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Progressive Casualty Insurance Company, affiliates, and other insurers not available in all states. Welcome to the Friday edition of the Jungle. My name is Jim Roman. The program is presented by Fanduel. Alvin, if it is not too much to ask, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Thank you.
Now is officially Friday. What with the decky, yeah.
Okay, good show for you today. Let's go on the weekend strong. Always looking to end strong. Today's Friday. Get up in here.
Today is Friday, hood. Yesterday was Thursday. Tomorrow is Saturday. Then it's Sunday, and then Monday. Then Tuesday.
Then Wednesday. Then Thursday. Then today's Friday. There you go. All right, so lots to get to, good stuff to get to today.
Let me lay it out for you very quickly. Open phones in hour number one. I've got two interviews. One at the top of hour number two. One at the top of hour number three.
Always week there was hour number three ATP and hour number three.
So hour number one is wide open. Use it one eight zero zero six three six eight six eight six. Beauty. The program is. I know we're still finding new listeners.
I know we're finding old. Viewers, I don't mean older in the sense that demographically they're older, but people who may have lost track of the program and are finding it because of our YouTube channel.
So, if you want to get up in here and participate, go and do so. There are any number of different ways to do it, and they all work. Hit me on the phones, hit me on X at Jim Rome, hit me on email at Rome and Have a Take dot com, or go to that YouTube channel. Once you get there, if you don't mind, it would mean the world to me. Can you hit the sub button?
You know that's important. The subs are important. The subs make it all work. Hit the sub button, ring the bell, and then jump up into chat, and then do what you want. Hey, chat.
So that's how the show sets up. Coming up at the top of our number two, a conversation with former NFLer Jake Plummer. Snakes coming in because, among other things, today would have been Pat Tillman's 50th birthday.
So I wanted to talk to somebody about that, and Jake Plummer immediately came to mind, and he immediately said yes.
So big, big weekend. Also, the 30 year anniversary of their Rose Bowl team, and they're going to celebrate that.
So Jake Plummer, top of hour number two. I'm going to run down an old buddy, Spencer Tillman. Fox Sports CFB analyst. He won a Super Bowl. He won a Natty.
I'm going to talk to Spencer in a moment or two.
So I'm going to run him down at the top of our number three. All right, that's how it all sets up. Why don't we start right here, though? In a word, Duval. Oh, no, no, no, not like that.
And and by the way, bro, you're doing great, but not like that. It's Duval. Over, over.
Okay, your Jags are going hope solo. They're going psychotic on the NFL, and they're beating everyone up, and the tenderones do not stand a chance. Seriously, could the Jags look any better than they do right now? Granted, it does help that the Ravens could not look any worse than they do right now.
So, as always, the timeless question that I like to pose: Are the Jags that good, or are the Ravens that bad? And by now, I think you already know the answer: The Jags really are that good, and that's not exactly a new development either. This is not something that happened this week or last week. Jacksonville has now won fifteen of their last eighteen regular season games. Nine of those fifteen wins have come by two tutties or more.
That's why I went all hope solo off the top. These dudes are not just winning like crazy; they're curb stomping people. Everybody pretty much, and after last night's beatdown, the Jags now have a point differential of plus one and eight. Plus one and eight is fifty points better than any other team. The next best point differential is the Niners, followed by the Bears, followed by the Bills.
All of them are looking up at Jacksonville, so it does feel like those four teams are starting to look like the cream that's rising to the middle of the season to the very top.
Now. I know it's easy to just dismiss last night for Jacksonville because of how horrible Baltimore looked, and they did look horrible. But I would not dismiss anything about this Jags team just because the Ravens are a mess. It can be both those things. It is both those things.
Jacksonville is winning like crazy because they have winning pieces. Trevor Lawrence, for instance, is bawling the hell out. He's playing like a top five quarterback, which is also something that Trevor's been doing since the middle of last season. By the way. He's essentially been playing MVP caliber ball over the last seventeen or so games.
Pretty good sample size. It's not a fluke that this dude has figured it out and happens to fit that offense very, very well. On top of that, Jacksonville he's got a fierce defense to go along with their franchise quarterback. Actually, the number two scoring defense so far this season, trailing only Brian Flores in the Vikings and. The Jags do have one more major X factor: their head coach, that stud Liam Cohen.
