Transcript of Must Wins & Media Row: Trolling ESPN and Talking Shop with Matt Hasselbeck

Hi and hello, my fellow football Americans. I've come to San Francisco.

Why?

Super Bowl 60, obviously. Seahawks, Patriots, a sequel of Super Bowl 49, played in the home of the San Francisco 49ers, which is really nowhere near San Francisco.

It's like an hour away. I know it's weird.

But let's not get bogged down with nomenclature or...

I say we get bogged all the way up.

Who's named the most valuable player in society's most watched game does matter, given the degrees of pigskin legend achieved, not to mention, more importantly, the commercial opportunities.

Unfortunately, the MVP has been misnamed a number of times in Super Bowl history. Consider Broadway Joe Namath. Yeah, he deserves credit for prophesizing the Jets victory over the Colts. But in the actual game, Matt Snell is the guy who ran for 121 yards and scored a countdown, which is more than Joe Namath scored in the whole game.

So Matt Snell, you are the actual MVP of three. But that's nothing compared to Tom braided, who's from San Mateo, which is a lot closer to where I am right now than Santa Claire is. But let's not get distracted by that and instead talk about his first Super Bowl win. Injustice for tie law going up against one of the best, if not the best, offenses the world has ever seen. The greatest show on Turf, his pick six is enough to make him the true MVP of that game.

But that may not even be the worst one braided got.

28 to 3 rally. Braided threw for 4, 66. But how about James White? He caught 14 of those passes. One went for a countdown. Plus, he ran two more in, one that forced overtime and then one that ended overtime. So it's pretty clear he should have been the MVP.

You know what I'm talking about, right? Yeah, I know what you're talking about. I mean, common sense.

And there's Clarence Davis in Super Bowl 11, of course, played just down the Coast in Los Angeles. But of course, those all pale in comparison to the original sin against the man who caught the first countdown in the first Super Bowl. With with just one hand. Sure, Bart Starr was great that day, but Max McGee was a Trailblazer long before Allen Iverson ever high-hatted practice, or Marshawn Lynch enjoyed a shot or three of Hennessy before a big game, or before Eugene Robinson went shopping for a friend on the eve of Super Bowl 33, or Ricky Williams' Burn tree, or Doc Ellis's Trip balls, there was a 34-year-old bald-headed reserve wide receiver named Max McGee, who on the Eve of the first Super Bowl, went out on the town with a couple of flight attendants for a twister that didn't end until 6: 00 AM when he arrived back at the hotel. Then he went over to the Coliseum, got seven passes for 138 yards and two touch downs.

Hero, hero.

138 receiving yards is more than half of Star's total passing yards that day. So obviously, McGee should have been the first Super Bowl's MVP. I also advocate for not living life in rear view mirror.

So what's done is done. So how about this? From this day forward, we start fresh.

Every Super Bowl MVP, starting with '60 through to eternity, now wins the max. And I say that the trophy is in that iconic pose of him catching it one-handed.

But instead of maybe a football, we put a drink or a flight attendant.

Either way, here's to you, winner of the max. Yes, hi, and hello, and welcome to Super Bowl 60. My fellow football Americans, we're presented as ever by our pals over at DraftKings. Draftkings, the Crown is yours. I'm coming at you now back home in Los Angeles, getting ready, food and otherwise for the grand game. It's time for the last game of the season. Sad, but what a season it's been for us in part thanks to that trip to San Francisco, where we found out, among other things, it is a must-win game for both sides. So be on the look out for that. Also, thanks to DraftKings, they helped us out while we were on Media Row there. We caught up with Matt Hasselbeck and Ross Tucker, and our old pal, Handsome Hank Hodgson. That's coming up for you before we get into Super Bowl 60 and those conversations, what's going to happen. Shout out to my guy, Sup Campbell, who was along for the there. It turns out that when I opened up my suitcase, I forgot to pack underpants. So Sup took me to Target, and he bought me a half dozen, not Tidy Whited.

That's what he was encouraging, but I went with my usual boxer briefs. Meantime, Bowl Bowl sucked. I think that we can all agree on that. Let's get rid of that. The halftime show is already beyond annoying. I love the people who are super wound up about it. I'll show you, Wokesters. I'm going to listen to Kid Rock on purpose. Sheesh. All right, don't We're going to get to make the most important bet in Super Bowl 60. I perpetuate this one every year. It is the safety bet right now on DraftKings, 11 to 1. That's something to root for. That's something we can all root for, is for a large man to fall on another man in the end zone. Two points, you will win 11 to 1. Hi and hello to you, Mike and Gino, Gino and Mike Fuentes. How are you doing, fellows?

We're doing great. The Super Bowl is here. My wife is nervous as shit.

I'm on the train with everybody else.

All over the Seahawks. I can't remember.

You have to be.

Everybody's on the Seahawks. No one is picking the Patriots. And as far as that goes, let's do it right now. First things last. I'll announce my pick. I say it's the Seattle Seahawks laying four and a half total on the game at the time of this recording, 45 and a half. Get it. 26, 17. Your MVP, Kenneth Walker. How say you, fellows?

I actually got 27 We're in 16, so we're right in the neighborhood there. I'm going to give the MVP to Sam Darnold. What is that? That puts me just under, right? In terms of the over and under. Both under. We're parking our cars in the same garage. Defensive struggle, kind.

Mike Fuentes, how say you?

We're all in the same area, but I'm a little bit more high on the Seahawks scoring 31 points and the Patriots getting 17. Drake May throws a pick six, which is the difference in our scores.

