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Local and national games on YouTube TV, NFL Sunday Ticket for out-of-market games excludes digital-only games. Good afternoon, everybody. I'm Bart Winkler.
Welcome into the Winklerverse. Paul Imig is here. Grant's in a motor vehicle today, being safe, exercising caution. Oh, he's good. He's good.
He's going back to the native land, the homeland, the Lost Island, the wonderful town of La Crosse. Enjoy. Have a bloody for me, Grant.
Have one for me. But yeah. All right, so we got a lot going on. Packers 2-1, Bucks Media Day coming up. Should I go to that, by the way? I was going to ask you guys.
It's like Monday morning. Even better. I might put in a request. I don't know what I'm going to do there. You're going to network with a professional NBA team and its group. Players, coaches. Because the last time I applied for a credential, the Packers denied me.
Very politely. That's Red China. The Bucks aren't Red China. The Bucks will let you in. I don't know what you do there, but what is anyone doing there?
Are the writers getting foundational information for their story? No, it's just you go because that's what you do. I've been to a few of them. It'd be good to go back. This is not a flattering view of me. My head looks fucking... continue, sorry. I would put it in the dash like I do.
Or is your car not that way? Because last night I did my show and I was watching Agatha Ah long reaction video while in my dash. Speaking of last night, I was talking about the WNBA on Wednesday's show because Kaitlyn Clark was knocked out of the playoffs. And I was pontificating if this year was a success for the WNBA, to which I said it was not. I think Kaitlyn Clark coming into the league, the WNBA was naturally going to get a bump and just some natural things were going to happen positive from her coming into the league. Those things happened. There were some things out of their control like the Olympic she wasn't on and then Cameron Brink getting hurt and then Angel Reese getting hurt. So some of these stars getting hurt.
But I don't think the WNBA did anything particularly good to help boost the brand. Everything that we heard about them was people fighting. So that was my take. I would like to share with you a response it elicited to my Instagram at 718 this morning. Because this is how people message me now. It's not Twitter or DMs which are open. It's not Facebook.
It is finding me on Instagram and sending me a message. This is from Christopher Collins, whoever that is. You are one of the worst at your job. You must be a DEI hire.
So that basically that's why I'm reading it that that line, but much more. First, your program has no organization of thought. Second, you know little to nothing about sports.
Usually you talk about anything but sports, you have to know somebody or be related to someone in production. Third, the take you had on CC's failure proves your ignorance and total lack of preparation. You look like you smoke a lot of weed. You are so ignorant that I highly doubt you know who I'm referring to her season was a huge success for her in the WNBA.
She set multiple records for a rookie her team went to the playoffs attendance increase that they had to change the bigger venues players are riding on chartered flights now the players negotiate a new contract that includes more television money. You sir are unbearable to listen to, please take a bong hit and disappear. So I am a DEI stoner. You're probably the first and only ever DEI hire to come from Fond Du Lac was. I was that when I had to share with the bosses, and then Carlos is like, you were on a show with someone named Carlos Ortiz.
And, yeah, but I'm the, I don't think my WNBA take was wrong though. I think you do look like you smoke a lot of weed. Well yeah gummies happy place and calm promo code Bart, we got that one right. Do I, do I take 14 or 12 towards Baraboo to get on 90. I don't think I've ever taken 12. I go okay I that's what I thought I just triple check both will get me there I got nothing but time. Do you go by the casino on your way out of town.
No, probably not. I know you think I'm gonna get a lot of pull tabs at some lacrosse bars but I know you got. What are you taking, oh you got to take 12. I'll take 12 to Baraboo and then I'll get on 94. That's what I'm doing.
Yeah, okay. I know you guys think I'm the crazy one but the fact that you're driving without directions and you're just kind of like guessing and hoping for the best is no no no no no no not guessing Paul because this is something that most people my age cannot fathom there are signs everywhere that tell you where the road is going, if you just take the time to look, which I understand is. And I'm also looking at my phone but I can do two things at once the site if you just read the signs. I went to Mitchell Airport a couple weeks ago for the first time ever. They're little airplanes I take you the whole way.
Pay attention, if you just, if you just for the first time ever around. Have you never been to Mitchell Airport. No, we always growing up out of Minneapolis St. Paul fly out of Madison spread a reason to buy your right there. Not only does it say Mitchell there are airplane logos. It's brilliant everywhere, but people my age were so kind of punched in the GPS and I had it in my GPS but, you know, just look around, observe the world around you there's clues everywhere it's like a big scavenger hunt out here on the highway in my age they don't know that we should stop at a gas station where's that.