As much credit as we give to Ben Johnson, and I've got no problem giving him credit; he deserves it. Liam also deserves his props for being an ace play caller. And an offensive mind, and also a culture builder. In fact, last night Liam became the third fastest coach to ever put up 700 points, behind only Mike Martz and Sean McVay. Pretty good company.
And obviously, he got there before Ben Johnson did.
So essentially, what I'm saying is. Liam and the Jags are legit AFC contenders. If the Bears are the clear NFC team on the rise, then I've got to say the Jags are their AFC counterpart right about now. The coach looks the part. The quarterback looks the part.
The defense looks the part. The culture looks the part. They're that good. Unfortunately for the Ravens, they've got none of that. None of those things going for them right now, and they look that bad.
At least not while Lamar Jackson is injured, or any of these things going to happen.
Now again, he's hurt again. I understand that you lose a guy like that. That's going to make things really tough. That's going to essentially cripple the Ravens. But should it really to this extent?
I mean, of course, they're not the same team, but should they be this bad without that guy? Given all the talent, all the veteran leadership, and the fact that their first-year head coach is a defensive-minded head coach, shouldn't they at least be able to play some defense? Whether or not Lamar put his thumb on backwards or not, should they not be able to get the hell off the field? I mean, honestly, what's the Ravens' excuse right now for the way their defense is playing? Because if you ask me, they don't have an excuse, and I'm not trying to say that Jesse Minter should be winning every single week without Lamar.
I'm not, but I don't think it's too much to ask for the Ravens to play some D, coach them up, bro, and let's not act like Jacoby Brissett is going to ride right in and save the day either. Although I don't actually think that anybody in Baltimore is that delusional, I think Raven fan sees this mess in Baltimore for exactly what it is. At least if these dudes are any indication, check it out: the Baltimore Sun, and I'm so glad it did. Caught up with Raven fan after the game. We always hear from New York fan.
We always hear from Philly fan. It's about time we heard from Baltimore fan. Check out their energy. Dead ass poverty, for real. Like this O line sucks.
ADC needs to fix in O line. Other than that, we need to keep Lamar healthy, keep the quarterbacks healthy, get the defense fixed, get all these old ass players out of here that are making too much. Marlon is making too much for how old he is. Roquan making too much for how old he is. Ronnie Stanley making too much for how old he is.
Get these old s out of here. Get some young talent in here. Build around Lamar. Win a Super Bowl. I don't know what we gonna do, bro.
Hopefully, Jacoby can throw the ball. Longer than ten yards. Maybe the defense could stop a nosebleed next week. I, I'm not gonna lie. The Ravens are sorry.
My high school team could beat them. Fire Eric DeCasta. Cut Marlon Humphrey. Cut Mark Andrews. Hey, fire Jesse Minter.
Get Brian Flores. Damn, Raven fan. Not that I blame you at all, and not that any of you are wrong. See that's actually the problem. Raven fan is right; they're exactly right.
The vets are letting this team down. The team is aging out. The problems are much bigger and deeper than Lamar simply putting that thumb on backwards. You can even call the last three games one of the lowest points in franchise history, given that the Ravens have never lost three straight games by twenty or more points, but they have now. And it can't all just be explained away by Lamar getting hurt.
That has nothing to do with why this defense is such a discombobulated mess. All that said, I mean it's all fair. And all that said. What did anybody really think or expect would happen last night? There's a reason why I was so happy and ready to lay the nine and a half points.
It's because there was no way the Ravens were hanging in that game, not with an undrafted free agent quarterback charging straight into a buzz saw. How about the big head trying to say to me, "You know, Jamal, I'm a little worried about this. I'm, you know, that whole Brock Purdy thing and all." Oh, that whole Brock Purdy thing and all, head. Yeah, right. If we ever see said undrafted free agent again that we saw last night, I would be shocked.
And by the way, Brock was drafted. All right, okay. The Ravens went into a gunfight with a spork last night.
Okay, they had no chance. I mean, who doesn't love a spork? But they had no chance. It's just crazy that we're at this point where the Ravens can go into any game with no chance, and they now seem to have no chance pretty much every single week. And I don't think anybody thought that that was going to be the case when they ran off John Harbaugh and they brought Jesse Minter in.
So Baltimore fan. I will give you the space to keep venting because I know there is plenty to be angry about right about now. Marlon Humphrey, you're out of here. Please fire Hall and Marlon Humphrey. I don't even know the name.
