Pivot Podcast

One of the biggest football stories of the 2023 NFL season came out of Green Bay, as Quarterback Jordan Love led his Packers team to the postseason, knocking off the NFC favorite Dallas Cowboys on the road. In his first year as a starter, Love surpassed expectations and rallied a young team to be one of the last standing at the end of the season, coming up just short of playing in the NFC Championship. Love is sitting with Ryan, Channing and Fred to talk about his past year, quieting the doubters while building on the success of this year, free agency moves and Jordan takes us back to how his football journey started, sharing life events that made him question if playing quarterback was even something he could do.  When the Packers drafted Aaron Rodgers’ successor in 2020, they selected Jordan Love out of the state of Utah with the 26th overall pick, and although he was expected to come in as a backup, Jordan understood the responsibility of the long lineage of great QBs in Green Bay history that he was following and the unique opportunity in front of him to learn from one of the game's best to ever do it, in Rodgers. This past season, getting his opportunity to start after Rodgers left for NY, Love made his position known that he was no longer the back up as it was the start of a new era in Green Bay with a fresh style of QB play under center. Jordan let his on field play do the talking for him, quieting any doubters that he could be the next great Packers QB. Jordan threw for over 4,000 yards and 32 touchdowns in his first season starting and led the Packers to the NFL Playoffs where they knocked off the Dallas Cowboys in an upset victory on the road, garnering league wide respect and earning top honors as one of the best QBs in the game. Coming up short against the 49ers one game shy of the NFC Championship, Jordan looks at the missed opportunities and certain plays he wishes he had back but knows it only makes him better prepared to take on adversity going forward. He shares the highs and lows of the 2023 season and also what he learned from playing behind Rodgers and how he used it to help him become a better leader on the field and a threat to opposing defenses. In 2023, game by game the football world could see Jordan’s confidence increase while putting up MVP caliber numbers with a young receiving core around him. Jordan talks about the team's progress and how to build off of it this season and is excited with Green Bay's new free agency pickups that only makes the team stronger. Jordan is confident about becoming the team to beat in the NFC North and uses adversity to propel him forward, becoming better each time on the field. No stranger to loss and setback, at 14 years old, Jordan lost his father, which left a hole in his world but he shares how instrumental his mother and three sisters were in his upbringing and the core of his world now. As a young player, he relied on a strong support system of family and coaches during the process of mourning his dad's sudden passing, but found strength in the adversity and learned to turn his pain into focus of living out his football dream in his father's memory. Expectations continue to rise around Love and the Packers and Jordan welcomes the pressure to shed the underdog stigma and show the world his team deserves to be respected as one of the top competitors in the NFL. New episodes drop on Tuesdays at 12 p.m. ET and Fridays at 3:30 p.m ET on YouTube, with audio available on all streaming platforms including Apple, Spotify and Amazon. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

22 Maalis 202451min

Baseball has long been a game of tradition and unwritten rules that players are afraid to break. That was until this new generation stepped up to the plate and began to change the way players approach the sport. One young superstar is helping lead this charge.  Miami Marlins All-Star Jazz Chisholm sat down with Ryan, Channing and Fred to talk about his baseball career so far and discuss what makes him so special. The MLB The Show 23 cover athlete has brought flair and fandom to Florida baseball, and he goes in-depth on what has led him to his current success.  Becoming the 7th Bahama-born player in Major League Baseball, Jazz had a long road to the majors. He has always been the youngest player on every team he plays on, and his move to Wichita, Kansas made him as isolated as ever. He was a high school senior at 16 years old and gave The Pivot guys an idea of what type of change it was for a young Jazz.  After his minor league move from the Arizona to Miami system, Jazz revealed how difficult his 2020, 2021 and 2022 seasons were for him once he reached the MLB. From his habits to his fashion he butted heads with veteran players, and when his old idol Kobe Bryant passed away, he relied on part-owner Derek Jeter for some moral support.  With the new era of the Miami Marlins here, Jazz has a newfound love for the sport on and off the field. The clubhouse is packed with familiar faces and a positive energy, and for the first time he is arriving to Spring Training early and staying late. The music and anime lover may still have his downtime, but the team’s camaraderie has broken his independence. As his grandmother is still a Bahama softball legend and a family of 20 comes to many of his games, Jazz is loosening up on the diamond.  The Jordan Brand athlete knows a thing or two about how to look the part, but the ice-cold chains and stylish kicks are being worn by one of the hottest players in the game today. When the Marlins needed a leader, they looked to the Bahamian, and Miami will be glad with the MVP-caliber player they chose to rally behind.  New episodes drop on Tuesdays at 12 p.m. ET and Fridays at 3:30 p.m ET on YouTube, with audio available on all streaming platforms including Apple, Spotify and Amazon Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

