GDN Archive

From May 18, 2022: Morten Andersen and Stephanie Otey are joined by Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame member and Michigan State legend Tom Izzo! Topics: • Eating sausage sandwiches on college football Saturdays • Stephanie proclaiming her MSU hoops allegiance to Coach Izzo, and asking if that makes her a bad Ohio State fan • Importance of having alumni around the program with the introduction of “Grind Week" • Morten says he can kick a basketball in the hoop from half-court for some halftime entertainment • Some of Coach Izzo’s favorite Midnight Madness moments • Why Coach Izzo is not in favor of a “super conference” in college sports, and why he thinks the Big Ten is already too big • What would have happened if the 2020 March Madness Tournament hadn’t been cancelled, and what he told his team when it happened • On watching his peers retire, and why the NIL and new transfer rules have him thinking about life after coaching more than his friends retiring • Why Coach Izzo believes with no salary caps or contracts, the transfer rules are allowing too much player freedom, which will ultimately hurt the athletes in the long run • His thoughts on a possible move to the NBA • Why new standards at the college level “hurt” • Why Coach Izzo believes college basketball is always a better option than playing pro ball before entering the NBA • His favorite ex-Spartans, and a great story about Draymond Green • Why Coach Izzo would want to pursue a job coaching football after he’s done coaching college hoops • Who he’s putting his money on to win this year’s Western Conference Finals in the NBA • Remembering the late Adreian Payne

From April 26, 2022: Ahead of the 2022 NFL Draft, Morten Andersen sat down for an exclusive interview with his old friend and fellow New Orleans Saints legend Sean Payton. Topics: • How does Coach Payton feel different since retiring earlier this year • The one thing he was looking forward to most after retiring • What brought him to retiring at this point in his football career • Looking forward to finalizing his TV contract – to be a studio analyst – being signed within the next four days • On the Tom Brady-Dolphins rumors, and why he had no prior knowledge of any of it until The Boston Globe story was published • On the Dallas Cowboys rumors, and why prior history with a franchise is not the only thing he would consider before coming out of retirement for a coaching job • How the league can improve with minority hiring on the head coaching level, and why he thinks Stanford’s David Shaw will be given an NFL opportunity one day • Why Dennis Allen was the right hire for the Saints • The state of the New Orleans Saints ahead of the NFL Draft, and why he thinks they have the culture to be a winning franchise right now • Which positions the Saints will be targeting in this year’s NFL Draft • What his draft philosophy is – need vs. grade, and finding the balance between the two • High praise for Deonte Harris

From March 30, 2022: Steve Hutchinson is one of the greatest guards in NFL history. His hall of fame speech was filled with emotion, as the Seattle Seahawks and Minnesota Vikings legend recounted the highlights of his impressive career. From waiting for his "hall of fame knock," to blocking for some of the legends of the game, Steve dives into all of it with his Pro Football Hall of Fame brother Morten Andersen. What does he think of Russell Wilson being traded to the Denver Broncos? How confident is he in Pete Carroll at age 70 in Seattle? Can Kirk Cousins will a Super Bowl as the Vikings quarterback? Hutch breaks it all down on this week's edition of "Great Dane Nation!" Topics: • How Morten was able to make a few dollars while listening to Hutch’s induction speech • Running through his Pro Football Hall of Fame journey, and the process of waiting his turn for his “Hall of Fame knock” • What that gold jacket means to him • Morten and Hutch’s wild weekend in Los Angeles, and why Hutch had to warn the new Pro Football Hall of Fame inductees to watch out for Morten • His thoughts on Russell Wilson being traded to the Denver Broncos • The state of the Seahawks, and why Hutch is not concerned with Pete Carroll’s age • What he makes of new Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell • Why he feels the Vikings can win now with Kirk Cousins • Blocking for three of the greatest running backs in NFL history – Shaun Alexander, Adrian Peterson and Chris Johnson • What he learned playing with John Randle, and why blocking guys with multiple moves is the most difficult part of the game • Playing guard in today’s NFL, and who he thinks is the best guard in today’s game • Who he thinks is the greatest guard in NFL history • Playing college football with Tom Brady, and why he wasn’t surprised by anything that happened with Brady this offseason • Why he’s happy that Jim Harbaugh is heading back to Michigan after rumors swirled this offseason of him pursuing an opportunity in the NFL • This week’s edition of “The Name Game,” featuring Walter Jones, Mike Holmgren, Matt Hasselbeck, Jerry Rice, Lofa Tatupu, Robbie Tobeck, Brett Favre, Jared Allen, Randy Moss and Mike Munchak