He's a bum. EDC Baskasko, whatever your name is, get him off team. I don't know what we're doing no more. Hopefully, I don't got to see number forty-four on my team. I loved you for a long time, but yeah, you do too much talking on the podcast and not enough time in the film room.
Marlon Humphrey's still the best man-to-man corner. We just gotta stop running zone. Oh, oh, okay, it's the zone, dude. I'll tell you what, great to see Raven fan. They deserve that.
So it's not only New York fan. It's not only Philly fan.
Now we have Baltimore fan, and Baltimore fan hates what they see. Marlon Humphrey. I don't even know the name. He's a bleeping bum. EDC.
I don't even know the bleeping name. He's a bleeping bum. How can you not know the name Marlon Humphrey if you are a Raven fan? And if you are going to call the guy an effing bum, shouldn't you know his effing name? He's a f ing bum.
Whoever he is, he does do a lot of talking still. Parker Washington isn't nice. Boscosco, what I am your name is. Look at the Jags, man, dude. I'm inviting both of you in, Raven fan and Jag fan, because these are obviously two teams and organizations going in very different directions.
All right. On top of that, I want to talk about the Jungle Super Bowl. The Jungle Super Bowl. I'm just so upset with myself for not coming. To this realization earlier in the week, because had I thought about that, because we do have the Jungle Super Bowl, we would have had Radio Row for just one show hours for the Jungle Super Bowl.
The Jungle Super Bowl, of course, is the two and five Texans going up against the zero and seven Bolts here in L.A. That is the Jungle Super Bowl, so I've got thoughts on that, which I will get to later on. Remember back in a couple years back, we were at Vegas, twenty three maybe twenty four, and we had that beautiful stage in front of the fountains at the Bellagio. We could have done the same thing at SoFi. I could have rolled this show right out to SoFi and said, "Hey, Lauren, here's ten minutes.
Build us a set and a stage." And Lauren would said, "All right, I got you." And we could have done an entire week of Radio Row, but not with any of the other screaming heads. Just me, and get you everything you need to know about the most important game of the year to date. Maybe the most important game of the year. Period. Maybe the actual Super Bowl, the Jungle Super Bowl, Texans v.
Bolts. I'm all about it. Jake Plummer coming up at the top of hour number two. Spencer Tillman coming up at the top of hour number three. Alvy will work his magic with the week that was.
And I'm going to get your reaction of what we started with. And I've got a lot more to get to. It's Friday. Have a little fun. Today's Friday.
Have a little fun on a Friday. Go anywhere you want with any of this, or just bring me something that I haven't brought up yet. It all works.
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You're listening to the Jim Rome Show. O'Reilly Auto Parts is a huge part of the program and of this pod. They're in the business of keeping your car on the road. I have spent a lot of time with the O'Reilly Auto Parts crew, especially the guys and the gals that work in the stores that we all rely on. It's one thing to say they offer friendly, helpful service and the parts knowledge that you need for all your maintenance and repairs, but it's another to experience it.
Whether you know everything about a car. Or nothing about your ride. They're quick to figure out what you need and treat you well because they want you back as a repeat customer. They're good that way. They've got thousands of parts and accessories in stock, either in store or online, so you never have to worry if you're in a jam.
The team at Old Riley Auto Parts can test your battery for free, in or out of your car. If it needs to be replaced, they'll help you find just the right battery for your vehicle. Need your windshield wipers replaced, a brake light fixed, or a quick. Service. They'll help you find the right part or point you to the nearest local repair shop for help.
The professional parts people at O'Reilly Auto Parts are your one-stop shop for all things auto do-it-yourself, and you can find what you need in store or online. Stop by O'Reilly Auto Parts today or use their website o'reillyauto.com slash Rome. That's o'reillyauto.com slash Rome. One quick question for you: Why is Old Trapper Beef Jerky so amazing? Why don't we start with the fact that?
It's a family-run business, a family-run business that I know, and a family-run business that stands by quality and produces the world's finest beef jerky. Do not be fooled by the other brands. All beef jerky is not the same. Make sure you choose Old Trapper. You can actually see the quality right through their iconic clear view packages.
They do that on purpose. They want you to know exactly what you're getting. Every single bite of Old Trapper is tender. It's never tough because they use just the best ingredients. Once again, they don't.
