Talkin' Ball with Pat Leonard

Gary Myers: The Eli Manning Hall of Fame debate, Joe Schoen's QB search & Daniel Jones' high stakes

Duration:: 43m
Broadcast on:: 06 Sep 2024
Audio Format:: mp3

Gary Myers, a longtime NFL columnist, Hall of Fame voter and New York Times best-selling author, joins New York Daily News NFL columnist Pat Leonard to discuss Eli Manning's Canton candidacy, the Giants' 2024 season, Joe Schoen's latest 'Hard Knocks' QB comment and Daniel Jones' pivotal year. Go get Myers' book 'Once a Giant: A Story of Victory, Tragedy and Life After Football' wherever books are sold. SUBSCRIBE to the @PLonNFL YouTube page to get the latest Giants updates and news delivered directly to you, and to participate in regular LIVE Q&A chats with Pat. Purchase a Super Chat or Super Sticker to have your comments elevated to the top of the feed and have Pat answer your question FIRST! Watch the full video of this podcast on Pat's YouTube Channel. Find Pat also on 'X' (@PLeonardNYDN), Instagram (@PLonNFL) & TikTok (@PLonNFL). Talkin' Ball with Pat Leonard is sponsored by @BoomChaga, the BOOM Chaga Mushroom SuperDrink, a natural extract loaded with anti-inflammatory, immune-boosting antioxidants and heart-healthy compounds. We are also sponsored by @BetOnlineag_Official and @Estate98Coffee on @Bleav.

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We will debate Eli Manning's candidacy, talk about Daniel Jones, Joe Shane, and his book, Once A Giant, and a guest-selling author, Gary Myers, coming up next. Talking Ball with Pat Leonard is brought to you by, of course, BoomChaka Mushroom SuperDrink, a natural extract loaded with anti-inflammatory, immune-boosting antioxidants and heart-healthy compounds. You can easily pour this natural liquid supplement into any of your favorite drinks. I put mine in my coffee every morning and immediately feel the difference. I personally have felt a post-workout-like energy boost with Boom. Chaka also has the ability to lower cholesterol, reduce inflammation, and improve immune and heart health with its beta-gluten and antioxidants. Go to BoomChaka.com today to place your first order, and if you use the discount code TalkingBall25 or access it through the QR code on your screen, you will get 25% off your first subscribe and save order. Right now, that means a month's supply costs you only $30. 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When the game is over, head on over to our online casino and get in on a game of Blackjack or Poker or unwind with one of our over 150 slot games. Head to the website today to get it on the action. BetOnline, the game starts here and now to our interview with Gary Meyer. Alright, we're always really excited here on talking ball with Pat Leonard to talk to Gary Meyer's longtime NFL columnist for the New York Daily News and the Dallas Morning News, author of six books, including the New York Times bestseller Brady versus Manning, longtime HBO inside the NFL analyst and also, of course, important to this conversation, a voter for the pro football hall of fame. But he has a book out. It's excellent. If you're a Giants fan or NFL fan, you need to get it now. It's called once a Giants over my shoulder here, a story of victory, tragedy and life after football. Gary, great to see you. Thanks for being on. Happy 2024 start of the season, Pat. To be honest, you know, I'm always the guy. I don't like people's countdowns to the start of kickoff to week one during the summer. I like my summer. I like my vacation. But Gary, when Labor Day hit, I felt it. You know, I kind of, I felt the itch. And speaking of that, you are, it appears, going to be everywhere around this giant season, this NFL kickoff season at some really exciting events coming up. Could you tell the fans where they can find you, where they can see you as we ramp up to this Giants week one game against the Vikings? Yeah, you know, it's funny is that this time of the year always felt like the start of school for me. When I was covering the NFL, that Labor Day was really the kickoff where you get that feeling in your stomach. Oh, we're in for the long haul now, you know. So Thursday night, I'll be in bookends in Ridgewood, where I've done a bunch of signings. But, you know, this one is the start of the Giants celebration of the 100th season. Friday night at the fan fest, I'm going to be on the concourse, kind of to the right of the team store. You know, maybe about 30 yards to the right of the team store, around five o'clock on the gates open. I'll be there for a while. And then starting at 11 o'clock on Sunday, opening game of the season against Minnesota, I'll be in the same spot. So anybody, hopefully some players are going to stop by and sit with me for a little bit to sign books and chat with all the Giants fans. Wow, that's great. Yeah. Excited for that bookends event on Thursday and then finding you at the stadium throughout the weekend. That'll be excellent. You were a voter, you said, on that top 100. Were there any, as you were compiling your top 100 or having those conversations? Were