0:03

Hey everybody, and welcome to another edition

0:05

of the Dave Pash Podcast. I'm your host

0:08

ESPN in Arizona Cardinals broadcaster

0:10

Dave Pash.

0:12

My guest this.

0:12

Week is ESPN play by play announcer

0:15

Chris Foller. Chris will call the Cardinals

0:17

Chargers game on ESPN on Monday Night.

0:20

Chris also calls the top college football

0:22

game every week, and he's the voice of ESPN

0:25

Tennis. Chris has been one of the best in the

0:27

business for a long time, whether it's

0:29

his current work as a play by play guy or

0:31

his long tenure as host of

0:34

ESPN College Game Day. We'll talk

0:36

with Chris about the Cardinals Chargers

0:38

game. We'll get his thoughts on how he prepares

0:41

for NFL versus college

0:43

how he works with different analysts like Kirk

0:46

Kirk Street on college football and on the

0:48

NFL, Lewis Riddick, and dan Orlowski.

0:51

We'll also talk with Chris about Marvin

0:53

Harrison Junior and Kyler Murray, the

0:55

player that Chris got to watch a lot

0:57

and get to know.

0:58

In college gat a special field for all

1:00

the guys who in the Heisman, you get to know them pretty well in

1:02

the process.

1:02

I did call plenty of his games.

1:04

I'd love calling games of loving dynamic

1:07

quarterbacks like that, and I hope he makes a bunch of plays.

1:09

On Monday, we are presented by Healer River

1:11

Resorts and Casinos achieve a

1:13

legendary status. So you do you at

1:16

Helo River Resorts and Casinos

1:18

all right? Time now for a conversation with ESPNS

1:21

Chris Foller. Well,

1:26

Chris, first of all, thanks for doing this man, great seeing you. What's

1:29

a week like for you when you've got two

1:32

games? I know what it's like for me. I know

1:34

what's I got three or four games,

1:36

And I know you're there too, and you're doing tennis and

1:38

football. But when you have a college game,

1:41

you got Red River, then

1:43

you have Texas Georgia, and then you have the

1:45

Cardinals two days later. What's a

1:47

week in the life of Chris Fouler

1:50

like?

1:51

Not much extra time for stuff.

1:53

I try to keep my mental health intact by getting

1:55

a workout in or a nice walk in, But as

1:57

you know, there's not much time for the fringes.

1:59

And I love it.

2:01

I love being able to straddle both

2:04

the biggest college games and NFL

2:06

games.

2:07

I'm glad it's not every week.

2:08

I don't know how I do it every week,

2:11

but I've learned over a couple

2:13

of years on how to manage the time better, and which

2:15

works better for me is to do the second

2:17

game first, Like I'm looking at the Cardinals and the

2:19

Chargers early in the week, began actually

2:22

Sunday and Monday and kind

2:24

of.

2:25

Get a foothold, put it away folks.

2:27

In the college, and then the minute the game is over on Saturday

2:30

night, there's a plane ride to Phoenix. There's

2:33

that time there was all day Sunday and all day Monday

2:35

to focus exclusively on the NFL games. That's

2:38

what how it works for me is second game first,

2:40

first game.

2:40

Second.

2:42

Yeah, I've got an NBA Opening Night game next

2:44

Wednesday, so I'm actually starting on that

2:46

a little bit early. Part of that is

2:48

because they haven't played a game yet, so it's

2:50

easier to get ready for that as opposed to, you

2:52

know, when you have other games going on in the middle of the season.

2:55

What about when you're working with different

2:58

analysts, and not just different analysts,

3:00

but going from Kirk in

3:02

a two person booth to Dan and Lewis

3:05

in a three man booth and those guys well

3:08

Lewis in particularly because he's doing a college game every week.

3:10

Dan is doing studio.

3:11

But they're working with other people too, So how

3:13

challenging is that to kind of develop the chemistry

3:16

with the new guys. You, obviously Kirk,

3:18

have been working together, whether it's game day or games

3:21

forever.

3:22

Yeah, it almost feels like a different job.

3:23

I love Lewis and Dan and those guys are so

3:26

plugged into the NFL. The part

3:28

of the fun for me, Dave is I learn a

3:30

lot about the league through them.

3:33

I know football, but I don't know the

3:35

inner workings of the NFL and how teams

3:37

are assembled, and I don't know teams

3:39

like the Cardinals and the Chargers that well.

3:42

Living on the East Coast in

3:44

Miami and New York, we don't see those teams on television.

3:47

I'm just not kind of converse

3:49

into either franchise. So a week like this, I'll

3:52

lean on them a lot. I'll spend extra

3:54

time on that Georgia and Texas,

3:56

who just had each of those teams.

3:58

So the preparation is large actually

4:00

done.

4:00

It's just kind of fine tuning, and once you

4:02

get to Austin will lock in and talk to those teams

4:04

and well, I'll be ready for that game. I

4:07

know that, you know,

4:09

Lewis and Dan and Laura Rulers are great assets

4:11

for me. It feels really

4:13

different working with those guys. I

4:16

think that a three man booth is something different for me.

