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So all that good stuff. Telephone number is toll free. If you want to wait, we've got the beef segment coming up at the top of our number three. Remember, we start to roll downhill. I've got two interviews this hour, so we're going to all of a sudden roll up on the third hour, and you're going to be ready for your beefs, or you better be ready right now.
Though, as promised, we are joined by a former college head football coach. He was the head coach at UNC Charlotte for 2023 and 2024. He has had three coaching stints at Michigan, including spending four years over. In Ann Arbor, he was the Wolverines' associate head coach and the interim head coach last year. He is currently a Big Ten Network college football analyst, and he is the host of the News Nation podcast.
Biff, he is Biff Poggi. Biff, great to have you on the show. Biff, how you doing? Good, Jim. How are you?
It's a, it's an honor to be with you. Thank you, Biff. It's great to have you. It's an honor to have you. You look great, and I appreciate making time, Biff.
Given your Michigan ties, why don't we start right there? If you don't mind, you were on the staff last year. What do you make? I'm just going to jump right into it. What do you make of Bryce Underwood and him going from being a highly touted prospect with big NIL money to being benched last week at halftime, and Tommy Car leading the comeback over Penn State?
And where does that leave Bryce?
Well, it's a good question. You know, when we built the roster at Michigan, it was built for a pro-style gap scheme kind of offense, where with a lot of play action and some deep shots and deep crosses. You know, I coached Bryce last year; he played well in the really well in the three games I was the head coach. I think. Part of what's happened, Jim, and he's getting tortured on social media.
Part of what happened is the scheme doesn't fit the personnel. Not only Bryce, but the offensive line, the tight end room, and the running backs.
So you know, I think they feel like you know, Tommy gives them a better chance. Tommy's a good player. Bryce has a chance to be an unbelievable player in the right scheme with the right. Coaches, and I would just say this, and just trying to be as transparent as I can. You know, it's one thing to come out of the bullpen at halftime.
It's another thing to be a starter where everything's on you.
So we're going to see, you know, how Tommy progresses through that. Bipoggi joining us. I appreciate that because we're going to find out soon, right? Like we're going to find out this weekend because the Wolverines are four and two, and they're going to host number six Indiana, who's looking to bounce back after having their twenty-two game winning streak snapped. Do you think that Michigan can hang with the defending champs?
And then, what do you think this game ultimately could come down to, Jim? I think when you play defense like Michigan plays, you can hang with anybody. I will say this. Indiana is so elite in in running the football. They've got a quarterback that's very good.
Their offensive line might be the best in the country, and defensively, they're number one in two of the important stats: red zone and scoring.
So it'll be a good game because Michigan's defense. But but I think that Indiana is going to going to be something to reckon with. Biff Boje joining us. You know, Biff, you of course worked with Jim Harbaugh in Ann Arbor, knowing how intense a competitor he is. How do you think that he is processing the Chargers' zero and six start?
And then, what do you think is behind the Bolts falling apart this year the way they have?
Well, it's interesting, but Jim and I spoke on the phone last night, and I can tell you he is of good cheer. He is. The tougher things get, the the the better Jim is in those situations, and he's very optimistic. He loves the quarterback, he loves the football team. I think, I think that they will turn it around.
And I am not saying this just because we're dear friends, but this is a guy. He's an elite, elite football coach. You know, you have to. Answer what happened. I know they've had a lot of injuries, and when you have injuries, even with a veteran quarterback on the offensive line, it means your running game gets shot, and it means your quarterback's fighting for his life.
And I think some of that might be the reason. Yeah, Biff, I think that you can factor all that in. I think that's fair. In your opinion, do you think? And it seemed like the best thing ever at the time.
In retrospect, knowing what we know right now, do you think that hiring Mike McDaniel was a mistake? I don't know enough about Mike. I trust Jim's judgment on that. But looking at what we're looking at, it doesn't seem like a great fit right now.
However, they're so banged up; it's hard to make a judgment. Fair enough, Biff Poggi joining us, Biff.
