Summer Break Episode

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Description

In this episode, Harinam Singh Khalsa and Kevin Weldon reconnect after a summer break, blending discussions about Giants football, Central Asian travels, and cultural insights. They share personal stories, roster analyses, and travel experiences, making for an engaging mix of sports and world exploration.

Main Topics:
Giants football season review and roster evaluation
Travel tales from Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, and Central Asia
Cultural insights on traditional hats and personal anecdotes
In this episode:
The hosts talk about the Giants' recent performance and roster strengths, highlighting key players like Burns, Thibodeaux, and Malik Nabers
They analyze potential improvements in special teams and the importance of coaching
Kevin shares fascinating stories from his trip through Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, and surrounding countries, describing unique cultural sites and geopolitical nuances
The conversation covers the impact of leadership, coaching, and key players on long-term team success
Personal stories include reflections on family, loss, and cultural experiences like wearing traditional hats—plus humorous tales about impersonations and travel adventures
The episode concludes with reflections on the emotional toll of the NFL season and the joy of sports and cultural exchanges

• (00:00) - - Welcome back after summer break and Giants football update
• (00:31) - - Travel reflections from Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, and Turkmenistan
• (01:52) - - Unique cultural impressions of Central Asia and its history
• (03:23) - - Turkmenistan's mysterious and intriguing landmarks
• (05:20) - - Uzbekistan's growing tourism and historical significance
• (06:47) - - Historical and religious sites of Samarkand and Bukhara
• (08:16) - - The current Giants' roster assessment and recent performance
• (09:30) - - Analysis of recent Giants season and prospects for 2023
• (10:52) - - Coaching impact and talent evaluation of key players
• (12:51) - - Offense and defense breakdown; key players and potential improvements
• (14:33) - - Injury concerns with young talent and NFL potential
• (16:28) - - Depth and performance of Giants’ secondary and linebackers
• (18:17) - - Evaluation of quarterback and wide receiver talent
• (19:43) - - Defensive line, linebackers, and special teams outlook
• (21:03) - - Coaching strategies and the importance of leadership in football success
• (24:23) - - Player comparisons, potential, and future expectations
• (28:10) - - Special teams improvements and new coaching influences
• (30:14) - - International fans, Norwegian influence and soccer experiences
• (32:46) - - Reflection on family losses and aging, societal change
• (37:28) - - Personal stories about cultural dress, humor, and identity
• (45:11) - - Mentions on sports commentators and long-term team success factors
• (50:19) - - Tribute to personal family members and the passage of time
• (53:12) - - Travel memorabilia and cultural curiosities
• (54:19) - - Humorous story about a Halloween costume and cultural understanding
• (57:57) - - Story about traditional attire and personal cultural expressions
• (58:46) - - Closing thoughts on the podcast’s future and Giants season

Creators and Guests

Host

Hari Nam Singh Khalsa

Hari Nam is a renown spiritual teacher, whose passions include opera, philosophy, photography and travel (to name a few). But on Sundays in the fall you can find him living and dying with his beloved New York Football Giants, following since 1959 and a season ticket holder since 1964!

Host

Kevin Weldon

Kevin is a lifetime Giant fan and long time season ticket holder. Currently a PGA golf professional after many years as a semiconductor technologist. He enjoys history, traveling, music and spending time with friends, family and the cats.

What is Giant Conversations?

Hosts Hari Nam Singh Khalsa and Kevin Weldon provide their insights on the latest happenings in the world of the New York Football Giants. Drawing from twelve decades of Giants football fandom, their perspectives offer a unique and comprehensive view. They will also integrate their shared passion for world travel and curiosity for unique new experiences into each episode. Join them in their lighthearted and wide-ranging conversations, always infused with their unwavering love for everything Big Blue.

Mapadapa, we're back after a a ~ fairly a
fairly long summer

Ha ha.

break here. we've both, as usual,

been traveling and this giant
conversations.

I'm Harinam Singh Khalsa with the
ever-present ~ Kevin Weldon,

and ~ we're here to talk about Giants
football.

It is the summer, and I I I see some of
the other podcasts are taking their

big breaks, so we took our break and
there's not

much real football. We'll look at some
football,

but we can also talk about ~ life and and

~ I see that Kevin's guy well it's a good
place to start.

I I mean that you know I've got I've got
obviously a virtual background here

of some pre came game festivities ~ at ~
recent giant game.

That's about the highlight of most of
these recent games is

bringing back the people who are on
crutches right now who have their hips
replaced

and other things 'cause not and there
hasn't been that much of interest

on on the during the sixty minutes of the
football.

~ anyhow, ~ regressing,

~ that's ~ a very beautiful and
interesting picture.

So ~ there there you go. Why why don't you
talk about that?

Well, first of all, again I wanna
apologize to the I think our seven
subscribers

on YouTube that we've been away for so so
long.

~ If they're still around,

You know, ~ yeah, yeah,

yeah, okay.

yeah. But it it's good to be back.

And ~ in the background ~ today and

the headgear is ~ one that you'd find on
the well dressed

man in Uzbekistan and the picture in the
back ~ is Regis Registran Square.

in the Samrakhan in Uzbekistan and my wife
and I ~

did a romp through the stands several
years ago and ~ it's

~ it's a really diversi diverse

~ very diversified ~ travel experience as
you as you go as

you go through the stands. So we started
in Kyrgyzstan which is ~ yeah borders

~ on China.

The Western part of China and it feels has
kind of a Chinese influence

and then Tajakostan, which is south of
there,

has kind of more of an Iranian influence.

