PYLON & STICKS: Recent Episodes
Tony Softli
From the DIAMOND CROWN - MAXIMUS studio a former NFL Executive who brings unique inside prospective and content on all levels of football. Guest include NFL Pro Football Hall of Famers, former players, national journalist and a conversation with members of the cigar industry. You're host Tony Softli
Warren Moon Foundation (brothersinarmshouston@gmail.com); Who has the best Poker Face; Moons challenges and transition from CFL to NFL; Mentored Cam Newton 2011 NFL Draft; Trevor Lawrence is he a generational player; Moon Ranks 2021 QB Draft Class; Justin Fields!; Trey Lance has the best upside of all the QB's; Coaches that enhanced Moons career; Russell Wilson agent driven off season and much more!
Seattle Seahawks dealing with a lot of tension; The Coin of the Realm; 'Attention Economy' Russell Wilson is close; Wilson going public caused very bad blood; Power struggle Pete vs. Russell slow boil is now on high heat; Seahawks were all in 2020 season...how does mis-fire change future; NFL Teams understand Seahawks not trading from a position of strength; Seahawks call JACKSONVILLE NOW for the number one pick for Wilson!; Wilson agent Mark Rodgers is no dummy; Russell Wilson and Friend Ken Griffey Jr trade scenario's; Thiel's 3 team QB trade; Business of football; FA 2021 starts March 17th; Russell Wilson's last public appearance; NFL FA's are attracted to and want to play with a winner....and much more!
Has covered UW Football and Basketball for nearly 20 years, the premier website for Washington Husky athletics and recruiting; His articles have appeared on Yahoo!, CNNSI.com, FoxSports.com and has also contributed to the Seattle Times, Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Tacoma News-Tribune; Walla Walla days; Washington Athletics; Washington Head Coach Jimmy Lake; Covid-19 challenges for 2021 recruiting class; Coach Pete K to Texas; PAC12 Conference Commish search; Huskies at Sr. Bowl; Washington Mens Basketball downward spiral and much more....
Former GM New Orleans Saints and Miami Dolphins; Front Office Executive Seattle Seahawks and San Diego Chargers; CEO of Mueller Football; Podcast: Football GM; NFL fatigue from COVID-19; NFL CAP issues; Super Bowl Tampa Bay vs Kansas City; TB12; Deshaun Watson trade demands; Aaron Rodgers; College Dual Threat QB's changing NFL landscape; Shane Waldron Seahawks new OC; Jacksonville Jaguars new Head Coach his challenges ahead; NFL new Combine process; and much more!
(ITL) Twitter: @Insidetheleague; Challenge of running the Gridiron Classic Bowl game during COVID-19; Author of two books - 1. Moving the Chains 2. Scout Speak; NFL Scouting business & back stories; How to become a NFL Agent and prep for the exams; Wealth Management & Marketing Professionals; Current GM hire survey & hiring process along with candidates...and much more!
This gentlemen and I share the same passion and love of football & cigars; Tampa Bay Buccaneers; NFL refs; 1972 began refereeing high school football in Tampa for 46 years as well as running the family cigar company for the last 34 years; Snoop Dogg All-Stars; Tim Tebow; Who has the footballs; Immigration spelling mistake on JC Newmans name while entering the USA; Cigar Roots began in Cleveland; 1962 Cuban Cigar Embargo; Tampa the Cigar City; Fuente Family Cigar Partnership..... and much more!
TWITTER: @JCNewmanCigars - @DrewNewman
cf-cf.org: Cigar Family Charitable Foundation
Online: JCNewman.com
Tied together at the hip; Draft Day lost and found; 4th round pick 100 selection overall by the Carolina Panthers in 1999 NFL Draft; Late great Sam Mills; Green Bay Packers; He operated football academies where he coaches, trains and mentors over 2,500 high school, college and professional athletes; Mind set of a player as he transitions into life without football; The TRUST - Our commitment is unparalleled and our results unrivaled. Personal and Business Development, Health and Wellness Resources and Community and Connection Opportunities are all readily accessible to our Members....and much more!
(360footballacademy.com)
Currently a HOST on Sports Radio 1250AM “The Fan” Milwaukee, @1250AMTheFan; Movie: 60 Yard Line; Wisconsin Badgers; NFL vs Pandemic; Denver Broncos; Players are the Product; Green Bay Packer Fans; Aaron Rodgers MVP?; Packer Defense; Power Ranking; Play-Off Picture; Crowned Heads Cigars (twitter:@crownedheadscigars)....and much more!
