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We may need to change that jingle. Prices and participation may vary. Good. Good afternoon, everybody. Welcome into the Winkler Verse.
I'm Bart Winkler. This is our Weekly. Mm-hmm. along with a bunch of cans being popped all over the place. Look at this.
Ah, we got Grand Bills with the Diet Coke.
Well, DC. We got Paul Immig with the Waterloo again. Jeez. And I hate this. I'm going plastic with the DMD.
Puke. Puke the plastic, not the DMD. And it's an MDZ. It's a demilitarized mountain dew zone. Um Great to be with you guys.
One other thing that's bothering me since we're on the topic of. What we put into our mouths. Be careful. I'm like eating. Just um Frantic, like all I'm eating a lot.
I can't stop eating. Hmm. It's really pissing me off. Hmm. I can't even have restraint towards food.
So I'm getting chunky again. You wanna see? More than anything, actually. Yeah.
Alright, um, we'll get into it. Packers, Browns. This is what a game. What an absolute because here I am. Sunday.
Thinking about this game as it's happening, like this is boring. It was a boring game. It was. A long, good chunk of it. It was boring.
And then I thought. I'm gonna do a post. I'm gonna do a post. I'm trying to do the post. We'll do one Sunday night.
Too. But I'm trying to do the post. And I'm like a guy that's gonna be boring post. And then the way they lose. Not only does it feed.
Sports radio families for the rest of the week. I mean, I have a more layup week than this around the state of Wisconsin. Great week to launch a new lineup. I would say as well. And The the the problem though also is It's not just like sports radio having takes.
It's every it's everybody having tanks. And I think that everyone here so here's here's what I'm Getting at. People are being way too hard on Jordan Love. Did you see me crowdsource like why? And a lot of people Admittedly say.
Well, we expect him to be Brett Favre Aaron Rodgers. That is insane. That is unfair to him. And if we're going to judge We can't we can't like someone's like oh he's gonna be Jay Cutler.
Now, the T D interception ratio for Jay. you know it was like 26 18 and stuff like that yeah maybe a little less on the picks But what are you telling me? He's gonna be a ten-year starter? Right. We're not going to have to worry.
Isn't that the big fear? We're going to have to worry about the quarterback position. We're going to have a guy for 10 years.
Okay, so he's Jay Cutler, fine. Me off. But on the other side, I'm doing the same thing. But I'm like the only one screaming about Matt LaFleur. Because I just I I got a text.
Right when he was they were setting up for that. Field goal, like this is going to blow up in LaFleur's face because he's a. I don't know what the word was used. Beta cock. Bitch.
And so I knew that it was not going to work. And I was going into that whole drive, not thinking, sorry, you can you all have your peace, Grant. I knew I knew that I have a bone to pick with you. I knew that it was not going to work. All of this is happening.
Okay.
So not so much of the LaFleur stuff, that's just me. Maybe some others. But all this Jordan Love stuff and all this other stuff that's happening. All of it's happening, but if you just step back for a minute. And look at what happened in this game.
This was not a playoff game. This is not a game that's going to define a season. This was a week three game. Where The offensive line was banged up. bad against a great pass rush and they got their ass kicked.
And it made Jordan Love not have time to do anything. Maybe panicked him into a throw that he shouldn't have taken. Maybe. Didn't allow Matt LaFleur to be a little more aggressive at the end. Like a lot of this was because The Browns pass rush.
Kick the shit out of the Packers' offensive line. Same thing we've been doing for two weeks. He got done to us. There's no Philosophical change that needs to happen. There's nothing crazy that needs to happen.
It's okay, we'll go play. We'll go down to Dallas and beat the Cowboys by 13 points, and we'll all go on our merry way. But we're just reacting strongly. I think it's because I think it's because how like jarring the loss was. It just sort of like.
happened. They were winning and then they just like didn't win.
So that means it's not trailed for a second all season. Ah, very good. I mean, I'll tell you what the topic's going to be, and we can almost get into it. But for now, I'll just mention it. And it would be: this was a stupid loss, but the big picture is it's still the Packers and Eagles as the two best teams in the NFC.
Mm-hmm or mm. That's I mean, I'll just mine's mm-hmm. That's what I think. This is a stupid loss. You're talking about some of the You know, big reactions after the game.
The next day, Bart, I listened to your post-game.
So I had had. 20-ish hours to have reflected on it. And you were like hot off the thing. And There was a one-minute period there in your post-game pod where you were like, and Josh Jacobs sucked, and this guy sucked, and that guy sucked. And then All I kept thinking, having been a day removed but having not yet caught up on the online discourse of it all, I just kept thinking, like, Again, I was not read up.
I was way behind on all of the stuff. And I just kept thinking: wait, all I watched was an offensive line get its ass kicked. Like, no one can look good. If the offensive line is getting its ass kicked. And then.
later that Monday. The PFF grades came out. And no matter what you think of PFF grades, it's still directional. Oh, I'm pissed at them too. They gave that Vikings defender a 99.9.
Well, you can't just give him a fucking hundred. Oh, I see. That's what you're pissed about. I was saying, because you can't. Let's give them 100.
Yeah.
Always you always want someone to be Trying for more. But the point is, is like, I just left that game thinking, like, you know, even if the Packers had won 10-0 or 10-3, it was like, wow, like. Are we sure this offensive line is ready? Like Grant can go to his tried and true Rich Persaccio points, which are totally fair. I now go into this thing like Can they withstand?
The best teams In the NFC at first, especially like the Eagles' defensive front. Do we have, you know, is there the offensive line in place to stop that?
Well, and it shows all the more importance why we actually got one of those guys. Like, that. This game proved to me even more like.
