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Progressive Casualty Insurance Company, affiliates, and other insurers. Not available in all states. Rolling right through it. A tremendous Friday to you in Southern California. I am Jim Rome.
As always, this show is presented by FanDuel, and my thanks to FanDuel for making that all possible. All right, cell phone numbers toll free. If you want to jump up in here, go ahead and do it. One eight hundred six three six eight six eight six. But before we do anything else, as promised, we are joined right now by a former NFL quarterback.
He played ten years in the league for the Cardinals and the Broncos. He was a Pro Bowler in two thousand five. He's At Arizona State, where he led the Sun Devils to the Rose Bowl in 1996, he finished third in the Heisman Trophy balloting that year. A member of the College Football Hall of Fame, the co-host of the Cold Tub Podcast, the co-founder of the Michael Love Farm selling medicinal and culinary mushrooms, as well as the VP of Outreach for Umbel Mushrooms. Of course, I'm talking about Jake Plummer.
Jake, really appreciate you making time. How you doing, brother? I'm doing great, Rome. It's great to see you, man. You look you looking good, dude.
What are you doing down there in California? Slamming medicinal mushroom bars, my brother. Functional, baby. Them functional ones. That's good to go.
And and they're legal. You know, that's the thing. People get confused, but I'm glad to hear it, man. Smart choice, dude. Thanks for the great info.
It's always a great time to join you and wrap about whatever you got going on there. Jake, I appreciate you. I appreciate you because also not only do you make yourself accessible, but you did so on short notice. And I know it's an enormous weekend for you and the fellas. I want to talk about.
Yeah. But specifically, I'm reaching out because Pat Tillman would have turned 50 today. Since you were tight with Pat, you. Teammates, you were good friends. You played college ball with him.
You played pro ball with him. What do you remember about meeting Pat the first time? What were your initial impressions of Pat? Man, you know, I saw an undersized dude that probably was told you can't play at this level and you shouldn't even try it. But he was here, and when he when he was walked into the room as a as a recruit, I just remember seeing him sitting there, kind of chilling on one knee, like.
Taking it all in, looking around, and when I talked to him, and then of course when he signed and got here, we were we were kindred spirits because he was undersized, too slow, not big enough, not talented enough, and so was I. You know, from Boise, Idaho, skinny, not big enough, not talented enough. But we hit it off right away, you know, with the kind of way we approached every day, whether it was a live game on the field or if it was practice or it was the weight room. It was it was 100 percent what you see is what you get every time. And Pat played and lived and loved and did everything with passion.
And so we we we connected right away. And yeah, dearly miss the guy. It's crazy to think he'd be 50 because then it makes me scratch my head and say, "Damn, I was older than Pat, so that makes me 51." But yeah, remembering Pat brings brings up a lot of good feelings, you know. Of course, all the all the hubbub and things going around with his death and all the stuff, but what his legacy's done posthumously—it's it's really amazing. It's such good stuff, Jake.
What a great answer that was. Hey, listen—if that makes you scratch your head and think that you're 51, if it'll make you feel better, I'll scratch my head, and that makes me think that I'm 61. Or even a little bit older than that, so you should feel better about yourself. You know, when you mention the legacy and everything posthumously, let me just skip right to that part. In your mind, Jake, what is Pat's legacy?
Man, it's hard to it's hard to really say, you know, what that what that is. You know, I know that as you live, people try to define their legacy when they're living, and I don't think that's possible because you're continuing to redo yourself, transition, do new things, challenge yourself. But when you're gone, you know, I think. You know his legacy resides in what he did while he was here on Earth. You know, and the impact he made on on so many humans that don't even know him.
Once he made the decision to go serve for our country and give up the money and and and walk away from the NFL. But you know, you talk to me. You talk to guys that know him that were with him when he was a Sun Devil and a Cardinal. We all kind of held him in a higher regard just because of the kind of guy he was, the kind of person who challenged you to be your best and wouldn't let you get away with a a lame ass answer of like, "How you doing? I'm doing good." That wasn't good enough for him, man.
