NFL: Thursday Night Tailgate

James Allen, Pro Football Hall of Fame Board member joins us in this very special segment of the show. James updates us on all the great things going on up at the Hall of Fame. We hear about:

Kurt Bevacqua also known as "Dirty Kurt" during his playing days because he always got his uniform dirty, gave us his thoughts on the Padres roster and their upcoming season. We also get his take on player contracts, if baseball needs a salary cap, the new rules being implemented this season, and what it was like playing alongside Willie Stargell and Dave Parker in Pittsburgh.

Ivy League Coach of the Year Tony Reno joins us in segment one. Tony shared his thoughts on this year's Conference Championship team and what made them so special. We hear about some of their great players including Ivy League Rookie of the Year RB Joshua Pitsenberger and QB Nolan Grooms. Plus, the great job their Offensive Line did this season, and their defense that got better and better as the season went on. Eddie Kennison shares his insights on the Super Bowl and what makes Patrick Mahomes such a special QB. Eddie also talks about what it was like going up against Deion Sanders during his career, and the relaunch of the XFL. Kurt Bevacqua also known as "Dirty Kurt" during his playing days because he always got his uniform dirty, gave us his thoughts on the Padres roster and their upcoming season. We also get his take on player contracts, if baseball needs a salary cap, the new rules being implemented this season, and what it was like playing alongside Willie Stargell and Dave Parker in Pittsburgh.

In this episode of Thursday Night Tailgate, we're joined by Super Agent & TNT Guest Hall of Famer Leigh Steinberg, former Patriots Pro Bowl RB Tony Collins, One Patriots Place Podcast Co-Host Tom Murphy, and Georgia Tech Defensive Line Coach Brian Baker.

On this week's show, we're joined by former Titans Pro Bowl DB Blaine Bishop, former Patriots Pro Bowl RB Tony Collins, Sirius/XM NFL Radio Host Zig Fracassi, and former Chiefs & Bucs DB Charles Mincy. We start our time with Blaine Bishop talking about his early playing days in high school at Cathedral High in Indianapolis. Blaine then shares why he started his college days at St. Joseph's College but transferred to Ball State a year later to fulfill his dream of playing Division 1 college football. He played so well there that he's now in their Sports Hall of Fame. We talk about his rookie season with the then Houston Oilers including his first career interception off Steve Young and then playing against Joe Montana and the Chiefs in the playoffs. We also get his memories of the rivalry between the Oilers and the Steelers. Tony Collins leads us through our 5 Star Picks of the Week for the Wildcard Round of the playoffs. Zig Fracassi shares his thoughts on what we saw in the National Championship game between Georgia and TCU. We also get his thoughts on the Cowboys/Bucs upcoming playoff game, if San Francisco would consider going back to Jimmy G. if he's healthy, and the incredible start by the Boston Bruins in the NHL. Charles Mincy shares stories from his college days at the University of Washington and their win over Iowa in the 1990 Rose Bowl. We got his thoughts on USC and UCLA leaving the PAC-12 for the BIG-10. We moved on to his days playing for the Chiefs and what it was like having a coaching staff that included Bill Cowher, Tony Dungy, Herm Edwards, Bruce Arians, and Marty Schottenheimer. We also discussed their 4 consecutive appearances in the playoffs in the early to mid-90s and why they came up short.