Well, thank God we have Parsons. At least we have a guy that can retaliate on the other side. But I think, like, if. You know. If Ted Thompson had done the Khalil Mac trade, um There was obviously plenty more moves that could have been made throughout the prime of Aaron Rodgers' career.
But the thought process was always: well, hey, if we have one of the. Two best quarterbacks in the league. We have to over-index there. We have to be really, really strong there. And if our defense can just be like passable and not bad, if our special teams can't be 32nd ranked, which it consistently was, unfortunately, for the franchise.
Then that's how we have to be built. I think, I'm sure, if you ask the Packers front office. Or you have a top five NFL quarterback. They would say Mm-mm. And thus we have to have.
Like if you're the if you're Brian Goodekins and you're answering that question well That's why we have to have A strong defense. That's why we have to be better on special teams. We can't have the kind of gaps that we had on the block kick.
So I don't leave, I mean, I I we said this last week, Bart, when they were 2-0 and feeling good. I think LaFleur is. above average as an NFL head coach. But I wouldn't go stronger than that. I like Jordan Love as a quarterback more than I like Matt LaFleur as a head coach.
Not by a lot. But by enough But I l I left that game with like An offensive line. challenge and I was angered. The only thing that really truly Bothered me. And granted, I know we've been all texting about this, and I've been saving to say this.
The only thing that really bothered me. You're saving yourself for us? Always, every week. Was His admission right away after, like, we shouldn't have played Zach Tom. We can't make that kind of mistake.
That's a like, you know, again, we've talked about the three of us have about the over-communication of like how LaFleur has to get things wrong before he can get them right and how he's too quick to say, that's on me. Like, that's sometimes good leadership, and it's sometimes like, Yeah, man, you dumb fuck. Like, you clearly shouldn't have played him. It doesn't. It doesn't help us hearing you say oopsie daisy.
It just doesn't. Grant.
Well, did you hear his press conference the next day? I actually I I thought his Monday presser. Like, explain so many questions I had. I can't adapt to this. You know why?
Because he had 24 hours to think about it. You're actually confirming our hypothesis that he needs time for this stuff. Yeah, Matt Lee's smart guy if you give him a time. You give Matt LaFleur a semester to study, he'll come and he'll ace that test. You give him a pop quiz, he's going to shit his pants and cry.
He's a bitch. Post-game press conferences are such a waste. They're just coming off the field. Like, Paul, you've covered them. Like, what's the more instructive press conference?
10 minutes after the conclusion of a game or the next day when you've had an opportunity to organize. Why do we need post-game press conferences? See, here's what I would say about that. Grant, I know. Can you take back the fact that you yelled at me over that?
Like, he explained the Tom thing pretty well on Monday. He's like, we knew medically. That it was okay. He didn't suffer a setback, is what we were told. We couldn't simulate what he would actually go through in a game, and we very quickly realized that.
Well, maybe medically he was okay. What he would need to do in an actual game, we quickly realized they still got it wrong, but at least now I'm like, okay, I see your thought process. Like, I understand how you arrived to playing Zach Tom on Sunday. But I'll tell you why I don't like that. and why I think the post-game press conference can be instructive.
And why While the substance of the post-game press conference isn't as substantive as the next day one. It's for me, it tells me what type of person. Is running my organization when things are hot, when things are recent. And I think it goes to what Bart has. Said many times about LeFleur, and what I mean, I think my only concern with him.
is he is an emotionally fiery charged Person. Right. When people get like that, some people can do it and still think level-headedly.
Some can't. Like me. Totally like you. Perfect example. But Grant, that would be my only rebuttal to your rebuttal: is like, even though he didn't give a substantive answer about Zach Tom.
The fact that he comes in and talks about, oh, those, you know, this was a great crowd. Oh, this was kind of a too many Lions jerseys.
Well, that annoys the shit out of me. We agree. I know it does, but I'm saying, to me, it tells me that he's a... Hot tempered. Yeah.
Person who thinks emotionally. Scrappy do. And red ass. And Robot Paul sees that, and I'm like, Uh-uh. Throw away the emotion.
Get down to business, and then like, so it does bother me. I wish my scrappy-do comparison would take off. I really think I nailed that one. I think if more people. Had a new better scrappy dude.
Yeah, I gave a shit about a cartoon comp for Matt LaFleur, who isn't exactly a polarizing coach. I am referencing, like, he should be more polarized. I am referencing like your parents' favorite cartoon, not like a current thing. It's not like I'm out there saying. Six, seven, what the sigma?
I never understood the 6'7 thing. I gave up. I just th th the thing with Battle of Fleur is like, you know produced the midday show and the whole evening drive show and people was just like Just crushing Matt LaFleur. And there's some things that he does that bother me. But then, like, Bart, I got to listen to you.
Why are people so hard on Jordan Love? I don't know, man. Like, Let me. Why is everyone so hard on Matt LaFleur? Yeah, may I read when I text and said we can discuss long form?
Sure. Okay, I'm going to read the text exchange. I mean, censor it, please, if you. Oh, yeah, yeah. You remember what I said.
Tim. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Tim, be ready. Um And This is I mean how how How people must be so jealous that they only get one hour of this a week when. We're doing them all weekend long.
Um You had said, or I said. I'm all I've always been iffy on LaFleur. But then he ran that jet sweep twice in a row. Which I mean, I can't I cannot tell you how much that pisses me off. I was just so because I do that in Madden.
I think they have a pretty good rebuttal for that. Like, he could run three straight runs into the ass of the center. No one would care. They could throw three straight incomplete runs. What would you say?
What would you say if, like, Dan Campbell did two flea flickers in a row. He'd be like, Jesus Christ, dude. They did a double option play on the goal line last night, and everyone's like, oh, it worked. It was great because their O-line was clobbering Baltimore. They could have ran anything and it would have worked.
And the Packers could have ran anything and it wasn't going to work because it couldn't block.