And ~ then we move to ~ Kazakhstan,

which has more of a Russian influence,

and ~ font

I always

mix I always mix up ~ Uzbekistan with

~ with Kazakhstan.

Kazakhstan. ~ you gotta get you gotta get

Yes I do. a an understandable
misunderstanding I

You gotta get your stand straight.

~ but the Uzbekistan has much more of a
Middle Eastern feel.

And then there's ~ and th and then there's
of course there's a there's more stands.

really, really.

There is Turkmenistan, which is a country
that's very,

very difficult to get into. It's kind of
it's kinda like the North Korea

of Central Asia. You have to have ~ you
know like

Well, you know what? I I

they they're doing a good job because I've
never heard of it.

Yeah, ex it's exactly the way they want
it.

And you have to have you know,

a couple of letters from officials that
even enter the country.

And ~ it's a very odd place.

The longtime president of the company
wrote his own version of the creation
story.

You know, not Adam and Eve, not not not
the Quran.

~ he wrote his own version and all the all
the people and all the children

at school had had to recite his version ~
a different

segments of his version of the creation
story.

So it's ~ it's a very odd place.

I'd love to go to it, just because it's
odd.

You know, and it has some really
historical places and it has one

of the main attractions in ~ Turkmenistan
is they have this firing pit that

the the Russians came and ~ and they found
natural gas and they dug this huge mine

and ~

Then they left, but the mine keeps burning
and it's been burning since

the the Russian era. And that that's one
of the big attracti

~ tourist attractions in ~ Turkmenistan.

You have to go on like a two day j
journey.

How many how many tourists do they do they
get in there?

It's about as many subscribers as we have.

I'd I I I'd I'd say. It's it's a it's sort
of quite maybe.

Maybe that's where our subscribers are.

Do they have do they have

Maybe. But anyway,

a pen do you need a passport? Do you do
they actually have a place

to where they stamp your passport?

Yeah, yeah, yeah. And they had this if you
go online and look at it,

~ I I think the the capital is Uhabeg.

And it's everything's in white marble.

So they had this eccentric leader,

yeah, he kind of broke away from the
Russians and he built this city

in white marble and you know, basically
you know,

dubbed himself some kind of demigod and
that's part of the story,

but ~ that's not the story in Uzbekistan.

Uzbekistan is a a place that's really
becoming popular along the the tour scene.

Yes.

When we when we were there, you know,

which was probably eight years ago,

there weren't many tourists, mostly just
French French people,

but n not too many. Now I know it's become
much more popular.

You know, it has the cities of Samrakhan
and Bukhara,

which are ~ you know, very famous,

~ very very famous

Most mostly at this point, Islamic
centers.

So what's standing beh what w you know,

what is behind me again is Registrin
Square and these are three madrasas which

are Islamic ~ schools schools that were
built after ~ after Genghis Khan

Schools, yeah.

rolled through in you know, in the
thirteenth century,

where pretty much all the all the cities
of Central Asia were destroyed.

so every everything you see is generally
there is as as after that.

but you know, it was a big part of the ~
the Silk Road

and U Samrakhan was you know

a great center for learning, ~ philosophy,

science. It's where Timurlane's capital
was,

you know, a after the Mongol in the
invasion,

~ Timur took over most of Central Asia and
big other and chunks of a big area for

you know, for a century and a half.

And Bukhara is ~ also a beautiful place

but but more religious orientated.

~ so there they have one of these holy
books

called the ~ the Hut ~ Hadith,

which is not the Quran but it's

a series of of communications from

the Prophet Muhammad.

you know, on his interpretation of the
Quran and I'm not an Islamic scholar,

but ~ you know, it's one of the more holy
books and it's his pilgrimage site.

And I I remember when we were there,

the Prime Minister of Pakistan came to the
to the building where they housed this

book and he crawled on his stomach in ~ in
deference to ~ the book itself

and to his his faith. So very very
interesting places,

very beautiful places and you know

Those two cities along with ~ Baghdad
were,

you know, ~ you know, part really part of
the golden age of of ~ the Islam.

And, you know, the the age of discovery
from the Portuguese and the Dutch kind

of ended the Silk Road and that started to
change ~ everything.

But that's ~ that's probably too much said
~ already,

but ~ I very interesting place,

Uzbekistan and

Really? Did did

you take that picture? Wow.

I took that picture, yeah. Yeah.

I didn't know you were such a good
photographer.

Well, I mean I took it with my I took

You're multi talented.

it with my iPhone, you know. But ~ yeah.

Still yeah, that's an incredible photo.

But you know, l back to the ~ the giants,

you know, ~ I ~ I I've been think thinking
about this a little bit,

Ha ha ha

you know, I haven't thought about like we
talked about in the last podcast,

because of hard hardboard there,

I I don't really feel a need I don't
follow it as much as I used to because

He's there. I follow it, but I'm not I'm
not really worried about it,

you know. But if if if

Well at le at least

you know, he's getting ~ a honey at at the
very least,

~ probably an extensive honeymoon.

Yes, and and deservedly so, but if if you
look ~ if you look at last year,

the team won four games. They beat Steve
Johnson's

~ LA Chargers, they beat the Eagles,

and that was the coming out party for
Scottaboo and and ~ Dart.

And and and then they won two games at the
end of the year and beat teams that were

Yeah, was that that game?

basically tanking. So that was the season.

Yes.

So this was a exceptionally poor season
and I know there's ~ there's a

lot of people that are fairly sanguine
about ~ the two thousand twenty six
season.

And ~ I I can understand that,

but th this team still has a long way to
go.