He would dig in, and sometimes it was challenging to be his friend because he didn't let you just skate by with an easy answer or or skate by just living and doing really. Nothing and and he and the way he lived made us all want to kind of achieve a little more and be a little better as humans and I think that's his legacy to me is is the fact that he did take the time to know people he took the time to be your friend he took the time to talk to the grocery clerk and ask him what book he was reading and mean it and listen to the answer and he he took his he was he was very curious about humans and really intrigued by other people and their badassness and their champ the way they were champions and so. That to me is his really his true legacy, and then what he did to go you know sacrifice and serve for our country that made him a you know nationwide even worldwide a figure people will talk about and remember and and continue to do that so so much so that his legacy continues to grow through the Tillman Foundation the scholars that are benefiting from you know getting to pursue their dreams and face problems right go after problems face them and and do something about it and that. Really, I think would make Pat smile. You know, he'd get that grin on his face and and love that people were being inspired by just him as a person.
And you know, he'd say he didn't like the attention, but that dude loved it when they cheer cheer him and and give him love. You mean a human doesn't, but Pat was a different cat. He was very unique, and he was a really, really, really good friend. And I was deeply humbled and honored to to have known him as well as I did. Such good stuff, Jake.
Jake Plummer joining us. Such good stuff. You know, it's interesting to your point that he said that he didn't want that attention, but he actually loved it. He loved it. That's fine.
That's great. But you know what? Though when he enlisted, though he didn't want the attention, and you couldn't get to him. He he was. I always thought he'll come home.
Naively, I just assumed he'd come home, and then he would share that story. And then we never actually got. The story.
So, whereas, like most people, he loved the attention. He was very careful about not separating himself from the others. Right. Once he did enlist. Yeah.
Yeah. And I think he was he was into service. You know, and he lived his life that way. You know, service can be serving your country. Service can be just giving.
You know, two cents about the person that's walking down the street, another human being. With treating them with kindness, compassion. We all think of Pat as the warrior. You know, the guy who went to fight for our country's freedom. The the statue of him running with yelling with his helmet.
You know, it it represents a part of who Pat was when he was on that field, whether it was football, and then when he went into the real battlefield. You know, he did have that drive, that that killer mentality, and that no fear at Attitude to go after it, but but off the field, he was such a lover and a kind human and very compassionate. And you know, he was a leader whether he spoke or not. With the way he carried himself, he led. And I think if I miss anything about him not being around, is to see what he'd be doing now.
Like, what would he be involved with? What kind of things would he be doing? How would he be speaking about the way the world is? Or maybe he'd just be living off in the woods somewhere, climbing a Tree and sitting up like he said, I like to get up here and get high. He didn't.
He didn't get high with drugs or anything like that. But he liked to get up above and see the perspective of things. And I think, you know, we miss him. But I challenge people all the time. You know, Pat is just one human that we we celebrate and we remember.
And today with him turning fifty, would have been turning fifty. You know, it's good to put some thought into someone like that. But I challenge people to go find another person that exemplifies those characteristics. Characteristics that leads with courage is curious. You know, doesn't just sit by and and and and wait for the next person to take them somewhere.
They go lead. They go do the things they say they're going to do. They're out there. You know, go find them. Go talk to the people.
Go open up a conversation with the person you usually just walk by because today's day and age. You know, we're all stuck on these little screens, and you walk around an airport, everyone's looking down at their palm of their hand, looking at their thing, and like you know, Pat would go crazy because he loved to interact.
So. I challenge people all the time. You want to carry on his legacy. Do the thing you've been talking about. Go meet the person, or talk to the mailman, or find those other you know Pat Tillman types that are out there in the world doing really awesome things.