So third ranked Ohio State has got to buy, and they're gonna have to address some major injury issues. Ryan Day now says the quarterback Julian San is going to miss the rest of the regular season, maybe even the postseason, with that arm injury.
So, do you think the true freshman Luke Feighy can lean on the talent around him, be a game manager, and keep Ohio State's national title hopes alive? Boy, that's a that's that's a that's a big question, and it's and it's and it's it's something that honestly, if you look at Ohio State, Jim, the way they've scored points this year, they they've scored them outside of the red zone.
So, in other words, a lot of big plays from Sain to number four, and they're very explosive. They got other guys are explosive too.
So, it's not been a real kind of ball control, deliberate. They're not running it great. They're running. It' okay. A lot's going to be on this young guy's shoulders, Jim.
And it's a put it this way: these are hard shoulder pads to fill. Ryan Day's got to figure out a really tight plan to give this kid success and let him play in in himself. If he does that, they got a chance. If I'm really curious, what your thoughts are about what's going on with Texas? A lot of noise, a lot of angst coming out of Austin, where the previously top-ranked Longhorns have back-to-back losses.
Arch Manning continues to struggle. If Texas does not make the playoff, what kind of changes might you expect at UT?
Well, you know, Jim, they have such high expectations down there for their program, and they have for years. They put a lot of money into it. As you know, when when money goes into things, people expect results. I think Steve Sarkeesian's a very good coach. I think Arch.
We played against them last year, and when I coached in the in the Citrus Bowl, and Arch is a is is really a rare talent.
Something's going on right.
Now, where he is, he's a little delayed in his processing, Jim. Because if you watch the film, he's holding onto the ball too long. He did not do that against us. He's tending to do that now, and maybe what they do is they take a little bit off of his plate, Jim. A little less.
Reads and just have him, you know, throw to a particular receiver, or let him have less to think about. If they don't make the playoffs. You know how that is down there, man. They're going to be a lot of people yapping and wanting answers. That's the truth, Biff.
That is the truth. A lot of money down there, and a lot of people that have a lot of things to say. And where to come out of this? Like, I I like both these guys a lot. I like Sark.
I like Arch. I'm not looking to drag anybody at all. But it's hard to fathom Arch not making the playoff in both years that he started, Biff.
So, I mean, is it a matter of them not developing him, or is it a matter of Arch not doing what he needs to do. Oh, really? Really, another tough question, Jim. But it's probably a combination of both.
Sometimes when you have a really talented young player, Jim, and like this kid is really talented, and and you know you're a really good offensive mind like like Sark is, you tend to the kid makes a few plays, and you go, "Wow, we can give him more." And he makes a few more plays. He said, "We give more and more and more." And maybe you got. To the point where you've given him a little too much, but if you watch him play, and he's a hell of a competitor and a tough, tough kid, he just seems like he's he's he's he's grinding through it now instead of playing fast and loose. Like he said yesterday, I'm going to die on let it rip hill. I'm just going to let it rip.
I'm going to let it rip and live the consequences. Like he needs to do that, right? I think that's a great. I didn't hear that, but if that's what he said, that's how he should be thinking about it. Yeah, exactly.
That's what he said.
So, Biff, let me ask you: Maryland parts ways with Mike Locksley yesterday.
So, there's a coaching opening now in the Big Ten. How attractive do you think that job is? And given your resume, is that a position that might interest you?
Well, let me say this, Jim. I've known Mike Locksley a long time. I actually coached his son in high school. Really good player that went to Texas, by the way. And Mike is a Mike is a really good man.
And you know, but this is the nature of this business. And Maryland is a job that is. Look, they haven't been successful in a long time, and you know the Maryland fans think that if you just change the head coach, something miraculous is going to happen. And really, it's a, it's a, it's got to be a systemic change at Maryland. It's got to start with, you know.