Okay, so you're going over. I do agree about the pick from Sam Darnold. He is still Sam Darnold. After all, we'll get into the pick six in just a little bit here before we turn it over to the first conversation we had there on Media Row. Real quick, you guys all set in terms of food?

The other day we had Mad Dog on Levitard show, and he said that nachos are the best food. I'll actually be on a cruise for this, so I'll have all my options laid out: a limited ice cream, pizza, whatever I could possibly want. I'll probably have a nice chilled martini in hand waiting for Benito to come out and give a performance of a lifetime. I feel really bad for a lot of Bad Bunny fans once they realize the whole performance is only going to be about eight minutes. I think they're going to be really wound up for that and then realize, Oh, wait, this isn't a full-fledged concert.

We're upset about Bad Bunny, and we're complaining about an old man not getting into the Hall of Fame. I mean, these are the issues of our- Two old men not getting in.

I'm going straight pizza wings.

A traditional stance.

I like the wings, but the problem is if you're going to be with other people As usual, it's just going to be me and Jean-Claude Van Damoschek settling into the couch right behind you.

It's going to be me, the wife, and the two little girls, because my wife is going to be nervous as shit.

She's already told me this. She doesn't want other people around. She wants to be at home, and she wants pizza for comfort. That's actually a great point. That's a great point right there. I don't want people around me in my Championship games because we all know that Championship games are suffering. I had people here for the UM game, but that's a little different. I'm not a really huge guy like a Mike Ryan or something like that. I'm sure if this was two random teams, we would be at a party. If it was the Dolphins, oh, Oh, my God. I'd be in pieces. I probably would have told Dave, Dave, I can't do the show this week. I can't. I'm in tatters. I can't do this. And then so it's a terrible experience unless your team wins.

Well, you're absolutely right. Listen, these guys have worked for the last half year to get to this point. The least I can do if I'm rooting for them is to sequester myself, shut out all outside noise, draw the shades, and it's just me and the fellows. Well, that sounds bad. But anyway, yes, focus in. This ain't no time for grab ass. Even if you don't care about the outcome of the game, if you're going to a party, wings are a bad choice because then you get them greasy fingers and they get all orange, and that's unbecoming. Then if you shake hands. Also, if you take a glass, then the glass gets all smeared with that stuff, and that's embarrassing. That's why I have to avoid the wings. Vane Dave always rules. All right. Well, we have a lot to get to here, so let's kick it off here. Starting off with Super Bowl 40 starting quarterback, and as it turns out, a real gentleman, Matt Hasselbeck. Matt Hasselbeck, Super Bowl 40 QB.

A lot of people think he deserved a better fate.

The entire Seahawks team did. First thing, very quickly, I have to commend you.

You're a gentleman, because yesterday morning, I was leaving the hotel coffee shop, and a tall drink of water, Matt Hasselbeck opened the door for me, and he said, After you.

Yeah, I didn't go to that coffee shop. Very loyal, a Starbucks person. And this is like Starbucks versus Duncan Donuts Super Bowl, Seahawks versus Patriots. So I made my 0. 4 mile walk to get my Starbucks protein cold brew. It was well worth it. And so I had a little pep in my step when I opened the door for you, probably.

Well, humanity personified here.

Very quickly, whose career would you rather have had?

Dan Marino's or Eli Manning's?

I guess you got to go... Man, as someone who doesn't have a Super Bowl ring- Well, because the people do the Trent Dilfer thing, and nobody thinks I'd rather be Trent Dilfer than Dan Moreno. But Eli is- No, I would say same question, Trent Dilfer or Dan Moreno. I think I'm picking Trent Dilfer. Yeah, I think the whole goal is to win it. I would say that the Trent Dilfer thing for me as a quarterback, I think Trent Dilfer does a lot of things as a quarterback that he didn't get credit for. He understood the assignment. He played with a great defense. He understood what needed to be done. And he took over that year for a really talented quarterback. And he said, hey, I know how to get us wins. And then even I would say, like Trent, he came after he won the Super Bowl. He came in. It was my backup in Seattle for a little bit, was the starter in Seattle. I learned a great deal from Trent on how not to throw for a ton of garbage yards, but how to win football games. And so ultimately, I think hoisting that Lombardi.

Trent Dilfer won the Super Bowl against the New York football Giants, and they'll never be able to take that away from them.

People love to turn him into a punchline.

I'm with you, man.

He was real good for the Ravens down the stretch.

People ignore that.

I would say it this way. Go ask Ray Lewis. Go ask those guys. Go ask those guys what they feel about their quarterback in that run.

Ray Lewis doesn't like me. I tried to give him a terrible towel once, and we haven't spoken since. Last thing very quickly is you wanted to get that Lombardi. Change one play in Super Bowl 40. Change one play.

I throw a pass down to the one-yard line to Jeremy Stevens. We have the best goal line back in football that year, Sean Alexander and the best fullback that's ever played in Max Strong. We probably would have punched it in, I'm sure of it. First and goal from the one. They called a penalty on us on that play. I lost my cool. 42nd clock is coming. There's a new play coming. I hadn't hit the reset button and calm down. I throw an interception on the next play. I make a tackle. They flag me for an illegal tackle or something. The lesson is you got to move on to the next play. So after that pass down to the one-yard line, I should have just taken a deep breath. Lesson learned. I think it's a whole another outcome for us. But that's the thing about the Super Bowl. You get one shot. It's like those golfers that say, Oh, I can make that put. You had your chance to make that put. That second put doesn't matter.