How about every exit it says gas, food, lodging. Okay. All right. It's Heisman Trophy winner Matt liner. I've got a podcast called throwbacks with actor J for our will we'll be talking all things sports, but also so much more will give you the behind the scenes stories for my days as the quarterback on an iconic college football team to Jerry's days as a star on an iconic TV series, so subscribe to throwbacks wherever you download your podcast and follow us on all social media at throwback show. What do you got for us, big boy. I have a couple that I'm really excited about. I do want to start with Packers or sort of a sports topic that came about this morning.
That's not directly one of our local teams. Save that one or start with it. You're the boss.
Let's hit it. Zach Lowe was laid off by ESPN. Yes. I know a lot of people, they like their certain reporters and like becomes a personal thing, as opposed to like when someone else that you don't know whose work you don't follow loses a job, but I will say that, to me, this is the clearest indicator. There's been others that other people have taken issue with, but I'm going to, I think I'm going to bookmark this and say this moment, choosing anyone else to talk about the NBA versus having Zach Lowe talk about the NBA is the moment that crystallized without question that ESPN is here for the hot takes, not for the analysis. This is, this is, this is it today, this layoff situation.
This is the end or. Well, if you look at Brian Curtis from the ringer tweeted this earlier, all the people that have left ESPN in the last decade. Bill Simmons, Jamil Hill, Dan Levitard, Skip Bayless, Michael Smith, Keith Oberman, Ryan Russell, Colin Cowherd, Gary Champion, Kenny Main, Trey Wingo, Mike Gulick, Mike Gulick Jr, Bomani Jones, Pablo Torre, Maria Taylor, Wesley Morris, Matthew Berry, Mark Stein, Ethan Strauss, Jason Stark, Danny O'Neill, Danny Cannell, Trent Dilfer, Kevin Van Valkenburg, Jane McManus, Tom Rinaldi, The Bear, Howie Schwab, Chad Ford, Nate Silver and the crew, and then everybody at Grantland.
That's a massive amount of talent that is left. Yes. Some of those hot takers in there.
Some a little more nuanced. I think with ESPN. I don't know if today is it because I think the day that they decided to basically build their network around Mike Greenberg, who wears Jets jerseys on air, Stephen A. Smith and Pat McAfee. And then when there were different assignments open, like Stephen A. Smith's on NBA Countdown, Pat McAfee's on College Game Day, Mike Greenberg hosts NFL Countdown. It seems like they're trying to do what the Phoenix Suns are trying to do, where you have three exorbitant contracts at the top and then try to fill in your team with the Scrubs. So they're doing the Studs and Duds DraftKings lineup is what they're doing. Zach Lowe, I don't know that he cost you an exorbitant amount of money.
I don't think so either. Woj just left and I know that should have freed up some money. That should have freed up a lot of money. So Woj leaves and then you get rid of Zach Lowe? So let me just add to this because I like what you're saying. A throw in?
I like what you're saying, but for me as a sports viewer, consumer, if your network can't find space, budget, airtime for Zach Lowe, you're no longer trying. We lost Bart? No, I was going to try to just show the person that was talking for a little bit. It didn't work.
You went to Grant. Let me just say this because you ruined it, but I'll try anyway. Okay. If your network can't find airtime, budget, space for Zach Lowe, then you're not actually trying to present content for me.
For me as the sports viewer, for what I'm looking for. See, now I'm directing. I see how you did that. You're pretty good at this. So good at this.
Flawless at this. So that's why for me, this is like a signal. Like it's one thing if like Woj decides to leave or they make some big decision, but you're basically saying, well, what Zach Lowe delivers for content. Isn't what we want. We don't have the time, the space for this guy who is like unquestioned.
Like one of the most well-liked, well-respected, smart NBA guys who does it in an entertaining way, but is actually teaching you about the game, helping you learn about the game. So this is kind of like my, okay, I'm out. Like I'm out. Not that I wasn't mostly out on what ESPN was doing, but like I'm out. Like you very clearly don't want to provide the content that people like me look for. You want hot takes and dumb shit.
Go do you. I'm out. This is my official.
Everyone has the breaking point. This is mine. I'm out. Well, with Zach Lowe too, he was like adding things to the podcast space and to the website. Maybe that traffic doesn't matter anymore. Maybe they just want, who's going to serve me on TV.
Maybe. But again, the good news is this will not hurt Zach Lowe. Like he's going to end up getting a bigger contract, a bigger role somewhere else. So this doesn't hurt him.
I mean, it's temporarily shitty for him, but like he's going to come out of this ahead. But if we're talking about like the network and what ESPN is trying to provide or what they're prioritizing, it's clearly like lowest common denominator, dumb shit. And that is so disappointing.