So you said those jet sweeps work better than any runs or passes. Bart, did you want them to rip deep shots into the end zone? Is that actually what you wanted? How dare he play? For a game-winning chip-shot field go chip shot.
I said 40 yards. McManus. I said we can discuss long form. You are having It's only week three, but you're already having sports radio host fatigue. Probably.
Yeah.
You have to experience, and you're on two shows.
So you're getting six hours. A day. Of the discourse. And it's not just. Bill's thoughts?
And it's not just your thoughts. You are opening up the phone lines. And With all due respect. With all the duest of respect. The the the average person That picks up a phone.
to call a sports radio show At 10 in the morning. Those are the opinions you're hearing from? I'm hearing them from you. Don't, don't, don't put this on other people. I knew that field goal was going to miss.
Why did they play for the field goal? Did you actually want them to start taking shots at the end zone? They should. I'll just say it. I'll just say it.
I'll just say it. It's on my tongue. I might as well say it. And I don't care. And I don't care.
This is maybe the most alienatable thing I've ever said. If you live in a town of 300 people or less, I don't think you're qualified to have a Packer opinion. Yeah.
I'm not going to clip that one. That'll just be for those people that are here. Those will be for the people who actually consume the product that we're creating right now. They won't hear us. They can't.
Just for those special few that actually listen to this. Yeah.
And not the digestible bites that well, we'll make the content and then we'll cut it up into little things that you people will actually consume. Although my dad, I talked to my dad today, he said, uh. He said, I like when your podcasts are about an hour because then I don't have to switch them out on my bike ride. Hmm. Do you guys want to say hi to Greg?
Yeah.
Is this are we talking bike bicycle or motorcycle? You think I have a dad that rides a motorcycle? No, I just think it's funny because, Grant, I'm sure in the midday. You hear bike ride. And it means something different.
Bill does both, though. Like, he does, he's, he's, he's. Oh yeah, he goes out for a bike ride as a workout. I did not think you had it. Greg, I assumed you didn't have a motorcycle.
I don't know. Dynamic of like constantly aiming for approval that you kind of never seem to find. It would make sense if your dad was a motorcyclist because you are not that. And that would kind of explain. It would explode.
Um, when I did the post-game the other day. Sunday was like the most attached to me that my kids ever been. Like It was great. Could he tell you were going through something after the loss? What use does the whole thing?
But so I come down here and I'm done. Because I'm in the basement. You know. And the stairs are over there. And I come down here.
Is that where you are? Yeah.
Who knew? Uh you thought I was in my you thought I was in my Guest suite. My behind the suite.
So I start to walk upstairs and he's standing there. And I go, what is Michael Myers at the top of the steps? I go, what are you doing? And he's like, I was listening. And then, and then.
And then I guess he was on the There's a stairs down. By the back door, you can like sit. I guess he was like listening, sitting there for like a half hour. Wow. And then I brought the computer up.
And I was detached, but the screen was still on. And he looked and he was like Am I on? Are we on? Oh, wow.
So like I almost think he wants to be on. The show, but I can't do it. I will not do it. It's not a problem that I will not use him as a prop. Could you treat him as if he was like a Pablo Torres source and like alter his voice and image?
Well, I think I think the practice really blew it. He wasn't that bothered by the loss because the Panthers won. They're his second favorite team. Create logo. Yeah, the logo.
He actually was the Dolphins, and we even bought a Dolphins magnet at a store once, which still hangs on our fridge. But now the Dolphins are his least favorite team. Not in all sports, though. His least favorite team is actually the Mets because he watched the game where the Mets beat the Brewers. Smart kid.
Yeah.
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Contiguous US only. I would have this segue would have made more sense four minutes ago, but Grant, the question I want to ask you. specifically because I as I wrote down here, I know Bart's answer.
So top left corner. Anti-laffleur, top right corner. Yeah.
Pro-LaFloor, at the very least, not anti-LaFlor. That's you, Grant. If the Packers lose. Prior to the Super Bowl. MatlaFlore should lose his job.
Or Mm-mm. Your scholar tells me like that's an insane question. No. That is kind of insane.
Well, let me may I? This team hasn't been to a Super Bowl in 15 years, and they're starting Jordan Love, who A lot of people like, but I think they got Lamar or John. The only thing I'll say before I turn it over to Barney is like, I think. The three of us as head coach, offensive coordinator, and defensive coordinator could take this roster to 10 and 7. Yeah.
No, not with your nerd skills. Oh, you're going to my nerd skills, you will adore them as we're under the fire of a season. You're going to, you're going to be knocking on my door for info.
Okay, go ahead, Bart. I'm going to coach the Packers and we're going to win a game. 35 to 17, and then I'm gonna get to the podium. I'm gonna go. Good win.
Some jackass in Section 106 stood up and left in the third quarter, and he didn't come back. If you're going to come to these games, you got to stay for these games. I understand leaving a little early for traffic in the fourth quarter, but if you're not even going to be in the fourth quarter, When I sat here after the Eagles loss. In the playoffs. I was kind of unbothered.
Just because I didn't feel like they were gonna do anything. Sure. Um But I did say then.
Next year, you don't get this, you don't get this buffer. You don't get this. You're eating big enough.
Okay, okay. Yeah, yeah, either of them. Either of them. Jordan Love, Matt LaFleur, any of it. This is a team that I do think they have to get to the NFC Championship.
Now, If they don't, then what? Like, then they get fired? No, no, no, no, no. You're not, you know. But then, like, next year, it's do or die.
It's make or break. But here, let me add to that real quick. But the thing is, if. as Ed Policy commented on. They won't go into a lame duck season, which means at the end of this season.
You either have to extend LaFleur. or fire him with one year left because as Ed Policy said is his Policy. That he's not going to have him go into a lame duck season. Intentionally bad. Shut up.