NFL Legends Leonard Wheeler & Tony Collins Plus the Dean of Atlanta Sports Talk Radio Beau Bock & Pittsburgh Broadcast Legend John Steigerwald Join Us... Beau Bock shares his thoughts on the Falcons season and shares why he believes they are going in the right direction. He also talks Hawks, Braves, and the need for better sports media in Atlanta. Tony Collins leads us through our 5 Star Picks of the Week for Week 18 in the NFL. Leonard Wheeler played in the NFL from 1992 to 1999 for the Bengals, Vikings, and Panthers. He shares his thoughts on all 3 of those teams. He tells us why the Bengals are going to be tough to beat in the playoffs. He talks about the enigma that is the Vikings and the situation going on in Carolina with their QBs and the vacancy at Head Coach. Leonard is one of our all-time favorites and you'll hear why. John Steigerwald is a media legend in Pittsburgh. He's from Pittsburgh and has been covering sports there for over 45 years. He talks about witnessing Roberto Clemente do something in 1956 that hadn't been done before or since. He talks about walking out on Bob Gibson's no-hitter that he pitched in against the Pirates in 1971 and why Bob Nutting isn't to blame for the state of Pirates, Major League Baseball is.

In this episode, we're joined by baseball legend Fred Lynn, former Patriots Pro Bowl RB Tony Collins, former Dodgers GM Fred Claire, and former Lions & Cowboys Kicker Eddie Murray. Fred Lynn shares stories from his college days at USC, winning 3 straight College World Series, and the day they came back from 7-0 down in the bottom of the 9th to beat the University of Minnesota who had Dave Winfield on the mound. We also get his thoughts on what the Red Sox need to do in order to get back into the AL East race next season, and the state of today's HR or strikeout game. Tony Collins leads us through our 5 Star Picks of the Week... Former Dodgers GM Fred Claire shares his thoughts as well on the game today. We get Fred's thoughts on player salaries, ticket prices, and the game pricing the average family out of being about to attend live games. We also go back to the origin of Dodger Blue, opening day in 1977, finally beating the Yankees in the 1981 World Series, and his battle with cancer. Eddie Murray shares his excitement about the Lions surging toward the playoffs. Eddie talks about playing with 2 of the premier RBs in League history, Billy Sims and Barry Sanders, plus what he's doing now with the Hope Network.

Off the microphone, Christine Lisi is a huge Buffalo sports fan and a tremendous baker. She shares her thoughts on the Sabres season so far and their emerging young star Tage Thompson. We also get her thoughts on the Bills, RB Devin Singletary, the big home-field advantage they have in January, and not being able to watch the Super Bowl highlight films that ESPN replays every year during Super Bowl week. Tony Collins leads us through our 5 Star Picks of the Week for Week 15. Gus Frerotte talks about his new venture with the NFL Alumni. We get his thoughts on two of his former teams, the Commanders and the Vikings. Plus we get his thoughts on Keny Pickett and whether is it better for a rookie QB to sit and learn his first year versus learning on the job. Jim Everett joins us and shares his insights on how Baker Mayfield was able to sign with the Rams on Monday, arrive in LA on Tuesday, and start on Thursday. He tells how the Coaches and Baker found a play scheme he was familiar with and played the game in the 2-minute offense. Jim also shares his thoughts on whether it was worth it for the Rams to mortgage the future to win it all last year and the extent of the injury to Matthew Stafford. Plus, could we see Jim Everett with a headset on pacing the sidelines one day soon?

In this episode, we talk with Penn State & Dolphins legend O.J. McDuffie, former Bills, Panthers, & Packers WR and now Aurora University Head Coach Don Beebe, and former Giants & Chiefs DB Mark Collins. O.J. McDuffie shares his insights on the Dolphins, their potential to be a Super Bowl contender, and thoughts on Head Coach Mike McDaniel. We also go back to his playing days at Penn State and with the Dolphins. We hear about the game against Syracuse that put him on the map at Penn State. We also get his thoughts on playing for Don Shula, and why he isn't a fan of Jimmy Johnson. Don Beebe talks about the season his Aurora Spartans had. They finished the regular season (11-2) overall and (8-0) in the conference. They made it all the way to the Elite 8 in the D3 playoffs. We also get his insights regarding field turf vs. natural grass (you may be surprised by his answer), on-field outbursts by players, and D3 players getting a shot in the USFL and XFL. Mark Collins won 2 Super Bowls with the Giants plus a third with Green Bay. He shares his thoughts on the Chiefs and Giants this season, why Marty Schottenheimer couldn't get over the hump and win the big game, why Bill Parsells said he was the only guy who could cover Jerry Rice 1 on 1, and the incredible hustle plays he made blocking so his teammates could score. In our Spotlight on the Positive segment hear about the great things that Commanders Tackle Charles Leno Jr. plus Vikings KJ Osborn, Andrew DePaola, Eric Kendrics, William Kwenkue, Greg Joseph, and Ryan Wright are doing in their communities.

