Boomer & Gio
Hour 1 - US Hockey Men Catch Heat, Clay Holmes Start, Jeff Kent Slams A-Rod
24 Feb 2026
Chapter 1: What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
It's the Boomer and Geo podcast from WFAN. And we're coming to you live from the Build Forward Tough studio. Boomer Esiason, Greg Giannotti. It's Boomer and Geo on the fan. Simulcast across the country on CBS Sports Network and wherever you are on the free Odyssey app. Good Tuesday morning. Had a lot of conversation about USA Hockey yesterday.
Both good and then some people wanted to make it a pure political conversation and then take one thing we were all on the same page with and then turn it into another thing that we can't agree on. So that was disappointing seeing that stuff.
We are getting closer to some real answers when it comes to the rosters of the Jets and Giants and the Jets being the most interesting because they've got so many holes right now. And we feel like the Giants are close, but the Jets have a lot of work to do. So combine coming up and all of that. And of course, we are waiting for a champion here in New York for a very, very long time.
And all that pressure is going to be on Jalen Brunson and the New York Knicks. So that's always going to be something interesting. We are talking about throughout the next couple of months. Ready for a big one today, Boomer. Good morning. How are you?
Chapter 2: What sparked the controversy around the US Hockey Team's celebration?
Yeah, good morning, Jay. I'm doing well. And, you know, one of the things about the USA hockey team, you know, and we were just talking about it off the air, the thing that happened to them, you say, because of the snow here in New York, they were supposed to charter back from Milan here to New York. And because of the snow, they ended up diverting to Miami.
So they got to spend the night in Miami last night. And I don't know if you saw this at 11 nightclub last night in Miami. the USA hockey team celebrated their gold medal, and the entire place is singing the national anthem. And it actually gives you the chills just to watch these guys do this and celebrate.
And I'm thinking that the 1980 guys, right after they had finished their Olympic gold medal game, all of those guys scattered and signed professional contracts with NHL teams. So they weren't allowed to do this. You know what I'm saying?
So these guys, and of course they're going to the State of the Union tonight with Donald Trump, and he invited them, and of course he invited the women's hockey team who respectfully declined. But yeah, it's getting a little bit heated on both sides again because that's just the way it goes around here. We had a couple days to celebrate, a couple days to enjoy, and now all the...
The knives are out, if you will, on one side of the ledger, and it's unfortunate. But still, nonetheless, they won the gold medal, and it's been 46 years since they won that gold medal. And they should be able to celebrate and do whatever they want and enjoy it and really totally embrace everything that they bring to the table.
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Chapter 3: How do the Jets and Giants compare in terms of roster needs?
yeah i mean it was just when some of the anger i guess yesterday sort of being directed towards them that's where i got annoyed and maybe i shouldn't even be paying attention to the opinions of the people that were thinking that way um but i guess just yesterday being here in the city again alone i'm picking up my phone and looking at it even more than i normally would and seeing all this reaction on social media and there was a big video that
Dave Portnoy called one of his employees to do a well check on her because she was flipping out on X about how she never wants a man to do anything for her ever again. And the U.S. hockey team is a bunch of jerks because they laughed at the joke when President Trump said, I got to invite the women to or I'll get impeached.
And I just – if you want to be mad at Donald Trump for that or dislike him for the reasons you dislike him and be mad at Kash Patel, if you want to direct all that political anger towards them, fine. I mean that's what – we've seen it on both sides many, many years. That's the political sewer pit that you play. Right. Go ahead and do that.
But to drag these guys into it in a moment where they're celebrating and you want them to stop when the president's on the phone after they win a gold medal and be like, you know, I think that joke was inappropriate. Mr. President, what? Just stop. Let these guys live. It was an amazing moment, made so many of us happy.
So, like I said, sometimes I struggle with whether or not I should even pay attention to these opinions about it. I just really felt the need to just want to defend those guys because, I mean, my lord. So they win a gold medal. They're talking to the president. They get invited to the White House.
These are all young men who finally got something done that USA Hockey couldn't get done in over four decades. And now because you don't agree with the current administration, now you're going to drag them into it and dislike them too? I mean, that's idiotic behavior on my partner. I'm not saying don't dislike certain political parties or whatever you vote for. Fine. That's fine.
But to drag these young men into this after what they accomplished, I think, was... Well, I mean, they're draping themselves in the flag, and it's all about patriotism, and they're singing the national anthem at a nightclub. Well, to some people, there is something wrong with that, and those people need to have a wellness check. Yeah, that's why I'm with Dave Portnoy on this one. But I just...
The political rhetoric that's going on and just how both sides of this whole thing are ridiculous.
I mean, like we talked about a couple of the ex-posts yesterday by a couple of, I would say well thought of, but at least they do have experience in the world of media saying that if you were sickened by, you know, the chance of USA, USA and the flag waving at the Olympics, you know, you're not alone. I mean, you know, kiss my ass. I don't care if you feel that way. Too bad.
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Chapter 4: How did the US Hockey Team's gold medal celebration go in Miami?
So, I don't know, it's ridiculous, but I really got chills watching these guys last night at the 11-night club singing the national anthem with the entire crowd. Group of people that were there. And, you know, that's that should be what we should be celebrating. Yeah. And maybe people like us do celebrate that.
And there's unfortunately a group of people in this country that don't celebrate that for whatever reason. And they're still here bitching about it. And I don't know why. Well, that's the thing. It needs to be separated. Whatever your viewpoints on what's going on politically and then what these guys accomplished, I mean, I'm sorry.