Maybe they no longer wanted the lowest common denominator. You're going for like a Zach Lowe. Oh my goodness. I didn't even appreciate it in real time. You're going to get back to this.
The directing was fun, but it was putting a strain on my finger. That's right. Normally when you move the screen around, it only only good things happen.
It never derails the show and it always goes exactly how you want it to. So I'm I'm surprised it didn't work there, but I applaud your effort. Yeah, thank you. Thank you. Any thoughts for you, Grant?
Yeah, I'll be quick because I don't know that my service is awesome. I just it's surprising. They lost Loge. So it's presumably they have money. Now, Paul, let me throw this back at you, if I may.
You may. Do you think Loge Bill posited this when it happened? And I'm like, no way. Do you think Loge saw the writing on the wall and it's like, look, I'm not even really that Jack to do this anymore anyways. So to avoid to avoid a tough decision from you guys, I'll just I'll just show myself out.
Well, that's just saved like seven or one, seven, eight million dollars a year by retiring, basically. Yeah, I also I mean, I think it's worth speculating because we don't know the answer is was loads like, OK, there's about to be a big cut. They're going to keep me. They're going to keep loads. They can't cut their Vogue bombs, but my I want to sacrifice.
I don't really want to be here anymore. So I'm going to preempt the decisions by ESPN by giving them back seven, eight million dollars so that they don't have to make decisions about Zach Lowe and others. We don't know that, but like it's worth one. Sure. The timing is not likely a coincidence.
So so let me throw something else at you. There's a huge NBA trade, Paul. Oh, my God. I can't believe this trade took place.
I can't wait to hear what all the experts have to say. Is there one person at ESPN now where you're like, I need to find their podcast or their recent hit or their story? Not even close.
Really? No. My answer would have been Zach Lowe. It has been.
The answer has been Zach Lowe within like a Bill Simmons Rosillo podcast as my runner up. Well, now, are they going to hire someone? Like, are they going to hire a Chris Haynes? Are they going to hire?
They're going to have to hire an like they're going to have to hire Shams or Chris Haynes. Like, they have to do that. But that's not. They give NBA analysis, but it's not like the Zach Lowe style.
It's more of the reporting, the in-depth. Like, I just talked to player X and player X told me that this is what's going to happen. Like, it's it's necessary, but it's not the same.
Not even remotely, in my opinion, the same type of analysis where it's like, let me teach you the game. And as much as I know, Bart, you were anti JJ Riddick and he found himself going down far too many rabbit holes. Like, just stay above like like lift all the boats, JJ. You don't need to get down into the weeds and go on first take to say why first take is dumb. But when he did try to just find a job, though, it worked.
But when he did just focus on basketball, like he was another guy who provided in-depth basketball analysis that made me, the NBA observer, more knowledgeable about what was happening. And like. Whatever, like if you want to get your. Maybe, maybe, maybe we got to also remember, like.
Who is watching these shows? So I think that's my point is like to me, this is one of those like, oh, this isn't for me anymore. No, I would argue it's for nobody. Well, it's not for nobody.
It's for waiting rooms and car dealership spaces. And that's the thing. That's that's the thing.
That's what they're creating. And hospitals. A lot of people. A lot of people. The last thing they see before they die is first take. They'll be back.
And then airports. When when do you ever turn on these shows? Very rarely, but I'll see, like, but again, I will go out of my way. I have gone I go out of my way to listen to Zach. See, but I I can say this about ESPN because I kind of feel like I'm the same way with my show. I do go to my I also go out of my way to watch like a post Sunday football edition of Scott Van Pelt. Like he's the one like I have the people whose content I think is valuable. I don't think everything that on like the Sunday night Scott Van Pelt version of Sports Center is good.
But he has enough of it where I'm like, oh, yeah, I think that's a good end cap to the day. Sorry, you go ahead. Well, it's the same thing I say about me. Like I'm criticizing who is watching these shows. But, you know, there are some people like, OK, I got to hear what Steven says. I say, yeah, just like there's people that, you know, follow me throughout the years and want to listen to the show. But for my show, like the same way that ESPN is waiting rooms and stuff, my show is truckers.
And I just want some sports on in the middle of the night. Yeah. Like we're all just. There's a difference between content that exists and content that's necessary. Mm hmm. I feel like Mm hmm is content that is necessary. Damn right. It is my job is content that exists.
Sure. I know you think that of yourself. I think you have plenty of listeners who would disagree. I mean, yeah, but you do bring takes to national airwaves that nothing about like a holistic consumer of national sports radio. But for example, and I know you're going to hate that. I bring up I bring up a lot of interesting, thought provoking takes.