Great stuff, Jake Plummer joining us. Jake, you touched on this, and I was going to ask you, but you beat me to it. I was going to say he always held himself to an impossibly high standard, but he also held those around him to similarly high standards. Like he would never ask you to do something that he wouldn't do himself. I was going to say, did that frustrate you, or did it just force you to get better?
No, it made you be ready. You know, you had to be armed and ready. You're going to sit down on the bus next to Pat. You better have done your whatever. Whatever.
You better just know your stuff. You know. And if if he had a challenge and wanted to talk to you, and like I said, he he wouldn't just accept a you know the typical answer or something that was not thought out. You know, he just like I said, sometimes it was hard to be his friend because he he wouldn't let you just skate by. And so being his friend though was really special.
You know what stood out to me and what really left a a big impression with me was before he left for his last deployment, I had gone through a huge life change, big moment in my life, like a huge change, and it was was kind of it was hard for me. It was a big transition, and I was up in North Idaho with my my brother and got a phone call, and it was Pat, and he said, "Hey man, I'm checking in on you. I want to see how how are you doing, how you getting by," and it was right before he left for his last deployment, and that's a true friend. You know, someone leaving, calling me to check on me when I feel like I should have been going to see him or calling him. But I think when you get in those positions where you where you live on the knife edge, and there is a chance you may not come back, it means something to you that people close in your life.
And so it felt nice to know that I was someone special to him, special enough that he'd reach out and call me and say, "Hey, how you doing?" Before he was going to, you know, sadly enough, you know, the last time he left, he didn't come back alive. And That really that really hits, you know, for me. And I know we're celebrating 30 years of the Rose Bowl reunion this weekend, and a lot of guys are here. And we're gonna we're gonna take a moment for Pat because he he really left an impression on not just me, but that whole entire team, this whole community, and now like so many people worldwide that know who Pat Tillman is. Jake Palmer joining us, Jake.
In terms of that, you're in Tempe right now. About 35 guys are gonna get together to celebrate that 30th anniversary of the Rose Bowl team. With a team dinner tonight, and then you'll go to the game against CU tomorrow. How great and even emotional will it be to be with all the fellas once again to celebrate that team, and also to celebrate Pat. Yeah, you know it's been a really amazing year for me so far.
I've been able to go to a Broncos alumni get together, a Cardinals alumni get together down here when they played the Broncos, and now to come back for our 30 year with the Rose Bowl. And in these moments, I've been standing on the field with with these players that played this game that we put so much importance into, and it's just it's like the new church of the United States is football on Sundays, you know, and it is still. The game, but then when I'm standing there with these guys and I look around, I'm like, "Wow, these are some really amazing humans and and really strong men that went out and did something really special and created memories that last a lifetime for so many people." And it'll be a really special honor to stand out there on the field. You know, I got in, I got into the College Football Hall of Fame, and my name is on the building. But my teammates on that team and through that journey we took to get to there, they know that I'm just the name they put on there to.
Represent that '96 team and all those other guys. Their names aren't up there, but they know that I wasn't who I was or couldn't have done what I ended up doing without them right beside me, loving me and challenging me and caring for me just like I did for them.
So it's going to be an awesome weekend. You know, win or lose with ASU, I just hope they go out and play for each other like we did. You know, you have that PT42 on your jersey here at ASU, and it's like if you don't go out there and compete with all your heart and show. That you got some passion for this game, you know, then then that's that's on you, you know.
So I hope they just go out and compete. Of course, we want to see a win, but I want to see them put it down on the field, you know, and play play some fun football on the best grass surface in all of America. Jake, one last thought: I think like Pat, you were about way more than just the game. The game did not define you; that was not your total identity. But as you've gotten farther away from the game, has your relationship or perspective about the game changed?
Yeah, a little bit. I mean, I'm grateful for what I did and how it went down. And I, as I get further away, you know, like. Last night, for instance, I meet a kid who's about twenties or maybe thirty six years old, and he's like, "Man, that my first year of ever watching football was nineteen ninety six." My dad sat me down, we watched ASU, and I had your jersey, and you're my quarterback. And it's like that memory is so strong in their minds.
