Host Jim Powell engages in a lively conversation with legendary sportscaster Wayne Larrivee, the iconic voice of the Green Bay Packers. They explore Larrivee's illustrious broadcasting career and dissect key NFL season dynamics: standout player performances, strategic shifts towards running games, and the impact of recent rule changes like dynamic kickoffs. The episode discusses midseason team evaluations, including the Green Bay Packers, NFC East and West standings, and the challenges faced by teams like the Cowboys and 49ers. Additionally, Larrivee credits Kansas City's defensive prowess plus discusses the  rise of young rookie quarterbacks such as Bo Nix, Caleb Williams, and Jaden Daniels.  Larrivee shares invaluable broadcasting career advice, reflecting on inspirations like Marv Albert. The episode also covers the ongoing debate on transgender athletes in women's sports, exemplifying the show's blend of sports, expertise, and provocative discussions.

IN THIS EPISODE:

• [00:41] Interview with Wayne Larrivee, 46-year NFL radio broadcaster 
• [03:32] NFL Evolution and Rule Changes
• [08:59] NFC Teams Mid-Season Review
• [16:35] Impact of Super Bowl Losses on Teams
• [17:39] AFC East: Buffalo's Strong Start and Miami's Struggles
• [17:54] Jets' Controversies and Offensive Line Issues
• [19:01] Pittsburgh Steelers Leading the North
• [19:47] Baltimore Ravens and Cincinnati Bengals Update
• [20:07] Cleveland Browns' Struggles and Deshaun Watson's Contract
• [20:57] AFC South: Houston Texans and Indianapolis Colts
• [21:23] Jacksonville Jaguars and Tennessee Titans
• [22:09] Kansas City Chiefs' Dominance in the West
• [23:22] Chargers and Broncos: Coaching and Quarterback Dynamics
• [25:04] Wayne Larrivee Broadcasting Journey
• [30:49] Get Off My Lawn: Controversy in Women's Sports

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

• The structure of NFL teams is in constant flux due to free agency and changing regulations, which significantly impact team performances over the regular season.
• Despite the NFL's evolution toward the passing game, teams that reach the Super Bowl can often run the ball and stop the run effectively.
• The experience and college preparation of young quarterbacks like Caleb Williams can predict their success, but the NFL ruins more quarterbacks than it makes.
• Losing a Super Bowl, especially in dramatic fashion, can have lasting psychological impacts on a team, which may affect future performances and raises questions about the 49ers’ ability to rebound from their slow start in ‘24.

ABOUT THE GUEST: 

Wayne Larrivee is an American sportscaster. Larrivee is currently the radio play-by-play voice of the Green Bay Packers on the Packers Radio Network alongside color commentator Larry McCarren and calls college football and basketball for the Big Ten Network on television.

RESOURCE LINKS 

X: https://x.com/Jim_Powell

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jim-powell-38715a5/

Website: http://fansfirstpodcast.com/ 

[00:00:32] Jim Powell: Hello and welcome to fans first a [00:00:35] sports podcast. My name is Jim Powell. I'm honored to be your host again today. And I'm also honored [00:00:40] with the guests that we have coming in here. His name is Wayne Larrabee. And, of course, he's known to [00:00:45] all NFL fans and all sports fans, period. One of the great voices of any sport, of [00:00:50] any broadcaster, that we have in our country.

[00:01:05] Wayne Larrivee: Oh, it's been wonderful, Jim. Um, You know, I've been in the NFL. It's been [00:01:10] great actually to be in the NFL for as long as I have.

[00:01:27] Jim Powell: No doubt. Do you still take grief from [00:01:30] Bears fans or Packer fans about, uh, you know, the fact that you've, uh, been at the helm of both?[00:01:35]

[00:01:46] Jim Powell: Well, you're coming off a great game last night. It was my favorite game of the entire [00:01:50] week. I couldn't wait to watch the Texans and the Packers duel at Lambeau and it lived up to its [00:01:55] billing.

[00:02:07] Wayne Larrivee: Uh, well, Jim, you know, the Packers are like a lot of [00:02:10] teams at this stage of the season.

[00:02:32] Wayne Larrivee: They were the best from start to finish. Um, [00:02:35] in that era, a lot of teams were. Why? Well, because you didn't have player movement the way we [00:02:40] have today. And you know, you had more opportunities and they were trained [00:02:45] differently in training camp. There was more hitting. There were longer. Training camps, two a day [00:02:50] practices, all kinds of stuff, um, that was done then and that is no [00:02:55] longer done today.