The governor, the state legislature, the the board of directors, the president, the AD, the head coach, who the head coach fires, and who they retain on the roster, and who they bring in out of the portal, and if you get the right guy, it's it's a good job, and there's no reason that job can't win and win right away. And to answer your question, yeah, I'm a Baltimore guy. I'm from Little Italy in Baltimore. And grew up around here, and coached around here, and if coached in the Big Ten, I would be. I would love a shot at turning that thing around, and I think we could do it.
Let's go, Biff. I'd love to see you get that shot. I think that'd be great. I love that you said that. I love that you want that.
I love that you're not somebody who's saying, "Hey, you know, man, I don't really don't like what I see in the landscape right now. I'm not about that anymore." And I respect guys that might not want to be do that anymore. But clearly, you're not put off by that, right? Like you understand. There are changes and things are different, and there needs to be guardrails and other changes.
But generally speaking, you're not put off by that. No, Jim. I've. Um. I'll tell you every.
Coaching job I've ever had, I took over a program that was awful, and we've been very successful. And by the way, that that goes for Charlotte because that was a young program in the in the American Conference, which, as you know, being a sports guy, that that's the best conference, next conference out of the Power Four. And you know, we won five games. We were play away, one play away from getting to a bowl game against Memphis, and we were. Four and four in the league, and and I think that was a hell of success, and it's been tough sledding since we left there.
So, how much people, not everybody watching or listening, knows your background, and then a lot of people do, and of course I do. But how much of your success in football, and especially in taking over these programs and having these builds that are very challenging, how much of that success is because of your background in finance? Any of it?
Some of it? A lot of it? A whole lot of it, Jim. I ran a hedge fund for a long time, and as you know, those businesses are—you either are. Every day is game day in a hedge fund, and if you if you do not perform, you know you're you're closing shop, and you have to perform the right way too, right?
Because you know the SEC watches over you, and you you you have to do things the right way, and everything.
So what you have to do is you have to learn how to put together a team of highly successful. Alpha people, you have to give them direction, and then you have to let them do their jobs. And you have to have confidence in a culture. And so, all of those things, Jim, go into what we've done coaching football. And I'll say this in today's world, and you know this, Jim, with what's happened the last four or five years.
Being a head football coach now is no longer the guy that knows the best X's and O's offensively or defensively. You are truly a CEO of a multi-hundred million-dollar revenue business, with you know. Multiple tens of millions of EBITDA, and you got to run it that way, and you have to expect results. And so, I think it overlaps, and it's helped me in in my career. Yeah, I love that.
So, Biff, one last thing. In addition to the work that you're doing with the Big Ten Network, you have your own podcast too, and you've put some really big names, including Nick Saban. And I've been watching that Saban doc on ESPN, and Listen, we're getting we're getting the best version of Nick, but it's fascinating. It is really a great watch. It's fascinating.
I'm really curious, peer to peer. When you're on the other side and you're not answering questions from people like me, and you get to ask the questions, how did you approach that sit down with Nick, and what was it like?
Well, I've known him for years because he would come and recruit my high school players like crazy, and we developed a really nice relationship. We're we are we are close friends, and I I. Have great respect for him because he is a great football coach. Obviously, probably the best in the modern era. But he's also people don't know he has a huge business empire.
His car dealerships are going to do about two billion this year in revenue. And so, talking to him, I wanted to talk to him not just about football, but about the business of football, how the role of the head coach changed, and I wanted to give him a little. Of shit too, if I can say that without being edited, which we did. We we edited, but I'm glad you said. I mean, it's unfortunate you said that.
Okay, so how did he take that? Did he like that? He loved it. He gave it right back, and you know, we were on the phone right after, laughing about it. And he's he he has a Ferrari dealership now, and a Ferrari dealership.
Yeah. Oh, he's he's got a huge business. And when he called, he first got at Jim, and he called me, and he said, "Hey, I just got the." Ferrari dealership really hard to get. I said, great, let me be your first customer. Oh yeah, yeah, yeah.
Well, it's been six years and I still don't have a car. He's probably driving my car. He's so full of crap. I mean, I I can't stand it. That is the best.
