Podcast: AP's Letter to Fans, NFL Draft Stay at 13, Evaluating Telesco
Las Vegas Raiders Insider Podcast on AP's Open Letter to Raider Nation, Will the Raiders Stay at 13 in the NFL Draft, Evaluating Telesco, and More
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00:00 Hi everybody, this is Hondo Carpenter from Sports Illustrated's Fan Nation Las Vegas
00:06 Raiders Insider Podcast.
00:08 It's great to be with you all today.
00:10 Joined now by my great friend, Matt Heladick from thespun.com.
00:15 He and I have been doing a weekly segment either on the radio or a podcast, television,
00:19 whatever for probably this is I think our 16th year, whatever year, the year before
00:26 Rutgers joined the Big Ten after the season that year that he began and we've been friends
00:31 ever since.
00:33 Great to have you, Matt.
00:34 I tell you, thespun.com has got to be going crazy with all the Taylor Swift talk.
00:40 I want to very be centric on Raiders, but I have to very quickly say this to you.
00:49 As you know, I've been to a lot of Super Bowls and I have never seen one like it was last
00:55 night.
00:56 I mean, massive, the biggest crowd I've ever seen at Media Day around Travis Kelce.
01:04 I've never seen anything like it, even when Tom Brady was in the Super Bowls and nothing.
01:12 And then almost all the questions were about Taylor Swift.
01:18 It was just amazing to me, the impact.
01:22 It just it's floored me, it stunned me.
01:26 But like it or not, she has impacted and I think impacted in a positive way by bringing
01:33 in new fans, the National Football League.
01:34 Your thoughts?
01:35 I would agree.
01:36 I mean, you look at what the reported added value has been for Taylor Swift.
01:44 The study said it's 331 million or something like that.
01:47 I think that we've talked about before, there are some people who don't like the fact they
01:53 show on broadcast or maybe be getting fatigued with the storyline.
01:57 But to me, I think that overall, she's been a boon for the league.
02:01 And I think that it's great to see additional kind of people become involved in the NFL
02:10 from a fan perspective.
02:11 I think, you know, the league is getting exposure and gaining fans in markets that they may
02:19 not necessarily have had huge fans in the past.
02:25 They're making inroads with those groups because of Taylor Swift.
02:30 And listen, even if Taylor Swift isn't around the NFL in a couple of years because either
02:36 she breaks up with Travis Kelsey, or even if they stay together, he retires or whatever,
02:42 those people may stick around and say, "Hey, you know, watching football and watching some
02:46 of that was fun.
02:47 Let me check out a game or become a fan of the team or stay being a fan of the Chiefs
02:52 or something like that."
02:53 I think that's great for the league.
02:55 Yeah.
02:56 I got to tell you, though, I learned something this morning that I thought was fascinating.
03:03 I got a, I don't remember, it was an email or a follow.
03:07 I was going through all my email and all my social media, so I apologize.
03:10 I think it was an email and a follow from somebody who is not an NFL fan, but can't
03:17 stand Taylor Swift.
03:19 And so they found out that the Raiders were their biggest rival, and so now is a Raider
03:24 fan.
03:25 I thought that was kind of cool.
03:26 That is, hey, you take them where you can get them.
03:28 Anywhere you can find fans for a team or for a league, you take them.
03:34 All right.
03:35 You know it's bad when you go to fix your glasses and they're not even on your head.
03:38 All right.
03:39 I want to dig into the Raiders.
03:41 A lot of different things going on.
03:45 Getzey's not been officially named, so there's nothing to really talk about there.
03:50 Obviously, I mean, all indicators are that the deal is done, but until it's official
03:55 by the team, there's nothing really to talk about.
04:00 But I do want to address with you one issue.
04:06 Cliff Kingsbury and Luke Getzey are two completely different types of coordinators.
04:19 And so if the Raiders had come out with Luke Getzey first and nobody had ever thought of
04:26 Cliff Kingsbury, I don't think the fan base would have been as riled up as it is.
04:33 But because they go Cliff Kingsbury, which is air raid, and it doesn't mean he can't
04:38 do other things.
04:39 In fact, he talked in his interview about other things.
04:41 But then they go to Luke Getzey.
04:45 That's where the disconnect is with the fan base.
04:48 I don't think anybody hates, well, I'm sure there are.
04:51 I've learned that.
04:52 But I think it's not a hate thing for Getzey.
