- 14 hours ago
With the full Patriots schedule being released tomorrow, Rich, Ken, and Ted discuss the upcoming football season, including international games, the Pats plane, and Super Bowl locations.
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00:00All right, it is Rich Kent and Ted Johnson on 93.7 WEEI.
00:03You can call us at 617-779-7937.
00:06We've had good calls today.
00:07I'm very proud of you out there.
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00:16And we are broadcasting right now from the Ford Clubhouse in Fenway,
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00:23for all you pay for what we pay Ford,
00:26the official vehicle of Major League Baseball and that dirty water.
00:29And, man, the NFL just can't lose.
00:32They, about 10 years ago, somehow made schedule release day like a holiday.
00:40They leak out these little things to get everyone excited,
00:42and then what do they do on the NFL network?
00:44They have like a two- to three-hour show where one team by one,
00:47they just release these things and they analyze it.
00:49And I got to be honest, they got me.
00:52I know.
00:52They got me, too.
00:53I was just going to say that.
00:53I'm a sucker.
00:54There's a lot of people out there that's like,
00:55oh, schedule release day, big freaking deal.
00:58And I like it.
00:59To me, and I'm not even one of these people who,
01:02because I know a bunch of people who do this once a year,
01:05will find a game where the Patriots are playing out of town,
01:07and this is the great day where he said,
01:09now we plan our road trip.
01:10Now we figure out where we're going to go.
01:11And I know they got Ted because he is into something related to this
01:14that I called him soft for.
01:15And I'm a little afraid for the first time on the show
01:17that I've called Ted soft.
01:19When I tell you guys what it is, I'm going to push you.
01:22If you think it's soft, I'd like to know why,
01:24because I think you might get you on my side.
01:27I don't think this is soft.
01:28I think it's actually somebody who's played the game
01:31who knows what affects play.
01:33That's what I think.
01:34Thank you, Rich.
01:34But the one thing that, before we get into Ted's hot take,
01:38because it is good,
01:39is all we've heard so far,
01:41officially,
01:42when it comes to this schedule for the New England Patriots,
01:45is that they will be playing in Munich.
01:47And they'll be playing the weekend, I believe,
01:48before Thanksgiving.
01:50November 10th, actually.
01:51November 15th, I believe.
01:52Oh, okay.
01:53It's going to be Munich, Germany, Sunday,
01:55November 15th, week 10,
01:57with a 9.30 a.m. start.
01:59So it's good.
01:59I love breakfast time football.
02:01I'm a big fan.
02:01It's the best.
02:02Morning sports.
02:02Nothing better.
02:03Turn on the TV as soon as you wake up,
02:05and you're all set for the day.
02:07That is part of the international series.
02:08If you have not been to Munich,
02:09Munich is a fun city.
02:11Believe it or not,
02:11that is a great place.
02:12I went to a bar one time.
02:14I've heard.
02:14It's super clean, isn't it?
02:15Oh, you could eat off the streets there.
02:18Yeah, yeah.
02:18There was a bar that I went to
02:20that the bathroom was a bunch of fake trees
02:22that you peed on,
02:23which I thought was just weird in German.
02:25Yeah, it was.
02:26It looked like you're in a forest,
02:27and there was a hole at the bottom of the tree.
02:29You just took a leak on the tree.
02:31It's like you're looking at somebody next to you,
02:33like, what are you looking at?
02:34I'm like, I'm trying to see how to do this.
02:37Yeah, because is there anything better
02:38and more freeing than just walking to the woods
02:40and just, you know, the whole world's your toilet?
02:41It might be one of my favorite things.
02:42It is great.
02:43It's like an irrational great thing.
02:45The only thing better is on the snow
02:46where you can write your name.
02:46That's a good point.
02:47But it's a good place to go.
02:49Too bad it's a little too late for Oktoberfest.
02:51That's where the famous Hofbrauhaus is, right?
02:53The beer hall?
02:53It is, it is.
02:54As a matter of fact,
02:55Oktoberfest is usually, believe it or not,
02:56the end of September,
02:57so you're going to miss out on that.
02:58But the other rumor
03:00is because there's not been a...
03:03When you take a look at the games
03:04that have been announced there,
03:05the Patriots are going to be playing
03:06the Seahawks at some point.
03:07But the question is whether or not
03:09it's going to be the first game of the season.
03:12That Wednesday night game
03:13has not been announced yet.