[00:03:13] Wayne Larrivee: They have limited amounts of time now [00:03:15] that they can work in the off season as a team. Limited Um, exposure in [00:03:20] training camp and then most of them don't play at all in preseason. [00:03:25] And so you started the season and you really don't know what you've got for about five weeks. And now we're in [00:03:30] that stage where we're finding out what these teams have.

[00:03:41] Wayne Larrivee: Yeah, it seems like it, Jim. I mean, you know, good teams [00:03:45] can run the football and, um, that's, I think it's always been a component of the NFL. [00:03:50] But, you know, in recent years, as the rules changes, it became, um, [00:03:55] much more efficient to move the ball through the air, it seemed like.

[00:04:17] Wayne Larrivee: They're the two most basic components of NFL [00:04:20] football, and it's been that way since the 20s.

[00:04:30] Wayne Larrivee: Well, you know, I, I would have a week ago said maybe the run defense that type of thing, maybe the defense [00:04:35] in general.

[00:04:56] Wayne Larrivee: Um, they've had trouble putting pressure, consistent pressure on the [00:05:00] quarterback. They really pressured well against Houston in Green Bay on Sunday. And so [00:05:05] I think they're getting better as the season goes along. Um, but I agree with [00:05:10] you in the. premise you made a moment ago in that the running game [00:05:15] teams are more effective running the football for a couple of reasons, and I think one of them is, [00:05:20] you know, in this day and age in your front seven, [00:05:25] even you need lighter, faster players to cover really the three receiver [00:05:30] sets of the four receiver sets of that type of thing.

[00:05:52] Jim Powell: You mentioned rule changes that the NFL, it [00:05:55] seems like all the major sports, they like to tinker. They're never satisfied with what they've got. They've got to try [00:06:00] and do something else to make either them look really smart or improve the game, is obviously what [00:06:05] they're hoping to do. Um, this dynamic kickoff thing, I mean, [00:06:10] I feel like that has been just a big pile of nothing since the regular [00:06:15] season even started.

[00:06:16] Wayne Larrivee: Yeah, well, you know, for the most part, uh, Jim, [00:06:20] like everything else, it's evolving as we speak. Um, [00:06:25] a week ago, 40 percent of kickoffs were returned as now they're [00:06:30] starting to figure out. Okay. Um, maybe we can make a play on these guys. We force a [00:06:35] return, kick the ball down to the three yard line.

[00:06:54] Wayne Larrivee: The Packers have [00:06:55] seen a lot of that with Keyshawn Nixon. Um, but you know, it's, it's funny. [00:07:00] The reason the rule is in there is because there were 11 kickoffs in the Super Bowl a year ago, and none of [00:07:05] them were returned. Only 22 percent of kickoffs were returned in the [00:07:10] 2023 season. This year, that percentage, as going into last week, was up around, [00:07:15] uh, 33 percent or thereabouts.

[00:07:51] Wayne Larrivee: We saw something yesterday, Jim. This was amazing. [00:07:55] There was a 15 yard penalty post play on the Packers [00:08:00] on the extra point. Okay. So what happened was instead of kicking it from the [00:08:05] 35, they moved the kickoff spot to the 50 yard line, 15 yard [00:08:10] penalty. Then, Kaimi Fairburn, uh, the, the kicker for Houston [00:08:15] intentionally kicks the ball out of bounds.

[00:08:38] Wayne Larrivee: They're going to have to figure that out. [00:08:40]

[00:08:59] Jim Powell: [00:09:00] Um, let's, let's go through the races right now where we stand. We're, we're nearly the halfway point. [00:09:05] The Packers obviously have been doing really well. They're a [00:09:10] really good football team. I love the balance that the Packers have. And I feel like they've got a great [00:09:15] chance to be one of those teams that evolves into a serious playoff threat.

[00:09:28] Wayne Larrivee: Yeah, there are. Uh, they're a tough [00:09:30] division. Um, the best division of football thus far. And I think it will play out to be that [00:09:35] way, uh, through the season. Uh, you've got four really good teams.

[00:09:57] Wayne Larrivee: They were playing so well, I said to myself, you know, [00:10:00] they've really got to worry about that. And you say, well, why? Well, if you're playing [00:10:05] this well in September or October, there's no way you're going to be playing that way in [00:10:10] January when you really want to be playing that way. And it goes back to the conversation we [00:10:15] had before.