I do. And what I'm about to say, you're going to both like, but then be infuriated by, which is like, I didn't think anybody else besides you. I would, if I had a national sports radio show, would have said, here's how I want to talk about this woad retirement.
I want to talk about how Schefter is an ass like. And then, of course, you did. And it was great. It's refreshing.
Not because I know you, not because we're friends, but someone else does it. And they get an article that your boy Bill Simmons talked about it. And he had articles written about the fact he talked about it. And he was after you like you might have heard me. He might have heard him on earlier in the night in the West Coast. I don't know what Bill's listening to on his walks with his headphones, with no AirPods.
I think we now know the answer to that. It's the Bart Winkler show on the Odyssey platform. But so again, so to me, I think this happens in in a lot of things in life.
But where you start to realize, like, oh, this product, whatever the product is, is no longer for me. And what's that moment? What's weird, though, Paul, is their NFL coverage seems to get it like they bought it. They brought in Solak and Kevin Clark. And I really like that. The show with Mina Kynes like that coverage is very different from their NBA approach. Yeah.
Yeah. So like he had a lot of weird things he was saying about Bryce Young. Basically, he thinks Bryce Young sucks.
And is done. What was that? What was his opinion?
I don't know the answer. What was his kudos to Dave Canales for doing this, doing this bold, courageous thing? Well, it is relevant. I mean, honestly, to bench the last year's number one overall pick two games and is bold. I don't know if it's courageous, but it's yeah, I don't know if it's courageous.
It's bold. It's something that most coaches wouldn't do. But again, I think you'd have to say, well, what was Solak's opinion on Bryce Young 16 months ago? If he also thought before the draft like this guy's not going to be good.
OK, well, then I can give you a little bit more, a lot more, actually, like credence to your idea. Like, yeah, I never thought he was going to be good, but I don't know that. I don't know what his pre draft opinion was of Bryce Young. There's a lot of there's a lot of the cow skiing, respectfully saying, well, that's why before the draft, I thought this was like a lot of people love Bryce Young. No one was dragging the Panthers or making fun of them for that at the time. There were questions like there were with every other prospect, but I don't know.
A lot of people thought that CJ Stroud was too stupid because he failed a test that nobody knew what was the test. Me. Come on. One thing that you guys should not fail is hitting up the promo code Bart. Happy Place Hemp.
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I've seen it multiple times. Guys just come in. I just need something. I heard I got to help me sleep or hey, I don't want to drive to Illinois or Michigan to get some of the stuff that my friends are getting. What do you guys have here? Happy Place Hemp.
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Twenty five percent off. All right. I know we don't have a ton of time. Yeah, we don't have a ton of time.
I have two topics for packers. I'm really you take your shirt off, Grant. Yeah, I was getting really warm. Greetings from Sauk City, by the way.
Look at this beautiful river. Oh, my God. Grant, are you in a postcard? I feel like I am. I love drive.
Fuck, I love driving. All right. Yeah, that really is beautiful.
I must say it is. All right, Paul, what were you saying? I'm sorry. Two topics I'm really excited about. Let's see if we can get to both. I'll start with the one that I had first. Bart, you were talking about. I think this was on the national show, I assume it was maybe it was with Horvat on last week's thing, but you said about the Packers and the crowd at Lambeau and the fact that like road crowds way better than home crowds and all these things.
And you said I wrote this down because I wanted to reference it, you said. But I don't know what the solution is. I know I won't want to go when I'm 70 because you're talking about your own season ticket waiting list.
So I don't want to get those. I have an extremely controversial, I think. A thing for us to explore, shall we?
There should be a section 65 and older at Lambeau. Yes, that's an interesting one. That's not mine. Check out mine. You're welcome to hate it. I'm not even sure I'm proposing it, but it's an idea and I want to explore it.
The Packers should significantly jack up prices of their season tickets. Mm hmm. Or mm hmm.
This is the solution. No, it's not. If you've got to commit a big and I mean big chunk of cash, like a normal NFL season ticket holder would have to. The commitment that you have to bring to that is way more substantial than it would be. By the way, some people are hearing this right now and they're like, you ask like people are already trying to like you buy season tickets and then you sell enough games to cover even. And then that's how many games you go to. So you end up going to two. But but but having season tickets, you're not making money off of it. You go to two games.
It's a fucking hassle. Just go to two games, but you but you're going to them. If you're halfway decent reseller, you're probably going to those two games for free because of the six that you sold.
