After Hours with Amy Lawrence PODCAST: Hour 2

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Go to solostove.com. Tell them big Snoop Dogg sent you. Hahaha. Says here that Graybar is a distributor? Yeah. We support electrical and datacom projects all over the country. So you can get me the products I need.

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Yeah, Graybar does that. Did you know we now have a team who has clinched a playoff spot? First team in the NFL to make the postseason or the tournament, as Bill Parcells would call it. The San Francisco 49ers, come on down. You are the grand prize winner of your third straight playoff berth.

So yeah, third time in a row, fourth time in the past five years. The Niners are on to, I was going to say October. Doesn't sound nearly as cool as January. On to January. No, actually, doesn't sound cool at all.

And the thing is, it's not as neat. It's not as cut and dried as what we get with the World Series or the Major League Baseball playoffs is that October is what we know. It's synonymous with baseball postseason. But in the NFL, now the regular season doesn't end until into January and so it's not nearly as neat and tidy. But congratulations to the Niners by virtue of their win over the Seahawks on Sunday and then the Packers two point loss to the Giants.

Look at New York playing spoiler. Not that the Green Bay Packers can't make the playoffs, but only that other teams and tie breaks have fallen away until the Niners are into the NFL playoffs and are the first team this season. This is a gritty team.

It's a salty team. It certainly helps that the Eagles lost to the Cowboys too. And so you have the Niners sitting in that top seed. They've got tie breakers over both the Eagles and Cowboys because they beat both of those teams head to head. It's going to be Philly or Dallas as the top seed in the NFC.

They're going to have to win the conference outright meaning they can't have the same record as San Francisco. It's after hours with Amy Lawrence on CBS Sports Radio. Hope you survived your monkey Monday. Mine was a it was one kind of a manic Monday.

The type that they sing about in the song. It was nonstop. It was nuts.

I don't even feel like I got anything accomplished, but of course I did. And then there was football. There was football.

Are you kidding me? So we get Dolphins and Titans. That's a come from behind win. 14 points down for Tennessee. No, no more than four and a half minutes, right? And yet no problem for the Titans with both the defense and the offense playing maybe their best four and a half minutes of the entire season. As that is going on. We've got a game wrapping up at MetLife Stadium in the New York Metro between the Giants and the Packers.

So this one had a little bit of a different flavor. I know when the Packers look back on this or as they talk about this game, the part that's going to be frustrating for them is they were so careless with the football. They really were. It's great that the New York Giants were able to play the role of spoiler as I was just talking about with the Titans. They're not headed for the playoffs more than likely, and they're not technically eliminated, but they don't appear to be a playoff bound team.

It would take a miracle. Same thing for the Giants, although in the NFC it's decidedly easier to get into the playoffs, even if you are a 500 team. Producer Jay just said to me, within the last 24 hours, the Giants are going to make the playoffs, aren't they?

Jay, that was before we even watched Packers and Giants. Where did you come up with that? I just see teams like the Seahawks lost and the Rams lost and those are all the teams that are in the bubble there with the six wins and the Giants just seem to be winning now and have found something.

I don't know. I just feel like they're going to find a way to sneak in. They found something. Tommy DeVito, they found something. It's crazy.

It is. So, even before seeing Packers and Giants on Monday night, producer Jay was feeling very hopeful as we parted ways on Monday morning after the show. He was feeling very hopeful. Hope and a prayer. Oh, it's a wing and a prayer. But you know what?

In the NFL, sometimes that works. It's After Hours with Amy Lawrence on CBS Sports Radio. I'd love for you to find me on Twitter, ALawRadio. So many of you come out of the woodwork in the last month or so to talk about the holidays and to reach out and offer kind words, support, encouragement, the flowers, all that jazz.

If you're behind, you're just going to have to go check it out on Twitter. Also, my mom is awesome. You all know that if you listen on a regular basis, you know that my mom and I are super close. My mom sent me a text message on Monday. You have to go and read it on my Twitter.

Again, ALawRadio. It's also up on our Facebook page, so you can check it out there. After Hours with Amy Lawrence. She's the best. Mom is the best.

Can't wait to see her in a couple of days. So we're asking you, as you think about some of the storylines that you didn't see coming this season, some of the storylines that feature actors of sorts who were never supposed to be on the stage in the first place. They were understudies to understudies. They were stand ins. They were body doubles. They were stunt doubles. We're talking about practice squad players.