there any areas there, especially as you got into, let's say, who's in the top 10 and who's not? Were there any that really gave you a difficult time? Or, you know, does it, does it fall in place, kind of as you, as you look at their whole history? Yeah, I mean, it was really hard to figure out who was number one. Obviously it was Lawrence. And then kind of, you know, you didn't want to ignore the past, because, you know, that's easy to do. You know, when you, I've been covering the leaks in 1978, but there was so many great Giants, you know, prior to that, that you really had to take that into consideration. Honestly, the toughest decision for me, and I'm sure this subject will come up a little bit in the next few minutes when we're talking, it was who goes first among the quarterbacks Phil Simms or Eli Manning. Because you have to look both of them in the eye after it and admit who you put ahead of the other one. That's right. And full disclosure, I have no problem, you know, revealing my vote. I had Phil a little bit ahead of Eli. And no knock on Eli, two times Super Bowl MVP, and I'm going to make me a strong pitch for him to get into the Hall of Fame. So I'm not, I'm not saying anything critical. It's just that Phil would have been in the Hall of Fame a long time ago if he hadn't gotten hurt in 1990 and the Giants were able to finish off that Super Bowl run like they did with Jeff House. And even Phil says there's no guarantee that if he was the quarterback instead of Haas, that they would have wanted because Haas's mobility came into play in the San Francisco Championship game and the Super Bowl. But having seen, you know, the majority of Phil's career, you know, understanding that I was in Dallas for a good portion of it, but still seeing him twice a year for the giant cowboy games and then seeing Eli's entire career. I just think, you know, if you want to measure it, I just put Phil just that much above Eli. I just, honestly, I just thought Phil was a better player than Eli. Now I still had him both in the top 10. And I don't remember, you know, where I had him each maybe Phil seven Eli nine, something like that or eight and 10. Okay. But, you know, a feeling I can really observe this objectively and haven't seen so much of their careers. I just thought the body of work that Phil put together, once he got rolling in 1984, was just a little bit better than Eli's. So that was really the toughest decision that I had to make. Again, reiterating, I had him both in the top 10. And I think Eli finished eight and Phil 11th as I remember correctly. Right. Well, and like you said, you're a strong advocate for Eli, you're going to be one during this Hall of Fame cycle and let's get right into that. So eligible for the first time in 2025 for that Hall of Fame class in Canton. And Gary, let me just put it to you this way to start it off. Do you think he will get in in his first year of eligibility based on, you know, knowing the room, knowing his career, understanding the landscape of who's gotten in and who hasn't at the quarterback position. Do you think sitting here now on Wednesday, September 4th that Eli will get that? I believe it's the 80% of the vote threshold. Well, the first thing he has to do, Pat, is make it to the final 15. Right, right. Now, I would think that's fairly much a given, but you never know. I mean, it's a room of 50 people that will, the room doesn't exist until January. So we vote individually until we get it to 15. And that's not stopping us from starting the conversation now. No, because we're going to, we're going to be getting our initial ballot relatively soon, in which we'll first vote it down to 25. And then we'll vote it to 15. And then how the process works after that is most people are aware we were from 15 to 10, then from 10 to five. And then once you reach five, you have to get 80% of the vote. If he gets to five, I'm very confident he'll get 80%. My confidence that he'll make the cut to 10 and make the cut to five. No, because I've talked to a bunch of voters up until this point, and they need to be convinced because they look at Eli's record. Overall being 500 and, you know, not having won a playoff game other than in the two suitable years. I feel like it's really kind of an incomplete resume, but I go, yeah, but, you know, those two suitable runs. He was born, oh, each time and, and was a Super Bowl MVP and beat the Patriots both times, the first time in the Patriots were undefeated. Each time we got two minute drive to win the game, like what else do you want from a Super Bowl quarterback and the comparison I'll make is Warren Moon. His stats were fairly similar to Eli's except for one thing, he never even made it to a conference championship game. And he got in on the first ballot. Right, three and seven in the playoffs, I believe. Yeah, and the Oilers had good teams, Jerry Glanville coach teams and real good teams, a lot of talent. And I thought that Warren came up. Maybe it's too harsh to say he came up small in those big games, but I think that he did and, and