Krantz's Korner with Danny Kanell

[Music] all right folks another Edition here of Cris corn I'm excited for this one I known this guy for a long time now we've had our heated battles on Twitter between Florida State and Florida and Miami and everything in the middle of all that but I love talking to this dude for years years and years Danny canel he's in Dusty and Danny in the morning 6:00 to 9:00 a.m. the cover three podcast he's on CBS Sports HQ I should just call him Mr three checks at this point and I love him for that there it is Danny welcome and and your debut in Cris corter we appreciate it what's up man it's great to see you again Zach it's been a minute uh we go way way back to the start of my broadcasting career uh but it's great to catch up with you man yeah it's always good because I'll I'll get into some like Twitter beefs with people that I don't know right and I'm like man this person must hate me but usually like with people I do know or at least have met like when we go back like I'm like all right it can get pretty heated but like at least I think we're still boys like I think it's still good you know so like it's always feels better to get into a beef like that where you can walk away feeling good about it at least oh right 30 seconds after who cares right 30 seconds after it happened who cares that but right but it's it's isn't it amazing I mean listen you're on social Med you're all over social media but isn't it amazing amazing how someone you never met in your life you'll never meet them in your entire life you could have a 10 I don't want to say minute conversation but like a 10 kind of paragraph conversation with somebody and it could be all out hate and at the end it's like hey bro love your work I'll see you I'll see you next time you know like I that's why I love or it's the nasty one on the other side like you're talking about which we've all been in also that's the beauty of social media the good and the bad of it it is I'm not on it as much as I used to for exactly what you just said at the end right IED us to go back and forth and it this is like seven or eight years ago and it felt like you would get the okay at the end agree to disagree good luck and then maybe if I was proved wrong the guy would come back and be like I told you so and be like you know what you're right like like it's awesome like let's keep it going now it seems like there's more hatred and vital than ever before and accusations of you're a raging liberal or you're a massive conservative you like and like I it's crazy because all get accused of both things and then it becomes in football like oh you're a racist or you're some misogynist or whatever it is and it just devolves really quickly so I want to get back into it and like feel like there's more hope that there's people that just want to talk sports and and disagree which is okay but my goodness it's been a cesspool of just negativity recently but maybe we can change it we'll see maybe after the end of this year after the politics are over at the end of this year maybe before that Danny it's not getting any better it's only going get worse you better you better wear your fire retardant like jacket on when you go in like to Twitter world or social media world it's it's bad real quick real quick because I know you want to talk some ball yeah I so this happened to me so I drive a Tesla right so I've had it for six years when I got the and I'll talk about it like on our radio show my my co still give me a hard time he like oh you're an electric guy when I got it and I mentioned on the radio people would tweet at me be like oh you're such a li with your green car and your electric vehicle things have changed so much now that it's oh you're Elon mus supporter you're a radical conservative I'm like all because of the car that I drive people want to make assumptions about it it's nuts how things have changed in six years hopefully you're right in another six months we can get this all behind us right January February maybe around that time maybe right after the Super Bowl or something like that probably right right in the offseason of football next year maybe maybe and I say maybe with a with a apostrophe at the I don't know what happened all right let's talk some ball um I know you were at Dolphins Camp last week for Sirius I know you were doing a bunch of stuff over there you got to talk to a bunch of the players see some practice uh what' you think of the team I mean obviously you're only a week into Camp you're not going to be able to really see everything but what do you think and what do you think the expectations are like for this team this season so I you know I grew up a a dolphins fan I saw Marino the goat there at practice walking around it was good seeing him yep I have to like distance myself myself cuz I did talk about this I was filling in for Mad Dog for doggy on Mad Dog Sports Radio the like that afternoon that night and my co-host Dusty was like man you're just picking him to go to the Super Bowl aren't you because I really did like every player that we talked to like we talked to Alec inold who's you know he's not a star player but he's awesome he's a really good dude and then we did get TOA and we did get Tyreek and we did you like we had some really Quality quality players so we got to talk to everybody everybody the thing I was probably most impressed by was their willingness to embrace their lack of success against good teams last year because I've been in situations where you ask a question that has to be asked in our business like what what the one in six record versus playoff teams you know