They were practice squad players. And yet, because of the way the NFL churns players up, because of how violent and how costly this sport is, we know that Next Man Up is not just a nice moniker or a fun theme. Nah, it's reality in the NFL, and you have to be ready. When your number's called, if you're not ready, well then they're going to go on to the next person.

Right? But we've seen some pretty cool opportunities in which players have gone the whole Carpe Diem thing. As in, seize the day, baby.

Seize the day. Whether it's, gosh, I still love the Tyson Bajan story for the Chicago Bears. Undrafted free agent from a D2 school. We've seen some veterans move to different teams and make a huge difference. We've seen teams kind of rise from the ashes where they were supposed to be in rebuild mode, and wait, what is happening right now? The Colts and the Houston Texans are great examples of that.

So which is the best movie script in the NFL this season? Maybe you're no longer a Dak Prescott hater, and the fact that he is playing MVP caliber football. The Cowboys have won five in a row. Maybe it's some of the rookie quarterbacks. We've seen ten different rookie QBs start. Maybe it's a team out there that's used four different QBs and landed on Joe Flacco as their starter for the rest of the season. Whatever the case is, there are some really amazing human interest stories to be told in the NFL this season, and that is what we do. So on Twitter, after our CBS, or on our Facebook page, and then vote for your Monday MVP, coming up soon we'll have the candidates for TD of the Week.

Oh, I don't know. We might end up seeing Derrick Henry into the end zone as a TD of the Week candidate from the other Monday Night Football game, but Packers and Giants, they were on the field at MetLife Stadium, and yeah, it's kind of funny because early on they came out firing, and then it settled down really quickly. Tucker Craft in motion to the wing of the left side.

They've got a stack left. Dobbs is wide right. Jordan's under center. They get motion to the right side by Reid, give to Reid. Around the right end.

Oh, pops wide open. High stepping end zone. Touchdown! Jaden Reid on the reverse.

DeVito's at the five of Green Bay. He hits a first and goal, and he gets the snap, and he hands off the bucket, runs right away, hits the five, cuts the corner far side over the left tackle. Touchdown, Jocks! And they're an extra point away from tying the game early in the second quarter.

That is our friend Kevin Harlan on Westwood One before that Wayne Larivie on the Packers radio network. So yeah, we get a couple of early touchdowns back to back, and then outside of that, really the rest of the first half is wah wah wah. The Packers get a late field goal right before halftime, and it's ten to seven going into the locker room, but otherwise Jordan Love gets picked. Jordan Love also ends up fumbling.

It was a really sloppy first half. So credit the Giants defense because they are still tough. I like that they still have some ball hawks. Kavon Thibodeau is quietly working on one of the best seasons a giant defender has had in years, and so they made life miserable for this Packers offense that had been in a groove the last couple weeks. In fact, we just spoke to a Packers insider last week.

And we were talking to him about Packers nation dares to utter the words playoff bound or even talk about playoffs. At this point, the Packers had rallied to come back to 500. And it looked like they were clicking.

That might have been a word we used. They were clicking. But the Giants defense put pressure on Jordan Love, and they were able to turn him over twice in the first half. Of course, the Giants themselves missed a field goal. It was some sloppiness. It really was, but more costly for the Packers because what the Giants want to do is try to drag other teams down to their level, kind of neutralize their opponent with that defense, and then see what they can come up with. All the dice, if you will, with their rookie quarterback, whose dad and agent exchange sloppy Italian kisses in the stands every time Tommy DeVito does something impressive. Stories.

It's seriously nuts from the category of you can't make this stuff up. I mean, they're freaking doing flea flickers out there, for heaven's sakes. So anyway, we go into the second half. It's 10 to 7, and right away, you get a Packers mistake. To start out the third quarter, the Packers muff a punt, and Saquon Barkley is able to get into the end zone. It was really a short field.

It wasn't quite red zone, but it was pretty darn close. They just hand the ball to the Giants and say, all right, degree of difficulty, not quite high enough. We haven't made enough mistakes in the first half.

Why don't we make another one? It happened so quickly. I was listening to the Packers radio network at the time, and they were incredulous that they had come out of halftime after a really sloppy first half where they felt like they survived because they were up by a field goal, that they weren't punished more for the mistakes they made. And then right away, very first Giants empty possession, they muffed the punt, give the ball back a short field, Saquon Barkley gets into the end zone. Of course, the Giants decided that anything you can do, we can do better. So what is it, a couple of drives later, Jay? The Giants muffed a punt, right?

