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Good morning, everybody. Welcome into the Winklerverse. I'm Bart Winkler. Great to be with you on this Wednesday morning. We are live August 1st.
The 19th. I am officially 42 and a quarter. Uh, that is right. I am reverting to tracking my days of uh existence As if I am a baby. Let's see if I've lived 42 years time 52 weeks.
Plus another one-third of 52, one-fourth of 56 is 13. I have lived for 20. Uh 2197 weeks. I've been alive. Which means I've got about four hundred and some left.
I don't know. I think if I make it to.
Well, if I make it to 50, 50 is good. 50 is at least that made it to 50. I really want to make it to 80 something. Um And then after that. We'll see.
Mitch says, did I go to the UFC fights at the state fair? I don't know. Oh, I get it. Is that what you're talking about?
Okay. Damn, you're old, Bart. I'm an old man. I'm an old man. And as long as there's somebody older than me.
Podcasting from their home. Like This feels okay. I'm in my basement, my kid's upstairs. I'm in my 40s. It still feels okay to do this.
Once I get to 50, I think I'm going to need a full-blown. Studio.
So I got eight years. to try to figure this out. Down in the basement. Welcome into the Winklerverse. It is Wednesday morning.
I just got a few things that I want to talk about, specifically the brewers. 22 runs the other night.
So we'll get into that. Um, the next show then after this one will probably be Friday night. After Packers Broncos. Tomorrow, big day going to the Mariners Brewers game, probably. Would have liked to go last night.
I told my kid there were 22 runs. There's probably going to be none the rest of the series. We probably won't. See any on Thursday. We're going on Thursday.
with my folks And I do mean my parents.
So we're excited for that. It'll be, I think, only a second brewer game of the summer. And we did go to the Savannah Bananas game, which. Uh never again. Although next year it might be the only baseball we get at American Family Field.
MDK 3192 into the Winkler versus hoodie and hat coming soon to me. I'll put some more stuff up there on the site, but thank you to everybody. The link is below in the YouTube that has got some Winkler versus merch. I am rocking my gray. Trucker's hat, I guess.
I have a black flat brim that I've already misplaced. I don't know where it is.
So I'll have to maybe buy. I should have bought more than one. I mean, I lose hats, or I get that sweat thing that right where the brim meets the cap. It starts to sweat there, and I've ruined many a good hat that way, including most recently my fresh and sick. SummerSlam 94 hat, the pink one.
That I have worn.
So, Brewer game tomorrow, Packers preseason game number two on Friday night. And got some good stuff planned again. Grant bills off, so no this week. And we'll pick that back up. Uh next week.
As well. Kids upstairs right now. He's home this week. No camp.
So that's why we're allowed to go to the brewer game tomorrow. One more week. I think he's got a soccer camp. And then they're back at school. And I know a bunch of people are back at school already.
Florida, Florida, in fact, the school. a week and a half ago. It just seems weird. It's actually weird that they're going before Labor Day. They're going before Labor Day or after Labor Day.
Because I thought Labor Day was coming up this weekend. I didn't realize it was still. Um August.
So we'll we'll see about that. Um Whatever, but he's upstairs. He's watching YouTube. Because that's how I parent. When I come downstairs, he needs to occupy his time so he watches YouTube after he's already been on his Nintendo DS today.
And we're going to play some WWE 2K26 GM mode at some point here today, too. He does a lot of physical outdoor activity. We had soccer last night. He had swimming the other night. He was at a buddy's house.
He's running around. He is an active kid. But Um And I try to think of how much screen time I had growing up. He doesn't really watch cartoons. And the YouTube he watches is just people doing wrestling figures.
So he wants me to do that now. I think we're moving away from him wanting to be a co-host of the Winkler versus my kid. And He Um He now wants me to do. Action figures. And like do fights.
And now we've got a bunch of them. And a ring. And so that kind of content might be on this stream soon. Faceless WWE action figure content with me going, oh, Seth Rollins, what a move!
So we'll see about that. I'm not sure. It's not like I don't have the time. What position does your son play in soccer? There's kind of positionless still, all over the.
All over the place. But um He's a cherry picker. He cherry picks for goals. And I'm not going to take that out of them. I don't, yes, you want to score.
You want to score, man, for sure. All right, Brewers on Monday night. 22 runs. They put up. Over the Seattle Mariners.
And when you're watching this game, it didn't ever seem like that was going to happen. Watching this game early, you saw Kyle Harrison. This is his third start back, I believe. He's now 10 and 3 on the year. It was a good start from Kyle Harrison last night.
Five innings pitch, just a couple of hits, struck out eight.
So, we're trying to figure out what this rotation is going to be. We're going to start asking questions: how do you want the rotation to line up in the postseason? And Kyle Harrison is certainly going to be one of those guys. Um Robert mentions that the Brewers played like this during a tornado warning. This is the second time this season.