Yeah, of all the dealerships, if you had said to me, hey, what kind of a dealership do you think he has? I don't know a a Ford dealership, a Ferrari dealership. One last thing, if about Saban is he is Saban? We know all about. Famously, the process.
Don't worry about the outcome. Focus on six seconds. Do it again. Do it again. Do it again.
Do it again. That aside, brilliant approach. Is he a brilliant guy? Is he a brilliant guy with crazy, crazy IQ and bandwidth, or is he just a really disciplined, consistent guy? He's both, Jim.
That's a really good question. He's a brilliant dude. He's a brilliant dude with with unbelievable discipline. And if Nick wasn't a football coach, he'd be working for Goldman Sachs or J.P. Morgan or something like that.
He's one of those dudes. He's very impressive guy.
Well, Biff, when you get your Ferrari dealership. I will not be your first customer, but but but I will celebrate it though. I will celebrate it. I actually had one back in the day, man. That that is not an easy car to drive.
That is not a daily driver. Wow, you had one. What did you have? I had a, I had a three sixty. I had a three fifty five.
And if you want to best of all, this is when I was living really high, and I was in my Ferrari stage. I also was an investor in a restaurant.
Some a hole valet from the restaurant crop dusted the Ferrari. Just, just, just. You believe that? Like I was an investor in the restaurant, and roll up in my Ferrari, never feeling better about me, and some. Dude, who worked at the restaurant, who I guess technically worked for me, crop dusted my ass.
Do you believe that? That is that is hilarious. My my listeners think so, Biff. My listeners think it's the funniest thing ever.
Next time we talk, we got to talk horse racing because I uh. I'm in that business too, and I know you are. You talk about a crazy life, dude. Dude, that's why I'm no longer in that business, Biff. That next time.
Oh, you out now?
Okay. I no longer have the exposure because, as you know, Biff, when things are good, they're absolutely incredible, and when things are not good, they're not incredible. But but it's it's it's different though, man. Right. Yeah, it is really crazy, exciting, most exciting athletic stuff I've ever been involved with.
More than football, more than football, are the highs of horse racing higher than football? When your horse is winning, it's it's remarkable. It's it's the highest of highs. But when you get get a call from your trainer and he stepped on a rock or he did this or he has a suspend, it's like the lowest of lows. They don't tell you that either.
They don't. Maybe you knew that going in. I did not know that going in. I did not know that every one of them gets hurt and they do. But you know what?
Having a big horse, having a big horse. You're right. There's nothing like it. You just there's a feeling that's hard to explain. It just makes you.
Feels so good knowing you've got one. You've got a runner, and you and you've had one. I've never had one, but I'd love to have one. And but yeah, you had one, and it had to be an unbelievable experience. We had two.
We had one. We had one mare that won two Breeders Cups, and we had another one named Shared Belief that passed away when he was five, and he was the top ranked filly. Do you remember that horse? Unbelievable horse! Oh, of course I remember that horse.
Monster. God bless you, Bib Man. You know the great thing about him being a monster. He and he was a monster. He was small, man.
He was small, and people used to. I used to watch the broadcast and be like, "Hey, he ain't much to look at." And I thought that was a reason to go. Like I, I was so offended by that. Not you know how athletes are. Like there are those five foot ten athletes that think they're six five.
That that horse thought he was seventeen hands. That he was he was so game. He was so game. It was unbelievable. If you're the Best man, you're pumping me up.
That makes me feel. That makes me feel so good that you know that horse. And being a sports guy, you know how game that horse was because he was man. He was a monster. Biff, you're the best.
What a great conversation. I hope you get that Maryland job, regardless. And you have my vote, regardless. Let's do it again, sir. Thank you.
Thank you, Jim. I really enjoyed it. Thank you so much. Really appreciate you, Biff. That was fun.
That was so fun. Bipoghi joining us. What an interesting, interesting conversation. All right, I forgot that Biff was a horse guy, and I love Share Belief, who I don't talk about so much anymore. Passed away in 2015.