And the Packers are able to use that for a field goal. So it really was a comedy of errors for probably the first two and a half quarters. Then we decided to get down to some business. And yeah, Tommy DeVito, you can see him learning all the job, which I think is a lot of fun.

I wouldn't say it's AI or anything, but our brains are really impressive. He's got a body of experience now, and he just keeps putting that to work and getting better. He's figuring it out. DeVito calls signals and takes the snap, back to throw, looks to his right, rolls to his right, looking for someone to uncover, throws to the end zone, touchdown Giants!

Isaiah Hodges made the catch, got the feed in! What a throw by DeVito! And Tommy does the Italian thing!

See what I told you! Jay, do we have a gif of Tommy DeVito doing the Italian thing? Do we have a movie star doing the Italian thing? I'm going to find it if we don't. Oh yeah, yeah, yeah. We need people to send us videos of them doing the Italian thing, or your best gif of someone doing the Italian thing.

And if you have no idea what that means, just wait. Check it out on our show, Twitter, After Hours, CBS. In fact, Jay's family is Italian. How often do you do the Italian thing? I mean, we do it in my family every now and then. I wouldn't say it's prevalent, but we do it every now and then. It kind of just happens sometimes, you know?

You're just talking, or talking about food, really, I would say is when it would come out. Like, oh, the sauce, the heavy sauce there. Jay's doing it right now. You gotta. You can't fake it.

Alright, so check out our show, Twitter, for the Italian thing, After Hours, CBS. A 10-place, 75-yard drive. It takes six minutes off the clock, and what I felt like in that drive, the Giants steadied. They found themselves a comfortable, efficient place where they were just moving the ball. It wasn't crazy. It wasn't nutso. It was comfortable.

It was comfortable. And late in the third quarter, they've now got the one-score lead, up 21 to 13. Packers are able to miss a field goal and then make a field goal, right? It's just never a dull moment this season for the Packers. And after their made field goal, now they're trailing by five, and the Giants decide, alright, this is way too boring.

Let's mix it up a bit, shall we? Hyatt to the near side left, single high safety look on a first and ten. Handoff for Barkley, zigs his way right, makes a man miss, picks to the outside, he's to the 40, to the 35, 30. Barkley to the 20, and then he tripped up and fell down at about the 20-yard line. He let the ball go.

Did he give himself up? Yeah, he lost the football, and the Packers have it. Love waiting for the snap from Myers. Taylor moves to the quarterback's right. Here's the snap, rush on, throw to the left side of the end zone, caught at the pylon, and the officials are, is it a touchdown or not? It is a touchdown! It is a touchdown! It is a touchdown!

Malik Heath on the reception, wow! So from Bob Papa and the Saquon Barkley fumble with four minutes to go, how is it possible, now that we know the ending, how is it possible that the Giants twice in the last, what, quarter and a half, commit these egregious mistakes, they fumble the ball away, and yet they still end up winning? I mean, seriously, I guess you have to look at the Packers as the other half of the equation. So Saquon Barkley coughs up the football with four minutes to go, promptly gives Jordan Love and the Packers another opportunity.

They're not even at midfield. I mean, at this point, they're on the 36-yard line. They were already essentially in field goal range, but they take two minutes off the clock, they get into the end zone with that Jordan Love touchdown pass. Now we're talking 90 seconds left, and the Packers have regained the lead. So maybe Packers Nation green and gold, they're breathing, they're breathing. All right, finally, it was a little bit too dramatic, it was a little bit too heart attack inducing, but phew, 90 seconds left.

Oh, but do you have any idea who you're dealing with? It's the Italian thing. DeVito's in the gun, his own 46, second down and one shotgun snap, pocket crumbles, long pass, far side caught over the shoulder. It's at the 35 and down the sideline, the 30, Robinson running down that far sideline, caught the ball in stride, gets to the Green Bay 23. 32-yard catch and run, one off throw by DeVito.

Kevin Harlan on Westwood 1, 32-yard connection with Wandell Robinson. And right away, they're in field goal range. I mean, there were a lot of Packers fans there at MetLife Stadium, but in these late stages, the Giants fans could be heard.