That there's been an actual tornado warning. Um And this time wasn't as maybe scary. As the last time earlier this summer. But the brewers have indicated That They don't give a fuck. If the tornado is coming.
It's got to be like. It's got to be already at the cemetery. Or already on Blue Mound at the Humane Society. Before they even think about getting people out of their seats. They just didn't.
I wasn't there either, game. I know they flashed something on the screen. But I mean, they mentioned it on the broadcast: like, yeah, we know there's a tornado, we know there's some weather, and folks are monitoring it here. I don't think they are. I think once the Brewers got a roof over their head.
The pocket Doppler went away. I don't think they give a shit about what's going on outside.
Now, if it rains too hard. It might come through. And then the roof is leaking and everyone laughs. It's really funny that The Brewers can play 81 scheduled games there. When the game is scheduled to be played, that's really hilarious.
It's sometimes It springs a leak. But They don't give a shit about tornado warnings. I mean, I don't know. What are they supposed to do? Are they supposed to clear everyone out?
And stop the game. Yeah. But I mean, right? What if what if? What if?
I just saw some guy get struck by lightning.
Some kid on his porch almost got struck. Like, lightning is dangerous. Tornadoes, we see the damage they can do. Brewers are going to risk it, I guess. All right.
I don't really think the Brewers don't care. like about your well-being i think If a tornado ripped through American Family Field. Um Like that would be devastating to the brand, among other things. But it is funny, like two times this summer. We look outside.
Should we go in the basement? And uh Meanwhile, Can you tell me, tell me, are you working, Tim? Um Tim says he can tell you the plan. Are you working? Get on here and tell me.
Luis Lara hit a home run. Later in the game.
So let's just jump to that here since a comment came in from Chad. Does Lara's first career home run get an asterisk next to it because it was hit off a position player? But kind of yes. It doesn't, but that will come up every time in perpetuity now. Big word, shark tank.
Anytime Luis Lara's first home run is mentioned, they'll say, Well, you know, it was off a position player.
So he'll hit the second one and then we'll be like, oh, that's his first one, not off a position player. And then he'll hit a third one and they'll be like, all right, that's his third on one. But remember, that first one was hit off a position player.
So, that, yes, there's not going to be an asterisk as it's taken away from him. But we are sort of going to put that asterisk in there by always talking about it until the end of time whenever Luis Lara hits a home run. But that doesn't mean like it's not deserved. If it goes over the fence, it's a home run. You saw in the ninth inning, like Contreras, I thought, was going to yoke one out of here.
He was just looking for it like it was a home run derby. or like it was softball. I'll tell you when I knew there was going to be a home run. And this makes me upset. Because once again, once again.
I know something's going to happen. And I don't bet on it. I only ever bet on things. that are long shots or that I want to happen. I never bet on when I know something's going to happen.
So I was watching this game last night, as it seemed many of us were, some with the split screen of the weather. On Fox 6. But the guy they had at the plate was their starter, Bryce Miller.
So Bryce Miller's on the mound. This would have been the fifth inning. And Contreras was at the plate. And they showed Miller's face for Seattle. And he looked petrified.
He looked like he didn't want to be out. I don't know what was going on. And Contraras was at the plate, and I told my kid, he's hitting a home run.
So I got that wrong. He didn't hit that home run, but I would have live betted. I should have live betted. Ben wrong. And said, okay.
Contreras walked, I believe.
Well Yalich is up now. And if I thought this guy's face is reading home run for Contreras and he walked.
Well, Yelich is going to be looking for something to get out of here too. And he was, and he did.
So I want you to know. That I knew in the fifth inning the Brewers would get a home run. I predicted it'd be the wrong guy. But I still knew And I did nothing with it. I did nothing with it.
If I would bet money on the things I actually knew would happen. Like The Bucks down 02 The amount of money. that I could have. I knew it. I knew it would be a home run.
Now, that was one of many. In this game, because the Brewers put up 22 runs.
So, as the game went, they scored one run. It needs a review. Bowers is at the plate. gets in somehow Then they don't score again. It's a 1-0 game, good pitching matchup until Miller looks scared.
They give up five runs in the fifth. Including a Yellow Homer. Then you get to the sixth, another five-spot, including a David Hamilton homer and a Jake Bowers homer. Then they score more in the seventh tack on a couple. It's 13-0.
They still score nine runs from there in the eighth inning alone. Everybody walks around or bats around. They're trying to pinch hit for guys. Everybody gets a chance. They're still getting hits.
Everybody got a hit. Last night, that entered this game, except for Bryce Terang, but he did walk twice and scored two runs. Hamilton, three for five. Ortiz, two for four. Mitchell, four for six.