Yeah, but is the juice worth the squeeze? Is it worth listing and looking and checking and knowing that you gave your tickets to some Vikings fans? Where when Aaron Jones does a Lambeau leap this week, there will be plenty of Vikings fans for him to jump into. But Packers season tickets are really inexpensive based on the rest of the league, especially because the Packers are a consistently competing franchise. Yes, it's a much, much smaller market. So, you know, median dollars are not the same as they are in most or maybe all NFL markets. I just want to explore the idea like what percent of season ticket holders who begrudgingly go because you know what, it's really not like I can make my money back. I just have to basically put out a loan for four, six and four to six months by the time I have to pay for the tickets for a second, make the money back. Like, do you think like 50 percent if they put it like three X on the price tomorrow, which, by the way, would put them in a more competitive ticket price range with the NFL? Like they are way, way undervalued. Like I know we'll get mad when they like when I covered the team, I would put out the article that said ticket prices going up by four dollars.
Like we would get like these fucking assholes like jacking the prices up again. It was four bucks. You are paying the cheapest ticket in the NFL by a lot.
So I don't know. Just I thought you have a you have a 65 and up stand. I have a hey, let's just three X the price or on these ideas being a way to make Lambeau Field a better experience for those people who actually want to be there. Now, here's what you do. I got it. You take everybody on the season ticket list, which is like a thing to say, I'm on the season ticket. That's why I'm on it to get that postcard and the Packers go to you and they say. Listen up.
I know it's fun and all that stuff. We'll give you 100 bucks right now to get off this fucking list. Whoa.
And maybe maybe it's even like 150 to the pro shot. Wow. I get that. I'm off the list tonight.
Oh, wow. Tonight. You do it for less than 100. What number would you actually do it for? To get off the list? What's the lowest number you'd accept to get off the list?
35 bucks. There it is. Yeah. If I could be unburdened. From this, from this, from what has been moving forward. Yes, I almost would like to be unburdened, but I almost did that, Grant. You go.
You hit it. Well, my God. Because what's going to happen? I'm either be 74.
I did the math and then have to figure that out. Or they're gifted to my kid. Who's going to be like, I'm a 30 year old kid in the 2050s where all the jobs are taken by robots that I can do. I'm eating grass for dinner because there ain't no food around here.
And I got to pay for these tickets to see hackers, giants. No, my kid's going to be a omnivore or a herbivore. That's a guy who's been learning about dinos.
Yeah. Why do kids love dinos? Is it because they're not real? They're not not real.
Well, they don't exist. Wait a minute. Don't you guys love dinosaurs? I kind of. And why?
Why? Because kids, my kid's obsessed. He's going to be one for Halloween. Halloween.
But then there's like, it's like what? Do you know one dino lover after puberty? Honestly, no. You guys don't have a favorite dinosaur? Well, the fucking T-Rex is boss because he's got those little tiny arms. Yeah. And if he falls over, he can't get up. Screwed. All you got to do is get him down.
I don't know. I've always kind of liked the Stegosaurus, that big fatty with those spikes. The spikes are sweet. What a beautiful sky you have to. Is that is that the background of Windows 95? It's the view of the the Sauk City Airport. That's a Windows 95 screen.
I did really actually look like picturesque. Yeah, that was really nice. Grant. Grant, your thoughts on the how to solve.
Bart said on his show, one of the shows that he didn't know how to solve this. I think we've just come up with three ideas. They might not be good ideas, but they're ideas. What's what say you?
I am open to the idea and I don't know what I'm talking about. But like, why do we need season tickets at all? I understand. Yeah. Keeps in the seats for when the team is up and down. I like I get that.
I want to go to two games this year, then just take two games and get tickets. You know, like I I just think you think it's a scam. Show me that again. The sky. Yeah. Hold on. Give me a give me another 30 seconds and I'll give it to you.
I'm coming up on a big scenic corner. But OK, good. I just now if you get season tickets, here's another thing. Paul, you said you talk about selling to Vikings fans, rival fan bases.
If you and your sister and brother in law and your parent, like if you have a family grouping and you all split tickets. I think that's better. I think that's better than selling to strangers. That that to me is I think that's a I think it's a proper way to do it.
Do you think there's a difference there that that feels like the right way to do it if there is a right way to do it? I mean, so like, for example, there are there are touring artists who you buy the ticket and the only way you can resell it is at the price you paid for it. That's a thing like I know, for example, like I know that Pearl Jam did that on their tour. So the price the price of the ticket is what it is. And sure, you can relist it. Go ahead. You can't go anymore. Re-list it.
You should get your money back. But you can't at least through the official apps. Like, could you go like down your street corner and be like tickets for sale?
Three X face value. Sure. But if you're going to do it through the official program, you have to pay. So that way you're saying if you're buying the tickets, you're buying them to go. And if you're not going, you're not profiting. So I mean, this is a thing that that is in existence currently. I don't know if that exactly hits on what you're saying, Graham, but it's it's something less than we do a birdie. And there's a guy trying to sell physical tickets.