he couldn't give to him to a conference championship game. And another thing about Eli, I mean, he'd be far and Rogers in the playoffs at Lambo. I mean, that's pretty impressive. So it's my feeling is like, what else do you, what else do you need to do? What else do you want from a Hall of Fame quarterback? And I can easily make the case that the Giants management failed Eli from the 2011 season on by not giving them an offensive line. And other than Odell, you know, who was kind of a flashing star. It just didn't sustain it. It was heard of him, you know, he moved away describing Odell. That's a good description, like a shooting star. Yeah, that's a shooting star. That's actually what I meant to say. Yeah. And he was heard a bunch too. And then he was a knucklehead most of the time. So I didn't think that Eli, you know, had the pieces around him. To make a really good run, you know, for a third time. And you know, Eli should bring, but, but Eli should bring. Sorry to interrupt you, but Eli should bring a little Wayne and Odell up onto the stage. You can't when he gets in. That would be a nice full circle. No, so, um, can you tell me this too? You know, having been a pro football Hall of Fame voter. And seeing this process and been involved in this process over the years and having covered the NFL for as long as you have. Can you tell me, is there precedent, how much precedent is there for a player getting in who was never the best at his position when he was playing, but who's historical contributions to championships and big moments. Kind of are really at the, you know, if you were to write a book about the NFL would be in the first chapter. You know, I asked that because, like as you just hit on it, Eli has a 500 career record, obviously 57,000 passing yards, 366 touchdowns. But 244 interceptions, no MVP awards during the seasons, obviously wins the two Super Bowl MVPs. But I guess where I come down, Gary, is like, if you said to me, this guy orchestrated two of the greatest playoff runs of all time. He beat arguably the greatest team of all time in that game twice, including a year that the Patriots should have and were about to go undefeated. And you said, that deserves its own room in Canton. I think it would be hard to argue with that being memorialized. But then if you just zoom out and look at Eli Manning, the player and his full body of work, then I don't see him stacking up with everybody else. So my question to you is, is there precedent for that for a player like that getting in, or do you, as somebody who will be making a case for him, have to convince people that the rest of his career was at a high level as well. If that's a, if that's an understandable question. Yeah, no, I get it. And it's a great question. And honestly, I'd have to kind of look at the list and I'm sure I can point out plenty of players who were never considered the best of their position in any given season. I mean, just think about some of the receivers, you know, was Andre Reed ever considered, you know, the best wide receiver in the league was. He was considered top three, no, or no, I mean, yeah, I mean, no years that he was, he was up there and I don't mean to, you know, I voted for him so I thought he's a Hall of Fame player, but, you know, it was first quarter ever the best receiver. I mean, he wasn't necessarily even the best receiver on his team. When Randy Moss got there. Tim Brown was Tim Brown ever the best receiver in the NFL. Nobody was a great player. So I think, you know, obviously, if you look at, you know, when you're talking about Emmett Smith or Jerry Rice or Dion Sanders or Joe Montana, those guys stand out as being the best at that position during a given time. But if we're only going to limit it to that, then the room would be as small as Dion Sanders wants it to be where he thinks it should be two levels, you know, the elite level on one floor and I mean, a couple of tensions this happened to say that stuff. No doubt. Well, I put it back to you here, Carl Banks, an all pro and 87, two times Super Bowl winner, right, 13 tackles, total tackles in those two Super Bowls team I 10 tackles in their first ever win over the Broncos he's not a Hall of Famer. You know, I think, you know, the two Super Bowls being a huge part of those Super Bowls. Does that definitely get you in, right, I mean, but then again, two times Super Bowl MVPs right Bradshaw Montana, you know, Brady, obviously seven of them he'll get in. Yeah, so I guess maybe quarterback is different but, you know, I love batting this around Gary because I feel like, I mean what what is the, could does this have the potential to be one of the more hotly debated. And then what, which ones maybe is there one that sticks out to you, that was like intensely debated that maybe will be similar to what the man in case is. Well, you know, let's sort of the quarterback in there and say like Kurt Warner, he was considered the best quarterback in the league in 99. And he was great through 2001 that had this huge donut in the middle of his career, including the one