0:00

Dick, what do we always say right to jump on this radio show at

0:03

three o'clock to interrupt the well thought out, well prepared monologue that we have

0:09

to open this radio show every single day at three pm. We spend hours,

0:15

we spend days, weeks preparing for the opening segment of this program every

0:19

day three o'clock. And to bump that, you better be a damn big

0:23

deal. And I think we have a guy who we all perceive to be

0:26

a damn big deal, our old friend Doug Baldwin joining us right now on

0:31

the radio show. Doug, how are you pal? That's a hell of

0:35

an intro. Do you have any idea of the work that goes into my

0:40

opening monologue every single day, hours, Doug hours? And to Bump that

0:46

better be a big deal. Well, I appreciate the opportunity and the flexibility

0:52

on your end. So thanks having listen man anytime. It's great to hear

0:55

your voice and great to have you on the air. And there's a lot

0:57

of stuff we got to talk about here. We got to talk about what your doing, what you're up to, obviously, your thoughts on what's happening

1:03

at the vMac, the NFL, Cowwich Football you're Ima Matter is going to

1:07

start playing in the ACC in September, for crying out loud. So lots

1:11

of stuff to get to, but I'm just curious to start this off.

1:15

Six years now, six years you've been out of the NFL, and a

1:19

lot of guys sometimes have a real hard time with that transition. How has

1:25

this transition been for you the last five six seasons? I mean, I

1:29

see where you're getting that softly, but don't don't be fooled by it.

1:33

It was definitely a challenging transition for me too. You know. I know

1:37

we've had our conversations about it, but you know, on record, it

1:41

was a difficult eight months directly after retirement, and I would I would say,

1:49

yeah, it's been six has it been six years? Yeah? I

1:51

guess it has been fix years. But I would say that I haven't become

1:57

fully healthy in terms of of mentally, spiritually, emotionally, physically, all

2:04

of the things. It hasn't come to like a fullhead until about maybe two

2:09

to three months ago, if I'm being honest with you, Wow, it's

2:13

taken me that long to kind of get out of the cycle and the conditioning

2:19

and all the things and actually get to a healthy I think, a healthy

2:22

balance of life here, and it's been probably the last couple of months.

2:27

What got you there then, in the final couple of months, And why

2:30

do you think it took almost six years? Well, I mean, let's

2:36

let's be real, right, I've been playing football since I was six years old, So turning that switch off wasn't going to happen overnight. You know,

2:43

I've I've been planning for twenty three twenty four years at that point,

2:46

and so yeah, I was probably going to take a little bit of time

2:51

for me to kind of get out of that routine and that mindset. So

2:53

that was you know, I think time was definitely one element of it,

2:57

but also just being aware of what was going on around me, Like I

3:00

knew I needed people around me who could breathe life into me, that could

3:04

teach me, teach me about life, but also tell me who I am

3:07

and tell me the things that I needed to hear, not necessarily the things

3:10

that I wanted to hear. Right, be very blunt and straightforward with me

3:15

about the things that they're seeing about my behavior and how I'm thinking about life

3:20

in general, which also is you know, negative of all the counseling that

3:23

I've gone through. So I've had a lot of counselors in the process,

3:28

and just really like leaning on folks who have gone through life and have have

3:32

either achieved significant milestones in their lives and then had to pivot and transition and

3:39

what that process was, and so gaining insight and with them from them as

3:43

I went along that process, just really being open to, you know,

3:47

all the perspectives and all the help that was available to me. And you

3:51

know, I got to say, I am very blessed in that in that

3:53

way where you know, a lot of people don't have the resources and the

3:55

network to reach out to folks, I was blessed with that, and so

3:59

I'm very grateful for that as well. Well, I'm just gonna say this, Doug Baldwin's with us and Dick and Jackson. I know you guys agree,

4:04

I know the audience agrees, and Doug, I know you know I

4:08

think this, But conversations with you are always different, right, Like they're

4:11

deep, like you make us think, right, We're always looking back and

4:15

having perspective and learning things when we talk. So first of all, that's

4:20

why I love having you on, because they're always interesting the conversations that we

4:25

have. And then second of all, I always say things like, hey,

4:29

Doug got out. He was thirty years old, he had a good

4:31

year in twenty eighteen, and he got out with his health, And I

4:36

always wonder like, did you do you feel the effects of playing twenty plus

4:42

years of football and eight nine years in the NFL? Can you pick up

4:46

your kids? Okay? Do your knees feel okay? How's your back feeling?