From March 23, 2022: Aeneas Williams is among the greatest defensive backs to ever play this game. A legendary cornerback for the Arizona Cardinals, Aeneas finished his career as an All-Pro safety for the St. Louis Rams. Known as one of the hardest hitting players in NFL history, you've definitely seen his highlights. This is why Aeneas is in the Pro Football Hall of Fame - his lasting impact on the game is undeniable. The Cardinals legend joined Morten Andersen on the podcast this week, where he talked about his unique journey. What does he think of high-profile former NFL players coaching HBCU schools? What's going on with Kyler Murray and the Cardinals? Is Kliff Kingsbury the right guy in Arizona? What are his thoughts on Rams studs Aaron Donald and Jalen Ramsey? All of that, and more! Topics: • Growing up in New Orleans, rooting for the Saints in the 1980s, and working at the Superdome • Why he didn’t play football at Southern University until his junior year • His thoughts on high-profile former NFL players taking head coaching jobs at HBCU schools, and why he feels it’s important for these institutions to continue to have the light shined on them • How happy he is for Lovie Smith to get another opportunity to be a head coach at the NFL level • Why guys like Calvin Ridley and Henry Ruggs should be examples for both college and NFL teams on why mentorship is crucial for young players • How the Cardinals should approach getting over the hump of fading late in the season every year • Why he’s confident the Cardinals and Kyler Murray will work out their differences • Why he thinks Kliff Kingsbury needs more time at the helm for the Cardinals before they decide to move on • What he loves about Buddha Baker’s game • Why the Pro Football Hall of Fame should cancel the five-year waiting period for Aaron Donald when he retires • Why he resents the sentiment that he “ended Steve Young’s career” • Why he thinks Jalen Ramsey is “the real deal” • Why Torry Holt deserves to be in the Pro Football Hall of Fame • Playing with Pat Tillman, and his thoughts on the tragic passing of an American hero • “The Name Game,” featuring Larry Wilson, Rob Ryan, Chris Chandler, Larry Centers and London Fletcher

From March 16, 2022: Matt Schaub once threw for 527 yards in a single-game, tied with Warren Moon for second all-time. But, more importantly, he was the holder for Morten Andersen on his kick to become the NFL's all-time scoring leader in 2006 (KIDDING!). You might remember him for his pick-6 streak, but Matt had an impressive 17-year career in the NFL, once leading the league in passing yards and twice being named to the Pro Bowl - winning Pro Bowl MVP honors in 2010. He joined his old buddy Morten to talk about the current state of the Houston Texans, Atlanta Falcons, and Virginia Cavaliers, along with some great insight on Matt Ryan. Topics: • Running through the moments directly following Morten’s record-breaking kick in 2006, as well as some of his favorite “Morten moments” from their time together as teammates in Atlanta • His thoughts on the handling of the Deshaun Watson situation in Houston • Why he doesn’t believe the Texans should have fired David Culley after one season as head coach • A rebuttal to Ed Reed’s claim from a few weeks ago that the Texans organization was filled with “bad people” • Why he hasn’t seen enough out of Davis Mills to say he’s the long-term answer at quarterback for the Texans • The current state of the Falcons, and why he thinks they’re closer to being back in the playoff discussion than people probably realize • Why he believes Matt Ryan is a Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback • Why he feels Matt Ryan has enough left in the tank to bring the Falcons back to a Super Bowl • Why he feels Matt Ryan would play for another franchise, if things weren’t able to continue for him past his current deal in Atlanta • Why he was OK spending the first part of his career as Michael Vick’s back-up • Why he was able to flourish as soon as he arrived in Houston • His thoughts on Virginia hiring Clemson’s Tony Elliott, and why he’s excited about the outlook of the Cavaliers football program • This week’s edition of “The Name Game,” featuring Jim Mora Jr., Arthur Blank, Alge Crumpler, Warrick Dunn, Keith Brooking, Patrick Kerney, Roddy White, DeAngelo Hall, Lawyer Milloy, Kyle Shanahan, J.J. Watt, Andre Johnson, Arian Foster, Wade Phillips, Derek Carr, Khalil Mack, Mark Davis, John Harbaugh, Dan Quinn, Steve Sarkisian and Grady Jarrett

From March 9, 2022: On the 79th episode of “Great Dane Nation,” Morten is joined by his newly minted Pro Football Hall of Fame brother Tony Boselli to talk about his journey to Canton, today’s Jaguars, and much more. Topics: • Breaking down his Pro Football Hall of Fame “knock” from Anthony Muñoz, and why that moment was so special • Why he immediately thought of his dad when he received the Pro Football Hall of Fame news • Why he felt like this year was his final chance to get into the Pro Football Hall of Fame • Who he thinks will be the next Jacksonville Jaguar to join him in Canton • Why Morten is partially responsible for Tony’s Hall of Fame selection – it’s a stretch, people • His special connection to Bruce Smith, and why he was the perfect presenter for him at this year’s NFL Honors show • Why the Urban Meyer era in Jacksonville was such a dumpster fire • Why he believes the Jaguars still need a full-on culture shake-up within that organization, and why he likes the Doug Pederson hire at head coach • Why he feels Trevor Lawrence can be an elite, superstar quarterback in the NFL • Thoughts on Aidan Hutchinson as the possible #1 pick in the draft by the Jaguars • Defensive line move he feared the most • Why a botched shoulder surgery ended his career short • Why he doesn’t think the Jaguars will ever move to London while under their current management, but believes they will always play a game in the U.K. every year • His excitement for Lincoln Riley at USC, and why Coach Riley has to focus on rebuilding that offensive line • This week’s edition of “The Name Game,” featuring Mark Brunell, Carnell Lake, Keenan McCardell, Lane Kiffin and Leon Searcy

