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Unvarnished Football episodes
- NFL Week 5 Preview and Dangers of Suspending Officials
Former NFL GM Upton Bell previews many games of Week 5 of the 2026 NFL season including the Raiders/Patriots with co-host Michael Jackson of The Game Before the Money. The pair also discuss the dangers of the NFL suspending officials for in-game confrontations with players.
50 min - NFL Week 4 Backup QBs Winning and Who's for Real?
Former NFL executive Upton Bell examines QB injuries and backup quarterbacks winning games and ponders whether teams like the Raiders and Vikings are for real with co-host Michael Jackson of The Game Before the Money.
54 min - NFL Week 3 and Remembering Ernie Accorsi
Former Colts and Patriots executive Upton Bell explores how the lack of a preseason has affected the NFL season so far with co-host Michael Jackson of The Game Before the Money. Bell also remembers his longtime friend, NFL executive Ernie Accorsi. The pair also discuss both sides of the coin about Colts owner Carlie Irsay roaming the sidelines with a headset on.
Listen to previous episodes at UnvarnishedFootball.com.
50 min - NFL Week 2 PLUS Hall of Fame Changes
Former NFL executive Upton Bell, son of former NFL commissioner and Philadelphia Eagles founder Bert Bell, looks back at Week 1 and ahead to Week 2 of the 2026 NFL season with co-host Michael Jackson of The Game Before the Money.
Bell also discusses the new voting changes implemented by the Pro Football Hall of Fame affects the preservation of important NFL history.
53 min - NFL Season Starts and College Football Mess
Upton Bell, a former executive for the Colts and Patriots discusses the first two NFL games of 2026 plus the several messes that college football faces with co-host Michael Jackson of The Game Before the Money.
The College Football Playoff has made two recent announcements regarding eligibility and expansion and the two discuss the impact.
52 min - NFL Preseason Ends and NCAA Football Begins
Former NFL executive Upton Bell discusses the NFL preseason and roster cuts, comparing the current times with his days with the Colts and Patriots in the 1960s and 1970s. He also talks about NCAA football with co-host Michael Jackson of The Game Before the Money.
41 min - New CTE Report PLUS NFL ends Pro Bowl
Upton Bell, former NFL GM, discusses the new data regarding CTE dangers for former NFL players with co-host Michael Jackson of The Game Before the Money. Upton also shares how his father, NFL Commissioner Bert Bell, created the Pro Bowl.
41 min - NFL Players Returning to NCAA? Plus NFL in Europe?
Former NFL executive Upton Bell looks at the court decision allowing a few players on current NFL rosters a chance for a fifth year of NCAA eligibility with co-host Michael Jackson of The Game Before the Money. The pair also discuss Roger Goddell's comments about the NFL having future NFL teams based in Europe.
43 min - The NFL Realities of Dementia and ALS
Former NFL executive Upton Bell discusses the recent news of Roger Craig's vascular dementia and Chris Johnson's ALS with co-host Michael Jackson of The Game Before the Money. What are the factors in today's game that lead to such tragedies? Can the NFL do anything about them?
46 min - 2026 Hall of Fame Class and Being a Presenter
Former NFL executive Upton Bell discusses the 2026 Pro Football Hall of Fame Class with co-host Michael Jackson. Bell also shares what it was like being a presenter during the 1971 Pro Football Hall of Fame induction of Bears great Bill Hewitt. Jackson shares a story of knowing a member of the 2026 class while he was in high school.
Visit UnvarnishedFootball.com to hear all episodes and learn more about the hosts.
51 min
About Unvarnished Football
From the publisher's feed
Former NFL executive Upton Bell provides the best football insights with co-host Michael Jackson. No gimmicks. No gossip. Just football.
Upton Bell was Director of Player Personnel for the Baltimore Colts under head coach Don Shula in the 1960s. Held same role when the Colts won Super Bowl V. He next became General Manager of the New England Patriots and changed the team’s name from the Boston Patriots to New England Patriots. His father, Bert Bell, founded the Philadelphia Eagles and was later NFL commissioner. Bert Bell invented the NFL Draft, the two-
minute warning, and overtime. Upton also was a pro football team owner, owning the World Football League’s Charlotte Hornets. His broadcasting credits including hosting New England Patriots pregame and postgame shows, and the long-running television show, “Sports Beat” on WSBK-TV in Boston. He is regularly quoted in many national media outlets including the New York Times and Washington Post.
Michael Jackson is an author, oral historian, and show host. His oral history book, The Game Before the Money was published by the University of Nebraska Press in 2014 and included interviews with NFL legends like Frank Gifford, Bart Starr, and Don Maynard. He writes TheGameBeforeTheMoney.com and hosts The Game Before the Money Podcast. Other past projects include directing a film documentary featuring the 1970s Luv Ya Blue Oilers, an oral history of HBCU
football, and two more published football books. As a host, he hosted a weekly national program on the SportsMap Radio Network, weekly live high school football postgame shows and high school football play-by-play on multiple radio stations in the Austin/San Antonio market area.
Unvarnished Football is protected under copyright. All rights reserved. Under no circumstances is AI data collection or mining (including modeling, generative, and the like) allowed from the content on the podcast.