In this week's Thursday Night Tailgate Spotlight on the Positive hear about members of the Colts organization plus 100 local volunteers distributing over 2,000 Thanksgiving meals to local families in need. Plus Houston Texans Tremon Smith and Garrett Willow visiting patients at the Houston Methodist Cancer Center.

In this week's episode we are joined by former Pitt and Chiefs Pro Bowl DT Bill Maas, Indiana State Hall of Famer and former Chargers, Saints, Vikings, & Giants FS Vencie Glenn, and former UNC and Dolphins LB Dwight Holler. Plus, former Patriots Pro Bowl RB Tony Collins leads us through our 5 Star Picks of the Week and check out our Spotlight on the Positive segment to hear 2 more great stories of players making a positive impact in their communities.

In this episode, we're joined by Pittsburgh Sports Talk Radio Host Paul Alexander, former Patriots Pro Bowl RB Tony Collins, FAMU Head Coach Willie Simmons, & former Dolphins Pro Bowl LT Richmond Webb. Paul Alexander shares his insights on the Steelers coaching staff, how much longer OC Matt Canada is likely to be around, Kenny Pickett's development, how important TJ Watt is to the defense, and the surprising lack of targets George Pickens receives. Tony Collins leads us through our 5 Star Picks for Week 11 in the NFL. We go through: Jets at Patriots, Cowboys at Vikings, Bengals at Steelers, Chiefs at Chargers, and 49ers at Cardinals. Florida A&M Head Coach Willie Simmons is back and we talk through the great season they're having. They've won 8 in a row and are currently ranked #24 in the FCS. We hear about their big rivalry with Bethune Cookman and their upcoming match-up in the Florida Classic. We also talk about recruiting against Deion Sanders, what it means to put on the FAMU uniform, and his passion for developing great young men who are positive influences in their communities. Richmond Webb shares his insights into this year's Dolphins team. We talk about the great WRs he played with and what he's seeing from Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle. We talk about the growth he's seeing from Tua. We also talk about the pressure he was under being a 1st round draft pick expected to not only start right away but also protect Dan Marino's blindside.

NFL Legends Greg Lloyd and Delvin Williams, Plus Guardian Caps Founders Lee & Erin Hanson Join Us... Greg Lloyd shares his disdain for "this game you call football now." We also get his thoughts on the current state of the Steelers, plus we get the story behind his now famous "I wasn't hired for my disposition" t-shirt. Delvin Williams talks about his college career at the University of Kansas and talking with the 2 star RBs that came before him, Gale Sayers and John Riggins. We hear about what it was like growing up poor in Houston's 5th Ward, being drafted by the 49ers, the hurt feelings when they traded him to Miami so San Francisco could trade for OJ, and the difficulty of being suddenly retired when you're cut and the phone doesn't ring again. Lee & Erin Hanson take us back to when and why they designed Guardian Caps which you see now on every helmet during training camp and practice. We hear about the long journey to getting their device approved by the colleges and the NFL, plus other safety-related products they're working on.

In this week's Spotlight on the Positive segment hear why Miami Dolphins OLB Jerome Baker is their Walter Payton Man of the Year nominee. He's doing great work for the Boys & Girls Club, victims of the Haiti earthquake, and much more. We also Spotlight Rob Gronkowski and his 4 brothers for establishing Gronk Nation. They're doing great things to help kids get the resources they need for their education and extracurricular activities. They helped raise $1.2M to renovate the Charlesbank Playground in Boston and $70,000 for Boston schools to get new sports equipment for their female sports programs.