Lara, three for six. Yelly, two for five. Contreras, two for four. Bowers two for three. He's been red hot.
Lockridge, Churio, Vaughan, Arnilis all getting hits. As well. And then the bullpen did what they needed to do, including Gary Sanchez. I'm put a couple of guys on. but was throwing some pitches down the middle.
And uh Did not want, did not, you don't, even though it's a position. Player. If the Brewers would have allowed a run, say 22-1. You can't say it would have been a shutout, Astrid's position player on the mound. No, they earned that shutout.
22 to nothing. A historic win for the Brewers. The route of the Mariners ties for the most lopsided shutout win in baseball since 18. It was the biggest. Lopsided shutout win in Major League Baseball since June 28 of that year.
When the Philadelphia Quakers Thump the Indianapolis Hoosiers. I believe Freeman covered that game. The Quakers have since turned into the Phillies. I don't know what the fuck happened to this Indianapolis Hoosiers team. It was the biggest home shutout in 141 years.
Going all the way back to when the Giants defeated the Buffalo Bisons. 24 to nothing. The margin of victory was the widest in Brewers' franchise history. By two runs. It bested the 20-0 win they had against Pittsburgh in April of 2010.
And they beat. Toronto 22 to 2 in August of 1992. That's when they would have been in a pennant race with Toronto. That's when Toronto would have won the division. And then that's when Paul Molliter eventually then win two.
Toronto won his World Series and then uh spent some time with the twins organization now back in a brewer's uniform when he walks through the A cornfield.
So big, big day for the Brewers. Big game for the Brewers. Big innings for the Brewers.
Now you hope they keep that going here. As uh They've got The Mariners a couple more times. They got a May Day tonight against Logan Gilbert and then Robert Gasser and George Kirby is who I'm going to get to see. Tomorrow, then it's a series against the Braves, two in Milwaukee, and then the Sunday night game. will be in Williams port that on ESPN.
Remember the Friday game. Starts at 3.10. The Saturday game starts at 1.10.
So no prime time games. Except for Sunday this weekend, which is I don't know if that's ever happened. In Brewers' history, I can't think that it actually did.
So, big win from them again with the Brewers. Just keep, just keep winning. Win as much as you can. They're 30 games over 500. They're 78 and 48.
You got to keep the Cubs at bay. They're in a series with the White Sox where everybody's fighting in the crowds, fans twisting dicks. I don't know. I can't keep up. Four and a half games over Chicago.
I I'm not Well, I'm not worried. I don't want to say any of that, but with the Dodgers, with the Braves, with the Brewers, with the Cubs. I'm not scoreboard watching any of those teams. Until the Brewers give up their lead.
So I'm not scoreboard watching until the Brewers are no longer in first place. In the National League. And then, if we're in chase mode, I'll watch chase mode. But until then, I'm just watching the Brewers. And following them, they're four and a half up on the Cubs.
If you look at the National League. Um they are up on the Braves by four, up on the Dodgers by two and a half.
So I'm not too concerned with the one seed, the two seed. You don't want him to get to three. You do want him to move in the next round. You talk about that in baseball. I don't think it's a ton of momentum.
Sometimes it slows you down, but you also skip around.
So I will. Usually choose that over the other thing.
So if that slips, we'll start to look at that, but keep winning. Right now, the wildcard teams would be the Cubs, Phillies, and Padres. The uh Brewers As the one seed would take on the winner of Four, five, yes, one, four, five, two, three.
So you're looking at um Okay. Or do they know that because they don't recede? You'd be looking at Cubs Phillies. Either way, that's going to change a bunch. Um Cubs still have a shot.
There's a few other teams baked in that wild card. Don't totally count on St. Louis yet. But the brewers looking good, just keep on winning. And 22 runs.
It shows they can do it. I am a little scared again. I am someone who believes. You got to save some runs. For the rest of the series.
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Get the alerts that could make all the difference. Save up to 30% your first year at lifelock.com/slash podcast. Terms apply. I take Jake is here, and he is in a sauna. Yeah, what's up man?
Good timing. Yeah, I think it's our first sauna appearance. For sure. Yeah, the uh My place of employment just installed some infrared. uh sauna so pretty nice.
I I dig it.
Well, what has you been thinking about sports now in the sauna today, Jake?
Well, I mean, you kind of took the words out of my mouth where I hate these games where they score like 12, 14, 22 is absurd because it's like you know tonight they're gonna lose two to one. Like just they're gonna go it's just the way it seems to go with baseball, but I guess it comes with the territory. Like how home runs are rally killers. There you go. Exactly.