From March 2, 2022: On the 78th episode of “Great Dane Nation,” Morten is joined by Cincinnati Bengals legend Ickey Woods to talk about his dance, his foundation, today’s Bengals, and much more. Topics: • How the Bengals of today still pay tribute to Ickey Woods by breaking out the “Ickey Shuffle" • Why he was surprised by the Bengals’ run this season, and thoughts on the Bengals’ loss to the Rams in the Super Bowl • How Joe Mixon is able to stand out in a league that is continuing to devalue running backs year-after-year • Thoughts on Joe Burrow, and what the Bengals have to do to improve next season; why the AFC is going to be a three-horse race for the next decade, and why the Bengals are capable of being the 1-seed in the AFC as soon as next season • Why the 1988 Bengals were so special compared to the other Bengals’ teams of that era • How Boomer Esiason was able to rise above a loaded quarterback field in 1988 to win NFL MVP • The origin of the “Ickey Shuffle,” and why it wasn’t an overnight sensation • The difficulty of retiring at such a young age • His involvement with the Cincinnati Sizzle and why he believes women’s football could take off if the NFL gave it some real support and backing • The background and mission of his foundation, the “Jovante Woods Foundation,” and where people can go to support Ickey’s mission of ending Asthma-educed deaths • Why Ickey hated playing against Morten’s Saints • Why he believes it’s partially the Bengals organization’s fault that there is only one player from their team’s history inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame • Why he's happy Las Vegas finally got an NFL team, and the advice he’d give players who are embarking on a football career in Sin City • This week’s edition of “The Name Game,” featuring Randall Cunningham, Anthony Muñoz, Boomer Esiason, Paul Brown, Cris Collinsworth, Sam Wyche, Solomon Wilcots, James Brooks, Eddie Brown, Max Montoya, David Fulcher and Dick LeBeau.

From February 23, 2022: On the 77th episode of “Great Dane Nation,” Morten is joined by Olympic Gold Medalist and Boston University legend Mike Eruzione to reflect on “The Miracle on Ice” and much more. Topics: • The state of USA Hockey after not medaling in Beijing, and why Mike is bullish on the future of the program despite this year’s disappointing result • Why Mike believes hockey should be moved to the Summer Olympics; why he thought NHL owners made the right move by not sending the pros to Beijing, even though the players wanted to go • Why he feels like USA Hockey is right there with Team Canada, in that they should be a threat to medal in any international tournament moving forward • Why he feels Auston Matthews is the best American hockey player in today’s game, and why Charlie McAvoy needs to be mentioned in this conversation as well • His blue-collar upbringing in Winthrop, MA, and how that molded him into the success story he is today • Why he actively avoids talking with his grandkids about who he is and what he’s accomplished • The crazy story that led Mike to playing college hockey at Boston University • The process of being selected to Team USA ahead of the 1980 Olympic Games in Lake Placid • Why he and his teammates were able to be so relaxed heading into their game against the Soviets, despite being enormous underdogs • The untold story of Herb Brooks in the day directly following “The Miracle on Ice" • His thoughts on the movie “Miracle” about his team’s run to gold • Why he opted for a career in broadcasting and motivational speaking over pursuing something in the NHL • The state of today’s game, and why he thinks goaltenders in hockey are the position in sports that has changed the most over time; why he wants the NHL to make rinks wider • Thoughts on fellow Massachusetts native and BU Terrier Jack Eichel, and why he thinks a change of scenery is exactly what the kid needs to take the next step in his career • Why he thinks it’s time to move the Arizona Coyotes to a city like Quebec City • Why he wishes Connor McDavid played in a larger market • Why Mike thinks Patrice Bergeron is Boston’s best kept secret, and where he sees the Bruins heading this season • How happy he was to see BU win the 2022 Beanpot, and why BU’s head coach Albie O'Connell needed that trophy to help continue proving he deserves his job • Who Mike thinks is the greatest player in BU Hockey history • This week’s edition of “The Name Game,” featuring Herb Brooks, Jack Parker, Jim Craig, Dave Silk, Doc Emrick, Jack O’Callahan and Al Michaels