CAO Ambassador; CANO; Solid Wood Humidors (made in the USA); CAO Cigars; Blending based on flavor; Crowned Heads Cigars; OZ Art Nashville (ozartsnashville.org); Tennessee Titans; Covid -19 vs. Arts & Cigars ...............and much more!
Publisher for All Cardinals site (http://si.com/nfl/cardinals); Co-Host of weekly Hall of Fame radio show on Sirius/XM NFL Radio; College and Pro Football Newsweekly; Sporting News Baseball to Football; 1981 ESPN NFL Draft Analyst; The legend of Joel Buchsbaum; Greatest Show on Turf; Pro Football Hall of Fame Selector and Presenter stories...and much more
West Point; Army vs Navy game history; Corps of Cadets March ceremony; Duty-Honor-Country; Covid-19 vs College Recruiting; NFL Game Day noise during Pandemic; Seahawk Head Coach challenges players off the field; 2020 Seattle Seahawks breakdown; Hawks injury report vs L.A. Rams 11/15; Bells 2020 Seahawk season prediction; Fans calling for Ken Norton (Defensive Coordinator) job; Hawks vs Rams prediction 11/15 .......and much more!
Road Travel; Duties & Responsibilities; Cigar Brokers; NFL Scouting and Cigar Sales Manager comparison; Relationships; Family; Hot Cigar Brands; The "U"; Miami Dolphins and much more.
Founder and President of the Chris Draft Family Foundation; Co-Founder @Teamdraft, NFL Ambassador, Transition to Life after Football; Keasha Draft; @TeamDraft; Have a Plan; Building Relationships; Team Draft Super Bowl Challenge; November Lung Cancer Awareness Month; Stanford University Athletics/Academic experience; NFL, NBA, MLB how Sports are helping us through COVID-19; College Football during a Pandemic...and much more!
CRA Ambassador; Host: Cigar Coop Prime Time, Host: Prime Time Special Edition, Host: Prime Time Jukebox; OUTSTANDING Prime Time Episode #160 w/Jeremiah Meerapfel; IPCPR Convention; Some of Coops favorite sticks; New York Giants; Rutgers defeats Michigan St. and much more!
Baltimore Ravens famous Crab Cakes and Press Box Food Ranking, NFL Protocol Issues, Las Vegas Raider players testing positive for COVID - 19, True NFL bubble coming soon for Playoff's and 2021 Super Bowl, WR Antonio Brown, DB Earl Thomas, Honoring Pro Football Hall of Famer Fred Dean, Dallas Cowboys disfunction, NFL Minority Coaches Advancement process, BIG Ten Football/Michigan St
Pro Football Writers of America (PFWA); Great locker room stories covering Seattle Seahawks; Life as a Beat Writer, Sr. Writer, National Writer; Hall of Fame voting process & presentations; QB Dak Prescott future; RB Levon Bell release; Sando (GM hat) picks Patrick Mahomes over Russell Wilson; The challenge of Super Bowl LI; COVID - 19 vs NFL and much more!
President of Moawad Consulting Group; Battle tested strategies to over come negativity; Limitless Minds - Business Partner with Russell Wilson; Nick Saban Alabama; Kirby Smart Georgia; Jimbo Fisher Texas A&M (Florida St); We are motivated by three things 1. Fear 2. Incentives 3. Drive to be Great; Author of "It takes what it takes" Wall Street Journal Best Seller sold on Amazon; Mentality is a Competitive Advantage!
Apple Cup '92 (Snow Bowl); Washington National Championship Reunion; Kansas City Chiefs; Its not practice its a job; Life after football; Legendary Head Coach Don James; Darius Turner Foundation; Joe Montana Autograph; Marcus Allen lessons; PYLON & STICKS "Hot Seat" and much more!
John Smith (Head Kicking Coach & Academic Advisor) Nathan Chapman (Head Punting Coach); Time spent with NFL great Ray Guy; John and Tony (Softli) friendship date back to 1990; ProKick has earned an exceptional reputation with both College and NFL coaches; Invite process to ProKick; Highest of Academic standards; S-1 VISA; Seattle Seahawks Michael Dickson; Washington Huskies Joel Whitford (punter); Washington St Nick Haberrer (punter); Whos who of punters and kickers currently across College landscape
Darran "Grasshopper" Wilson - NFL RED Hat duties and responsibilities; TV Utility Man; CAL vs. Washington 2019 (storm); Eyes & Ears for Assit. Dir, Producer, Radio and on field Officials; Stress of the job; Communication and TV Time Outs
Espinosa Man Cave; If you love what you do you won’t work a day in your life; Cigars and Politics; COVID-19 and cigar Boom; Erik’s thoughts on Sports in Miami (Marlins & Dolphins); Espinoza Cigars….