04:55 It just seems to be so diametrically opposed.
04:58 What do you think of that analysis?
05:01 I think that as far as fans, they pay attention.
05:06 They look at what coaches are known for, what they favor schematically.
05:12 You see, okay, this guy, yes, he has experience too, and he brings that to the table.
05:19 But he looks like he wants to do different things than Kingsbury did, Luke Getzey does.
05:28 So what is Antonio Pierce's vision for the offense?
05:31 Obviously you said 24 points to goal, which is great.
05:34 But how does he anticipate getting there?
05:36 How does he want to get there?
05:38 Does he want to be a team that spreads the field and throws it a lot?
05:43 Does he want to be a team that is more of a power running game or incorporates a quarterback
05:49 running into the system the way that Getzey had to in Chicago with Justin Beals?
05:54 If that's the case, then they don't really have that type of player with Aiden O'Connell.
05:59 But what does he see and how does Getzey want to modify things for the person that he has?
06:05 I also think one of the reasons why fans got riled up, and listen, I'm sure there were
06:11 some fans that were really excited to potentially have Cliff Kingsbury.
06:14 I'm sure there were some fans that really weren't that jazzed up about having Cliff
06:18 Kingsbury.
06:19 That's just the way it goes with any coaching search in any sport.
06:22 What we talked about in the past, just last week, I think even, about Raider fans being
06:28 a little beaten up, a little downtrodden because of what they've gone through all these years.
06:34 I think when you have a guy who was the first choice or offered the job, NFL media, multiple
06:44 reporters, but not just local guys like you, but national guys are saying, "He's going
06:48 to get the job.
06:49 This is who the Raiders want."
06:51 And then it falls through.
06:53 You're like, "Oh, here we go again.
06:56 The Raiders screwed it up.
06:58 What did they do wrong?
06:59 How come?"
07:00 I think that's one of the reasons why you might see some fan animosity, plus the fact
07:06 that the Bears, the last couple of years, haven't been great offensively.
07:12 But again, you've got to take into account personnel.
07:15 What did he have to work with?
07:16 What were his limitations at quarterback?
07:19 What were his limitations along the offensive line and skill positions?
07:24 What were his assets that he had to work with there?
07:27 And so things can really look different.
07:32 To me, I think with coaching in general, and it's true with a lot of head coaches, and
07:41 it doesn't just go with football, it isn't just pertinent with football.
07:46 There's great coaches who will make it work to at least, maybe not be on a championship
07:53 team every year, but we'll have a winning team and make it work almost every single
07:56 time they're out there.
07:58 There's bad coaches who just go around getting fired, or they get fired once or twice and
08:02 they don't get the opportunities.
08:04 And then there's good coaches who need, they can look great with the right mix of personnel
08:11 if they have things going and things are working.
08:13 And then if they don't have that, they kind of, you know, they don't, you know, it doesn't
08:20 look good.
08:21 And I think that in the case of Luke Getzey, that might be what you had.
08:25 You might have a guy who is a good coach, good offensive coordinator, but just needs
08:30 to find the right concoction of ingredients to put together a good offense consistently.
08:38 Yeah, I agree with you.
08:39 I think it's fascinating.
08:42 And I don't blame the fans.
08:44 These guys, these fans have been through so much.
08:48 I don't blame them.
08:49 I just find it interesting the way they reacted and I can see it.
08:54 You know what?
08:55 Here we go again.
08:56 And I agree with you a hundred percent.
08:58 All right.
08:59 Let's talk about Tom Telesco did an interview recently and talked about, I don't know who
09:05 we're going to pick.
09:08 He is still going through with the staff that's there evaluating, trying to learn what he
09:13 has.
09:16 I understand, again, Raider fan, you know, you go hire a GM that was fired, an offensive
09:23 coordinator that was fired.
09:24 I understand their frustration because it has been two decades of futility.
09:29 I get all of that.
09:31 But man, I don't think Tom Telesco, now he's going to be judged by Super Bowls.
09:39 This is the Raiders.
09:40 So I get that.
09:42 But as of right now, having done all that he could, I don't think he could have done
09:48 any better in this short time that he's been the man.
09:52 I'd like your thoughts on on Telesco and just kind of how he's handled this job interim.
09:57 I mean, here in the beginning.
09:59 Sure, I think, you know, he seems to have had the right approach just from looking at
10:04 his introductory presser where he said, you know, I don't know everything.
