Rece Davis ESPN, talks new College GameDay with Nick Saban, Lee Corso, Pat McAfee, Kirk Herbstreit

boy am I excited about our next guest as our list of Allstar guests continues and REE Davis certainly an All-Star of ESPN game day Fame and and all sorts of other stuff I knew ree Davis back when he was in Columbus Georgia I was in Birmingham Alabama and our paths would always cross when Alabama would play Auburn not just in football but virtually everything and and that takes us back ree that that was a long time ago but it's great to see you thanks for carving at the time for us today oh my pleasure Doug great to see you as well did do you remember those days oh yeah absolutely man I mean uh would see all of the guys from Birmingham who are in the big fancy markets when I was in h Columbus Georgia going to the weekly Pat die press conferences at at Auburn because Columbus is uh for those who don't know is only about 40 minutes maybe from Auburn and they were in our area of dominant influence our Market as they called it so we covered Auburn expensively and we'd go over there and uh hear coach d every I think it was Tuesday was it Tuesday Monday yeah it was Tuesday did did press conference and we'd go over there and he'd go they're fine fine football team we're gonna have to be sound in the kicking game if all is going to get a victory on Saturday you know so it was a it was a good time so yeah I remember it well yeah times have changed a little bit uh in the college uh football realm and we'll talk a little bit about that uh but first things first you know last week was the big PGA Championship ESPN involved with the broadcasting Rees I think you were the only guy from ESPN not on that broadcast uh you I yeah they they very wisely keep me away from the golf broadcast just like most of the golf courses once I go and visit with friends because I'm not a member anywhere once I go they go uh would you do us a favor and never come back here again please so so they they keep me away from the golf broadcast that's a that's a smart move on their part A wise one on on mine because uh you know was it the outlaw Jesse Josie Wales that said a man's got to know his limitations or something like that so uh so that's uh that's that's good but yeah it was great coverage Jeff Darlington uh and and others I mean Bob was shoing you know was right there when the whole incident happened with Scotty Sheffer and actually I ran into a couple of days after I ran in uh to another player on tour who was not playing PGA in the airport and he was like man he said of all the people he's like he's like I know Scotty pretty well and he was like uh that's the last guy I would have ever anticipated having something like that happen to him so it's but Jeff and and everybody involved did a great job with the coverage there yeah it was unbelievable it really was and uh Jeff darlington's uh video on his phone uh I mean that was unbelievable as this case continues and we won't talk about that but uh that that is going to be a crazy situation now I think for for weeks to come uh you know speaking of golf um nick sabbin uh coach Sab who will be on game day reys he is playing golf virtually every day with some bigname people every day once he gets his uh once he gets his chores done he he told me and I think he's told a lot of other people too he said I do my chore list I finish by nine so I can go play golf so uh he's he's really enjoying it we are very excited about having him on the show he's going to bring an element to the show that makes it completely different not only is he um brilliant obviously in the x's and o's is a masterful communicator no matter what the setting is and you know I'm really really excited to have him on the show he's he under understands team he really wants to be a part and there are a lot of people Doug who come into our industry and I realize you and I both realize this I think we're not breaking rocks here I mean I understand we're not we're not splitting atams and I understand that but it's also it's probably fairly easy to accomplish but it is extraordinarily difficult to be good at and the reason I say that is because there are a lot of factors that go into being good um and part of them are subjective I mean you and I could watch 10 tapes of people and chances are we'd probably agree on seven or eight as to whether we thought they were good or not good and then there would probably be one tape each way somebody that you were like h no and I would be no no no you know that person is Sensational so there's a subjective quality to whether people think you're good at this or not but there there's also an ex a high degree of difficulty to actually be good at it and not just sit out there and talk and a lot of people when they come from the play playing or coaching side said well I was a great player I was a great coach I'm going to sit out here and do it that's not how he's approaching it as I'm sure that comes as no surprise to you he absolutely worked his backside off getting ready for the NFL draft I mean it was like he was you know preparing for a game and he's going to do the same thing with game day and we even have some things that um he and I talked about with our um with our producers an idea to really dive into his ex Ando expertise and give people something really specific and insightful um to look for in in a game or two each we going to set up a a cool Studio situation some of it we may have to tape the day before the um day before the show Maybe not maybe we do it live all