, and and that's fine.
10:33
SPEAKER_00: That's the business.
10:35
SPEAKER_00: But that but it's such a double standard for us as fans to only get upset at the players in the in those kinds of at least in baseball, for better or worse.
10:44
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I think you have to pay the whole thing no matter what happens.
10:47
SPEAKER_01: Right.
10:47
SPEAKER_01: So but that makes the sport, but that's why the sport sucks and only three teams.
10:52
SPEAKER_00: I'm not complaining about the fact that contracts aren't guaranteed.
10:54
SPEAKER_00: Again, the the if the and and NFL players aren't complaining about that.
10:57
SPEAKER_00: They've negotiated multiple CBAs where they've accepted that as a reality.
11:02
SPEAKER_00: I'm not complaining about that.
11:04
SPEAKER_00: What I'm saying is it's it's it's hypocritical for fans to get upset at players for not honoring their contracts.
11:11
SPEAKER_00: It's to be perfectly okay with teams for not honoring contracts.
11:15
SPEAKER_00: That's all I'm saying.
11:16
SPEAKER_01: Well, it it speaks to the power of the NFL.
11:18
SPEAKER_01: Um, I mean, do you want to talk about Steelers running running back, or this kind of leads nicely?
11:22
SPEAKER_01: Go ahead.
11:23
SPEAKER_01: Go ahead.
11:23
SPEAKER_01: Okay.
11:24
SPEAKER_01: Well, that'll hold that thought for a minute.
11:26
SPEAKER_01: So the Steelers running backs, they're gonna go with Jalen Warren, um, Kenneth Gainwell, uh, who I've never heard of, is from Philadelphia.
11:34
SPEAKER_01: The Eagles, yeah.
11:35
SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
11:35
SPEAKER_01: He's splitting time with the rookie.
11:37
SPEAKER_01: Is the rookie hurt?
11:38
SPEAKER_01: I thought I heard the rookie was hurt.
11:40
SPEAKER_01: Or maybe.
11:40
SPEAKER_01: Maybe he's just a running back.
11:42
SPEAKER_01: He always hurt.
11:43
SPEAKER_01: Um, are these guys gonna be any better than the Najee Harris, Jalen Warren?
11:48
SPEAKER_01: I mean, I guess the offensive line's gotta be.
11:50
SPEAKER_01: I think they're gonna be better.
11:52
SPEAKER_00: So I I think they'll be I think they'll be better, but it does to your point.
11:55
SPEAKER_00: It all depends on the line.
11:57
SPEAKER_00: If the line falls apart, then it doesn't you could have Franco Harris back there and it really won't matter.
12:03
SPEAKER_01: Um, I can the defense stop the run?
12:05
SPEAKER_01: I guess it depends on Cam Hayward.
12:07
SPEAKER_01: You know, if he lives up to that contract he signed.
12:09
SPEAKER_00: It really stinks that Harmon.
12:10
SPEAKER_00: It really stinks that Harman got hurt.
12:12
SPEAKER_01: I mean, if if you know if Cam Hayward really respected us and wasn't such a dasty, but yeah, that that's gonna be their biggest problem, I think, is stopping the run, which is so weird because they were so good at it for so long.
12:25
SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
12:26
SPEAKER_01: But back to like the whole being the fan, I think this is a much more interesting topic than whether the Steelers will be able to stop the run or not.
12:33
SPEAKER_01: Because I think the NFL's reaching you ever heard of the Laffer curve?
12:38
SPEAKER_01: You never watched Ferris Bueller banning with Bueller, Bueller, Bueller.
12:42
SPEAKER_01: But he talks about the Laffer curve, it's a curve at which point your price exceeds the willingness of people to pay.
12:49
SPEAKER_01: Perfect example.
12:49
SPEAKER_01: Last night, remember I said it was the Savannah's bananas game, and I walked up, and you know, me and my wife were like, Oh, maybe we'll take one of those cool little like, I don't know, Rickshaw bike things.
13:00
SPEAKER_01: Yes.
13:00
SPEAKER_01: And the and the guy goes,$30, and I go, No, thank you.
13:04
SPEAKER_01: I'll walk.
13:05
SPEAKER_01: And he was like,$25, and I kept walking.
13:07
SPEAKER_01: So can you guess on which side of the laughter curve that uh bike guy was on?
13:12
SPEAKER_00: Okay, I see.
13:13
SPEAKER_01: He was on the part where he exceeded the price that I was willing to pay to where it was cheaper for me to walk than it was for me to pay him to to ride me over.
13:22
SPEAKER_01: So that that's how it works, there, folks.
13:25
SPEAKER_01: There's a simple economic philosophy that George what what's the senior?
13:30
SPEAKER_01: What's the dad?
13:30
SPEAKER_01: George H.W.
13:32
SPEAKER_01: Bush did not understand.