There's where he's telling me about games, and I can't remember the score he's saying or what happened, but to them, it's like they they were telling me what happened, and it's like those are. That's what really sticks out is like the memories we helped people form that are that you can't take them away. And in life, you know, you can stockpile money and save up this and drive a nice car, but all you really got in the end is memories. And what we did created a lot of fond memories here in the valley. It's great to come back and and be a part of it.
It is the same game. It's still the same thing. It's the same. It beat your opponent. Beat the guy across from you.
Football hasn't really changed much. It's still entertaining. It's fun to watch, and like I said, I like to see guys that put it down with a lot of heart and soul, and that's what I'm looking for. Especially, you know, if you want to you want to carry on Pat's legacy or just the legacy of teams like ours, go out there and play play your ass off with the heart and soul, and just show me you want to compete. My man, absolutely the best, Jake.
Before you go, hit them up. Where do our listeners and our viewers go to find out more about your farm and what you're doing right now? Because the product is great. The product is awesome. You sent it to me.
I love it. Awesome! I thank you, Jim. I you know it's getumbo. dot com.
G E T U M B O. dot com. We got a whole lot of information on there. We got a newsletter if you sign up with a lot of a free e booklet, and we're continuing to do it. You know, it's something that helps.
It's natural intelligence. Everything's artificial intelligence talk these days, but if you want to go back to nature and the earth and what this beautiful rock we're floating on can provide for you, we're trying to do it in a real potent, high quality way with really good intentions behind it.
So. Check it out. It's up to you. You know, I put it in your court, and thank you, Jim, for for trying it. And you know, that maybe why you're looking so much so younger, so much younger.
Hey, Jake, maybe that, maybe that. But I'll tell you what. I mean this seriously. This is why you sound so great. I mean, you are the best spokesperson.
You are proof of concept, my man. You sound great. Your energy is great. You sound great. Clearly, the mental acuity is there.
So, absolutely, you're a spokesperson. That's great. Hey, you know. Doing doing things right, you know. We're athletes, having a little discipline.
You know, it's it's fun to go have pizza and have a beer here and there. But sometimes you cut that stuff out, and you know, I want to live a long time. You know, I want to I want to see my kids grow up and see their kids grow up. And the game game was rough, and the findings they're coming back with are scary. But don't want to think about the future too much.
Just want to do what's right for my body now, and hopefully that you know, functional mushrooms will prove one day to be a preventative maintenance and a longevity type supplement. In addition to your to your daily habits, and if that's the case, you know we're we're in the forefront, we're at the beginning here, and it's fun to see where this goes. Preach, Jake. I'm with you. Listen, thank you so much.
Have a great weekend, man. Have a great weekend, Jake, and thank you so much for making the time to talk about Pat and what you're doing. It's so good to see you. Always, man. Thank you.
My love and my heart, and and you know, humble everything go out to his family still that's around. I mean, they deal with his that losing someone like him is hard for all of us, but for them, it's still dear and dear and. His mom, his brothers, dad, his family—you know—much love to them for continuing on.
So, I appreciate the opportunity, Jim, to be on the show. And peace, love, and mushrooms, everybody out there. You got it, Jake. Great job. I echo what you said about the family.
I'll never forget when I was at the memorial and I saw the family and I saw the absolute the the devastation. You can only imagine how heart wrenching that whole thing was. I'll never forget the looks on their faces. That family, the Tillman family, and a great family. And Jake.
How about Jake showing up like that? We made that phone call to Jake just a couple hours ago, and he just dropped everything and then showed up like that. What a stud! All right, your thoughts, your reaction to what you just heard. If you want to share any memories, Pat, you can.
If you want to talk about what Jake said, you can do that too. Go anywhere you want with that. But my undying appreciation to the snake. And man, he sounds great. Does he not?