If you can believe that, it's been 10 years, 11 years, and I. Horse people know that really made me feel good for that moment. That Biff Biff knew the horse, remember the horse, and said, "Oh yo, no, dude, he's a monster. He was a monster. That's the one we're all looking for." Horse people know that.
All right, when we come back, my thanks to Biff. You know I'm throwing my support behind him for that Maryland job. Welcome to your most rewarding season ever, only on FanDuel. How rewarding are we talking? More rewarding than a touchdown with time expiring.
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Now streaming only on. My advice to you: Shut up! No, that was that was a form of jungle Tourette's. My advice to you: Start dialing. Start dialing because what's going to happen is next segment.
Shut up. Is Charles Robinson. This segment is going to be short. Then after Charles Robinson, the beef segment. Start dialing one eight hundred six three six eight six eight six.
Also write your beefs in. Hit me up on X with a beef. Hit me up on email with a beef. Hit me up on chat with a beef. Beef segment once a week, top of hour number three.
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I loved everything about that. I love the conversation. I love the insight. I love the lavender pullover. Love the look.
Love the vibe. Great conversation. Really enjoyed that. How about you? All right.
I do want to talk about Troy Aikman and Joe Buck. Actually, I don't want to talk about that. That's the whole point. I don't want to talk about that, and you know this about me because I normally never talk about things like that. But those things that cross over into the mainstream, those things that cross over into the tabloids, the things that kind of require almost.
Necessitate that I talk about. I will talk about, but normally I don't talk of the broadcasters. I don't talk of the shows, but I will tell you somebody as somebody's in this business. That is a weird one. That is a really, really weird story.
So I'm going to try and get to that before the end of the program. Van Gobel, my man's going to keep it straight, but Jim Biff is right. About the fit of Cal Whittingham and Michigan, Bryce Underwood would work much better in an up tempo Oregon slash the U kind of offense, not ground and pound. It's a programmatic non fit. It was a programmatic non fit.
So, here is a question: If you recruit this guy and you pay him millions of dollars. Then why would you bring in a Kyle Whittingham? And I like Wit, but if you know it's a programmatic non-fit, and you know the scheme is not a good fit, programmatic non-fit. Why are you bringing him in?
Now I understand Michigan was having a lot of trouble with Michigan men. Michigan was having a lot of problem with discipline. Michigan was having a lot of problems following the rules. Michigan was having a lot of drama. Michigan was having a lot of scary things, like coaches showing up at young females' homes with butter knives.
They needed somebody to clean that up, but they also had to know, right, that that was not going to be a good fit. That that was not going to be necessarily good for Bryce Underwood. Maybe the men of Michigan decided we have to take a longer term or a longer view of this. But then again, Witt's not a 37 year old guy either. But I thought what Biff said was interesting, and I agree.
It's one thing to bench the Bryce, and then have the understudy come in and play well. But coming off the bench and giving a team a spark is very different than being the guy. And now you got to be the guy if you're the guy against Indiana. And Indiana is coming off its first loss in more than twenty games. You know they'll be ready.
Different animal.
So we'll see your thoughts, your reaction to that. One eight hundred six three six eight six eight six. I've got Charles Robinson coming up in a few moments. First, let's go to the phones. No, let's go to the phones, Alvy.
We can do it. Will in Milton. What's going on with you, Will? Not a whole lot. Just wanted to call and share how much I had enjoyed the interview with Piff.
It was kind of just an interview until you started asking about the Maryland job, and then it went to a conversation, which I really liked. The insight. One of the pieces that I really took from it was you have talked about. The valet dropped us in your vehicle for years and years and years, and it's always been a funny story. And I always assumed you had a BMW or something.
But when we find out that you had a Ferrari, that just takes the humor to a whole different level. And I really enjoyed that. I appreciate you, Will. You know you're right. As I was telling that story, I knew that.