03:15Now, do you think the NFL wants
03:17Tariqo and these people
03:18to talk about the Vrabel thing
03:19and get it for ratings?
03:20Or will they avoid that?
03:22I think they're probably...
03:22They might be undecided
03:23on whether they want the Pats to play this game.
03:25So, I think there is
03:27whether they're going to talk about it,
03:28which is no,
03:29and whether they know
03:31people are going to be watching it
03:32because of that.
03:33Well, they would have to talk about it some, right?
03:35I mean, you can't avoid it.
03:36I mean, you could say something.
03:37It's been a stressful offseason
03:40for Mike Vrabel,
03:41but it seems like these players love him.
03:43I could see him say something generic
03:44and crappy like that.
03:45And I like Tariqo,
03:46but I think that that's...
03:47You know, he's still a Syracuse boy.
03:48He'll end up skirting the actual real issue
03:50that's on there.
03:52But, I mean...
03:53But the thing is, though,
03:54is I don't see,
03:55as a Patriots fan,
03:57why you'd want to watch that game.
03:59That game was awful.
04:00And you also don't want to go up
04:01against the champs in week one.
04:03I think you do, actually.
04:05I think you'd rather get him early.
04:06Get him early.
04:07And just take it by surprise.
04:09You're so much better.
04:09You have A.J. Brown.
04:10You have a revamped O-line.
04:12Bang!
04:12You come out of the...
04:13You know, they're expecting the team
04:14they just whipped.
04:15Oof.
04:16I don't know.
04:16You saw how the Patriots started
04:17last year in week one.
04:19How did that look?
04:20They didn't look too good.
04:21I'm always worried about week one.
04:22Even on teams...
04:23I played on great teams,
04:24and I was always worried about week one.
04:27Why?
04:27Because you don't know really
04:28what you have
04:30based on, you know,
04:31the scrimmages
04:32and the preseason games.
04:33You're still not sure.
04:35So, I don't know.
04:35I would probably disagree
04:37with you on that.
04:38All right.
04:38There is something, Ted.
04:39And this is when I get to your point.
04:41There is something, though,
04:42that you immediately,
04:43without even knowing
04:44what the schedule is,
04:46just the teams that they're playing,
04:48you immediately are saying
04:49that the Patriots
04:50have gotten screwed this season.
04:52Why is that?
04:53It's because...
04:55It is because
04:57of all the air miles
04:59that they will travel.
05:00They will be the fifth...
05:04They're ranked fifth
05:05as far as most air miles
05:07of any NFL team this year.
05:09It's awesome
05:09that they have
05:10all 32 teams ranked
05:12in projected season miles.
05:14They are fifth
05:15behind the 49ers
05:16who will travel
05:1738,000 miles.
05:18The Rams,
05:2034,000.
05:21The Texans,
05:2228,000.
05:23The Cowboys,
05:2327,980.
05:25And then the Patriots
05:26come in at 27,590.
05:29So,
05:29they got to go to Germany.
05:31So,
05:31these teams are...
05:32A lot of them
05:33are playing overseas,
05:34so factor that in.
05:35But the Patriots
05:36also have two
05:37West Coast games.
05:39They got
05:39with the Chargers.
05:40Yep.
05:41And then they also have Seattle.
05:43And they got to go to Germany.
05:44That is brutal.
05:46You go,
05:46come on,
05:47really?
05:47Just flying on a plane?
05:48Yeah.
05:48Flying on a plane
05:50is...
05:50It all adds up.
05:51Getting on the bus,
05:52flying on this plane,
05:53getting back,
05:54getting back at 5 in the morning.
05:55And you got a game
05:57the next day
05:57or the next week.
05:59It all kind of factors in
06:01over a season
06:02is all the air miles
06:03you travel.
06:04And to me,
06:04I don't think they had
06:05a game
06:06west of the Mason-Dixon line
06:08last year
06:10other than the Super Bowl.
06:11Yeah.
06:11I don't think...
06:11In the regular season,
06:12I don't think...
06:13And so,
06:13that factors in
06:15to their success,
06:16believe it or not.
06:17It's a factor.
06:19So the Patriots
06:19have the 5th most
06:20projected air miles
06:22of any team in the NFL
06:24on top of the teams
06:25that they play.
06:27To me,
06:27makes this...
06:28And right now,
06:29the projections,
06:29just based on last year's results,
06:32I think they have
06:32the 6th hardest schedule.