4:18

I haven't done that much, you know, on Thursday night way

4:20

back when, but it's been a long time

4:22

since I've done that. And sometimes working

4:25

with Cirth is like working with two analysts because he's

4:27

very active and he's Marry involved in

4:29

a great way. But I think

4:31

that the rhythm is different

4:33

because Lewis and Dan when you have a three

4:35

man booth. I don't know if you've experienced this in the

4:38

same way, but those guys, one

4:40

being an offensive guy, when being a defensive guy,

4:43

see the game through a very different lens. So

4:45

depending what happens in a given play, I'll

4:49

look over and they're doing this kind of like

4:51

pantomime communication. Who's going to

4:53

go first, who's going to tell us straight, who's going to jump

4:55

in there, Whether or not it's a QB

4:58

centric comment or a

5:00

defensive comment.

5:01

That's obviously more in Lewis's.

5:02

Wheelhouse being an XDB, and

5:04

sometimes I've had to learn to

5:07

kind of call it differently because I give a very

5:10

economical call. With Kirk,

5:12

I try to be very generous. I'll make

5:14

a call caught Jones

5:16

first down of the forty two stop, let

5:18

him get he likes to get in quickly. We'll like

5:21

to do a replayer too, because I want it

5:23

back before the snap. Now with those

5:25

guys, I've learned and I've told them I'm to

5:27

do this. I'm going to give an extra line, you

5:29

know, caught by Jones first down.

5:31

So the third year man out of Arkansas four

5:33

catches, all right today, guys you've been seldom used

5:36

coming in. Well, then that gives them time

5:38

to sort of get what they're doing and they'll dive

5:40

in and do it. So it's just a matter of

5:42

figuring things out so there's not an awkward

5:44

pause. So they're like looking around and

5:47

you know, the viewer doesn't know what's going on. So

5:50

it's fine tuning. But again, those guys are so easy

5:52

to work with. I have a blast, and I'll

5:55

tell you what's different about the NFL games

5:57

in college is we actually have a lot

5:59

of time to hang together as a crew, and

6:02

that means, if possible, watch a practice

6:04

is not always easy with the college schedule, but

6:07

be on the zoom calls, have a dinner,

6:09

what a concept, and be able

6:12

to hang together, you know, on the field pregame

6:14

and I love the experience of an NFL pregame.

6:17

It's so different than college. You can talk to the players as

6:19

far a fewer them out there's you know.

6:21

And so that's cool.

6:22

I mean, Kirk's schedule is so crazy, the energy

6:24

required of him to do the

6:26

Amazon games on Thursday, college game

6:28

B in the morning, our game at night. Because

6:31

we've had so many years together, it

6:33

clicks.

6:33

It works. But ideally you'd.

6:35

Want to hang out. You'd want to spend more time in

6:38

the prep and more time just socializing.

6:40

But it's not there.

6:42

And I love that on Mondays we can

6:44

actually hang out a little bit and I could again

6:46

learn from them a lot.

6:49

It's interesting you say that about the time together,

6:51

because I don't know that the

6:53

fan at home realizes how important that

6:55

is. The chemistry again is different

6:57

with you with Kirk, but for the most part, with

7:00

people that you're working with you haven't known for twenty

7:02

five years. So that time together,

7:04

the chemistry you build off the air is

7:07

important on the air and you mentioned kind of

7:09

too, Dan and Lewis trying to figure out

7:11

who's going to go in the non verbal language, want

7:13

to work with Bill Walden. He just did that to himself because

7:15

there were multi personalities there.

7:17

Which personality was going to take over at that moment.

7:21

How about when you call

7:24

college football versus NFL in terms of enthusiasm

7:27

level, because your enthusiasm on college

7:29

football is off the charts. I love it and

7:32

it's great, But in the NFL it's different

7:34

because you don't have the bands, you don't have the cheerleaders,

7:37

so the directors not usually going to cut

7:39

to all of that.

7:41

It's different.

7:42

So how have you managed that from

7:45

college to NFL in terms of you know

7:47

when to really punch it on NFL

7:49

because in college you can almost do it like every

7:51

down, especially if you're doing a championship

7:53

game like you do.

7:55

I don't like to do it every day, to be honest with you, I like to

7:57

meet the moment. You certainly had a lot of big moments

7:59

in the Joy to Alabama game. I don't thin give our scream

8:01

louder in a booth and consecutive

8:04

plays at the end of the game when it was going back and forth.

8:06

It was lunacy. It was great fun

8:08

to do.

8:09

I went from that to the Dolphins

8:12

Titans game two days later,

8:14

Tyler Huntley brought

8:16

in as the third string quarterback. They struggled

8:19

to make a first down. The place was

8:21

a morgue. It

8:23

was challenging. I

8:26

think you just let

8:28

it happen organically. I'd be foolish

8:30

for me, as you know, to start shouting

8:33

at hard Rock Stadium every time they have a four yard

8:35

game, even though I felt like that was a big deal,

8:38

you know, but so you I don't really

8:41

I didn't put a lot of thought into how I'm

8:43

going to do the NFL differently.

8:45

I listened to a lot of NFL games.

8:46

There's people I really respect to do it spectacularly,

8:49

Tariko Buck, others, you know, And

8:52

I think that obviously al Michaels,

8:55

their presentation is different because

8:58

the vibe is so different in the stadium. Typically,

9:02

the urgency isn't quite there the same way

9:04

as it is in college, and you're not yelling

9:07

up over as you said, one hundred thousand people in the band

9:09

typically, So I think,

9:11

naturally you're going to your presentation is going to be different.