I knew that I never told you what kind of car that was. I always said it was an exotic whip. It was an exotic whip. I don't know that I've ever actually admitted that I had a Ferrari, but I had a Ferrari. In fact, I hate to admit it, I had two.
Anyway, damn straight. That's what makes that story so incredible. Janno and I were going to Hollywood and broke out the Ferrari. That was not a daily driver. That that was a Saturday.
That was a dinner. That was that. You gotta understand. I was in a very different place in my life. That was the so-called Ferrari stage.
That was the invest in restaurants, invest in bands, buy a Ferrari.
So that's why that was such an a-hole move. And I mean, I guess give the kid. The kid had a brass sack, man. He works for us. Guess he didn't technically work for me.
I was only an investor with a small share in the restaurant. But to crop us to Ferrari, that was not by accident. I only brought that up because Biff talked about Nick Saban having a Ferrari dealership. I appreciate you picking up on that, Will. All right, when we come back, Charles Robinson will be joining us, founder of the NFL Blue Book.
So we'll talk to Matt Affeldt. Top of the hour, the beef segment. All of this still ahead. You're listening to the Jim Rome Show. The mighty dollar.
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Shopify. dot com slash listen. All right, beef segment top of the hour.
So you want to hit me up right now? One eight zero zero six three six eight six eight six. But first, we are joined by the founder of NFL Bluebook, which Charles Robinson. It launched in August and is available at NFLBluebook. dot com.
He previously served as senior NFL writer for Yahoo Sports for twenty one years. Of course, I'm talking about Charles Robinson. Charles, it's been a minute, my dude. Good to see you. How you doing?
Yeah. I'm good, man. Look at the lettuce. Looking good. Very strong.
I like that, man. The lettuce, lettuce, lettuce game still, still on point. Hey, man, you got to fight for what you can hold on to, right? Got to do what you got to do. Tell me about it.
Appreciate, yeah. While I was looking at the the photo, you guys, the the old photo you have of me, I'm like, is my hairline creeping up? What's going on? I got you. I got you.
So, dude, bring me up to date. After spending decades with Yahoo Sports, NFL Bluebook is your new venture. What sets it apart from some of the The other platforms and some of the other outlets, and what will our viewers and our listeners see and get when they experience it? Yeah, you know it. I would say this right now.
It's a very linear kind of coverage experience. It's similar to to how I operate at Yahoo Sports.
So you're you're just looking at the NFL as a senior reporter. But I am working on a longer term pivot into really looking at NFL front offices as an ecosystem. Like you and I, we operate in a media ecosystem. We've operated a media ecosystem for years and years, and we always hear people say, "Well, the media, the media." And you and I would look at each other and say. That's contextually a lot of different things.
There's all kinds of different cultures in media. There's different norms how places operate, where the line is drawn. That's what NFL front offices are like too. It's its own ecosystem, and I think up until this point there really has just not been one focused, centralized coverage of NFL front offices, the 32 front offices, on a consistent basis. That's where I want to take this eventually.
No, I love that. I love that because that's something. Different, and that's something that's not being done right now. I think that's a very, very good idea.
So let me ask you this: the NFL says that it's not going to punish the Eagles for how they handled Jalen Hurts' blood clotting issues, but the NFLPA is calling for a full investigation into the matter. Charles, what questions do you still have about the entire situation?
Well, I think when you when you talk to people at the union, the biggest thing is the NFL is already coming out here and saying it was handled properly. Like protocols were followed. They've disputed this idea that Jalen Hurts. There have been reports that Hurts had been awake like 30 to 36 hours prior to playing in the the Jacksonville game with the superficial blood clot in his leg. The NFL says that was not accurate.
Jalen slept 78 hours. That's still in dispute.
So the NFL's PA stance, the union stance is look. We care more about the players' health and safety than you do. We know you say you do, but we, in demonstration over decades, have shown we're fighting for health and safety all the time.