Man, fascinating stuff.

I remember IT getting you there. Only caught two passes his entire career. Happened to be the AFC title game and then Super Bowl 40 the week after. All right, you got to run. Go do your stuff. We appreciate the time, Matt Hasselbeck.

Thank you. Good time. This is very efficient. Not like the producers used to have an NFL Network.

No, indeed. They'd be like, Oh, Dave, you've been speaking for an hour now, and we haven't recorded anything. Well, you hear his voice, so you know who is behind it, the Tuscaloosa, Alabama Sun. Now, What is your title? Vp of International Games for the National Football League?

It's close. I am the general manager of the NFL's office in London.

Holy hell. That sounds terrific. I don't know exactly what goes into all that, but perhaps over the next few minutes, we can find out with our old pal, as old a pal as we have from the NFL days, it's Handsome Hank Hodgson. What's the poop, fella?

David, it's wonderful to be here kibbitzing with you. It's been too long, so I'm very happy that we're seeing each other.

Indeed. And these Super Bowl weeks were always something to look forward for me, not so much because of the game, which sometimes was good and sometimes was snoozy. But we always had the gayest time. During the week, we had our dinner club. We would go out and eat at the finest restaurants that that football town had to offer. As we look back now, what was your favorite meal?

I think you and I, I don't know if it was a Super Bowl one, but you and I, there was a Thursday night game that we once went to in Chicago. Yes. And you took me into Dave's Chicago. That's right. And we explored, I think, places that have been part of your adolescence, your youth. My adolescence.

I didn't grow up in Chicago.

I know, but it's still-We should get to know each other. We had a wonderful time. I loved that. Specifically, that's my most memorable, not just meal, but evening out with you. I think we maybe-We threw it on real good. We threw it on pretty good. We ate in three Very different places as well, as far as I remember.

That's right. Yeah, we went to the... What was it? The Half Shell. Yes. The place down in a cellar in Chicago that's a raw bar. Oh, what a great time. And we went to a bar in... Micolob. They had Michelob on draft. We lived like king that time.

Then we went to a bar in... Is it Wicker Park? Wicker Park. Yeah. That you had, again, spent some of your adolescence in.

Not my adolescence. My adolescence. I don't know what it means.

I feel But your adolescence went on a little longer than most people's adolescence. That's what I'm saying.

Somebody's being a stinker. We miss our old pals. It would be complete if we had some combo of Matt Money Smith, shout out to him, Voices of the Chargers, Ike Taylor, Pittsburgh Stealers, great. Maurice Jones-Stru, who we just kibbitzed with a number of weeks ago and reminisced again. You did.

I watched that. That was great. You didn't watch it. I did. I watched it on the social media. Anything that you do anything that Maurice does, anything that all my old friends from back in the day together, of course, I watch it.

It is the 10-year anniversary of one of the high points for us. We were down on the field in Santa Clara, California, Super Bowl 50, and me, you, Ike and Maurice, were shooting something in the pregame. For some reason, I remember, they wouldn't let me down on the field. Do you remember why?

I don't know. I remember that Ike and Maurice, they did a lap of the field. This was a new thing. I was with them. You did that? Yeah. Then they wouldn't, for some reason, let you on?

No, but we were supposed to be shooting live in the part of the NFL, the Super Bowl pregame show. But for some reason, my credential, they wouldn't let me on the field. I was anxious because we were supposed to be live at the time, and Ike and Maurice thought it was the funniest thing ever. I'm like, It's not funny. You should be helping to try and resolve this. But they couldn't do it because they were laughing too hard.

They were laughing too much.

Handsome, let's talk about your profession a little bit and what took you away from these United States and back to your homeland in London. I mean, this has really been a great success story, sincerely, since you went over. Obviously, the Jacksonville Jaguars, and otherwise, we're traveling over for a London game or two. When you got there, how much has it expanded under your watch?

I mean, look, I'm certainly not taking responsibility for it myself. No, you shouldn't. But there are three games in London We will have normally one at Wembley and two at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Which place is better? If you can only go to one, where would you advise me? Tottenham Hotspur Stadium is a fantastic stadium. It's a great NFL. I would say it's probably a top five NFL stadium. Just happens to not be in the United States.

I have to interrupt you. I'm sorry. It's not my way, but I'm going to do it here as our old pal Scott Hansen walks by. But he doesn't stop to say hello.

He didn't stop to say hi.

He does Red Zone. He's a man on the move. Maybe he's in a hurry. He's not a man on the move, in fact. He just stands there for eight hours at a time. I think it's weird and anomalous, or not anomalous, but something that you don't see in these United States, very much, at least, that I can think of. How many stadiums are there in London?

Oh, tons.

I mean, it's weird, right?

I couldn't answer that, but I think there are eight Premier League soccer team-In London? Based in London. Yeah.

That must take up a lot of room.

Well, it does. But at the same time, the United Kingdom is a small place. It would all fit into, I don't know, Idaho or somewhere.

Well, that makes it even weirder. You have a nation the size of... A nation the size of, let's say, South Carolina. In one little place, you have eight stadiums. Must be barely room to walk around.

True, but then you couldn't be like, Well, it's a small country, so you only get two professional sports teams. That wouldn't make any sense. You still need as many for people. But it means that the rivalries are very fierce because it's like, literally as far away as we are sitting, I might be in the zone of one team and you might be in the zone of the other, and therefore we would... But they do truly have traveling fans. I'm always stunned when there are traveling fans in the NFL because it's like you've traveled 3,000 miles to come and watch this game.