year with the Giants and then, you know, he wouldn't have probably would not have gotten in unless he had taken Arizona. It seems that had never been before, he took him to the Super Bowl towards the end of his career, I think that put him over the top was Kurt Warner overall a better quarterback than Eli. Well, in a specific season probably yeah, over the course of his career, probably not. Wow. I would debate that with you but yeah, that's, that's, this is why this is fun right this is why. Yeah, I mean just think about Kurt Warner went from 2002 to maybe 2008 something like that without doing very much lost his job. Mark Bouldger and St. Louis lost it to Eli in New York, lost it to to Matt Leonard when he went to Arizona. You know he has some spectacular seasons and he's a great story and he's a great guy, and I'm glad he's in the Hall of Fame but I mean I can argue Eli versus Kurt Warner with you easily. But the most difficult the hot most hotly contested by far and I've been on the committee since 2010. We're still and it wasn't because of his numbers or his accomplishments. It was because for the first time the Hall of Fame people told us. Now you're not supposed to consider off the field right. He gets arrested 400 times. It's like he got it never got arrested. And that came up and became a real issue before Lawrence Taylor was eligible and I was on the committee then but you know the hall made it very clear that Lawrence is off the field problem but not to be considered. He told us the locker room is an extension of the playing field so yes, you may consider to his behavior no matter how you want to weigh it as part of his resume. And I mean it's not unusual. Or out there to say that T.O. was considered a cancer in the locker room of many of the teams that he played with that San Francisco couldn't wait to get rid of him Philadelphia couldn't wait to get rid of him Dallas couldn't wait to get rid of him like one year after they signed to a big extension. Jerry Jerry Jones who was his biggest proponent got rid of him. So that kept him out for a couple of years, and people were looking at other you know the voters are trying to teach T.O. a lesson because he wasn't always cooperative with the media. I mean that never never I'm going to have to take that stuff into consideration it's, but I did take into consideration is off to his locker room that being said and I was outspoken explaining to people why he didn't get in at the same time I voted for. Because I thought his contributions was so outstanding that he wasn't necessarily the first guy that blew up some locker rooms. But when I tried to explain it to people why he didn't get in, they said, oh you know look at him you know you know trying to rewrite the rule book and I don't know I voted for him I'm just trying to explain to you why he didn't him you know so that that was far. Jerry, you know you know sometimes people just they can't handle how the sausage gets me right. Yes, you know it's funny. Yesterday I I text it to I tweeted something. I am not and I put am not comparing her son Reddit to Lawrence Taylor. And people want to know can radically effective on Monday night it becomes in Thursday. And I said flash back to 1990 Lawrence Taylor held out the entire training camp and so he signed a contract the Wednesday before the Giants open the season against Philadelphia and Randall Cunningham was who was the most elusive quarterback in the year. And Taylor went out on two three days practice the heavy practice Wednesday and Thursday the light practice on Friday to walk through on Saturday and sacked Cunningham three times. And it's under my tweet is how dare you compare large to a son ridicule on Taylor. And the first sentence is I am not. I'm just trying to point out that player can be effective showing up as the season starts. If he shows up on Thursday will he sack brought party three times Monday night, probably not. But would I be shocked if he does if they use him as a situational pass rusher and he stayed in shape. Shopify is the global commerce platform that helps you sell at every stage of your business Shopify is there to help you grow Shopify helps you sell everywhere from their all in one e-commerce platform to their in person POS system Shopify's got you covered Shopify helps you turn browsers into buyers with the Internet's best converting checkout 36% better on average compared to other leading commerce platforms and sell more with less effort thanks to Shopify magic your AI powered all star. What I love about Shopify is how no matter how big you want to grow Shopify gives you everything you need to take control and take your business to the next level Shopify powers 10% of all e-commerce in the U.S. and Shopify's the global force behind all birds, rotties and Brooklyn and millions of other entrepreneurs of every size across 175 countries plus Shopify's award winning help is there to support your success every step of the way because businesses that grow grow with Shopify sign up for a $1 per month trial period at Shopify.com/Westwood1 