like and if you ask that in some locker rooms you get the side eye they turn it off you tell like they're irritated by the question they all almost embraced it they were like you know what we have to change that we got to change it Tyreek he said we got to win games in November and December you know and that's that's what we have to do to do it so I did appreciate that aspect of it we talked to Mike McDaniel too same same thing I this is a locker room that I do think likes each other which I think matters I had that Vibe just in between interviews you see them interacting with each other and I think and that means something to me I think there's a team chemistry I think they love Tua which you know isn't always the case there's always a respect for a quarterback there's always he's the franchise right they were truly happy for him that he got paid and it was interesting because I think it was Tyreek that was telling us that said the criticisms of Tua that he's taken early in his career that the offense almost took ownership of they're like no no this isn't all tua's fault when we don't succeed or we don't win those close games it's on all of us and so they almost felt like his reward the contract was like culmination of this team effort to get him there and then lastly I had never so I've covered two all the way back to college always admired him from afar heard incredible things about him but the one perception I had of him even talking to the PR department for the Dolphins they're like I was like are we gonna get two and they're like well he doesn't love doing media which I get like nobody loves doing especially during Camp so we get him and I was picturing somebody who might have been shy for whatever reason I just thought he was shy he was great he showed a lot of Personality he showed a lot of confidence um I think it makes that much more sense why they were willing to back up the truck and say all right this is the this is our future of this franchise for the next five years however long this is our future so I feel like I do feel bullish more so than most I don't know if I'd go all the way out in limb and pick him to win the division but I think they'll get back to the playoffs and I do think like I think they're a playoff team just got to win one of those and and listen Mike McDaniel I'm sure when you talk to him also I mean he's got meetings that start at 24 after the hour he's got because it's been 24 years excuse me since they won a playoff game like they're you're right not only are they embracing that we have to win games at the end of the season we have to win we have to win a damn playoff game it's been so long since we wion a playoff game we have to do it tyreeks come out and said it like I like that I I like like what you said before I kind of like the ownership a little bit of really giving a bleep about the team and knowing the history of the team also a lot of guys will come in there get drafted play four or five years leave never really care about the team and that's fine it's business I don't expect every guy to come in and bleed aqua and orange because you play for the Dolphins I get that but it just seems like some of their top dogs like you said they get it they understand the frustration not just with the team but with the fan base that it's been so long and getting to the playoffs is one thing thank goodness they're at least getting to the playoffs but man you got to win one of those games and these two last season collapses the last two seasons 8 and3 and N and3 their record then going from being the one seed possible buy to playing at the seven spot against Kansas City and temperatures that I can't even imagine being in at this point you're right I'm glad they're embracing I'm glad that you got that from them that they're all embracing it's not just one or two guys it's everyone you speak to including the head coach at this point who knows what the bottom line is we got to win games late and we got to win a playoff game the schedule sets up awesome like you look at the first 10 games and I know you can get into this this uh Habit of just going www like you just start writing out dubs and you're like oh my gosh this team's gonna start off 12 and0 or what their schedule they should be about favored like heavy favorites but there's every game they could win I do think week two is huge for them Buffalo Thursday night Amazon like because of the narrative we're talking about they went 0 and2 against them last year they're a favorite you know to win the division if they and it's at home if they can win that game I think it takes a big monkey off their back they'll be able to say look we beat a really good team right if they lose it if they could be nine and one because I think their schedule like the way I was looking at it it's like not the best teams they're not a lot of playoff teams it's going to crop up and they're well they're nine and one but they haven't beaten they lost to Buffalo that's just the unfortunate reality so I do think they can change that narrative by beating Buffalo but clearly they going have to beat more than one and get that playoff win for the first time in 24 years would be huge too I think they've beaten Josh Allen once since he's been in the NFL I think that's I think they've had one win against Buffalo in like the last four or five years and including a playoff loss which that one was at home right wasn't that a couple years ago see I think they got it was the it was the one where the Bills fans were complaining about the heat remember on the one side Stadium right and I know it's night but hav played played for the