Yeah, I guess that makes some sense. Well, there was way back before you and me walked the planet Earth, there were three teams in New York City, the Yankees, the Giants, and Dodgers. I don't know if you heard the two of them moved to the West Coast. Who is currently, one of the things that fascinates me is the Dallas Cowboys claim of being America's team. It doesn't mean that they actually are, but they like to self-identify that way. Who would you say right now is Europe's team in the NFL?

Europe, it's interesting because I think you can... Most people first watch the NFL by watching a Super Bowl. There'll be lots of new people this Sunday.

What time is that on, though?

In the UK, it's 11: 30 PM. But it's a cultural moment. It truly is. You might not have any interest in the NFL, but you'll be like, Well, it's the Super Bowl. This is something that I should be doing.

At 11: 30 at night? Yeah, for sure. I mean, that would be awesome as a, whatever, 23-year-old. Let's go, lads.

Yeah, let's go. Let's have a couple of pints and and watch the big game. Who's playing? Don't know. Let's find out. But so because the Patriots were in a lot of Super Bowl, I don't know if you remember, just about a decade ago, they were in all of them. Because a lot of people... And there's no geographical ties or your family doesn't say you have to support this team. So there are a lot of people who are like, Well, the Patriots just won the Super Bowl. I'm going to support the Patriots. So the Patriots have a lot of fans. And then more recently, I don't know if you've seen...

Ironic, though, don't you think?

Yes, because of obviously their patriotism is actually anti-patriotic to-I talked at media night.

I brought that up to a few people.

A few people in-A few New England Patriots. Did you? And what did they say?

Well, the New England Patriots with a capital P are different thanAmerican Patriots. The New England Patriots, as you may know, are named after the heroes of the Revolution. I don't want to bring up a source.

No, it's fine. We're pretty much past it now.

Yeah, it's not too soon.

No, it's fine.

Okay. So the greatest that they're named after those revolutionary soldiers who beat back the Brits, King George and all that. It's weird that when the New England Patriots choose to honor their all-time greats with a ceremony, and otherwise, they give them a red coat.

Which is, of course, the gear that my team was wearing back at that time.

How dumb do you think the audience is that you have to explain?

I just wanted to make sure that people...

The punchline is the red coat. You don't have to gild the lily with... And by the way, do you know...

I'm trying to help people out here.

Do you know that the Brits wore red coats with their muskets?

So The Patriots are very popular, and then more recently, the Chiefs. Henry, we're so proud of what you've done. I knew my mom was going to make an appearance here.

Yes, it's your dear mom, Henry. We're pleased as punch. We're eating strawberries and celebrating your victory over America. Don't play at Warboy. Win. The Patriots are the most popular because people are-But also now, recently, the Chiefs, for the same reason.

They were in a bunch of Super Bowl.

I would attack your people, except that's how Americans do, too. They just choose to embrace whoever they're doing.

But you would do that, and then they're going to be surprised. A lot of them are like, Wait, where the Chiefs. I thought they always play in the Super Bowl.

I know it has turned into a punchline maybe over the last decade or so that the Jags aren't so much Jacksonville's team as they are London's and all of that. That just never took root and is never going to in a more fulsome way. The Jags just are the team of London.

Well, they've made the decision to play every year in London, which is fantastic. It means the fans in London You didn't mention that.

That's why I bring them up.

You asked about Europe, so I think those teams. In the UK, certainly, the Jags have made a huge impact because I've been playing there for 10 years plus. They've been playing at least one game, sometimes two games a year there. So yeah, that makes a big impact. And the Jags have a lot of fans in London as a result of it. And now they're good. They've had a couple of moments over that 10-year period. Remember, they went to that AFC Championship game a few years ago, lost to the Patriots. But now, they seem to be maybe on a growth period.

I'm trying to think, is Trevor Lawrence very British or as un-British as he could be?

He's very American.

He is, huh? Why? Because of the flax and the long, beautiful blonde hair, and he's very strapping. Sort of like more Nordic, right?

Yeah, I would say probably some of that. But the people of London love him. The people of the UK love him.

Yeah, because you guys like him.

Because we like a Thoroughly American source.

Yeah. All right. Who is now... Go through it, though. Goodell was up there. Roger Goodell. Yeah. Do you call him Roger?

I mean, I call him Mr. Commissioner. Do you?

No, you don't. Do you like, Roger? Does he know? I imagine he has a couple of layers to to him on the phone. Probably his assistant says, We have Henry Hodgson on the phone for you, Mr. Commissioner. Or do you like, Can you just call him and start talking? He's like, I know this voice.

I don't think people do phone calls that much these days.

What up, Henry?

Something like a handsome-Hello, Roger.

Roger. I've got a wally of an idea for you. Right? Yes, something like that. Who is the world's team right now? Because now you've expanded into Mexico.

I think the Chiefs. I honestly think it's probably based on, again, the same reason I just said, but the success of a team over a sustained period of time. And then what the Chiefs have done that's been very... Obviously, they have that. I don't know if you've heard about Travis Kelsey and Taylor Swift. He's a big star here who's a global star. That brought more people to the Chiefs. But the Chiefs have been very smart about then how do they do things in all those countries countries so that the fans can be like, Oh, the Chiefs are here. They're doing stuff. They've done watch parties in a lot of countries. They've put on events in lots of places. They've opened Chiefs' houses. They've done great collabs on Chiefs' merchandise. The Chiefs are definitely making a big impact around the world. But there's lots of teams doing that in their own ways in different countries.