all lowercase go to Shopify.com/Westwood1 now to grow your business no matter what stage you're in Shopify.com/Westwood1 My dad works in B2B marketing he came by my school for career day and said he was a big row as man then he told everyone how much he loved calculating his return on ad spend. My friends still laughing me to this day not everyone gets B2B but with LinkedIn you'll be able to reach people who do get a $100 credit on your next ad campaign go to LinkedIn.com/results to claim your credit that's LinkedIn.com/results terms and conditions apply LinkedIn the place to be to be. Can you do it? Yeah you can do it but I'm not saying reticous Lawrence Taylor that's how people I hate to keep saying people that's how you almost can't win. No no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no I clarify that self appeal by saying I voted for him but here's why he didn't get in. That retics team looks like it could contend for a Super Bowl. If he's on the field and if their quarterback stays healthy and so let's stay on the quarterbacks and give it to the Jets here well one last stat I have on the Eli Hall of Fame argument. The quarterbacks have won two or more Super Bowls eight have come eligible for the Hall and seven have gotten in the only one who hasn't is the Raiders Jim Plunkett two Super Bowl rings one Super Bowl MVP to his name not in the Hall of Fame. Alright so we'll come back to the Giants but let's pivot to the Jets for a sec Gary I want to know you know you've covered you covered Aaron Rodgers's entire career. You know as we did very closely last season how it kind of all came down in that week one torn Achilles. Do you think that the Jets can do it this year are you buying or selling the Jets as a Super Bowl contender this season. I think I have to look at the price tag for buying and is there going to be an explanation about how many games he's going to play this year. Last year he lasted four plays, and we were saying the same things last year but the Jets can really make a nice run to have Aaron Rodgers nobody obviously thought he was going to last only four plays so if you can tell me that he's going to start say 15 of the 17 games. Yeah. And he's going to play like he did not in 2022 when he broke his thumb against the Giants in London and didn't have a great season. Turn back the clock to 2021, which is a long time ago and now he's in his age 41 season before he won December. So can he play at that level and stay healthy. If we knew the answers to those questions you know I'd get on one of these betting apps and put a lot of money on the Jets to win the Super Bowl. The team is pretty good. I mean so you. So wait if I told you Rogers plays 14 or 15 at least games regular season and is available to for the playoffs you think that it's a possibility. You didn't answer the second part of my question. What level are we seeing Aaron Rodgers that we see years ago when he played really well we've seen the ones from 22 when he didn't. Remember that last game of the year, the Sunday night game at the end of the 22 season against Detroit, where all Green Bay had to do is win at home. And they were in the playoffs and he was horrific in that game. That's the last game he played they counted. So you tell me which in Rogers are we getting if you're telling me we're going to get the one that we saw for the majority of his career. Yeah, I think the Jets can go deep in the playoffs. If he gets hurt or he's not the same player then they might not even make the playoffs. All I know is I saw him for one day in person this summer against the Giants and he looked like the old Aaron Gary I mean the movement element obviously has been a huge part of his game and he was moving around. It's not the same. So they're still kind of an open question of as great as his arm still looks at that age. Right, like when the rust when the rush starts coming. Because you know it's extremely relevant given that he was under pressure when he moved and tore his Achilles last year right it's not like just an age thing. It's actually how he got hurt last year trying to play that way. That's a good question but I will say his arm looks like the old Aaron and his dissection of the field of the defense the way that he was changing plays at the line all of that. That'll be fascinating to watch. Pivoting back to the Giants Gary and this is this is hot off the presses Giants convo here okay this is the newest Giants topic of the day the HBO hard knock series. That's where the stars of it in the off season. Now the Chicago Bears episodes have been taking us through training camp and the finale just dropped. And this is the headline going around right now is at the Georgia Clemson game so Gary this was literally three or four days ago okay. At the Georgia Clemson game on the sideline Ryan polls the Chicago Bears GM and Joe Shane the Giants GM are standing next to each other. And Shane says to polls it's gotta be nice to not be looking at the and he does like a throwing motion with his hand. And polls says oh quarterbacks yeah hopefully it