I mean ~ and I know that the league is set
up

and there's recent examples of teams going
from where's the first

See that would be wonderful. ~ but I you
know I have ~ you know,

I temper my enthusiasm a little bit in
terms of results,

you know, and and if you know

What do you what do you

think is you know, looking back on this

L these last well, you could say three,

four years, you could also say the last si
you know,

eight or nine years or more. ~ but let's
say the last two years for sure,

you know, two or three, four, last three
years actually,

do you think that it's really

bottom level talent, or do you think

it was like really, really poor coaching
or both.

I'd say more talent than coaching,

although the coaching wasn't particularly
good.

Now yeah,

You know, I had I had the other view
actually.

Yeah, but time will tell.

I'm I I'm not surpr I'm I'm not I'm not
I'm not surprised,

but if you look you know, starting with
the offense,

right? They had a serviceable offensive
line

last year. Now the statistics are ~
exaggerated because

the quarterback ran so much.

Right. So they said, we have a very good
running offense.

But in reality, the quarterback ~ you
know,

was responsible for a large percentage of
those of those yards.

So they but they did have a serviceable
offensive line and they've added

a big piece with this, you know,

~ this kid from Miami.

~ so ~ obviously I hope that's gonna help.

I I I mean the center position to me is
still a big question mark.

~

a and and so is the other guard position.

If the tackles are healthy, you know that
that it would a big question,

Which is a big question.

but they're you know, they're competent
players.

but John Michael Schmitz, you know,

I just have this him and remember they
drafted Winston Richburg

or somebody like seven years ago?

yeah. Wa western ri Western ri ~ western
rich.

Wes Wes Richburg, yeah. I just remember
him getting knocked back into

the quarterback for two years.

And ~ and you know, I have let's hope that
John Michael Schmitz

can ~ can at least be serviceable.

But that's that's the weak point in the
line for me.

You know, and then if you look if you look
at the rest of rest of the offense,

you know, they have a somewhat ordinary
running back room.

I know I know s I know Scataboo's very
popular and ~ he's a he

You know, he's a real ~ as they like to
say,

dog. There's aren't that many dogs on this
team,

but ~ he's one. ~ you know,

he's a little bit limited in what he can
do,

but I mean ~ he's I'm glad he's on the
team.

~ wide receiver, you know, they have the
the one player that ~ you know,

Malik that showed a lot in his rook rookie
year and then not not

But very but but

seemingly very, very I I you know it's
funny,

~ just kind of interc intervening as
you're going through the roster.

Sometimes you're saying something I don't
wanna forget that.

guy's got great talent but he just comes
off as one of these younger players

that's ~ this like this guy from San
Francisco,

Ayuk, is is r you know he's in the news
all the time because he's doing wacky
things

to just undermine his own career.

He'd probably better off just not saying
anything.

And you got a guy who's a very young
player you you're referring to who's

Obviously a very, very good athlete.

He's ~ he's you know, he's kind of a dog
as as you would say as a player.

But ~ I I'm not absolutely sure of his
hands.

He's dropped a lot of passes. he seems to
be distracted by a lot of things that have

nothing to do with football. ~ he's kind
of intervening interjecting himself into

things that have nothing to do with his
job.

~

And sometimes those players have a trouble
just just there's

too much stuff. We went through with this
with Beckham,

you know, ten years ago. And the other
thing is that I think actually

the most serious thing though is that ever
since he's been on the team,

he seems to be very injury prone.

He's basically he actually has missed a
lot of games with some now

Yeah.

~ with some serious injuries, and ~ it
looks like

maybe he'll never get injured again,

but he looks like the kind of player who's
often seriously injured and he's still

a young player. So I mean the combination
of all those things,

I he just he looks he still looks like a
guy with great potential,

but actually ~ has ~ hasn't proven himself
as

a reliable ~ everyday player. So I I I
don't know,

I

I I agree with you. But I I I thought that
was well said,

You what can I?

you know, and you to mention his name with
Beckham is premature.

I mean I've been watching I I I I I

~ yeah, that's that's a good example.

but that people are doing that.

It's crazy.

I I've been watching the ~ the Giants
since

~ since birth and and my the three best
players I ever saw play

and probably in this order were Lawrence
Taylor

Fran Talkington and Beckham. Those are the
th the guys that that I thought were

the had the most talent. Now now now
Beckham went down a road ~ you know kind

of ~ you know s was self destructive.

And but it was undeniable this guy's
talent.

You know, and the fact the fact that he's
back on the team is a nice story.

And and maybe maybe he'll do something.

We don't know. But you know, Malik
Neighbors has a lot to prove.

Still, as as you mentioned, as does Abdul
Qatar.

I mean it seems like these people are are
yeah,

Another player like that, another player
with with undeniable

yeah, they're kind of self

talent, but you know, they're putting him
in the Hall of Fame already and you know,

then and he's already kinda kinda involved
in some strange things and

Well

I I would say talent. I wouldn't say
they're they have undeniable NFL talent.

I mean I I I wouldn't say that they may be
great athletes,

but I I I proven prove it in on on the
field.

Proven, not proven talent.

~ but you know you're obviously ~ Malik
Neighbors showed a

Yes.

lot in his first year. Now is he just more
of a

glorified, really good possession
receiver.

He could be. I'm not I'm not convinced
that he isn't that.

~ you know, he'd he's not a game wrecker
like Beckham.