[00:10:39] Wayne Larrivee: [00:10:40] There's liable to be a deal to be made somehow to get a pass rusher into Detroit. But at any [00:10:45] rate, right now their quarterback is playing off the charts well, and that's a really good football [00:10:50] team.

[00:10:59] Jim Powell: And then I've watched [00:11:00] Caleb Williams go out the last couple of games and look like he's been a quarterback in the NFL for [00:11:05] 15 years.

[00:11:19] Wayne Larrivee: In terms of wide [00:11:20] receivers, running back, they've invested in the offensive line. Their defense is very [00:11:25] good. It's one of the better defenses overall in the league, so it was only going to be a matter of [00:11:30] time if they took care of this quarterback. If they didn't panic when he struggled early in the [00:11:35] season, uh, that that he would come or he's got the ability.

[00:11:59] Wayne Larrivee: They're [00:12:00] probably going to be their best quarterbacks since Sid Luckman.

[00:12:21] Jim Powell: Um, I don't know what the expectations were in your mind, uh, you know, at the [00:12:25] start of the regular season, but, um, there's some, there's some really talented young quarterbacks that have [00:12:30] just entered this league.

[00:12:44] Wayne Larrivee: In other [00:12:45] words, uh, the two quarterbacks are worried about coming out. Uh, Drake May, who's now playing for [00:12:50] New England out of necessity, basically. Way too early. He never threw. I don't think he threw [00:12:55] 1000 passes. He threw like 700 passes in college. Same thing for J. J. [00:13:00] McCarthy at Michigan. I'm a little more concerned there too, because he's injured.

[00:13:23] Wayne Larrivee: Well over a thousand, well [00:13:25] over 1300 passes thrown by each on the, in the college game. And what [00:13:30] this does is it allows the talent evaluators of the NFL to get a clearer picture of [00:13:35] who these guys are and what they might do on the, um, pro level. And I think that's why [00:13:40] those two guys are going to succeed.

[00:13:54] Jim Powell: [00:13:55] Now that we've seen, uh, you know, almost half a regular season, when you look at the NFC East, [00:14:00] Washington's a top 5 at home.

[00:14:20] Wayne Larrivee: Yeah. Oh, absolutely. And the quarterback, they invested in Daniel Jones.

[00:14:44] Wayne Larrivee: [00:14:45] Saquon Barkley and Xavier McKinney to walk out of that facility and free [00:14:50] agency. Nobody could understand that, um, that team was markedly, uh, [00:14:55] less than it was before. And they weren't very good last year, uh, but those two players leaving really [00:15:00] hurt. Um, as far as the Cowboys go, Jim, it's not that they're 0 3 at home.

[00:15:11] Jim Powell: Yeah, their fan base is not too happy and, and Jerry Jones [00:15:15] doesn't always help himself when he decides to make public comments. And that has happened again, uh, this year. [00:15:20] In the West, it's surprising to me to see that, uh, Seattle currently is first in the [00:15:25] West at four and three.

[00:15:47] Jim Powell: But off to a slow start.

[00:16:07] Wayne Larrivee: That's traumatic. Okay, for a [00:16:10] football team and it has impact the following. You don't get over that in one year. Just go right back to the [00:16:15] Super Bowl. Oh, it used to happen on a semi regular basis back in the early seventies. [00:16:20] Okay. Now, um, what happened last year to San Francisco? Not only did they lose [00:16:25] the Super Bowl, but they have the lead.

[00:16:51] Wayne Larrivee: It's just really difficult.

[00:17:05] Wayne Larrivee: The Packers played them in the NFC Championship that year, that was 2016, [00:17:10] and you're exactly right.

[00:17:29] Wayne Larrivee: So [00:17:30] the trauma of, you know, it's one thing if the Super Bowl, but the trauma of losing a [00:17:35] Super Bowl can shake a foundation of an organization.

[00:17:54] Jim Powell: [00:17:55] The Jets, we can go into the Jets for hours and discuss what's going on with that [00:18:00] group. But, uh, 2 5, 1 2 at home. Uh, You know, [00:18:05] they start changing coaches. Did what did Aaron Rodgers have something to do with that or [00:18:10] not? You know, it's, it's, it's controversy inside and outside of their building. [00:18:15]

[00:18:19] Wayne Larrivee: I felt it was the [00:18:20] offensive line. They had addressed it there. It's a better line than they had last year, but it's still [00:18:25] not. a real quality offensive line. And I think Aaron Rodgers, you know, operating the way [00:18:30] he does and likes to operate from the pocket. He doesn't get out of the flank as much [00:18:35] anymore as he used to, especially coming off the Achilles injury.