All right. Telephone number is toll free one eight hundred six three six eight six eight six. Spencer Tillman coming up next hour. That will be good. I'm going to catch up with him in a minute or so, and he had a great career.
Welcome to the most rewarding season ever. Only on Fanduel. How rewarding? More rewarding than a half-court buzzer beater. More rewarding than a twenty-nine-point comeback.
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You're listening to the Jim Rome Show. Our thanks to Jake Plummer. I enjoyed that so much. Hope you did too. If you did, let him know it.
Find him on social or find me here. O'Reilly Auto Parts can help take the guesswork out of your check engine ABS or maintenance light with O'Reilly VeriScan. The service is free and provides a report with solutions verified by ASE. Certified master technicians O'Reilly VeriScan can identify the most likely problem with just one scan. If you need help, O'Reilly Auto Parts can recommend a shop for you.
Don't ignore a check engine, ABS, or maintenance light. Ask for O'Reilly VeriScan today. It's a free service exclusively at O'Reilly Auto Parts. All right, so if you were to ask me, Yo Rome, where would you rather be? Then right here, right now.
Honestly, I'm not trying to be cheesy about this.
Nowhere, nowhere. There's no place I would rather be than right here, right now. I mean that from my heart.
Well, except for one place. There's one other place that I actually would rather be than right here, right now, and that would be at the electrical substation. Man, this is hilarious to me. I'm sorry. No, I'm not.
I'm not sorry at all. The double champ, the single champ, the never ever champ apologizes for absolutely nothing. Adam Schefter, quote, agent Drew Rosenhaus said he is now en route to the Forty Niners' offices with Brandon Ayuk to meet with team officials. Ayuk also plans on releasing a statement today to the media.
Now that's where I'd rather be. I would love to be in those offices when Drew and Brandon roll through. I need a live look at Drew and Brandon on the highway. Like from helicopters, from other news cams, like you know, like the white bronco. I'm not saying that Brandon ever killed anybody, much less two people, but I want that live look, like a white bronco.
And Drew, Drew is all about show. Drew is one of the all time great showmen. Why not roll into the facility in a white bronco? They should do that. This I gotta see, man.
I would give anything to be there when they roll in there. And oh, there's John Lynch. There's Kyle. There's Jed Pork, and they're all of Brandon's former teammates, none of whom were happy to see him. And also, that's not a Corvette.
It's an Escalade, I think. Also, Ayuk plans on releasing a statement to the media.
Well, like one of contrition. He's going to apologize. Come on. This next update, Matt, Maioko. "Quote: The warrant remains active for Brandon Ayuk's arrest from an alleged December speeding incident near Levi Stadium.
The Santa Clara County DA's office tells NBC Sports Bay Area.
So, what does that mean? Are they going to be waiting for him? How many layers to this thing? And then there's that other layer about how reportedly he owes the team thirteen mil." Oh, what?
So, in order to get his his release, he's got to scratch you a check. Why do I think that they're going there not to write a check, but to try to get a check? And then the cops may have a say in all this too. And then here is another report at Mark Maskey quote Brandon Ayuk. His representation and the NFLPA were sent a letter from the NFL on Thursday night, informing him that Ayuk owes the Forty Niners approximately thirteen million in bonus forfeiture.
Sources say, another source confirms that's the amount the Forty Niners contend that Ayuk owes to them in bonus forfeiture, as of Tom Palacero reported. It's part of an ongoing set of deliberations that includes the NFLPA and the NFL Management Council. It is not clear how that issue will be resolved. You know what I wonder? I wonder how long they've known about that.
I wonder if Ayuk has known about that the entire time, or or when he and Drew Rosenhaus came together and decided Friday's the day. Friday's the day we roll up, and then all of a sudden, upon learning that. The NFL hits them with, oh, one more thing, Brandon. Before you show up at the facility on Friday, show up with your checkbook because you owe the team thirteen mil. You know, I'm interpreting that to mean we're not granting you a release until we get our thirteen mil.