I also wanted to say. Fuck the White Sox, man. Like, dude, you guys, you blow two games in a row. Like, you, the Brewers could be easily six and a half games up right now. But I guess they're continuing the old American League rivalry by F and Us in the A.
by blowing it a couple times. But I do maybe there is a fringe benefit of the cubs staying close, means the brewers are going to have to stay sharp and they can't just kind of loaf it because. They really, really need to stay focused, get that one seed. I think that makes a huge difference. I'm not following any of the Cubs or any of that shit though until I have to.
Oh, well, that's probably a good thing because the most annoying thing ever was the douchebag boy hitting the home walk-off home run the other night. I can't stay on the guy. All I hear everywhere I go. Um I'm serious everywhere I go. Even though I don't really watch the Cubs.
Pete Crow Armstrong MVP. Like everyone's talking about it. probably gonna win it. I was down at McKinley Beach the other day, and that's all anyone was talking about. Yeah, if he, um...
If the Cubs make the playoffs, he's going to win the MVP. That is my prediction. Yeah, I don't really give a shit who wins the MVP, but Cubs fans are gonna like lord that over us like it matters. Oh, for sure. I was thinking the other day, I followed this account on social media where it's like, remember this guy, and they post like someone's random stat line from one year.
And it was the year Matt Kemp was runner-up and MVP, and people were talking smack about Braun, and I was like, As a Brewers fan, take that from him. I don't give a fuck.
Well, they were so mad about that. Yeah. Yeah, it doesn't The MVP stuff, even like Corbin winning the Cy Young or Murphy winning manager of the year. None of that matters to me. Unless you win the Super Bowl.
Or when if you if you win the playoffs. It matters. I will also say if you don't make the playoffs. And are still then like Lindy Infante's coach of the year in 1989, they didn't make the playoffs. That matters to me.
More than make the playoffs and fucking lose. Like Aaron Rodgers. Cocking off that he won his fourth MVP, bro. Nobody gives a shit except for you. Yeah, I mean, I I think it shows where his true, you know motivations lie Hey, um, but I will say I think at the time it mattered to us that Braun was the MVP.
Now we don't care because they've had sustained success for the last. you know, close to 20 years now, but in that moment it was like huge. But After we found out what happened, FM, take it away. He's a loser.
Well, his mom was in Little Big League. No, no, not Armstrong. I'm talking about Braun. Oh. Yeah, take away his MVP.
I don't care. Bronze not a loser. He is. Braun took drugs for you as a brewer. Uh yeah.
I'll put him in the Aaron Rodgers category where I think we know what his motivation is. What if I start taking drugs to make the podcast better? That could be fun. I'd do it for you. You use it.
My starting Bob and Roy's for the broadcast. I think lower my voice. You used to take drugs on the podcast, so alcohol counts. True. Yeah.
And then some would say it's the worst drug of all.
Well, I think there's a very good argument for that, but I don't want to get into the dark side of things right now, at least. This red light's got my cortisol dropping down. I'm feeling good, I'm feeling relaxed. I do want to say this is An afterthought for most people, but uh Peyton Watson. Uh we must proceed with caution because I I know not a lot of people are talking about the Bucks right now, but like...
Are there still guys like unsigned? Like, is Jalen Durren is Kaminga? Like, what's happening with these RFAs? What happens with the NBA is restricted free agents always get screwed because no one has money to sign them.
So they're kind of beholden to their original team. I do think Watson is going to end up on the Bucs, but... Um, I just caution Bucks fans that are so desperate for a move, like, he had a good. You know, stretch of the season last year, and he's young enough. But signing a guy like that based off a very small sample size to over a hundred million dollar contract and then also having to trade assets like.
I think a lot of people are looking at it like we'd be stealing them from Denver, but there is a huge risk associated with that. I'd be in favor of it if the cost is like. AJ Green. Kevin Porter Jr. and some second-round picks, but you can't give up anything that you got in a Miami trade.
And you can't, I mean, first round picks, it's just the, no, I'm done trading first. They have to get away from that. Jake, good to talk to you. I hope you're having a good sweat, buddy. Lovey body.
It's Hot Take Jake, literally Hot Take Jake, he says today from the sauna. I throw the link out and people join. That's how the Winkler verse has always worked. and will continue. to work.
Ben says, who cares if any of them come off position players? We scored 22 runs. I like that. Bruce says, I do find it funny that Aaron Rodgers shunned his Braun partnership over Braun's nuance response. to huffing deer piss or whatever it was he was doing.
to get healthy. People are upset about Braun because of the UPS guy, and that was kind of bullshit. And, you know, to do the whole I'm so innocent thing was bullshit. And we should have seen through it. He was clearly lying, but You know.
You have your team colored glasses on as it as it were.
Now, if you want to put something in your body that is going to make you feel good and you're not going to get kicked out of baseball for it.