13:34
SPEAKER_01: He called it voodoo economics.
13:36
SPEAKER_01: So there you go.
13:37
SPEAKER_01: Our listeners already know more than a uh CA director of the CIA and uh president of the United States.
13:43
SPEAKER_01: So there you go.
13:44
SPEAKER_01: Um, anyway, um the the first four weeks of the Steelers, uh, they're playing the Jets, Seahawks, Patriots, and Vikings.
13:51
SPEAKER_01: Seahawks and Vikings are at least at home.
13:53
SPEAKER_01: I think they'll beat the Seahawks.
13:55
SPEAKER_01: Probably not the Vikings.
13:56
SPEAKER_01: Maybe the Jets.
13:57
SPEAKER_01: I think they go two and two.
13:59
SPEAKER_01: For some reason, I think they lose to the Patriots.
14:01
SPEAKER_01: I don't know why.
14:02
SPEAKER_01: Who's the Fabrol?
14:04
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, they lose that game.
14:05
SPEAKER_01: They ain't gonna beat the Patriots on the road.
14:07
SPEAKER_01: So we're looking at when Jets and Seahawks lose Patriots, Vikings.
14:12
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, I could see.
14:13
SPEAKER_00: Well, they'll probably win one that they should and lose one that they shouldn't.
14:16
SPEAKER_01: So they lose to the Jets and beats the Vikings?
14:19
SPEAKER_01: I mean Yeah.
14:21
SPEAKER_00: The Vikings, by the way, it's it's marked as a home game, but it's in Ireland.
14:25
SPEAKER_01: Oh, that's right, yeah.
14:27
SPEAKER_01: Well, I mean, that's kind of a home game.
14:29
SPEAKER_00: I'm sure.
14:31
SPEAKER_01: Um, but it's being it's that they're not even the same time zone, so that's gonna be see, this is just gonna this is impossible.
14:38
SPEAKER_01: This is I hate that I hate the E NFL.
14:40
SPEAKER_01: I'm starting to hate them because they've ruined the sport.
14:43
SPEAKER_01: Used to be used to be, look, I'm getting old, right, Tim?
14:47
SPEAKER_00: Back in my day.
14:48
SPEAKER_01: Back in my day before I went to church.
14:50
SPEAKER_00: They played the games at one o'clock.
14:52
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I I used to get up in the morning, have my cup of coffee, and I'd either watch the CPS Sunday morning news, which is for old people, or I'd watch there'd be European soccer on, like the Premier League.
15:05
SPEAKER_01: And heck, I'm not a big soccer fan, but hey, it's live sports and it kills the time, and I hate watching pregame shows because they're a waste of time, in my opinion.
15:14
SPEAKER_01: I know as much as those people do, I think.
15:17
SPEAKER_01: And so I sit there and I drink my coffee, enjoy myself.
15:21
SPEAKER_01: The games end in England about one o'clock, so it was perfect timing.
15:26
SPEAKER_01: You'd watch the fake football to get ready for the real football, and it was a great Sunday, Tim, all fall, all the way through the whole season.
15:34
SPEAKER_01: It was great.
15:35
SPEAKER_01: So, you know, later in the season, oh, we're gonna throw in a Saturday game.
15:39
SPEAKER_01: Oh, we're gonna throw in a Thursday game.
15:42
SPEAKER_01: Oh, we're gonna throw in a game on Tuesdays in February or you know, Tuesdays in November because why not?
15:51
SPEAKER_01: Now, remember, Tim, remember your your family had the um Sunday ticket and you used to be able to watch pretty much every game except for the Monday night game.
16:00
SPEAKER_01: But then they watered that down so much it became not worth it because now games are on Thursday.
16:05
SPEAKER_01: And then they took that away and they went to Amazon Prime to watch every NFL game this season.
16:11
SPEAKER_01: You would need a combination of I think they said 10 or a lot of different platforms.
16:16
SPEAKER_01: You would need Amazon Prime, Netflix, Peacock, Paramount Plus, Fox One, ESPN, the NFL Plus service, plus you'd have to have either a cable or uh a provider like YouTube TV.
16:29
SPEAKER_01: That's insane.
16:31
SPEAKER_01: That's insane.
16:32
SPEAKER_01: At least now, like I got into do have NFL Red Zone.
16:35
SPEAKER_01: Are you gonna sign up for that, Tim?
16:37
SPEAKER_01: Or have to put you on the spot?
16:38
SPEAKER_01: You're not gonna sign up for it?
16:39
SPEAKER_01: Oh man.
16:41
SPEAKER_01: Well, you can come over to my house and watch it.
16:43
SPEAKER_00: After you just blasted the NFL for all these streams.