Need to do that. They choose to do that. From their lean strips of beef seasoned with top quality spices to their real wood fired smoke, Old Trapper delivers quality in every single bite, and it comes in four amazing flavors: old fashioned classic beef jerky flavor, exceptionally tender. It's smoky. It's delicious.
Also teriyaki with the yellow label, where Old Trapper turned the flavor dial to eleven. Hot and spicy, with a spice so nice, you know you're gonna want to stack twice. And then you've got peppered tender seasoned beef covered in crack pepper. A cold beer's best friend, so grab and go with a four ounce bag, or load up with an eighteen ounce bag. That way, there's enough for the entire team.
If you don't see it, and you will, but if you don't see it, ask for it by name, because no other jerky compares to Old Trapper. What is your beef? Welcome back. Your reaction coming up momentarily. Phone lines open.
Chats popping on a Friday. Get to the X. A few years ago, there was a loss in our family, and what that was was a reminder that life is so unpredictable. This is why having life insurance became a priority for our family. Protecting your loved ones with life insurance is easier than you think.
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Some policies are as low as thirty dollars a month. Get your free quote at Ethos.com/slash Jim E T H O S dot com/slash Jim. Application times and rates may vary. All right. So quickly, let me get you some reaction, and then into the phones.
Jimmy K is in first. Rome, remember when Pervin Lier ran the Jags and his coaching career into the ground? Herb nearly wrecked Trevor, but look at Jax now. Lawrence is balling like a number one pick should. Cohen's a star, and Pervin Lier is still the worst coach in NFL history.
A lot of good players in this league now. Jimmy K in Illinois, Alabama every week. Let's see. Agree with that? Agree with that?
Agree with that? Yeah, I agree with all that. That's all accurate. That's all fair. This one just reads, "Dear Eric DeCasta, with that in part, with him in part, sign John Harbaugh." Armando, a y'all couldn't wait.
Hey, look, I wasn't even against it. I thought that that thing had run its course. He clearly could not get you over the hump. They had to move on. One problem.
One problem. The message is fresh with the Giants, and they're playing well. And the Ravens look horrible. Goff, damn, somehow, some way, Goff found his way in. Quote, Romy.
He's a bleeping bum. He's a bum. Regards, Martha Stewart's Halloween costume. Then she's a bleeping bum. He's a bum.
Let's go to the chat. Hey, chat.
Emerald Millchamp, sixty forty one. Jim ducking Radio Row because he doesn't want to see parody Larry. Do do do do. Could be something to that. At finish W, is it too late to get Max Crosby back?
Signed Jesse Minter. I guess Mets kid moved to Bmore. I had that same reaction. Oh my God. I thought the same thing when that one guy was going on and on and on and on.
I'm like, dude, that's Mets kid. Mets kid grew up. We found him. He's now Ravens kid. Ravens man, actually.
Mets kid has grown into Ravens man. This team is an absolute show. Twenty-three to eight. He's a city guard. EDC.
Get out of here, you Barbie doll. Same guy. Go get your. He's all grown up. He's all grown up and turned into a Ravens fan.
Terry Joseph Gobel, JIC.
Someone is about to get wrecked tonight. Signed it, Danica, the Queen. The season tickets, and the only thing I can do is go to the game. I would argue that it happened last night already, and this morning, and probably still is ongoing. B, C, or D, rad dad, war tenderonies.
Where do I sign up? I don't really know what Danica's criteria is. I don't know if she takes applications or if it's something you can actually sign up for. I don't know, bra. Why don't you just slide into her DMs and see how that goes?
Atsi Davez seventy eight Alvi is a better QB than Fagnano. Thank you.
Of course, I'd argue is a better QB than Shador. Except Shador is going to have to start. That's now official, by the way. Officially, Shador will get the start this weekend. BPM fifty two ninety three.
Herbert is going to see ghosts in Houston. They are friendly, yet pasty and white, horribly bright. Said William Casey. Except they're not going to be in Houston. They're going to be in L.A.
Cablination, the friendly ghost, the friendliest ghost you know, skin horribly bright, pasty white, cablination, the friendly ghost. That was a thing back in the day. George Friendly v. Four Z. Look at the Super Bowl sign for this year.
It's orange and teal. Bears v. Jags. Hey, if they were playing it this weekend, I would say yes. But they're not.