Right. You know, he really you know,

At least he hasn't at least he hasn't
shown that yet.

that's a really good point you brought out
is that,

you know, he he seemed even when in when
he was doing well as a rookie that

he would ~ in short and into intermediate
range ~ basically fight for

the ball and and make those kind of
catches.

Also kind of get o ~ find his ways to get
open in that.

But I don't really recall him ~

kind of as you say, just breaking in
defense and just dashing past them.

You can't put him in the same category as
~ as Beckham.

And even even ~ I don't recall him

ne neither other than catching like that
long pass in the Dallas game,

you know, for that could shoulda could and
should have been a winning touchdown

at the end of the game. ~ other than that,

I don't recall him making

really any deep perceptions and I don't
recall him like taking the ball

and like Beckham used to do just taking it
to the house.

It's it's like he still has to I I I
haven't actually seen it yet,

you know, and ~ but that may not be his
fault either.

Well, I mean, there were some examples of
that.

Yeah.

That may be the scheme of the team and
limited by the people throwing

the ball and not having enough time to
throw the ball.

I mean there's other aspects for sure.

Yeah,

yeah. Yeah. I I I'm not trying to knock
the guy.

I I I I'm glad he's on our team.

He's you know, I think he's gonna be an
excellent player,

but you know, let's ~ pull the reins back
on that he's of El

of Odell Beckham's ~ ab ability.

You know, they add it they added ~ another
tight end.

You know, we'll we'll see what happens
there.

But and the quarterback, you know,

it's hard not to

be excited about the quarterback,

but again he's kind of in the same boat.

Right I mean he's he's proven he he's got
the right mentality.

Whether or not he's got the arm and the
accuracy,

he showed glimpses, but you know,

i it's it's not a complete picture yet.

But but, you know, it's it's I'm more
excited about him than I have been about

anybody else, probably, you know,

since Eli Manning.

That position, yeah.

so

so so offensively offensively there's
potential

and and defensively, I mean, in my
opinion,

by far the Giants best player is is Burns.

He's an absolute dog and talented and has
a and you know,

is relentless, you know, and and he's also
accomplished.

You know, the other the other guys we
talked about talk it

you know they they they

They show it on the field but but they ha
they don't have the resume.

So the Giants have the the Giants have
really

on defense at least, they they've really ~

Obviously the strength of their team is ~
linebackers,

right? They have four very high draft
choice linebackers

and you know that that you know and and
hopefully they're hopefully they're good

pass rushers. ~ but even that remains to
be seen.

But but they built the

P a position

that I yeah, at least I'll say this about
that.

a position that they years and years ago,

even when they had terrible teams,

were known for. I mean, for maybe twenty
years they were known

Yeah. Yeah.

for having real linebackers and they went
from that under Jerry Reese

to like actually never have linebackers
and ~

And now at least there seems to be a
desire to build that because

I think that's been like a noticeable
weakness in the team for quite a while.

Right, but even the other than Burns,

the other three guys have to pr are still,

in my opinion, relatively unproven.

There there's there's there's an enormous
amount of potential there.

You know, Thibodeau, you know,

you're you're a big Oregon Oregon duck
guy,

and you when they drafted him,

you told me exactly what you thought that
the guy shows up in

big situations and and there's times where
he's somewhat invisible,

which is kinda kinda kind of

I think he's I you know what he I

think my my when I we I remember us
talking about it and I think more

or less you could see why I said what I
said is that the guy's

a very good athlete who ~ still

was a little rough as ~ you know in his ~
his techniques.

He was ~

The top coming out of high school,

I think he was the top rated player coming
out of high school.

And ~ he he played I think I think he
played two years for the Ducks,

maybe three. And he he was like a really
good player.

But the two things was, and I think you've
seen this in the pros too,

is that first of all he he wasn't playing
like

all out

Every play. not saying he was lazy either.

It was just kind of like he just was kind
of like a pretty good player throughout

the game. And then at the very end of the
game,

he'd make the big play to save the game.

You know, the game would be on the line.

He'd make it. And then the other piece of
it was that

he tended to dominate ~ a lesser ~
opposition,

but when he was up against like a really

good offensive tackle, he was completely
negated.

And so I kinda had some reservations,

even though he was a really good player
for the Ducks,

won a lot of games for them be because of
being a being a g a really good closer.

~ on the other hand, he coming in,

people were like lauding him as a great
future pass rusher

and question his run defense.

But I think I shared with you,

I thought that was unfair. I thought
actually that he was a good

run defender in college and actually would
be pursuing plays downfield.

And I think he's done that in the pros
too.

So I think the w I think what hurt him
coming in is that he was perceived being

in a way that he really wasn't.

He's a he's actually like a pretty good
run stopper who can also

be like a game changing ~ pass rusher.

But

Only in crunch time and only if he's not
like matched against like

a really good tackle. I think that's how
it's been for him.

Yeah.

Yeah. Right. So, you know, the

~ the Giants' strength,

at least on paper, is their linebacking.

They have four young, relatively young,

very athletic, ~ very talented,

~ at least on paper, p plays at in th at
those positions and

You know, it'll be ~ it'll be interesting
to see what happens.

If you look at their defensive line,

you know, they got a rotation.

They got a rotation of ~ basically
anonymous players.

And I I don't I I think that could work.

You know, as long as you have six six
players that are competent,

I don't necessarily think you have to have
somebody that's overly dominant

if you have those other pieces.

And you know, they they

They can always go back to this ~ NASCAR
configuration with those four guys

~ at certain downs. And I have you know,

I have a lot of a lot more faith in the in
this coaching staff to find

how how to use these guys. And you know,

they have these extra pieces. And the
secondary is,

you know, a crapshoot. At this p at this
at this point,

That's that's a big question.