16:46
SPEAKER_01: But but but I do like that because you can at least like if the Steelers aren't on or the Steelers are getting blown out or blowing out, you can turn that on and pretty much it's like the new direct ticket because you can watch all the games and they flip around to like when the critical stuff is happening, so you don't miss anything.
17:04
SPEAKER_01: And it's just it just sucks that you know now at the end of the season, do you realize the Bills, Dolphins, and Lions game can actually change game change days?
17:15
SPEAKER_00: Yes, correct.
17:17
SPEAKER_01: Are any of those home games there?
17:19
SPEAKER_00: You can yeah, the well, you know, it it doesn't matter.
17:22
SPEAKER_00: It doesn't matter if you have tickets or if you bought plane tickets to fly in for that game from some other city.
17:28
SPEAKER_01: Have fun, Tim.
17:29
SPEAKER_01: Have fun with that.
17:30
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, that it it's like people do this as like part of their travel plans.
17:34
SPEAKER_01: Like they've totally messed up this league so bad.
17:37
SPEAKER_01: And like you said, they're gonna go to 18 games or how many preseason games are there still?
17:42
SPEAKER_01: Three?
17:43
SPEAKER_01: Maybe they'll go to 20 and just get rid of the preseason altogether.
17:48
SPEAKER_00: So I I just Well, Steve, they have to make more money.
17:51
SPEAKER_01: I mean it's not like they're it's not like they're getting a free it's not like they're getting free stadiums or anything.
17:57
SPEAKER_00: Right.
17:58
SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
17:58
SPEAKER_00: I mean, these guys, you know, they have to provide for their families.
18:01
SPEAKER_00: I mean, come on.
18:02
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, it's it's a it's terrible, it's a joke.
18:06
SPEAKER_00: And at the same time, uh, you know, there's a scene.
18:09
SPEAKER_00: Did you ever see the movie Blue Chips with Nick Nolte?
18:13
SPEAKER_00: He's a college basketball coach.
18:14
SPEAKER_01: I've heard of it, isn't that with Shaq in it?
18:16
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, Shaq's in it.
18:17
SPEAKER_00: He so Nick Nolte's a college basketball coach.
18:20
SPEAKER_00: He kind of falls into this whole thing where he starts, you know, doing all these uh illegal paying the guys, you know, giving them illegal gifts and all that.
18:30
SPEAKER_00: And at the end of the movie, he has a press conference where he comes out and he rails against you know all of that and and admits that it's happening, but then he kind of has this moment where he says, you know, yeah, this all happened, and I I bought into it.
18:47
SPEAKER_00: I bought into it big time, and I'm a big part of the problem.
18:50
SPEAKER_00: And that's how I feel as an NFL fan.
18:53
SPEAKER_00: That's exactly how I feel as an NFL fan.
18:55
SPEAKER_01: I keep buying NFL Red Zone and Yeah, yeah.
18:58
SPEAKER_00: I mean, we're doing this podcast talking about the season.
19:01
SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
19:01
SPEAKER_00: I'll be there, I'll be there week week one, you know.
19:06
SPEAKER_00: Later today, I'm gonna do my fantasy football draft.
19:09
SPEAKER_01: Are you gonna get up at 9 a.m.
19:10
SPEAKER_01: and watch that Ireland game?
19:12
SPEAKER_00: Probably will.
19:13
SPEAKER_00: You know, I mean I'll be at church, but I'll I'll I'll yeah I'll DVR it and then I'll be watching it on delay.
19:20
SPEAKER_01: They have a Saturday nice at my church.
19:22
SPEAKER_01: Maybe I'll go to the Saturday night service.
19:25
SPEAKER_00: People will do.
19:26
SPEAKER_00: Again, that's what I'm saying.
19:27
SPEAKER_00: We'll all we'll all make it work because we love football and we'll complain and and we'll all be justified in our complaints.
19:35
SPEAKER_00: But I'm part of the problem.
19:36
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, I'm part of the problem.
19:38
SPEAKER_00: And until we hit the other side of that curve that you talked about, until we're ready to walk away from the rickshaw guy and say, you know what, yeah, I don't care if my legs are tired.
19:45
SPEAKER_00: I'd rather walk than give you more of my hard-earned money.
19:49
SPEAKER_00: It's gonna just proliferate.
19:51
SPEAKER_00: And so that's where we are.
19:52
SPEAKER_00: We're stuck.
19:53
SPEAKER_01: That was by Nobel Prize winning uh economist Art Laffer, by the way.
19:57
SPEAKER_01: Okay.
19:58
SPEAKER_00: I mean, he's right.
19:58
SPEAKER_00: That's that's a then that's a very good way to describe it, Steve.
20:01
SPEAKER_00: It's perfect, and that's exactly where we all are.
20:04
SPEAKER_00: So so yes, I will continue to complain.
20:06
SPEAKER_00: I will continue to say, I can't believe they're ruining the game.