It took a sec for it to land.
Sorry. That's fine. I was trying to really lean into how dumb it was. It's different than how the previous team president used to do it. And he followed.
Murphy's law.
So That's why I think what you're saying though about There's a decision after this season. I can't think of one for Bob Harlan. It's extend or fire. Those are your two choices.
So when I say like he should lose his job again, I You know, if they don't make the Super Bowl, I'm not saying win it, but get to it, or at least, like, maybe you'd say, some sort of idea in his head. that like if we are a wild card and out team Fired. If we get there, there's, I mean, and obviously, there's you don't want to be too outcome-based. You still want to say, like, the process is really good. Yeah, but Parsons.
And love missed seven games. Like, you know, I mean, like, there's asterisks that you can put there to say. Obviously. Sure. No.
Yeah.
There's things there's there's asteri that you can put there to say Like Okay. that's different because the following major injuries happened. But if it's like a healthy season Again, there is a point. In either January or February, where and policy is going to have to either extend or fire. And I just w I wonder where that line is for you.
Grant.
More than Yeah. What if it's a wild card round game? Packers are the two seed. They lose exactly like they lost to Cleveland. His ass gotta go.
Right, Rand? No? I can see that. Yeah, in a situation like that. Yeah.
I mean, does Jordan Love throw the worst interception of the weekend of wild card weekends? But even if Jordan Love did, it's still. Matt LaFleur's guy. I love a 96-yard touchdown to Matthew Golden, by the way, but Golden showed. I agree.
Look, I'm not shit. You guys, I really like Jordan Love. And I really like Matt LaFleur. I just don't understand why everyone just wants to. Just shit on Matt LaFleur constantly, and Jordan Love escapes any criticism for what happens with this offense on a weekly basis.
I think, because, because Jordan Love is not being criticized, one of the things he does. Jordan Love is not being criticized. In a Jordan love like Sure. Vacuum. He's being criticized as if he should be Aaron Rodgers or Brett Favre, who have had plenty of games where they've looked like shit.
I would argue the same there there is also a silly standard being applied to Matlafleur. Like, I would argue the same is true.
So, in order to shed light on that, I need to go after Jordan Love, which doesn't bring me any joy, but I'll do it. Grant, why do you think that, though? I mean, this is year seven. Matt LeFleur. No, he's had four years of Rodgers, two MVP years.
This is his third year of love, who he's been able to coach for six years. Matt LaFleur, who. And this is what I was like working through because You may question like What the fuck? Bart's just like. After that game.
Matt LaFleur is like, I have come out of the proverbial LaFleur-hating closet.
Okay, I have been a closet lefleur hater. I've showed signs. And tried to give hints. You know? And you may be in your Backdoor chambers could say.
Hey, do you think Bart might be a la fleur hater and you're like ah maybe i don't know though You know, he He still seems to show up for games. I am a Malifle hater. I don't like them. I don't like him. I'm sorry.
I'm sorry. I don't, I think that he is a, I think that he has not met his standards as a coach.
Okay.
Like, I don't. The same way that I don't like Brian Dable is how I would feel if I was a different. Fan of a team watching the Packers, I'd be like, What is with? Why is he always bitching about the crowd? Why is he always like looking like he's on tears?
You know, those AI Facebooks where Matt LaFleur is like crying because he adopted a dog? They don't need to AI LaFleur in that. That's how he looks. You know, Brian Dable's one, like. Like Like Madeline Flores won like 20x the amount of game.
Brian Dable's been a shit head coach. Results. I have to ask you this question then. In Matt LaFleur's seven seasons. He has exceeded Expectations.
Or mm-mm.
Well, interesting question because remember when he was hired, he was the last candidate standing. Yeah.
If he said no, Murphy's has to coach. Yeah, they didn't know. The whole new round. I feel like they probably would have found someone to coach an NFL team. But they would have had to call Jim Caldwell for a third interview, and he'd be like, wait, I already did this.
And he'd be like, no, now we're actually interested. We were just a round before. Murphy really wanted that Northwestern coach. That was the I would have I would have bet against uh Aaron Rodgers winning two MVPs if you had asked me in 2018. Uh, after the first month of Jordan Love starting, I would have bet against Jordan Love being any good at all.
Certainly about making the playoffs multiple times and performing really well in certain playoff games, not at all, but in certain ones. They haven't won a Super Bowl. They haven't budded to the Super Bowl. They haven't been to it. They haven't been to a Super Bowl.
Packers have a top five roster. This is what comes with the job description. When you have a top five roster, this is the deal. Like, it's one thing to be like, oh, is Brian Callahan on the hot seat? Is Mike McDaniel on the hot seat?
If you are I mean, Sean McDermott should be on the hot seat. John Harbaugh should be on the seat. I agree because Josh Allen's fucking awesome. Jordan Love is. Pretty good.
You just look at the quarterback. But if you're going to look at Jordan Love for being a quarterback and say, oh, that's your job, you need to be Aaron Rodgers or Brett Favre. Why do we look at Matt LaFleur and be like, no, you don't need to be Vince Lombardi. Go ahead and be Dan Devine. Go ahead and be Forrest Gregg.
Go ahead and be Lindy Infante. No. You're the head coach of the GD Green Bay Packers. Grant, answer the question. Figure it out.
Hey, why are okay? When did the Packers' job, by the way, become. Um, like radio producer in a big market where it's just. On the job training, first job. I used to think that in Milwaukee, it was like, why are we hiring kids?
Just so this is their first job, they should like get small market experience. We're doing the same thing in New York! You know how many 22-year-olds are running around that building? First job. First job?
Come on, we're giving Mala Floris. No, I want experienced coaches.
So you wanted Jim Caldwell, the name that you were literally just mocking in your hypothetical rant about their hiring process. You wanted a huge Malafloor today and hire Mike Gundy.