10:09 I'm going to start to, you know, coming in here and I'm looking forward to working with
10:12 Antonio Pierce and getting his lay of the land of the organization and what he knows
10:17 about our roster, what he knows about our personnel.
10:21 I think one of the things.
10:24 And it's funny you said that about not knowing who we're going to pick yet.
10:26 I think this is one of the things that all NFL fans struggle with around this time of
10:32 year, especially if your organization has been losing.
10:37 The NFL is such a year round product.
10:41 When you have been when your team is basically eliminated from playoff contention or looking
10:47 like it's going to be eliminated from playoff contention during the season, a lot of fans
10:53 start to look right at mock drafts.
10:56 And when they start to do that, they're thinking, who can we get?
10:59 Who can replace?
11:00 And then you get into the offseason and there's mock drafts coming out.
11:06 All the time.
11:07 And I see it every day with Giants and Jets fans in New York getting angry at who someone
11:16 on ESPN, Mel Kiper or Matt Miller or someone for another website, mocks to them now almost
11:24 three months before the actual draft, before the combine, before the interview process
11:29 and all that stuff.
11:30 Listen, those guys have their intelligence that they get, their intel they get from around
11:35 the league.
11:36 So they do talk to people.
11:37 But right now it's all educated guessing.
11:39 So I think fans want that immediacy.
11:42 They want to know, Tom Falesco is coming in.
11:46 This is who we're targeting.
11:47 We're going to trade up to get our quarterback, Caleb Williams or Drake Mayer or whoever it
11:51 is, or we're going in this direction to draft.
11:55 We want to know, boom, boom, boom, what the future is going to bring.
12:00 And that's not necessarily the process in the NFL.
12:02 So I think that that might be one of the reasons why you see fans kind of get anxious around
12:08 this time of the year because you're already ready to move into free agency and the draft
12:14 and you still have to wait by your time before that stuff comes up.
12:20 I got to tell you, I will be stunned and I'll be more than stunned.
12:26 I don't think the Raiders are going to get Caleb, Drake Mayer or Jaden Daniels.
12:31 I just don't think that's going to happen.
12:33 I wasn't reporting they're going to do that.
12:35 I was just throwing out a scenario.
12:36 No, no, no.
12:37 I'm going to my next question because I agree with you.
12:41 I don't think either one of those are on the table.
12:45 So we're going to take those off the table.
12:49 And so if those three are not on the table, first of all, as you know, I talk to a ton
12:54 of people around the league trying to garner and get information.
12:59 In my first mock draft, we had the Raiders taking J.J. McCarthy in the second round because
13:04 that's where his value right now is.
13:08 And I was talking to an NFL executive that said right now, if the draft was today, you
13:12 could get J.J. in the second.
13:15 And this is an executive with a team that does not need a quarterback, a team that drafts
13:21 quarterbacks very, very well.
13:23 And he said, we have him, him and Drake May as our only two first round grades, which
13:30 I found to be fascinating.
13:33 And he said to me, but by the time people get to spend time with J.J. McCarthy and watch
13:42 him at Pro Days and everything else, watch him at the Combine, he said, I think he could
13:47 move up even before some of those guys that are now top three.
13:55 What are your thoughts on J.J. McCarthy?
13:57 He made a great point to me.
13:59 He said for everyone that talks about his passing numbers are not that good, he completes
14:04 73 percent of his passes, which is unbelievable.
14:08 And most of the games in the Big Ten, Michigan wanted to run the ball.
14:12 He goes, but go put the video on of him in the playoff against Alabama.
14:19 He had to compete against two first round corners, one first round safety with another
14:25 one who's probably going to be a first round safety.
14:28 He goes and look at how he passed against that coverage, against that amount of talent.
14:34 This guy, again, they don't need a quarterback, but very high on J.J. McCarthy.
14:39 I'd like to hear what you think of him.
14:43 You know, I think from watching him, I think he's.
14:50 I would put him below.
14:53 He's the big three so far, obviously, which is where I think he firmly is.
14:57 I think QB four is a fine range for him at this point.
15:02 One of the things I think that you kind of alluded to, it complicates matters with the
15:07 evaluation of him.
15:09 And to be fair, I'm this is I'm going by my eyes watching him during the season, reading
15:15 and consuming draft media that I trust that I know put the effort, things like that.
