SHIT2GRIT

We didn't have outrage. We didn't predict doom. We just had that familiar Lions-fan instinct to protect ourselves by looking away.Marshall and David admit: we almost didn’t watch. Heck, David didn't watch a play until after the game was over. After a season of unmet expectations and emotional whiplash, staying engaged felt like work, and disengaging felt like self-respect. But then the game started, and something else became clear: whatever the record says, these players didn't coast.Maybe it's an example of what David says: they don’t get paid to be in neutral. And maybe it's a harbinger of what's to come next season.What does it mean to show up with intention when the season’s slipping away? What does effort look like when the stakes are lower? Marshall and David talk through preparation, professionalism, and why “just going through the motions” isn’t an option at this level, or in life.We share what we feel—it's something close to respect—about a team that keeps playing hard even when the story isn’t shiny anymore. Effort itself is a form of integrity. And then we dig into roster reality, and responsibility by both coaching and management. Because fans like us aren't satisfied with neutral. We're hoping that next season, an organization that's learned how to win will finally shift into overdrive.Theme music: Mr. Jukes and Barney Artist, “Blowin Steam (Open Up Your Mind)”

David and Marshall don’t waste time pretending this one doesn’t hurt.The season, for all intents and purposes, is over. No playoffs. No miracle run. No Super Bowl, for yet another season.We talk through what really went wrong: yes, the ripple effects of injuries, but mostly, the offensive line collapse. Even the greatest running backs can't find a hole that isn't there. And no pocket quarterback can thrive when the middle caves in. Today, we're just two fans trying to understand without lying to ourselves.But this episode doesn’t stay stuck in loss. Somewhere between a Christmas Day line for Chinese food that made Marshall relive the “same old Lions” narratives, and a Steve Martin quote that lands unexpectedly hard, football becomes our metaphor again—for identity, motivation, reinvention, and what it means to stay anchored when things don’t go your way.The Lions will restock. So will we.And as always, the conversation reminds us why this show exists in the first place: football is our doorway. But friendship, reflection, and staying human is our point.Theme music: Mr. Jukes and Barney Artist, “Blowin Steam (Open Up Your Mind)”

This one starts with pain—literal pain. Marshall takes a tumble down the stairs, and suddenly he has first-hand empathy for what NFL players wake up with every Monday. David follows with his own Hall of Fame wipeouts, including a Ring-doorbell-captured slide that deserves its own blooper reel. What begins as two grown men comparing battle scars quickly turns from the strange comedy inside the things that hurt us, to the Lions. With Brian Branch out for the season, and the offensive line struggling to play at a consistently high level, Marshall and David wrestle honestly with the question every fan is afraid to ask: Are we playing out the string, or is there still something real left to salvage?They break down what injuries do to a team’s psyche, what “next man up” actually means when the next man isn’t Branch or Ragnow, and why this coaching staff may be the only reason all hope isn’t lost. And yet, there’s real optimism here. Because somehow, even bruised and bandaged, this team still punches back.There’s humor. There’s heart. And there's a philosophical detour into the wisdom of an ancient parable: "Maybe. We'll see."Because that’s the truth of football—and life. You don’t know which falls are just falls, and which ones make you get back up again with newfound strength.Theme music: Mr. Jukes and Barney Artist, “Blowin Steam (Open Up Your Mind)”

⚠️ Content Note: This episode includes discussion of sexual assault in the context of a jury trial. Listener discretion advised.David picks up where his story left off: when the jury room door closes and twelve strangers must decide another human’s fate. David walks us through what it felt like to volunteer to be foreperson, not out of ambition, but because of silence, a silence he broke with a raised hand and three words that changed everything: “I’ll do it.”What follows is a study in interpersonal communication, as David calmly and vulnerably guides a fractured room toward truth. What began as a 9–3 split ends with unanimous justice, and a transformation he never saw coming.It’s a story about what happens when you raise your hand, even when your heart’s pounding. David stepped up when no one else would—and created something no one else could.Theme music: Mr. Jukes and Barney Artist, “Blowin Steam (Open Up Your Mind)”