of that still to be ironed out but we want to play into his expertise in addition to the fact that I think he's going to be just a great part of the team he likes to bust chops he's got a great sense of humor um you know so we're we're really looking forward to having him on yeah I'm excited I I really am and I've known coach sa in a long time uh and I just you're right everything you just said he's going to bring an element uh that the show hasn't had not that it's been a you know it's a successful show but it's always good to add something different and I think he'll do that hey tell me uh how's coach Coro doing he he's doing great Doug I was with him in Chicago on Saturday night we uh there was an event and some people were nice enough to ask LC and Desmond and me to come up and and we also uh brought Ken Jang into the mix with us so that was it was not your your typical it was not your typical exop panel but we had a great time LC's doing uh doing Sensational he was great in front of the crowd we look forward to uh you know to him being back you know he'll be he'll be 89 by the time the season starts and you know he's he's just doing great so we're we're excited about that yeah that's great news uh you know I I know coach bich hasn't been hired by anybody and I you know I'm not saying ESPN should but I did think last year for the Army Navy game when he came on the set with you guys and he brought the old helmet I think Roger stabach Ward and he actually put it on I thought he showed a lot of personality I thought that was an incredible segment I I I really enjoyed that well thank you and well when we thank Bill he was he was terrific also and he's got a you know a lot like Nick different personalities even though I know they're close friends but they he has a lot of Personality also and I I think he's going to be a regular on the Manning cat and with Pat McAfee I think um you know he was on Pat's draft show that they did on the side and got absolute rave reviews and so you know both of these guys that it sort of shows that you think you know people on the outside and then you get to see a different dimension of them when they're put in in a new setting and I think Bill could be a great broadcaster now he may still have the itch to go back and Coach um you know I don't know I don't know that don't know him well enough to uh know what his personal plans are but based on the early returns with his involvement with Pat and the times that we've had him on the show I think that uh I think he could be great in broadcasting you know I I I told this story we had bill on Kirk and I called a game um the year of the lockdowns at Navy BYU Navy and there was not a soul in the stadium and you know so we you know because of Bill's connection to the Academy we thought you know it was close to the NFL season starting too we thought well maybe we can get him on the phone and he was gracious enough to come on the phone and we thought okay maybe we'll get two or three minutes well he starts talking about Navy football and he stayed through an entire drive we had to go to commercial ask him say he said sure and he said and he just he's he is encyclopedic in his knowledge of football generally and Navy football specifically and you know he he showed a different side as opposed to you know we're on to Cincinnati that you got at the news conferences a lot and I think you know if he chooses to do that he'll be he's got a chance to really be good at it as well for a lot of the same reasons I said about Nick in that he he doesn't really go in and half step anything and that sort of um you know what to Veer off into some type of motivational message but that I think that sort of stands stands to reason just about anything you do if you you know if you go at it then you achieve at a higher level generally speaking or you at least satisfy yourself that you have done the best job you can do and that's what uh you know it's what my experience with uh with Nick is and I it seems to be the same thing with things other than football with Bill bich as well you know you mentioned Kirk herb Street and uh back uh at the Genesis Invitational I was working that PGA event and interviewed Al Michaels uh who's a great guy by the way uh and of course he works with Kirk on the NFL Thursday deal and he brought up a point ree he said listen he doesn't think Kirk gets enough credit for what he's doing preparing for an NFL game and then flying to do game day and he said what he does for a 14 or 15we period Al said I mean we take it for granted right he's just flying around doing all this stuff but he said the prep work that he does to maintain a level of excellence and expertise for not just college but now the NFL I mean I thought it was fascinating and Al you know and that's coming from a guy who's been doing a long time Al Michaels well he Al's right about that I mean because Kirk uh nothing has suffered which is almost impossible yeah because you know as mentioned earlier and now what he's doing from a travel standpoint does take a bit of a physical toll in terms of just you know General fatigue but not one thing has s effed in terms of preparation involvement both not only you know for game day and his NFL game which I my only my only knowledge of what that preparation is like is watching the games and he's Sensational which he always is right you know but when he comes to game day he's locked in he's locked in with you know constant communication with me and with h our producer Jim Guero uh throughout the week and then