stays that way for a long time and Shane laughs. Is this unfair shade from Joe Shane of Daniel Jones or is this the reality and what he should be saying which is I need a quarterback and without a quarterback you know my franchise is not going to be heading where I wanted to. I'd love to know that that Shane if he knew he was going to wind up on hard knocks saying that. Maybe he thought the taping of that show was over. Or maybe didn't see the cameras around them but I mean are you surprised that they were down there looking at Carson Beck I mean no. I guess I guess where I'm coming down on it is there for sure scouting QB's this year just like they were last year they always traded up for Drake May three. It's more just a question of whether is is a general manager do you view that as the general manager throwing shade at his current quarterback in a conversation with another NFL general manager or do you think. That's that's just part and parcel of the business like if you don't if you don't have a quarterback you know you're looking for one. Well. Clearly the week before the season. You don't want to be on national TV advertising that you're. You're in the market for a new quarterback because. You want Daniel Jones I mean Daniel is a smart guy I mean he knows his career his Giants career is on the line this season. Does it need to be reinforced by his general manager saying to another general managers boy you're lucky guy you don't have to be watching Carson Beck today. I mean it's probably not in in the Giants best interest but for Shane to be doing that so publicly again assuming he knew he was on camera and was saying that knowing it was going to wind up on that show. I mean I don't I don't see how that helps the Giants this season. For for Shane to be saying that I agree. The way things are now it was going to get out that Shane was at that game and I think it got out even before it was on hard knocks right because I think yeah so. I mean Georgia and Clemson always have a bunch of NFL caliber draft eligible players so he's he's going to scout that game especially on an off weekend and you know he's going to be looking at the quarterbacks there or Carson Beck at least. So I mean that stuff is not a surprise to be. You know be jealous of another GM because you don't have to look at a quarter that doesn't exactly send a message of we have a lot of confidence in you Daniel. We're already thinking about who would draft the next year. Right. Not said but. Yeah no good point it's like yes that is what he should be doing scouting the QBs to potentially draft one next year you just don't want that. Publicly said a few days before the quarterback who is making 40 million a year is supposed to put his best best foot forward yeah by the way Shane. You know as you would expect but like last year it was the same way you know the college football season kicking off before the NFL season. And Shane and his team on the road heavily scouting QBs and just you know prospects around the league before the Giants even step on the field in regular season. And you know he made his way around this weekend this past weekend Gary he was at the Colorado game. Shoulder Sanders he was at the Georgia Clemson game he was at Notre Dame Texas A&M big win for the Irish. And he was also at the LSU USC game so that's four games in one weekend that's pretty good work. Yeah I mean that's what he should be doing and he needs to take advantage of you know the down the bye weekend in the schedule here before the regular season starts. Again Daniel Jones is a smart guy. He knows he's got no guaranteed money coming after the season I'm not sure what the cap hit would be next year but you guys have been writing incessantly. The Giants can go from under this contract. So he knows he's playing he's not playing for his NFL career he'll be in the league somewhere next year. But he's playing for his opportunity to continue as a Giants starter. And what should be going on in Jones's mind right now. Is it this administration like me enough to give me a $160 million contract with what $80 million guaranteed whatever that was. So they at one point they had faith in me last year. So I was hurt. I had no offensive line I had no wide receivers and the running back was always hurt. So last year was an aberration I had no shot. This year it's a clean slate the offensive line is better I don't know who's going to run the ball effectively. But he's got a number one receiver. I do like Juan Del Robinson also hi it seems like in specific situations he can be a real deep threat. Maybe the rookie tight end gives him something. This is his opportunity to show what he's got finally. I've said this tip for years I've seen snippets or flashes of what Jones can do I've seen him be accurate. I've seen him had a good arm have a good arm I've seen him be able to run the ball. I've seen him do that all in one game once the Minnesota playoff game and very few times other than that. If he's going to want if he wants this job if this is where he wants to be if he wants this job he's