Well, this is a fun podcast. Paul, I'd say he has exceeded expectations from what I would have guessed when they hired him and watched that introductory press conference. Yeah, I think so. He's exceeded your expect. I mean, I just.
That doesn't mean he's blown the doors off my expectations. I probably would have. I would have bet on whatever, something less than what we've gotten. See, I'm on the verge of like, has he even met expectations? Jesus fuck.
No, great, I think, I mean, if you inherit... the quarterback that you inherit Who was four years of Aaron Rodgers and you get those people who you hated, you wanted to get rid of. You couldn't wait to get rid of that guy. Yeah, 'cause he sucked.
So, Grant, I mean If I can f Co-host with you from four to six today. Here's what I would like to do. Here's what I like to do. It'd make my life significantly easier if you're free. Honestly, like, I'm kind of jazzed for it.
Now let's do it.
Okay.
What I would want to outsource to your listeners is: Matt LaFleur has exceeded expectations, met expectations, or underperformed of expectations to you, Packers fan. It's a good time. Go on the show. Are you going to go on the show? You can't just.
Go on the show. I would say met to slightly surpass expectations. That would be my well, if you're looking at that first writing conference that Murphy hijacked. Like I'm hijacking. Remember when he said shit.
It's not got on all the Packers radio network stations. He said shit. Oh my God. That was an iconic moment of that Packer. I'll never forget it.
Yeah.
And by the way, these are things that I would have said. before this Cleveland loss, by the way. This isn't like crazy. I do think when you inherit. Why is this happening?
Why am I. Why am I... Why are you and me the complete opposite? Like. And the way I feel about love is the way you're feeling about LaFleur.
I think you like love more than I like. No, me and Grant. Oh, I like both of them. I just think we're judging one on a standard that's not being applied to the other. I probably like Love the Most of Us Three.
Yes, you do. I've seen it. Yeah.
He's done it. He's also, he's also he's done it. He's done it now. And Matlefleur hasn't done it. What is it?
Winning one playoff game and then crashing and burning in the next. Matlefleur's done that a bunch of times. That's he's. I've seen Jordan Love make the throws, make the plays, have the moments where you're like, that's a franchise quarterback. I when's Matt LaFleur coached us to a victory?
When have you walked away and said, That's Matt LaFleur, right? He did it three times last year with Malik Willis. I thought that was actually his most good answer. I was quizzing you.
Well done. I also don't. I only care that much about the Malik Willis thing. Like, I want you to be able to do it with your main guys.
So, like, I'm not going to.
So why won't he? Why why doesn't he trust Jordan Love? I think that's a fair. I still think that's fair. Is Jordan Love untrustable or is Matt London an idiot?
He threw the worst pick of the year at the worst time in the game. On a play that Matt LaFleur called, Graham. Jesus Christ. But also, but hold on. But this goes back to what we said 25 minutes ago, which is.
After a day in which Jordan Love's offensive line and that LaFleur's offensive line, to be fair, got its ass handed to it. No, you know what? Do you know who's getting away scot-free here? Josh Jacobs. Yes.
No. He sucked ass.
So hold on. And he fumbled. And if there was a camera on the ball, they would have given it to the Brown. Did he? No, no, no, no.
But they should have kept ripping shots at the end zone at that stage. In that situation, it's like, you know, we need to do is be more aggressive and not just play for a 40-yard field goal.
Sorry, did you see the stat that Josh Jacobs has the worst in the league of yards? Below expected. I know this is like a nerd stat, but like you can go into it. You can say, here's what's. Yeah, I love Jacobs, but he's bad every other year, and this is a.
This is his his uh his odd year. No, but so Josh Jacobs has If you believe in this statistic, which I do. I do. He's having a bad start. Which Cleveland's game was The worst of the three for Josh Jacobs, a top five defensive front in the league against the George Burke offensive.
They, when Rashid Walker was on the bench getting his face mask fixed, that was their last five. Like they were, they were out. And I don't remember the that was literally their last five, they had nobody left. And a couple of them were playing out of position.
So I don't know. I guess I'm just like cosplaying Andy Herman here when you can't run block and you can't pass block. I'm genuinely not sure what Matt LaFleur is supposed to call. Oh, fucking jet sweeps. Why does everyone lose their mind over the jet sweeps?
Does everyone or just a grant? If they would grant. Two in a row. I'm just, that was too much. I'm telling you.
It worked against the Commanders. It was their best drive of the game. They ran one with Golden one way and one with Williams the other. Why are the wide receivers running five times a game? Because the perimeter blockers are blocking better than the O-line.
Dobbs and Wicks and Kraft.
Now, whose fault is it that the O-line sucks? They're all hurt. Brian Goody can sign Aaron Banks, who's damaged goods. He can't stay on the field. He couldn't, he was out all of training camp.
So Goody basically, oh, yeah, I traded for Micah Parsons. Yeah, you know what that's like. That's like. That's that's like Saving your marriage with a brand new car. When you've let the rest of the shit fall away, cause you're fucking signing Nate Hobbs.
Has we even seen him yet? Nate Hobbes has been good. He's been very good in the last two games. I don't watch when they're on defense. I'm questioning whether you watch at all.
I don't know what you're seeing. I'm not sure. I think you're mad about LaFleur because your football team lost on Sunday and you need someone to yell at. And I'm telling you, you should just yell at Rich Versace like me. And they were offsides on that field goal anyway.
Can you imagine had that field goal missed and then they got another kick and it goes in? Oh my God. All right. Unplanned question that I want to ask you guys. Whatever happened to Jim Bates?
Why didn't he become the head coach? Rank these three. Brian Gudekinst has a GM. Jordan Love is a quarterback. Matt LaFleur is a head coach.