20 Maalis 20241h 23min

Taylor Rooks & Joy Taylor: Two Personal on The Pivot, Shedding the sports talk to tackle hot button topics and discuss issues personal to them by sharing life experiences and answering the questions everyone wants to know! In the ever-evolving world of sports media, Taylor Rooks and Joy Taylor continue to turn heads and establish themselves as rising stars in a competitive media space of sports and entertainment. Whether it is co-hosting shows, interviewing A-list athletes and celebrities, delivering sideline updates during games and headlining studio shows, the duo has independently created a niche as some of the most respected in the business. But now, they are teaming up together for a new podcast, Two Personal, a weekly series going beyond what viewers see on television, diving deep into the lives of them as close friends and media trailblazers. With equal parts humor and wisdom, they talk culture and social issues while fearlessly exploring complex topics like relationships and dating, body image, racism, sexism, mental health and more.  Sitting with Ryan, Channing and Fred, Joy and Taylor share their vision behind the podcast, the barriers they are trying to break and why they are comfortable being unapologetic in their own voice with sensitive topics and public pushback. Channing has known Joy for over 20 years after playing along side her Hall of Fame brother, Jason Taylor and how exposure to his career helped shape her own journey in sports. As the current co-host of “Speak” and veteran Fox Sports personality, Joy opens up about how her perspective being shaped through her experiences, pointing to the ways in which audiences interact with her content. Taylor’s authenticity in interviews has made her one of the industry’s best, and she mentions how the choosing her words carefully enables people to let guard down and open up. Whether it is Bleacher Report, Turner Sports or Thursday Night Football, Rooks’ presence can be felt on any panel or sideline as a premiere talent, but that doesn’t erase her from pushback and public scrutiny. Working in broadcast media, Ryan understands the expectations that come with being on tv and being viewed certain ways but not nearly the struggles Joy and Taylor face as females in sports as the two speak very candidly on the frustrations of viewers focusing more on their appearance and clothing than their sports commentary, often contriving falsities about their personal lives based on the work they do. Another hot topic talked about amongst the group was their varying opinions on relationships and objectifying women in general. Joy and Channing talk about the preference of having a guy who has female friends with Ryan and Fred weighing in their thoughts while Taylor later expands the conversation to the media frenzy of public relationships. Debunking many mistruths and internet inaccuracies, Joy and Taylor express frustrations with public assumptions and explain why it’s sometimes difficult to be a respected female working in the sports world and have developed tough skin to rise above the noise. Both Taylor and Joy have worn many hats in their careers so far, but this candid podcast has shined a different light on them as people, revealing a side never seen before. New Pivot episodes drop on Tuesdays at 12 p.m. ET and Fridays at 3:30 p.m ET on YouTube, with audio available on all streaming platforms including Apple, Spotify and Amazon. Be sure to check out Two Personal every Wednesday on YouTube and follow on IG @twopersonalshow! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