Well, I don't know about that. But you're not going to kick that, get kicked out of that. That's all, folks. You're not going to get kicked out of this podcast or the Winklerverse. In fact, you'll be celebrated.
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That's in the month of August, but everything I mentioned is in the comments. on every YouTube video. Or you can go to my Twitter and go to the link tree or. Ask me and I'll send you a blank or something. Trying to streamline.
It's a one-man operation and my kids at home. From camp.
So A lot of the business things I like to take care of. Um aren't happening right now. I need to talk about Pat McAfee. I'm sorry, but I do. Let me tell you how I feel about Pat McAfee's.
Career. Pev McAfee was a punter. Which doesn't matter. People use that as a derogatory phrase when they're talking about Pat McAfee. He played professional football.
Pat McAfee was a punter. He was a football player. And he probably left. The league. Before his talent had left him.
So he probably could have punted longer in the league, but he had dreams. really creating content. and doing sports broadcasting a somewhat different way. Manicafe's an interesting character to grasp. There's a broadcast style that is really the same as everybody else?
Everybody's really doing it the same way. You all have your spin on it. But at the end of the day, it is broadcasting sports.
So he's not as unique as maybe he thinks, but there are unique things that he does, including his wardrobe and the insistence on calling everything a program. I mean, these are bits. These are things. This is what makes it up, whatever. Um Pat McAfee has done a really good job to get from where he was to where he is.
He essentially in what? Less than a decade. Figure it out. What he wanted his show to be. and then figured out How to get ESPN.
Not to hire him. to do that show. But give him. two hours of airtime every day. with rules that other people don't have.
Like he can swear. They don't give a shit.
Now they will blur out fuck But not always. You're watching ESPN at lunch. And McAfee swearing, I'm on the radio at 1.30 in the fucking morning. And if someone accidentally says shit under their breath on the phone. We've got to dump the call and act like it's a national fucking emergency.
And then hope that people don't write us. years later. Mitch is asking if I have a brother named Ben. I don't.
Now, senior year, I did give a speech in speech class. that I had a brother, an older brother named Ben, who died in a car accident. And then I sat back down, and my buddy was like. What was that? And I go.
I'm just trying something. And then the next week, I did a poem reading, and I did it in an English accent for no reason. And then I sat down and he said, Are you okay? And I said, cheery, all might. And that's more Australian.
Speaking of Australia, I think Grayson Waller's Shtick and NXT is Horrible. I think he's bad at it. Oh yeah, Ben swore once. That's all right, Ben. I would have gone back and sworn more.
My sign-off was all like, oh, I love listeners. It should have been like, fuck the establishment, bitch. Fuck. Ass. Penis!
I should have played the penis game with Carlos. Penis. Penis. Penis. Penis!
Penis! Hey, buddy. I was trying to see if he'd yell penis back at me. He didn't. McAfee.
A lot of different things he did to get to ESPN. He was with Barstool, he was with CBS Sports for a little bit. There were some couple things he did along the way. Remember, he broadcasted a meaningless Packers-Lions game at the end of the season. Eight, nine years ago, I thought it was a little too eccentric.
Like he was This was his only shot, and he was trying to put stuff on tape. You know, just broadcast things. But from a broadcast perspective, Like How am I? To criticize Pat McAfee for the career he's built for himself, I can't.
Well, what Pat McAfee has done. And yes, he still had. You know I was an NFL player. I have the stature and connections that come with that. but he still was able.
Get to where he is. ESPN, it's unheard of what they're doing. Stephen A. Smith and Pat McAfee, these two can do whatever the hell they want. Ed ESPN.
So I'm not jealous of Pat McAfee. Anytime I criticize him, oh, you wish you had. Yeah, I mean, what he's doing is tremendous.
So Kudos to him.
So, this is where I've had a hard time with Pat McAfee and been. Expressing it the last couple of weeks. And I think this title of the article at Awful Announcing. I'll put it perfectly. Why is Pat McAfee fighting a war he has already won?
Everyone is in the business of Pat McAfee Incorporating. Created and extended, Jesus Christ, it's not that hard to read. Everyone is in the business of Pat McAfee Incorporated. creating an existential dilemma for the outsider turned insider. This is the only man in all of sports entertainment.
That could have every commissioner of every league on a show on a random Wednesday night in primetime for an hour. Anyone will come on Pat McAfee's show. Everyone wants to come on Pat McAfee's show.
Okay?
So I think I've done enough explaining. That allows me to then say the next stuff. Which is What is the fucking deal? And this shtick has to end. Look, ESPN is putting a lot of investment in Pat McAfee.
So if they're paying him all this money and firing everybody else, yeah, he's going to be on Saturday NF or fucking college countdown.