From February 16, 2022: On the 76th episode of “Great Dane Nation,” Morten is joined by morning show host at 680 The Fan (Atlanta, GA) and Atlanta Falcons legend and Brian Finneran, along with TommyFreezePops (Tom Carroll), to breakdown all things Super Bowl LVI between the Los Angeles Rams and Cincinnati Bengals. The guys also take a look at Super Bowl futures for the 2022 NFL season, and Brian gives us his letter grade for the 2021 Falcons. Plus, Morten shares his thoughts on his former teammate, Sam Mills, and his former coach, Dick Vermeil, finally being selected as new members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Super Bowl topics include: getting in-and-out of SoFi Stadium is a pain in the ass, according to Morten; getting hammered with Steve Hutchinson and Sam Mills Jr. on Thursday in Los Angeles; why Brian believes Cooper Kupp just had the best single-season for any player ever in the history of the NFL; why Aaron Donald is a great example for undersized players trying to make it big in the NFL; how the defensive lines for both teams played at an extremely high level all game long; the missed offensive pass interference on Jalen Ramsey, leading to a 75-yard touchdown for the Bengals; why the officials weren’t a factor until the end of the game; the special connection between Matthew Stafford and Cooper Kupp; why Rams punter Johnny Hekker dropped the hold on a first half PAT, and the ripple effect it ended up having in the gambling world; trying to rationalize Sean McVay’s commitment to running the ball when it was so ineffective for his offense; why Morten and Brian are split on Matthew Stafford’s Hall of Fame candidacy at this point in time; Aaron Donald retirement chatter, and why he may already be the greatest defensive player in the history of the NFL; Sean McVay retirement chatter, and why the guys believe he will back coaching for the Rams for the foreseeable future; and a conversation about Joe Burrow, and why history says there’s no guarantee he will ever play in another Super Bowl.

From February 9, 2022: On the 75th episode of “Great Dane Nation,” Morten is joined by 2x Super Bowl MVP and New York Giants legend Eli Manning. But first, he checks in with TommyFreezePops (Tom Carroll) for this week’s edition of the “Opening Kick." Morten shares his thoughts on the current state of the Pro Bowl, and why he believes it should always be played in Hawaii. Plus, thoughts on the Alvin Kamara news coming out of Las Vegas. We then move to our interview with Eli Manning, where he discusses a wide range of topics: why his dad Archie Manning is the true legend at Ole Miss, and why he has to tell his dad to put his phone down at the dinner table; why Archie Manning is a better texter than Peyton Manning; his thoughts on the first season of the “ManningCast” during Monday Night Football, and why both him and his brother were happy with what they were able to accomplish; calling out Peyton for ducking Morten’s interview request, and why Eli has started doing more podcasts; why Eli thinks Peyton was drinking beer during their ESPN broadcasts; how his ESPN bosses reacted to him chucking the double middle fingers up on national television; having Snoop Dogg on as a guest, and why it’s so difficult to choose who his favorite guest was; running through the other possible NFL brother combinations that would make for good “ManningCast” fill-ins; why he doesn’t see a future with him and Peyton moving to a traditional broadcast booth; reminiscing about his two Super Bowl victories, and the two amazing catches that led to his Giants beating the Patriots in both games; who he would’ve given Super Bowl MVP to in either Super Bowl had he not won the award; his thoughts on the Cincinnati Bengals shocking the world, winning the AFC, and advancing to the Super Bowl for the first time since the 1988 season; his thoughts on the Rams having the opportunity to be the second consecutive team to win a Super Bowl on their home turf, and why he’s happy for Matthew Stafford; why his former teammate Odell Beckham Jr. is thriving in Los Angeles; the biggest problem with the New York Giants over the past decade of losing football, and why he is confident in ownership to get this franchise back to the top; why he wouldn’t bail on Daniel Jones just yet, even in favor of Aaron Rodgers or Russell Wilson; why he’s a huge fan of the job Lane Kiffin has done so far at Ole Miss; how he’s approaching his nephew Arch Manning’s college football recruiting situation, and why he’ll support whatever school he chooses, even if it’s not Ole Miss; and this week’s edition of “The Name Game,” featuring Tom Coughlin, Kurt Warner, Michael Strahan, Jeremy Shockey, Amani Toomer and Victor Cruz. We then dive into our preview of Super Bowl LVI in this week’s edition of “Morten’s Fast Five,” where both Morten and FreezePops give their official picks for Super Bowl Sunday as the Cincinnati Bengals take on the Los Angeles Rams. Plus, Morten walks us through his upcoming itinerary for Super Bowl weekend out in L.A. Finally, we close things out with “Morten’s Game Winner” – a weekly monologue from The Great Dane on his biggest takeaway of the week. This week, Morten talks about Eli Manning and the incredible legacy of the Manning family.