got to do it every week. And that's not asking too much. That's what they're supposed to do when they're making $40 million a year. So the pressure is on him but the pressure is on all these guys. They need to win it's a production league and that's such a cliche but it's true. You're not going to keep your job as a quarterback of the New York Giants if you suck. He's got it he's got to be good this year he's got to be better than good otherwise he's not going to have the job next year. Simple as that. Well said that's why you're the best going to tell our fans about our sponsor quickly Gary and then we'll do a quick rapid fire three question predictions for the Giants in the NFL season. All right talking ball with Pat Leonard is brought to you by the boom chaga mushroom super drink a natural extract loaded with anti inflammatory immune boosting antioxidants and heart healthy compounds. You can easily pour this natural liquid supplement into any of your favorite drinks and put mine in my coffee every morning and immediately feel the difference I personally have felt a post workout like energy boost with boom. Chaga also has the ability to lower cholesterol reduce inflammation and improve immune and heart health. With its beta gluten and antioxidants go to boom chaga.com today to place your first order and if you use the discount code talking ball 25 or access it through the QR code on your screen. You will get 25% off your first subscribe and save order right now that means a month's supply cost you only $30. Start feeling the difference today at boom chaga.com. All right Gary three quick prediction questions first. I guess this is more of a question but you can tell me whether you predicted it'll happen or not. If it's are getting a new quarterback next season do you think it should be Dak Prescott of the Dallas Cowboys as a free agent or that they should draft one. You said if the Giants are getting a new quarterback. Yeah the Giants are in the market for a new quarterback they're moving on from Daniel Jones. Do you think they should sign Dak Prescott as a free agent or draft one. Draft one. I mean can that Prescott get past the division around to the playoffs before the Giants or any other team pays him $60 million a year. That's how I look at it. I mean he's not an old quarterback he's in his early 30s I think. He just hasn't other than the regular season I just he hasn't been really successful I'd rather identify the right guy. Develop him and win with him and have him here for 10 years rather than taking. First of all I think the Cowboys get one of signing him but okay I'd rather start over. All right yeah and Dak probably would hate looking at that first pay stub and seeing those taxes and New Jersey versus what he's used to in Texas. All right Giants prediction time how do you see this season going I predicted them going for in 13. How do you feel their record is going to shake out. You must be popular around that training facility. Oh you know I am come on you know this. You know I'm a little more lenient on that I'll say six or seven wins. Again you know I've talked about this a bunch if you flip flop the first two seasons. And what are they last year is it five and six and eleven. Okay if they go six and eleven in the first year Shane and Dave Ball and then nine seven and one and when a playoff game in the second. Then everybody all excited. The fact that they will flip flop and they're coming off the six win season. I think there's a lot of pressure on everybody. I can see them winning seven games this year. I think Eagles could take a step backwards who knows what the Washington's going to be. A lot of turmoil in Dallas as you're usually is the beginning of season. Giants probably a year away and a really good draft away from being playoff contenders again. So wait I have to hold you to something here because the over under in Vegas is six and a half. So you're hovering there six seven six seven. All right Gary goes the over and Super Bowl prediction time. I have Texans Packers in the Super Bowl with the Texans winning Gary. I wanted to pick the Cincinnati Bengals I also think the Niners are a very good pick. But the Jamar Chase turmoil the Joe Barrow coming off the you know with the wrist injury and whether there's going to be lasting effects there. That was I wanted to pick since he I wanted to I picked them last year. I felt like maybe they're primed. But I like the Texans I like that the Neil Hunter Stefan Diggs additions CJ Stroud and that ascending team. Am I crazy? How do you see it shaken out? No I won't say you're crazy. I guess they wouldn't be there wouldn't be my pick. I think we'll see if the league is kind of caught up to CJ Stroud in the off season. Coordinators had a nine months to get ready ready for him. They are definitely an ascending team and I think they're fun teams to keep an eye on. My my Super Bowl pick in the AFC is going to be Baltimore. I you know they've come so close I really think Lamar Jackson now that he has Derek Henry behind him to hand off to their defense is real