20:08
SPEAKER_00: I can't believe they're gonna add more games, they're diluting everything.
20:12
SPEAKER_00: This is terrible.
20:13
SPEAKER_00: And oh, by the way, um, you know, I have Jamar Case in fantasy this week, so I hope he scores a touchdown.
20:19
SPEAKER_00: And and I'll be tuning into all the shows, and I'll be tuning into all the high-scale.
20:22
SPEAKER_01: Well, the whole point of the laugher curve is you would make more money by having a lower price on the other side of that curve.
20:29
SPEAKER_01: So maybe maybe he had five other people behind me that were willing to pay that$30.
20:36
SPEAKER_01: I doubt it.
20:37
SPEAKER_00: I doubt it, but but that's the NFL so the NFL doesn't need to do the NFL doesn't need to lower anything.
20:44
SPEAKER_01: Not yet.
20:44
SPEAKER_01: Not yet.
20:45
SPEAKER_01: I mean, I think I think there's a bubble coming.
20:48
SPEAKER_01: It's gotta come sooner or later.
20:50
SPEAKER_01: Every you know the price of match sticks and tulips went through this too.
20:54
SPEAKER_01: I mean, it happens.
20:55
SPEAKER_01: It happens.
20:56
SPEAKER_00: I mean, maybe.
20:57
SPEAKER_01: I I think these players are so so how can I say not financially educated that you know they're not gonna understand when they can't get their big contracts anymore because the owners are broke.
21:11
SPEAKER_01: So not that I guess a billion owner, billion dollar owner would go broke, but uh whatever.
21:16
SPEAKER_01: We'll see.
21:17
SPEAKER_00: I like I said, I I I mean it's an interesting prediction.
21:20
SPEAKER_00: I don't see it happening because this is at this point we're all just we're all too broken.
21:25
SPEAKER_01: It's human, it's human nature.
21:27
SPEAKER_01: It's uh unless I mean now this could happen because this happened in the Roman Empire where you could have free bread and circuses.
21:33
SPEAKER_01: The Emperor, you know, Nero was a big fan of that, so maybe maybe maybe they'll go that route where you know just be free bread and football, you know, free beer and football.
21:44
SPEAKER_00: We're in too deep, Steve.
21:45
SPEAKER_00: We're in too deep.
21:46
SPEAKER_00: We're all in too deep.
21:48
SPEAKER_00: You know.
21:49
SPEAKER_00: I will say I think this happened to a deep, if you want to look at a comparison, I think to a degree this has happened with baseball.
21:56
SPEAKER_00: Yes.
21:56
SPEAKER_00: Because there are gener I think that baseball is surviving largely off of the older generation carrying it forward.
22:05
SPEAKER_00: I think there's a lot of the younger generation who grew up in places where their towns never their teams never really had a chance to compete, and they're like, you know what, I'll I'll use my time doing other stuff.
22:17
SPEAKER_01: I know you don't I you don't watch the Pirates, but on that point, there's a there was a game they were playing in St.
22:23
SPEAKER_01: Louis, and me and my wife commented how empty Bush Stadium was.
22:27
SPEAKER_01: Have you ever, now you've watched enough baseball to know, have you people drive, you speak about traveling to St.
22:34
SPEAKER_01: Louis, that's why they never have rain outs there, because their fans come from 400 miles away, no joke, to see a Cardinals game.
22:43
SPEAKER_01: And that place was half empty.
22:45
SPEAKER_01: And I saw a news report on the local news stating how that they've had the first time they were under 18,000 fans since they opened the new stadium.
22:54
SPEAKER_01: So talk about on the other side of the laugh or curve.
22:57
unknown: Yeah.
22:58
SPEAKER_00: So Major League Baseball has made enough mistakes where I think it's actually starting to impact them financially.
23:05
SPEAKER_00: Financially.
23:05
SPEAKER_00: That's I think that's happening to the NBA.
23:07
SPEAKER_00: I think that happened to the NHL years ago when they had their lockout.
23:11
SPEAKER_00: So it it has happened in other sports.
23:13
SPEAKER_00: So could it happen to the NFL?
23:15
SPEAKER_00: Yes.
23:16
SPEAKER_00: Is it likely?
23:17
SPEAKER_00: I don't think so.
23:19
SPEAKER_00: But we'll see.
23:20
SPEAKER_01: We'll see.
23:21
SPEAKER_01: Well, that said, I hope you enjoyed your education on the Roman Empire and Nobel Prize-winning uh economics is maybe a stealer running back or two that we didn't really talk about too much.
23:33
SPEAKER_01: So um, thank you so much for tuning in.
23:35
SPEAKER_01: As usual, check us out on Facebook.
23:37
SPEAKER_01: More fun stuff there.
23:38
SPEAKER_01: And uh, as usual, God bless you out.