4:48

I mean you talked about the mental aspect of it. What about the

4:51

physical aspect of the pounding your body took for all those years? Yeah,

4:56

no doubt there's still some lingering effects to that, and like you know,

5:00

none of that stuff is going to go away overnight. And so yeah,

5:02

I'm I'm I'm dealing with some things. And you know, quite honestly,

5:06

I've been holding off a couple of surgeries just because I just did not want

5:10

to do them, you know, just like, look, I got kids,

5:13

I got I just don't want to interrupt my life to that degree. But my NFL insurance is up at the end of this year, so I'm

5:19

gonna have to get those things done. So yeah, I mean, there's

5:23

there's still some lingering things, but you know, it's it's life, and

5:26

and that's that's what I signed up for. Although you know, there's some

5:29

aspects of it that I didn't know that we're gonna come with it. But you know, I'm I'm very fortunate and blessed to have the career that I

5:35

had and experiences that I had. So yes, fortunately I'm able to walk

5:39

away with the majority of my health. I'm able to play with my kids.

5:43

You know. Don't get me wrong, there's still some there's still some

5:45

paint there every once in a while, but that stuff is easily easy.

5:48

It's easy for me to get over, especially now that I can. You

5:51

know, I can play with my kids, I can pick them up,

5:54

and there is light at the end of the tunnel when it comes to these

5:56

procedures that I have to have done. So all in all, I walked

6:00

away pretty lucky. I would say those mental and physical excuse me, mental

6:06

and emotional challenges that you spoke of a moment ago that you face in the

6:10

last six years. Are they common with guys that you've played with or against.

6:14

Has it been hard for many living without football and trying to find fulfillment?

6:18

Most of the guys that I talk to all struggle in some shape or

6:21

form, And yeah, I think it's it's partially because you know, it's

6:27

such a competitive environment from an emotional, physical, and a mental standpoint that

6:30

you have to be all in right. Your entire lifestyle is wrapped around trying

6:35

to survive in the NFL, and so yeah, I think a lot of

6:40

guys they just were not as well rounded as we would like to be stepping

6:45

away from the game because we've been training and conditioning for a specific environment and

6:51

outcome. And so yeah, most of the guys that I've talked to that

6:55

have been around, we've all experienced it to some degree. But I think

6:59

the the awwareness of those challenges is definitely growing. The resources to mitigate some

7:05

of those as growing, And yeah, I think guys this overall are in

7:10

a healthier place when they come into the NFL. So that's still to be

7:15

seen. So don't quote me on that. I just that's just what I'm feeling like. Things are moving in a positive direction well, and it feels

7:20

like it's kind of just okay to talk about those things now. Right like

7:24

fifteen twenty years ago, maybe people would have felt a little odd, you

7:27

know, bringing those things up. But here we are. We haven't even

7:30

talked football with you, for God's sake, so we're talking about everything happening

7:32

off the field. So I think it's a great progress, no doubt about

7:34

it. But Doug Baldwin's with us, and Doug, I've joked with you

7:38

before and you're probably too young to remember the old E. F. Hutton

7:42

commercials back in the eighties. When we talk, people listen, and when

7:45

you talk, people listen. When there's a big event, when there's a

7:47

big topic, people want to hear what Doug Baldwin thinks. And when Pete

7:53

Carroll was let go, you were the first person I texted because I had

7:58

to get your thoughts and I never thought we'd see a world where Pete Carroll

8:01

was essentially fired by the Seahawks. What was your reaction on that? I

8:07

mean, first, I was sad, right because it's Pete leaving. That's

8:11

obviously the end of that era, and so a new era is coming,

8:16

is sweeping in. So I'm just you know, when I get the news,

8:20

I'm just thinking about Pete and his wife and his family and all the

8:24

memories that we've created over the years, both on and off the field,

8:28

right, Like Pete was such an integral part of my life for so long

8:31

and a just a figurehead in my life that you know, now knowing that

8:37

he's not the head coach and that he's not going to be there consistently and he's not this presence consistently, Yeah, I mean it. You know,

8:43

there's there's a lot to it, and so initial reaction was just sad,

8:50

you know, But to be honest, like we all knew it was coming at some point. I don't think we thought it was going to be this

8:56

year, but you know, we all knew it was coming at some point.