good. They've come so close. The last few years I look for them to get over the hump. On the other side I think the fact that San Francisco returns everybody basically. Solving those contract situations with Brandon I you can Trent Williams. Christian McCaffrey being healthy for Monday night. I mean just the Jets luck right two weeks ago. We don't know what's going on McCaffrey. You know he's hurt most of training camp Williams is not there. I use his holding in and now they get them all back with plenty of time to be ready for the season. Oh, it's just a jet slot. But I think Sam I'm picking San Francisco to win it. I just think this is the this is the year they take that next step. And we have a rematch the Sioux ball when the lights went out in New Orleans all those years ago between Baltimore and San Francisco. I think the most intriguing story in the league this year is. It is I was going to say San Diego or just the Chargers and Jim Harbor wins right away wherever he goes. I just don't know if he can do it with Los Angeles because. It's starting over at Y receiver and and just to Herbert you know is out all training camp basically with that foot injury. But Harbor will win with the Chargers. I just think this is going to be a little different first year than he's used to. But so Baltimore San Francisco San Francisco winning it. I like it. Great pick. He is Gary Myers long time. You got Leonard having a few hurricanes at the Sioux ball in New Orleans. Oh I I can't wait I Gary F Y I I don't know how I'm going to do it. I intend to have a table down there in New Orleans. It's radio road time for talking ball. That's a great idea. Yeah. I don't we're going to make it happen one way or another. We're going to make it happen. He is Gary Myers the one and only longtime NFL columnist. New York Times best selling author Brady versus Manning pro football Hall of Fame voter. His book is once a giant a story of victory tragedy and life after football go get it Gary. Thank you so much for being on the show. Thanks a lot Pat. Have a great season. That was a fantastic conversation with Gary Myers as always. We are really excited for the giant season for the NFL season for week one on deck. Remember we are sponsored here by a state 98 coffee state 98.com backslash talking ball for a special buy one get one free deal. Also sponsored by bed online and by boom chaga mushroom super drink. A natural extract loaded with anti inflammatory immune boosting antioxidants and heart healthy compounds. You can easily pour this natural liquid supplement into any of your favorite drinks. I put mine in my coffee every morning and immediately feel the difference. I personally have felt a post workout like energy boost with boom. Chaga also has the ability to lower cholesterol reduce inflammation and improve immune and heart health with its beta gluten and antioxidants. Go to boom chaga.com today to place your first order and if you use the discount code talking ball 25 or access it through the QR code on your screen. You will get 25% off your first subscribe and save order right now. That means a month's supply cost you only $30 start feeling the difference today at boom chaga.com. If you're a facilities manager at a warehouse and your HVAC system goes down it can turn up the heat. Literally. But don't sweat it. Granger has you covered. Granger offers over a million industrial grade products for all your operations including warehouse HVAC maintenance. And even better they offer access to experts and fast delivery so you and your warehouse can both keep your cool. Call 1-800-Granger click granger.com or just stop by. Granger for the ones who get it done. Bingo. Alright Phil we're recording now so it's live go ahead pick on me the way that you want to. Did I say that? I would say that to my son man I mean come on man. Just go. This isn't CBS. Alright be quiet for a few seconds. Why would people want to listen to the Sims complete podcast. Well a couple things. One if you like to see sons pick on their father this might be the place. If you want to see a place where the father just kicks the out of his son this would be the place. What do you like about it Matt. Dido. Father son dynamic duo talking about the game of football that we love and share and appreciate together. And you know hey it's an extension of what we did right growing up. I was able to watch my father play football then obviously watch him as a broadcaster. And then he taught me the game of football and share the wisdom that he learned throughout his playing career. And you know hey sometimes we're full of it and sometimes we actually know a thing or two. Well we do do a lot of research at least I do you a little spotty but you know you hang in there. It's fun. I love doing this and it's been awesome. Sims complete check us out wherever your podcasts are available on the Believe Network. Appreciate it. See ya. If you liked the show please take a moment to rate review and subscribe. It really does help the show to grow. Thank you for listening. (crowd cheering) [BLANK_AUDIO]