From February 2, 2022: On the 74th episode of “Great Dane Nation,” Morten is joined by Buffalo Bills legend and, arguably, the greatest special teams player of all-time – Steve Tasker joins the show. But first, he checks in with TommyFreezePops (Tom Carroll) for this week’s edition of the “Opening Kick." This week, Morten tells us why he loves the Bengals heading into Super Bowl LVI, and it’s not for the reason you would think. Plus, the guys react to the news of Tom Brady officially calling it a career after 22 seasons at the age of 44. We then move to our interview with Steve Tasker, where he discusses a wide range of topics: why Morten is still upset with Steve for actions that transpired in a Pro Bowl in which Steve ended up winning MVP as a special teamer; missing out on the Pro Football Hall of Fame in his final year on the modern ballot, and why he’s not bitter about how it all played out; why he thinks Matthew Slater has a really good chance of making the Pro Football Hall of Fame one day, why Devin Hester should be given serious consideration on this year’s ballot, and why Steve believes he played in the “golden age” of special teams; why onside kick rules need to revert back to the traditional rules; why the overtime rules in the NFL need to be different in the postseason; why the college overtime rule could be like the shootout in the NHL; his letter grade for the Bills this season, and why he thinks they’re very close to winning a Super Bowl; how impactful the loss of Brian Daboll will be on Josh Allen, and why finding the right replacement for him is crucial to his continued success at quarterback; committing to jumping into an on-fire-folding table in the middle of a parking lot if the Bills win a Super Bowl; why Northwestern’s football program has been so up-and-down over the last four years, and why they have a unique challenge on a year-to-year basis; and this week’s edition of “The Name Game,” featuring Jim Kelly, Thurman Thomas, Bruce Smith, Andre Reed and Marv Levy. We then take a few minutes to talk about the Super Bowl from a gambling perspective, reviewing the early odds from BetMGM. Finally, we close things out with “Morten’s Game Winner” – a weekly monologue from The Great Dane on his biggest takeaway of the week. This week, Morten talks about Steve Tasker, and why he is the ultimate “foxhole-guy."

From January 26, 2022: On the 73rd episode of “Great Dane Nation,” Morten is joined by his Pro Football Hall of Fame brother and Baltimore Ravens legend Ed Reed. But first, he checks in with TommyFreezePops (Tom Carroll) for this week’s edition of the “Opening Kick." This week, Morten reflects on the divisional round, and how the unlikely heroes of the weekend deserve our respect and attention. We then move to our interview with Ed Reed, where he discusses a wide range of topics: the importance of playing multiple sports while growing up; why tackling has gotten worse across the sport in recent years; why his mentality on defense was always to put the ball in the end zone; the state of the Baltimore Ravens, and what he thinks of John Harbaugh’s decisions to go-for-the-win vs. play-for-overtime in key games down the stretch; what “made it work” in 2012 that led Ed to his first and only Super Bowl ring; the importance of watching a ton of film, getting everyone on defense on the same page; the “simple” base defense that everyone on the Ravens had to know; the amazing 2001 Miami Hurricanes, and why he thinks the program was unable to sustain its excellence; why leadership matters, and why the Ravens’ lack of playoff success since his core group left is a perfect example of that; what he thinks about Miami firing Manny Diaz, and why it’s going to take a mentality shift from the players for Miami to get back to a dominant level on the national stage; why he thinks Trevon Diggs is the best defensive back in the NFL today, and why Jalen Ramsey is not at the top of his list; why he thinks analytics and rule changes are watering down the NFL product; “The Name Game,” featuring Ray Lewis, Terrell Suggs, Jonathan Ogden, Steve McNair, Justin Tucker, John Harbaugh, Sean Taylor and Rex Ryan; why his relationship with Coach Harbaugh almost made him want to leave Baltimore; why the Houston Texans are a horrible organization run by terrible people, and why that “old southern mentality” doesn’t work anymore; his mentorship of Sean Taylor, and why he believes Taylor would have been a Hall of Famer; why he loved playing for Rex Ryan; and this week’s listener question from Scott on Twitter – Who was the player he hated tackling the most during his NFL career? We then take a few minutes to talk about the career of Sean Payton, as news broke of his retirement during the recording of our episode. Morten has been a friend of Coach Payton’s for over 20 years, as they were together with the Giants when Sean was a young offensive coordinator in the early 2000s. Then we move to a special edition of “Morten’s Fast 5,” where our Hall of Famer makes his picks for both the AFC and NFC Championship Games. Morten gives his picks for Bengals at Chiefs and 49ers at Rams. Finally, we close things out with “Morten’s Game Winner” – a weekly monologue from The Great Dane on his biggest takeaway of the week. This week, Morten talks about Ed Reed, and the “heartbeat within the lines."

From January 19, 2022: On the 72nd episode of “Great Dane Nation,” Morten is joined by legendary defensive coordinator and Super Bowl Champion Wade Phillips. But first, he checks in with TommyFreezePops (Tom Carroll) for this week’s edition of the “Opening Kick." This week, Morten reflects on “Super” Wild Card Weekend, and why adding that 7th team to each side of the bracket doesn’t appear to have been the correct move for competitive balance. We then move to our interview with Wade Phillips, where he discusses a wide range of topics: why he loves Twitter; the story behind Wade’s dad Bum drafting Morten in New Orleans, and why Wade was directly responsible for that draft pick; Bum Phillips’ ability to give great advice to players, and diving into some of Wade’s favorite stories about his dad; playing for his dad at the University of Houston, and how that led him to a path in coaching; diving into his philosophy on coaching defense, and why you have to stop the run; attending a coaching clinic in Berlin, and how the game is continuing to grow in Europe; why being an interim head coach is an almost impossible task; why Denver was his favorite head coaching job; trying to coach the Eagles’ defense during the infamous “Fog Bowl;" benching Doug Flutie for the Bills’ playoff opener after having a great season as their starter, and why he still thinks the “Music City Miracle” was a forward lateral; and “The Name Game,” featuring Kenny Stabler, Reggie White, John Elway, Marv Levy, Michael Vick, Von Miller, Peyton Manning and Sean McVay. Then we move to a special edition of “Morten’s Fast 5,” where our Hall of Famer makes picks for all four games for the upcoming AFC & NFC Divisional Rounds. Morten gives his picks for Bengals at Titans, 49ers at Packers, Rams at Buccaneers and Bills at Chiefs. Finally, we close things out with “Morten’s Game Winner” – a weekly monologue from The Great Dane on his biggest takeaway of the week. This week, Morten talks about Wade Phillips, the Phillips Family, and how that Texas-mentality has led to so much success on the football field.

