Takes

The Cowboys must get Sean Payton even if they have to give up a draft pick to fix the team

I had to get Sean Payton. Even if I had to give up an asset of pick for to get 'em, I'd get 'em because I, Dak Prescott is my most important player. I have to maximize his potential. And because I have to maximize his potential, who better to do it?

The NBA gave LeBron James a 'stimulus package' in the 2016 Finals by suspending Draymond Green

Game four, LeBron and them is about to lose the game. LeBron gets frustrated, he takes Draymond Green, throws him to the floor... Somehow some way revisionist history comes in and the NBA decides to give LeBron James and Cleveland a stimulus package. They suspend Draymond for game five... That is the one final that I will never accept being wrong about because the NBA suspended Draymond Green.

Mike Francesa and Mad Dog are responsible for the modern sports podcasting industry

What Talk radio became—what the podcast world ultimately morphed into—is by and large because of Mike and the Mad Dog. They set the standard and they opened the floodgates for advertisers and sponsors and networks to see this as an avenue of income to be created, which created jobs for a whole bunch of people.

I would easily have the #1 sports podcast if it was my only outlet

If I did a sports podcast and I didn't have any other outlets—all you, the only way you could find me was to come to my podcast—oh please, I would, I mean, I'd easily be number one then.

I looked at the evidence and it might have been a DeMar Hamlin body double at the Bills game

I don't think he's dead. But [it] was very snowy. That shot conveniently... why was he wearing goggles? He had a sheisty... I'm just saying like it was just, there was just like, I looked at the evidence. I'm just raising it so we could have the conversation.

The NFL Divisional Round was the 'Fly' episode of the season, setting up a legendary Championship Sunday

This was the fly episode of the NFL and next weekend we got Ozymandias and everybody's gonna die. The matchups that we have coming in next weekend and the storylines are gonna be awesome.

Patrick Mahomes with only one working leg is still a top 15 NFL quarterback

I think [Patrick Mahomes] with a leg, one leg that doesn't work is still a top 15 quarterback in the NFL. Legitimately.

Patrick Mahomes will play in the AFC Championship but will be physically diminished

I would say [Patrick Mahomes] is gonna play, but he's gonna be diminished. You're not gonna get full Mahomes. It's more just being as mobile as he is behind the line of scrimmage and keeping plays alive.

The Chiefs must win a second Super Bowl soon to cement a decade of dominance

The Chiefs do have to win their second one soon because you go to five straight AFC championship games... they have to win another one to have this decade stretch. Otherwise it's like, oh, they won one. A lot of guys have won one.

Arrowhead Stadium is the craziest game day environment in the NFL

Arrowhead is the craziest game day environment I've ever been in. Especially the crowd in the stadium. When Patrick Mahomes came back on the field, it was like the second coming of Christ.

If Patrick Mahomes doesn't get injured, the Chiefs would have blown out the Jaguars

I think if Patrick Mahomes doesn't get injured, I think that's like a blowout the way it felt like it was going in the first half of a quarter.

Brian Daboll's fourth-quarter punt against the Eagles was one of the saddest of the year

Brian Daboll elected to punt, down 21 points with 13 minutes left... He had one of the saddest punts of the year in the fourth quarter. Is he kind of a coward? What is happening here? Because everything he's done this year has been the right string and then he did that one thing and you're like, whoa, whoa, this is kind of fucked up.

The 49ers are the only remaining team in the playoffs that can 'win ugly' and are the scariest matchup for the Eagles

The Niners can win the game ugly. If there was one team left right now... the Niners are probably the last team that I would like to see left on both sides. They're respectable foes.

The Philadelphia Eagles are the Super Bowl favorites

They're good team. Super Bowl favorites. If they don't win the Super Bowl, it's a huge letdown... they're my Super Bowl favorites.

The Bengals own the Kansas City Chiefs

The Bengals own the Chiefs. Three and oh is ownership. And they gotta be feeling pretty fucking good. It's tough to beat a team four times in a row.

The Bills are 'fair game' for heavy criticism after being Super Bowl favorites and failing to perform

Anyone who wants to shit on [the Bills] right now, it's fair game. They were Super Bowl favorites to start the year. They had all the pieces. That was a very pitiful performance by the Bills.

If the Eagles can pressure Brock Purdy, he will throw three interceptions

If the Eagles can put pressure on [Brock Purdy], make him throw, he's throwing three picks. I could feel it.