9:01

And so then I try to take the emotion out of it and look

9:03

at it from a business standpoint, and yeah, I get it from a business standpoint. I get it. You know, it does make sense to

9:09

me from a business standpoint, because it's either you make that decision now,

9:15

you make the shift now, or you sign him up for another two to

9:18

three years so that, you know, you can build something so that somebody

9:22

else can then step in after he's created or re established the foundation and the

9:28

culture. So it made sense to me from a business standpoint, but obviously

9:33

very sad because we have history and context together, and still you have the

9:37

pairing now of the old with John Schneider and the new with coach McDonald.

9:43

So talk about that pairing and how well you think it fits well. To

9:50

be quite honest with you, I haven't been too deep into it right So

9:54

I'm watching it on the periphery, but not really diving too much into it

10:00

because there's just so much unknown and the outcome still has to be seen.

10:03

However, what I will say is that I do feel like in the time

10:07

that I spent at that facility, I understand John Snyder's mind, I would

10:13

like to think, and so as he's making these moves and these decisions,

10:16

I can see what he's trying to do. And what I think he's trying

10:20

to do is really create that culture and environment that was there originally. He

10:24

always compete very highly competitive, getting guys who genuinely and sincerely care about winning.

10:31

I think he's sorry. I think he's focused on getting those folks or

10:37

those players in the building, and also being mindful about the assistant coaches because

10:43

yeah, I mean yes, the head coach, the offensive coordinator, defensive

10:46

coordinator, all those positions are important. But more importantly than those positions are

10:52

the position coaches, because those are the guys that these players are going to

10:56

see day in and day out and spend time with off the field and all

11:00

the things. Right, they're going to build them to be the men that they are going to be after they leave the game. That position is vital.

11:05

And that was my first text to John when he started doing the process.

11:09

It's like, hey, now you know this, but don't don't neglect

11:13

the importance of those positions position coaches. And so we had a good dialogue

11:18

about that, and I think I see what you're doing. And you know,

11:20

I as a fan of the Pacific Northwest in this region and also all

11:28

of the things that come with that, including the Seahawks, I want to

11:31

see them do well, but you know, still remains to be seen.

11:33

But of course I'm moving for him, Yeah, no doubt. Well,

11:37

Doug Baldwin's with us, and I'm looking at the contracts that he's doled out

11:39

over the offseason, Doug, and the longest one was three years to an

11:43

already kind of existing star in Leonard Williams. Everything else is two years or

11:48

less. Is that kind of reflecting what you're talking about with that kind of

11:52

competitive nature he wants to bring back. Yeah, I think, well,

11:56

I think there's multiple things that play out there. So one of them, and we can't neglect this is just the landscape of players coming out of the

12:03

out of the college ranks is different, right, NIL has changed that dynamic

12:09

to a greater degree than I think people realize. So Number one, these

12:11

kids are getting attention and affirmation and getting idolized to some degree, which which,

12:20

let me be clear, I think is very unhealthy, but it is

12:24

just part of society they're getting. They're getting exposed to that at a very

12:30

early age, which I think also enhances the opportunity for some of these young

12:33

folks to feel entitled, right, And so you're getting a group of young

12:39

folks that are coming into the NFL with a different perspective than my generation had,

12:45

and so I think it's going to be a little bit more challenging for the current regime of scouts across the league to really understand the dynamics of how

12:54

these folks are going to play into the NFL. So I think maybe that's

12:58

one thing that you're seeing is that their shorter contracts to really to parse out

13:03

who's the true competitors and who are just there for the attention and the affirmation

13:09

and you know, the fame all that stuff, and who's actually there to

13:11

actually win. So I think that's what you're seeing. I could be wrong

13:16

again. I just that's this is what my heart is telling me. So

13:18

how do you balance the pros of the transfer portal and NIL with some of

13:24

those unhealthy things you mentioned. Is there some sort of happy agreement, happy

13:28

medium we can get to. Well, I think that's what you're seeing,

13:31

is that the balance between Well, let me back up. I think the

13:37

shift really was happened several years ago older CBA, when the draft picks were

13:46

getting higher compensation coming out right without having proven their ability and their worth in

13:52

the NFL. And so you know, I think there's some changes negative feelings

13:56

towards that still. And then also now you you getting this whole new generation

14:01

of folks coming in. I think this is the regime, the scouting department

14:05

regime. They just want to know who they're getting right to a greater degree.

