This week’s episode is all football — and for good reason.

With the College Football Playoff in full swing, NFL Wild Card Weekend delivering instant classics, and Black Monday detonating the coaching carousel, the guys break down one of the most chaotic weeks in recent football memory before diving into a Mount Rushmore topic that perfectly captures the moment.

We open with reactions to the College Football Playoff, including the unlikely Miami vs. Indiana matchup. Miami’s path to the playoff raised eyebrows, while Indiana’s dominance over traditional college football powerhouses has forced everyone to take notice.

From there, we recap an unforgettable NFL Wild Card slate:

• The Panthers pushing the Rams to the brink in a nail-biter many didn’t see coming
• The Bears’ stunning comeback against the Packers, highlighted by a defining fourth-quarter moment for rookie quarterback Caleb Williams

That Bears win also spotlights the immediate impact of a first-year head coach thriving under pressure, setting up a larger conversation about coaching success — and how quickly it can vanish.

The episode then shifts to Black Monday and the coaching carousel, questioning why teams continue to move on from proven winners. We discuss:

• The growing trend of short leashes for head coaches
• The role of ownership, roster construction, and quarterback decisions
• Whether coaching success is more about timing, alignment, or luck
• Why the NFL truly lives up to its reputation as “Not For Long”

This week’s Mount Rushmore explores one central question: What does it take for an accomplished, winning head coach to still get fired?

We close the episode with:

• Predictions on where several top coaching candidates may land next
• A look at whether legendary figures could return for one final chapter
• Wild Card weekend predictions and Super Bowl matchup picks

It’s a wide-ranging football conversation that blends history, hot-seat pressure, and the brutal reality of coaching at the highest level.

🎙️ Subscribe, rate, and review

📺 Watch on YouTube

It’s the most wonderful time of the year — not Christmas morning, but the week of Christmas. The lights are glowing, the anticipation is high, shopping is (mostly) done, the eggnog is flowing, and holiday music is blasting everywhere you go.

In this episode, we dive into our Mount Rushmore of Holiday Songs — the tracks that instantly put us in the spirit of the season, transport us back to simpler times, and unlock that nostalgic, feel-good holiday energy we all chase every December.

We start by breaking down the origins of holiday music and how it evolved from traditional carols into cultural staples tied to movies, memories, and generations. We discuss what makes certain holiday songs endlessly replayable, why nostalgia plays such a powerful role, and how some tracks become timeless while others fade away.

From soulful classics to novelty chaos, we debate:

• What actually qualifies as a holiday song
• Why some songs feel warm and authentic while others feel engineered
• The role of overplay, cultural impact, and generational attachment
• And whether holiday music is about tradition, emotion, or pure vibes

As always, the Mount Rushmore format sparks strong opinions, pushback, laughs, and a little holiday controversy.

Whether you’re driving around looking at lights, wrapping last-minute gifts, or just trying to hold onto the joy before the December 26th crash hits — this episode is your soundtrack.

Happy holidays, enjoy whatever puts you in that feel-good place, and thanks for listening.

🎙️ Mount Rushmore Show – The Heisman Trophy Episode

Fresh off last night’s dramatic Heisman Trophy ceremony, we dive headfirst into one of the most debated awards in all of sports.

This year’s race came down to the wire, with Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza taking home the trophy in a tight finish that had fans arguing until the final vote. We break down what made this Heisman race so compelling, why the margin felt razor-thin, and how history may look back on the finalists very differently with time.

Before getting into the Heisman itself, we shine a spotlight on one of college football’s most meaningful traditions — the Commander-in-Chief Trophy game. Navy’s thrilling win over Army capped a historic 10-win season and secured the rivalry trophy, with a chance to reach 11 wins in the Liberty Bowl. As an Annapolis native who grew up around the Naval Academy, Joe shares firsthand insight into why this Navy team felt different and how their quarterback helped modernize an offense that had long been defined by the triple option.

From there, we zoom out and explore the history and evolution of the Heisman Trophy — from its original intention of honoring the most “outstanding” player in college football to what it has become today: a subjective, narrative-driven award shaped by campaigning, signature moments, and a massive voting pool with loose criteria. We discuss why the Heisman feels closer to winning an Oscar than an undisputed MVP, and how hindsight plays a huge role in how we judge winners and snubs years later.