[00:18:59] Wayne Larrivee: We saw that [00:19:00] on Sunday night in the Pittsburgh game.

[00:19:16] Jim Powell: It is for me to see the Steelers atop that division right now. [00:19:20]

[00:19:35] Wayne Larrivee: Yeah, they've moved from one quarterback to the other. Normally, that would be a [00:19:40] disaster for most organizations. Not the Steelers. They just, we're just kind of seeing if Russell [00:19:45] Wilson still has enough to get us to a Superbowl. And, uh, you know, but I'll tell you, [00:19:50] Baltimore is a team that, uh, is going to be really, uh, must be reckoned with in the AFC

[00:19:55] Jim Powell: Now they're, they're secondary. Can be picked on a little bit, but, uh, [00:20:00] they have very few weaknesses. Lamar Jackson looks like he's headed for another MVP run. [00:20:05] Yeah, the, the Bengals three and four, Oh, and three at home. And then you've got the, the, uh, [00:20:10] little sisters of the poor, the Cleveland Browns. Uh, they've lost five in a row and they're now, Oh, and three [00:20:15] at home.

[00:20:25] Wayne Larrivee: Wow. Yeah, I mean, it's kind of sad when you think about it. You know, it just really is [00:20:30] that whole situation with the quarterback and the guaranteed [00:20:35] money.

[00:20:57] Jim Powell: Houston, 5 2 now, um, 3 [00:21:00] 0 at home. They're leading the South. Indianapolis, 1 at home. Despite the fact [00:21:05] that Anthony Richardson has either not been able to play at all, or when he did play, he hasn't [00:21:10] played well at all. Um, Jacksonville, 2 on the road. Looks like Trevor [00:21:15] Lawrence is starting to find his sea legs again.

[00:21:23] Wayne Larrivee: Yeah. Um, we're going [00:21:25] to see Jacksonville this week down to Jacksonville. They've been in, uh, London for two weeks. [00:21:30] I believe they played two games consecutively over there. Um, you know, that's hard to [00:21:35] figure that team because, uh, you know, Doug Peterson, it was the backup quarterback for many [00:21:40] years in Green Bay with Brett Favre.

[00:22:09] Jim Powell: out West [00:22:10] Kansas City six and oh I mean they they look like the front runners that we all expected them to be and [00:22:15] they are not disappointing so far Are they?

[00:22:35] Wayne Larrivee: But their defense has been one of the best in the league over the last two plus seasons. So, um, I, [00:22:40] I really have a lot of respect for that. The Eagles were in the same position a year ago. [00:22:45] Remember when they were winning games and everyone was saying, well, they don't look good and they get to 10 and one and then the [00:22:50] bottom fell out.

[00:23:06] Wayne Larrivee: Now, Mahomes making just enough plays to win. They know how to win [00:23:10] games. Yeah. And they're going to be there in the end.

[00:23:22] Wayne Larrivee: The Chargers are better than people think. And Jim [00:23:25] Harbaugh is a great coach, especially on the NFL level. He was great in college, but he's even better on the [00:23:30] NFL level. He turned San Francisco into an instant contender, and I think he's [00:23:35] starting, starting to do the same thing with the Chargers. They may not have as many tools to work with as when Jim [00:23:40] got to San Francisco a number of years ago, but nonetheless, quality coach, they're building it the [00:23:45] right way, strong in the offensive line, physical football team, and they've got one of those [00:23:50] guys, a quarterback,

[00:23:52] Jim Powell: Participating in that what looks like a [00:23:55] evolution toward running the football more here in the current season [00:24:00] because the Chargers like to, you know, Jim Harbaugh, he wants to run the ball and he wants to play defense [00:24:05] and he's very good at coaching both.

[00:24:13] Wayne Larrivee: We spent some time with them [00:24:15] this summer, the Denver Broncos and Bo Nix. Um, I think this [00:24:20] quarterback, I think the best, um, drafted quarterback [00:24:25] to coaching staff, um, matchup. Coming out of the draft [00:24:30] last year was this one, uh, Knicks to Sean Payton and what they like to do [00:24:35] offensively. It's going to take some time.

[00:24:44] Jim Powell: there's a [00:24:45] great example right there of a guy that played a lot of college football. So he came to the NFL much [00:24:50] more prepared than some of these other young quarterbacks.