Yeah, I know my beloved Steelers are big in Mexico, and I know the Ireland trip. Big in Ireland. I know that that was a gangbusters trip. I heard from the account of many people who have been around to a number of those games, to hold that one up as maybe the best in terms of vibe. I agree.

It was most like, and you and I have experience, we've been lucky enough to experience a lot of Super Bowl. It was most like a great Super Bowl city, which is normally not too sprawling. You have the center of the city. I think we were in Indianapolis, probably had a great time there together. It was a A little bit like that where you couldn't move for truly the black and gold, the terrible towels all across. Dublin is a great city. If you've ever been there, it has a bar, hangout center. The whole place was just alive with Steelers fans, NFL fans. It was amazing. That was it.

I absolutely have to do it.

That was as fun as it gets.

You got to come. There are a lot of faces from our past walking by. From our past. There goes producer Supreme, Dick Isocow. A shout out to Ryan Bartlet and Emma VP and Eddie Spaghetti. Wait, they're out there. Did you see them? No, they're not here. I'm just giving a shout out.

I thought you just saw them walk past.

This is why I'm such a successful broadcaster, Handsome Hank.

Because you can take it beyond-I do random shoutouts that hit for roughly two people listening.

In fact, they're probably not even listening.

So if they happen to be listening, exactly, if they're listening.

Then it resonates for them.

How come you don't do that for me?

Why am I listening to this guy talk about strangers? I don't know. You know what? I'm going to move on to the next one.

What's the next topic?

I should ask you this out of the gate, since that's the reason we're here. Give me your pick, Super Bowl 60.

Do you know what? I actually normally-Is there one result that's better for you? Yeah, there is. It's like not... This is a really cool story. A very good friend of mine who... I started working for the NFL in about 2003, and it was when NFL Europe was around. During the NFL Europe days, there were local players, British players, but from all over the world who would get a chance to be part of NFL Europe. They were obviously football players. They weren't just pulled off the street. A guy who I became very good friends with, we were about the same age, played for the Scottish Claymores, and then the Hamburg Sea Devils in NFL Europe and got a chance to play on a couple of NFL teams as well. Sea Devils, what a terrible name. Yeah, not a good name.

Sea Devil. A devil of the water. The land somebody else has covered, there's another devil for that.

Yeah, an ineffective devil, let's be honest. It's like, I'm going to really make life hell for these fish.

I mean, it's supposed to be right. The devil's whole thing is heat and fire, and that's not going to work.

Yeah, it's not going to work. It didn't, and it didn't work. But so guy's name is Adam Dirty. Hamburgers are good, though. Hamburgers are great. A guy named Adden Dirty. Adden since then has played in the NFL. He led the NFL's international player pathway program, so he's responsible for finding some of the great international players who are in the league now. Jordan Milata, I think, the most obviously successful of those. Adam then got hired to be part of the Atlanta Falcons coaching staff under Dan Quinn, went with Dan Quinn to Dallas and was their defensive line coach, is now the defensive coordinator of the Seattle Seahawks. This is a guy who's come from the UK, born and bred in the UK, coached football in the UK, was part of a lot of the very successful things that we've done internationally to help develop players, and is now in his own right, he's seen some of his offspring have their big moments Jordan Milata winning a Super Bowl last year. But Adam now, as defensive coordinator of Mike McDonald's defense, is the coordinator for the Seahawks. So I particularly am hoping and expecting that the Seahawks are going to have a great game and they're going to beat the Patriots.

Well, One thing's for sure. Well, I say that so you're rooting against a lot of your countrymen based on what you said, but I could listen to you say Seattle Seahawks all day. And Confetti.

It's the double T. Confetti is my previous favorite. That's where we first bonded over Confetti.

The actual Seahawks may rival it, though, ultimately. Now, your team, the Miami Dolphins. What do you think? Your thoughts? Happy that Mike McDaniel was showing the door? Or did you feel he rallied them a little bit?

I loved Mike McDaniel, and I think that it was telling that the team continued despite having nothing to play for, that they played hard through the season. What I'm really interested in, people haven't talked about this very much with regard to him going, is I wonder what his offense would have looked like if he wasn't having to play with the constraints of what Tua Tunga Villa was ultimately capable of doing, which was, well, we need to make sure he doesn't get hit. We need to make sure that we don't have to throw the ball too far down the field. He's not very mobile despite being quite… I wonder what… I think Justin Herbert is the exact opposite of a lot of those things. I'm interested to see because I think people think that was Mike McDaniel's offense, but I think it was Mike McDaniel or doing what a good coach does, which is, how do I make the best of this situation? But I wonder what it would have looked like if it hadn't been…

Well, that reality, delayed as it is, now you're going… Yeah, now we're going to find out. You could have had Justin Herbert, so it makes for a fascinating what-if.

Absolutely. Then I would expect that the answer is going to be, wow, that would have been pretty good with Justin Herbert or with any other quarterback. Actually, he'll be a head coach somewhere else in a year's time.

I enjoyed him.

They're I did, too. There'll be many people who didn't like it. It's like, What's wrong with you? This is fun. This is different. Not everyone has to be cut from the same cloth.

That's what you just said. What have we always talked about? Chili is not a soup. It's something better. It's its own thing. Mike McDaniel was unique, and that's what you want to do. Okay, the most... Well, there aren't shades of unique. There aren't degrees of unique. What's the most distinctive place if there's an American football fan who says, You know what? These European games, these international games aren't going anywhere. It's fine. It's time for me to go and consume one. Where best to go in 2026?