14:09

And I think that's the balance you're going to find, is the older

14:15

veterans, the guys who have performed and have produced. They may get you

14:22

know, more in depth looks at potential opportunities rather than these younger guys who

14:26

haven't necessarily proven their their worth just yet. So I think that's it's going

14:31

to shift back a little bit to the older guys. Yeah, but that's

14:35

I think that's also a process too, because once these scouts kind of figure

14:37

that that process out and what they're looking for, then I think it goes

14:41

back to them investing in the younger guys, because obviously that's a longer tail.

14:45

Well, no question, Doug Baldwin's with us on the show, and

14:48

as long as he's been there, it's been obvious, Doug how respected Gino

14:52

Smith is in that locker room by those players. Yeah, even when he

14:56

was a backup of Russell. And you know that, and you've confirmed that.

14:58

What is does he kind of look like to you? As far as

15:03

the long term answer at quarterback here in Seattle, you're gonna put me on

15:09

the spot for that one. Just give us you know, you can play

15:11

that the fence go ahead, which you don't normally do that. By the

15:16

way, now, I mean to be quite honest with you, I really

15:20

don't know. I think from just a pure observer standpoint without much detail and

15:28

insight. I think that you got to go with Gino to help you set

15:31

and establish what you're trying to accomplish for the future. So, whether Geno

15:35

is the long term solution or not, you got to invest in him to

15:39

help build out what you're trying to accomplish years down the line. And so

15:45

whether that's you know, him being the starter and then bringing in a young

15:48

quarterback or another quarterback that is playing behind him, you know that that's part

15:54

of the succession plan and is also vitally important as well. So however they

16:00

handle that, I think Gino has to be involved and has to be at

16:03

top of mind because the future I don't want to say that he is the

16:07

future. He could potentially be the future, but regardless of he is the

16:11

future or not, he is involved in what the future will bring, and

16:15

so it's important that they involve him in all aspects of that as well.

16:18

Well. He has fabulous targets and his number one target has had a very

16:22

good career thus far. But do you see another level for DK and if

16:26

so, how does he get there? Oh? I thought you were talking

16:30

about Tyler. Well, does maybe answer the question maybe Tyler's your number still

16:34

your number one option. Is that the case? Maybe it is. I

16:38

think I think they have two number one options. Honestly, I think what

16:41

DK does nobody on that roster can do, and what Tyler does nobody on

16:47

that roster can do so to me in my eyes, And I know this

16:49

is not you know, this is not traditional NFL analysts thought and speak,

16:56

But as a receiver that has played in Seattle for you know, for a

17:00

very long time and know what that culture and what that system is, you

17:03

really have two number ones. And so in terms of what they're capable of

17:08

doing for this upcoming year, I think they're just going to learn more.

17:11

I think there's obviously with the new coaching staff, there's going to be a

17:15

lot of changes, which also presents a lot of opportunities. So I think

17:18

they'll capitalize on that. But also think about Jackson, right and the younger

17:23

kids that I've heard about on the periphery and inside the organization that are they

17:30

anticipate of making leaps and bounds this next coming year. So that being said,

17:34

I don't necessarily think they need to bring anybody else, but obviously,

17:38

if you're trying to load up and if you think that you have the opportunity

17:42

to do something significant this year, then you got to do it. I

17:45

don't know if that's the case, but you know, again I'm on the

17:48

periphery. Yeah, well you mentioned the coaching staff and Doug Baldwin's with us,

17:52

and Doug, we've always known that you're a closet Husky fan, all

17:55

right, all of us have known that for a long time. I have photographic evidence, by the way, you wearing a Husky shirt in the locker

18:00

room. So don't don't even try and deny it. But Ryan Grubb is

18:04

is going to be a first year NFL coordinator. He's never called a play

18:08

in the NFL. You saw what he did at Washington of Michael Pennix.

18:11

Right, what do you make of Ryan Grubb and what you think he'll do

18:15

with the Seahawks. Well, the only thing I would say to Ryan Grub

18:18

is he's got to give me the truth about why he flips from Alabama to

18:22

the Seahawks so quickly. Oh, that would be my first Listen, Like

18:26

you said, I don't I'm not gonna ride the fence. I just need

18:29

to know. But no, aside from that, I just I think that

18:34

what Ryan has done with with Pinnix is I mean, the proof is in

18:40

the putting right. He's he's demonstrated the ability to be flexible, to be

18:44

creative, you know. And but the NFL game is very different than the

18:48

college game, and so I'm seeing I'm curious to see how that translates.