I mean, this guy that they drafted in the
second round a couple of years ago is

Y you know, I'm not I'm not studying the
alt twenty two tape all day long,

but he he's basically invisible.

I'm not

Yeah y which one? You

you're trying to say who are you referring
to?

The guy from Minnesota they drafted two
years ago.

~ Nubin, the the the the safety yes,

Yeah, I mean he he was he came in as a
ball hawk at nine interceptions.

yes.

I mean I don't I again it could be how
he's used,

but but you you know, your eyes don't lie
to you.

I d I didn't I this guy does simply not
make plays.

~ you know you know, and w I don't know if
the if the current coaching staff's gonna

find something in him. I hope they do.

The other guy they brought in last year
was also disappointing.

The the s the cornerback they brought in
last year was disappointing.

If Cordell Flott's your best player in the
secondary,

you're in trouble. I mean not that he's a
terrible problem,

I you know, actually I thought he played
pretty well.

but you know, I yeah, I know, but I know,

I thought he played

but I mean I weighed as much as Cor
Cordell Flott in fourth grade.

I I I mean this th this guy looks like he
weighs nin ninety five pounds.

No, and and he he played okay,

but he can't be a best player in the
secondary.

He just he just can't.

Well,

I think I think that

he he basically would have been re signed

by the team except for the new coaching
staff is not looking

for that kind of player. For the same
reason you go back to the first draft that

Shane had, he's picking guys like Wendell
Robinson and Flott in the second

and third round.

of a team whose cupboard was bare,

and you're picking these little ~ guys.

I I mean they're good, I mean,

they play their hearts out for the Giants.

They they're they're they're not bad
players,

but you can see the difference in this new
regime is that they're they're looking

to get bigger and stronger instead of like
smaller and faster.

And and and a different it's a different
type of team.

But

I don't I don't see how you can build a
foundation of a team around guys weighing

a hundred and sixty five pounds.

It's like insane. I mean I mean you'd
maybe pick up as as like as a

~ I'm I'm

as free agents or something, but your
second and third round picks are that's
crazy.

I'm two fifteen. Maybe I should show up at
the training camp.

See see what I can do. But I I I

No, it's rid no, I I remember

that. I mean like what are they thinking?

And now and now they gave this guy a four
year extension.

Well w what I really expect to see the
biggest improvement is in the special
teams.

Right? The Giants special teams were were
were were a tr were a train wreck.

~ yeah, we're we're a joke.

Now they have a professional punter.

Yeah, and you know what?

Underrated by the way. I mean not him.

Yeah.

Not him. But it's kinda like them like
ignoring this

for a decade. The guy they ~ it's
unbelievable they had this guy,

Gillam, for like how he played for them
for like probably five to six years.

And and he it's crazy because the guy had
a strong leg,

Yeah.

but he's not like a real professional
kicker.

Yeah, well, you know, I have a a soft spot
for him because,

you know, I've been to Scotland twenty
nine times.

And you know, he he's from Scotland.

And the Scots were just in Boston for the
World Cup.

What a i i I mentioned before the the
Mongols going across Central Asia.

That was like the Scots going across the
city of Boston then and it was hilarious.

Really?

~ they they drank pubs drive.

~

So the

own owners of the pubs had to go to Costco
to buy liquor.

~ and they they were all right.

I mean, they they were funny. I mean,

I I didn't see any trouble in particular,

but they were, let's say, very
enthusiastic.

~ and ~ it was very f it was funny to
watch them and and

Ha

now we're digressing again, but you know,

the Norwegians are the same team.

There's this troop of a couple hundred
Norwegians that are following

the team around.

Yeah, I saw you.

You know, and I I

went to the US Open at Shinnecock,

the Norwegians were there. A Met game,

the Norwegians were there. I mean they're
really ~ they really take they they look

like they're having a good time everywhere
they go.

And they're and they're going everywhere.

But back to back to special teams,

you know, this is where I really expect to
see the big big

We need I think we need more Norwegians on
the team.

Well well the Scott didn't

work out too good, but you know what's his
name?

Tynes. Their field goal kicker is
Scottish.

Yeah, I know. Yeah. And and ~ but back to
special teams,

you know, I obviously this is gonna be the
area where I think we'll

see the most immediate improvement because
of who Harbaugh is

and his commitment to that and his his
expertise in that.

I mean that that was a coaching that was a
big coaching issue with the prior regime,

getting special teams ~ in line.

Well, also deciding

also deciding the composition of the
roster.

I think they under underestimated the
importance there that the

the kicking game actually costs them quite
a few games.

And you're always like nervous.

Well, at least I I I hope he kicks the
ball.

He doesn't kick it like you know,

like you're you're you're you're just
hoping for like the worst possible

not it's gonna be the worst possible
scenario.

And now you've got a guy who looks like
he's a professional ki punter.

And the the kicking is actually the field
goal kicking is a super big question mark,

but you kinda trust the people making the
decisions.

Yeah. Well the guy at the end of last year
they brought him in when somebody

got hurt, he looked by far the best kicker
that they've had in the last five years.

He only played one one or two

Yeah, but but he's been the

every indication he's been terrible.

This this ~ this

Okay. I know. Well well

well they brought in a g you know,

a very experienced kicker and they they
cut him already.

That's right. So they must know what
they're doing,

So they they they must they must know.

they haven't.

That's a that's going back to the ~ you
know,

one of the original comments, I'm not
worried about that.

I I I mean Harbor is gonna sort that out.