I'm biased towards London, so I will say there are three of them. Come visit us. Come and let me know that you're coming, and I'll make sure that you have a fabulous time. But if you've been to London because the games have been in London for many years now, I'm going to suggest you go to Madrid. Madrid is an amazing city. Spain is a fantastic country, and I think that you will find that you'll have a great in Madrid. That would be my recommendation.

I've got to make the Spain trip at some point anyway. Maybe I'll be able to meet Handsome Hank over there.

We'll definitely do that. Wait, if the Pittsburgh Steelers were to come and play overseas again, I know you didn't get a chance to see them in Dublin. Please, will you come, Dave?

I'm desperate to do it, and I don't care if the Steelers are over there. I'd love to come and visit you and see the way you live. Make your way. We're so proud of you, Handsome. I'm proud of you, too. What a great Great thing it was to meet you forever ago now, but since you've moved on. Sad to think. It's already been... How many years has it been?

It's been nearly four years. But you know what I do? I was looking at some of the pictures we talked about just now, and I was looking at them, and yesterday I was looking at Super Bowl and you and I sitting doing this thing, I feel unbelievably lucky that I spent however long it was, 8, 10 years with you getting a chance a couple of times a week to sit around a desk and talk and do all the fun stuff that we So thank you, Dave, for including me back in those days because that wasn't anything I ever expected to be doing when I came to Los Angeles originally, not knowing a single person in the whole place, but it was something that was very special to me.

Well, I agree. You were very lucky. No. I really... If I have any talent in this dumb business, it's being able to identify. I don't care what that person's job title is or what they're supposed to be doing. I I can identify if that person is going to be good or bad or otherwise. I immediately knew, Handsome Hank. Why is he not talking into a microphone? We changed that. I love to hear the stories years later that people in London or otherwise will shout out to you while you're walking with a pro football player. It's Handsome Hank, our hero. There he is, everybody, the general manager of European football games.

What was it? That's fine. What did you say? I said general manager of the NFL in the UK and Ireland, but it is a little bit of other places as well.

I'm just going to sayI think they need to update it. You're talking about Spain, and you're talking about this, that, and the other. So I think you've expanded beyond those borders. In the meantime, what a pleasure to see you once again. Handsome Hank Hodgson.

Thank you, Dave.

I got to tell you, sincerely, the whole trip was worthwhile just to catch up with Handsome. Glad to see him doing so well. Okay, let's get into it now. The pick six. And let me say, first of all, MVP, I mentioned it at the very top, it's now the Max. We agree, right, fellows? We're all in lockstep, Mike and Gino, that Max McGee should be paid tribute for all of time now. I mean, he had a hangover for the first Super Bowl.

I'm done with it. Yeah, he had my vote.

Excellent. I'm glad we all agree on that. And now, like I say, pick six presented by DraftKings. Draftkings, the Crown is yours. We only have one game That's the bad news. The good news is, I think there are some juicy options out here. Let me show you the way. First of all, my pal for media night, Jason Myers, who is going to be thinking about Dave Damosheck, if he has to go out there for a last second kick to try and win the Super Bowl. I say he's going to go over one and a half field goals. Next, I mentioned at the top, Sam Darnold, I think, is going to win this game. I think he will perform well enough. I also think he's still Sam Darnold, so I'm going to say he's going to go over half an interception, and not just because you can't throw half of an interception. Next, I am going to say, Drake May. A big factor that a lot of people are pointing to is Drake May. We've talked about it quite a bit, in fact, on the show, Drake May has made a lot of hay on the ground this postseason, all through the season, in fact, with those legs.

And the issue is the Seahawks are going to be focused in on preventing him from doing just that. Ergo, I say under 38 and a half rush yards for him. My favorite play among these and in general, besides the safety bet that I told you about earlier, 11 to 1, make sure you bet on a safety. That's good times. Kenneth Walker combined rush receiving yards over 99. 5. That feels like a heavy number until you see how he's performed over the last five, six games. He hasn't come close to not transcending that number. He's consistently in triple digits. The closest he's come, if I'm not mistaken, was in the last game they played, and he still got over by 10 yards, the 99. 5 a half, so I think you should feel good and safe. And I'm going to stop there because we have not won the million dollars, Gino and Mike, Mike and Gino Fuente. So hopefully you guys can fill in the blanks here. We have two more to complete here. How say you?

Okay, I think I'm going to go Ramondre Stevenson here. They have 77 and a half rush and receiving yards. I'm going to go under. I don't think he's going to get much to work with in terms of on the ground. And he's a big guy, so maybe not a lot of receiving yards.

I can see a few check downs, but they'll probably be of the shorter variety just to get out of pressure. Yeah, we've been on touch downs. I was looking at that same one. Go ahead. I've been on touch downs all year. We've all been on touch downs all year, to be honest. I don't want to go the super obvious route and tell you Jackson Smith and Jigba. I actually think Jackson Smith and Jigba is going to have a tough time this game. They know that he's the grease that gets the Sam Darnal wheel going. I'm going to take tight end. Aj Barner, he's going to score a touch down in this game, and that's going to wrap up our pick six.

All right, there you have it. Best wishes to you. Remember, the safety bet, that's the way to go. 11 to 1, everybody. All right, now let's move on to one more conversation with an old pal of ours. We did it on the DraftKings set. It was great to catch up with our guy. By the way, it's a home and home, so make sure you're looking out for your old pal Dave on his show. It's the Ross Tucker Football podcast. And here he is, Ross Tucker on Football America.