Oh my Christ. Compared to their peers. Right. So Brian Guttikins is a better GM than his peers compared to how love is of quarterbacks compared to LaFleurs as a head coach. I can.
I can give you my first. Please. Everyone's thinking their head. Think in your head. Do you all have your three?
Do you have your order? I think I have mine.
Okay, everyone say they're number 30. Yeah.
On the calisthory? One Two, three, LaFleur. He said loud? I said loud. He said loud.
I said the floor.
Okay.
Number two. One, two, three. Love, love. Yeah.
Who did you say? Goody.
So you put a floor is the best. I think, yeah. I would put Goody and LaFleur, I think, are interchangeable. All right. All right.
Grant, we're 35 minutes in. Can you just reveal to the audience that you're just doing a bit? This whole thing's a bit? I think Goody and LaFleur are very similar in that. They're one of the best, but there's probably three or four or five who are a little bit better, but that's about it.
You think there's only three, four or five better NFL head co coaches right now? That I would take with a bullet over the floor. Yeah, yeah. Who are they? McVeigh.
I'm Reed O'Connell. I take it. When Kevin O'Connell wins a playoff game, someone please alert me that he's won a playoff game. Just let me know, and then maybe I'll. What I'm saying is, with a bullet, like obviously, clearly better than Matt LaFleur, I would want McVay, Andy Reid, but he's.
It's kind of worthy. Yeah.
Don't say Mike McCarthy? No. Now you could make an argument for four or five other guys, but Like, I think that's the company that LaFleur is in. And I think that's the company that Goody's into. Like, there's.
two or three or four right above him. Love, I think there's probably like. Seven, eight, seven, eight, nine. Yeah, so it's it's close, like they're all relatively close to each other compared to their peers. I think love would be slightly beneath.
I think LaFleur is. A ranked a little bit higher compared to his peers than Love Would Be at this moment in time. Sure. I don't think that's crazy. I don't think any of them stink.
Yeah, are any of them not in the top 10 of their respective area? I don't think so. No, I think they're all on the top. By the way, this reinforces though, Graham. If we agree that they have a top For sure, 10 GM, a for sure top 10 head coach, and a for sure top 10 starting quarterback.
You have to get to the Super Bowl. Yeah, well, and I think they're DC. I think Jeff Hafley, I don't know where he would rank, but I think he's up there too. He might rank higher than any of them right now. People love Jeff Hafley.
Yeah.
Yeah.
And I mean, again, he has a lot of talent to work with. Um Which helps the guy look good. Um But yeah, I don't know.
Okay, interesting conversation. Hey, Cena and Styles announced for Crown Jewel Perth. I saw it. It's just no build other than Cena tweeting. I don't really want to talk.
It's just a bad, bad product. Bad, bad. The event will start at 7 a.m. Wisconsin time. Perfect.
Right when I wanted to. On an ESPN app, no one can get. Do you guys know that Perth Is the city on planet Earth that's geographically farthest away from Chicago? I saw that on the internet the other day. I thought that was interesting.
I did not. I just found it. I just found it compelling. Not everything has to be. Super important.
Just sometimes we can just learn fun things. I'm all for it. All right, the one we're going to end on. I would do. Five hours on this, but missionary problem.
Oh, it's gotta, it's, it's got if you're not bringing this up, then I don't even know you. Yeah.
The automatic ball strike zone. is uh official for the 2026 season. About fucking time.
Well, well, well, it's only on challenges.
So, you get two challenges per game per team. If you get one right, you keep it. You have two basically missed challenges per game. until you're out of said challenges.
So Let me tell you what I hate about it. This is perfectly on the heels for those who watched last night's Brewers game, where you had one of the worst umpire performances of the year. Metrically speaking, like Got you know the crowd or the the umpire Well, Twitter one for people who follow it, right? But like. If your eyes didn't deceive you, it was one of the worst umpired homeplay games of the season.
And so it's perfectly on the heels of that.
So. Let me see my answer. My answer is a very pro automated ball strike zone. Let me let me tell you what I hate. About the automatic balls and strikes challenge system is that One of the core principles of baseball is you cannot argue balls and strikes.
You're not arguing. But but now you can now you just can? You're not arguing anything, you're tapping your helmet. But you can't, but now you can. The principle thing: people have been getting ejected for this forever.
But it's a stupid principle, so fix the stupid principle. Fine, you win. One nothing ball. But what I like about it is When they did in the All-Star game, it went smooth. When you know, I've seen it in minor leagues, it's gone smooth.
What I like about it is, you got to make a decision right away. Yeah.
This is going to create now.
So many more like You're gonna see a guy who's in a slump. And he's gonna get caught and it's gonna be the first inning. He's gonna be like And you're gonna be like What the fuck, Ortiz? No need you using that here. I love that.
That's jackass. Yes. And then someone's gonna use it in the seventh. And they're like, no, we need that. And then it's going to happen in the ninth where you're going to want to challenge.
Yes. It's a whole nother thing to just. And I look forward to like the Pat Murphy quotes of where he says, you know, I told Joey, just he's, he's not allowed to fucking do that anymore. You know, like, yeah. Joey's not allowed to, he's, he knows he's not allowed to challenge another call the rest of the season.
And you'll find out, like, you'll find out in like June.
Somebody on some team will be like. Yeah, I don't know, I mean They told me back in spring training that they won't let me. I can't, I can't do it.
So, and they'll be like, what do you mean? They told me I can't, I can never challenge a pitch. They told me that. And then that's going to be a whole thing. The thing I always say, and then Grant, I wanna hear your thoughts, is NBA players argue.
Every call always, and it's terrible. It's just right. Grant's mimicking for those just listening, like you should get thrown out of a game for doing that. I mean, right? Like, okay, cool.