15 Maalis 20241h 13min

“There’s 2 sides to everything. And I’m a realist, so I’m always going to keep it 100.” Sauce Gardner  The NY Jets 2x All-Pro cornerback is setting the record straight, responding to verbal accusations about the organization and providing context to unanswered questions and speculation surrounding the Jets culture and future of the team.  Only the 3rd guest to make a repeat appearance on The Pivot, Sauce chats with Ryan, Fred and Channing about everything from growing up in Detroit to his love of music to being a leader in the locker room to what 2024 looks like for The Jets but most importantly, Sauce was strong in his purpose of letting the world know, the bull crap and false talk about his team, needs to come to an end. Stemming from a recent conversation The Pivot had with Mecole Hardman, Hardman spoke out against his former NY team, listing numerous reasons he was happy to have left the organization as well as revealed the inner workings from his experience that painted the team as complacent and a disorganized mess from the top down lacking leadership, treating star players differently than the rest of the roster and not being able to have success despite having extreme talent.  Sauce spoke out on social media after the Hardman did along with other Jets players who also debunked the claims sharing his side speaking in facts only about the team, their approach and the coaching. He was extremely clear on certain aspects of the season, spoke in detail about the locker room mentality and made sure it was known that the standard is the standard in NY and the team is not an ego driven program as described. Although frustrated with the narrative that Hardman and others have used about the Jets, Sauce is open about wanting others to succeed and believing everyone can eat if they work hard enough, he applauds Mecole for another Super Bowl win but says he should have taken the high road and not even mentioned his former team.  The 23 yr old, young in age but wise far beyond his years, carries himself more as a veteran in the NFL than the young rising star he is. The early expectations were not for Sauce to reach the level of stardom he has now, yet with all of the fame and success, he discusses the importance of humility and grace. With a 96 overall Madden rating, Sauce understands that it’s the little things that separate people from good to great which is why he explains making it a priority to learn something new as often as he can by chatting with everyone in the building from the GM to the cafeteria people to the groundskeepers to his teammates, understanding that’s the best way to sharpen your skills is through communication and never being too big to learn from anyone.  Playing in the biggest city brings a lot of attention and sometimes turmoil, which Sauce details one particular incident that highlighted his new reality while using his roots to handle the issue. This was the cause for roughing the waters between Sauce and Hardman, as he explains his former teammate’s involvement in the situation. Dealing with a hacking issue on Snapchat, false claims about his personal life, exposure of privacy on blogs while also being extorted, Sauce never caved from who he is at the core and never allowed the off the field chaos to affect his play.  The only player to be named First Team All-Pro in his first two seasons since the 1970 merger, Sauce has etched his name as one of the best at the position and is just getting started. Being touted as a future Hall of Famer comes with a lot of pressure, which is why he continues to focus on each day like it’s his first day. Sauce didn’t have a role model growing up, so he strives to set an example and be a voice to young guys who came up just like him.   With free agency underway and the draft coming up, Sauce says his team wants are simple, “I want Aaron to feel comfortable in the pocket and for Garrett to not always be double teamed.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

12 Maalis 20241h 1min

Down in Florida for Channing's comedy show this past week, Fred, Ryan and Chan get together to have a conversation about life, all the new updates in each of their own careers and talk about what's next while looking back at the strides they've all made individually and as a group. Knowing your worth can take you a long way. Whether that be in sports, careers, relationships or within your own family, understanding your value is a key piece to life. But a life practice we often take for granted is never giving someone their flowers while they are here and sometimes it being too late, and the person never hearing while being alive. The guys talk about the importance of recognizing and sharing with others, celebrating the wins when we get them and showing up for one another to support. Chan’s 2nd comedy show was a success and he's really starting to pour his time into his craft and exploring this new venture. He says he may be better at comedy than football but the guys disagree and say it's a different calling and is just excelling differently in each. Ryan talks about Channing's gift to make others laugh and feel good and Fred says he's been impressed in the fast progress he's making which Channing says he owes to asking questions to OG's and never being too big or grown to ask for help and advice as he learns. Whether you are an athlete, a comedian, a singer, a coach or anything, never be afraid to look to those who came before you to ask for guidance and that's how the good ones become great. Getting their NFL starts all came differently as Channing and Fred were drafted and went to the NFL Scouting Combine while Ryan had a different path. The guys talked about the humbling experiences and also how it's different now with so many top draft prospects choosing to not work out much like Channing and Fred were instructed to do and guys talk about the records broken at this year's combine and guys like Jayden Daniels choosing not to participate while in Indy. Ryan reflected on how he truly learned about himself through the undrafted free agency process while Chan explains that football takes place on the field, and that if you can play, you can play, so you define your own value.  The biggest off-season Pivot news has been Ryan being a free agent again and finally re-negotiating a new 3 year deal with ESPN, something he negotiated and represented himself independently through. Ryan opens up about the process and describes having to fight for what he believes he has earned, through his platform and how this process was much different than his first go around to now but stuck to what he envisioned at this point and came to agreement where he was able to get most of what he wants but still knows there is work to be done.  Understanding relationships are everything, the guys turn to talking about their families, and how raising kids now is much different than when they grew up. Fred brings up the recent quote from Bradley Cooper in which he says he didn’t love his child immediately and how it was difficult in the beginning and the guys discuss being fathers and developing that instant unconditional love you would kill for. Each parent may be wired differently, but that loving instinct is what gravitates fathers and mothers to their kids. As the guys talk about this bond, Channing asks how they first talked to their children about sex and how he is handling it now as his kids are getting to an age of asking lots of questions. There's no parenting handbook for tough topics, but finding your own approach with each child is something the guys find works for them as fathers. Circling back to giving someone their flowers when they are here, the guys wrap up the conversation with an homage to ESPN legend Chris Mortensen who recently passed away, and Ryan shares his favorite story of Chris while talking through the strength of their relationship.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