15:20 I'm not personally breaking down hours of J.J.
15:22 McCarthy films.
15:23 I just want to give that disclaimer.
15:25 But from watching him during the season and from, you know, consuming and reading and
15:31 looking at different things and watching different breakdowns now, one of the things that makes
15:35 it tough to evaluate him is that he didn't get the opportunities to throw the ball all
15:41 around the yard the way that some of these other quarterbacks did or had to for their
15:47 teams to be competitive.
15:49 You know, for J.J. McCarthy, Michigan dominated or was in control of most of the games on
15:56 their schedule.
15:57 You know, they did their three non-conference games.
16:00 They were they were clearly the better team.
16:04 They in the Big Ten, they blew out at least in the second half, almost everyone they faced
16:11 other than Ohio State and Penn State.
16:14 And in that Penn State game, when they run the ball, 20 something straight plays, 30
16:18 straight plays, something, you know, that was just a crazy number.
16:22 And I don't necessarily think they did it because just because they had no faith in
16:27 McCarthy.
16:28 I think they respected Penn State's ability to defend the pass and said, we have the horses
16:33 up front and in the backfield to just run the ball down their throats.
16:35 We don't need to throw.
16:37 So when you have that, I think all those factors make the evaluation a little tougher.
16:44 And no, he's not going to have the highlights.
16:48 Now I know I don't think he has the skill set totally of the upside of a, you know,
16:54 as Caleb Williams said.
16:55 But no, he's not going to have all the highlights of a Drake May because Drake May had to do
16:59 almost everything for his offense the last couple of years.
17:02 He had some quality receivers.
17:04 Yes.
17:05 But, you know, Drake May was the fulcrum of the UNC offense, whereas Michigan had McCarthy,
17:11 who was a very good college quarterback, who will play in the NFL and has potential to
17:16 be very good in the NFL, I think.
17:18 But they had great running backs.
17:20 They had an awesome offensive line.
17:21 They had a defense that just dominated opponents.
17:25 So I think that also makes it very interesting.
17:30 There's a possibility I could see where he goes to a team either in the second round
17:36 or I think he could move up in the first.
17:38 And the team, the fans aren't that excited about it on draft night, but maybe he develops
17:44 into something down the road where they're like, wow, we potentially got to steal.
17:48 Yeah.
17:49 All right.
17:50 So I'm going to ask you right now, and I understand that we're only in early February, but if
17:55 you had to predict right now how many players, I mean, how many quarterbacks go in the first
18:03 round of the draft, how many would you say?
18:05 Well, the top three, I think, would definitely be in there.
18:09 I know that there are some people saying that Drake May is going to drop, but there's always
18:13 people talking about dropping quarterbacks every year, and I feel like they never fall
18:18 as precipitously as some project.
18:19 So those three guys, your Williams, your May, your Jaden Daniels, I think are definitely
18:22 going.
18:24 I think at least four.
18:26 I do think either a JJ McCarthy or a Bo Nix or a Panix gets into that first round, depending
18:32 on what a team likes and what they value.
18:35 I think we see at least four, potentially five.
18:39 I would set the over/under right now at four and a half.
18:44 At four and a half?
18:46 Yeah.
18:47 I think it's amazing.
18:48 It was interesting for me talking to some NFL people recently.
18:54 One guy said they only had two people with first round grades.
18:59 Another guy told me we only have three with first round grades.
19:02 It's just interesting to me.
19:04 And then talking to teams who traditionally aren't great drafters, "Oh man, we've got
19:11 six guys here that we think are first round prospects," or whatever.
19:15 It's just interesting to me because there's no continuity.
19:20 I like to listen to the teams.
19:21 So for example, when I'm looking at running backs, I like to talk to teams who traditionally
19:30 draft running backs very well.
19:32 I listen to them, or I'll listen to when it comes to quarterbacks, teams that draft quarterbacks,
19:37 teams that constantly fail at it.
19:40 I like to get them just to know what they're thinking.
19:43 So when I make my mocks, but it's fascinating to me.
19:46 The draft is absolutely fascinating, isn't it?
19:49 It is.
19:50 And it's like a puzzle.
19:51 You're putting together a puzzle when you're making a mock draft.
19:54 You're taking all the intelligence that you have from around the league, and you're taking
20:01 your own evaluations, and you're plugging in what you think teams are going to do.
20:05 And then, "Okay, if this happens, this domino falls, where do these other teams go next?"
