Welcome to the “Casual Fan” section of The Show Notes! This is where I talk about sports. Certain aspects of what you read here, such as the depth of the analysis and amount of objectivity, will vary depending on a number of different factors. I promise to always be entertaining, though. Typos and grammatical errors are a direct reflection of my hatred of generative AI. If you like this, check out my show!

Another week of pigskin action in the books! Who won and who lost?

Safe to say Simmons’ career hasn’t quite gotten off to the start the Chiefs envisioned when they selected him in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft. The left tackle has spent more time on injured reserve than protecting Patrick Mahomes’ blindside. While his absence has been a problem, his presence has started to become one too.

According to reports, Simmons was sitting in a team meeting with his feet on his desk when head coach Andy Reid asked him to put his feet on the floor. They got into a back-and-forth about it to the point that Patrick Mahomes intervened to tell Simmons to leave. Word is that Simmons did end up apologizing for his actions, but disrupting team meetings to the point that the franchise quarterback wants you out of there while you’re also unable to help your team on the field is a tough look!

No matter how Giants head coach John Harbaugh tried to talk around it, RB Cam Skattebo was pretty clearly in his doghouse. After a Week 5 fumble forced the Giants to settle for a tie against the Commanders, Skattebo didn’t receive a single carry last week against the Saints. He got back to his hard-running ways this week, even earning an incredibly rare offensive unnecessary roughness penalty for lowering his helmet as he plowed into a would-be tackler. He finished the game with 17 carries for 124 yards and a touchdown as the Giants beat the Texans in overtime. The doghouse will miss him.

Word of the nasty breakup between MNF broadcasting duo Joe Buck and Troy Aikman was only made worse by rumors of Aikman’s possible replacement. It’s ESPN, so you already know that Pat McAfee is at the top of the list. The world’s most prolific AI hick-hop artist already has his fingers all over the broadcast. He joined the Monday Night Countdown crew this season, and hosted his first alt-cast last week. The alt-cast drew such low numbers that puff pieces were released about how nice Pat is to everybody compared to his coworkers.

For his part, Pat has denied that he’ll be moving into the official broadcast booth, but have you ever known this man to say “no” to anything? Except wearing a shirt, of course. He’s to sports media jobs what Shaq is to endorsements.

Also part of the Monday Night Football experience for the foreseeable future? Darth Vader. Starting last night, Luke’s father will be conducting post-game interviews for some reason. That’s right, a highly coveted job is going to an animated character for advertising purposes, because we all know they don’t cram enough ads into the broadcast itself. This is what the future looks like. “Luke, download the DraftKings app right now and receive $50 in bonus bets with promo code STARWARS. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER.”

Injuries and a lackluster run game have led to a bit of an uneven start for the reigning Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks. The run game issues have been especially frustrating as they’ve had to watch the running back who won Super Bowl MVP for them, Kenneth Walker III, tear up the league for the Kansas City Chiefs. Walker has looked every bit like a league MVP this year as he brought the undefeated Chiefs to town to try and rub salt in the wound for Seahawks fans. But the Seattle defense held Walker to just 36 yards rushing, and the rest of Kansas City’s offense was stuck in neutral as the Seahawks cruised to a confidence-boosting 20-3 win.

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