So, are you going to negotiate that down? Are you going to scratch them a check, or are you going to go, Brandon? I you can say, oh. I owe you 13 mil. The hell I do.
You owe me 13 mil, and because you insulted me like that, you can make that an even 20 mil.
So you give me my 20 mil, and you give me my damn release, and then we'll leave.
So again, there's nowhere I'd rather be than right here, right now, except at the 49ers facility to see all that play out. Keep you posted. All right, so this guy is going back and responding to something that a prior listener talked about. The fact that he went to chat and spent some time in chat and saw how toxic it got in chat and how off the rails it can get in chat, and said, "I'm good, I'm clear, I'm just going to go old school and just listen to this show and see how that goes." And he said, "Man, it's so much better. It's so much better." Rome.
I'm an avid radio listener. The other day, I had an appointment, so I checked into YouTube. That chat is wild and hard to keep up with. Don't get me wrong; what these jobless bozos are typing out is entertaining as hell, but there is a lot of nonsense. Does it add to the actual show?
Yes, one hundred percent. If I was also a jobless bozo, would I be in there more often? Yes, one hundred percent. Until then, I'm going to keep it old school. Seven fifty a.m.
Long live the radio, Mike from Cleveland. Appreciate that so much, Mike. Listen, I'm always going to be at heart a radio person because none of this would be possible without the radio. And that's how I got my start. Without radio, there would have never been any TV career for me.
There wouldn't be any of this digital, any streaming, any of this without radio.
However, the world changes, the time changes, how people consume content changes. I'm trying to be something to everybody. I'm trying to be something to you, Mike. If you like to show better old school on radio, this is why I'm still on radio. There's terrestrial radio, there's satellite radio, and then there's the generation of YouTube.
You know, now you've got people like me who are on the way up, that dream of not doing what I'm doing, but dream of being YouTube stars. The whole world's changed. I'm just trying to find as many different outlets and platforms for you to sample our product, and I'm trying to find a way. Tommy and I talk about this. We're trying to find a way to create a content or a program.
That works for all these platforms. That's the other challenge, right? We're doing a radio show, but we're doing a TV show. We're doing a radio show, but we're streaming our product. We're doing a radio show, but it's living in all these other places other than the radio.
So, is it really a radio show? No, it's a show that's carried on the radio. Terrestrial, satellite, and also streaming. But I love, I love that we can take a step back and talk about the show and how you consume the show and what works best for you. Speaking of chat, twenty three R Hardy quote: "Great interview with Jake, and thank you for remembering Pat.
Great show. I know Pat's one of my favorites." I will always talk about Pat. Moped G five O, Yo Rome Plumber, is one of the good ones, and Pat was a great one. Bestimore H quote, "It's been a while since I've been in the jungle. I missed the interviews.
There's still some really good interviews in the jungle. There are. That was one of them." And again, the best interviews—they're not interviews at all; they're conversations. Cincy Key at eight thousand. Romy's chat is not for the fan of heart.
It's not. It's not. It's not for everybody. The people that are in chat and do it consistently love it, and that's what it's there for. And I'm glad.
If it's not your thing, you don't need to do it. Hit up X. Hit up the phones. Hit up the email. This is the whole point.
This is why we have four different ways for you to get through. Dude from Cheers, oh seven. People that can't navigate the chat definitely can't wrestle and watch the game at the same time. Two hams, twenty dollars. Chat is addictive.
I can't not listen to the show and thumb out takes and talk about the show with the rest of the chat diehards. It's a different game. It's a different sport. It's played at a different speed.
Some of you are way more passive. You just want to watch the show. You just want to listen to the show. You don't want all that noise over there during the show.
Some of you, and I know this, some of you can't watch the show or listen to the show without that noise over there. It's like Janet and I. Janet can't get ready to go out without having a show on, without having noise. I and obviously doesn't take me nearly as long, but I can't get ready to go someplace with that noise. I don't want it.