20:12 There's a science to it, which is pretty fun.
20:15 I agree with you 100%.
20:17 Okay, Matt, staying on the Raiders theme, I want to talk about Antonio Pierce.
20:27 Comes out with a big Players Tribune.
20:30 Did you see it?
20:32 Yeah, I did.
20:33 I'd like your thoughts on it.
20:36 I want to know what you thought.
20:37 He wrote an open letter to Raider Nation.
20:40 What did you think?
20:41 Well, I think that, again, we talked before about Raiders, Raider Nation, Raider fans
20:48 being a little bit apprehensive, or being a little bit beaten down by the last couple
20:53 of decades of what's gone on there.
20:54 And I think that Antonio Pierce is doing a nice job of setting the tone, saying, "Hey,
21:01 we're Raiders.
21:02 This is Silver and Black's back.
21:03 This is the type of attitude we want, how we want to conduct ourselves, how we want
21:08 to project ourselves."
21:09 Again, you do have to deliver wins and losses.
21:12 That's the bottom line in this business.
21:13 The ultimate thing he will be judged on.
21:15 But for now, going into his first offseason, coming off half a season as an interim coach,
21:22 he has, I think he has that aspect of the job down.
21:26 He understands what the fan base needs.
21:29 He understands what his players need.
21:31 He understands the type of confidence he wants to project and the image he wants to project.
21:38 I thought the players' jubune was a pretty cool way to do that.
21:43 So I think that it'll be, you know, it's going to be a lot of fun to see how he handles his
21:49 first full season in that division.
21:51 I think the AFC West in general next year might be the most interesting, fascinating
21:57 division in the NFL because just from the coaches alone and the personalities you have
22:02 there.
22:04 But I liked it.
22:05 I thought it was a good step for Antonio Pierce.
22:07 All right.
22:08 Now, I want to stay on this a little bit because I think this is pretty funny.
22:14 I hate the Pro Bowl.
22:18 I hate it.
22:19 It's a flag football game.
22:20 I understand.
22:21 I get it.
22:23 A lot of guys didn't want to play in the Pro Bowl because why take a chance of getting
22:28 injured?
22:29 I remember a few years ago, Sean Taylor, you know, many people believe if not the greatest,
22:35 one of the greatest safeties to ever play the game.
22:37 He goes up in a Pro Bowl game and just crushes someone.
22:40 Punter.
22:41 Brian Moorman.
22:42 Yep.
22:43 I'm sorry, what?
22:44 Brian Moorman from the Bills.
22:45 Yeah.
22:46 The Punter.
22:47 Yeah.
22:48 So a lot of people were like, it's not worth getting injured in that.
22:53 And I agree with them, by the way.
22:55 But to me, a flag football game is making a mockery of it.
23:00 If I'm the NFL, I no longer call it the Pro Bowl.
23:05 I just call it the All-Madden team.
23:08 First and second, both sides of the, I mean, both AFC and NFC, just AFC first and second
23:13 team, NFC first and second team, All-Madden.
23:18 Give out an award at Honors Night or whatever, but don't have the game anymore.
23:23 To me, it's making a mockery.
23:24 Now, some people say I'm just an old man telling people to get off my lawn.
23:29 But I've talked with a couple of players about it who've been Pro Bowlers or one of them
23:36 on the cusp of being a Pro Bowler, and they agree with me.
23:41 What are your thoughts?
23:42 What do you think of this?
23:43 That's funny.
23:44 We had this conversation in the Spun Slack, employee Slack chat the other day.
23:49 We were talking about the Pro Bowl and different things.
23:54 And one of my colleagues said it, and I kind of agree.
23:58 I think that the entire genre of professional all-star games have just completely lost their
24:08 luster.
24:09 I think that when I was younger, I think there's still some value to the skills competition,
24:19 like the Home Run Derby and the MLB.
24:23 The dunk contest isn't what it used to be when Jordan, Dominique Wilkins, and guys were
24:27 in it when it started, but that can still be fun for the NBA.
24:30 Three-point contest is still fun.
24:32 I like the idea of the skills competitions they had Thursday night with the Pro Bowl.
24:37 That can be kind of fun too.
24:39 But the all-star games in general, and I really can't speak to the NHL all-star game, although
24:47 one of my colleagues who's a diehard NHL fan, biggest hockey fan I work with, and one of
24:52 the biggest hockey fans I know, doesn't like the NHL all-star game.