That sets the stage for today’s two Mount Rushmore topics:

• One focused on legendary players who never managed to bring home the Heisman despite incredible careers
• The other centered on Heisman winners whose success didn’t fully translate at the next level

We debate criteria, expectations, context, and how difficult it is to project college dominance into professional success. Along the way, we touch on fame, pressure, system fit, and how quickly narratives can flip once players leave Saturdays behind.

We close by looking ahead — what the future might hold for this year’s Heisman winner, how runner-up narratives can fuel careers, and why college football history often looks very different in hindsight.

Plenty of strong opinions. Plenty of disagreement. And plenty of reasons this award will always spark debate.

🎄 The Mount Rushmore of Holiday Movies 🎄 This week we’re joined by a long-awaited guest — Mike’s brother, Jim Mintz — plus a surprise late-entry appearance by Jim’s grandson Gabe, making this a full-family holiday showdown.

We kick things off by diving into why the holidays feel nostalgic, chaotic, and magical all at once — and why no time of year pairs better with comfort-food cinema. Then we get into the good stuff: each of us selecting our 4-film Mount Rushmore, debating releases from classics to comedies, animation to chaos, wholesome to wildly inappropriate. Picks range across Christmas, Hanukkah, New Years, and more — but you’ll have to listen to hear what made each list. 👀

Of course, no holiday movie episode is complete without the heavy hitters — including the eternal, fiery, friendship-threatening question:

Is Die Hard a Christmas movie? (Let’s just say… things were said.)

We cover everything from nostalgia vs quality, rewatchability vs new releases, when it’s acceptable to start watching holiday movies, and why some films earn yearly rotation while others get tossed like stale fruitcake.

Holiday feelings, movie debates, heated opinions, controversial takes — and plenty of laughs.

🎅 Grab a blanket, get cozy, cue the lights… It’s Mount Rushmore time.

PISODE NOTES — Mount Rushmore of Video Games

This week we take it back — way back — to the golden era of GameStop runs, memory cards, split-screen trash talk, and staying up way too late when we had school the next day.

Following last week's Thanksgiving Food Mount Rushmore, we open with a recap of our holiday plates and then move right into the sensory overload of Black Friday — inbox explosions, online deal chaos, and the nostalgia of walking through a packed mall like it was 2005 again.

That trip to GameStop? It sent us down a memory rabbit hole.

We realized how fast video games have evolved — from PlayStation 2 and Xbox 360 to the endless combinations of consoles today — and how the games we grew up on shaped entire eras of childhood, friendship, and identity.

In today’s episode we discuss:

🎮 Black Friday then vs now — from camping outside stores to one-click shopping 🎮 Why malls today unexpectedly feel nostalgic instead of chaotic 🎮 Our GameStop realization of how outdated we really are 🎮 The video game eras that raised us — and still live in our brains rent free 🎮 The four titles we believe deserve to be carved into gaming’s Mount Rushmore

We go deep into history, stories, evolution, controversy, and cultural impact — along with our own memories of button-mashing battles and hours lost to one more game.

No spoilers here — you’ll have to listen for our official picks. 👀

LISTENER QUESTION:

What four video games would you put on the Mount Rushmore of gaming?

Drop your list in our reviews or tag us on social — and send this episode to a friend who shared a controller with you growing up.

Mount Rushmore of Thanksgiving Food

Episode Release: The Weekend Before Thanksgiving

In this special Thanksgiving episode, Joe and Mike dive into the heart of the holiday—how it started, how it became the cultural giant it is today, and why we continue celebrating it with the exact same foods every single year.

We break down the evolution from early harvest feasts to Lincoln’s national holiday proclamation, the rise of modern traditions like football and parades, and the massive growth of Friendsgiving as a laid-back millennial twist on the classic family meal.

Then the guys explore a spicy theory: Is Thanksgiving food… overrated? If the dishes were truly elite, would we really eat them only once a year? Joe argues that maybe the holiday should be a potluck of everyone’s favorite foods.

They discuss a cultural movement to liberate Thanksgiving cuisine, but ultimately stay true to the theme of the show: building a Mount Rushmore of the foods traditionally found on the Thanksgiving table.

The episode wraps with gratitude for the listeners, the show, and the holiday season. Wishing everyone a reflective, fun, indulgent Thanksgiving with family or friends.

We have some heated debates in this one so would love to hear who you agree with and what foods would be carved on your mount rushmore.