9:13

I didn't put a lot of thought into it. If we get excitement,

9:15

and I tell a game I hope to be, i'd excited

9:18

then as I am.

9:20

You know, in a big college game Kyler takes

9:22

off runs for fifty yards, puts up the finger at

9:25

the forty yard line, I'll get very excited about to play

9:27

like that if that happens on money and I But

9:30

you know, I think it happens less frequently than

9:32

in college, and typically we're

9:35

getting games that.

9:36

Just are.

9:38

Feel huge and kind of push through the screen, and

9:41

I think that it requires you to meet

9:44

that in the way that the people who have called college football

9:46

over the years. Then I don't know

9:48

that I set out

9:50

to be excited in college.

9:52

It just kind of happens if the play warrants it. But I

9:55

don't want to be someone who's at

9:57

that place. You know, you're a master calibrate

10:00

it. You don't want to be here the whole

10:02

game where you can't there's not much room to

10:04

go up from there. So I generally am pretty

10:07

conversational on a routine play and

10:10

then try to try to rise

10:12

up when the moment calls for it.

10:15

You mentioned Kyler, and you

10:18

did obviously a bunch of his games when he was

10:20

in college. What

10:22

do you see as you watch him? And I know you're

10:24

not probably dialed in just yet because

10:26

we're taping this on Tuesday and you've got other games,

10:29

But what do you see when you've watched him

10:31

in the NFL compared to college? How have you seen

10:33

him grow? What do you think based

10:35

on what you've seen now six years

10:37

into the NFL.

10:39

Yeah, I have a special feel for all the guys who in the

10:41

heinsmhen you get to know them pretty well in the process. I

10:43

did call plenty of his games at Oklahoma,

10:45

and I called up the playoff game against Alabama,

10:48

the epic semifinal game when they went back and

10:50

forth, came up short but put

10:52

a lot of points on the board after flying a way behind. And

10:54

then obviously in the awards season,

10:58

you get a connection with them. I become

11:00

fans of them individually as they moved

11:02

to the NFL. That's been that way for a long

11:04

long time.

11:05

I've done some

11:07

like thirty highst Trophy shows.

11:09

So it's a lot of guys, they're all retired, half

11:11

of them are, but the guys who are in the league,

11:14

whether it's law Er or Baker Kyler

11:16

certainly, you know, even going

11:18

back to Derrick Henry, some of them, the guys.

11:20

Who are veteran, I have a real feel for them.

11:22

I want them to do well. I want them to succeed well

11:25

and represent the trophy. I'm very

11:27

conscious of where they go, are the position

11:30

pieces in place for them to succeed and there their

11:32

new home. And sometimes the answer

11:34

is no. I feel badly for

11:36

Bryce Young, for example. I feel really good for

11:38

Jayden Daniels because I'm a fan of his and

11:42

I think that when a generational.

11:44

Talent like that in college comes into.

11:46

The league and has this stats he's had, it's

11:49

cool. You know, Kyler hasn't had quite that success.

11:51

I don't at these surmounted with the pieces that would

11:53

allow him to. I think he's grown as

11:56

a pastor. His his skill that we thought

11:58

Oklahoma will never lose. He'll

12:00

never lose that dynamic

12:02

runner. Those kinds of players are exciting the defensive

12:05

team around them, as you know, so he becomes

12:07

a focal point when he's out there, and

12:10

I think that, you know, I

12:13

don't, I'm not. The Green Bay game is the last

12:15

one I've screened. I will look at other games, look at the San Francisco

12:17

game, for example. I don't want to judge based on

12:19

that debacle in lambeau

12:22

Field. I think he's He's

12:24

still got work to do, but I think he I think

12:26

the skills have translated, and I

12:28

think there's going to be a point

12:30

where, you

12:32

know, I don't know how the Cardinals season is going to go. There

12:35

are some folks who are embarrash

12:38

on that, and we'll see how it plays out Monday.

12:40

I think Monday is an important moment for them.

12:42

And you know, Tyler's contract, that's

12:44

going to be an issue as you know, going.

12:45

Forward, So let's see how they do. That's how he does.

12:47

But I'd love

12:50

calling games involving dynamic quarterbacks

12:52

like that, and I hope he makes a bunch of plays on Monday.

12:55

You mentioned the time you get when you're doing

12:57

the Heisman Show. What does that look

12:59

like?

13:00

Like?

13:00

How much time do you get to spend with the candidates

13:03

and how

13:05

often do you walk away from

13:07

those conversations like Wow, I really I

13:09

really like this person. I want to follow

13:11

this person as opposed to not naming names,

13:13

but guys are like, yeah, okay, it

13:15

wasn't as friendly as I hope to be or didn't

13:17

give them on because there's always guys

13:20

like that there are you

13:22

know.

13:22

I think, first, well, you start up calling plenty

13:25

of their games throughout a career.