Snap is good, kick on its way, end over end, and it is good! And the Giants have beaten the Packers 24-22. Tommy DeVito does it and Bullock finishes it off. What a win by the Giants, the DeVito family going crazy. Kansas City may have Taylor Swift, but Jersey and New York will take the Devitos any day.

Manja! You enjoy it when it's an outcome like this, right? I mean, I enjoy being on the field, any play, no matter what play it is, so I'm just trying to enjoy it. Isn't that so true? You can see him and know that he is having the time of his life.

And I dare say anyone who's in the NFL or in a professional sport wants to be out there. You don't go through all this work and all the sacrifices personally and professionally. You don't make all of those if you don't believe that you have what it takes.

A lot of times that confidence, that belief is what carries you through when the hours are long and the work is hard and you don't have much to show for it. Now, DeVito's a rookie, so he just got started. But the fact that he was on the Giants roster was probably dream enough for him at this point. Daniel Jones just signed the huge contract, he's got Tyrod Taylor ahead of him, a veteran quarterback. Not only does he get Preston to duty after a Tyrod Taylor injury, but now he's made his fourth consecutive start.

And Brian Dabel has no designs on changing. Third game of over 100 quarterback rating. Made good decisions, took care of the ball, used him in a run game, just keep developing him. He's improving, still got stuff to work on, but like I said two, three times last week, I think he's a young player that's doing the right things, making the most of his opportunity. Earned the right to play today and he earned the right to play the next week.

Kids have done a good job. Obviously he wasn't the best option, or the Giants and Brian Dabel didn't believe he was the best option. Daniel Jones tearing his ACL, not having Tyrod Taylor available.

And you remember, we had fun with this. Brian Dabel was asked going back to the first game that DeVito started, why DeVito? And his response was, injuries. That's what he said. He said, injuries.

Point blank, period. He didn't sugar coat it. He essentially was saying, this is all we got.

This is what we have to work with. And now Brian Dabel is raving about Tommy DeVito. The Italian thing. It's just in there.

So if you want to see what the Italian thing is all about and practice it, I would highly recommend you head to our show, Twitter After Hours, CBS, or you can see it on mine as well. We'll get more reaction from Money Night Football, but this time the Packers. Cause it was, this is a tough blow for Green Bay. Not that you don't have a lot of different ways that things can break in the NFC. It would be more devastating if we were talking about the AFC. We're the team that's right at 500. So think about the Buffalo Bills.

They needed to win on Sunday because they really can't afford any more losses. But for the NFC, eh, it's not a death blow, a death knell. If you lose and you fall to six and seven, well, I mean you got the same record as the majority of the NFC South. You've got the same record as the Rams and the Seahawks. There's still a potential place there for the Green Bay Packers.

However, a lot of their momentum, poof. Thanks to the Giants defense, started with them. Tommy DeVito, Saquon Barkley, Wandale Robinson. I mean, we're not talking about, other than Saquon, who is certainly a pro bowler. We're not talking about a group of guys that you're scrambling to get on your fantasy team.

Daniel Bellinger, Isaiah Hodgins, Matt Berida. Actually, one of the reasons that I think DeVito has been so successful is because he can hurt you with his legs too. Once he starts to run, he gets a full head of steam. Oh, and he's fearless.

I was trying to think which broadcast I was listening to, where they were encouraging him to slide. He's like, what do I have to lose? I may only get six of these. I'm going for broke, baby.

I'll take the DeVitos any day. 24-22, what a way to cap week 14 in the NFL. So yes, a little more week 14 reaction, because this is tough for the Packers. Earth to the Packers, back to reality, crashing back to Earth and reality.

And then on the backside, a conversation with my friend Mark Singleton. We've got some big news as we head toward the Super Bowl that is exactly two months from Tuesday. What, what? Does that make you happy or make you sad that it's two months from Tuesday? What do you think, Jay? I think it's exciting. Yeah, I think it is too.

It's too far off still. And there's so much I want to see play out that I'm not going to start to lament the fact that we're on the back end of the football season. No, like the Cowboys-Eagles game on Sunday wasn't the best game, but wasn't it really cool, like the build-up and the anticipation of these big matchups? It felt like playoff atmosphere, yes. Right, so I'm ready for that, I think.

Yeah, we got more of that coming up. Alright, love it. It's After Hours with Amy Lawrence, CBS Sports Radio. You are listening to the After Hours Podcast. It's a touchdown Tuesday on After Hours. Firing for the end zone. Touchdown! Touchdown! Tension himself to the pylon. Touchdown!