Giants we did training camp up in Sunni Albany played with the Broncos the heat is still real even though it's at night like the humidity is something that you can't really prep for so they have to use that to to their advantage and get that dub early oh yeah as a as a Dolphin fan out there also I'm hoping for about 2:00 showers till about 5:30 so they get that like six o'clock sweat heat right like if you don't if you don't live in South Florida or know what Danny does you don't realize that sweat heat after the rain where you walk outside it's not the oven heat you get maybe Texas or something like that but it's that like you can't move an inch without going like this and me I do have to do it all the time anyway but that's what I'm hoping for that Thursday night game um okay so you got to speak two are you okay with the and and you basically said it before but there's a lot of people on both sides of the Tua contract and getting him in here you were good with the Tua contract at this point I'll say this I've come to grips that if you are an adequate quarterback you were gonna make 40 plus or 50 plus million a year right right I still wonder like my biggest issue wasn't with Tua in his play because he had his breakout season like he played great last year I still think he needs to take another step like to justify it but it's the injury issues like I think it's pretty crazy that it was just an offseason ago that we were talking about him retiring and now he's got 167 guaranteed I'm sure the Dolphins are protected you know someh like they have an insurance policy or something um so like they'll be taken care of financially that still is a concern for me and where where you see quarterbacks take that NE next Evolution you know to become Patrick Mahomes who's the greatest now even Tom br to some extent is what do you do and I know this is a criticism of Tua like when you can't play Within the system when you have to make a play improvising off the cuff and I think it was the Chargers game last year right when he beat Herbert he had a nice play outside the pocket and it was like see he can do it right he can he just has to do it more but in order to do that you have to take some risks and I thought they were I thought Tua and very wisely so was a little bit more conservative when to leave the pocket I think McDaniels as a play caller a little bit more conservative calling him on rollouts or design quarterback runs I I wonder if they'll be more willing to do that and Tu will be more willing to put himself In Harm's Way because you have to but like that to me is where he needs to step up and justify the contract is when nothing's there when you have to improvise and you got to make plays that's what'll justify this or not uh what do you think about Mike McDaniel so far in his couple years as head coach uh with this Miami Dolphins team so what's kind of crazy is he did not this was a ego this was a blow to my ego Zach we were together my last year in Denver right it was my i' had been there for two years it was his first year on the like as an intern with the Broncos and I so I saw him and he said and he looked like he recognized me and so I thought he was gonna remember me from Denver he's like oh he goes Danny canel he goes I remember watching you play in Florida State he was a big Florida State I was like oh that's cool and I said yeah I said I think we were all in Denver together he goes no he goes I don't think so and I said what year did you get there and he's like 2005 and I was like I was there and now I got cut the last cut so we were only together a couple months but I was laughing about it I'm like man I obviously didn't leave a lasting impression on him and he was just a kid but to your question I think he's the definition of a player's coach which is awesome and I think a lot of that and we were talking about this while we were watching practice because because Tyreek gets the vet treatment now where he doesn't have to practice every day that was something Mike Shanahan did with the Broncos V if you had 10 years in the league he would give you like every other day for training camp and I remember thinking this is awesome uh he was very player friendly with helmets and shoulder pads like we didn't always have we didn't even wear helmets on Friday practice for Mike [ __ ] and hin wow so I think that's clearly where Mike McDaniels gets it from from that lineage I I think he's fun to play for which there's a great energy my one question for him is Shanahan as player friendly as he was he did have that kind of hard ass Edge when he needed it and I think that's what I wonder about Mike McDaniel does he have that edge where you can be this player friendly coach but there's also a time when you have to get after him and they they come right like they snap to attention like is there that when he walks in the room everybody like snaps up and like oh here comes our our coach like this or if you've had a stretch of bad games and the coach gets on you do you respond in kind that's my one question if he can do that and I'm sure he's got another gear that he puts it into if he is angry but he's and it's more of a generational thing too I mean this is clearly a new generation of player and Coach that's my thing is and like the things we're talking about how do you deal with the lack of success I love the way they're approaching it does it work you know like if if they're not kind of in upset at each other and pissed off is that is that going to work I don't know we'll see so I I like him uh I like his I love his Innovation I love that he is willing to push the envelope offensively