It just depends on who you are and what you do. Chris in Sea Town. Hey, Mike, we're not jobless. We just stay on chat during work. All right, there you go.
That works too. What I'm saying is. Whatever works for you. All right, let's take a break. I've got time for your phone calls on the other side of this, and I do want to talk about the Jungle Super Bowl.
I'm not gonna lie, I'm tripping a little bit on the Jungle Super Bowl, whereas I normally have nothing invested. Other than the action that I hit games with, I don't care who wins or loses. I just want something to talk about. I actually care who wins or loses this game. I'll admit it.
All right, all of that still ahead. Don't go anywhere. You're listening to the Jim Rome Show. Clones, let me quickly remind you. Did not all beef jerky is the same?
In fact, Old Trappers original, old fashioned teriyaki, hot and spicy, and peppered all come in four ounce bags, so you can sample the different flavors to find the best one for you. I would encourage you to try every single one of them. They come in little four ounce bags. That's by design. Ask for Old Trapper by name because no other jerky compares.
Old Trapper, what is your beef? All right, more phone calls coming up momentarily, but. I I admitted it. Like I'm getting nervous. I normally don't sweat any game because I've got nothing invested in any game except the small amounts that I play and get down on.
But that doesn't cause me anxiety. This has me a little nervous. It's only Friday, and actually, my anxiety about Sunday is already spiking. Actual anxiety. It's like every minute that we get closer to the Jungle Super Bowl, time moves a little more slowly.
It's like the clock is spinning backwards, and the tension ramps up a little bit more. And by the Jungle Super Bowl, I of course mean that matchup at SoFi Sunday between the O and Seven Chargers and the Two and Five Texans, which could not be further. From an actual Super Bowl than it is, but you have to admit, it's pretty damn entertaining. In fact, the most entertaining game ever between a couple of teams that have combined to have a record of two and twelve. On the one hand, you have Houston in a must-win situation because it's not too late for the Texans.
Honestly, they've dug a pretty big hole, but it's not too late. They're still in this thing, unless they lose this game.
Now, when I say it's not too late, I mean nothing really is off the table yet for them. If they can win this game and get hot down the stretch like we've seen them do before, they're still in this thing. But if they lose this game, everything is off the table, and then nothing matters really. And there are no excuses for Houston. These dudes are coming off a bye week.
They should be as healthy and as fresh as they've been in a long time. And of course, they're playing a team that's in a complete free fall that has no idea where the bottom of the well is, or when they will hit rock bottom, and when they do, wait for it, what it's going to sound like. When they do hit the bottom of that well, will it be a splash, or will it sound like an anvil hitting concrete? We actually never did get the answer to that question. But this I do know: the Chargers are one of the biggest unmitigated disasters in league history.
All the more reason that Houston cannot. Cannot lose this game, and as bad as this entire season has been for the Chargers, this week has been especially disastrous. Not only did they fail to even compete in the so-called Battle of L.A., our guy Quinton Lake followed up the win with a scud aimed right at Justin Herbert's head. Remember, Q said Herbert's out here, quote, throwing deli meat. I mean, he was throwing deli meat and seeing ghosts.
He's seeing ghosts. I'm not ghosts. While openly laughing at the dude with the St. Brown Bros. All-time smack from a guy who you really would not expect it from.
Like first ballot smack. To which Jim Harbaugh had essentially the worst response possible this week, saying that he doesn't see what Lake sees. What Harbaugh sees is Herbert doing his job, and I quote, "exceptionally well." End of quote. You're the only one in the world that sees that, Jimbo, because he's doing pretty much the opposite of doing his job exceptionally well. I mean that that's either so delusional or just a straight up lie, and neither are good.
I mean, if you're that delusional, you're not really fit to be a head coach in the NFL, right? And if you're gonna lie to our face like that, I don't appreciate it. And by the way, for the record, they also ran cues take to Herbert yesterday, and Herbert's answer was somehow even less believable than Harbaugh's. Uh, haven't haven't looked into it. Haven't heard anything about it.