You want to keep doing that? Like, they're like an NBA player's accuracy is like eight percent, it's terrible. MLB players with the strike zone. If they actually give, like, the, okay, you know what, I'm going to step out of the batter's box because that was clearly the wrong call ump. They are right.
way more often than they're wrong. Patterns. know the strike zone. And I think what you're going to see is But You know. If I had to guess the 2026 season of overturned Ball strikes, the batter's going to be right at least 85% of the time.
Well, as long as I write 85% of the time, it'll be good. I think that's a minimum though.
Okay, sure. I'm with you that baseball players will have a better sense for this than NBA players do. I'd get rid of challenges altogether in the NBA. I think it's. Stupid and dumb and a waste of time.
It will be less of a waste of time in baseball. I think it'll be fine. This this this is Not subjective. You know, someone might say, like, oh, does it perfectly know where the tip of the top of the strike zone is? Because every player is.
Not the same height, obviously, right? Where so, like, maybe like the wide left, wide right strikes. It better fucking be perfect, Paul. This is this is the robots you've wanted. But they're you cannot say, you cannot argue for robots and they not have perfection.
They've waited long enough to get it right. And. Again. We should not the next day be like. Hey, you know what I remember most about last night's Brewers game?
The shitty home plate umpire. That's not good for your sport. Fix it. And every once in a while, it can be okay for your sport, as I've said. But I'm giving you my piece.
I'm not a big thing that you would want. If you were the commissioner of the sport, you wouldn't be like, hey, you know what I'm really stoked about? That we got a lot of coverage. That's fine. It's another slow drip into being taken over by machines where the human element of our human existence is being not just diminished, but also sewed to the highest bidder.
And I fear for the future generations who will be like, Daddy, what's a feeling? What was it like to breathe? You see replacing trees with algae tanks now? I did not. You see, we're replacing common sense with RAGE BAIT!
I think it'll be fine, Paul. It will not fix everything. And I've told you this: the one reason I don't like it is it's going to be a huge moment in the bottom of the eighth. And the pitcher is going to... Throw a pitch that's called one way or the other, and the ball is 90% called correctly, and the stadium erupts, and but wait, wait.
And we've already got that in football. Like, I don't want the touchdown call to be like, and we'll see. And there are no flags. I don't like that. But On the level, it will be additive.
It will not be perfect. But it will be uh additive. I'd like to um end with a plea. to those that I can reach and touch today. Oh boy.
I would implore you. to rediscover A third space in your life. You have your home. You have your work. I would implore you to find a community gathering space.
Maybe it's your local watering hole, maybe it's a park. But the third space, once the third space in our lives became the social media Internet The society Is only going to continue to eat itself from within. I would implore you to do that. Also, I would implore you to start taking steps. To Re-analog your life.
Okay.
I know that That's dumb. We're coming to you, but I've reinstalled the VCR in our. Living room Cause I want to put a tape into watching movie and not be like Is this one on Hulu or is this one on Amazon Prime? Which which of the streaming apps is is made of honor on this time? Reanalog your life, and I'll tell you something else that's going on.
I like to go out for walks. The Internet The 5G, it's getting slower. It's getting slower. It's getting harder to use. And they're conditioning us that they're going to take it away from us.
Oh. Yeah.
But then we'll all just do Starlink. All right. Why do you ever leave your phone at home? When you're on a walk. I take my phone 'cause I like listening to stuff in my earpods, but I go through all my like apps and emails.
When you're on your walk? Yeah, dude, I run into a lot of people. I don't think that's the point of a walk. I run into I like I do not see a lot of people coming, and it's they while you're driving.
So you've shared. Oh, yeah, I stopped doing that. For now. All right, real quick. Is the leading national topic tonight, Jackson Dart, and the mistake the Giants are making?
I think Russell Wilson's made it to the point where they don't have a choice. You don't want to, but I mean, do you really want to? sacrifice Jackson Dart to like A week four start. Maybe he's gonna be good. This isn't even a Jackson Dart comment, it's a comment of.
My thing is I've said last week and previous. If you, if you should draft your quarterback and sit his ass for a year or two, preferably, yeah, but you can't do that. If you don't have a guy, he can sit behind. You know what's so funny? They signed two guys so that he could do that.
And Packers fans, this is a privilege that we have. We have many privileges that we can lord over other fan bases. I'm not a fan. I'm an owner, which I say tongue in cheek, but then people get mad. I'm like, well, now I'm gonna lean into it.
One thing that we should also lord over other fan bases, like, None of you fuckers can pull this off. Everybody takes a quarterback. We're going to sit him probably for the full year. Bitch, you're going to start him before. before October 1.
Like, no, none of these teams can do it. They don't have the stomach, they don't have the patience. My team does. the foresight and the planning.
So, I like watching all these other teams. Drake May last year. We'll probably sit him the whole year. Bishop was in there week four. Like, you're not sitting him the entire year, even though.
Probably should. But I mean, when you make this decision as a franchise, like if you could go back to April's draft when they are getting ready to make the Jackson Dart selection. If I was the owner, I would say, listen. What is the strategy here? Is like, is there a chance he's starting by week four?
Could he win the job in training camp to start week one? And if they look at me and they say, well, no, like he's sitting for a year. You just have to commit to that. Like if you're starting Jackson Dark because you wanna save your season, Bart, it goes back to your thing of like. Is Jackson Dart starting so that Dable and the GM can save their jobs?
And the answer is obviously yes. They're trying to save their season, to save their season. They save their jobs. Embrace being bad. Let the quarterback learn off the field so he can get his.
And again, maybe he's Jaden Daniels this weekend. Right out of the gate. It's possible. more than likely, you're ruining him.
So that you can bring Dart in. He's bringing Dart in on Sunday night at home. knowing That when Russ comes back on the field, he's just gonna get booed out of the fucking gym? What an idiot. Dart might be good.