Sorry, Tim. For sorry, he's going to be on NFL countdown, I guess, now is another thing. He's going to be on. They're paying him $60 million, or at least his operation and all of his guys. They're going to want the most, most passive McAfee that they can get.
McAfee has never, it seems, been told no. He can just at the drop of a hat say, I want to go to this game. We'll do an alt cast for it. Oh, now I'm on the field for the college football national championship game. I'm on the field for this.
I'm on the field. I can do anything I want. Pat McAfee does not get no said to him a lot. And if he does, then he shits on those ESPN management. that he's having a problem with on ESPN.
to no repercussions. At all. Here's what I think about Pat McAfee. And a lot of this It has to do with the fact that he put out this album. I'm not playing it because I ain't splitting any money with him.
on the few pennies of ads I make off of these. But it's terrible. It's like It's like if you Drove by A trailer park. That was abandoned for 30 years. No one lives there.
The Industry moved. Out of the town, it's a ghost town. Literally no one's there. Except for a couple, a family of rats. And the families of rats have taken over, and they've discovered how to use auto-tune.
And Uh DJ. Mixing board. And they came up with this. Basically the music is like I ain't got no time to unwind. Cause I'm so rich and you're a bitch.
If you hate me, don't berate me. I'm Pat McAfee. I'm all you will see. I love being from a blue collar town and being so fucking rich that you have to bow down. I'm Pat McAfee.
Everyone says yes to me. No one will say no to me. Because I have a small wee wee. That was dumb. But He probably is a huge.
But I don't get it. Bruce says Pat Magafe has a big outsider. Portrayal. And now is so big that he's becoming the establishment. And now you have to rewrite the narrative.
How about if you're Pat McAfee? You say You say this, here's how you do if you're Pat McAfee. You say, all my life. I feel that I've been doubted. I feel the whole my mere existence makes people mad.
That's not fucking true. This is the Pat McAfee thing. What's up, Pat? Oh, I fucking make you mad just being here, huh? My success?
No, man. I don't agree with everything you do or say, but... No, man, good for you. You do you. Good for me.
What's that supposed to mean? You looking down on me? You don't think I can do it? No, in fact, I know you can do it. You've done it.
You've done everything you've ever set out to do and more. You're a tremendous story in the history of sports broadcasting. Fuck, you're saying there's sports broadcasting without me? I'm saying What you do is to be celebrated. You don't fucking like me, do you, bro?
It doesn't matter. What matters is that you hate that I exist, just being around me, has got you all tied up and twisted. Pat, I don't care. Yes you fucking do. No, I don't.
What I say the other day, the reason I feel like I can criticize Rogers and LaFleur. And Giannis, or I feel like I can look into these people. and give him some i can i can try to place myself, my brain into their brain and how they're thinking and what they're thinking. Personally, I think this is what's going on with Pat. I, yeah, he, the clear thing is, he's having a problem.
He's having a problem. Being This Respected. Because a lot of people love him and will, they won't die for him, but. They'll stand him, bro. I mean, a lot of people love Pat McAfee.
Robert says he's successful because of his me against the world attitude, but the world's accepted you.
So at some point you got to change it up a little bit. You can have enemies. But Pat's enemy is like the proverbial you. Like, you don't care about me.
Well, you, you does care about you. A lot of people watch you and like you and root for you and champion you and promote you.
So you gotta find a different stick. If you want to go against the suits. If you want to go against, you're still trying to take down the establishment. If you want to do that kind of stuff, that's fine. But to constantly say, no, you're all against me.
At some point, you have to understand that. More people are probably on your side than against you. And then, when you have this much support, and you're still constantly mad about the. You know, the one person that day who looked at you wrong, you're coming off like an asshole.
So he's got to stop doing that. He also. He's got this aura of invincibility. There's no reason that you should be able to put out this fucking album he put out and get away with it. And then have people come on your show.
And like Coddle you. For Kirk Herbstreet, he basically was comparing McAfee's lyrics to Bible passages, and Kirk Herbstreet. He needs an emotional support animal. Clearly, and now he's acting as the emotional support animal. To Pat McAfee.
Some of these things that these guys were tweeting, Dan Orlowski. They say the good die young, and I'm scared, I'm great. What a line. The album is legit good good. Dan Orlovsky Of course we need to imagine what's going on in his brain.
He didn't just walk out of the end zone. He walked like... out of the end zone paint. I know that's just one play and it shouldn't define a career, but yes, it should. I'm supposed to trust anything this guy says.
When Orlovsky's given safeties and he's Mm-hmm. Basically doing a fucking Ford field leap. No way. John Butchagross. I listened to Pat McAfee's album Driving In to Do Sports Center tonight.