First week of November does not mean anything. First week of February means everything. But right now, to me, those are the two best teams in their respective conferences. Right now, this second. But a lot can happen between now and then.
Let's go to the phones. One eight zero zero six three six eight six eight six. Let's go, New Orleans, Tommy. Good to have you, Tommy. What's going on, James?
Oh, Rome. What is up, my brother? What is up, dude? Brother. Hey, happy birthday, and R.I.P.
Pat Tillman, man. What a what a great guy.
So, what I I took a break from chat and X, and went back to the fundamentals and listened to the show for like two weeks. And it dawned on me how critical, you know, the talent management that you all have to go through on a, you know, on a weekly or daily basis to to produce the jungle is critical, you know, because when Chad exploded, you know, it was so cool, you know, and but you know, and it was awesome, and then you know, it devolved into like you know, four twenty references and you know, C dots, you know, Forever Hammer on on Vic and No Cal and parody parody telling this is on hold and then everybody hates Bella and yada yada yada, so. To de-emphasize that, and see you, you know, emphasize the callers, and some of the new callers are good and everything like that. But then you get the, you know, the guys wailing on, you know, like that tantric dude, you know, some orgasmic thing, you know, who's dancing to the creamer and his coffee and everything like that.
So it's like it's really like a double-edged sword, and not that there's any kind of subliminal message in that thing. In any case, Romy, we appreciate you and and the efforts that you have to make to have the checks and balances to give us the jungle we all love and. And you possess a talent that most of us and most anybody else is not familiar with.
So, God bless you, God love you, and thank God for you, Romy. I think what I am supposed to say is, I am out, my man Tommy. Appreciate you, really nice things to say. Actually, I got a lot out. I got a lot out of that.
What he's saying, and I don't know how many of you that are in chat have actually done what he did. And once you, and it's hard. Once you get in chat and you get sucked into the vortex that is chat, it's nearly impossible to get out. Right? You just get sucked into it.
It's like a rip tide. You're swimming and swimming and swimming, and you can't get out. And that guy said, I had to get out. I had to get out because it devolved. It devolved into a bunch of four hundred and twenty smack, and everybody hates Bella.
And this guy won't get off of this guy. He said I had to get out of there. I had to get out of there. In fact, I had to get out of there and get off social media and just go back to that fundamental, basic listening experience to the program. And then I had a greater appreciation.
My takeaway from that was I had a greater appreciation because I wasn't losing track of the show to the other show that I was getting dragged into.
Now, that's not. I'm not discouraging you from chat at all. Get into chat. Get on X. Email us.
I'm just looking for engagement of any kind. Here are the two things I'm looking for, and why we do this the way we do this. And we're learning, and we're growing, and we want to get better at it every single day. But the things that are most important to me is we have the best show possible every single day, and we're consistent, and that the best show possible every single day is available. In as many platforms as possible, so you can find that show.
And then, I'm above—not above, but in addition to all of that—I'm looking for engagement. Right? None of this works without engagement. You have to have engagement, and not because I don't want to talk to myself, but you actually have to have engagement to remain viable. There has to be engagement.
So I'm not looking to talk any of you out of chat. Hell, I'm looking to talk more of you to get into chat. I'm looking to talk more of you to get over to our YouTube page because, frankly, how do I put this? We've busted our ass on that page. We're proud of the page, the channel, I should say, and we're working really hard at it.
So I'm not going to say, "Hey, did you hear what that guy just said?" That's what you should do. You should leave the chat. You should leave the channel. No. What I'm saying is, get to the channel, and engage.
I just thought was very interesting that he said the listening and viewing experience, the jungle experience overall, is very different once you leave that element. I just thought that was interesting. Have any of you others tried that? How different is the show with chat versus the show without chat? You you you have to try to know that right because I know there's a lot of people listening on the radio that are driving around that would never ever go to the YouTube channel therefore don't even know what chat's all about but that that's a guy who like went in it's kind of like being part of a cult and somehow getting out right you get into the cult and then you don't know it's a cult until it's too late.
And then they brainwash you, so then you really don't know it's a cult because you're brainwashed. And even when they say to you, "You can no longer have contact with your family. You can no longer have contact with your friends. You can no longer have contact with anybody except us," they've already brainwashed you, and it's too late. That was like a guy that escaped the cult.
You ever see those documentary series like being in a cult, and then the person who got out. It was brave enough, got out and started talking about the cult. That's that guy. Yo, Rome. That's how it used to be when I was in chat.
