Key Takeaways

• The podcast hosts, Travis and Jason Kelce, engage in a discussion about the NFL draft, baseball movies, and the sport of Quidditch, highlighting their personal experiences and opinions.
• Joe Thomas, a former NFL player, shares his draft day experience of choosing fishing with his father over attending the NFL draft in New York, and discusses his transition to post-football life and his continued involvement with the Cleveland Browns organization.
• The AFC North was a brutal division for offensive linemen, featuring multiple future Hall of Famers like James Harrison, Terrell Suggs, and Justin Smith, who demanded constant adaptation and technical mastery to block effectively.
• Joe Thomas’s meticulous pre-game routine, including detailed field analysis and specialized application of adhesives to prevent equipment slippage, highlights the extreme dedication to detail required for elite offensive line performance.
• The speaker transitioned from a personal interest in raising cattle for consumption to a business focused on high-quality Wagyu and Black Angus beef, aiming to produce the “best beef on planet Earth” by treating cattle like “pro-athletes” with optimal nutrition and low-stress environments.
• The conversation highlights a potential collaboration between the speaker’s “Hall of Fame Beef” and another beef company, involving a “beef measuring contest” and the exchange of Wagyu embryos and semen to explore genetic improvements.

Segments

Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups Discussion (~00:01:33)

• Key Takeaway: The hosts express enthusiastic appreciation for Reese’s peanut butter cups, describing their appeal and the anticipation for new flavor combinations like peanut butter and jelly.
• Summary: The conversation shifts to a discussion about Reese’s peanut butter cups, with the hosts vividly describing the taste and texture. They also mention the upcoming Reese’s peanut butter and jelly cups and debate preferred jelly flavors.

Easter Tweet and Religious Humor (~00:03:40)

• Key Takeaway: Travis Kelce’s old tweet about Jesus being a ’team player’ for dying for sins sparks a humorous discussion about religious figures and holiday observations.
• Summary: The hosts revisit a humorous tweet from Travis Kelce about Jesus, leading to a lighthearted debate about the interpretation of religious events and the concept of holidays as days off.

New Heights Film Club: Baseball Movies (~00:09:41)

• Key Takeaway: The podcast launches the ‘New Heights Film Club’ segment, focusing on iconic baseball movies like ‘Sandlot,’ ‘Major League,’ ‘Bull Durham,’ and ‘A League of Their Own’ for audience voting.
• Summary: The hosts initiate the ‘New Heights Film Club’ and seek audience input for selecting baseball movies to review, discussing potential candidates and their personal favorites, including ‘Sandlot,’ ‘Major League,’ ‘Bull Durham,’ and ‘A League of Their Own.’

Televised Quidditch (Quad Ball) (~00:14:17)

• Key Takeaway: Jason Kelce expresses fascination and critique of televised Quidditch (referred to as ‘Quad Ball’), particularly its deviation from the Harry Potter lore with its rules and equipment.
• Summary: The discussion turns to the sport of Quidditch as played on television, with Jason Kelce detailing the rules and his observations about the real-life adaptation, including the use of sticks instead of brooms and a person as the ‘snitch.’

Joe Thomas’s Draft Day Experience (~00:25:10)

• Key Takeaway: Joe Thomas recounts choosing to go fishing with his father on his NFL draft day instead of attending the event in New York, a decision that resonated with fans and the league.
• Summary: Joe Thomas shares the story of his 2007 NFL draft day, explaining his decision to prioritize fishing with his father over attending the New York event, and how this choice was perceived by the NFL and fans.

Joe Thomas’s NFL Career and Cleveland (~00:39:17)

• Key Takeaway: Joe Thomas reflects on his positive experience being drafted by the Cleveland Browns, appreciating the city’s passionate fanbase and his connection to the Midwest.
• Summary: Joe Thomas discusses his initial impressions of Cleveland upon being drafted, highlighting his family ties to Ohio and his preference for staying in the Midwest, as well as his admiration for the Browns’ dedicated fanbase and history.

Cleveland Browns Quarterback Carousel (~Unknown)

• Key Takeaway: None
• Summary: None

Early NFL Struggles and QB Carousel (~00:44:35)

• Key Takeaway: The speaker’s rookie season was marked by a losing record and the rapid turnover of starting quarterbacks, including Charlie Fry and Derek Anderson, highlighting the instability of the team.
• Summary: The conversation begins with a discussion of the speaker’s difficult rookie season, characterized by a 10-6 record (their only winning season in 11 years) and the benching and subsequent trade of their starting quarterback, Charlie Fry, after a poor performance against the Steelers.

Facing Elite AFC North Defenders (~00:51:42)

• Key Takeaway: The AFC North presented an incredibly challenging environment for offensive linemen, forcing them to face multiple future Hall of Famers like James Harrison, Terrell Suggs, and Justin Smith from the outset of their careers.
• Summary: The discussion shifts to the formidable defensive players encountered in the AFC North, with the speaker detailing the difficulty of blocking players like James Harrison, Terrell Suggs, and Justin Smith, and how this competition shaped their approach to the game.

International Coaching and Life Experience (~01:04:50)

• Key Takeaway: Coaching American football in Germany provided a fulfilling experience, allowing for impactful player development without the intense time commitment of NFL coaching, while also offering valuable international exposure for the speaker’s children.
• Summary: The conversation moves to the speaker’s experience coaching in Munich, Germany, discussing the joy of working with dedicated players who play for passion rather than high salaries, and the benefits of living abroad with family.

Hall of Fame Induction and Farm Life (~01:11:39)

• Key Takeaway: The speaker’s Hall of Fame induction was a deeply personal experience, marked by a surprise visit from idol Walter Jones, and their current venture into cattle ranching, particularly Wagyu beef, stems from a passion for quality beef and a desire to share it.
• Summary: The discussion covers the speaker’s Hall of Fame induction story, emphasizing the emotional impact of the surprise. It then transitions to their current work as a farmer, raising cattle and selling beef directly to consumers, which began as a small project for their children.

Rancher vs. Farmer Identity (~01:29:23)

• Key Takeaway: The speaker navigates the distinction between being a rancher and a farmer, ultimately identifying as a farmer despite raising cattle.
• Summary: The speaker discusses the common definition of ranchers raising cattle and how in Wisconsin, any agricultural land is considered a farm, leading to a personal identity conflict but a general self-identification as a farmer.

From Pet Cows to Business (~01:29:39)

• Key Takeaway: A family request for pet cows evolved into a successful high-quality beef business after positive feedback from a renowned chef.
• Summary: The speaker recounts how their children’s desire for pet cows led to raising cattle for consumption, which proved to be exceptionally good, impressing a James Beard chef and sparking the idea for a business.

Raising “Pro-Athlete” Cattle (~01:30:50)

• Key Takeaway: The speaker treats their cattle with a “pro-athlete” mindset, focusing on genetics, nutrition, and stress reduction to produce premium beef.
• Summary: The discussion delves into the meticulous approach of raising Black Angus cattle, emphasizing genetic improvement, optimal nutrition from a nutritionist, and minimizing stress by raising them on lush pastures with low density, aiming for the best marbling and mouthfeel.

Hall of Fame Beef Vision (~01:31:40)

• Key Takeaway: The speaker views their beef operation as a passion project and a purpose in retirement, with the ambitious goal of raising the best beef globally.
• Summary: The speaker shares their motivation for the beef business as a post-retirement purpose, aiming to achieve “Hall of Fame” status for their beef and to be recognized for raising the best beef on Earth.