8 Maalis 202450min

Episode Highlights: Almost not making it to NFL  NFL’s fastest man, 2024/25 MVP?  Mahomes locker room vs Tua's Relationship with Andy Reid  Inside the Miami Dolphins & leadership Response to personal rumors & headlines  Finding Faith in family & marriage  8x pro bowler, Super Bowl champion and the fastest man in the NFL, Tyreek Hill sits down with Ryan, Channing and Fred to reflect on being the highest paid receiver, going from juco to the pros, leaving Kansas City to play for the Miami Dolphins, restoring his faith to get back to football and how his marriage is in fact his strength, despite rumored headlines.  Calling himself the Kat Williams of wide receivers but known as Cheetah to the football world, Tyreek Hill prides himself in being an open book and sometimes too open but he’s always going to speak his truth. Tyreek shares what his life was like as a child, the bumpy road to the NFL, almost losing football and how one bad decision can cost you everything.  On pace to do record breaking numbers at the start of this past season, no one was catching Tyreek with his speed and electric route running which had him in the MVP conversation until injury slowed him up but he learned how to play through the pain to stay on the field. The Dolphins were front runners to win a tough AFC East and their on and off the field success documented in HBO’s Hard Knocks in-season show.  Despite falling short to his former team this season, Tyreek still believes the Dolphins were the better team over the Chiefs but fell victim to the “Any Given” Sunday theory that any team can rise to the occasion any week. Tyreek talks about playing with Mahomes and Travis Kelce, describes the locker room in KC vs the one in Miami now, why he believes the Dolphins are on the rise, praises Jalen Waddle and their offensive weapons and never forgets that he owes a lot to Andy Reid for the player and man he is today.  Bad decisions in college resulted in minimum exposure early on and little opportunity to show his skills early making his path seem unlikely, until Tyreek’s life changed with one phone call to be drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs which led to him being a household name, feared by defenses and ultimately as Super Bowl champion.  Looking up to Randy Moss and admiring Antonio Brown as the best in his position, Tyreek’s mindset has always been the same, to be the most dynamic player on the NFL field every week. Not allowing personal distractions interfere with his career aspirations, Tyreek has turned to faith and focusing on being the leader of the team as a trusted voice to younger guys as well as become the protector of his teammates.  Fred stirs the pot to give Tyreek a chance to explain his social media banter with RC after Ryan made some comments on Tua early in the season, and the guys have fun with it but also get into what kind of player and leader Tua is striving to be. Channing couldn’t let Tyreek go without asking him to weigh in on his former KC pals, how his relationship has changed with Kelce and Mahomes and if he ever saw Travis dating Taylor Swift and his answer is not going to get him canceled!  Before the fame, the man people know as cheetah today, grew up in Pearson, Georgia raised by his grandparents, Tyreek grew up in the church serving either playing the drums or praising dancing. Those early moments of his life in church instilled his love of God and faith, which later helped him transcend throughout his career.  From being a newlywed to divorce rumors to parental headlines to his family home catching on fire making national news, Tyreek knows he is constantly under the microscope and relies on the continued support of his wife, grandparents and kids to tune out the noise and let his play do the talking.  New Episodes of The Pivot with athletes, entertainers and more release every Tuesday at 12pm est on YouTube with early release on all audio platforms. Subscribe to The Pivot and Follow along on socials. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