One man to beat ten. He's gone. They throw to the end zone. Touchdown!

Pay the guy a miss. He's inside the five. He's to the three, two, one.

Tons the center-solving into the end zone. Touchdown! To cast your vote for the TD of the Week, head to at After HoursCBS on Twitter.

Or give us a call at 855-212-4227. The Cleveland Browns. Slacko on fourth down and three. Playclock is at five. I don't know if they're going to snap it. Playclock is at two.

They do. He rolls right. He throws to the middle. It's wide open.

Down at the 25, at the 20, 15, 10, 5. Touchdown! It's David Bell!

Oh, my goodness! They forgot to cover David Bell! The Tampa Bay Buccaneers. It's second down and six from the 11-yard line.

Good snap. Mayfield looking. Throws a ball left. There's a caught ball. Caught ball. Touchdown!

Tampa Bay. Cade Otten makes it over the shoulder catch. And the Bucks retake the lead.

Yeah, one-on-one coverage. And you could tell by the body language of Mayfield, he was going to Otten the whole way to get to number 20. Holding defense number 27. That penalty's declined. Touchdown. Tremendous throw by Mayfield to put it in a perfect spot. It's a big play. The Tennessee Titans. This is second down.

Give Henry. Turning the left side. Diving. Touchdown, Titans! Touchdown! Derrick Henry has nodded the count with 1.49 to go. On a three-yard run.

The Baltimore Ravens. Ethan Evans finding the Tylan Wallace. Evans hangs a wobbler. Wallace settles under it at the 25. Gets a block. Comes to the near side, 30. Spins out of one tackle, 35. Along the near sideline, 40.

He's at midfield. Wallace to the 40. Still to see 30. 20. 10. Celebration time.

No flags. Wallace in the end zone. Hayes in the barn. And the Ravens win it in overtime.

What, what? Man, it was a great week in the NFL. You guys, we got some really amazing finishes. I feel like I say that every week, though. Joe Flacco rides again, baby. And somehow David Bell was completely uncovered.

Actually, it doesn't surprise me. A 41-yard dump and a fourth-quarter touchdown. Joe Flacco with this 10-year-old attitude. That's what he said.

I feel like a 10-year-old kid out there again. Jim Donovan on Browns Radio. Gene Deckerhoff on Bucks Radio. Baker Mayfield to Kay Daughton. Apparently it was telegraphed, and yet still they couldn't stop it. The Buccaneers are in first place in the NFC South.

They always come back. Oh, gross. Derrick Henry.

It's not rocket science. Give the damn ball to Derrick Henry. He's the best player, the best option you've got. Go ahead, touchdown for the Titans in the fourth quarter as they rally from two scores down in the final five minutes. And then Tylan Wallace returning punts for the first time in his NFL career and gets the walk-off for the Ravens in overtime.

Marco Belletti's here in studio. Crazy enough, six division leaders losing in the NFL this weekend. And the Ravens nearly lost themselves. So they would have made it seven, which would have meant the Niners were the only division leader to survive.

And they were fairly handy in their win over the Seahawks. But the Falcons were leading the South in the NFC. They lost to the Buccaneers. The Lions lost to the Bears, though they still have the division lead. The Cowboys take over the division lead against the Eagles, who they beat, obviously. The Chiefs lose. Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid changing their tunes on Monday.

We'll get to that. The Jaguars lose to the Browns, and then the Dolphins lose as well. So if not for the Ravens' overtime win, seven division leaders. I don't think that's ever happened before. I think six is the most ever in one weekend.

I didn't know the stat. I think the 49ers are the only team to clinch a playoff spot now. Yep, they did with the Packers' loss, right? So they're the first team in. And then you have a bunch of jumbled up messes in the final wildcard spots in both the AFC and the NFC. Now, they're not great teams, but it's jumbled up and it should be fun down the stretch. Oh, hey, you get into the tournament.

You never know what could happen. No, I know, but I mean, that's where we talk about it. I mean, you're talking about seven and six and six and seven leading the way for a playoff spot. It's not exactly, you know, a race to excellence, but hey, get into the playoffs, get into the playoffs. And that's what everybody's trying to do. I mean, we do have, what, three-quarters of the NFL operating without their starting quarterbacks. Maybe not that many. Two-thirds of the NFL right now seems to be operating without their starting QBs.