I think he'd be incredible to play for but that's like my one thing is you know some of the greatest of all time Don schula right um you know Jimmy Johnson Bill bellich players didn't love playing they loved the results and they loved each other I don't know if they all love their coach so that's and that may be a dynamic that shifting Andy Reid I think players love playing for him you know like so I think he's a player friendly coach that's figured it out and I think McDaniel can too yeah and I'm sure Andy Reid's got a side that none of us have really even seen also where he can get in the locker room and get it guys too but but you're right I think Andy Reid walks in the room and everybody you know Knuckles up everybody's ready to rock and roll what's coach ready to say that was the biggest question I think when Mike was hired can he be a leader of men we know he could call plays and we know he with him Kyle sh hands offense he was the one drawing up the plays for Kyle that we we get that but can he walk into a locker room and be the leader of 53 men uh and what happens like you just said when your team starts nine and three and you end the season n and eight you end the season 10 and you know 10 and seven because you lost a huge stretch of games the end of the season how does a coach you know how does he take responsibility for that in the locker room and get his players motivated to keep going at that point without the wheels falling off the bus at that point all right let's move on to college football a little bit um um I just want to I want to hear your opinion on on the I want to say the big three in the State of Florida because then the UCF people get mad and USF people and all the Miami Florida Florida State when you bring up the college football in the state those are the three first teams that come up let's start with University of Miami down here I don't know if you know cam Ward obviously when you talk about a team picking up a quarterback like cam Ward it obviously gives you a boost no matter what and they've had a couple good recruiting classes but they've had some baffling losses these last couple years too and I bring up the one game I was sitting in the booth Joe Zaki Don Bailey Jr the Georgia Tech game with the ne the nonne down and the fumble and everything and it just seemed like the wheels have fallen straight off at that point for that hurricane team what do you think going into this season with Cam Ward Mario crystal ball now three years in with two big recruiting classes I mean the pressure is on this team to win that's obvious but what do you think totally for this hurricane team of the season I'm bullish on the canes I I think it's easy not to be I think you know we've seen him have expectations like this before and yet since they've been in the ACC they still haven't won the champion yeah they still Haven won a conference Championship about two basketball ones before a football one right no one would have ever expected that no um I'll be honest with you covering the sport the way I do I wanted cam Ward and Tallahassee and I know there are some you know I think that was a bidding war that was unfolding a recruiting war that was unfolding before us and I was hoping I thought cam Ward was the best available option he's incredibly Dynamic you know what we were talking about with Tua just a couple minutes ago he gives you that improvisation that you need I mean he is a playmaker so that when you don't draw up the perfect play he can make it out of nothing um I think the pieces are in place on the defensive side of the ball I think they've Damen Martinez was a great get for the backfield so they're going to be balanced which I know is what Mario wants to do I so I think so last year the Georgia Tech game I thought cost them two games and maybe even cost him the back end of the season I mean they lost to North Carolina the following week right and that was one of those I thought hangover effect games which is very common especially in college football you start feeling sorry for yourself there's a lot of blame I think the coaches even get distracted somewhat um and then all of a sudden the scrutiny comes on to Mario where he had done it before at Oregon and he made the same mistake I get it he's taken a lot of heat and criticism for you know meddling and late game situations I think this team is built to win I think they it's almost like one of those you have to do it this season right and if you don't not to say they can't I think they'll take a massive step forward I do think they're in the top three they're in the discussion with Florida State Clemson and themselves I think they like those three of those two of them should be playing for the ACC Championship like I'd be shocked if two of them weren't I'm leaning towards picking Miami to play in it I haven't decided because of Cam Ward and because of these pieces because I do think like if they get the ball rolling which I do think it brings up that Florida game which is so massive like if they win that game I could like they just all of a sudden they they take off and they don't look back right they lose that game it's like uh oh the Rumblings come in right you know even that game all of a sudden against South Florida and Tampa becomes like you better watch out which is by the way even if they beat Florida they still need to watch out for that South Florida game I agree do not take them lightly because they got a quarterback brron Brown who's Sensational but I'm buying into the Hurricanes I do think this is the year Florida state is replacing a ton yeah obviously which we've saw off to the