13:26

Typically if they're a Heisman guy, they're playing in high

13:28

profile games, so you get a chance to see

13:31

them in the field and have those conversations in the preparation

13:33

for a regular game. As they become

13:35

Heisman finalists, I have

13:37

conversations with all of them because

13:39

we approach the Heisman Show as

13:42

though everyone has an equal chance to win, I

13:44

e. Whether it's usually four guys typically

13:46

now for and I try to spend time with

13:49

all of them on the phone, talking to their

13:51

coaches, possibly their high school coaches, opponents,

13:53

teammates, to get a really clear picture about

13:55

what makes them the player they

13:57

are. Families are part of the equation. When

13:59

she gets New York and you get to meet their families if you haven't

14:01

known them before, and so you really get a well rando

14:03

picture of these guys.

14:04

And very few of them have been part.

14:08

Of the expression turds, as

14:10

coach would like to use to describe guys who are.

14:14

Not polished and not not team guys.

14:16

These guys generally have gotten where they are because

14:18

they're they're they're team football players and they

14:20

approach things the right way, and

14:23

so I generally don't come away from

14:25

the experience Luke

14:28

Warmer negative on any of the Heisman winners, and

14:30

I hope.

14:30

They all all succeed well. It makes the trophy

14:32

look good.

14:33

So did you have because

14:36

we don't have Big ten anymore, Lisa?

14:38

Last years, did you have Marvin Harrison

14:40

junior at all? Did you have any of his games at Ohio State

14:42

or get a chance to talk to him at all?

14:44

Yeah? I did.

14:44

We had him blowing

14:46

up for the Rose Bowl when he was a freshman, kind of his coming

14:48

out party as a young player, had his first couple

14:50

of seasons. Obviously didn't have him

14:53

last year, but new of him.

14:55

It does. It does.

14:58

Create an impediment to getting know these guys. You don't

15:00

have the Big ten so that there's no way

15:02

around that. But I got to know him in the process.

15:04

Obviously he was in New York as a finalist, So yeah,

15:06

I did, And I think he's the guy

15:09

that is just one of those transcendent talents

15:12

that you hope we'll get

15:14

in a good situation and be able to

15:16

flourish. I think people around

15:18

the league, you talk to them. I've done little homework,

15:20

and now I know our guys certainly believe that

15:23

he is that kind of talent.

15:25

I have a monster career.

15:26

The stats haven't quite been there yet, and

15:28

I think kind of digging into why that is,

15:31

whether there's a silly connection

15:35

that's developing between Kyler

15:37

and Marvin.

15:38

I don't know. We'll get more

15:40

answers.

15:40

I hope to be able to see him out there on Monday, and

15:42

I'm not terribly optimistic

15:45

given the nature of what the

15:47

head knock that he took, but I look forward to

15:49

watching him develop drive his career because he

15:52

is one of those guys that.

15:53

You know, he's a he's a wow guy.

15:55

I saw him and many practices at Ohio State,

15:57

knew his dad, talked to his dad while they were

15:59

white practice, and saw what Marvin

16:02

could do way before we even saw it in games.

16:05

One of the things you'll do when you're out here and you'll do during

16:07

the week if you're not here in person

16:09

is coaches meetings. Have you

16:12

met Jonathan Gannon at any point? Just

16:14

curious if you've had a

16:16

chance to talk to him at all. He's

16:18

got endless energy if you have a few

16:21

dy.

16:22

No, I'm aware of that. I've I've been told

16:24

about that. I'll look forward to that. I have not met

16:27

him before, so he's not a guy that I have any kind of

16:29

background with, which is not uncommon.

16:31

A lot of these ENFO guys they know of

16:33

me.

16:34

They see me as kind of like a

16:37

fresh face, not something they deal with all the time, who's.

16:39

A pain in their asth So that's sometimes nice.

16:41

You come in there and you're not the usual touf back

16:44

in these new meetings or they've had.

16:45

You know, they like college football, some

16:48

even liked tennis, and they want to talk tennis,

16:50

which is fun for me because I see these guys from

16:52

AFAR. So didn't really know Sean McDermott,

16:55

but I've gotten a sense

16:57

of who he is now and Doug Peterson

16:59

and different guys like that. So I'll

17:01

afford to experiencing the

17:04

gaan and energy because I've certainly heard about

17:06

it.

17:08

One guy you are very familiar with is

17:10

Jim Harbaugh. One of my favorites

17:12

was I was doing a Michigan game with Greg mclroy

17:14

several years ago and Jake Butt

17:17

was I think at the point like a second or

17:19

third round prospect and Greg guess

17:21

something about you know, going to the first round and Harbaugh

17:23

goes well, Greg, as you know or as you

17:25

should know, tight ends don't

17:28

often go in the first round. But it's just funny, like the way

17:30

he did it, like a little as

17:32

you know or as you should know, like what.

17:35

You obviously probably had

17:37

those moments.

17:38

What's it like and hopefully you know obviously coach Harbaugh's

17:40

health is good. What's

17:43

it like when you meet with him?

17:46

I enjoy it.

17:47

I like people who were bright

17:50

but maybe a little quirky, maybe a little

17:52

eccentric. I think those labels apply to Jim,

17:55

but really really good at their job. And there's

17:58

been an evolution. I think there's a trust back

18:00

for you have to gain with him or you're going to get

18:02

very little. We would

18:04

have a tendency to win their day for the big games,

18:07

so harball on the week of a Penn State

18:09

game or god forbid, an Ohio

18:11

State game.