Anyway, obviously I got a lot out of that phone call. One eight hundred six three six eight six eight six. Anybody want to talk about the so-called jungle Super Bowl? Because that's what that is: Texans v. Bolts.
Do me a favor. I want to stay on the clock, so I want to break right now. If you're on hold, do not hang up. Would love to roll some telephone calls. One eight hundred six three six eight six eight six.
Jake Plummer, top of the hour. Spencer Tillman, top of hour number three. Alby's week. It was my thoughts on the Jungle Super Bowl. Also, I want to talk some basketball.
You see Doc Rivers show up and pylon Giannis, questioning Giannis's basketball IQ. That's sort of rich, right? I'll try and get that a little bit later on. Stay tuned. You're listening to the Jim Rome Show.
O'Reilly Auto Parts is a huge part of the program and of this pod. They're in the business of keeping your car on the road. I have spent a lot of time with the O'Reilly Auto Parts crew, especially the guys and the gals. They're working the stores that we all rely on. It's one thing to say they offer friendly, helpful service and the parts knowledge that you need for all your maintenance and repairs, but it's another to experience it.
Whether you know everything about a car. Or nothing about your ride. They're quick to figure out what you need and treat you well because they want you back as a repeat customer. They're good that way. They've got thousands of parts and accessories in stock, either in store or online, so you never have to worry if you're in a jam.
The team at Old Riley Auto Parts can test your battery for free, in or out of your car. If it needs to be replaced, they'll help you find just the right battery for your vehicle. Need your windshield wipers replaced, a brake light fix, or a quick. They'll help you find the right part or point you to the nearest local repair shop for help. The professional parts people at O'Reilly Auto Parts are your one-stop shop for all things auto do-it-yourself, and you can find what you need in store or online.
Stop by O'Reilly Auto Parts today, or use their website o'reillyauto.com/rome. That's o'reillyauto.com/rome. One quick question for you: Why is old trapper beef jerky so amazing? Why don't we start with the fact that? It's a family-run business, a family-run business that I know, and a family-run business that stands by quality and produces the world's finest beef jerky.
Do not be fooled by the other brands. All beef jerky is not the same. Make sure you choose Old Trapper. You can actually see the quality right through their iconic clear view packages. They do that on purpose.
They want you to know exactly what you're getting. Every single bite of Old Trapper is tenderous, never tough, because they use just the best ingredients. Once again, they don't. Need to do that. They choose to do that.
From their lean strips of beef seasoned with top quality spices to their real wood fired smoke, Old Trapper delivers quality in every single bite, and it comes in four amazing flavors: old fashioned classic beef jerky flavor, exceptionally tender. It's smoky. It's delicious. Also teriyaki with the yellow label, where Old Trapper turned the flavor dial to eleven. Hot and spicy, with a spice so nice you know you're gonna want to stack twice.
And then you've got peppered tender seasoned beef covered in cracked pepper. A cold beer's best friend.
So grab and go with a four ounce bag, or load up with an eighteen ounce bag. That way there's enough for the entire team. If you don't see it, and you will. But if you don't see it, ask for it by name, because no other jerky compares. Old Trapper, what is your beef?
In addition to everything else on a Friday, we have the ATP. Ask the Pros. Will your clients get to ask me or anybody else on the crew a question? And it's always sponsored by O'Reilly Auto Parts. Post your question at Jim Rome.
Please use the hashtag Ask the Pros on X. Then listen later, and either I or the others will answer your questions. Think O'Reilly Auto Parts for all of your car care needs. Get the parts and service. You need fast from the professional parts people at O'Reilly Auto Parts.
All right, Jake Plummer, top of the hour, or about twenty minutes from right now. Spencer Tillman coming up later on. Let's go to the phones. We go to Phoenix, Chuck. Good to have you, Chuck.
How you doing? Yeah, stoked to hear that. That Jake's on the show. I always call during Pat's Run season in April, and I've only missed two. Since well, I've only missed two in the 20 plus years that they've been doing it, and in 2024, I just posted the pick on the show site.
But I was after the race, I just saw this dude without a shirt doing yoga. I just went over and I'm like, "Are you are you Jake Plummer?" And it was Jake, and so we got to talk by ourselves, and he shared some really cool memories about Pat. And keep in mind that there's thousands of runners coming over the line, and you know, Jake just looked out and said, "Man, look at all these lives that Pat changed. How many kids are able to go to college? How many places all over the world?