24:56 So that's just one man's opinion, but it kind of factors in what I'm saying.
25:01 I just think the entire professional all-star game thing has lost its luster.
25:06 When you're younger, I used to love to watch the MLB all-star game because that was before
25:11 interleague play got really expanded, so it might be your only chance to see guys from
25:16 the NL go up against guys from the AL.
25:19 NBA all-star games used to be unbelievable.
25:28 You would get -- I mean, they were always high-scoring, but you would get some type
25:34 of element of actual gameplay, and in the fourth quarter, teams would really lock down
25:38 and they would play for real, and it would be great.
25:41 Now it's a lay-up line, dunk contest, almost some jump.
25:44 It's like just guys going up and down the court getting some cardio in.
25:48 The Pro Bowl hasn't -- I haven't been interested in the Pro Bowl in 30 years, 25 years, I'm
25:53 saying, I don't know, something like that.
25:55 It just doesn't hold my attention at all.
25:57 I don't know.
25:59 It still means something to make the Pro Bowl.
26:02 It still means something to be an NBA all-star, to be an MLB all-star, NHL all-star, without
26:07 a doubt.
26:09 But the games themselves, at least to me, don't have the appeal, nearly the appeal,
26:14 that used to.
26:16 I remember -- and now, you and I are spoiled.
26:19 We grew up in the '70s and '80s, and I remember the dunk contest.
26:23 I mean, I watch everybody with the Jumpman logos on their clothes.
26:28 I remember sitting at home watching it.
26:33 I remember watching all the skills competitions.
26:38 I remember one time, literally, rushing home from church because my dad and I had to watch
26:46 the baseball all-star game.
26:48 It was two pitchers going against each other, and you knew it was only -- they were only
26:52 going to get three innings as the starter.
26:56 And now it's gotten to the place where this is such a business -- and I don't blame the
27:01 players here -- where the players are like, "Listen, I can't afford to get hurt.
27:06 Boy, baseball season is so long.
27:10 I want those three days off, those five days off, whatever it is, to relax because my body
27:16 takes a beating."
27:17 I remember watching the all-star games.
27:20 I mean, come on.
27:21 I remember when Irvin came back after he had left the league.
27:24 I think it was Tom Chambers was a guy.
27:28 I think he was with Seattle, but he wins the MVP.
27:32 I think he was the one that won, but some guy at the -- you always expected the home
27:36 guy to really shine.
27:40 It meant something.
27:42 And when it doesn't anymore, I'm not blaming anybody.
27:46 Things evolve.
27:48 Things change.
27:50 People that can't embrace change can't embrace growth.
27:55 So I'm not an old man reflective nostalgically.
28:00 I'm an old man being honest, saying, "Have the skill competitions."
28:05 I love that.
28:06 At least I remember watching Dan Marino trying to hit targets being moved by golf carts.
28:13 Again, I love all the skill competitions.
28:17 Just give the awards.
28:20 Have the skill competition and move on.
28:21 I'm glad we agree on that, and I think it's important.
28:25 Okay.
28:26 Now, talking about people embracing what they can't change, there is a huge, monstrous controversy
28:37 here at the Super Bowl.
28:40 The Chiefs are practicing and using the Raiders' practice facility, which is the best in the
28:46 NFL.
28:49 They're also using the Raiders' locker room at Allegiant Stadium.
28:56 And I got to tell you, Matt, I've never seen nothing like it.
28:59 I tweeted a picture yesterday and just said, "Man, I had to take a double take to see Chiefs
29:04 names, and I mean Chiefs stuff, on the Raiders' locker room."
29:11 I mean, I had people threaten to kill me for spreading a lie.
29:16 They're not using the Raiders.
29:18 They're using UNLV.
29:19 It was nuts.
29:20 And, okay, I've been to every game ever played by the Raiders at Allegiant.
29:28 I walk into the same locker room every time.
29:31 I know what their locker room is.
29:33 The Chiefs are in it.
29:35 But at the end of the day, I was stunned.
29:38 I understand Raider fan not liking it.
29:40 I was stunned.
29:42 The vitriol and the emotion of Raiders.
29:47 Hey, it goes back to 20 years of futility.
29:51 I get it.
29:52 They're angry and they're mad, but it isn't like Mark Davis can stop it.