Like, haven't you got the memo, my man? That's awesome. I would buy them just because he's selling the physical ticket, but they're all you know, I bought one once. The last time I bought one from a scalper, it was outside of the Bradley Center. And we went down there and we're like, we'll do a scalper.
We thought it was the greatest thing ever. But he gave us tickets. It was an elementary school, 200 people.
And then me and my brother were sitting with beards in the middle of a fourth grade class. That's that's how they get these fucking tickets. So, Paul, to jack up the prices, I think you would get some passionate Packers fans were like, we'll pay whatever. And those are the fans that are more likely to cheer loudly.
I also think you'd get rich. People were like, I'm going to go because I can. And then I think you run into maybe the dynamic. You get it like a Notre Dame football game with people in furs.
And they're like, I don't know that that's going to fix the passion, the cheering problem. But if you put it this way, if you're going to a road game, you either flew or drove. You probably stayed in the hotel like it wasn't inexpensive. You paid secondary market value.
It probably wasn't inexpensive. And yet all reports would indicate like these are the good fans. So I get what you're I think like the theory of what you're saying. That makes sense. And it would definitely happen to some degree.
But then why are the road game fans like like exponentially better Packer fans than home fans? The lamb will lose its charm if you're there too much. Yes. Do you get do you get a moment where you walk in here like like the first time you walk in, it's like, oh, Grant.
Wow. It's like as beautiful as what Grant's seen right now on the Dan Cheney YouTube. But then after a while, you start to look around and be like. Man, these are just fucking bleachers. And then you're like, God, these fences are really shit, shady yellow. And these concourses are kind of ass, too. Don't you think that's like with anything, though, like if you become too familiar with it or you get to you see too far behind the curtain of Oz, then you're like, oh, yeah. But but other but other stadiums once that initial like, let's say U.S. Bank, once you've been there a time or two and that like the magic wears off, quote unquote, the concourses are really nice and it's new and the concession like it's just an easier stadium.
There's more creature comforts. Whereas at Lambeau, once that magic wears off, it's just not to disrespect it. You know, it's especially if it's a cold weather game. It's just an old stadium with bleachers. Yeah. I will be going to U.S. Bank Stadium this year.
Really? Yeah, that's your road trip. I think I'm going to drive and take a lacrosse detour as well. I think I'm going to get a Dells bloody to go.
I'm going to have them make me a 12 pack of bloodies, take it to go and then show up in Minnesota with Dells bloodies. Bought cigarettes this morning for the weekend, have a pack ready to go in my backpack. Really? Yeah. Yeah. Only time I ever smoke is in lacrosse.
Oh, I disavow this right now is I've only smoked like seven times in my life and each time has been in lacrosse and it's been a full pack. And you dude waking up the next day, you're like a raccoon died in my throat. Oh, it is the worst. God is the worst. Gross.
Don't do that. All right. Last one I have for you. So I usually hope to come into this with like one topic that I'm really excited about and then like maybe two that are going to be fun. This is the third one of which I originally had this one first where I was like, if I only have this one, this topic is going to be great. And where we had to wait to this point to get to it. But still struggling with how to phrase it.
But here's the order. No, no, but I'm saying because like the Zach Loewen came up today and then I want to hit on your Lambo. I'm saying the fact that there's like three that I'm super stoked about is nice. Yeah.
If this situation with Malik Willis had happened a year ago, before we knew that Jordan- No, no, shut up. What are you doing? Oh, come on. Come on.
What are you doing? Hold on. Hold on. We didn't know that Jordan love was good until week 12. Like, I mean, like give this guy $55 million a year good, right?
Like that level of good. It's a good thing that this situation that has happened through three weeks didn't happen last year. We would be in a much different universe, a different parallel galaxy to you all.
We can, whatever Marvel analogy you want to use. If this had happened a year ago. So if this happened a year ago where Jordan love is kind of for game one and then gets hurt.
Malik Willis comes in weeks two and three and is really good. We could be, we know we would be living in a much different galaxy, a different Packers universe timeline. And it's a good thing that that didn't happen. Thank goodness that this didn't happen a year ago or. Well, so what would happen? So if this happened last year and Jordan loves ready to play, he would have come back for week four. Okay. But, but you, I mean, we had Sean Clifford truthers who are like, you've got to start Clifford.
You got like a year ago. Now that if Malik Willis, a guy who we all other reasons, if we all, if we all liked. Well, if Malik Willis, who we all liked in college and whatever else, and the Packers get him, he comes in, he's better in weeks two and three than what love was in week one.