You know, shadow runs, etc." So it's always a very, very special time, Pat's birthday, but just, just in general.
So, thanks for honoring Pat, and book us a table at Javier's in Vegas sometime. Out. You're gonna have to handle that part yourself, Chuck. But I would, but I would encourage you to do so. You should eat at Javier's in Vegas.
There's the photo that he posted. Appreciate that, Chuck. I've got that up on. Is that good enough? I can't.
Well, I can get you a table. I choose not to get you a table, but I can put your pick up.
So there you go. Should go to Javier's in any of their locations.
So I mentioned Jake Plummer. Jake's going to join us at the top of the hour because Jake played with Pat in college and in the NFL, and they were close. I just want to share my thoughts really quickly, and I do this whenever I can, when it's Pat's birthday or it's time for the run or something comes up. It is hard, hard, hard, hard for me to imagine that Pat would have been fifty today. As is the case with everyone who has made the ultimate sacrifice in fighting for the country, especially in the aftermath of nine eleven, it's still heartbreaking after all this time, and not just for Pat, but for everybody who lost somebody.
So, I want to make that very clear. But I want to say, I've always said that Pat Tillman was one of the most interesting athletes. No, I would say one of the most interesting people I ever encountered, and I say that not because it's Pat Tillman, but because it's true. Who gives up a multi-million-dollar NFL contract in their prime to not only enlist but to join the Army Rangers and makes it? Pat obviously was always driven by way more than just.
The life, the game, the money—he loved the game. He loved the game, but he was driven way more by his convictions, his standards, his ethics, doing things the right way. All of that was way more important than just being a highly paid professional athlete.
Now, don't get me wrong. Pat was competitive as hell. Pat did everything he could to get the most from himself athletically, and he wasn't just an incredible leader. Like there was so much more to Pat Tillman than being a professional athlete. That was the goal, but that was never the final destination.
That was just part of a much wider journey. These are all my thoughts, my takes. He was so much more than just a guy who beat the odds to make it to the NFL. And when I say that, I'd say that about most NFLers. I mean, it's infinitesimal to get to the NFL.
The chances of anybody making it to the NFL are so slim. He did that, but he was so much more uncommon than just doing that. I said, if you knew Pat Tillman. Then you wouldn't be shocked that he made the decision that he made when he made that decision. As I've always said, and obviously naively so, I thought so highly of Pat.
I was so awed by Pat Tillman. It never dawned on me that Pat wouldn't come home. Yeah, I understand combat is combat. I understand that there's nothing more horrific than war. I understand that there's always no guarantee that anybody comes home.
But for some reason, I thought that Pat would. Pat was larger than life like that. He accomplished everything he ever set out to do.
So, in short, and again naively so, I just assumed that he was kind of bulletproof. That he was different. That he was that convicted in his beliefs.
So the day that he died, and I'll never forget that day. It was so unbelievably jarring, and shocking, and sad. I always thought that Pat was one of the most unusual and unique people I had ever met in sports, and that was while he was still in college. Like I didn't think he was really unusual for a college kid. I'm like, damn!
I this is one of the most unusual people that I've spoken to on the show, and that's while he was still in college. I'll never forget him coming on this show, just as I'll never forget him appearing at our tour stop in Phoenix. Just as I'll never forget his family asking me. To be the keynote speaker at one of the memorials, a memorial that was televised live on ESPN. I've always said that was one of the greatest honors of my career when his family asked me to do that.
Pat was a fierce, fierce dude who lived his life to a certain standard and expected those around him to live theirs to a similar standard, an elevated standard as well. Like he held himself accountable, but he held his friends and his teammates and the people he cared about accountable as well.
So, if you were fortunate enough to be in that circle, inevitably you came out better because he made you better and pushed you to do more. That's the best kind of friend. We all need somebody like that. I mean, sure, it's intrinsic, sure it's internal, but what if you had somebody to hold you accountable that cared and loved you that much? We had some great moments on the show back in the day, such as the time his Arizona State Sun Devils dropped what he called a quote nice, swift ass kicking on them.
Compare the win over Nebraska. I mean, they're number one. They come in and they ran it up on you guys last year. You shut them down in your own crib. Compare how it felt after that game to after beating Arizona.