29:56 I mean, the NFL, we just learned the other day, is bringing in 1.1 to 1.3 billion into
30:03 the Vegas economy this week.
30:05 When they rent the stadium, they rent it.
30:07 It's like saying, "Okay, you can rent my house, but you can't sleep in the bedroom."
30:11 I mean, when you rent the house, you rent the house.
30:13 I was fascinated by it.
30:16 Did it shock you, the amount of vitriol that came out about that?
30:20 Yeah, I think that...
30:23 You would know this better than I would.
30:25 Does it go off of who's the designated home team for the game, gets to use the facilities?
30:31 I saw somebody say last year in Glendale, the Eagles were the home team, NFC was a designated
30:39 home team.
30:40 They got to use the Cardinals facilities while the Chiefs had to use Arizona State.
30:49 Now this year, the Chiefs are the home team.
30:51 They get to wear the home jerseys.
30:54 So they have access to the Raiders facilities while the Niners are at UNLV.
31:00 When I was told, and I got this from somebody who works for the NFL, but it wasn't like
31:06 an official statement, was that if the stadium is an NFC home stadium, then the NFC team
31:15 is home.
31:16 If it's an AFC stadium, it's an AFC stadium.
31:19 That's what I was told.
31:20 So that would work out exactly like last year.
31:22 Cardinals, Eagles, both NFC.
31:24 Raiders, Chiefs, obviously both AFC.
31:28 I think it goes back to, I think it became a big story because there was commentary obviously
31:34 on the difference in quality of the facilities at UNLV.
31:38 We're going to get to that next.
31:40 At the Raiders.
31:45 People are saying, "Oh, the Chiefs are getting advantages because they're the favorite team
31:50 and the NFL loves them.
31:52 They want them to win," and all that conspiracy kind of stuff.
31:55 Many of the Raiders fans, they're sick to see the Chiefs use the locker rooms.
32:01 I know that that would happen if the Eagles were using the locker rooms and the facilities
32:05 at Jerry World or at MetLife Stadium, or the Cowboys were using the Commander's facilities
32:14 or the Giants facilities, things like that.
32:16 Those rivalries run deep.
32:17 I'm sure Al Davis is tearing over his grave seeing all that Chiefs stuff in the locker
32:21 room and seeing them prepare.
32:24 But it is funny how seemingly innocuous things turn into such bigger things now in the age
32:33 of social media and the age of immediate information.
32:43 In the past, if they were using that, it might get reported on television news or the radio,
32:50 but it would get reported in the next day's paper.
32:53 Maybe there's a photo in the next day's paper, but people have time to see it and digest
32:59 it.
33:00 Now, if you tweet out a picture of it or someone else posts a picture of it, it gets out there
33:04 immediately and fans can react in the moment with all the emotion they have from seeing
33:10 that.
33:11 I think that's where you see that vitriol come into play.
33:14 Yeah, all right.
33:16 Let's talk about the NFL because the UNLV facilities, I mean, the field, again, by all
33:23 accounts is very, very soft.
33:25 It's not a great field.
33:28 There's nothing really the NFL can do, but in the future, do you think it behooves the
33:35 NFL?
33:36 Would you like to see the NFL pick one site and keep it there?
33:39 I like that it moves around.
33:41 I like that you're going to see it in Tampa.
33:44 You're going to see it in Dallas.
33:46 You're going to see it at SoFi.
33:48 You're going to see it in Vegas.
33:49 You're going to see it in Arizona.
33:51 I like that.
33:52 No issue with that.
33:53 You're going to see it in Miami.
33:56 I like occasionally you're going to see it go to a Northern Dome stadium like Ford Field
34:00 or where the Vikings play or Indianapolis, whatever.
34:04 I like that.
34:05 I like it moving around, but for the sake of continuity, would you like to see it one
34:12 place where all the facilities are equally good or does it not matter to you?
34:17 Again, I would like to see them continue to stick to keep moving it around the way they
34:22 do.
34:23 No, I think they should keep moving it around.
34:25 I like it.
34:26 I think that's part of the allure of the Super Bowl, too, that it's in different places and
34:31 it's for covering the game, for fans traveling, you get different experiences in different
34:39 spots.
34:42 What I could see happening is, and obviously this type of format, this practice of the
34:50 home stadium goes to whichever team is from the same league as that host has been going
34:58 on.
34:59 It's not something that's new this year.