From January 12, 2022: On the 71st episode of “Great Dane Nation,” Morten is joined by a member of both the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame – the legendary sportscaster Bob Costas joins the show for a lengthy conversation on a variety of topics. But first, he checks in with TommyFreezePops (Tom Carroll) for this week’s edition of the “Opening Kick." This week, Morten reflects on a special night for the Georgia Bulldogs, winning their first College Football National Championship since 1980. We then move to our interview with Bob Costas, where he discusses a wide range of topics: dealing with a terrible eye infection while hosting the 2014 Winter Olympics; his perspective on the Antonio Brown story, and why he thinks his problems go way beyond football; returning to HBO and reviving his old show; why his biggest professional regret is giving up his late night show “Later” on NBC; why Adam Vinatieri passing Morten on the all-time scoring list was a good thing for Morten, and the next two kickers to be joining him and Jan in the Pro Football Hall of Fame; his keys to being a great interviewer; his favorite interview ever; why he’d love to interview Barry Bonds, and what he thinks will happen with Bonds and Roger Clemens when it comes to Hall of Fame voting; why he believes Curt Schilling should be in the Hall of Fame, regardless of his political views; trying to decide which of the major events he covered throughout his career was his favorite; how to handle the mammoth that is hosting the Olympics in primetime; the battle on obscure sports he lost to NBC Sports; why the Barcelona Olympics in 1992 stand above the rest for him personally; what makes a tough interview; his thoughts on MLB Network parting ways with Ken Rosenthal after critical remarks made about Rob Manfred; his thoughts on the MLB lockout and what he thinks is the biggest problem with the game of baseball right now; why he does not envy the position NBC is in with the Olympics this year; his thoughts on the Chiefs, Packers and Buccaneers heading into the NFL Playoffs; “The Name Game,” featuring John Madden, Al Michaels, Mike Tirico, Cris Collinsworth, Dick Enberg and Dick Ebersol; and why he’d love to sit down for an interview with both Morten and Gary Anderson. Then we move to a special edition of “Morten’s Fast 5,” where our Hall of Famer makes picks for all six games being played this Wild Card Weekend. Morten gives his picks for Raiders at Bengals, Patriots at Bills, Eagles at Buccaneers, 49ers at Cowboys, Steelers at Chiefs and Cardinals at Rams. Finally, we close things out with “Morten’s Game Winner” – a weekly monologue from The Great Dane on his biggest takeaway of the week. This week, Morten talks about Bob Costas and the art of a great interview.

From January 5, 2022: On the 70th episode of “Great Dane Nation,” Morten is joined by former Saints teammate Mark Pattison, as he talks about his journey of becoming the second NFL player ever to climb the Seven Summits. But first, he checks in with TommyFreezePops (Tom Carroll) for this week’s edition of the “Opening Kick." This week, the guys talk about the bizarre situation with Antonio Brown and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. What’s really happening here? We then move to our interview with Mark Pattison where he discusses a wide range of topics: the difficulty of finding the right thing to channel his competitive energy after his NFL career came to an abrupt end; his success in business, and why he believes his work at Sports Illustrated will push them past ESPN in digital traffic within the next three years; how his NFL Films documentary “Searching for the Summit” came about, and how he turned his mountaineering goal into a charitable opportunity; how he almost died while summiting Denali in Alaska; a special edition of “The Name Game,” featuring some of the mountains from Mark’s Seven Summit journey – Mount Kilimanjaro, Mount Elbrus, Mount Kosciuszko, Aconcagua, Denali and the Vinson Massif; his journey with Mount Everest, and how death was a real possibility on his way down the mountain; and why Mark is choosing to climb yet another enormous mountain to celebrate his 60th birthday. Morten spends some time on today’s episode honoring the life and legacy of the late Dan Reeves, who we lost on New Year’s Day at the age of 77. Morten played for Coach Reeves for four seasons with the Atlanta Falcons. Then we move to this week’s edition of “Morten’s Fast 5,” where our Hall of Famer makes picks for the five biggest games of the football weekend. Morten gives his picks for Chiefs at Broncos, Cowboys at Eagles, Chargers at Raiders, Patriots at Dolphins and Saints at Falcons. Finally, we close things out with “Morten’s Game Winner” – a weekly monologue from The Great Dane on his biggest takeaway of the week. This week, Morten talks about Mark Pattison, and why he’s the embodiment of a modern-day renaissance man.