06:35Yeah.
06:35According to...
06:35Yeah, last year.
06:36Add in air miles
06:37and it's one of the top
06:39two or three.
06:40So this interests me
06:41because,
06:42you know,
06:42you've talked about
06:43how much travel
06:44can affect the play
06:44of the team
06:45once you get there.
06:47But the other thing
06:48that interests me
06:48is you remember how...
06:50I think they got away
06:52with this.
06:52I think they announced
06:53that they weren't going
06:53to do this anymore.
06:54But you know how
06:54for the last several years,
06:56there's been the anonymous
06:57player report cards
06:58where they give a grade
07:00to different things
07:01that are going on.
07:02Favorite day of the year.
07:02It's awesome.
07:03It's great.
07:04Those are...
07:05No more of those.
07:06You know that.
07:07Yeah, that's what I'm saying.
07:07I think that this is the first year
07:09where they got rid of it,
07:09which kind of sucks
07:11because I think real change
07:12has been made
07:13because of some
07:14of these report cards.
07:15Damn right.
07:15There was the Cardinals
07:16who apparently were making people
07:17pay for their own lunches.
07:19There was...
07:20What was it?
07:21The Patriots ended up
07:22getting one of the worst
07:23as far as family care.
07:24Oh, and air travel?
07:25Well, okay.
07:26So let's get to that.
07:28And they're playing now.
07:28Because when you...
07:29From the outside looking in,
07:30Aircraft One looks impressive.
07:32Like, you know,
07:32the Robert Kraft Patriots airplane,
07:34that thing looks amazing.
07:35You're like, wow.
07:37I'm sure on the inside,
07:38it's like, you know,
07:39the Austin Powers plane.
07:40There's like big rooms
07:41you can move around,
07:41rotating beds.
07:43But according to last year's
07:46Players Association report card,
07:49the Patriots got an F
07:51when it comes to team travel.
07:53And here's what they said.
07:54They said players want
07:55an upgraded team plane.
07:57The plane is too small.
07:58There is no Wi-Fi available.
08:01And the seats have ashtrays
08:03in the armrest.
08:04Well, that's kind of cool.
08:05How old is your plane
08:06if you're already ashtray?
08:0740 years old.
08:0740 years old.
08:08Yeah, when did they stop that?
08:09Probably in the mid-80s, right?
08:11That was peak air to travel,
08:12you know?
08:13Eastern.
08:15My favorite was that
08:16if you were Rose 20 back,
08:18you could smoke.
08:18But Rose, you know,
08:19one through 19.
08:20Oh, you're good.
08:21Yeah, so you're not going
08:22to smell anything.
08:24Sure, yeah, yeah, yeah.
08:25They said players
08:25specifically responded to,
08:27quote,
08:27our plane is the worst thing.
08:29Size, space, and safety.
08:31And it is not conductive
08:32to preparedness
08:33for athletic performance.
08:34And I had heard that too
08:35from, listen,
08:36this is just someone
08:37who I had heard
08:38who had been on the plane.
08:38They said that,
08:39you know what,
08:39a lot of these other teams
08:40will make these bigger seats
08:42for the big boys.
08:43Customize it.
08:43Yeah, customize it.
08:44You got linemen in there.
08:45You know, you got,
08:46think about like Will Fork
08:47back in the day.
08:47Like, crown over this new guy.
08:49Sure, right.
08:50You're going to have to have,
08:50you know,
08:51stuff with some big cheeks.
08:53But apparently,
08:53according to the reports
08:54I've seen,
08:55there hasn't been much
08:56of an effort
08:57to accommodate that,
08:59which is insane.
09:00Now, I don't know
09:01if this has been changed
09:01since this report came out.
09:04Is this the same plane
09:05you flew on, Ted?
09:05Like, I don't remember
09:06the ashtrays.
09:07I mean, I would have
09:08remembered that.
09:09So, I'm like,
09:10yeah.
09:11No, Wi-Fi.
09:12It's 2026.
09:14That's insane.
09:14You can download it
09:15before you get on there.
09:16That's ridiculous.
09:17Correct me if I'm wrong.
09:17You're flying out
09:18of a private location, right?
09:20Yeah, I think it was
09:22T.F. Green.
09:22Okay, so you're not
09:23like waiting.
09:24You don't have to
09:24connection.
09:25Oh, so we don't have
09:28to go through security
09:29so it shouldn't be so bad?