It's not even a comment about Dart. It's like. I don't think the strategy when you draft a Dart Was, hey, you know, if we're 0-3, we're going to start him in week four.
Well, one of the reasons they didn't want to fire Dable is the same that they waited too long to fire Eberflues because some of these owners. Are like, well, we're firing too many people too quickly. Then stop hiring shitty people. Yeah.
You're a good one. Or at least don't let those people... Make franchise altering big decisions. With the goal being their own selfish interests. Anyway.
It's a good podcast. Good morning. This this pod's really grown over the last three years. Easy. And I hope Greg enjoyed his fun.
49 minute and 35 second bike ride. Has it not grown? Do we need to do more? I can do some more. Guerrilla Marketing Hey, this is the third straight podcast, third straight day of a podcast.
So. I'm cranking them out.
Now I probably won't do one for another week.
Okay.
Probably not. No, I'll do it with Horvot this week. Yeah.
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Kind-hearted gentleman. All episodes of this podcast are brought to you by Happy Place Hemp. Remember, Happy Place Hemp, for all your happy. Needs gummies and tinctures. And lip balms.
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Promo code is BART. Hey, look at this. Hot take Jake with a voicemail on the Carls Place voicemail line: 402-915-2278. 402915 B-A-R-T, Jake. Uh That was old school.
Hot take Jake. Let me talk to you. All right, I've had some time to let this Packer game sink in, but first I want to talk about the Badgers a little bit. Great interview with Jake. Um Kokorowski, one of the best, if not the best, badger.
Guy out there. In retrospect, it's hard. I don't pay too much attention to the Badgers anymore. I am at Absolutely one of those apathies. Aesthetic fans, you mentioned, but in retrospect, Man, wouldn't it not have just been Better.
Just give Jim Leonard the job. Are you going to win a national champion? Championship with the guy. Nah. But at least he's going to recruit Badger players.
They're going to run the ball. They're going to have a good defense. And they're going to get you a 7-9 win. Every year. Obviously, in retrospect, you take that now.
But as far as the Packers, first things first. Little Matt, Matty Littler. I think he's Tony Dungy. Like a nice guy, well-respected, maybe not as respected. Yeah.
Clearly, a good coach. But we're in year seven now and Sometimes in the modern era of sports, and I think with these athletes in our Sometimes you just tune out a voice and you need someone new.
So we need our version of Gruden to come in and take these guys to the next. level in my humble opinion Lastly, Jordan Love. Look, Bart I've been a Jordan Love guy. I was a Jordan Love guy ever since I got there. Yeah.
like rumor that hey maybe that Packers could draft this. Kid. I've been a Jordan Love Believer. And I'm looking at it and it's like I'm listening to your podcast, and you're talking about you're defending them and Jordan Love is good. We need to just g come to terms with that.
He's good. But also I don't know, man. Like, if we're this far into the process And we have to have a show or a segue. On a show trying to convince people. That he's good.
I I don't know, I'm starting to have my doubts. He's clearly more far than Rogers and Is a lesser version of Brett Farr. a good player. A Super Bowl winning player. I don't know.
inkling of doubt is starting to creep in for me just a little bit. Anyways, it's weird. Week three, let's see what the hell happens. Still love you guys. Love the Winkler verse and uh Till next time.
WHAT How about that phone quality? That a boy Jakey. Yeah, look. I know. Jordan love.
We discussed it. He's not Brett Favre. He's not Aaron Rodgers. He's not going to be a Hall of Famer. Or is he?
I don't know. You would like to see these mistakes get corrected. But like Favre, like you're comparing him to Favre. He's not Brett Favre. Brett Favre, yeah, he's not Brett Favre.
He only has one boneheaded pick a game, not four. He's not Brett Favre. The Badgers I mean, we went through the schedule with Jay Kokorowski the other day. I think they win one more game. I don't know when it's going to be.
I don't really see a win on the schedule. I actually don't care if they lose them all as long as they beat Minnesota. That's that's where I've become now on the season. That's where I've become. Thankfully, they have the week off, and then we're on big noon kickoff against...
Michigan. That's the funny thing about big noon kickoff is some weeks they like get Texas, Ohio State. And then people complain that they have to play at noon. And then some weeks it's like. Ohio State hosting Northwestern or Wisconsin traveling to.
To Michigan. We're not on big noon kickoff because. We're being highlighted. We're being on big noon kickoff because Fox did not get a good pick that week in their slate. How about the college football?
Slate this weekend. Oh my gee. If uh you have plans Cancel them. We got Alabama, Georgia. At night we got Oregon Penn State.
At night, a lot of other good ones. LSU O Miss during the day. And then the following week, I think. is another decent week. Although, ooh, Miami, Florida State.
Yeah, that's good. Although, the Brewers. Should be, I mean, they'll have a buy, so NLDS one or two will figure that out, but. Uh I they they're gonna have a home game on Saturday. Saturday October Four.
And I'm looking at tickets and I want to go, and I think a lot of people do, but. They're a lot more expensive than they were last year, probably because people actually think they have a chance. Oh, Saturday night. That's such a perfect time to go. Then I hope they play Monday, like early in the day.
I don't want these playoff games during the show. It's going to be too hard. It's going to be too hard during my show. During the Bart Winkler show, that's my show. It's got my name on it, Infinity Sports Network.
Do you try to rush to that Saturday NLDS game one or do you start to, I mean, I gotta save some money, go to a World Series. Game if they make it. Big if I know. We'll talk about that. I'm going to reconvene with Tim Shane a little bit to talk some brewers.
In the coming days. As for now, have a great rest of the week. We'll check in soon. Thanks, as always, for stopping into the Winklerverse. New fall arrivals are at Nordstrom rack stores now.
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