you watch the game on Saturday night that he calls with Fowler and you know he he's terrific there too he's locked in on all of it and a lot of it is because he's driven he doesn't want he doesn't want anybody to be able to say that he's let anything slip now a lot of that just that's the way he's wired and he just does it sensationally and it is a lot I mean it is a lot on his plate and then game day because of his long affiliation with it you know it's he would know precisely I want to say 26 years maybe 27 something like that or you know maybe even it might be longer now but at any rate it's a long time and he has an affinity for that he is not about to to step back from from his role in it because I think one of the things that that I like about doing the show and I it's how I've always approached doing things is I I don't you know I don't show up on Saturday or on Friday and have them say okay here's what we're talking about you know I'm I'm involved with that all week long really basically from about 12:01 on Saturday eastern time and Kirk's the same way I mean he we are both uh intimately involved with helping structure the show now we've got great producers I mean gyo is as good as they come but you know and he he works with us as a team and you know everybody has input but I think because of my RO of host and Kirk's longevity on the show we are particularly you know in involved in topics how we handle topics ideas and you know all those types of things yeah I mean uh listen I have a great deal of respect for all you guys um and I know the work that you put in but what really comes out is the chemistry you have on the show uh I mean you guys needle each other obviously you like each other uh you bring out the best in each other sometimes Rees you ask you ask questions and and sometimes they throw things at you and you come back right at you know right back at them so uh it is great banter and that's why the show's been so successful and now as you told me before we came on I did not I had forgotten you guys are going to open up in Dublin Ireland for game day now that will be that'll be worth the the wait and worth the watch for all of us we it's always fun to go places where we haven't been or places where they don't expect us and I think that Dublin would top the list of places where they don't expect us but from our Advanced people who've gone over to see what you know get the lay of the land Logistics uh site surveys all of those types of things that people have to do every week but you have to do it well in advance when you're uh going with an undertaking like this and from uh Jay bat who's the athletic director at Georgia Tech who went over and he sent me a note and said man they are so excited here it's uh it's going to be a great scene I I mentioned to you before we started talking that we were supposed to go in in 2020 and to the Notre Dame Navy game and then I had seen at that time I guess it was you know 2019 they had sent back uh ideas of what the set was going to look like what the backdrop of the stadium was and it just looked you know breathtaking it was Sensational and I'm from what I've seen so far it's going to be the same the people of Dublin have really embraced this game um you know they've had a college game a number of times over the years early in the season um and you know to have two teams you know you automatically think it's going to be Notre Dame but it's not you know Georgia Tech and Florida State so it'll be it'll be a great way to start the season I think the fans are the ones who are traveling and I've run into a few of those too who are excited about going to the game so you know I think it's going to be a great show and a great way to kick off the season well I I work on golf a lot obviously and I've got to know Rory maroy and Shane Lowry and padrick Harrington and I will say uh I'm not sure who the friendly uh group of people are the Irish or the Australians uh I mean you're going to have so much fun because the people they really are very very friendly and outgoing and it's almost like you guys are relatives when you go over there ree you're going to love it the people are fantastic oh I'm I'm looking forward to it Doug I think uh I think that that gives you a great backdrop and great sense of the show and obviously we will do everything we can to capture the spirit of the city uh it will be largely a season pre show I mean there will be probably more time than normal spent on the game that will be played Georgia Tech and Florida State and by more time to normal I mean for a typical week zero show but it will also function as our season preview show so that you know that'll be a good way to start and we expect to have a great crowd with us and and behind us and we'll try to um you know give them some uh some special moments I'm sure Pat McAfee will be a crowd favorite in Dublin as everywhere he goes so uh we're we're fired up about about unleashing that on on our friends from Ireland so it'll be fun yeah Pat is an absolute hoot uh when you guys set up in Tuscaloosa uh oh my goodness and of course I still live down here and people go over and they come back with Pat McAfee stories and they're all positive they're just I mean he's outlandish and I just uh I he's he's unique to say the least reys it hard in this business to find someone who is but Pat is first of all he's extraordinarily smart he I mean this is this is a really really smart dude first of all and his instincts are remarkable and his connection with with crowds uh here's