35:00 I wonder if the league will do more to ensure or look into the quality of the alternate
35:10 practice facilities being up to snuff.
35:14 One of the things we have seen the complaints about, UNLV, is the field, the conditions
35:18 are softer.
35:20 It's softer than what the Niners would train on at home or you would be accustomed to.
35:25 So does, you know, everything goes into hosting Super Bowl, it's an insanely in-depth event.
35:35 Does the league kind of go to these places and say, hey, you have to make sure that it
35:40 fits these parameters and you have all these things in place so that we give the teams
35:47 the best possible experience?
35:49 Maybe they change some of their best practices for that, I could see.
35:52 But I'm firmly of the belief that it should be moving around.
35:58 Listen, you want to rotate the same group of cities, which they do, fine.
36:04 But I think, I love the fact that the Super Bowl moves around.
36:09 I love the fact the Final Four moves around.
36:14 I think it's pretty cool, too, even the College Football Playoff moves around.
36:19 I think those type of things are, when it's a neutral site game, I like that practice
36:27 of getting in different parts of the country.
36:28 And it's such a boon to the local economies of all these places that I think that it should
36:34 stay with the way it's been done forever.
36:37 All right, Matt, give me your prediction for the Super Bowl.
36:40 Who wins and why?
36:41 And score.
36:42 I'm not picking against the Chiefs in the playoffs until they lose.
36:48 So I'm picking the Chiefs.
36:49 I learned my lesson.
36:51 I picked against them to lose to Buffalo.
36:54 And I picked against them to lose again to Baltimore, thinking that this is the year
36:57 the Chiefs will finally get beaten in the playoffs.
36:59 Somebody will get them.
37:01 No, it didn't happen.
37:02 I'm picking the Chiefs because they have Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelsey and Andy Reid.
37:10 And I'll put it this way, even if the Chiefs do lose, I'm picking them to get to the Super
37:15 Bowl next year, assuming they're in the playoffs, because I'm not picking them to lose to an
37:18 AFC team in the playoffs until they do it again.
37:21 Because this team is just, the role they're on is something special.
37:28 What's the score?
37:29 I have 27-24, Chiefs.
37:33 Now I know I'm here in Vegas, but last time I heard it was the Chiefs were favored by
37:39 one point.
37:40 Do you think that's still pretty accurate?
37:41 I actually haven't looked at the line.
37:44 The last line I looked at was an armbar, but I haven't looked at the actual betting line.
37:50 But it's pretty close to just a straight up toss-up at this point with these two teams.
37:55 I think both teams are pretty evenly matched.
37:57 All right.
37:58 I predicted Kansas City to make it to the Super Bowl and win the Super Bowl at the beginning,
38:03 as you know.
38:04 I did it with you.
38:07 I am going to ride with them because I thought they would lose to Buffalo.
38:10 I thought they would lose to Baltimore.
38:15 And I'm going to ride them because I picked them.
38:17 But I would like to see San Francisco win the game.
38:21 But to me, this is a 27-28 game, something like that.
38:34 28-27 ballgame for the Chiefs.
38:38 But let me just tell you, there'll be nobody happier than me if San Francisco comes back
38:45 and is able to win it.
38:46 All right.
38:47 Last question for you.
38:49 It's a Raider question.
38:51 Do you think, based on what you know today, and we're going to give you plenty of time
38:57 before the draft to change your opinion, two questions.
39:01 Will Caleb Williams go number one?
39:04 And number two, will the Raiders stand pat at 13?
39:09 For right now, I would say yes and yes.
39:13 I really do believe he goes number one.
39:16 Now whether it's the Bears or not, or a team makes that kind of godfather offer to get
39:20 up there, we'll see.
39:22 But I believe that even after all the scrutiny and all the things that go into the draft
39:28 process, a team is going to just say that that skill set, that potential is too much
39:34 to pass up.
39:35 He's going to go one.
39:37 Right now, I'll say the Raiders stand pat, and I'll need to look into it a little bit
39:41 more as the process plays out, because that could obviously change over the next almost
39:47 three months to the draft.
39:48 I agree with you 100%.
39:50 He is the great Matt Holadek from thespun.com, joining us each and every week.
39:53 As always, it is so good to talk with you, to chat with you, to have you on the podcast.
39:59 Thanks for joining us.
40:00 We'll see you next week, recapping the Super Bowl.
40:02 All right, there you go, everybody.