From December 29, 2021: On the 69th episode of “Great Dane Nation,” Morten is joined by new Pro Football Hall of Fame president Jim Porter, as this week brings us the final 15 candidates for the PFHOF Class of 2022. But first, Morten remembers the late John Madden, as the news of his passing came down on Tuesday evening. Morten reminisces about his Pro Football Hall of Fame brother, and puts his legacy in perspective. We then move to our interview with Jim Porter where he discusses a wide range of topics: taking over the job previously held by David Baker, and why he will be a different type of leader for the Hall of Fame; his background of growing up in the Canton region, working for the local newspaper, and why he wants to get the Hall of Fame more connected to the local community; some of Morten’s ideas to get the local population more involved with the PFHOF; his love for the bronze bust room; why we will see a different version of “the knock” moving forward; on the topic of more specialists being inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Jim talks about why the PFHOF needs to include more members that represent all aspects of the game; on bringing back the tradition of honoring anniversary classes on induction weekend every year; the great group of 26 players in the mix for the 15 finalist spots this year, and why Jim is happy he doesn’t have to make the tough decisions on who to elect; the balance between the non-profit and for-profit parts of the Pro Football Hall of Fame; and Morten’s idea for the world’s largest flag football tournament to be played in Canton. Then we move to this week’s edition of “Morten’s Fast 5,” where our Hall of Famer makes picks for the five biggest games of the football weekend. Morten gives his picks for Chiefs at Bengals, Dolphins at Titans, Rams at Ravens, Cardinals at Cowboys and Vikings at Packers. Finally, we close things out with “Morten’s Game Winner” – a weekly monologue from The Great Dane on his biggest takeaway of the week. This week, Morten talks about the grueling process of being a candidate for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

From December 22, 2021: On the 68th episode of “Great Dane Nation,” Morten is joined by his Pro Football Hall of Fame brother, former teammate, and Kansas City Chiefs legend Will Shields. But first, he checks in with TommyFreezePops (Tom Carroll) for this week’s edition of the “Opening Kick." Morten gives us his biggest takeaways from around the NFL as we head into Christmas, and let’s just say Urban Meyer is going to be on the “naughty list.” We then move to our interview with Will Shields, where he discusses a wide range of topics: his connection to Denmark, and his love for Danish hot dogs; his thoughts on the up and down season of the 2021 Kansas City Chiefs; his thoughts on Joe Thuney’s first season in Kansas City, and how he thinks their offensive line has looked generally; why he thinks he hasn’t been asked to come speak to the Chiefs offensive linemen; what he thinks might be contributing to the decline in offensive line play at the pro level; who he thinks is the best guard in the NFL today, and discussing his iron man record with the Chiefs; the “non-negotiables” for a great guard; why he thinks the 2021 Chiefs are capable of repeating as AFC Champions; how his relationship with Dick Vermeil grew over the years; the iconic offensive line he was a part of with the Chiefs; what’s wrong with Nebraska, and why the transfer portal is specifically bad for the Cornhuskers; background on his “Will to Succeed Foundation;" “The Name Game,” featuring Lamar Hunt, Joe Montana, Marcus Allen, Derrick Thomas, Trent Green, Tony Gonzalez, Priest Holmes and Marty Schottenheimer; and why falling to the 3rd round of the NFL Draft, even after winning the Outland Trophy, was the best thing that ever happened to him. Then we move to this week’s edition of “Morten’s Fast 5,” where our Hall of Famer makes picks for the five biggest games of the football weekend. Morten gives his picks for 49ers at Titans, Browns at Packers, Colts at Cardinals, Bills at Patriots, and Dolphins at Saints. Finally, we close things out with “Morten’s Game Winner” – a weekly monologue from The Great Dane on his biggest takeaway of the week. This week, Morten talks about his friend Will Shields, and the many characteristics that make him one of the greatest players of all-time, both on and off the field.

From December 15, 2021: On the 67th episode of “Great Dane Nation,” Morten is joined by David Baker, the recently retired president of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. But first, he checks in with TommyFreezePops (Tom Carroll) for this week’s edition of the “Opening Kick." With the league seeing a crazy amount of onside kick recoveries on Sunday, Morten uses his pulpit to preach the gospel of old onside kick rules, and why they must return to the game. We then move to our interview with David Baker, where he discusses a wide range of topics: reliving the moment he delivered the Hall of Fame induction news to Morten and his wife back in 2017; his trip with Morten back to Denmark to celebrate his Hall of Fame induction with his homeland; why he believes NFL Films should make an episode of “A Football Life” about Morten and Jan Stenerud’s journeys, from European immigrants to Hall of Fame kickers; why David believes Morten’s comeback story is inspiring to anyone trying to pursue something later in life, and how he thinks Tom Brady might be drawing inspiration from him; why now is the right time for him to retire from his post as president of the Pro Football Hall of Fame; hints at the type of project he will be pursuing in this next chapter of his life; a life-changing conversation he had with Jim Brown in Israel; what he’s most proud of from his tenure in Canton, OH; what the next 10-15 years looks like for the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and a tradition he’d love to see started among Gold Jackets during times of crisis in this country; his favorite speeches from induction nights during his tenure; his favorite bronze busts from his tenure; and his favorite “Hall of Fame knocks” from his tenure. Then we move to this week’s edition of “Morten’s Fast 5,” where our Hall of Famer makes picks for the five biggest games of the football weekend. Morten gives his picks for Chiefs at Chargers, Patriots at Colts, Saints at Buccaneers, Titans at Steelers, and Packers at Ravens. Finally, we close things out with “Morten’s Game Winner” – a weekly monologue from The Great Dane on his biggest takeaway of the week. This week, Morten talks about his friend David Baker, and how your character as a man is what truly defines you as a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