18:12

I mean, it's different.

18:13

I don't expect these guys to be loose and relaxed

18:15

and forthcoming and transparent and

18:17

all that stuff.

18:18

In our interviews, but over time, you

18:20

know, I gained trust.

18:22

I want of the two that was able to watch Michigan practices,

18:25

not very often but occasionally,

18:28

and we've had Michigan and playoff games.

18:30

He's been great, He's been wonderful. I

18:32

mean, I think he was very

18:35

much at peace with himself. I think he knew this next

18:37

step was coming while Michigan was

18:39

making the run of the championship last year, because

18:42

he was a different guy when

18:44

we met with him in the playoff games and

18:46

before the championship game, and it was delightful

18:49

and he was very open.

18:51

We're telling old stories. He loves to tell the old stories.

18:53

About growing up with John and his dad,

18:55

and so I liked Jim a

18:57

lot. And I look forward to

19:00

connecting out there in the in the

19:02

Chargers hotel and in Arizona.

19:04

I hope I think he's okay. I don't.

19:05

I think we'll talk openly about his a

19:07

rhythm, a situation which he's already talked about.

19:10

So definitely wish him, wish him well,

19:12

look forward to to to seeing them.

19:13

And I think if you look at the Chargers, you're all the

19:16

people.

19:16

Who analyze these teams far closely, more

19:19

closely than I have so far. See a really

19:21

sound football team that reflects good coaching,

19:23

that doesn't beat itself, that doesn't have

19:25

a lot of bus On defense, I think

19:27

that the offense is still work in progress. I

19:30

think Herbert not being healthy it

19:32

has been holding that offense back. I think

19:35

Greg Roman will unleash much more of the passing attack.

19:37

I think maybe not so. Fortunately for

19:39

the Cardinals, they'll see a

19:41

Chargers offense inspiring on more cylinders

19:44

than they have been. They we got

19:46

a glimpse against Denver in the first half and they pull

19:48

back. But I think Hardwall's fingerprints are still

19:50

on it. They're still going to run the ball and be physical. But

19:53

I think that, uh, you've got to use You've

19:55

got to use Herbert and that and that cassive

19:57

young receivers and let them develop. No,

20:00

it's a long answer. I mean Jim is endlessly

20:02

interesting to me. I look forward to seeing him. I do

20:04

wish him well. You know with

20:06

the Chargers too.

20:08

I want to go back to college. You are

20:11

a Colorado guy, So give

20:13

me your thoughts on coach

20:15

Prime. Are you surprised

20:17

at all they have looked better

20:19

this year than they did the second

20:22

half of last year? And maybe

20:24

that's because they have arguably the best player in the

20:26

country and Travis Hunter, and they have a quarterback that could

20:28

go first overall or the first quarterback.

20:31

Have you had them at all since he

20:33

took over, You guys might get

20:36

him at some point down the road.

20:39

We had them last year, but the thistle

20:41

had worn off. We had them in

20:44

the Rose Bowl against UCLA, and

20:47

I regret not having them.

20:48

Earlier in the season.

20:49

I was out there for their spring game before

20:52

his first season in the snow with

20:54

fifty thousand people turned

20:56

out to watch a spring scrimmage involving almost

20:59

none of the players who eventually played on

21:01

that twenty three team. They did a huge roster

21:05

cleanse after the spraying game.

21:07

All those guys Hunter and Junior Sanders

21:09

and fellow standards were there. Whole

21:11

bunch of new guys came in. Didn't

21:15

surprise me that they faded in the Pac twelve.

21:17

They're facing, you

21:19

know, an elite quarterback almost every week with

21:21

a deeply troubled defense, and

21:25

I'm disc when they cratered to

21:27

four and eight. I thought that a five hundred

21:30

record a bowl game was a possibility, especially

21:32

after the start they got.

21:33

I was under no.

21:34

Illusions that they were a contender in the Pac

21:36

twelve. Change conferences to the Big

21:38

twelve. The path is a lot

21:41

clearer, less hurdles to sort

21:43

of mediocrity to a

21:46

bowl.

21:46

Bit.

21:47

You know, I watched the Kansas State game. I'm invested

21:49

a little bit. We don't really cover that team. I

21:51

think it's unlikely we'll do a game out

21:54

of the Big Twelve involving CU sadly,

21:56

but I think I can be a fan

21:59

involving them there for so I was

22:01

watching the candidate game in the wee hours, you know,

22:03

Big twelve after Dark, which takes the place

22:05

of Pac Goob after Dark craziness these days.

22:07

And you know it comes down to a couple

22:09

of plays at the end. But what was most

22:11

cool is an alum was watching

22:14

a place that was a more dead

22:16

bolston Field was lifeless

22:18

for years, sold out rock

22:21

and under the lights, invested student

22:23

body, tremendous energy, tough on the visitors,

22:26

and that's been the case for most of the

22:28

games his two years there, and

22:30

I hope that continues. I hope it continues

22:32

beyond this season. I think it's always

22:34

an open question. It's always year to year with Dion,

22:37

But I hope he has a long future

22:39

there.