I liked it. It's a fun, energetic country album. Good Times could be a single on any top 40 country station and be good bump music on college game day. The record is well produced. And Pat can turn a phrase.
Who didn't doesn't want to make a record when they were young or old? Pat did it. and should be proud of the product. It's America. Anybody can have a podcast.
Anybody can write a book. Anybody can record an album. Anybody can start and try to build a business. Anybody can do just about anything, but most people just talk about it.
So that went from, hey, one song's not bad, to why don't you just let Pat do whatever he wants. But that's not how the world works. We can't all just put out an album. We can all go to our computer, AI make an album, and say, I made an album. But we can't have the exposure that Pat does.
We can't have people coming on self-deprecating everything they've built just to bow down to this guy. Kirk Herbstreak, the way he was talking on Matt, I mean, he should be embarrassed for the rest of his life. These guys have no shame. And I don't think it's ESPN saying, hey, do us a solid and help out our colleague. I think these people are really like, because even if you're at ESPN right now, You're not the prom king.
Being at ESPN should be cool enough. But John Butchergrass Is complimenting Pat McAfee because he wants more into the Pat McAfee Incorporated. He wants to be on his show more. Orlovsky loves being on his show. He tweets out 15 fucking things he says on it when they clip it.
These guys adore McAfee. They they want to be in his orbit. You have people selling their entire reputation to compliment you on a dog shit product, and you're still vindictive against the world? It doesn't make sense to me. The real thing I think that's going on here is I think Pat.
Bit off more than he can chew. Like, I think now he's, oh, I'm on ESPN 10 hours a week, plus the internet. I have to do this show every day. I'm the anchor of a network. Maybe I don't want to do 250 shows a year anymore.
Maybe I want to try other things. Maybe I just like going to the games. Maybe I just like putting out these albums. Maybe I want to do tours. Maybe I only want to do game day and kickoff.
I think that he finally got the thing that he wanted and now he doesn't want to do it anymore. Case in point. I did not have a blast. doing that national show five days a week. I mean, I enjoyed that I had a national show on the radio.
On 150 stations across the country. No matter what time it was, I didn't care. But actually doing the show every day. It felt like work. And even if you have a dream job, your dream job becomes work.
Like I talked to Fred Siegel yesterday of freezing cold takes. He's probably like, this is a great idea. And now, 10 years into it. Like this is what you do now. You can't escape it.
You can't just leave. This is your thing. And then it becomes a job. Not this, though. This is a labor of love, of course.
Um Please send me money. MC says, I really don't get the buzz surrounding McAfee. I never found him to be funny. He's like a Frat House president that got the title Frat House President 30 years too late in life. But but it's it's not It's just, it doesn't make any sense.
He's fighting a war he's already won. And that is, I mean, that is where we're at. Is it a generational thing? Because he's like my age, couple years younger. I can't call him a boomer, that makes me one.
Are we just destined to always want more, to never be happy? To always be still upset, no matter how good we have it. If someone else has it good and they didn't have to do what we had to do, we can't support them. I don't know. I don't know.
The other thing I wanted to discuss was Roger Goodell. Told Marcus Kuhn, Kuhn. In an interview for a German broadcaster, he said, at some point there will be NFL teams outside the USA. I have no doubt this will happen one day.
So we're thinking Europe.
Well, I fucking hope not.
Now, the NFL Europe was cool. I don't know what you guys remember of NFL Europe. In 1991 and 92, They had this league, I think the UFL, whatever. And there were teams from Europe in it. You had the Who did you have?
You had three teams from Europe.
So it was the World League at the time. Barcelona Dragons, Frankfurt Galaxy, London Monarchs. You had one team in Canada, the Montreal Machine. And you had seven. In America, New York, New Jersey Knights, Ohio Glory, Orlando Thunder, Raleigh Durham Skyhawks, Birmingham Fire.
San Antonio Ryders and Sacramento Surge.
Now, I've got a bunch of worldly cards. And I've got a card of Jason Garrett, who was the coach of one of these teams. I want to say San Antonio. Or he was on one of these teams. But then that went away.
But then coming back was NFL Europe. And NFL Europe. Started again in 1995. I remember this was when Fox first had football, and they were broadcasting these games on Big Fox.
Now any sporting event is all that's... keeping the broadcast networks alive. But back then, for Fox to show this, it was like, what the fuck? It was like ESPN Ocho being. Prime time.
Why am I watching the Hamburg Sea Devils take on the Frankfurt Galaxy?
So NFL Europe. Had the Amsterdam Admirals, the Barcelona Dragons, which eventually folded. The London Monarchs lasted a few years, the Scottish Claymonds were around. Rhine Fire, Hamburg Sea Devils, Frankfurt Galaxy, Berlin Thunder. Amsterdam Admirals.
