The Detroit Lions got run out of Buffalo, Michigan looked shaky against UTEP before pulling away, and Kevin and Jeff have plenty to unpack heading into a critical NFL Week 3. This is the Wednesday recap.

Inside this episode: the Lions fall behind 21-0 in the first quarter and never recover, losing 41-31 to the Bills. Kevin and Jeff dig into Devin White's foolish decision, Kelvin Sheppard's "we're gonna do what we do" comments, and why the real blame belongs on Brad Holmes and a 2024 draft class that's failed to produce healthy, reliable secondary depth. They also make the case that Jared Goff deserves more credit than he's getting — four touchdown passes under constant pressure — and debate whether Detroit's Super Bowl window is already closing.

Then it's on to Michigan, who trailed UTEP 14-7 midway through the second quarter before a quick close to the first half and dominant third-quarter defensive stand flipped the game. Kevin and Jeff break down Bryce Underwood's efficient 19-of-25 passing day (fumbles aside), the ongoing question of whether Tommy Carr could eventually take the starting job, and why the run game still isn't clicking behind Jordan Marshall and Savion Hiter. They preview a tough defensive matchup against Iowa and look ahead to a loaded Big Ten schedule.

Plus: a Jets preview for Sunday, a Big Ten sleeper watch on Northwestern and Minnesota, and the never-ending Ben Johnson vs. Dan Campbell debate.

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Music Credits:

Intro Music: Music by Marching Music – Guide Right – by John Philip Sousa | Royalty-free Music – Pixabay

Outro Music: Music by Marching Music – The Thunderer – by John Philip Sousa | Royalty-free Music – Pixabay

#DetroitLions #OnePride #Michigan #GoBlue #NFL #CollegeFootball #JaredGoff #BryceUnderwood #BradHolmes #BigTen #SportsPodcast #FootballPodcast #HallsOfMediocrity

Roy Tarpley was drafted #7 overall by the Dallas Mavericks in the 1986 NBA Draft — one of the deepest classes in league history. Dennis Rodman. Drazen Petrovic. Brad Daugherty. Arvydas Sabonis. Len Bias. And Roy Tarpley.

In 1987-88, he won the NBA Sixth Man of the Year Award while averaging 13.5 points and 11.8 rebounds on 50% shooting across 81 games. Then in the Western Conference Finals, he had a 20-point, 20-rebound, 11-offensive-rebound performance against Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, James Worthy, and the Showtime Lakers — and nearly knocked them out. Brad Davis said it plainly: if Roy had stayed healthy in every sense of the word, he could have been a top-50 player all time.

He never got the chance to find out.

The DWI in 1989. The missed drug test in 1990. The knee in 1990. The DWI in 1991 — acquitted at trial despite driving 63 in a 35 with a beer in his hand. The domestic violence arrest in April 1991. The lifetime ban in October 1991 for refusing his third drug test. The years in Europe. The $20 million reinstatement in 1994. The second lifetime ban in December 1995.

The ADA lawsuit. The undisclosed settlement. January 9, 2015: liver failure at 50 years old.

Kevin and Jeff cover all of it — including the Michigan years under Bill Frieder, the 1986 draft class, the Showtime Lakers series, the John Lucas Wellness Program, and what the Mavericks organization maybe should have done differently. Recorded live on Labor Day.

Intro Music:
Music by Marching Music -Guide Right -By John Philip Sousa | Royalty-free Music - Pixabay

Outro Music:
Music by Marching Music -The Thunderer By John Philip Sousa | Royalty-free Music - Pixabay

#nba #nbahighlights #dallasmavs #markcuban #RoyTarpley

Tom Mazawey is back for the weekly picks show, and there's a lot to break down. Michigan just knocked off #11 Oklahoma but still can't clean up penalties, the Lions survived New Orleans in overtime, and Buffalo looms Thursday night. Kevin, Jeff, and Tom go game by game — plus a full slate of NFL Week 2 picks against the spread.

Inside this episode: Tom's take on Michigan's defense looking faster than a year ago, the back-to-back personal foul penalties that nearly cost them against Oklahoma, and why the run game still isn't showing up outside of Bryce Underwood. The crew previews UTEP and debates whether Michigan can finally get Jordan Marshall and Savion Hiter going on the ground.

Then it's Lions and Bills. Tom, Kevin, and Jeff break down the controversial Jared Goff non-fumble, the blown 21-point lead, and why Jameson Williams could be the x-factor in Buffalo. They also dig into the Isaac TeSlaa situation, make the case for Tom Kennedy getting real reps, and debate whether Ben Johnson's Bears (fresh off a 59-point outburst) prove he was the real brains behind Detroit's offense.