That would have been terrible. All right. With all due respect to Malik Willis. And I do think, and I agree with Kevin Harlan, that this is a coach of the year performance. A conversation you can find on the Odyssey platform or also the Bart Winkler show YouTube channel. I think you just dropped something down there, but go ahead.
Which you're on right now. Well, I was talking with my good friend, Kevin Harland, uh, yesterday. He did say afterwards, he said, great conversation. Let's pick this up anytime. I heard that.
But then there was a double down on it after I ended the interview. That's big. And then he said, what's your address? Want to hang out on Monday night after the game?
Um, to which then he said, any chance I have to get away from Sheboygan the farther away from this shit hole, the better. Yeah. I, with all due respect, I feel like watching Malik Willis, his performances is watching someone throw a 300 game with bumpers. Wow.
Okay. Like he's doing very well. He's also got the situation set up for him. Now he's made some throws that he needed to make. So, Hey, Hey, look, dad, I didn't use the bumper that time. A few strikes that didn't.
Yeah, I got to follow you. What's happened with these two weeks? Nobody's, nobody's saying, nobody's saying, um, Hey, Malik Willis has been fucking amazing. It's people saying, wow, Matt Leflore got that out of Malik Willis. But if Caleb Williams had had one game so far, like what Malik Willis has had two people would be shitting themselves to say how great Caleb Williams is. Oh, if he had the Jayden Daniels game, it would be over.
It's all about like that, that advanced PR work of like what your expectations are for a player. I think the bears are fucked. Actually.
I still think Caleb Williams is going to be good, but like, how, how, how can you be a bears fan and watch the guy at number two, do that? And then Justin Fields go through, you know, like it's, it's words on both fronts, man. Yeah. Anyway, you were being interrupted.
Well, no, there's plenty. I mean, there's plenty you can to say on this, but like, I guess I want to put across the point that if we would go back a year and love plays an okay game in week one and gets hurt and the backup comes in, be it Clifford, be it Malik Willis, whatever plays well, even with the bumpers on that, like we could be like, that would have been bad because we wouldn't have got a given love. I don't think the same it's possible. I think it's very possible in this alternate universe that love isn't given the leash he was given last year. He doesn't become the $55 million per year quarterback. And I just thought to myself, like, thank goodness it happened after we all agree that love is good. Because if it happened before we agreed that love was good, this could have been really bad for like future Packers.
Go ahead, Grant. Well, I had a caller bring this up this week and I didn't really know how to answer the caller. He's like, what if this would have happened last year? The only response I could give was the Packers front office is very thankful that that's not what happened. Like the Packers front office is very thankful that this played out the way that it did because it could have been a lot messier.
It could have been a lot harder like Jordan love by the end of the year made it easy on the Packers front office but it could have been so much messier. It's interesting that you had a call about that and that you had to respond to it in real time. Who was it? Who's your smart caller? Who's your brilliant caller? I can't remember who it was. It's not someone who calls. It wasn't Cone. It wasn't one of the regulars.
I can't remember who it was. I had Eric on I-90 on hold the other day but he was only on hold for like three minutes and then I was just going to go to him. Eric's a Vikings fan. Another caller on the morning show this week called him Earache on I-90. I should see Eric tomorrow. He normally comes to our Oktoberfest tapping in the morning.
He normally stops by on his way to work. Earache? Oh my god. I'm going to see.
If I go to media day, I'm going to go up to name and say, what's up Earache name? I get accepted. Was this question going where you thought it was going?
I started going like six seconds. Yeah. Well, Jesus.
Where else could it have gone? Okay. I liked your reaction. It told me that I was on to something. Now, Grant, I think you shared about possible we have to get Malik Willis still in the game somehow. Oh, that is really? This is a... Oh, whoa. Paul, Paul, wait, wait, wait a minute, Paul.
I need to clarify this to you. Do you think Packers fandom is just sitting around these last two weeks and I see the dregs because I see the internet comments on the live stream to our shows. Do you think Packers fandom is sitting around with their legs crossed these last two weeks going, wow, we finally have a nice backup. No need to do anything else other than win games with him until Jordan Love comes back.
Do you think that's what's going on? Because a good portion of the fan base wants to flip them while he's playing good for a pick. Another one of the fan base wants to come up with packages to continue to get them into the game.
And then another portion of the fan base is like, are we sure we want to bring Jordan Love back? Let's play Willis until he loses like this is not. This is going on. This is happening now. Yeah.
Wow. I mean, I guess I do take for granted the level of silliness that you guys have to deal with or that you grant now with the two local shows every day has to deal with because that's. Okay, fair enough. By the way, those aren't like ridiculous. Like if a team, let's say the dolphins were to call it off for a second for Malik Willis. I'm not saying it's a ridiculous. You know what I mean? Like that could happen.