18:51

But you know, you need more innovative and thoughtful, creative minds in the

18:55

NFL, and I think Ryan will provide that to the Seahawks. Bald and

19:00

joining us Sarah ninety three point three KJRFM as it may surprise you that Richard

19:04

Sherman was outspoken last week about the Bobby Wagner situation and not being resigned.

19:10

He said that Seattle made a mistake the first time. He should have never

19:14

left. John Schneider knows that this is ridiculous. Wagner's not asking for a

19:18

ton of money. You don't let him leave the building again. Seattle owes

19:22

him that your thoughts on those comments, I mean, that's man, you

19:30

guys are you guys are making me struggle here, and and here's the reason

19:33

why, because I'm torn. Right, there's two different sides of this.

19:36

One side of it is I'm loyal to Bobby Wagner and to my teammates that

19:40

we won a championship with. Right, there's a legacy and a culture that

19:42

I think will If I'm being honest, I don't think we'll ever be topped,

19:47

even if this, even if this new regime, if they go and they win a Super Bowl, I just think that is it's it's a different

19:52

feeling, it's a different vibe. And also we were the first ones to bring it. So I am loyal. I'm loyal to that culture and to

19:56

that team into my teammates. Now that being said, there is a business

20:00

aspect of this, and as I am growing and maturing and learning a lot

20:04

about business, I'm also seeing the decisions that are being made because of business

20:08

decisions. So, you know, is the Bobby situation just is that a

20:15

hard decision to make? Yeah, it absolutely is a hard decision to make.

20:18

However, if I am reading John correctly, this is a new culture

20:25

that they're trying to build when with a first set of faces, new leaders

20:29

that can make this culture their own. And you know, quite honestly,

20:33

John and Pete gave us the opportunity to do that when we first came in

20:37

and so I think it may be important for this group for them to establish

20:41

that in order to get to where they're going. And so, you know,

20:45

I get it from the business standpoint. I am saddened by it because

20:49

you know, I was playing basketball Bobby the other day, like that's family

20:53

to me. So it is sad to see him not being in a CUS

20:56

uniform. But again I understand the business side of it. Well, Doug

21:00

Baldwin's with us, and Doug, great news for you. We're out of

21:03

time, all right, But I do want to ask you because look,

21:07

dude, we could keep you here all day. I know you've got plans,

21:10

but we could just keep you on the show the entire day and just talk to all kinds of different stuff with you. And you know, you

21:15

and I have talked before about post football and all that and what your plans

21:18

are. And you know, like we said, you just got so much

21:21

to offer this city, so many people respect you in this town. Tell

21:25

folks what you're doing now and kind of as you look to the next maybe

21:27

five ten years, what your goals and aspirations are. Yeah, I appreciate

21:33

the question, and also appreciate you having me on as always and always appreciate

21:37

the conversation. So after you you never make it easy on me, so

21:41

thank you. No, I mean, I'm still figuring it out right,

21:45

and I do know that I am a competitor right at the core of who

21:49

I am, and so I wanted to be able to compete and create a

21:52

vehicle to compete in a way that would benefit the environment around me. And

21:57

so my company now that's what we do. We just find, you know,

22:00

projects that can really make an impact in the community that a lot of

22:04

folks don't take on because there's not a lot of money to be made out

22:07

of it, you know, but fortunately enough like we're able to find a

22:11

way to make it sustainable and make impact. And so that's what I'm focused

22:15

on. And don't ask me to explain it further than that, because I

22:18

really can't. I can give you, you know, specific examples, but

22:22

to explain it more in like technical business terms, we still haven't figured it

22:25

out just yet, but essentially just trying to do more good work in the

22:29

community. One of those things, and I thank you for teaming this up

22:33

for me, is the champions have change effort that myself, Michael Bennett and

22:37

Cliff abel have been on for the past two years. That being said,

22:41

we do have a game coming June twenty eighth, so you know, put

22:47

that out there. Would love for the community to join us. It's another

22:49

basketball game. This we believe that this is going to be the best one

22:55

of all the ones that we put on. I know everybody says that every time, but like, legitimately I think this is be the best one.