I mean that's his area of of expertise.

You know, and it's a microcosm for for the
entirety of of the football operation,

you know, a special team, so

I have a feeling they're gonna be much
much improved.

That's the the one area where I expect to
see the most improvement.

The other areas we'll continue to see.

So by the way, ~ you you live in Mexico

and I know not full time.

Well not not full t not full time,

but I I spend I spend time here.

I mean, yeah, yeah y I okay. Yeah,

right. Okay. So your wife's in Mexico,

you spend a lot of time there.

My wife's from Turkey, I spend a lot of
time there.

So the Turks didn't do very well in

in the World Cup, which was disappointing
to the Turkish community.

And you know, the game last night that Met
New Mexico that was incredible game.

that was a good game.

I mean I don't really want I don't really
follow soccer too closely,

That was a really good game.

but I'm a sports fan and that that was
very entertaining.

Very

It was a good

game and they they could have they could
have won that game.

They just had like like all sports,

you know, it's a long game, especially
soccer.

It's like ninety minutes and it could be ~
tedious at times.

But basically they lost the game in the
end because of ~

two defensive lapses that occurred within
like a minute of the game.

And other than that minute other than that
minute they they played pretty good.

How did how did your wife and her family
take the loss?

in the end, well, you know, ~ you know,

you you know this from personal
experience,

you know, we're ~ we're ~ we don't you
know,

for religious reasons too, we that we
don't drink and we don't

eat we're vegetarians, so we're
vegetarians and we that we don't drink.

And so ~ you can imagine in Mexico that if
you're gonna have like a

a soccer party in your house and your
house is like

like an alcohol and meat-free zone,

then you it probably means you're gonna be
watching the game by yourself.

So that's actually what happened.

And so we watched it and you know,

my wife is ~ she's actually a pretty big
sports fan and she's knowledgeable.

And so she watched the the whole game.

And she's got like a much better,

I think, emotional attitude towards sports
than I do.

We're both known as throwing things at the
television and other

other b ~ embarrassing behavior,

but she's not in that group. She basically
roots for a team,

she gets very excited when they score a
goal.

And when the game was over, ~ she was
proud that that it was a well fought game

and an exciting game and on to the next
thing.

So she's ~ she doesn't carry with her like
I do,

let's say.

Yeah. So I I haven't really been watching
the whole games.

You know, I have YouTube TV which is
spectacular,

everything's recorded and you can go and
you can watch the key plays

and I've been doing I've been doing that,

but but recently now that you know you
know,

the better teams are left, I've I've been
watching at least parts parts

of the game and most of them are pretty
good.

Most of them are mo most of them are
exciting and you can

kinda get idea. You know, I went to a game
in London in in January.

I saw I went to Tot Tottenham Stadium and
they played Austin Villa.

And what a great atmosphere. You know,

~ and y you get a better appreciation for
the game when it's there.

First of all, how big the field is.

It doesn't look that big. W when you're
there in person it looks it looks huge

and you know you you c you can see the
strategy.

And what players do what? A lot more live
than on TV.

So yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

I think that's true in all sports,

yeah.

It's kind of it's kind of a happening.

I think ~ I think ~ you know, I went I
went to the games in ninety four when

it was back here in the United States and
you just walked it Yeah,

Excuse me one second. Excuse me one
second.

yeah.

That will be an edit. Angelica is not part
Angelica may have views

And ~ Okay.

on the giant season, but I'm not sure that
~ she can do it bilingually.

I see. Okay. Well, you know, back

Well I'm feeling

a internet, incorrect. it's not my phone
cylinder.

Wow.

Okay. Pero see ~ gran equipo porque llegó
hasta

si hasta yeah. Alright. Mucha muchacha.

Yeah, yeah. Google Google.

~ see. Okay.

~ Alright, much gracias.

Alright, that was ~ maybe I don't edit
that.

Lo siento Real time feedback?

May maybe maybe I don't edit that.

That was ~ that w

~

There's a real time

feedback. That was Angelica ~ coming in,

because ~ she's a very good friend of the
family.

She also cleans the house three times a
week,

which is a Mexican kind of thing that
wasn't in the United States when

Yeah. Yeah.

I lived there, but but ~ she does a great
job keeping our our

our living situation very graceful and ~
and we love her.

And she happened to walk in the door and ~

She didn't know anything about the Giants,

but she did have an opinion about the game
last night.

She did watch the the game and she said
just what we've said.

She's and she's like ~ my wife.

~ she ~ basically ~ thought that it was a
very well played

and hard fought game, that the opposition
was was a very good team,

and that Mexico played

very well but and they played them all the
way down to the last second

and that's the that's all that they can do
and she was proud of her team.

So ~ pretty much the same as what Kolwan
said,

Well, what a

you know.

what an adult what a bunch of adults.

You know, I'd be we usually you and I are
kicking and screaming,

you know, I bet the but the but the Yeah.

That's what I'm saying. They have healthy
I you know

what? I'm almost jealous. It it's kinda
like they can I mean you know what

I I'm saying, is like they can and maybe
there's a point in my life I was like
this,

that they can actually watch the game,

really get into it, okay,

and enjoy it and if it doesn't turn out
well,

just ~ but they enjoyed the game itself
and they have no ~ no regrets

and they don't carry it with them.

So you could see she was very happy today.

That's very

She's not if that was my team,

it would take me a week to recover from
this.

But

as you'll s as you'll see once the season
starts.

~

Haha no, you

know, I I I was talking to you earlier
this week about something unrelated

to this and I think I told you that I was
emotionally exhausted about some stuff

that I had to deal with in my regular
life.