probably the quintessential story now the younger demographic they they knew Pat before he joined us you know his show was wildly popular with younger people but some of the older people didn't know who he was maybe if they were really hardcore football fans you know may they they might remember him uh you know playing at West Virginia or playing for the Colts or whatever but my wife's uh aunt is in her mid to late 80s and she's you know a college football fan she's always supported uh you know me in the show and watched every week and all that and when pat first came on she had no idea who he was and she was she was a little uh taken a back slash maybe put off initially wasn't sure she liked this guy over a period of about half of the first season I think she likes Pat more than she likes me now she she waits to watch Pat she loves Pat you know she's in her late 80s and she loves it and typically that's what happens with people who watch a little bit more with him or certainly people who have personal interactions we were when we were at Utah um this year Friday he had he brought the guys out to do his show live from Salt Lake City and they done the show and he he stayed out there Doug and signed and took every last picture you know for everybody that wanted to Friendly and not just you know the casual thing he would engage with people he's got a gift for that and you know he's extraordinarily generous he's fun uh you know he's he's just a dynamic personality and a force of Nature and the business Empire that he's built and in this media environment is really really something to Marvel at yeah I mean he uh he's unique for a lot of reasons but I think we need to emphasize he's not just a a guy who uh does funny stuff on television uh I mean he's a businessman and and he Al he's also I mean his generosity I mean is remarkable you probably saw the other day you know he he he bought a car off that meum auctions I'm not real familiar with that I sort of know it by osmosis I know you know the auction car he bought a car for a dude you know he he his generosity is uh is really something to be uh you know to be impressed by and to appreciate and you know his he's just he he's got great instincts for people he's just he's just a good dude you know you know loves his daughter and loves his wife you know relative relatively new father now and you know just just couldn't couldn't be a better dude he's uh he's fit in very well with us we're happy to have him yeah no doubt I have to ask you this before I let you go because um you know friends are like oh you're going to interview Rees Davis everybody knows you Rees I don't know if you know all my friends but they think they know you um and listen these are longtime Alabama football fans and obviously lots happening right now I'm not I'm not going to have you decipher this very complicated house versus the NCAA grand house by the way a swimmer uh who uh uh is involved in this lawsuit that the NCAA is now trying to negotiate a settlement antitrust Etc uh go read about it it's somewhat complicated but EV evidently re these athletes current and past are going to get a payout uh of in some capacity to go along with the nil deals that are now unfolding uh almost on a daily basis not just in football and basketball but all sports um even golfers College golfers are getting nil money but Ree my friend was concerned he said listen I've been going to Alabama football games for 45 years he goes I love it and I'm not going to stop going but he goes it just he feels a change in the current of College athletics because it is going to be professionalism if it's not already with this current settlement of the case it's going to be even more so I mean reys are we are we delving into murky Waters that is going to eventually damage the sport or do you just think it'll survive like it always has no matter what has stood in the way of College athletics the answer Doug that I've always given is that is the second part that it will always survive because my initial reaction over the last few years is things have changed is I I won't say cynical but players have been getting paid since the beginning of time we just sort of you know covered covered our eyes and pretended we didn't know you know and I we I don't mean the media everybody you know if if it bothered people it was a lot like and still is in a lot of ways like going to the movies well you know you know Tom Cruz can't hold on to the wing of an airplane at 30,000 feet and live to tell about it but we like to watch it and so we suspend some disbelief and enjoy it um so I think it's a little bit like that the one thing I do worry about though that I do take seriously that a lot of my more hardcore colleagues on this this dismiss is the feeling that your friend brought up about a feeling of disconnection with the fans now and I don't think it's just because players make money I I don't think people do on a grand scale or should care about that that doesn't compromise education it doesn't compromise competitive Spirit it you know in and of itself for individuals anything can be true but collectively it doesn't compromise any of that but if fans feel like the team they're rooting for is purely transactional that they don't have the affinity for the school or the program that they do on some level and it will always mean more to the players than it does to the fans because of what they put into it every day but if there's no if they if the fans believe that to them that the players are watching don't have the