Plus: a full round of NFL Week 2 picks against the spread across every game on the board, and a chaotic "Top 5 Jets Quarterbacks of All Time" debate that goes about how you'd expect.

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Intro Music: Music by Marching Music – Guide Right – by John Philip Sousa | Royalty-free Music – Pixabay

Outro Music: Music by Marching Music – The Thunderer – by John Philip Sousa | Royalty-free Music – Pixabay

#Michigan #GoBlue #DetroitLions #OnePride #NFL #CollegeFootball #NFLPicks #BuffaloBills #BigTen #SportsPodcast #FootballPodcast #HallsOfMediocrity #TomMazawey

Michigan knocked off the Sooners, Bryce Underwood is starting to look like a real quarterback, and the Detroit Lions needed overtime to survive a scare from a surprising Saints offense. Kevin and Jeff Hall break down a wild Week 2 across college football and Week 1 of the NFL.

Inside this episode: Michigan's defense completely shuts down Oklahoma's offense, while Bryce Underwood shows real growth despite still-shaky passing numbers. The Hall brothers debate whether Underwood has an NFL future, break down Kyle Whittingham's turnaround after the Western Michigan debacle, and preview a get-right game against UTEP.

Then it's on to the Detroit Lions, who blew a 21-point lead before escaping at home against New Orleans in overtime. Kevin and Jeff dig into the secondary problems that could define the season, why Jahmyr Gibbs is the best running back in football, the Isaac TeSlaa mystery at wide receiver, and whether Detroit has any shot heading into a Thursday night showdown at Buffalo.

Plus: takes on the NFC South chaos, the Chicago Bears' 59-point explosion, and why "Lionized" fans have to stop measuring every season against a Super Bowl trip they've never made.

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Music Credits:

Intro Music: Music by Marching Music – Guide Right – by John Philip Sousa | Royalty-free Music – Pixabay

Outro Music: Music by Marching Music – The Thunderer – by John Philip Sousa | Royalty-free Music – Pixabay

#Michigan #GoBlue #DetroitLions #OnePride #CollegeFootball #NFL #BryceUnderwood #JahmyrGibbs #JaredGoff #BigTen #MichiganFootball #NFCNorth #SportsPodcast #FootballPodcast #HallsOfMediocrity

He has more hits than anyone who ever played Major League Baseball. He holds the record for games played. He played All-Star games at five different positions. He was the core of the Big Red Machine. He helped the Phillies win a World Series at age 39. His similarity scores read like the Hall of Fame wing — Ty Cobb, Robin Yount, George Brett, Derek Jeter. By the numbers, Pete Rose is not a Hall of Fame debate. He's a first-ballot certainty.
 
He is not in the Hall of Fame.
 
Pete Rose bet on baseball. He bet on the Cincinnati Reds — his own team — during the 1985, 1986, and 1987 seasons. Phone records showed him calling bookies from his office inside Riverfront Stadium, 25 minutes before first pitch. A 225-page investigation concluded he placed at least 52 separate bets on Reds games within a single three-month window. In August 1989, Commissioner A. Bartlett Giamatti banned him for life. Giamatti died eight days later.
 
Then Pete Rose lied about it for fifteen years.
 
He denied betting on baseball at all. Denied associating with the people who placed his bets. Denied betting as a player. When he finally admitted it in his 2004 autobiography, he admitted only to betting as a manager — not as a player. In 2015, a seized notebook from one of his associates showed he had also bet while still playing. Every time he gave an inch, the facts gave a foot.
 
And then there are the other allegations. In 2015, a sworn statement surfaced from a woman alleging a sexual relationship with Rose began when she was 14 or 15 in 1973. Rose acknowledged the relationship but claimed he believed she was 16, Ohio's age of consent. No charges were possible — the statute of limitations had long since expired. The Phillies canceled a planned Wall of Fame induction.
 
Pete Rose died on September 30, 2024, at age 83, still on the permanently ineligible list. On May 13, 2025, Commissioner Rob Manfred ruled the lifetime ban applied only to the living — clearing the path for Rose's Hall of Fame eligibility. Kevin and Jeff take opposite sides.
 
Also: Tom Mazaway is joining HoM as a weekly regular. More on that at the end.

Intro Music:
Music by Marching Music -Guide Right -By John Philip Sousa | Royalty-free Music - Pixabay

Outro Music:
Music by Marching Music -The Thunderer By John Philip Sousa | Royalty-free Music - Pixabay

#PeteRose #MLB #MLBHallofFame #HallofFame #Gambling

Pete Rose participated in more wins than anyone who ever played Major League Baseball: 1,972. Kevin already knew that one. Jeff gave him nine minutes to name the other nine.

