Gridiron Gut Check

Move over multi-million-dollar athletes ‘cause coaches are hogging all the spotlight lately. ESPN’s Marty Smith joins Shek & Shazier to dive into his new book, Sideline CEO: Leadership Principles from Championship Coaches. From what Deion Sanders does so well that sets him apart from other coaches; to whether Saban might hang it up after this season; to how sustainable the SEC’s dominance is… Smith coaches the guys up on all of it. Plus Shek and Shazier jump in on which NFL teams have outplayed expectations the most this season and which young NFL QB has the best chance of a career comeback this year!

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MLB Playoff SZN is right around the corner and with it an ASTRONOMICAL comeback story. 10 years after being drafted, Jon Singleton is finally making an impact for the Astros, leading Houston in their fight for a wild card playoff spot. He joins Shek & Shazier to talk about the pressure of being the first player to sign a multiyear, multimillion dollar contract before his major-league debut, struggling with addiction, almost losing it all, his second chance with the Astros in 2018 and how it all led him and the ‘Stros right into the thick of the NL playoff picture this year. Plus, the guys marvel at Tua and the Dolphins hanging SEVENTY points on the Broncos last weekend, and Josh Dobbs making the most of his chance with the Cardinals.

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Is Colorado for real?? After the double OT thriller last week versus Colorado State, the Buffalo are the most talked about team in college football! Shek and Shazier are joined by renowned sportswriter and Colorado native, Pat Forde to dive into how Coach Prime has brought Colorado football back to life and changed the face of college football. Forde weighs in on how long the boys in Boulder can keep this going, how Travis Hunter’s absence will challenge the Buffs, and what the realistic expectations are for CU this year. Plus, Shek and Shazier go full “Swiftie” breaking down the Travis Kelce / Taylor Swift romance rumors.

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Expectations are always high for the Steelers after 17 straight winning seasons. But last year, the streak was almost broken after Pittsburgh eked out a 9-8 record. Enter Patrick Peterson, the longtime highlight reel cornerback brought in to sure up the Steel City secondary. Shek and Shazier catch up with the former All Pro, who bounced back in a big way last season after an injury-riddled first year with Minnesota. The guys tackle how Pat Pete’s style meshes with Coach Tomlin’s defensive philosophy, how his experience can help the young DB’s on the team, just how high the Steeler’s ceiling is this season and if Super Bowl expectations are realistic. Plus Peterson’s POV on being a part of the greatest comeback in NFL history as a Viking last season. Then, Shek and Shazier weigh in on if the Jets D can carry Zach Wilson to a title and if Jalen Milroe is the right guy to lead Bama back to the CFB playoffs this season.

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Football is back! With the NFL season kicking off this week Shek and Shazier called in the big guns! Jason Kelce has manned the middle of the Eagles’ offensive line since 2011 reaching sure-fire future HOF status as one of the best centers to ever snap a football. Now, going into his 13th – and possibly final - season, after last year’s crushing defeat in the Super Bowl, can the Eagles’ iron man, lead his team on one more championship run? The guys dive into Kelce’s take on Jalen Hurts’ success, what it’s like as an O-lineman playing in a QB-driven league, and how the Eagles stay motivated heading into the season as heavy favorites to win it all. Plus, Shek and Shazier unpack Ronald Acuna Jr’s dramatic comeback season for the Braves and if Burning Man is truly the worst place in the world to be stranded?

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Football is back baby! Shek and Shazier are joined by Amazon’s Thursday Night Football correspondent Michael Smith, talking all things Fantasy football. The guys are diving into who should go number one in your drafts? If WRs should go before RBs? Which QBs are worth grabbing this year? And then Shek and Shazier pick Michael’s brain on if Russell Wilson can bounce back from his nightmare first season in Denver, what it means for the 49ers now that Brock Purdy has the starting QB job locked up, and if Lamar Jackson and OBJ can recapture their old magic as fantasy superstars on the Ravens this year. Plus with Shek and Shazier’s alma maters Indiana and Ohio State duking it out this weekend in their season opener… they engage in some gentlemanly trash talk about if the Hoosiers can pull off the upset.

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Hot Dog! This week Shek & Shazier sink their teeth into a frank conversation with women’s competitive eating champion Miki Sudo about her recent dominance at the Nathan’s Famous 4th of July Hot Dog Eating Contest. Has she bitten off more than she can chew coming for Joey Chestnut’s record of most hot dog eating competitions without a loss? What foods does she refuse to eat competitively? And what’s it like dating a fellow competitive eater? They get into all the juicy details of Miki’s life as a competitive eater. Plus in a special edition of “The Check Down” the guys look into their comeback crystal ball and try to predict the biggest comebacks that haven’t taken place yet including whether the Eagles can get back to the Super Bowl, if a Pac-12 team can make the CFB Playoffs and if the Sid the Kid and the Penguins have one more run left in them.

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Wow! A Pittsburgh story on Don’t Call it a Comeback? Shocker! But Drew Maggi’s climb to the major leagues is truly so incredible it defies all hometown bias! The inspirational infielder joins Shek and Shazier this week to tell them how he FINALLY got his shot to show the MLB what he can do as a 34-year-old rookie. Originally drafted way back in 2008, Maggi bounced around college and the minor leagues for 13 grueling seasons before finally getting the call in April – a call btw that went super viral and touched the hearts of baseball fans everywhere. And he didn’t disappoint! Plus, the guys dive into the wild NBA offseason including the blockbuster deal that sent Bradley Beal to Phoenix and if Wemby-mania can sweep the Spurs to one more Finals before Pop retires.

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Ben DiNucci is BACK in the NFL after crushing it in the XFL, and now he’s on the pod! Shek and Shazier chat with Ben about his crazy 2020 season, going from the Cowboys’ 3rd string QB to starter and the roller coaster that led the XFL Seattle Sea Dragons to come calling in 2023. The former Cowboys’ QB set the league on fire, throwing for a league high 2,671 yards leading Seattle to the playoffs. This offseason, DiNucci turned his XFL success into a tryout at the Denver Broncos’ rookie minicamp and earned himself an NFL contract backing up Russell Wilson for the 2023 NFL season. The guys also offer some advice to the entire NBA on how to try to stop Jokic next year, handicap if Connor McGregor will ever fight professionally again and shout out Florida as the comeback capital of the sports world right now,

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