And like a third and short package for him. Sure. Okay.
I'm not saying it's ridiculous, but I'm just saying that these conversations are happening, Paul. You know, we, as a fan base right now, we are the dog that caught the car. Like we have been dying for a decent backup for well over a decade. We finally have one and we don't really know what to do with it. Now that we've actually, we've gotten there. My, my part B to this is, and you'll, you might take a second to think about this, but you'll see how I'm going about it.
This is my last one. It's an add on to the Malik Willis. Malik Willis is one of the 25 best quarterbacks in the NFL or essentially he would start for six, seven teams. No, he is better than the quarterback for six years. He's a top 25 quarterback in the NFL. No. Would Patriots fans rather have Malik Willis than Jacoby for second?
I've watched both. Malik Willis has been far superior. What about Titans fans?
What would they say right now? They would absolutely, they would absolutely want Malik Willis, which I brought this up on my show on Monday. It's a, it's a funny story to us that we stole the Titans back up for a seven and then walked into Nissan stadium and pretty much beat their ass with them, right? It's a funny story to us, but because the Titans are so nationally irrelevant, no one else cares. Imagine if, imagine this, imagine if the chiefs acquired Trey Lance for a seventh round pick from the Niners once upon a time.
And then in a massive regular season game, went into Sarah Claire, Santa Clara and beat them with Trey Lance. Yeah, it would be everywhere. It would be, you're right. You're right. But because it's the Titans, no, because it's us, it's the same thing with council. This is the council Cubs thing on the national scene that Bart has talked about. Yeah. Look, I think if the Packers did it to the Vikings, it would be a bigger step. Is there a, is there a less nationally relevant team than the Titans right now though? Yeah.
Jacksonville, maybe. I don't know. Oh my goodness.
I'm not doing the dreams thing where it's like, Oh, the top stories. I got sweaty. I'm not doing that, but I'm just saying. Yeah. Grant, Grant, you're by the way, Grant, your connection was great this whole time up until that. And then as you were doing that, Bart started disrobing. Well, I got sweaty. All right.
This might be as good a time of any as a grand starts cutting out. Sorry, I'm sorry about that. I'm doing my bird Chrysler imitation with my hat and my shirt off. It's a pretty good impression, quite frankly. So Bart it's like you, you, you were very definitively on this, that, that Malique Willis is a top 25 quarterback in the league. I can't look at myself like this. I am no one else wants to either. So.
Well, I was sweaty. I was having, I was going to say everyone else is enjoying it. Grant without Grant, without putting, like without looking at a list of quarterbacks and backups and starters, where would you just, you got to pick a number? Malique Willis is the blank best quarterback in the NFL. What number would you pick?
It's a tough question to answer because if you take them out of this environment, I think it changes. I know. I think if Malique Willis plays against the Vikings, he will get his shit destroyed. So let's get love back and let's have these two weeks where we thought Malique Willis was pretty good and let's never need to go back to it again.
That's probably what's going to happen. She beat the Colts and the Titans. He did what he needed to do. Thank you for your service. Costanza this thing out after one joke. Oh, wow. Americana at its finest. But then Bart.
And to think this all this all used to be ice shelves. This does contradict, though, with something we texted about, which is how would you answer this question? Malique Willis isn't just good for a backup. Malique Willis is good, good or no. I think I disagree.
I think I you're seeing two games. I know. I'm not trying to say he's a top 10, top 15.
I mean, I'm not like I get it. And the floor, to your point earlier, Bart, like the conversation has been low. Wow. Malique Willis has been OK. The floor is a top five head coach.
Like these two weeks have sealed the the public opinion that now all the narratives. Yeah. But at the same time, I do think like I mean, you're going to have Malique Willis like flame out after two years in Tennessee and then definitively say, yeah, he's just he's just an average backup.
He's clearly not. Can I say this in defense of Malique Willis? I mean, like there are worse franchises than the Titans, but that's the nightmare situation. Right. Like the quarterback that's drafted is a last ditch effort by a GM and a coach that knows they're on their way out. And they take some half assed quarterback like Kellen Monde in the second round just to say they did. But they were never that invested in them. And then the new regime gets there and it's not our guy. Like that's it.
That's a terrible middle ground to be in. All right. Well, I got to go pick up my kid. All right. Grant, thank you for your driving. Paul, thank you for your questions.
You're welcome. Fun times, as always. I hope my connection and audio wasn't like it was it was good.
It was better than mine normally is at my house. Yeah. All right, boys. Until next time, this has been into the Winkler verse. Grossed.