22:40

I do feel like the expansion of the college

22:42

football playoff has made regular season games

22:44

more interesting and intriguing. There were a lot

22:47

of people going into the year, not us,

22:49

But I think skeptics are traditionalists or like

22:53

it's not good for regular season games.

22:55

But I don't know watching college football, he

22:57

can't feel it's enhanced the

23:00

games. Where do you side on that?

23:02

Yeah, the importance of any one regular

23:05

season game is diminished, no way around

23:07

that, right, because you're not losing

23:09

out for the most part. I think we're going

23:12

to get to a lot of lose and out games

23:14

in the stretch run. There'll be so many

23:16

games they've affecting the

23:19

playoff picture in November, it's going to be

23:21

ridiculous.

23:22

See how it was last year in the NFL.

23:23

I mean there were like three or four games a weekend that didn't

23:26

have some playoff importance. All the others

23:28

did. And I think in college with

23:31

these conferences really

23:34

kind of doing away with divisions and the top two

23:36

teams getting into the championship game and

23:39

tie breakers and all kinds of stuff, it's going to

23:41

be mayhem down the stretch of the league

23:43

to see who gets those two bids

23:45

in the championship games of

23:47

the of the ACC and the Big

23:49

tenn SEC Big twelve. And that's first of

23:51

all, so they're gonna have a lot of games they're going to impact

23:54

the chase for those two spots. In some

23:56

conferences, those two spots will be essential

23:59

to get into the twelve team bracket because they're the kind

24:01

of have a Big twelve three or ACCD three get

24:05

in the playoff. I mean it's unlikely. I mean they're

24:07

going to fight to get two teams in I think,

24:09

and then the SEC and the Big ten.

24:12

There's the fascinating conversation like, you

24:14

know, it's far better to finish third than second,

24:16

isn't it?

24:17

In a league?

24:18

I mean, to lose the championship game, you've gone

24:20

through a punishing physical experience and then

24:22

go into a playoff bracket

24:24

where you're gonna try to win four games to win a championship.

24:27

And I think you're gonna have games even

24:30

like this Alabama Tennessee game. Okay, they

24:32

each have a loss. Now does

24:34

the second loss knock them

24:36

out? No, not necessarily,

24:39

but every loss is you know, you lose a

24:41

little bit more control of your destiny

24:43

and your game is now interconnected with all

24:45

these other games to see where you stand. If

24:48

you start losing multiple games in a season,

24:50

So Bama Tennessee loser is gonna.

24:52

Have two losses.

24:53

If Georgia doesn't win in

24:56

Austin, they got two losses and they

24:58

haven't played Tennessee yet and they

25:00

haven't even gotten a chance to be in the SEC

25:02

championship game yet. So there's

25:05

a different kind of urgency, even

25:07

though any one game isn't

25:09

make or break.

25:11

A couple more we'll get you out of here. Christ and I appreciate

25:14

the time you're at

25:16

the top of your profession doing the

25:18

best college football games every week, you're doing NFL,

25:21

You're the lead voice on tennis. You

25:23

did the greatest pregame

25:25

show arguably in any sport for

25:28

decades. Do you still think

25:31

back to when you got your big break?

25:33

And I don't know if it was when

25:35

you got to ESPN. I don't know if it was with

25:38

Scholastic Sports America when you were at ESPN

25:40

already, was there something even prior

25:43

to that you look back and say, Wow, that was when

25:45

I finally got a shot.

25:47

To prove myself. Yeah,

25:49

that's a good question. I think that, first

25:51

of all, I've talked

25:53

about this quite a bit with young people that I mentor

25:57

making unconventional choices to

26:00

your own gun, your

26:02

own inner voice, and not the static of

26:05

well meaning people around you who might

26:07

love.

26:07

You but they don't know best for you.

26:09

I was told not to go to ESPN, So

26:11

if I hadn't ignored that advice and professors

26:13

and consultants, I would never have

26:15

been on this path. I

26:17

didn't know what I wanted to do. I just knew what I didn't

26:19

want to do, and I didn't feel connected to

26:22

the experience of reading scores every

26:24

night for five minutes at the local station. Nothing against

26:27

people who do that. I was an intern production

26:29

assistant on the situations in Denver. I

26:31

just didn't feel that was what for me. So

26:34

I made a choice right out of the gate, when

26:36

you're out of school, to go to the seven year

26:38

old Table Network and do a tape high

26:40

school magazine show. Defied

26:43

advice to do it. That was a break

26:46

for me that was obviously put me in position. Two

26:49

years later they wanted me to go

26:51

to LA and be the Sports center bureau guy. Nothing

26:54

against that job, it just didn't

26:56

feel right to leave

26:59

the headcret in Bristol, even though

27:01

I was young in the single and it's no place to be young and single

27:03

and go to LA and where

27:05

I would have gotten to cover, you know, Dodgers,

27:08

Lakers. They had no NFL

27:10

team at that point, but USD You get the point. And

27:13

it just didn't feel like the right

27:15

move, and I said, now I'll stick with the

27:17

high school show. They looked

27:20

at me, kid, are you in stain?

27:23

You don't say no? Does we want you to go do this? But

27:26

you know a month later, how would you like to

27:29

do sidelines on college football in the prime,

27:31

same game and do some features on this this show

27:34

called Game Day which is a half hour long and Saturday

27:36

watched by nobody.