You know what? After Nebraska game, that was a huge win. But the the Arizona game was more. It was kind of more satisfying because. They kicked the hell out of us the last like three years, so it kind of it meant a little bit more.
And I think for the fans, it meant more too. I mean, most people were so damn surprised after the Nebraska game; they were too too surprised to really, you know, it didn't really sink in. But the Arizona game was just a nice, swift ass kicking, so it was cool. It was a nice, swift ass kicking, so it was cool. I once asked Pat about the Sun Devils having a look at being the best team in the country.
But the fact that their fate was in the hands of the voters, and I was curious how he felt about that. All right, so pal, what about you going to the Rose Bowl? And you like to think that if you're unbeaten and you take care of business, you control your own destiny. But the fact is, you don't. I mean, your destiny actually is controlled by, like I said, a bunch of fat newspaper guys who may or may not ever see you guys play.
Do you have a problem with that? I yeah, you know what? In a way, I do. In a way, I don't. I mean, if we win this game, we go undefeated, and that's that's all we could possibly do.
And I think everybody appreciates that. If we didn't get the national championship, you know, Florida wins, or Florida State wins, obviously, you know, they got it.
So that's That's cool. They deserve it too. They didn't lose, but at the same time, it'll be disappointing. But there is a satisfaction in kind of knowing that you know you deserved it. And I mean, number two is no slap in the face.
So I'll be disappointed, but I'll get over it. Keep in mind, these conversations are decades old. And but, like I said, even as a college player and a college student, Pat would show up like that. Like I always knew that he'd end up in the NFL. I believe that always, but I also always believe that Pat Tillman was one of those guys who could do absolutely anything he set his mind to.
He could do anything in life.
So I did try to ask him once.
Well, what are you going to do upon graduation? What are you going to do when you graduate? I have no idea. I'll figure it out. I don't know.
I'm leaving the door open. I was gonna say, people need to understand that you ran some pretty good smack, but you're a second team academic all American. What's your GPA? I was first team academic, bro. You were first team.
Uh huh. I was second team football.
So you're like three point eight, something like that. Phenomenal, man. I'm gonna get you a talk show, all right? Cool, cool. I was first team, bro, not second team.
First team academic all American, second team football.
So again, I give immense thanks to every man and woman who have ever served this country to afford the rest of us the freedoms we have. And Pat's passing is no more significant than anybody else who made the ultimate sacrifice for country. But I want to acknowledge him on what would have been his fiftieth birthday. Happy birthday, bro! I'm not sure that I ever saw anyone quite like him at that time.
And I'm pretty sure that I may never again, going forward. He was that different. And when we went out to Jake Plummer, and did so actually late, like this morning, he's like, "Absolutely, I'm here for it." So Jake will join us at the top of the hour, or about eight minutes from right now. Today would have been Pat Tillman's fiftieth birthday. One eight hundred six three six eight six eight six.
Silk bra is in bra. Jen Silk is hosting a Super Bowl party in downtown HB on the rooftop at Cruisers. Stop by and celebrate the Charger victory with us, bra. Chargers rule. Texans suck.
Sandstormy. Alvin Deloral.
Okay.
So, bra. Jen Silk is hosting a jungle Super Bowl party downtown. HB on the rooftop at Cruisers. Quote: Stop by and celebrate the Charger victory with us, bra. Chargers rule.
Texans suck. First of all, props to you and Jen. Check that. Props to Jen. Period.
I love that you guys are having a rooftop jungle Super Bowl party. I would not celebrate a Charger victory with you, brah. Not at all. Like I said, not only would not celebrate a Charger victory with you. If there is a Charger victory, there may not be a show Monday.
If there is a Charger victory, there may not be a show ever again. I may pull the plug on this thing. That's how important that game is. High stakes for everybody, myself included. And if it's high stakes for me, and I might rip the plug on this show, then it's high stakes for all of you.
Let's just say you want the Texans to win. Cannot have the Texans losing to the winless Chargers. Can't have it. Cannot have it. All right, stay tuned.
I'm getting more reaction from people who jumped into chat and realized it was not for them. See, that's the thing. It's fine. Believe me, chat is not for everybody. Chat is a different game altogether.
They're playing a different game over there. But you should try it. You shouldn't decide it's not for you without first trying it. When we come back. Jake Plummer joins us.
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