From December 8, 2021: On the 66th episode of “Great Dane Nation,” Morten is joined by his Pro Football Hall of Fame brother and Cincinnati Bengals legend Anthony Muñoz. But first, he checks in with TommyFreezePops (Tom Carroll) for this week’s edition of the “Opening Kick." Morten talks about the Detroit Lions getting their first win of the season, and how his old friend Dan Campbell reminded all of us postgame what really matters in life. We then move to our interview with Anthony Muñoz, where he discusses a wide range of topics: why a gold jacket is required for an invite to Anthony’s golf tournament; why he waited to start his foundation until well-after his playing days, and what his foundation focuses on within the greater Cincinnati region; the influence of his grandparents on his upbringing, and growing up without a father; why he’s so high on the 2021 Bengals, and what he loves about Joe Burrow; why we’ll be talking about Joe Burrow as a top 5 QB in the NFL sooner rather than later; a call for Kenny Anderson to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame; why he wouldn’t have drafted Ja'Marr Chase that high this past spring, but absolutely respects the pro he has been in his rookie season; offensive line play in today’s game, and why it’s not at the level it used to be; Anthony’s “non-negotiable” traits all young offensive linemen should work on; who he thinks is the best offensive tackle in today’s NFL; why Quenton Nelson is the best guard in the NFL; why Dwight Stephenson is the greatest center he has ever seen; why Bruce Smith was the toughest person to block in his career; the players in today’s game that he would’ve loved to go up against; sharing memories of one of Morten’s favorite coaches ever, Frank Gansz Sr.; and this week’s edition of “The Name Game,” featuring Paul Brown, Cris Collinsworth, Archie Griffin, Ickey Woods and Sam Wyche. Then we move to this week’s edition of “Morten’s Fast 5,” where our Hall of Famer makes picks for the five biggest games of the football weekend. Morten gives his picks for Rams at Cardinals, Bills at Buccaneers, Ravens at Browns, Cowboys at Washington, and Raiders at Chiefs. Finally, we close things out with “Morten’s Game Winner” – a weekly monologue from The Great Dane on his biggest takeaway of the week. This week, Morten talks about his friend Anthony Muñoz, and how his character off the field has led him to being a pillar in the community.

From December 1, 2021: On the 65th episode of “Great Dane Nation,” Morten is joined by his longtime friend and UConn’s new head football coach Jim Mora Jr. But first, he checks in with TommyFreezePops (Tom Carroll) for this week’s edition of the “Opening Kick." Morten tells what he learned from this long holiday weekend of NFL football, with thoughts on the Saints, Colts, Cowboys, Packers, Jaguars, Patriots and much more! We then move to our interview with Jim Mora Jr., where he discusses a wide range of topics: how his dad, Jim Mora Sr., has changed over the years; a great story about Morten knowing his kicking range better than any other kicker ever; why he regrets not being harder on Michael Vick when he coached him in Atlanta; the futility of UConn’s football program, and why Jim believes the Huskies can one day win a College Football Playoff National Championship; the quick turnarounds he’s had in the past, and why he isn’t ruling out a quick turnaround for his new UConn program; why he didn’t coach with his dad right away, and how working under Don Coryell set him up for success; how Morten was able to help some of Jim’s kickers at UCLA with their approach to preparation; the first thing Jim is going to talk with his new team about, and a suggestion from Morten for Jim to add to his first address to the team; this week’s edition of “The Name Game,” featuring Jim Mora Sr., Steve Mariucci and The Dome Patrol; and the story behind the radio interview that ended his coaching career in Atlanta, and why it’s still the biggest regret of his life. Then we move to this week’s edition of “Morten’s Fast 5,” where our Hall of Famer makes picks for the five biggest games of the football weekend. Morten gives his picks for Cowboys at Saints, Patriots at Bills, Colts at Texans, Buccaneers at Falcons, and Broncos at Chiefs. Finally, we close things out with “Morten’s Game Winner” – a weekly monologue from The Great Dane on his biggest takeaway of the week. This week, Morten talks about the amazing story that led to Jim Mora Jr. revitalizing his career in Atlanta, eventually becoming the NFL’s all-time scoring leader.