27:37

A couple of years later, I would you like to host it?

27:41

Nobody was elbowing me out of the way to get that job.

27:43

By the way, I got the job when I was twenty

27:46

six or something, but no one else wanted

27:48

it at that point. And I

27:51

think, again, just just listening to my gut,

27:54

making a couple of choices early

27:56

on to put me on the path, and then then

27:59

not leaving you when the opportunities came,

28:01

would have been a stupid mistake. In long

28:04

careers. We're all going to have moments no matter what we do for a

28:06

living, but we're frustrated. We

28:08

don't feel appreciated, right, we don't

28:10

feel fairly

28:14

compensated, or whatever makes

28:16

you feel uncomfortable. Those

28:19

conditions will exist for all of us. And I didn't

28:21

listen to that. I didn't run away

28:24

from something. I never believe

28:26

you should run away from something. You should run to something

28:28

better. And there wasn't anything better for me that

28:31

was offered when I sat back

28:33

and looked at it soberly. Thank

28:35

god I didn't leave, because I wouldn't be doing what

28:38

I'm doing. We've been't have this conversation. So just

28:41

knowing yourself really well, and

28:43

never making choices based on money, certainly

28:47

not making choices based on ratings

28:50

or am I going to be seen

28:52

more on this or that? Well I

28:54

get famous doing this? None

28:56

of that has ever mattered. I mean, it doesn't

28:58

make me a virtuous person. I'm just being honest.

29:01

It's never been in driving force. It's always been about

29:03

the experience.

29:04

Of doing it.

29:05

Did it feel fun? Did

29:07

it feel challenging or fulfilling? I still ask

29:09

those questions every year, you know, you

29:12

get a chance to do the NFL. I love the NFL.

29:14

It's football at the highest level. I

29:17

like college better at this moment, but

29:19

I still would love to have the experience

29:21

of the NFL games. So you take the challenge on knowing

29:24

it's going to be hard, knowing you have a lot to learn,

29:26

but just kind of leaping in there. And it's

29:29

been it's been awesome to do that. And I

29:31

think that I always want

29:33

to feel like there's something

29:35

I haven't done that's going to be fulfilling and challenging.

29:38

I got to get a hell of a lot better. They call

29:40

the NFL games.

29:41

I think you know that there's a challenge in

29:43

that because there's a learning curve,

29:47

and I think that I always want to be better

29:49

this game than last game. And as long as you've got stuff

29:51

like that right, you know, it continues to drive you

29:53

and inspire you.

29:55

Last one and I weird texting

29:57

said it was going to be all softballs. You said, no, I like

29:59

curveball. There

30:02

was a rumor that when you host a college

30:04

game day you never used

30:07

a prompter, meaning it was all either up here

30:10

or you used your notes. Is

30:12

that true and if so, that's freaking

30:14

amazing.

30:17

Thanks. I mean I don't view it that way.

30:18

First of all, prompter would have been impractical. It's an outdoor

30:21

show. It's hard to see it. And

30:23

I know, no disrespect

30:26

to production assistance around the world. I love you, You're

30:28

valuable. We need to.

30:30

But that's certainly an entry level person that

30:32

runs the teleprompter.

30:33

And I did Sports Center, where it was required

30:36

sometimes I got you know, there were anchors

30:38

that back in the day that would Berman,

30:42

for example, use it less than others, and so

30:44

they would kind of wing it strongly

30:46

discouraged from winging Sports Center. I wouldn't

30:49

have done that, but I just got used to

30:52

not using prompter early on in game day when

30:54

it was a studio show, and that you do basketball raps,

30:56

you know, wrapping kinds of games you need

30:59

call for you, and there's no ability

31:01

to script it or prompt it. I mean, prompter

31:04

implies that the script is there on the page and the game.

31:06

It was never liked that I had note cards. I would write

31:08

roll accuseter packages, little little cheat sheet

31:10

stats segways in there.

31:13

I have very neat writing. I just brought them into little cards

31:15

and that's.

31:16

Why I used to hold in my hand. But it was it

31:18

wasn't like, hey, I might take on the challenge

31:20

not using a prompter. Prompt was just impractical

31:22

and recesn't use one either. It's not it's

31:25

just not the way that show is done. Still

31:27

pretty great though, it's great stuff.

31:29

It's fun, you know listen. I mean I think

31:31

that you you know

31:33

what we do.

31:34

You have an energy about it because

31:36

it's challenging because you're out there in that type rope.

31:38

You're out there with no safety

31:40

net. You say something stupid these days,

31:44

your career could be over by the time

31:46

you get off the air. I could pick up my phone

31:48

and do an Instagram video and my career could

31:50

be over in thirty seconds. That's

31:53

that's the that's the tightrope we

31:55

walk. There's no there's no net. Bill

31:58

Walton, on the other hand, leads less of a less We're

32:01

gonna have to have another conversation, but we've got to do another episode.

32:04

We talk about the various characters we've worked

32:06

with, because that is the great joy, you

32:08

know what I mean to being able to

32:10

work with Dick Vital for many years.