⚠️ Content Note: This episode includes discussion of sexual assault in the context of a jury trial. Listener discretion advised.We start with football: the Lions taking down the Baltimore Ravens—and with them, the last shred of doubt about who this team really is. Touchdowns traded, gutsy fourth downs, Jared Goff dropping dimes into buckets…it was a game that reminded us why we love this team.Then the episode shifts. Because if you listened last time, you know David was going through something heavy. Here, he begins to unpack it: he served as jury foreperson on a trial involving kidnapping and sexual assault.We don’t finish the story here; we set the stage. We describe what the case is about, and get David’s impressions of the perpetrator and the victim. The miracle of what happened next—how David led a divided jury room through an extraordinary transformation—that’s for the next chapter.It’s part one of a bigger story, but it’s already a testament to conviction, composure, and the unexpected ways friendship can prepare us for life’s hardest arenas.Theme music: Mr. Jukes and Barney Artist, "… Steam (Open Up Your Mind)"Note: David's traumatic experience in the pet store is chronicled in the episode "It's possible, yeah…but not likely" (August 19, 2023)

This episode’s different: David isn’t on the mic. He’s preoccupied with something heavy, something consuming. So Marshall does the show to him instead of with him.It starts with joy: Marshall’s enduring memory from the Lions’ mauling of the Chicago Bears will not be trick plays, or even the many skill-player highlights. It will be the willpower moment: the inspiring third- and fourth-down stand that, to Marshall, defines real football. Then (03:45) it shifts into something deeper: a message for David (and maybe for all of us) about stepping up when no one else will, holding the line on civility, and letting reason, not rage, be the guiding light.It’s football. It’s friendship. It’s leadership. And it’s proof that sometimes the most important plays happen off the field.Theme music: Mr. Jukes and Barney Artist, "Blowin Steam (Open Up Your Mind)"

The Lions came out flat. And for the first time in the Dan Campbell era, so did our hope.For Marshall, the Lions' lackluster loss to the Green Bay Packers hit so hard he did what he’s never done under Dan Campbell: he shut the game off. And as he reached for the remote, he heard his father’s old refrain from childhood Sundays—“That’s enough.” To Marshall, this didn't feel like just sloppy football. It felt like the end of something.David pushes back, pointing to new guards adjusting, penalties that can be cleaned up, and Campbell’s own postgame promise that things can be fixed. Together, they debate whether this was just one game’s collapse or the first crack in a dream we’ve waited decades for.From the offensive line looking like a sieve, to contract decisions that raise more dread than excitement, to one jaw-dropping catch that did just enough to rope you in for next week, this is the conversation that every scarred Lions fan knows too well. Was this just one bad Sunday? Or is this who we are now?Theme music: Mr. Jukes and Barney Artist, "Blowin Steam (Open Up Your Mind)"

New Green Bay Packers All-Pro linebacker Micah Parsons says trick plays are for cowards. The Lions say: see you at the line of scrimmage.In this episode, we dig into the Lions’ evolving identity now that Ben Johnson’s razzle-dazzle is gone and John Morton is calling plays. Are the Lions really the “trick play” team Parsons thinks they are—or are they about to unleash a season of straight-up smashmouth football?We revisit the unforgettable theater of Ben Johnson’s gadget plays, ask whether they ever truly fit Dan Campbell’s DNA, and wonder aloud if the magic of those Lions can possibly travel with Johnson to Chicago. Spoiler: we don’t think so.From Hector “Macho” Camacho and Sugar Ray Leonard, to the Hogs of the ’80s then-Redskins and John Riggins passing out in his soup (seriously), this conversation ranges wide…but lands right where it matters: what it means to win by brute will instead of trickery—and why Micah Parsons might be living in the past.Theme song: Mr. Jukes and Barney Artist, "Blowin Steam (Open Up Your Mind)"