NFL um Clemson is sort of I still think Clemson's dangerous but they're definitely in this cycle that they're not as dominant as they used to be right so like if there was ever an opportunity for Miami to step up it's this year so like I I think the opportunity is there they just have to do it which is the great unknown but I think they will I like Mario I think he's got a very clear identity of what he wants to do I think he can clearly can attract talent and I think they got a playmaker I mean this cam Ward is a like probably the closest thing we've seen him is Derek King when he came in and that was a 10- win season for Mark Rick right so like that's I think that's what they've been missing and I think they've got one who was pretty special yeah cam Ward coming here I think changed everything for everyone's outlook on this hurricane team because the recruiting class have been great the offense and defensive line listen you know when Miami was dominant back in the past it was offens and defensive line driven hug huge guys obviously skilled players all over the place but they started on the inside out and they have it again I think there too I was at their media day the other day and that offensive line that walked out there I thought they could have started for the Dolphins at that point the way they looked and the way they acted they're they're humongous and they're good all right you brought it up that first game of the season not just big for Mario huge for Billy Napier also in the in Gainesville this is going to be a game that one of these guys has to lose they're not going to tie this game one of these guys is going to walk out of there a loser and it stinks because Billy Napier needs this win I think just for the rest of the season to get a big win and I think Mario needs the win just to get that win but for Billy Napier and the Gators what do you think this Outlook is the season including the fact that some are calling it one of the hardest schedules they've ever seen so I'm getting to the point where I'm a little bit annoyed by the talk of the schedule okay like I get it's hard but this isn't Vanderbilt we're talk this isn't Kentucky right it's Florida we're talking about like this is still the Florida Gators who and I get they're on the down cycle and I get it's going to be tough but they also get some of them at home including Miami game which the swamp is one you know I've been told and I've played there it is one of the best home field advantages that's out there in college football so I like their win total over which I think at some places at four and a half which it is I saw it at four and a half I couldn't believe that right I'm I'm on the over that one I'm more bullish like I'm not going to predict they make the college ball playoff but I think there's a great chance they go bowling which is six and six which is even over their five and a half game win total right here's the thing about the Gators I think they have probably the widest variance of possible outcomes because let's say they lose to Miami at home hopefully they'll beat Samford but like feeling sorry for yourself after that when we've seen a shootout in the third quarter it's like oh my gosh the Gators are in a dog fight with Samford it's like what's happening then they have Texas A&M at home like and then they have UCF at home like I could see a scenario where they start two and three I also wouldn't be shocked if they started 5-0 like I Graham Merz last year the quarterback and I know they have DJ lagway he quietly because they had a bad year completed 73% of his passes on a team that wasn't very good right 24 touchdowns three interceptions like he was pretty solid and Billy Napier is pretty good with QBs I think they've gotten better I think they've got another year of Comfort within Napier's system everything you hear is The Vibes are good like it's us against the world Napier kind of has this confidence about him so I think they do I think they'll surprise to the upside which I'll be curious to know if they're six and six what does that do for Napier is that enough to get another year or they run him off my hunch is they probably run him off right right I mean it's just what they do in college football but there are some similarities to you know Mike norell the fan base was split it was a rough couple First Years one of them was Co though so that's kind of like but you saw a bigger jump right with Norvell this would be the year year three that you should take that big jump but I do think the schedule is tough I don't think it's as tough as people make it out to be right but like I wonder if six and six is enough for him to salvage his job you know and I also wonder as good as Graham Merz I think could be do you break the glass on DJ lagway to almost like we see in the NFL now like you go to the rookie QB to say look I found this guy look at the look at what we've done for him he's flashes a Brilliance you don't want to have him hire a whole new staff and potentially leave so you go to lagway early there are a lot of really interesting storylines around the Gators yeah 100% I think you nailed a bunch of them right there as well uh because gr Merz I think did have a good season for a bad team like I just think he did and you brought in another kid so you're right I think both kids are gonna have to play at this point at some point this season too all right take me to Tallahassee take me to and I and I saw you tweet about this when the College of the E the video game ratings came out about hardest places to play or craziest places to play it was easily and I've been to a bunch of SEC