The rule: everyday players only, no pitchers, minimum 3,000 games played.

The list is not what most people would guess. Hank Aaron is #2 at 1,735 - surprising, because a lot of those Braves teams weren't great. Willie Mays is #6. Ty Cobb is #7, the only pre-1940 player besides Rose. Stan Musial is #5. Cal Ripken Jr. is #10 despite playing in 3,001 career games, because a lot of those Orioles teams were bad. Eddie Murray edges him at #8 with a much better winning percentage. Rickey Henderson is #9. Albert Pujols is #4 - not in the Hall of Fame yet, but he will be. And the last one Kevin gets, after a hint about a grandson currently playing in the majors, is Carl Yastrzemski at #3 with 1,718 wins.

Every name on that list is either in the Hall of Fame or will be. Every name except Pete Rose.

A second bonus quiz episode spinning directly out of HoM's Pete Rose episode.

#peterose #mlbb #mlb #mlbbshorts #hankaaron #williemays #tycobb 

Tom Mazawey is back. Michigan is a mess. The NFL is kicking off. Lane Kiffin tried something insane. Let's do some picks.

Kevin, Jeff, and Tom open with the Michigan football debrief — Hot Takes: Bryce Underwood hasn't shown him anything, Whittingham looked clueless, and if the Oklahoma game goes the way the Western Michigan game did, you're looking at Tommy Carr under center against UTEP. They also get into the Lane Kiffin story: Ole Miss was prepared to sign former NFL players to their college roster under a fifth-year eligibility loophole. The SEC threatened expulsion. Kiffin backed down. Kevin traces the whole NIL mess back to the O'Bannon lawsuit and the unintended consequences nobody saw coming — including Ed O'Bannon himself.

Then: fifteen NFL Week 1 picks across the board.

Kevin, Jeff, and Tom go game by game — New England at Seattle, the San Francisco-Rams game in Australia, Buffalo at Houston, Chicago at Carolina, Cleveland at Jacksonville, Pittsburgh and Atlanta, the Jets in Tennessee, Baltimore at Indianapolis, Washington at Philadelphia, Green Bay at Minnesota, Miami in Las Vegas, Arizona at the Chargers, the Sunday night game in New Jersey, Denver in Kansas City, and the Lions hosting New Orleans.

Lions fans will know where they land on that last one.

A Tom Mazawey special edition of the Halls of Mediocrity.

Intro Music:
Music by Marching Music -Guide Right -By John Philip Sousa | Royalty-free Music - Pixabay

Outro Music:
Music by Marching Music -The Thunderer By John Philip Sousa | Royalty-free Music - Pixabay

#michigan #michiganfootball #nfl #lsu #lanekiffin #bryceunderwood

Michigan barely beat Western Michigan on a Hail Mary with 0.4 seconds restored to the clock — and Kevin and Jeff are not celebrating.

Bryce Underwood had a performance that raised more questions than answers: a fumble, a hideous interception right before halftime, a read-option decision that left the entire left side of the field open while he handed the ball off, and too many throws that looked like he was auditioning for an NFL scout instead of running a football team. Michigan paid $12 million to bring him in. Kevin's checking the return policy.

Beyond Underwood — head coach Kyle Whittingham, in his debut at Michigan, coached a game that was flat, undisciplined, and somehow got worse in the second half against a MAC school. Offensive coordinator Jason Beck gets called out. The controversial clock ruling gets dissected. The students who stormed the field get the reading they deserve.

Also: comparisons to App State 2007, the JT Barrett fourth-down controversy, Spartan Bob, Desmond Howard, Nick Saban, Sherrone Moore, Jim Harbaugh, and — if things continue down this road — what a Tommy Carr era might look like. Kevin says Bryce is done at Michigan if Oklahoma goes the way he thinks it will.

A special Michigan football mini episode of the Halls of Mediocrity.

Intro Music:
Music by Marching Music -Guide Right -By John Philip Sousa | Royalty-free Music - Pixabay

Outro Music:
Music by Marching Music -The Thunderer By John Philip Sousa | Royalty-free Music - Pixabay

#michiganfootball #michiganwolverines #bigtenfootball #ncaafootball

Mike Tyson says point blank: he was not the scariest fighter in the world. Sonny Liston in his heyday was. This is that story.