Young Detroit Lions safety Morice Norris went down in a preseason game, and 67,500 people went silent, while rival players became an instant brotherhood. We start there: the moment both sidelines chose humanity over the scoreboard. From there, we wrestle with the myth of “the show must go on” and what it actually asks of the 21 men who have to play the next snap after seeing something they can’t unsee.Then we go big-picture: is tackle football headed for a flag future? We make the case (rules trending safer, the Pro Bowl test run, the NFL logo on elementary-school flag-football flyers) and ask the real fan question: would we still watch? Also: if the NFL ever does flip to flags, Marshall has a prediction of who the prototype player would be—and it's one Detroit Lions fans know well.. After all, you can’t grab what you can’t touch.We get personal about dads in the stands and our own anger. And we land on a confession only long-suffering Lions fans will understand: if Detroit wins one Lombardi before the flags fly, we could make peace with whatever comes next.Because on that day, the headline writes itself.Theme song: Mr. Jukes and Barney Artist, "Blowin Steam (Open Up Your Mind)"

We’ve got ten minutes and one big question: what does this Detroit Lions offense look like without the trickery?In this episode, we ponder what offensive life will like post-Ben Johnson. We say goodbye to the razzle-dazzle of the former Lions offensive coordinator's bag of tricks—and ask if maybe we ought to be saying good riddance. We recall the joys of watching wide receivers block like stunt doubles and plays that felt like heists…but we also long for a grit-aligned "run it up the gut" mentality. And we wonder: now that Johnson's gone, will they Lions be content to just win straight up? No misdirection. Just willpower. Will the team miss the creativity? Or is this season about something deeper? Theme music: Mr. Jukes and Barney Artist, "Blowin Steam (Open Up Your Mind)"

This one’s about the lies people tell—and the ones we tell ourselves.We start with an update on David's beef with the Arts and Leisure department: that there's no real update, just silence. AI's suspicion as to why helps us transition to a new Netflix docuseries on the 1995 O.J. Simpson double-murder case, and how, thirty years later and with a clearer lens on American truth, Marshall sees the verdict with new eyes.From there it’s on to football, where truth gets slippery too. From Aaron Rodgers "yada yada-ing" Aaron Glenn's involvement in his New York Jets release, to the Chicago Bears giving their 15-36 general manager an early contract extension, proof for Marshall that denial still runs deep in Chicago.But this episode’s not cynical. It’s hopeful. Because from Frank Ragnow’s foot to Levi Onwuzurike’s back, this team appears to know the truth about its players. And if you’ve followed this franchise as long as we have, you know how rare—and refreshing—that kind of honesty can be.Theme music: Mr. Jukes and Barney Artist, "Blowin Steam (Open Up Your Mind)"

They blew David off one too many times. Now, he's got the goods—and the AI-generated (with a little poke from Marshall) script.David’s son Archer—high school junior and marimba wunderkind—wants to play for tips at the local farmer’s market. So David and Archer fill out the forms, submit the video, click all the right buttons.Then…crickets. For almost six months.Until David decides to do something.Join David's two-week odyssey of polite persistence turned existential madness: seven visits to the Parks and Rec office, only to get the same bureaucratic shoulder shrug: “We’ll get back to you.”Spoiler: they never do.But here’s where it gets good: One day, David strolls past the farmer’s market only to find—wait for it—a flower child for hire in sandals and a peace-sign hoodie, serenading shoppers with... “Blowin’ in the Wind?" And beside her: a neon green tip bucket.Cue the AI-generated Freedom of Information request, cue David planning a full Rupert Pupkin lobby visit—and cue Marshall egging him on.What started as a kid just wanting to share his gift turns into a meditation on the irresistable force of a dad who will not be ignored.You'll laugh. You’ll rage. You’ll want to listen to Archer play the marimba.If you’ve ever been told to wait your turn and your turn never came—this one’s for you.Theme music: Mr. Jukes and Barney Artist, "Blowin Steam (Open Up Your Mind)"