And ~ and it remind

Not your celebrity life?

Is this your celebrity life?

I my celebrity life is actually

that's why people have celebrity lives.

They're they're they're basically stress
free.

It's just it's like not real, right?

So ~

I remember this last year or two with

the Giants of feeling actually emotionally
exhausted by the end of the season,

just enduring so much negativity.

And you know, I think this last season in
particular was very

~ challenging because ~ even with the
limited roster

and the poor coaching.

They were actually in games against very
good teams.

They were like leading them in the fourth
quarter and all they had to

do was not implode, but to actually win
games against playoff teams.

Very good teams actually.

And it wasn't even that they were playing
him tooth and nail.

They were actually comfortably winning
against some very good teams

and completely imploded. And I think that
the accumulative effect

of losing like the games they lost,

especially against ~ like Chicago and
Denver.

Denver.

Denver started that free fall.

Denver, Chicago, Detroit,

good teams actually.

You know, and and ~ on the road no less,

and just completely imploding.

And I just think that by the end of the
year I was like exhausted with

the whole thing. And then they land up of
course winning the last

two meaningless games. They couldn't do
anything right.

my god. I'm rooting I find myself rooting
against them and they st and they land

Well they did

up winning, right? So

They they they did one thing right.

They got the the coach.

That's a big then that's you know,

it's it's kind of amazing that if you look
at it,

that the the the better players,

especially at particular positions like
wide receiver or or

defensive end or like like pass rushers,

they they make considerably more than the
highest paid coaches.

And I and I don't think that anyone has as
much influence on the success

of the team as the coach does.

Right. Well, Hobo is being paid ~
appropriately.

Yeah, but he he basically what he's
getting paid.

Okay, market wise he's getting he's
getting well and any of us would love

I know, I know.

to have that salary, but I'm just saying
that he's not getting paid as much

as their ~ as Brian Burns, for instance.

There there's no comparison who who has
more influence on the outcome of the game.

No, he's not.

It's just there's the those are the
economics of the sport.

But i i he the coach is by far the most
important person on the field.

And and ~ you know, y you know,

we we talk about ~ this guy, what's his
name,

Francesa, you know, and Mike Francesa.

And ~ there's reasons that he's not a li
you know,

some ways not a likable person,

but I I I have to say I I often agree with
his common sense ~ way

of looking at things. And he and a couple
of years ago he said something,

yeah, yeah, I'm going, you know,

that's really true. He he basically said
that if you really want to look

at the success of any team, long term
success success of any team.

It's like baseball, you know, it's like
the catcher,

the pitcher and the center fielder,

right? And and in it's up the middle.

And he was saying in football,

it's it's the own the owner, the coach and
the quarterback.

Those are those are the three people who
have the most influence on

the long term success. And I think that's
really been true.

And I think you've had, you know,

very questionable I'm not saying the owner
himself personally,

but ~

the the the owning families have been sort

of negligent and there's been negletism.

they've had ~ since Coughlin they really
have not had like a really good coach

and they have had and they've had ~
Manning at the end of his career

and and ~ Daniel Jones was is still like a
a head scratcher.

Even seeing him play well for
Indianapolis,

I have no idea I that's he's been like a
perennial head scratcher

and then ~ they've had other people and
no,

there's so all those three things have
been questionable.

It's very hard to have a good team ~ when
that's happened.

Yeah.

Yeah, that's a good that's a good point
and I I generally agree with Mike
Francesa.

I know that sometimes he presents his
opinions as axioms,

~ but ~ in general, you know,

I I I I I tend to agree with a lot and
he's pretty objective too.

I mean I I like I like less

He is, he's he

I really like him. I really like him.

I I think that he's very objective and and
I like

his common sense approach to things.

I I think the thing that and he'd other
for he'd otherwise

be my favorite commentator. I really do
like him.

~ and I think he's I think he's genuine.

I don't think he's disingenuous.

I think the one thing that kinda
undermines him

Is that ~ he ~ kind of sometimes makes him
more about himself.

Like he's he's trying to prove to you how
great he is.

Like he doesn't have to say anything,

I'll decide that, you know, and and he
actually does a good job.

So it's he he's like ~ what do you call
it?

Somebody, a a name a name dropper.

Like he he wants you to know that he knows
everybody.

So why why why does he want who cares?

So he's yeah, I know that coach.

I've known him a long time. Like why why
you know,

yeah.

why do that? I you know, and yeah,

I told you this was gonna happen and it
happened.

Like, you know, yeah, I know, I listened
to the show.

So basically, to me it kind of takes away
from a lot of the good things he's doing.

But that's that's happening in the world
these days,

Yeah, I know. He has it he he has

right? So

he has his own show. We have our show,

so ~ you know, I I think

And he I doubt he's been to Uzbekistan,

I Well any any you know anyway,

or even Kazakhstan for that moment.

~ you know, as as it's Turkmenistan.

Certainly not Turkestan. Turkmenistan.

Get your stands right. Yeah. Yeah.

Turkmenistan. I I would say

there's little chance that Mike Frances ~
has visited Turkmenistan.

Yeah, probably been a well.

Well, we've been ~ we've been talking for
a while and ~ I just wanted to

~ to bring up to bring up one thing and
that was,

you know, it took a took a longer time for
us to come back to you.

Part of the reason is that ~ Hami Nam lost
his mother not too long ago,

who, you know, I knew in ~ really a week
ago,

A week ago. A week ago.

and ~ she was

ninety seven years old and you can talk
more about her but you know

I always joyed enjoyed being around your
mother.