5 Maalis 20241h 4min

FOLLOW THE PIVOT PODCAST: MERCH | https://pivotpodcast.com  YOUTUBE | https://www.youtube.com/thepivotpodcast INSTAGRAM | https://instagram.com/thepivot TWITTER | https://twitter.com/thepivot TIKTOK | https://tiktok.com/@thepivot FACEBOOK | https://www.facebook.com/thepivotpodcast Episode Highlights*Pregnancy, Family and Faith*Co-parenting & Dating as a single mother*Humble Beginnings & Moving to Dallas Town*Betting on yourself and winning *Stand Up Comedy & Opening for Martin Lawrence*Secret behind landing The Breakfast Club hosting seat Jess Hilarious, social media star turned comedian and the newest Breakfast Club host talks about her unique and raw approach to comedy and life experiences growing up in Baltimore, attending a college preparatory high school becoming a mother at an early age, and her quick rise to fame. Opening up for the first time publicly on how she actually landed The Breakfast Club spot, Jess shares her unconventional approach to success with Ryan, Channing and Fred so that others can learn her journey from being an internet sensation with, “Jess with The Mess” to her first real stand-up gig opening for Martin Lawernce in front of thousands to landing a seat next to DJ Envy and Charlamagne every morning on i-Heart's top daily show as she attributes her wins to betting on herself. As a young girl Jess grew up in the heart of West Baltimore, with a loving family but was exposed to the struggles of the city. Her parents wanting more for her pushed her out of her element and made her attend a college preparatory school where she no longer was the majority but the minority. At the age of 19, Jess became a mother trying to juggle the tough moments of motherhood while grasping the difficulties of childbirth as a black woman. Announcing her 2nd pregnancy over a decade later and the preparations to be a mother again brings excitement and curiosity to the experience now having guidance, proper healthcare information and the ability to make a plan to enjoy this part of life and not just be in survival mode through the process. New episodes drop on Tuesdays at 12 p.m. ET and Fridays at 3:30 p.m ET on YouTube, with audio available on all streaming platforms including Apple, Spotify and Amazon. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

1 Maalis 20241h 17min

FOLLOW THE PIVOT PODCAST: MERCH | https://pivotpodcast.com  YOUTUBE | https://www.youtube.com/thepivotpodcast INSTAGRAM | https://instagram.com/thepivot TWITTER | https://twitter.com/thepivot TIKTOK | https://tiktok.com/@thepivot FACEBOOK | https://www.facebook.com/thepivotpodcast When the Kansas City Chiefs scored the winning touchdown in Super Bowl 58, all eyes were on one player who hauled in the catch for the championship. That player was Mecole Hardman, but he has no recollection of the minutes after. The three-time Super Bowl champ sat down with Ryan, Channing and Fred to talk about the game and his career leading up to it. Only 25 years old, Mecole has already faced his fair share of adversity while in the NFL. Whether it was a short stint with the Jets that didn’t end on the best terms or five days spent stuck in bed when he was diagnosed with osteitis pubis, Hardman has had to beat several odds. Yet his big plays in the big games seem to make it all worth it. The Chiefs were a team surrounded by noise all season, yet Hardman talks about how Travis Kelce and Pat Mahomes were able to help pull everyone together in crucial moments. He may be a free agent this offseason, but Hardman has already found more success since being drafted in 2019 than many players get in their careers. With a son in his family and an empathetic perspective on life having worked with special needs children, Mecole expressed with the guys his gratitude for the positions he has been placed in. A fumble or a drop hasn’t defined his career thus far, winning has, and Mecole Hardman has proven that he will always find a way to bounce back. New episodes drop on Tuesdays at 12 p.m. ET and Fridays at 3:30 p.m ET on YouTube, with audio available on all streaming platforms including Apple, Spotify and Amazon. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

27 Helmi 20241h 21min