Our Season 3 opener has anticipation written all over it. David and Marshall go through the draft pick by pick—and despite the residual pain of last season's abrupt end, we can't help but get axcited. From instant reactions to long-view strategy, we break down why Brad Holmes just might still be in One Step Ahead Mode. We unpack the hunger, heart, and dawg-eat-dawg energy that got added to this roster—and why we're finally okay trusting, in this organization, in the culture—and in what’s coming. Theme music: Mr. Jukes and Barney Artist, "Blowin Steam (Open Up Your Mind)"

[NOTE: Pardon Marshall's mic on this episode—it isn't connected properly. And David did try to warn me, but I told him it was on HIS end…]In this belated season finale, we explain why we ghosted you all—and the Lions—as we reflect on our emotional journey as fans of this team. We discuss the impact of the team's strong regular season and stunning playoff exit on our lives: the emptiness left in the wake of the season's abrupt end is essentially why we've been Lions-free since the Commanders loss. We also share our continued high hopes for this team's future, as general manager Brad Holmes faces another test: sustaining, and improving on, the roster he created. Theme music: Mr. Jukes and Barney Artist, "Blowin Steam" (Open Up Your Mind)"

David and Marshall discuss cocktails based on Manhattan boroughs, give our takes on the Detroit Lions' outgoing and incoming offensive and defensive coordinators, and hatch a plan for David's upcoming speed-dating event. Theme music: Mr. Jukes and Barney Artist, "Blowin Steam (Open Up Your Mind)"

Recorded right after the Detroit Lions were unceremoniously bounced from the NFL playoffs, David and Marshall discuss the emotional aftermath of the loss. We analyze key moments from the game, including coaching decisions, and reflect on the future of the team in blue. Do we need to reevaluate the Lions' direction moving forward? Theme music: Mr. Jukes and Barney Artist, "Blowin Steam (Open Up Your Mind)"

In this live—and live-wire—bonus convo, Marshall and David discuss a controversial play involving NFL player Brian Branch, who got a penalty for pushing an opposing player who was on the ground. David says the penalty on Branch was unwarranted; Marshall argues Branch broke the rules. Along the way, we consider the nuances of referee discretion, the rules surrounding player contact, the expectations of player reactions in a physical sport like football—and how differently we each see this play. Will this be our first argument in our three decades as friends? Theme music: Mr. Jukes and Barney Artist, “Blowin Steam (Open Up Your Mind)” Chapters: (00:00) Intro to the controversy (02:56) The Incident: Brian Branch's push (05:40) Debating the rules and discretion of referees (08:53) The nature of aggression in football (11:47) A failed analogy (14:43) The slippery slope of contact in sports

In this conversation, Marshall and David discuss the remarkable resilience of the Detroit Lions' defense, who overcome a staggering list of injuries to earn this team, for the first time ever, the NFC's No. 1 overall seed—and a desperately needed week off. We also celebrate "future head coach" (David's words) Aaron Glenn, wonder who'll play Dan Campbell in the movie version of this team (10:49), relive our experience of this historic victory, and finally realize what the Lions have been meaning when they say they're "built for this:" player versatility. Theme music: Mr. Jukes and Barney Artist, "Blowin Steam (Open Up Your Mind)"

Reflecting realistically on the impact of the Lions’ league-leading injury list, Marshall and David explore what being ‘built for this' actually means (06:09), and predict just how far this team’s resilience can actually carry them. Theme music: Mr. Jukes and Barney Artist, "Blowin Steam (Open Up Your Mind)"

After the Thanksgiving victory, Marshall shares how hauntingly familiar the Chicago Bears' woes are to longtime Lions fans. Theme music: Mr. Jukes and Barney Artist, "Blowin Steam (Open Up Your Mind)"