I called her mom ~ for lack of what else
to call.

Not not that I met her that many times,

but I met her several times and ~ you
know,

~ really ~ nice lady that'll be missed.

Well the thanks and you know, it wasn't
especially being ninety seven

and somebody who was blessed with a pretty
comfortable life.

She had a little but you know,

she actually really didn't have health
problems,

she didn't have economic problems,

~ she really didn't she ha so you know,

she used the ninety seven years she hide
well.

and ~ and even going to the funeral was
was not a negative experience.

Me personally is she she had a she had a
really good life and she had

a long life and ~ and you know what w one
thing that really struck me,

~ you know we

We haven't talked a lot about political
things and those kind of heavy things

and it's really not for this show.

But one one thing that is really clear
when you see somebody ninety-seven passing

away is that they're saying and I think
that they're right is that that

she used to say that this isn't my world
anymore.

And I think I can s see that happen.

I just think that that there's so many
things happening so quickly

in the world right now that that

You know, I we would just used to live in
a certain way and

now it's like accelerating and it's just a
very ~

I think ~ insecure time. You know,

it just seem it just seemed like there's
always been craziness,

you know, that you had to deal with.

But at this point, ~ especially among
younger people coming into this,

it's it it's like ~ there's a lot of stuff
to be concerned about.

There's a lot of

insecurity about things and ~ it's moving
really fast and

I think that she realized that kind of
slipping away the last few years that

you know just she she really didn't
understand it but it you could you

you could see that her place in the world
didn't exist anymore.

You know that what's required to survive
now she didn't have those skills

and I think that's true for a lot of
people older people

They're they become kind of irrelevant,

you know. And I think that's that's almost
what we're gonna be going into when

we get older. We're all I'm already old.

I'm in my seventies. ~ when I get old,

I'm already old. But ~ yeah, things seemed
to be going very fast and it

was her her time was over, you know.

Yeah, anyway. Well ~ you know,

~ condolences to you and your family.

And ~ you know, she had a long,

like you said, healthy life, so that makes
~ makes it a little easier little easier,

you know, but ~ you know, it's something I
lost both my parents,

you know, it's something t you learn to
live with but you never get over

is the best way to describe it.

So you know, just wanted to ~ you know

~ You know, wish ~ send my condolences to
you and your family.

And and

Fine, thanks. Did your mom did your mom

ever wa Your mom your mom followed the
giants a little bit,

didn't she?

Yeah. Yeah. I mean she'd be she'd be
cooking and sticking her head in you know,

and and you know, she'd yell at the T V
occasionally.

But ~ you know, like we talk like

No, my my mother was

not my mother was you know, my dad was
like your dad really into it,

we're into it. My mom actually wasn't and
I think she didn't actually realize it.

I don't know what was on her mind because
the last game I ever watched with

my father was actually the the Super Bowl
at the end of the

two thousand seven season that that you
know when the Giants kind

of shot the undefeated

Patriots. And we were watching it in their
house in the living room

and and she kind of was sitting in on it
and and so was Culant,

my wife. We were all watching this game.

And I think she was less interested in the
game that I don't think

it occurred to her how important this
actually was to the people watching it,

you know, particularly me and my father,

and you know, when they won that game,

~

Two of us were like actually crying.

very emotional. We were crying and hugging
each other.

And my mother, I remember to be absolutely
in shock with the level

of our emotional involvement in the game.

And and I was thinking, how could she have
not seen that?

But that I I think it sounds like your mom
was a little more ~ aware of that,

No, no. So

a little more of a ~ participant.

She was acutely aware of that,

and she would have been very happy for for
us.

I was at that game, by the way.

And ~ I th and like I said in the first
episode,

Yes you were. Yes you were.

I wasn't gonna go and my wife talked me
into going.

And that was ~ good, yeah.

~ that's ~ sweet.

All right, man, I think ~ I think I think
that's a wrap.

All right, well great. Well thanks for
your condolences.

Thanks for the ~ tour of ~ Ubakistan
Ubakistan,

right?

Yes, Central Asia in general, but ~
Uzbekistan,

yes, is is was was the country.

Yeah, well that's that's

Now, you know, I have a hat for all the
stands,

so this is an Ubekistan hat. But

You do, you do, but the but you know what?

You

know, you you you don't have one of these
though.

That's and it

I'm not fit I'm not fit

to wear that that hat. I'm not ~ tak it
takes a life it takes

Well you know what? I'll tell this this is
how I'll

a lifelong commitment to wear that hat,

which I'm

Well you know you know, this is actually

this is actually almost forty five feet of
material.

Yeah, I mean I've I've watched you rap it.

It's quite a process.

It's quite a process

anyhow

We'll be entertaining people ~ during the
football season and time going on.

We'll see how long it takes to build.

But I think people are gonna have a lot of
interest in sitting

in on these conversations. So thanks so
much,

~ Kevin as usual. It's it's just fun.

I mean I I don't have to do it.

I just it's it's just a good pretext to
talk with you and and it's great that

we just like, you know, have time that we
have an hour we could talk about whatever

we want to and i it still gets back to
giants football.

And just ~ Harinam does all the work.

You know, I'm just the pretty boy that
shows up.

So thank you for thank Well Thank thank
you.

Alright, well you're doing a very good job
being that pretty boy.

Alright, God bless. We'll see each other

All right.

soon and and go giants and ~ giant
conversations,

Satnam. Satnam.

giant conversations on YouTube and all
your ~

all your podcast platforms. All right.

Ciao.