same level of emotional attachment then I think then the demand for performance and standard of achievement from the fans toward the players and the team becomes higher it becomes like what Pro okay so now you don't care as much and now you look at it go wait a minute you know Alabama and Auburn they're great but they're not as good at football as you know as the Falcons or the Jaguars so why why and and and I don't get asked you know to kick in more money to a collective to watch you know the Saints so in this football I mean these players are are good they're good young players but they're not as good now this is I'm talking 20 years down the road this is not going to happen next year year after next but if you gradually erode the things that make college football special the Traditions The Nostalgia the connection with the fans uh through you know the uh fuddy duddy school spirit you know go State you if you erode that to the point that it's not nonexistent then I think you risk damaging the entire Enterprise but in the in the near future I don't think we're in danger of that the leaders just need to take a broad Vision players deserve uh to be paid they deserve their name image and likeness rights uh it's probably high time not probably I do think it's high time that Revenue sharing comes into it because I think the revenue sharing um if negotiated can can can alleviate some of these legal battles if it is collectively bargained the thing and I talked to Rod Gilmore who you know is one of our college football analysts and he's also he's also an attorney really smart guy and one of my one of my closest friends and I said look you're the lawyer I'm not I said but my instinct here is if they decide okay here here's the 2.7 billion that the NCAA is going to give him back pay here is the cap on Revenue sharing I said what's to stop you know a few years down the road another group say wait a minute I didn't bargain for this Revenue sharing model I didn't bargain for this percentage it should be a higher percentage I said then we have another court case come I said what's to stop that and he said you might not be a lawyer but your legal instincts are pretty good and so that that is something that even if this gets settled which it appears it's going to I don't think that it necessarily is the end it might it might calm the waters for a period of time but I don't think it necessarily is is the end so I just want us to be able to do right by the players share money with them because they do have value that might mean the coaches don't get paid quite as much as they do now I don't begrudge them any money either because they are the ones responsible for all of it and they are the the you know the the constants in the sport but I do maybe that's where some of the revenue comes from instead of 13 million maybe you make nine you know instead of nine maybe you make six and you know it's and some of that goes to the players but I think ultimately to get a stable situation it's going to have to be collectively bargained I do think the players deserve a lot of money um they've created value the the industry that's what it is it's an industry it's a business and it has been for a long time uh Will Survive we'll figure it out I've Got Confidence in that but I do hope that great care is taken to protect the tradition and the Nostalgia and the things that set college football apart from professional sports well yeah well said and I mean when you're talking about billion dooll television contracts it is about time that uh the athletes do receive uh their first year and I will tell you this ree um a friend of mine I was playing golf I don't get to play that much anymore because I'm always traveling but it was a par five and he said can you explain this house versus the NCAA I said I doubt by the end of the par five I'm going to be able to do it I'll try to give you you know a snapshot um and then after that part five I said let's talk about something else because this is just way too complicated you know I mean you did a great job but it's that Gil in our uh in our conversation and Gilmore won't be able to stick to this because of his legal background but he said uh he said I've set the deadline on on myself personally of June 1st he said after June 1st he said I'm just going to talk about football on the field and I'm like that's a noble effort Rodney I said but I don't think given your expertise you're going to be able to to stick to that completely so yeah crazy times we're living in hey reys for the rest of the summer before you get ready for game day you and the family traveling is that the plan just take some time off yeah we'll you know we'll have a few things that I required to do here and there but it's a it's a good time you know once we go through football and basketball in the NFL draft um you know this is a this is a good time for us we'll uh we'll hang out and travel around a little bit and and try to you know get the kids schedule in such a way that we can all be together as much as we can so yeah it'll be low-key time at least until things start ramping up again in mid July or so yeah much deserved time off ree we appreciate the time my friend um and it's great to catch up uh and really it's been really my fault I haven't at least dropped you a text or something over these years but time flies uh with all this goes on as you know it it does indeed it's great to talk to you always great to see you and congratulations on all your success Doug good dude and I appreciate I appreciate you