23:00

But essentially it's a celebration of community. We have benefits, each of us

23:07

have benefiting partners that we support. This year or every year, I should

23:10

say, this year is no different, bringing in organizations who have been doing

23:15

incredible work on the ground level for a very long time and just highlighting them,

23:19

helping them scale, raise money for them so they can continue to do

23:22

the work that they do. So that's June twenty eighth. Also have the

23:26

community barbecue coming up, Sophie, did you ever come to that? No,

23:32

it was never invited. I'm there though. If you're talking barbecue,

23:37

I'm in. How come I feel like you're lying. I'm not lying.

23:41

I was never invited. That's a true story. Okay, Well August tenth,

23:45

that's my birthday. That's what my birthday. Is that really your birthday?

23:52

Fifty one years old? Pal? Oh? Wow, wow fifty one?

23:57

I bout that? Man. Hey, well, anyway, all this

24:02

chan come celebrate your birthday with us Rent Memorial Stadium, a partner with the

24:07

United Way. We just put on a big barbecue. Essentially, there's a

24:11

whole bunch of events and activities for kids and families to partake in. The

24:15

cost is only ten dollars for food. It's ten dollars for a plate.

24:18

Everything else is free. But yeah, it's really just a community event just

24:22

to have people come out, have fun, enjoy the weather, enjoy some

24:26

delicious food, and just be in community. So those are two things that

24:30

are on the docket. Obviously, I'll send you some more infos so you

24:32

can so you can promote it for MAILM me done. But I got you

24:36

to that. Love It, Love It Champions have changed. Foundation dot org

24:40

is the website and I will be there on my fifty first to celebrate with

24:42

you with some barbecue. Man. We'll see you then, Pal Amen,

24:45

Yes, sir, thanks, K appreciate this. Dude. Baldwin, you're

24:48

betting with us on the radio show. Always great to catch up with him.

24:52

We could go hours, literally weeks talking to that guy and never ever

24:56

lose interest. Amazing, Always love having them on right here three KJRFM.

25:00

Now back to Softie and Dick on Sports Radio ninety three point three KJRF O

25:07

Washington Huskies' see I don't you. We're home for the Huskies and all right,

25:12

we're back on a busy, busy Tuesday afternoon Softie and Dick with Jackson

25:17

John Wilder joining us at five o'clock tonight. Brian Schmittzer from the Brian Schmittzer

25:21

Orchestra, also head coach of your Sounders FC, coming off kissing his sister

25:25

over the weekend against Colorado. He'll join us in five forty five ton I.

25:29

Doug Baldwin was with us for basically the last half an hour and he

25:32

was sensational. I love the guys asking the questions. We're pretty good too,

25:34

but the guy answering the questions was awesome. So if you missed that,

25:37

Dick, oh here it again at six pm two No, I mean

25:41

it was one of those interviews. I even mentioned to you this during the

25:44

break. You said, whoa, he just went twenty four minutes with Doug, and I said, it felt like ten right, you know it just

25:48

it was actually almost twenty eight minutes day so quickly. Because you know,

25:52

he's one of those guys you kind of hang on every word that he has

25:56

to say because he doesn't have he's anything wasted, right right, Nothing he

26:00

he says is just like me, well like both of us, open up

26:03

your mouth and whatever comes out comes out. Nothing's wasted. He doesn't speak

26:07

in cliches, he doesn't fill his words his phrases with ums and let me

26:12

sees, and he gets right to the point. It's very, very refreshing.

26:17

I went to high school and my English teacher, a guy named mister

26:21

Kennedy, would always scold me for saying um because um is not a word.

26:25

I would hear that over and over. Amos not a word, mister

26:27

maler almost not a word. And so you're right, there's no wasted breath

26:30

for him. I mean, look, he's a smart guy. I think

26:33

all of us have known that since he was a player, right he was

26:36

always the go to guy in the locker room when there was a big issue with a team or something went down or whatever. Doug's locker room was always

26:42

in the corner right as you walk in with the rest of the wide receivers,

26:45

and he was the first guy that I would go to to get his

26:48

thoughts on whatever was happening with the team. And look, like I said

26:52

on the air when Pete Carroll got let go, he's the first guy I

26:56

texted to come on the show and get his thoughts on what happened the Russell

27:00

Wilson saga, right, everything that went down with him. You want to

27:04

get Doug's thoughts on that you asked about Richard Sherman's comments on Bobby Wagner.