Liston was born sometime around 1932 in rural Arkansas — no birth certificate was ever filed, so nobody, including Liston himself, ever knew his exact age. He was the 24th of 25 children. His father beat him so severely that scars were visible on his back when he fought. He never went to school. He ran away to St. Louis at 13, turned to armed robbery, and became known to police as the Yellow Shirt Bandit. He was arrested in 1950, sent to the Missouri State Penitentiary, and there, a prison chaplain told him to try boxing. He had never trained a day in his life. He destroyed a professional boxer his first time in the ring.

He was paroled early because of his boxing potential. And almost immediately, the mob was waiting for him.

John Vitale in St. Louis, then Frankie Carbo and Blinky Palermo in Philadelphia owned him — literally. A 1960 Senate investigation into organized crime revealed that Liston owned zero percent of his own boxing contract. The mob took everything. He received a weekly allowance while his managers pocketed the overwhelming majority of every purse.

On September 25, 1962, he knocked out Floyd Patterson in 2 minutes and 6 seconds to become heavyweight champion — the first time a reigning champion had ever been counted out in the first round of a title fight. Floyd Patterson couldn't last a round the second time either.

Then came Cassius Clay. Two fights, both of them controversial. In the first, a chemical substance on Liston's gloves got into Clay's eyes in round four — Clay's trainer Angelo Dundee told him just to run and survive. When it cleared, Clay destroyed him. Liston didn't answer the bell for round seven. Second fight: Lewiston, Maine, 2,434 fans — the smallest crowd ever at a heavyweight championship. The Phantom Punch. First round. Liston goes down. Jersey Joe Walcott gives a slow count. Nat Fleischer shouts from ringside that the count was past ten. Fight's over. Two thousand people immediately scream that it was fixed.

He moved to Las Vegas. Worked as mob muscle. Did security for mob-owned bars and strip clubs. On January 5, 1971, his wife Geraldine came home from a trip to find newspapers piled outside and spoiled milk in the kitchen. Sonny Liston was dead in his bedroom. He had been there for days.

The official cause: lung congestion and heart failure. The coroner found only small traces of morphine and codeine — heroin byproducts — and said directly that the evidence did not indicate an overdose-type death. But there were needle marks on his arm. And Sonny Liston was terrified of needles. His trainer, his wife, his friends — all of them said the same thing. He would refuse injections from doctors. He would not get shots for anything.

In 1982, a police informant alleged a former Las Vegas cop named Larry Gandy had killed Liston with a hot shot of heroin over a money dispute involving Ash Resnick. The informant was later found dead in his garage in 1987, car engine running.

No charges. No conviction. Official record: natural causes. Almost nobody who knew him believes it.

Intro Music:
Music by Marching Music -Guide Right -By John Philip Sousa | Royalty-free Music - Pixabay

Outro Music:
Music by Marching Music -The Thunderer By John Philip Sousa | Royalty-free Music - Pixabay

#SonnyListon #muhammadali  #cassiusclay #truecrimecommunity #true crime

Pete Rose's career WAR — Wins Above Replacement — is 79.6. That ranks him 67th all time in Major League Baseball history. Which means 66 players, across positions and eras, are ahead of him.

Kevin and Jeff try to name them.

The outfielders alone tell the story: Babe Ruth, Barry Bonds, Willie Mays, Ty Cobb, Hank Aaron, Tris Speaker, Ted Williams, Stan Musial — and then Mike Trout, still active, already at 91.1. Rickey Henderson at 111.2. Al Kaline at 92.8. Mel Ott. Ken Griffey Jr. Carl Yastrzemski. Reggie Jackson.

Then 26 pitchers. Walter Johnson leads at 164.8. Cy Young at 163.6. Roger Clemens at 139.2. Christy Mathewson, Warren Spahn, Greg Maddux, Tom Seaver, Bert Blyleven, Phil Niekro — and on down through Tom Glavine, Mike Mussina, Clayton Kershaw, Justin Verlander, and Nolan Ryan.

Then the infielders: Rogers Hornsby, Alex Rodriguez, Lou Gehrig, Mike Schmidt, Joe Morgan, Cal Ripken Jr., Adrian Beltré, Jimmie Foxx, Charlie Gehringer, Nap Lajoie, Albert Pujols, Eddie Mathews, Wade Boggs, and Jeff Bagwell — plus two names you almost certainly don't know: Roger Connor and Dan Brouthers, both born before 1860, both above Pete Rose by the numbers.

One notable absence: Derek Jeter. Not on the list. His WAR is below Rose's.

A one-off quiz episode spinning directly into out upcoming Pete Rose episode.

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Intro Music:
Music by Marching Music -Guide Right -By John Philip Sousa | Royalty-free Music - Pixabay

Outro Music:
Music by Marching Music -The Thunderer By John Philip Sousa | Royalty-free Music - Pixabay