09:30I mean, look at this man
09:31here, Rich.
09:32Look how physically
09:33impressive he is,
09:34Ted Johnson.
09:34And he's complaining
09:35about air miles?
09:37It's not the Oregon Trail.
09:38How many people are
09:40like getting off the plane
09:41and then going into
09:42a football game,
09:43you know,
09:44against the best players
09:45to ever play?
09:46Saturday, right?
09:47It all adds opto can
09:49and over the course
09:50of a season,
09:51trust me.
09:52Sounds soft to me.
09:55By the way,
09:56the Patriots are one
09:56of the only teams
09:57that have their own plane.
09:59A lot of them
09:59rent out these like
10:00Boeings and, you know,
10:01like brand new
10:03high class decked out planes.
10:05And that's maybe
10:05because back then
10:06it was Northwest Airlines.
10:08Yeah, yeah, yeah.
10:09And so it were
10:09just normal planes.
10:11Yeah.
10:11So now...
10:11Did you get hurt?
10:12Was it like a bad turbulence
10:13throw you off one game
10:14or what?
10:14Well, I mean,
10:16going home from a Buffalo game,
10:17I thought I was going to die,
10:18but that, you know,
10:19so the planes were normal.
10:21The travel,
10:22it's just over time
10:24when you got to go back to,
10:25there's something,
10:26oh, you got to go out
10:27and play California,
10:28you know, okay.
10:29And then you got to come
10:30all the way back
10:30and then the next week,
10:31it's just,
10:32it adds up is all I'm saying.
10:33It's all I'm saying
10:34is that these air miles
10:35can add up to where
10:37it can be, you know,
10:38I don't know,
10:39fatigue could be a factor.
10:41Eight times a season,
10:41eight times a year
10:42we're talking about.
10:43So it's like five month season
10:44of eight times you have to fly.
10:45Yeah.
10:46It's a big ass fight.
10:47But I got to ask one thing
10:49because I don't think
10:49I've ever asked this before.
10:50What was Tom like on the plane?
10:54He sat in the back,
10:56but you know,
10:56he sat in the back.
10:57Okay.
10:58Because he was the cool guy.
10:58Like, do you get the back seat?
10:59Yep.
11:00Yeah.
11:00I mean, and there's,
11:01yeah, he was by himself
11:02and he, on his laptop.
11:04That's usually what he did.
11:05Really?
11:05Tom, now was he watching game film?
11:07I don't, I don't know.
11:07I don't know what he was watching.
11:11Yeah, you do.
11:12How is it that Tom
11:13is the greatest of all time?
11:14But the way when you hear
11:15people talk about him,
11:16he seems kind of off.
11:18I can't remember
11:19what he was watching,
11:20but yeah, he was in the back.
11:21He was in the back.
11:24Yeah.
11:25Yeah.
11:26Why didn't you sit in the back?
11:27You would have been seniority.
11:29You could have kicked him out of there.
11:29You know what?
11:30Because I like to get into
11:31the card game.
11:33Oh, you were like Kevin Garnett.
11:34Like Kevin Garnett
11:35had a card game.
11:36Oh, put me in the card games, man.
11:38What was being,
11:39what was being a gamble day?
11:40Dude, it was,
11:41it was a pretty good little pot,
11:43you know,
11:43and the games were,
11:44was it in between?
11:45Yeah.
11:46Between the sheets,
11:46whatever,
11:47AC Doocy.
11:48And those,
11:49those were the best games
11:50because when guys got stung on those,
11:52it was for something big.
11:53Oh, what was the biggest pot
11:54that you saw?
11:55Dude, I mean,
11:56I've seen 10,000.
11:58Oh, are you kidding me?
11:59I'm not.
11:59I know.
12:00And I,
12:00dude,
12:01I got stung.
12:02Bledsoe got me for four.
12:04Oh,
12:04it was the,
12:05it was the West.
12:06Anytime you go West to East,
12:08East to West,
12:09those long flights,
12:10dude,
12:10I got stung so bad.
12:11Bledsoe had big money.
12:12He had deep pockets.
12:13Dude,
12:14and given him four grand,
12:17brutal.
12:17But yeah,
12:17so,
12:18but yeah,
12:18Tom was in the back
12:19on his laptop.
12:20But,
12:20but that is strange.
12:23As I said,
12:24he's just,
12:24has a hard time
12:25being a normal human being.