All right, here we go. And before I introduce him, I do observe as we sit here on the DraftKings set on Media Row in front Super Bowl 60, of course. This table is optimal for some paper football, don't you think, Ross Tucker?

I have not played paper football in a long time.

I mean, neither have I. I'm a grown man.

No, I know. I'm just thinking that is optimal. It's a little too low. We're going to do it on our knees. That's true.

Yeah, I guess, where do you primarily play? At the cafeteria? Yeah. In between classes, right?

In school or my daughters will play it at dinner when they're bored, stuff like that. Really? I forget how you actually make the football for paper football.

You don't think you could put together a triangular piece of paper?

No. Really?

Okay, that'd be a good test.

In fact, I'm sure I couldn't.

Well, maybe we should get a piece of paper and see if you can put one together. Either way, like I say, it is the man, the host of the Ross Tucker. You call it the football program, right?

Ross Tucker Football Podcast.

That's right. I knew I was just invoking the name of a show you used to visit of mine. How are you, Ross Tucker? Haven't talked to you since I started this football America.

Does the NFL still have the rights to that?

I don't know, and I don't care. But if you want to take it, it's all yours. Football program. How are you, Ross Tucker?

Doing great, man. I've been watching your work. You have? I have. I've been seeing the social media clips, a Especially on the Lebitard show. That's pretty awesome, man. I like how you tag at Lebitard show with every clip.

What do you want me to do, friend?

No, it's what you should do.

You are one of the preeminent self-promoters in the biz, and you're looking at me and saying that... Are you critiquing me doing that? Are you counseling me on any level here?

No, I think it's... Smart. First of all, I thought potentially that was just the arrangement. I just thought that was part of the deal. But if they would repost it every time, I would tag them, too.

Let's talk about... Okay, you know what? We're pretty far in here now, so it's not first things first. But let's start with this Super Bowl, and give me your final score.

20 to 17, Seahawks.

Okay, a nice tight game. I agree with you that the score is going to be relatively low.

You know what it would be fun to do at some point? You were looking for more from that, But what if I came on your show? I can be very verbose. What if I just, just the facts, ma'am, nothing but the facts, and I answered every question with a four-word answer? What do you think the score is going to be? 2017. No color, no analysis, just straight. Look, I think it's going to be a close game because I think Vrabel is an awesome coach, and I think the Patriots have played very well. Seahawks are better. I mean, if they played 10 times, Seahawks win seven or eight, probably. But that's not what matters. What matters is what happens in the one time they play against each other. I wouldn't be shocked if the Patriots win, but I think Seattle wins. I like the Patriots and the points on the DraftKings Sportsbook app.

I just don't know where the Patriots are coming up with their points to keep up with the Seahawks. I think their puncher's chances, I keep saying, is that Sam Darnold has washed the stink off eternally now, I think, unless he has an atrocious in the Super Bowl. I don't think anybody's ever going to question his ability to show up in big spots after that NFC title game. But he's still Sam Darnold, and so the possibility exists that he could throw three picks, and that would keep the Patriots in the game and maybe give him a win. As far as I'm concerned, that's about the shot that they have, because I don't think the Patriots are going to roll on the ground against Seattle, and I don't think they're going to have a ton of success throwing it. Maybe Drake may get them once or twice in a low-scoring game, and that could be the margin for them.

I think they're going to have to take some shots. Nobody likes to do that against Seattle, but I think it's crazy. I was talking to McDaniels about this Monday night For Drake May to lead the NFL in completion percentage and also yards per attempt, that's crazy impressive. I mean, that's really hard to do. I feel like they have to take chances. Boody has made some incredible catches and has an incredible last name. Stefan Diggs has made some big-time catches as well. I think those guys are going to have to make some plays down the field. I think Drake May has to run for over 50 yards. I think he really has to, when in doubt, run for a first down. Because I always say, I don't feel like all first downs are created equal. If your coach schemes up a good play and he beats the D coordinator, and your guy's open, that's great. If you get out coached and the D coordinator calls something great, and your guy calls something bad, and you get out of it, and you still run for a first down, that's a bonus. That feels like one and a half first downs in my mind.

I think Drake May has to make a number of plays with his legs.

I completely agree with what you're getting at there with the gut punch, the emotional gut punch you receive from You're old enough to remember Super Bowl 25, and I think maybe the best example is the Mark Ingram third and 13 catch where he's, not the Heisman winner, but his father, the Giants wide out. When He catches a little pass that had no shot of getting the first down, and then he somehow wends his way through the Bills defense to get the first down. That really is the margin of victory for them. That's what creates the win for... I mean, history is different. The Bills win that Super Bowl 25, and then who knows if imbued with a different level of confidence, the next year, maybe they handle Washington and Mark Rippen.

When you used the Super Bowl 25, I had no idea who was in it. If you said the 1990 Super Bowl, I would have known Giants, Bills. I know the game was in '91, but in my mind, I remember the seasons. I don't remember the names of the Super Bowl. How about you?