32:12

He's a dear friend Lee Chorus, so

32:15

obviously a character of John McEnroe now

32:17

in tennis, those three names stick

32:19

out because they, like Bill, our

32:21

singular personalities. I'm not sure anyone is

32:24

quite as singular as Bill, but I think

32:26

that you know those those

32:28

guys, and there there are many others.

32:32

It's just such a joy to hang out with them

32:34

and kind of see not just the games we

32:36

do, but life through their unique

32:38

lens. And I've learned so much from those

32:40

guys, and you know, being

32:43

around Bill Moore would it would have been a joyful for

32:45

me, but it didn't happen.

32:48

One hundred percent on being around them and kind of seeing

32:50

how they operate, but also how they make you better because

32:52

they challenge you. You don't know what's coming, I assume

32:54

with Vitel and I've worked with Dick some too,

32:56

not as much as you, but obviously guy

32:58

like McEnroe, I don't

33:00

know what's coming and when it's coming, right.

33:02

You have a different attitude as a broadcaster

33:05

when you do a match with Johnny

33:07

Mack than if you do a match with any other tennis

33:09

analysts. And I love John and we get along

33:12

great. Once I earned his respect as

33:14

someone who really embraces tennis and

33:17

is authentic about their passion for it. I was probably

33:19

a tennis fan actually before I was a college football

33:22

fan. When

33:24

his rival Jimmy Connors came on the scene, I

33:26

talked to John about that I'm only in the tennis because

33:28

of Jimmy, and he hates that, but we have.

33:30

Fun with that.

33:30

But now John is amazing

33:33

in the way that he sees things, his type

33:35

of analysis. When you pair it with his brother

33:38

Patrick, who is a very different personality

33:40

who sees the sport differently, who didn't

33:42

get by on the sheer brilliance

33:45

of his talent.

33:46

I mean John was like Mozart. No one played

33:48

like that.

33:49

He was just a tennis

33:52

the bond as a teenager onward.

33:54

Patrick was a grinder. Patrick got the most

33:56

out of his ability, and as an analyst, he

33:59

sees things for me.

34:00

The Johns. You put him together and we.

34:02

Have a three man booth for the biggest tennis

34:04

matches of the year, which we don't have

34:06

for other matches. So we kind of just come together

34:09

and have this understanding we're

34:11

all gonna have to pull back and do less than or this isn't

34:14

gonna work. And so it's a constant

34:16

adjustment on the fly, but again that that challenge

34:19

is what is what makes it fun. And then John will just

34:21

turn to you and ask me some question that

34:23

if you didn't do your homework, you're not going to

34:25

know. And so I do prepare

34:28

differently knowing that John's gonna turn.

34:30

He hasn't really used notes.

34:31

They're there in front of him, but he's looking at the court.

34:34

So he'll just turn and ask you, you know, what

34:36

did he do the last tournament? What did he do in this Twimbledon

34:39

tuna? If I don't know what

34:42

uh Matteo Barattini

34:44

did in in in Halla or

34:46

Queen's Club, I got a problem,

34:49

I'm gonna look bad. And he doesn't care

34:51

that there's a pause.

34:52

Uh let me check that, John,

34:54

I mean, that's that's the wrong that's

34:56

the wrong answer. No answer.

34:58

I'll get back to you on that is the wrong answer. So

35:01

you'd like to have that top of mind. I don't know if that

35:03

Bill did at ask what you dealt

35:05

with? You know, you better be ready for anything, right, including

35:07

his musical references or his

35:11

you know, historic references.

35:12

You know, oh yeah, he brought up you know, how

35:14

many follows does he have? And how many points did he have last

35:16

game just out of nowhere, as if somehow I've got it all

35:20

upstairs ready to roll off my tongue.

35:22

He's interesting, that doesn't man.

35:24

Oh man, it does.

35:25

This is great Chris.

35:26

I know you're pressed for time. You get a lot going on,

35:28

So I really appreciate him.

35:29

Man, Like look Ford to getting out there,

35:31

like Ford to that beautiful city and having

35:34

a good show on Monday and night. But hope that both teams can

35:36

make some plays and look forward to connecting out

35:38

there with you.

35:42

I could have spent a long time with Chris just talking

35:45

about some of the people over the years that he's

35:47

had a chance to work with. Really

35:49

a pioneer when you think about on

35:52

site hosting a show

35:54

like College Game Day and what that is meant to

35:57

the sport, the growth of college

35:59

football and football in general,

36:01

and then his seamless transition to play by

36:03

play the lead college football voice,

36:06

the lead tennis voice, and ESPN and

36:08

calling multiple NFL games a season,

36:10

including the Cardinals game coming up against

36:13

the Chargers. We are presented by HeLa

36:15

River Resorts and Casinos turn up the heat

36:17

in the Valley with the Arizona Cardinals fandom.

36:19

Card by HeLa River Resorts and Casinos.

36:23

Thanks again to Chris Foller, our guests for being on the

36:25

Day Pash Podcast, and thanks.

36:26

To you as well.

36:27

You can rate us or review us on your favorite podcast

36:29

platform. You can also follow me on Twitter

36:32

at Dave Pash or follow the team

36:34

at.

36:35

A Z Cardins.

36:36

Thanks again for listening to another edition of the

36:38

Day Pash podcast.