So what we want is an independent investigation to take place prior to you coming out and saying, "Hey, everything was fine; it was handled fine." And yet, Roger Goodell, the NFL commissioner, the chief medical officer, Alan Sills, both came out at the league meeting this week and said. There's no reason for us to believe that anything went awry. Alan Sills even went as far as to say, "Just because the the blood clotting condition got worse does not mean it was because of something that the Eagles' medical staff did during the course of this." The bottom line here, though, is blood clots are extremely serious. They found deep vein thrombosis and blood clots in his lungs. This is the kind of thing that can cause a life altering stroke, not just career altering.
We're not Talking about the NFL here, we're talking about Jalen Hurts' health and quality of life, and that's where the NFLPA is approaching this from. Let's get some kind of an independent investigation to actually verify. What the NFL is coming out and saying, what they believe prematurely is actually true. Seems to me the NFL was awfully quick to say nothing to see here, everything is fine. Let's keep moving.
Let me ask you one more thing: Did you find it odd that Hurts and his agent were so quick to issue a joint statement with the team when it initially went down? And then, what does that suggest to you? Um. Well, I'm gonna be careful about what I trend into here. It's in his best interests, I think, as a player who's gonna miss the remainder of the 2026 season, who still has an immense element of a contract out there to earn.
To side with the team, and I'm not saying he's just doing it because financially it's in his best interest, but we would be lying to ourselves to say who has the most at stake here individually in this scenario. It's Jalen Hurts; he's still owed tens and tens and tens of millions of dollars, right? I mean, he signed a massive franchise contract, and it's a scenario now playing out through the remainder of 2026 where you have to look at the Eagles and say. There's no guarantee. Even though his agent, Jalen Hurts' agent, Nicole Land, has come out and said, "You know, we're going to rust him up.
He's going to miss the rest of 2026. He's going to come back." There's no guarantee. We'll find out as as the medical prognosis continues to to develop down the line, and then you have the Eagles sort of sitting there and saying, "Well." Do we have to backstop this in some way, shape, or form? Do we have to make sure that maybe we have another option just in case this does not go the way we ultimately expect it? If I'm a player in that scenario, I do not want to lose my position as the franchise cornerstone of the Philadelphia Eagles.
So I'm going to lean into they handled it the right way. I'm going to rest up. I'm going to be better. I'm going to be back in 2027. We're talking to Charles Robinson.
So Charles, once again, as part of the NFL Blue Book, I mean, as as the Issue with the NFL Blue Book. You are going to study NFL front offices and do deep dives, which you've already done. You did one earlier about the Colts and their decision to fire GM Chris Bowerd on Monday. What can you tell us about how that went down? I think it was nearly ten years of.
Patient continuity and waiting for the corner to be turned, and ultimately, Carly Urse Gordon, who obviously took over the team in 2025 for her late father Jim. Was ready to turn the page, and you know, over the years, you would go through, particularly the last couple of years, you would go through teams, and you would discuss sort of where things are, what's going on, what's the vibe of front offices elsewhere, and you would get questions asked from other general manager, other people, scouts, people in front offices saying. Asking like in in Indianapolis, how has Chris Ballard achieve this level of patience where he's swapped out multiple quarterbacks? We're talking about now he loses Andrew Luck early in his career, so he's he's given a lifeline. I think from Jim Mersay from that point on, saying this was an event that changed the calculation of our franchise for years, and I'm going to let him work his way out of that.
Well, that went from Carson Wentz to Matt Ryan to Anthony Richardson being draft number four overall, and that not working, and then now Daniel Jones. I. I think Jim Irsay prized continuity and thought we're just never felt completely out of a window. Never felt like it needed to be 100% torn down and rebuilt. And so Jim Irsay stuck with continuity.
Carly Irsay Gordon, after the fast start last year, eight and two, and then you know falling out of the playoff race at the end, she came out after the season and she said, the only thing that I think matters, I'm pissed. We're pissed. You're on the clock at that point. When your owner says that in front of the media, you know something's got to go right in 2026. And I think the two and four start.