12:26Like everyone's like,
12:27oh,
12:27you're playing cards and stuff.
12:28He's like,
12:28I'm going to be alone.
12:30Never heard Tom complain
12:30about air miles.
12:31You know,
12:31hey,
12:32do whatever you got to do,
12:33bro.
12:33Yep.
12:33Just keep slinging that rock
12:35like you do.
12:35Absolutely.
12:36No one cares,
12:36Yep.
12:37You don't,
12:37as I said,
12:38it's like talking to a pitcher
12:39in the middle of a no hitter.
12:40Whatever you do,
12:40man,
12:40I'm not bothering you.
12:41You go do your thing.
12:43Dice text in.
12:44I've never heard Tatum
12:44complain about traveling.
12:47Okay.
12:47Well,
12:47so you know what?
12:49That makes me soft,
12:50All right.
12:51All right.
12:51Fair enough.
12:51Oh,
12:52you've played the game.
12:53You know what affects your play
12:54when you're on the field.
12:55I get it.
12:56That's the other thing is like,
12:57I mean,
12:57you know,
12:57there's,
12:57you can sit here
12:58and you can talk about like,
12:59you know,
12:59but you have a giant plane full of people
13:01who are crammed into these seats.
13:03You know,
13:03first of all,
13:04it sucks when you have to like change
13:05like a way east to west coast.
13:07The time change will F you up already.
13:10Have you ever gone on a long flight
13:12and just felt refreshed
13:13when you walked off the plane?
13:15Apparently.
13:15Ever?
13:16Almost never.
13:17Like,
13:17so never.
13:17So I'm just,
13:18I'm saying air travel can take it out of you.
13:20At least they're not.
13:21We did send,
13:22I was a little disappointed in this.
13:23We sent Ted and Wiggy and Greg
13:24to San Francisco last year
13:25and they didn't like leave their apartment.
13:27You know,
13:28you guys stayed in the hotel.
13:29Nope.
13:30They didn't go out and do anything.
13:31It was like jet lag for the week.
13:32Oh.
13:33I was expecting pictures from like Alcatraz.
13:35I was out.
13:36I just didn't take pictures of where I was.
13:37There you go.
13:38That's what we're talking about.
13:39The socials.
13:40Not for you,
13:40Ken.
13:40It was just jet lag week.
13:42What happens in San Francisco.
13:43Now we send Rich to LA next Super Bowl.
13:45He's going to go crazy.
13:46I'll be honest though.
13:47I can't wait.
13:48Where?
13:48LA.
13:49I can't wait.
13:49Oh.
13:50Super Bowl week's my favorite week of the year.
13:51Oh,
13:52it's the best for interviews.
13:53But I'll say,
13:54San Francisco was kind of lame at night.
13:56It was not like a.
13:57Well,
13:58I felt bad for Pats fans
13:59who spent all the money for the tickets
14:00and then there wasn't much going on.
14:02The weather wasn't great,
14:03right?
14:03it was.
14:04Ken,
14:04I'm telling you,
14:04there was not a lot of like
14:07just fanfare at that Super Bowl.
14:09Like the radio world was great.
14:11The people that were great.
14:12But I even thought for the radio row,
14:15I didn't,
14:15I didn't think the stars showed out.
14:16Uh,
14:17I mean,
14:17it was great for,
14:18I thought we had great guests,
14:19but,
14:20but I thought as far as like the entertainment world,
14:22usually go to those.
14:24There was like none of that there.
14:25I'm telling you,
14:26some of the cities that you would never think would be good.
14:29Super Bowl cities will surprise you.
14:30Like Houston was awesome.
14:32That was great.
14:33Any Annapolis was actually pretty good.
14:35Yeah.
14:35That was a decent Super Bowl town.
14:37Yep.
14:37Yep.
14:37But yeah,
14:38but LA's,
14:39they're all going to come out.
14:40The stars are all going to come out and we might,
14:43we might not be taking a lot of pictures either.
14:45I'm afraid of Jackson.
14:46You know what happened with San Francisco though,
14:47is because the stadium was like really far away.
14:50A lot of events were at the stadium.
14:52So there's a disconnect,
14:53you know,
14:53it didn't make it as fun,
14:55right?
14:55Maybe that's why the Pats lost a lot of air miles.
14:56Get out.
14:57A lot of drive,
14:58a lot of bussing,
14:58a lot of bussing.
14:59Add no.
15:00That's right.
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