Leonard Marshall, Tony Collins, Mike Pritchard, Mark Collins, & Vance McDonald Join Us... Leonard Marshall started off talking about his admiration of former AFL star DT Ernie Ladd, who it turns out was married to Leonard's second cousin. We also get his thoughts on the Giants hiring Bryan Cox as a new Assistant Defensive Line Coach, what the Giants need to do in order to compete for an NFC East Division title, why LSU had to fire Head Coach Ed Orgeron, and why Leonard isn't in the Giants Ring of Honor. We wrapped up our season Prognostication Championship with Tony Collins this week. Tony fell just short, being caught from behind by Bob for this year's title after Tony went with the Bengals in the Super Bowl. Mike Pritchard shared his thoughts on the Super Bowl and what makes Cooper Kupp such a great WR. He also shares his insights on the Raiders season, and how fragile success is in the NFL. Mark Collins talked about his memories of winning 2 Super Bowls with the Giants in 1986 & 1990. Mark also talked about what it was like dealing with the extended half-times in Super Bowls, what has driven him to be successful in college, the NFL, and broadcasting. We also get some happy memories of his block that sprung George Martin's 75 yard pick-six against Denver and his own 78 yard pick-six against former teammate Jeff Hostetler when Mark was in Kansas City and Jeff was with the Raiders. Vance McDonald rounded out the show. We talked with Vance about how he ended up playing his college ball at Rice. We also hear about his day as a long snapper, and what it was like being drafted by the 49ers as they were coming off the loss to the Ravens in the Super Bowl. Vance also the story of when he found out he was traded to the Steelers, the Steelers/Ravens rivalry, his legendary stiff arm on the Bucs Chris Conte, and why he walked away from the game at age 31.

Rocky was the 2nd ever guest on this show back in September of 2011 and he's been a wonderful guest and friend ever since. He talks about rekindling the Super Bowl memories every year at this time. We hear about the miserable weather conditions they played in during the 1979 AFC Championship Game against the Houston Oilers. We talk about how the Rams in '79 were actually the first team to have home-field advantage in the Super Bowl back in 1980. They played their home games in the LA Colisseum which was 30 minutes from the Rose Bowl, site of Super Bowl XIV. In that game, the Rams not only had home-field advantage, they also had 3 former Steelers coaches on their staff. Rocky talks about having to face the coaches that knew them well. We also hear about the TD he scored in Super Bowl XIII that came on a broken play, plus Terry Bradshaw's disdain for short passes.

Tony Collins shares memories from his experience playing in Super Bowl XX against the Bears plus leads us through our picks for this year's Super Bowl.

Yale Head Coach Tony Reno shares his thoughts on last season and what it will take to win the Ivy League title in '22. We hear his thoughts on the privilege of not only playing for Yale but going to school there as well. We also hear how he recruits athletes with a passion for football who also meet the school's educational qualifications. Finally, we discuss how he teaches his players to represent the University and themselves when they're away from the football field.

Kevin Chalfant is the Former Lead Singer of the Journey spin-off band The Storm. Kevin is currently touring with The Voices of Rock Radio and took time from that to join us. Kevin is a Chicago native and we get his thoughts on the Bears season, his admiration for Tom Brady, and the Cubs who broke his heart growing up. We also learn about his relationship with several members of Journey and my hope that one day he's fronting the band.

In this week's Spotlight on the Positive segment hear how Vikings OLB Anthony Barr is helping single parents through his Raise The Barr Foundation. He's partnering with single-parent students and their children to increase their opportunity and economic mobility through education. His Foundation supports college success among single-parent students in order to improve racial, ethnic, and gender equity in higher education access. We also Spotlight Raiders TE Darren Waller and his Foundation which is helping kids with addictions get the inpatient treatment they need plus help positively influence kids so they don't go down that path.