stadiums too easily the worst stadium for a visiting fan to be in during a rivalry game is do Campbell Stadium now I bear bear with me let me let me preempt this by saying I got a ticket in the FSU for eternity section this was 1998 Peter war was on the team Peter work in that game threw a touch down pass caught one and ran a punt return back I got beard bottles thrown at me the whole game in my gator sweatshirt it was bad I hate that stadium and I love that Stadium at the same point because I love college football so I get it I've been in in the swamp when Florida State came there and we were doing the same thing to Florida State people so I got it you Karma got to me but take me back to Tallahassee and tell me what's going to happen in your eyes this year with this team and that Stadium which like I said I love and I hate at the same time by the way Florida State fans would disown me so don't let this get out too far uh oh y I do think Ben Hill Griffin gets louder and I I think I wrong about this I do think I'm I think I could be wrong about this aspect you would know better I think more consistently too we're both spoiled right but I feel like it's there's like if well ky's actually they've had Su used used to be the gator growl game G Kentucky game used to be Gator grow careful without now like I feel like on a lower tier game Florida's going to be louder right and Tallahasse is a little bit harder to get to it's like but I do think and that was why I was kind of trolling because I said they nailed it like they absolutely nailed it I was like oh thank goodness we got him on this one because I don't know if it's actually true that being said uh I think we clearly have him on the football field the last few years and where we are as a program currently so since we lost out on cam Ward right I do think dju was the consolation prize which is a pretty good one yep and I think a lot of this season for Florida state does revolve around how I think he's gonna be good it's like can he be great right and he's shown like there was a game he had against Wake Forest when he was at Clemson he threw five touchdown passes like a shootout he was back and forth it was great but then he had also other games Georgia his first game which might have derailed his career he had a pick six it was the difference in the game they lost l 10 to three and I thought his confidence was shot like for the rest of the year it really never bounced back so like what version of DJ are you gonna get right I think he's a great leader I don't think here's the thing as good as Jordan Travis was Mike norell is not asking his QB to be Joe burrow for LSU and throw 60 touchdowns he's not even asking to be what cam Ward is going to be for Miami it's play Within the system you know be accurate make good decisions come through with some big plays and third down and Red Zone situations and you don't have to carry the the team on your back the backfield for Florida state is gonna be really strong I think the offensive line is going to be good and the defense I think can carry the offense earlier in the season while DJ's still getting his kind of feet underneath him so I don't think they're going anywhere I think again they're very much in the mix I selfishly would love to see Florida State Miami in a rematch regardless of who wins the regular season game in the ACC Championship Game Clemson could have something to say about that but I'm still I still think Florida state is a 10 and two team like you know I think and like if DJ's just okay I feel like that's why you brought him in there's a floor of like nine and three maybe maybe eight and four but I feel like nine and three you're kind of like well as long as he doesn't screw it up but I think on the upside I think they could be 12 and0 like if he's the game changer so I still think in the conversation but I think 10 and two is probably the most likely outcome by the way I think Miami should at should be 10 and two as well like kind of at a minimum you know like they should be and if they're not you're losing games that you shouldn't right Virginia text another team to watch out for for them I know it's in Miami their quarterback's pretty special that could be a tricky one yeah Friday night game Virginia Tech it's gonna be a weird one down here in Miami for that as well Danny that was awesome love talking ball with you uh glad I could catch you right after your show one of these mornings good stuff always uh love the fact that we control each other and still have great conversations like this also this see people out there if you're watching or listening this is what it should be like me and Danny can go 12 rounds on Twitter about Florida and Florida State and five minutes later we're talking about what bagel place we're goingon to have lunch at later on that day because that's the way social media should be at that point Danny thanks a lot as always you can catch them Dusty and Danny in the morning 6:00 to 9 a.m. the cover three podcast CBS Sports HQ all the time as well talking ball all the time and will talk nice and Casual with you on social media if you'd like also about anything any Florida State fans that were listening earlier he was just joking about the stadium don't worry about that Al I'm trying to catch him trying to get his back here on all this stuff as well Danny thanks for coming on Cris Corner this is not gonna be your final appearance I'm gonna bug you more you got it Zach keep crushing it man always great catching up the best a special Cris Corner this morning with the great Danny canel [Music] 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