Well, once you get up, yeah, right around '25 is when the numbers, the Roman numerals start to get weird, and you have to look at them. You have to figure out, Wait, that's 37. No, Well, wait, the one extra dash. No, that's 36. Yeah, I hear what you're saying. Yeah, I do that same thing. I chronologically like, Wait, if the If the Giants beat the Bills in that one, then that means that the Super Bowl after that is the one in which Rippen beats them, and then the one after that, and then Akeman gets them twice. And then that's how I follow the Super Bowl era, which, by the way, is the proper start. People get confused with this, and people are, You love history, Dave, don't you? How come you never talk about anything that happened before Don Hudson? Why don't you talk about Otto Graham? Because do you know, Ross Tucker, that until the mid to late '70s, the reigning Super Bowl champ would play a team of college All-stars? Do you know about that? Yes. I think '76 is the last year it happened.

Wait, they still did it during Super Bowl era?

Oh, yeah. There are images you can find, moving ones even, of they call the game, if I'm not mistaken, the Stealers are playing, and Maryland's Randy White sacks Terry Bradshaw in a game, which is fascinating stuff. Obviously, Randy White is sacked- That is not a real thing. As a Dallas Cowboy. The game got called because it was a torrential rainstorm. I'm pretty sure that they didn't finish it. But either way, that's the last one. But here's how you know pro football had not yet ripened before the Super Bowl era. In 1962, a team of college All-Stars beat the Green Bay Packers. I don't have to consider a sport in that state at all. Now, once we get to the mid to late '60s, things start to turn a little bit. But if you can't beat a bunch of 19-year-old player, what am I supposed to I'm supposed to hold you up against? Well, how do they compare with the 94 Niners? I'm not going to play that game.

You know what's fascinating about that? I think I have to look it up. The last Ivy League guy to win the Heisman, I believe, was Casimir. I want to say it was '62. He did not go to the NFL. He chose to go to Harvard Business School. Think about that. He ended up having a successful career and a bunch of kids and a great life and what have you. But if the Heisman winner is giving the Heisman to the NFL and going to Harvard Business School instead, it's probably problematic for the professional venture.

A big update for you, Ross Tucker. A number of years ago, you extoled the virtues when we were doing the Shecky Awards, and I was giving out best dessert of whatever year it was, and you made your case for ice cream, and I tossed it out like so much melted ice cream. I've come around now. The kids... It's been a slow burn, too. It was ironic to burn an ice cream. But over the years of going to the cream shops and like, Can I get a little sample here, a little sample there? And then it turned into a scoop. And now, two scoops consistently. So I know how much you try.

What are some of your favorite flavors?

Well, that's a good question. Right now, I would say at the top of the pile, what they've really been doing a real good job with, and most respectable ice cream houses do this, is they'll do a Churro. And when you're doing a Churro, what What you're really doing is you're doing cinnamon ice cream. And cinnamon ice cream is very good. Coconut. And then the granddaddy great one is mint chip. How say you?

I love that you just said mint chip. Do you know I believe that mint chocolate chip is the single most polarizing ice cream flavor.

That's interesting. Yeah.

A lot of people say it tastes like toothpaste. My wife. And they think it's gross. I'm not aware of someone in American society that thinks mint chocolate chips just okay. They either love it.

It's a great point.

Or they hate it. There's a lot of other flavors. Yeah, it's pretty good. You know what the best flavor is? This is crazy.

Damosheck's no fence-sitter, so that shouldn't surprise you that I'm on the mint chip.

No. This is crazy. Have you ever had... Do you know what Moose-Trex is?

I know that you're going to tell me now. Go ahead.

It's It's like a Pennsylvania thing, I think, but it's like a chunky fudge chocolate peanut butter combo. My favorite flavor is mint moose tracks. The only company that I'm aware that makes it is Hersy Ice Cream Company, which is where I reside. However, Hersy Ice Cream Company, no relation to the Hersy Chocolate Company. They're totally separate businesses.

Outrageous.

The Hersey Ice Cream Company is based in Harrisburg. Like I said, where I live, I can't find it anywhere. I first I covered mint moose tracks in North Carolina at the Outer Banks. I said, Where do you get your ice cream from? They said, It's Hersey Ice Cream. I said, Are you kidding? I made friends, of course, with the Hersy ice cream people. They gave me a tub. Somehow I got it to fit in my freezer like they scoop out of. But I was so worried about it going bad. My daughters and I had it every that day the entire summer, and it was like seeing it wear it out. But anyway, I know we got to stop soon, but mint moose tracks from especially Hersia Ice Cream. You got to find it somewhere.

Ross Tucker, everybody.

There goes Ross Tucker. Here we go to real quick, while we're still in season, a shout out to my guys, the Fuentes boys, Gino and Mike, Mike and Gino. Good luck to Gino's wife, Seahawks in the big one, Sup Campbell, Danny B, everybody at Matt Olar. Great thanks. And thanks to you, football Americans, for being a part of the ride through this season. Stay subscribed on YouTube and wherever you find your audio podcast. Matter of fact, spread the good word for now.

Enjoy the big game.

And one last word here. Let's get it over to Dave Damosheck. Thanks, Dave. And by the way, big fan.

Great work all season long on Football America.

But as we wrap up here, hate to say it, but after the Super Bowl, that's it for football season.

So I guess I ought to head back to LA.

You know what, though? Come to think of it, the combine is in just a few days. And then right after that, free agency. And I got to say that my team really needs some help.

But I'm sure everybody's team, if you look at your roster, even the team that wins the Super Bowl is probably going to want to sign some guys.

And that'll be great. But then the draft comes around. And that's going to be interesting to see where the Heisman hero, Fernando Mendoza, goes. I guess probably the Raiders.

And that's a decent spot.

But man, the Raiders aren't very good. I feel like.