I I can't remember making a comment about it. It doesn't. Do you try to like insulate yourself? Would you say from having to see or hear any of those things? The reason I ask is because it comes from up here, another another player, as opposed to like a talking man.
No, we're really just focused on what's going on in the building and playing football and doing what we can and doing our best to, you know, go put our best effort out on Sunday, and you know that's all that really matters. Anything outside of that is out of our control. "Quote: I haven't heard anything about it. I'm going to call bullcrap on that. But you know what?
It is defense." Well, I'm not going to defend that. Don't tell me you haven't heard anything about it. But in his defense, there's really no good way to respond to getting openly mocked and laughed at. I actually give him credit because he didn't escalate. The answer actually de-escalated rather than adding more fuel to the fire.
But of course, he's heard about it, and I'm guessing he's seen it. But then again, what could he possibly say? Right, they're zero to seven, and a guy that just picked him said, "Man, our dude's out here throwing deli meat and seeing ghosts." What are you supposed to say to that? You're zero to seven, and you have the worst QBR of any quarterback in the NFL. That's about all you could say about it, I guess.
By the way, if he didn't see Lake's comments.
Somebody should actually show them to him. Like you might think you're protecting the guy by keeping him away from that stuff because his confidence is already absolutely shattered. But you're not.
Somebody should make him see that because somebody needs to light a fire under his ass.
Somebody needs to get him to wake the hell up and stop playing like rookie year Zach Wilson. He better have heard those comments because he needs to hear those comments. But also, Mike McDaniel or McVape could help this guy out a little. Scheme up something to end that absurd twenty-seven drive TD drought. Although something tells me that him moving upstairs to call the plays is not going to suddenly unlock the entire offense.
That was the big move they made. I was saying yesterday, how can these guys have a bye week and not do anything and not change anything? Oh, big change! McVay is going upstairs. Look, I know McVay's got to try something.
I just can't say that this idea or his explanation gives anybody any confidence at all. But you decide for yourself. One of the things that you know I talked with coach about. One of the things that. Want to try to go or call plays from the box to to kind of see adjustments for myself and communicate to the position coaches appropriately.
You know what things that we can focus on between series, and you know that's the latest in things. I think that's more tangible because you know the. I won't be in the same spot. Would you mind passing the Thousand Island so I can hit my salad? Once you've used it for that word salad you just gave us, who's more catatonic at this point, Harbaugh or McVay?
The two of these guys, how different! And yeah, zero to seven will beat you down. Zero to seven will put you in a catatonic state. But damn, they're both ichomatos. I don't know what's more painful to watch at this point: McVay's offense, or watching him try to talk about his offense and what his plan is for fixing that offense.
That right there was thirty seconds of some of the worst word salad I've ever consumed. That was just a dude trying to throw as much crap as possible against the wall to see if any of it would stick. But I'll give him this: it'll be easier to get away with vaping up there in the box than it would be on the sideline with everybody looking at you directly.
So he's got that going for him, which is nice. Between catatonic Harbaugh and babbling McVape. And lying, Herbert. These dudes really don't sound like they're any closer to any answers or any closer to any breakthrough. Which is all the more reason Houston cannot lose this game.
Not off a buy, not with a quarterback who is playing light years better than the other quarterback. Not with a roster that is frankly superior across the board. The Texans have to have this game because I don't even know what I'm going to say about them if they don't win this game. I joked about it yesterday, but it's barely even a joke. The Texans lose this game, I may have to shut the entire operation down.
The Texans lose this game, there might not be a Monday. Hello.
So Nick, the clone. Pick us up, Texans. The future of the jungle is riding on this. Whatever you do, do not show up to the jungle Super Bowl like Jim Harbaugh showed up to the jungle Smackoff. Tell that clone to get a life.
Whatever you do, man, do not let that happen. Not on your watch, our watch. Spencer Tillman.
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