Or at least the starters from the beginning of the season. We'll put it that way. All right, so we've just put up our poll for TD of the Week. It's on our Twitter after our CBS or on our Facebook page.

You can find both polls, Monday MVP as well as our TD of the Week. Just banged my elbow on the desk when I was walking out of the studio a couple minutes ago. I realized I'd forgotten my ID tag because you have to use ID tag to get in and out some of the doors. And so I came back to get it and banged my knee into the low-lying desk over between us. It's fantastic. I'm going to have bruises for the wedding.

It's going to be amazing. At least, if I could just keep the bruises from my face. I'm going to not walk into a door sometime between now and Sunday because that would be classic me. Do everything slower between now and then. I just, I don't have time for that. I mean, you can make time. Slow down. Okay, so this is for the peeps out there who keep asking. And I'm doing this because Marco is here in studio.

And then we have to get to a break because Mark Singleton is coming up next. Still no flowers. Though the most recent phone call I got from the US Postal Service, the woman assured me that the second package that had been mailed. So not the first one, but the second one will be delivered sometime in the next 48 hours. She said it got scanned in the closest regional distribution center, which means it'll get to Bob's local post office tomorrow or the next day. I'm still breathing.

I'm still breathing. I will be within 72 hours of getting married, but at least one box would be helpful. Now, the majority of the flowers are in the first box, but if the second box shows up, at least we'll have some of the fun silver decor elements that I picked out. But for now, the first box is completely AWOL.

Completely AWOL. My question is, because obviously you cannot rely on this actually showing up on time, is there some other place that you can pick some stuff up to be able to make up? You mean between now and my 1,700-mile road trip to get to Texas? Well, yeah, and also not necessarily you. I mean, someone can pick up.

It doesn't have to be you per se, but someone can go and get some of the things that you're missing. It may not be exact. It may not be the same thing.

It definitely won't be because some of the silver accents were special ordered for me. But something to lessen the blow. Ouch. Ouch.

Lessen the punch in your face. I mean, because now it's about, you know, kind of just scurrying and trying to recuperate anything that you can. Trying to make the best of... At least you're not telling me they don't matter. I appreciate that.

Thank you. You know, again... No, no, no, no. We're not going to go over it again. It's fine. I love you anyway. Come on. I'm telling you, I'm talking about in the grand scheme of life, it doesn't matter. And it doesn't. Now, that said, you want what you want.

Is there any chance that someone can help you out and pick up some stuff to be able to get some of the stuff that you want there? Okay. All right. That's helpful. Because it matters.

You know... It's After Hours with A.B. Lawrence on CBS Sports Radio. You are listening to the After Hours Podcast.

This is After Hours with Amy Lawrence. Brad Sham on Dallas Cowboys Radio. Are they the made-for-TV script that would play best in theaters this NFL season? It's After Hours here on CBS Sports Radio. And I am always so excited to bring to light the plight of gridiron greats and the awareness and the money that's raised for the NFL legends of the past. And Mark Singleton, Vice President of Rudolph Foods, a longtime partner and supporter of After Hours.

He is the man to help us highlight it. We're going into yet another pigskin appreciation day at the Super Bowl. How long have you been doing this now? 15 years, right?

Yeah, it's amazing. You just said it's our 15th campaign for pork rind appreciation day, which is mind-blowing. And it's our 14th year to work with Coach Mike Dick and the gridiron greats. And we just couldn't have picked a better partner in celebrating the biggest pigskin holiday in the country. It's raised a lot of awareness for gridiron greats.

Why do you think the two work so well together? It's obviously pigskins and pigskins just go together. But when we met Coach and we really understood what his mission was and what the mission of the organization was, it just really aligned with the Rudolph Foods family mission, which is to help in our communities to reach out and look for ways we can make things better and to look for opportunities to introduce more people to our favorite pork rind. And here's an amazing fact. Since we started this, three times as many people in America eat pork rind. Since we started pork rind appreciation day, three times as many Americans eat pork rinds every year.

It's been an unbelievable success, Amy. And pork rind appreciation day happens to coincide with the biggest game of the year, of course. So it's natural that we see a lot more of the Hall of Famers.

