Episode 74: Steve Tasker, Early Super Bowl LVI Picks & Tom Brady Retirement Reaction
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 (11:02 – 01:00:46). But first, he checks in with TommyFreezePops (Tom Carroll) for this week’s edition of the “Opening Kick” (01:20 – 10:16). 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 (11:44); 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 (15:54); 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 (22:55); why onside kick rules need to revert back to the traditional rules (25:52); why the overtime rules in the NFL need to be different in the postseason (28:20); why the college overtime rule could be like the shootout in the NHL (32:08); his letter grade for the Bills this season, and why he thinks they’re very close to winning a Super Bowl (33:03); 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 (36:39); committing to jumping into an on-fire-folding table in the middle of a parking lot if the Bills win a Super Bowl (37:28); 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 (37:58); and this week’s edition of “The Name Game,” featuring Jim Kelly, Thurman Thomas, Bruce Smith, Andre Reed and Marv Levy (42:28).We then take a few minutes to talk about the Super Bowl from a gambling perspective, reviewing the early odds from BetMGM (01:00:46 – 01:05:35).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” (01:06:48).