Fred Warner is a freak of nature who shouldn't be able to do what he does in coverage at his size

Fred Warner also is incredible. A linebacker shouldn't be able to do what he does in coverage. When he turned around and ran down the field [with Dalton Schultz and CeeDee Lamb]... he's just the best.

Mike McCarthy will survive and stay as the Cowboys head coach

My gut tells me that Mike McCarthy actually survives this and he'll stick around. I don't think [Jerry Jones] is going to fire him.

Jerry Jones doesn't actually want another Super Bowl because the 'hunt' is what keeps him alive

I think that Jerry [Jones] doesn't want another Super Bowl because it keeps him alive. The hunt... you gotta have something to live for. If Jerry gets another title, then it's like, well, I'm out.

If Tony Romo had played for the Panthers or Browns, he would be remembered as Jake Delhomme or Heath Schuler

If Tony Romo played his entire career as a Panther or a Cleveland [Brown], we would remember him as Jake Delhomme. Actually, Jake Delhomme got to a Super Bowl... he would be Heath Schuler.

LeBron James is a hypocrite for supporting Shannon Sharpe's courtside behavior

LeBron has talked about fans getting into it with players and how unacceptable it is... if we're being consistent here, which I think LeBron is nothing but consistent. It should be fine next time a fan says anything, he should be okay with it, right?

The Q-collar technology causes players to make bad on-field decisions

Dalton Schultz today was wearing a... Q-collar. It's supposed to help protect the brain from injury... I have a theory. This technology... it's supposed to constrict certain blood vessels going to your brain... I think these guys are just lightheaded. And it's just, he had a bird brain.

Mammoths might be successfully cloned as early as 2024

Mammoths might be cloned as early as 2024.

The NFL Divisional Round is the best weekend on the football calendar

The NFL divisional round, which in my estimation is the best weekend in the NFL schedule... getting a ticket to that memorable spot, like a Final Four spot, feels so huge for the team, the fan base, everything. And you get four matchups. All these games feel like they're gonna be great games, tight games.

Lane Johnson is healthy enough to lift a 325-pound man and his groin is fantastic

Lane Johnson I've heard is just, I heard that he lifted a 325-pound man off the ground today. And that his groin is just fantastic... [his] leg, thigh, groin, area is better than expected.

Jalen Hurts is only 82-85% healthy heading into the Divisional Round

That's my analysis. I've seen some throws of practice this week. I'm giving [Jalen Hurts] 82 to... I'm giving 85%.

The Eagles are going to kill the Giants in the Divisional Round

I understand where Giants fans are coming from... I just look at the Giants in the last two months and they played incredible against Vikings, but other than that, they were kind of sputtering down the stretch. I think the Eagles are gonna kill them. This strikes me as a, I think it's gonna be a whomping.

The Bengals have outscored the Bills by 11 points this season when including the canceled game's first drive

The Bengals outscored the bills so far this year by 11 points. There's a negative point differential there, [Max].

The Bengals line against the Bills is a 'rat line' and Buffalo will destroy them

I think this is the rat line of the weekend. The Bengals plus five and a half... I think that the bills might destroy them. You know what I mean about the five and a half? Like I think the Bengals are just as good as the bills. Why is the line five and a half? It feels like everyone's gonna wake up and say, 'Hey you gotta take the Bengals.' And there's never an easy win.

The Cowboys will beat the 49ers in the Divisional Round

This is gonna be my game of the year. I'm taking the Cowboys. Cowboys my pick one line... I absolutely think the Cowboys can win this game.

Trent Williams is trying to murder opponents on every play

Trent Williams is one dude that practice stops, like other professional athletes stop what they're doing to watch him practice. And he does not give a shit if he misses a block. He's not trying to block you. He's trying to murder you. He is literally trying to shorten your neck on every play.

Russell Wilson's struggles in Denver were caused by the coaches letting him 'cook' too much

I think what we really saw more than anything else is Pete Carroll knew what his player could and couldn't do. And Pete Carroll basically put his foot down... I almost feel like there was a humiliation process that went on during the course of the season where Russell actually had to come to grips with the fact that I'm not quite ready for prime time when it comes to that. I think we took the restrictors off a little bit and let him cook too much. The engine blew up. Burned the house down.

Head coaches must utilize 'butt pucker' fear to be successful

Fear is an important aspect of being a head coach... you need fear. Like you need literally butt pucker type fear that if you don't get your job done, you will get cut, you will get benched, you will get punished. And it's not only for the players, probably more importantly your coaching staff needs to have fear. If I don't get my guys coached up, if my guys don't perform, I'll lose my job.