[00:25:04] Jim Powell: Talking [00:25:05] with Wayne Larrabee, the voice of the Green Bay Packers, former voice of the Chicago Bears, and a voice that you never [00:25:10] forget once you hear it.

[00:25:31] Jim Powell: How do I do that? What's your advice to young, young people that are [00:25:35] interested?

[00:25:51] Wayne Larrivee: The Yankees were my favorite team. Um, and then the New York Knicks, when I was in [00:25:55] high school, they were winning championships. They won two out of three years or two out of four years. [00:26:00] And, uh, their announcer was a guy by the name of Marv Elbert, and he was on radio at the time. [00:26:05] And I thought he was one of the best radio announcers I've ever heard.

[00:26:30] Wayne Larrivee: And then you had Phil Rizzuto, who was just, uh, he was the guy you'd listen to, [00:26:35] because he would say anything, and it was fun. Those guys were wonderful to watch and [00:26:40] listen to, and the Yankees, from about 64 through 76 or thereabouts, [00:26:45] weren't very good. In my formative years, but, uh, they were my team and those were my announcers that we [00:26:50] watched every weekend.

[00:27:22] Jim Powell: Um, and I, and I. [00:27:25] Basically followed his lead. I started, it helped me focus on my grades more [00:27:30] because, you know, he was, he was saying basically need to go to a good college and they'll [00:27:35] polish you up as a broadcaster and then we'll see what happens from there. So, um, that was, I've [00:27:40] always been indebted to Marv Albert for his early advice, even though he doesn't know he gave it to me.[00:27:45]

[00:28:05] Wayne Larrivee: Um, you know, they've done a great job of developing broadcasters and that type of [00:28:10] thing over the years, but it was a smaller college. And so, uh, my nephew, for example, went to [00:28:15] Syracuse, um, and studied in the journalism broadcast, uh, end of it, but [00:28:20] I think it depends on the individual and where you want to go.

[00:28:41] Wayne Larrivee: So, I went to Pampa, Texas. I did Friday night lights. [00:28:45] I went to, uh, um, you know, Iowa, I happen to be able to do [00:28:50] Iowa Hawkeyes football when I came out of college and why I was able to do that. Well, [00:28:55] back in those days, you know, there wasn't one network that did your [00:29:00] college football. You know, Wisconsin had three different originations of its broadcast.

[00:29:22] Jim Powell: Well I, I basically did the same thing that you did [00:29:25] in a different area.

[00:29:50] Jim Powell: And um, and that's exactly what the student radio station did led to a [00:29:55] commercial job in Athens as well. And, and that was, uh, that was my training [00:30:00] really. That was more, more in the end it was more helpful than the school itself.

[00:30:10] Wayne Larrivee: Uh, you know, yeah, there are bigger name universities, uh, Missouri, Syracuse, some [00:30:15] others, uh, out there, but, um, your experience and what you get out of [00:30:20] school is basically up to you. Um, you know, the curriculum can only do so much [00:30:25] for you.

[00:30:39] Jim Powell: And I really [00:30:40] appreciate you spending some time with us today,

[00:30:46] Jim Powell: Thank you so much, Wayne. Well, it's [00:30:50] time now for one of my favorite parts of our Fans First podcast, and that is Get [00:30:55] Off My Lawn. Hey! Get off my lawn! We have a video [00:31:00] submission today from Jeffrey in Fernandina Beach, Florida.

[00:31:36] GOML: And that gives them an advantage, and they go on to dominate [00:31:40] real females. In what warped reality is that remotely fair? Where are [00:31:45] the protests from the same feminists that fought for Title IX? Do they not have [00:31:50] cis daughters who want to levy a playing field? Do they not care that scholarships that [00:31:55] could go to their daughters may very well soon go to trans women?

[00:32:28] Jim Powell: Well, you can absolutely [00:32:30] ring the bell for that one. You are spot on Jeffrey from Fernandina Beach. We're going to have a [00:32:35] guest coming up soon on our podcast who knows a lot about this topic. Riley [00:32:40] Gaines has become a national Figure discussing this whole controversy about men and women's [00:32:45] sports. And Riley will be a guest on our podcast very soon.

[00:33:11] Jim Powell: If you like our Fans First content, you can help us by making sure you are subscribed [00:33:15] to all of our social networks. Don't forget about our Fans First website. Fans [00:33:20] first podcast. com to be included as a guest on an episode. We [00:33:25] ask that you please send your voice memo, your video file, or your written memo.

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