Basically, NFL Europe was Germany and then a few other teams across. The continent until those teams folded. Germany was the big. uh money maker here Germany could support an NFL team. Germany, the country of Germany.
Could support. An NFL team. and probably a whole division. If you put four NFL teams in Germany. There'd be enough fans, there'd be enough advertising, there'd be enough support.
They like American football.
Now, would it work in the other countries? I'm sure they could each. support a team each. But this isn't something that is logistically possible. Unless we're doing the supersonic train thing.
When Roger Goodell says there will be an NFL team outside of this country, it can't be Europe. It's too far away. Have a team in Mexico. Fine. Have a team in Canada.
Have a couple. Great. Yeah. Otherwise, the only way that you're going to have NFL teams outside of the United States is if Texas finally secedes. And the Cowboys and Texans play there because you can't have a team in Europe.
Who's gonna sign there other than like? One like NFL Europe would turn into MLS NFL, if the NFL actually had a division of Europe. They would turn into four teams that you only went over there to get a big payday. Like Tom Brady would have ended his career in Europe instead of Tampa Bay. And then you're going to have younger guys that can't make the team.
Elsewhere.
So they have to go to Europe 'cause nobody else wants to go and move their family. overseas when they could get traded or be out of this league in a while.
So what the MLS basically is, is 19 to 22 year olds who haven't gone to Europe yet. or guys coming over from Europe to be a retirement league. Messi Mueller Lowandowski. And they come over here and they dominate. It means Latan Ibrahimovic came over here one year with the galaxy, just toyed with everybody, and then fucking deuced out.
You come over here, you dominate.
So If there was a division, I just, I don't. Logistically, you can do it. You play over there four times. You have a team come and play other Europe. I mean, you're going to have to have teams spend a month overseas or some shit.
It's just not feasible. And I don't know why. I think more than likely, Goodell was talking to a German broadcaster and he told them what they want to hear the same way every time John Cena goes over to London, he says someday there'll be a WrestleMania here.
Now you'd think that would be bad, but They're having one in Saudi Arabia, so I guess anything's off the fucking table. Can we just Like, here's one thing that I have a problem with in terms of America. versus the world. America's got a lot going on here. You could not leave America and you could be well traveled.
Europe's always like, oh, I can go to Spain and Portugal and Germany and Italy. Yeah, that's cool. I would love to do that. But you can go to Texas, to New York, to DC, to Florida, to the Grand Canyon, to the Pacific Northwest, to the Rocky Mountains, to the Flatlands, to the Great Lakes, to the Atlantic Ocean, to the Pacific Ocean, to the bayou. You go anywhere.
Okay. Spam. Getting more spam than ever. You go anywhere.
We have every terrain there is. Rivers and streams and lakes and oceans. Forests In prairies. We've got it all. We don't need to go elsewhere.
We play here.
So that is the that is That's maybe my most mega take is. These sports are American.
Okay. No, I don't mind the sports in Toronto. I like that kind of connection. I don't know why. And I wouldn't mind a team in Mexico City either.
And MLS and Liga MX should probably just merge. But Whatever. All right, my son's watched way too much YouTube today. We still have video games to get through. We still have um Probably TV to watch.
So we got a lot of screen time left coming. I will make him watch this. He's my coach. He reviews this for me.
So. That'll be coming up here in a bit. And then I got to find something for him to do. Thank God it's nice outside. Problem is, then I have to be active.
I want him to play soccer. I want him to play baseball. I want him to play basketball. I'd like him to just go outside and shoot some hoops, but. When you got me as a dad, I mean.
You want to play with your dad, right? All right. I'll check in. Brewers back tonight against the Mariners. I'll be there tomorrow.
Wear your Winklerverse gear if If you're coming, say hi. I think I got seats in the 300s. Um, on SeatGeek for like 65 bucks. The tickets are expensive. On brewers.com for tomorrow, even with like the half-off seniors and kids and they had a half off because they won some game the other night.
Damn it. Tickets are like, I couldn't find cheap tickets. I don't know. It's fine. Take my kid to a game.
He'll sit in that seat for. An inning and Play in the kids' zone the rest of the game and get ice cream three times. He had ice cream sandwich for breakfast, by the way. I poured him Lucky Charms and then it got soggy. I don't want them soggy.
Well, why'd you fucking eat them when I poured them? I want ice cream sandwich. You said I could have one for breakfast. Oh, I didn't. Yeah, you did.
Oh yeah, fuck I did. All right, kid. Good to be with you guys here on this Wednesday. Have a great rest of the day. We will talk soon.
Uh no, they were ice cream sandwiches from Trader Joe's and they were fucking delicious. I don't blame them. We only got one left. I might have it. Buy more.
Thank you for stopping into the Winklerverse.