Espinosa tobacco; La Zona (pairs); Habano wrapper vs. others; Cuban Coffee; 601 Cigars;
Smoky Joes cont..; Highclere Castle; Smoke to the Band; Strength of Cigars; Leaf positioning is critical when bunching
Foundation of good cigars is Great Tobacco; Connecticut River Valley; Esteli is my second home; My time at Drew Estates; Blending Tobacco consistently; Smokey Joes (Fife).
Seattle Seahawks breakdown cont; Seahawks vs 49ers NFC West Prediction; Cliff Avril Family Foundation; Basketball was first love; NBA Championship prediction; LeBron James
Career ending neck injury; Mental & Physical aspect of the game; 2013 & 2014 Seattle Defense best in NFL History?; Coach Pete Carroll; Retirement Party; COVID-19; Earl Thomas; Jacob Blake; Seahawks 2020 prediction
Cuban background and family business; Eduardo Fernandez story; Cuban Agronomists; Corojo 99; New England Patriots prediction and much more!!
Esteli Nicaragua the Meca of the cigar industry; Don KiKi cigars; "K" by Karen Berger; Red Lips to Sticks; Miami Dolphins and much more!
Kassidy's conversation included Washington St football Coach experience; "We Are United" Pac12 Movement with 400 plus student-athletes; Player Health & Safety; Eliminate Excessive Expenditures; End Racial injustice in College Sports and Society; Economic Freedom and Equity; Name, Image and Likeness Rights; Fair Market Pay Rights; College Athlete United (group chat).
Mike moves from playing to coaching and his experience with Coach Bill Walsh at Stanford; XFL experience; NFL vs. COVID-19; Mikes thoughts on Jerry Rice, T.O., Randy Moss; Steve Largent; Anquan Boldin; Larry Fitzgerald; San Francisco 49ers in 2020
A Husky and a Cougar catch up; Time spent with legendary Coach Bill Walsh and his Commitment to Excellence; Joe Montana & Steve Young; Memories of Dwight Clark; Mr. "D"
Ron talks about his conversion from college basketball player to footballer; time spent playing for Coach Tom Landry and the Dallas Cowboys; Seattle Seahawks legendary story about "Up Downs"; Picks the Seahawks to win the NFC WEST in 2020....much more!
Tony and Nick talk about their relationship since 2007; Perdomo Cuban cigar family and Nicks humble beginnings; FDA issues; Nick is a HUGE Sports fan; Are Cuban Cigars still KING; Decision on moving factory from YBOR City to either Dominican or Nicaragua....and much more!
Eddie Tarazona of Tarazona Cigars (Part 2) (Twitter: @tarazonacigars); Where football and cigars collide; FDA possible regulations on premium hand rolled cigars; Cigars a Big part of todays pop culture.
Eddie Tarazona of Tarazona Cigars (Part 1) (Twitter: @tarazonacigars); Starting the business; I knew Cigars what I didn't know was Tobacco; Mentors in his career; Changes in the cigar world
NFL Analyst on NFL Network, NFL.com, co-host on podcast Moving the Sticks (Twitter: @BuckyBrooks). NFL dealing with Covid-19 and start of season; Team testing and protocol development with NFLPA; Trimming the Fat roster size from 90 to 80; Tom Brady or Cam Newton; Top 5 RB's regardless of scheme and much more!
(Part 3) Former NFL Executive and a Cigar Aficionado dialing it down with NFL Great Eric Metcalf and Tony Bellato about football and cigars.
(Part 2) Eric's relationship with Jim Brown, Pro Football Hall of Fame, Atlanta Falcons, Pandemic, Tony's Travel demands when running a cigar line, Lost and Found (GAF)
Host: Tony Soflti & Steve Callow joined in a roundtable by Cleveland Brown legend and NFL great Eric Metcalf and Tony Bellato Owner of La Barba Cigars and Havana House & Lounges in Cleveland, OH.
(Part 1) Tony and Steve intro touching upon their background, Eric Metcalf and Tony Bellato talk about Cleveland Browns fans and city excitement during the late 80's and early 90's