They're part of the celebration every year, not just on Radio Row, but around the site of the NFL's biggest game and the biggest stage in sports. What's one experience or maybe one Hall of Famer that you've crossed paths with in your travels and along the course of these last 15 years that has really stuck with you? The most memorable moment was I got kicked out of a bathroom by Kevin Costner's bodyguard, which you'll never forget, Amy, in a million years. But once you get past that, you know, hanging out with Jack Youngblood, and you remember when you interviewed, it's like hanging out with John Wayne, for gosh sakes. I mean, he is the real deal. I mean, all of our greats have been amazing. Joe Green and Icky Woods and Andre Reed, they've all been amazing. And they're amazing spokesmen for the cause.

And as you know, one of the most fun things as we get close to pork rind appreciation day is that the Thursday before pork rind appreciation day, Coach Stilka has a party and we raise a ton of money for this great charity. I had this chance to speak with Hall of Famer Steve Largent recently, and I was really taken by his compassion for the NFL legends of the past. And he pointed out that so few of them made any type of significant money that they could use to carry them through their next phase of life.

Like today's players are set. They're good to go in many cases because they've got generational money. But that wasn't always the case for the NFL legends, even those who made the Hall of Fame. And he talked about how often this assistance fund is helping them to buy groceries or to pay their medical bills or in some cases just to provide transportation. And to me, that's a cause that needs to be highlighted.

I don't think fans realize how important this assistance fund. Kenny Houston was a teacher in the off season, his wife, a NASA rocket scientist. I mean, they had real jobs. All these guys had real jobs. Bob Lilly, he had a real job.

You're right. They didn't make the big money. They didn't have the pensions.

They didn't have all the coverage that modern players have. Coach Stilka saw this years and years ago and said, hey, I think we can do something about it. And anybody can learn more about it and indeed can help out by going to gridirongrapes.org. And there's things to buy. There's ways to help. And heck, if you're in Vegas, you know, we'll sell you a ticket to the party, too. Now, we've got a brand new way that people can get involved. So it's not just about helping, though. That should be enough.

It's not just about the great taste of Southern Recipe small batch pork rinds. That should also be enough. No, it's actually a sweepstakes. And I love this element because different from a lot of other contests, people can enter every day, Mark.

Absolutely. And we encourage them to. The more times you enter, the more times there are your chances to win. And we've got a great prize this year. Since it's the 15th anniversary, we're giving 15 months five pork rinds and $5,000.

And I don't know anybody in 2023 couldn't use $5,000. No joke, right? It's After Hours with Amy Lawrence on CBS Sports Radio and our longtime friend and collaborator Mark Singleton is with us.

He's the vice president of sales and marketing for Southern Recipe. And it's been incredible to connect with so many of these greats that still talk smack. I mean, it's really amazing to hear them tell their own stories and then to watch these old videos of them. Gosh, sometimes I feel like we've missed out on a lot. It's been awesome for me to have so many Hall of Famers on our show by working with you guys. We talk about the stories. Jack one day said, you know, I appreciate all the accolades.

But he goes, if I have to talk about that broken leg again. But, you know, that you think about the feats that these guys performed in an era where they didn't have ice baths and all the modern medicine that keeps people playing. Some of these guys even play both ways.

For God's sakes. Kenny Houston was the starting center and middle linebacker in college. Now it goes on to be an all pro, all world, all time great free safety. But oh my gosh, I tell you what gets me the most is their friendships, their bonds, their brotherhood. It's so real. And it's just been such a privilege to help these guys that I grew up and I know you grew up watching every Sunday.

It's just been such a thrill and we're so happy to be a part of it. The first time you and I connected, I believe, was in San Francisco on Radio Row. And my very first conversation was with Bobby Bell, who only has some awesome stories to tell. But to that point, I don't know if it's been the case since then, but to that point, had not missed a Super Bowl. He played in multiple Super Bowls.

He hadn't missed one. And it was so amazing to think about his legacy and his tenure as one of the greatest linebackers of all time for the Chiefs. And this was before they had won the two Super Bowls with Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes. And then you get to learn about his high school career, going to Minnesota, being a quarterback.

I mean, Bobby was Cam Newton before Cam Newton. What a huge guy, but what a humble personality and just such a presence, really. That's the other thing you see again and again. A lot of these guys have real presence and they're so good to their fans still. They take the time to sign the autographs. I know you've seen it yourself. When somebody meets one of their heroes and gets a picture, it's a look of happiness that what a gift to be able to give.

I mean, I mean, I think some of them really view it that way, too. What a gracious gift to be able to make somebody stay like that. I know that's how I feel when I meet these Hall of Famers and get to hear their stories. Thank you, Mark.

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