27:08

I want to get his thoughts on that. You know, Geno Smith,

27:11

Mike McDonald, Ryan Grubb. There's literally nothing football wise, nothing that happens

27:18

in this town where you don't want to get that guy's take on it.

27:21

But you know what I think his opinions, he would tell you, I

27:23

think his opinions on other things other than football are probably more important totally of

27:27

course, you know, and he makes that absolutely evident right well, But

27:32

he also gets it. He gets to people want to know about everything happening

27:36

on the field. You know, he's using all of that as a vehicle and a tool to bring attention to other things that he's doing. You know,

27:41

we're gonna obviously have him on again at some point in time. But

27:45

you know, I know he's working with Bruce Harrel. He's close with Bruce

27:48

Harrell and guys. You know, the idea of ex athletes becoming politicians is

27:52

nothing new. That's been going on for a long, long damn time.

27:56

I mean, the guy that runs our city now is an ex Husky football

27:59

player, for God's sake, and Bruce Harrel, So Doug Baldwin strikes me,

28:03

And I don't know if he's ready to do it right now. He's

28:07

only thirty five years old, right, I mean, that's the thing. The guy's been retired for five years. He's only thirty five. I could

28:12

see Doug bald Win ten fifteen years down the road, and he's got a

28:18

great feel for business, has a great feel I think for politics and issues

28:22

that plague society. I think he'd be an incredible mayor and I would vote

28:26

for him in a second if he ran for me. I think he would be. And it's refreshing because which, by the way, you and I

28:32

can't vote for him because we don't live in see it. That's right, we don't live in and see that neither is Jackson, but maybe by then

28:37

we will who knows he does. He's refreshing when it comes to politics because

28:41

he is compassionate and he also thinks before he blurts things out. He is

28:47

not flippant about any of his comments. You could tell that he is very

28:51

He absolutely knows what he's going to say before he opens his mouth. And

28:55

I think that's even did that during our during our conversation where a couple of

28:59

times he's like, okay, let me back up. You know the geno thing for sure, right is right? Exactly kind of pause, he said,

29:04

Okay, let me back up, let me kind of get my get

29:07

my thoughts together before I just say something. Right. Well, I thought

29:11

the most intriguing thing football wise, because I really wanted to get his perspective

29:15

on what's happening to the vMac right now with John Schneider, and he came

29:18

on the show and he literally said, I know the way John Schneider thinks,

29:22

right, And there's not a lot of people that can say that right,

29:26

that they know what's happening between John Schneider's ears, and he's one of

29:30

them. And his point about how entitled some of these players are now and

29:36

how entitled they are coming out of college and into the NFL. And John

29:41

Schneider again, the longest contract he's doled out has been three years to a

29:45

guy who was already here, who they gave up a second round pick for,

29:48

and that's Leonard Williams. Right, Noah Fense was part of the Russell

29:52

Wilson trade. He got a two year contract. Nobody else is getting multi

29:55

year deals everyone who's coming in here, and he specifically meant and the way

30:00

they were doing it when they first showed up by getting guys that are hungry

30:03

and guys that need second contracts past the deal they just signed today. And

30:08

is that not being reflected by the way in the free agent class that he's

30:12

putting together well? And I think also that he kind of compared nil with

30:18

what first round draft picks were getting back in the Sam Bradford right, the

30:22

last one, the last one, because we remember those guys getting drafted,

30:27

and these three and four year veterans are like, wait a second, This

30:32

dude that's never played a snap in the NFL is making five times more than

30:37

I have, and I've made three Pro Bowls? What's going on here?

30:40

I think we're going to see the same thing in college football that you know,

30:45

the nil thing is going rampant. But at some point we're going to

30:48

get to the point where these veterans on programs are going to be like,

30:52

wait a second here, right, man, These eighteen year old kids that have never played a snap in college football should not be making sure more than

30:57

we're making. And the NBA went through that same thing like ten years ago,

31:00

where veterans just got kind of sick of it. You know, guys

31:03

that are putting in the time should be the ones that get rewarded. Guys that we know can play should be the ones getting paid. All right,

31:08

we're gonna break Doug was great, you missed it? Here it again six

31:11

pm to night, A little fun with audio slash hated you. Hear that

31:14

coming up next on ninety three three KJRFM.