And Daniel Jones, I would say, lackluster level of play in comparison to how he was prior to the Achilles injury, and the contract that was dolled out really was the last straw. You know, so it's really interesting that you said that because then you look at the Saints and Gail Benson came out and it was really out of character, and she's like, "Hey, man, we need to see more, we need to do better." And then Mickey Loomis came right out and said, "I want to preach patience." So, which is it? Yeah, listen. You're always going to, as as a general manager, ask for patience, right? And I would I would argue that even after your owner says she's running out of patience, I Mickey Loomis is the safest individual in that franchise.
Not named Dale Benson.
Okay, that's fair. Because He is intertwined in everything, both internally as a football organization, politically, in terms of everything that the Saints have done in New Orleans, and there is a history there. He is intertwined as anything with with the forward momentum of that team or backward momentum, and you know he he I think decides his own accountability at this point. I will just reiterate. The most precious commodity for NFL general managers is not a quarterback.
It's not a head coach. It's time. It's time. That's what every NFL general manager wants. That's what Chris Ballard had in Indianapolis and ran out.
And I think that's what a lot of NFL general managers live under the specter now: is is am I going to get the time when things go wrong? I would say that coaches feel the same way.
So, how much time does Shane Steichen have?
Well, it's the results are going to matter through the rest of the season. You know, Ed Dodds, who was Chris Ballard's right hand man in front office, he takes over personnel. But coaching and personnel right now are siloed. They report to Carly, Urse Gordon separately, and so what that means is Ed Dodds, you have the personnel. You know, let's focus on the November 10 trade deadline and and what needs to happen with this roster, if anything at all, in terms of potential trades.
And then, Shane Steichen, I need to see a turnaround here. There needs to be some productivity. I would say even into that trade deadline, although. I don't know Ed Dodds. It's it's a weird situation there because Ed Dodds is not necessarily acting in his own interests at this point.
If he's trading players away, because they are going to have a an actual general manager search, which leads me to believe that Ed Dodds is still tied to Chris Ballard. He's still tied to the futility of the last few years.
So there's no guarantee that he's necessarily showing right now his cards to see if he can. Be that next general manager permanently for the Indianapolis Colts, but Steichen, there's no question in my mind if there is not some turnaround here, if there is not some progress at the quarterback position, and if there isn't, it means that's likely a reset in this off season at quarterback, and I think even organizationally, I think Steichen is is. Certainly in line to potentially join Chris Ballard in the unemployment line.
So, dude, I'm really excited to see what you're going to do with NFL Blue Book. If our listeners and our viewers would like to get it, how do they get it? Yeah, absolutely. Just check out nflbluebook dot com. You know, you can subscribe for free.
I'd appreciate it. Just trying to build it right now and you know progress it forward.
So please check it out, and I'd love to have you. Absolutely, get there. nflbluebook dot com. Charles Robinson, my guest, my man. Great to see you.
Good luck with that again. I'm excited to see what you do with that. And it's always good to have you on the show, dude. Great seeing you. Yeah, absolutely, man.
Let's do it again soon. We will. Charles Robinson joining us. Good for him. I love his approach to that too.
That it's not just another podcast. It's not just another platform. Like he's like, here's something that we don't know, or that's not being done. This is a deep dive into front offices, how they work, what goes on, the inner workings, the infrastructure. You know, take us beyond the curtain.
Show us something we don't know. I like that. Good idea. Time now for the beef segment, or will be when we come back. What do you want to beef about?
You can hit anything you want, except for those one or two things that you know you can't hit. Hit me up on the phones one eight hundred six three six eight six eight six. Go to x at jimromebeef there. Email beefromeandhaveateat dot com, or if you want to beef in the chat, go ahead and do that. Get to our YouTube channel, hit the sub button, ring the bell, and then hit me up in the chat with a beef.
We're gonna do call-in beefs and written beefs, and all of that is coming up next from the studio that brought you *WandaVision*. I was an Avenger, but I'm not a hero anymore. The Vision returns for the final chapter of the groundbreaking trilogy. That family wasn't real. You sure about that?
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