Don't forget to share if you want to help start the cultural movement towards a Thanksgiving Potluck Utopia!

With the brand-new five-part Apple TV+ docuseries on the life and career of Martin Scorsese now streaming, we’re diving deep into the filmography of one of the greatest directors of all time.

From his early days in Little Italy to his decades-long collaborations with Robert De Niro and Leonardo DiCaprio, Scorsese has not only defined an era of cinema — he’s outlasted it. While most of his contemporaries have faded, he continues to evolve, connect with new audiences, and deliver movies that feel timeless and modern all at once.

We discuss:

🎬 What to expect from the new Apple TV+ docuseries

📽️ How Scorsese redefined mob movies, storytelling, and pacing

🧠 His unique ability to stay relevant across five decades 🤝 The creative partnerships that shaped his career

🎭 His underrated performances and cameos

💡 The themes that tie his entire body of work together

Then, we each build our Mount Rushmore — our four definitive Scorsese movies — and debate which ones best capture his genius, range, and influence on culture.

Whether you’re a lifelong fan or just discovering his work, this episode celebrates the relentless creativity of a filmmaker still at the top of his game.

With Game 7 of the World Series tonight, we kick things off by revisiting our Mount Rushmore of Playoff Baseball Players episode — right as one of the most intense and historic World Series matchups (Dodgers vs. Blue Jays) comes down to the wire. Joe’s early October prediction might just come true, and he’s got a few thoughts on what to expect in the finale of this U.S. vs. Canada showdown.

Then we take a look back at last week’s Mount Rushmore of Music Biopics — We also touch on Sam Mendes’ upcoming four-part Beatles biopic, already in production and shaping up to be one of the most ambitious music stories ever put to film.

We also pitch the music biopics we want to see and who we want playing the star role. Both may surprise you...

Finally, because Halloween just passed, it’s time to talk about what the holiday is really about — candy. We dive into the nostalgia of trick-or-treating, post-school candy runs, and the sugar-fueled memories that defined our childhood before revealing his Mount Rushmore of Halloween Candy: 🍫 A mix of chocolate, gummies, and old-school classics that built every kid’s sweet tooth. With the exception of one unanimous king of all candies, our lists couldn't be further apart, except some disputing on this one...

It’s a nostalgic, high-energy, sugar-filled ride through sports, film, and candy culture — perfect for wrapping up Halloween week.

Episode Title: The Mount Rushmore of Music Biopics

Description: With the release of Bruce Springsteen’s upcoming Deliver Me from Nowhere sparking fresh conversation around the art of the music biopic, Joe and his co-host break down how the genre has evolved — from simple, sanitized retellings to complex, emotionally charged masterpieces.

They explore:

• The “why now” behind the Springsteen buzz and early critical reactions
• How music biopics have transformed over the decades
• What separates a good biopic from a great one — authenticity, performance, and emotional truth
• How certain films reshaped public perception of their artists and redefined how Hollywood tells musical stories
• Each host’s Mount Rushmore of Music Biopics — four defining picks that capture the evolution of the genre (no spoilers here!)
• Where music biopics might go next — a move away from tragedy toward something more joyful, colorful, and celebratory

Whether you’re a cinephile, a music lover, or someone who just wants to debate the GOATs of the genre, this episode has it all: hot takes, film history, cultural analysis, and a little bit of rock ’n’ roll myth-making.

Listen now and decide which films deserve to be carved into the cinematic Mount Rushmore of music history.

October baseball is back — and with the Yankees and Phillies both taking early exits, the postseason drama is in full swing. From rivalries reigniting to unexpected collapses, this year’s playoffs have already given us plenty to talk about.

In this episode, we break down the history of October baseball — the iconic moments, legendary performances, and players who built their legacy when it mattered most. From Kirk Gibson’s one-legged homer to David Freese’s miracle night in St. Louis, October has always been where legends are made.

Then we unveil our Mount Rushmore of Baseball Playoff Performers — the four players who defined clutch

We dig into their postseason stats, career highlights, signature moments, and what made each of them a symbol of October greatness.

Finally, we look ahead to this year’s postseason finish and make our World Series prediction

Listen for: ⚾️ Why October baseball feels different 🔥 The greatest playoff performances ever 👑 What makes a player “clutch” 🎯 Our World Series prediction

Follow The Mount Rushmore Show for weekly episodes ranking the icons of sports, movies, music, and pop culture.