Joe Burrow has 'all balls' and stands in the pocket with no fear

Joe Burrow... He's legit all balls. All balls. All balls. And it's, it, I marvel... the fact that he stands there and just takes it in the teeth. He's all balls, man.

Offensive coordinators prioritize high-passing stats over fundamental winning to get head coaching jobs

Why do offensive coordinators do it? Because that doesn't get them head coaching jobs. If you develop a young quarterback and you throw it all over for 300 yards and four touchdowns, you know what? That's like Viagra to 80 year old owners. They can't get enough of that.

My 83-year-old father can bench press 225 pounds

Poolside [Mark's dad] is still 83 years old. I betcha he could get a couple reps with 225. 83 years old, 225... The dude is like, he'll send a picture... he's on top of a ladder on the front end loader at 83 years old, fixing a light bulb.

I need to become less fun than my son's toys so he stops waking me up in the middle of the night

Last night [my son] got up at one in the morning... he was just sitting next to my bed, wasn't saying anything, just sitting there. I caught him the other day doing this at three in the morning... slowly opening the door with his hands like a ninja. I need to become less fun than his toys. He has toys in there and he's like, 'I'd rather hang out with dad' at 1:00 in the morning.

I was wrong about Dak Prescott; he was sensational against the Buccaneers

I would like to formally apologize to one Dakota Prescott, because I was wrong. He was sensational on Monday night... He was absolutely shut the haters up. I include myself in that camp. I was very wrong.

Tom Brady is done with the Buccaneers

I do think that he's probably not retired. The comments that he was making after the game felt like I'm done with The Buccaneers.

Tom Brady is now gun-shy in the pocket and bails on throws early

[Tom Brady's] legs and his and his his want to, to stand in the pocket have completely eroded. I think that's part of his bra. I guess it's his spine. Yeah. His spine's not okay, because he's been hit so much this year that he is gun shy and it's gotten to the point where you feel bad for him in the pocket when he sees somebody coming.

The Cowboys are winning the Super Bowl

The Cowboys are gonna win the Super Bowl... I think they're gonna win the Super Bowl. It was not personal. Between me and Tom.

Brock Purdy will get exposed against the Cowboys

Brock Purdy's gonna go get exposed. I'm not a ball knower. I'll probably get more into the, the x's and nos on Thursday. But just make, make him throw deep... Brock Purdy's gonna get exposed this weekend. Throw five picks.

I would rather have Tom Brady than Aaron Rodgers next year

I would rather take Tom Brady because Aaron Rodgers in the off season, he likes to do his ayahuasca shaman trips... if you're an NFL football player, especially an older one, you don't want perspective. Right. You want Tom Brady's complete and utter lack of any sort of perspective whatsoever... He walked away from his entire family to come back and lose in a wildcard game. He has no perspective. That's the guy that I want.

The NFL should use the chip in the football to definitively judge goal line plays

According to the chip in the football, the closest the ball got to the end zone [on the Tyler Huntley play] was 0.6 yards from the goal line. What the fuck are we doing? We've been asking for the chip forever... the chip is there.

The Pelicans are the deepest team in basketball

New Orleans has the deepest team in basketball and if Zion's there and ready to go in the playoffs, he's still that hard of a matchup.

The Boston Celtics are the best 'health bet' to win the NBA title

I think Boston's so much. Cause I feel like they're the best health bet. You feel like all of their guys are going to play. And the one person that's the biggest question mark is, is Rob Williams who, you know, they can still probably be really good without him.

The Phoenix Suns organization is now impatient and will be aggressive in the trade market under new ownership

Never ever underestimate the power and the impatience normally of new ownership. I don't know exactly when this ownership transition thing is supposed to happen, but what I've heard is that they're gonna try to be aggressive with this thing... Phoenix seems to be calling about everyone.

NBA front offices are no longer afraid to say no to LeBron James' demands

It feels like the last two or three years, everyone has been like, you know what, LeBron is good... but he's not LeBron anymore because he'll do those demands like 'I need help, I need trades.' And the front office is like, 'no, no we're not doing this anymore. We're not gonna just trade the whole future for a guy who's 38 now.'

LeBron James has never understood how to be a true partner with an organization

I love LeBron as a player... However, he has had it in his head that like he can't be a partner with a team. It's very weird... The way it was explained to me was that LeBron always wants ownership to know that there is pressure that they can never take a day off... it's not necessarily like having a great partner.