And by the way, the same people that are complaining about them taking the phone call from the president would be complaining if the president didn't call them. You know that, right? It'd be like, oh, this guy, you know, Ronald Ray used to call people or Obama used to call people, Clinton used to call people. And then these guys win a gold medal and Donald Trump doesn't call them.
They would be saying the same thing. They're just finding a reason to hate on it. It was so annoying to me yesterday as one of the points that I had. It was like, man, I was like, this is it was so divided in so many things. And man, this was one of those rare moments that all of us were together and rooting for the same thing. For those of us that are in the sports world, for sure. Right.
Sports world and just almost everything else. It was just like you checked all the other things at the door and you rooted for Team USA to beat Canada in the gold medal game on a Sunday morning with a blizzard coming in, at least here in the Northeast. It just felt like we were all together. It just felt like a special moment as the day goes on. It's like, oh, my God, here we go again.
But, I mean, these are the times that we live in, unfortunately. But these guys, hopefully it doesn't affect them. Hopefully they're not seeing this. Hopefully they're not affected and going like, are these people actually mad at us right now? For what? Like 1% of the people. I hope so. 99% of the people are behind them and support them. Yeah, I hope so. And you saw that Sunday morning.
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Chapter 5: What were the reactions to the US Hockey Team's phone call with President Trump?
The entire United States was engaged in this. And I said on Fox News last night with Laura Ingraham, I said, from Montauk to L.A., there were parties galore all waiting for this game on a Sunday morning. and it was the ultimate Super Bowl because it's one game, winner take all. You take the gold medal and anything can happen, and certainly miracles do happen.
We've seen that in hockey with Herb Brooks standing in front of us here on our desk. I just think that it was a moment that we'll never forget, and for all of us who love the game, but more importantly love what these kids represent, we'll remember where we were when this game took place. Yeah, absolutely. This is one of those core memories. It's a reference point.
We're going to be talking about this during the next four nations. We're obviously going to be talking about this four years from now when these two teams hopefully meet again for another opportunity. This is one of those things. It could never be like 1980. It's never going to be like that, but this is with NHL players. This is about as close as you can get to something like that.
Maybe the upset not as big as it was, but just, you know, taking down a behemoth and just a moment for the country in USA hockey. I mean, it's as big as it could get in 2026 with NHL players. And by the way, the fact that they, you know, these guys wanted to do this. Like these players, these NHL players wanted to go for all their nations.
Right.
All of them wanted to go and do this. And they lobbied to do it in the middle of the season. And I understand now maybe NHL owners would look at it a different way or Gary Bettman might look at it a different way. But the fact that they wanted to do this and represent their country and then go out there and it means so much to them is something we should be appreciating for all of the players.
Not just Team USA, everybody. who was out there and wanted to do that. It's a special thing. And by the way, you know, so in the Summer Olympics in L.A., what you're going to have is you're going to have flag football for the first time. Do you know how many NFL players are going to want to play in that? Yeah. Are they? Yeah. They're going to want to play in it. Man, oh, man.
Yeah, it'll be interesting. That'll be very interesting because we've seen before, of course, like the WBC and Edwin Diaz getting hurt. Yeah, but you've got the dream team in basketball. You've got the World Baseball Classic going on. These things now are a big part of, I think, the sports lexicon. It also is money-making.
Well, of course, but my point being is that football is the biggest of them all, the most money that is involved, and it's a Summer Olympics right before the season starts. I'm telling you, guys are going to want to play. One of your big guys goes down there, it's going to feel worse than any of the other situations.
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Chapter 6: How did Gio and Eddie handle their night in NYC during the storm?
He was essentially recruited by Andy Pettit, so good to get out there today. The Mets will take on the Astros. You've got the Yankees beating the Pirates 6-2. The Yankees play Toronto coming up later this afternoon. Speaking of the Yankees, a former Yankee, A-Rod, is back in the news. Not of anything he did recently, but what he did in the past.
This was on the San Francisco Giants broadcast on Sunday as Jeff Kent is in the booth.
a rod who was he was your size and he came in uh hard on you you know you survived it but i think he got banged up a little bit yeah i did he tore my knee up he went she slipped and rolled his fat ass past the base the son of a bitch good for him yeah there you go i mean that that's the jeff kent reputation right there that's how i felt about your guy yeah but you do but you were wrong who's your guy
I felt bad about that. Yeah, yeah. John Randall. John Randall. John Randall was going after his knees, but it wasn't. So much like you carried that around for years and years and years.
I mean, that's John Miller who then says to Kent. Not that you've thought about it much since then.
That's half empty right there, John. Now, Ken did make it very clear, if he's trying to turn a double play, look out. I would literally throw the ball between their eyes. If they came in and they weren't ducking down, I was throwing the ball right between their eyes. They better get down.
And that's the way it got taught. Until they changed the rules, of course. He needs to manage... Jeff Kent? Yeah. Maybe. Maybe in his future. You never know. But the Hall of Famer, Jeff Kent. Does that work these days with some of these guys, though? You know what I mean? It would just be fun to cover that. It would be absolutely fun. You're right.
Those press conferences would be a blast.
Phenomenal. And that would have been like back in the, no longer, but back in the day with Wally Backman, whose name always came up, that people would talk about the way he would discuss the game and certainly those locker room recordings that we have of him. Some of the funniest stuff we've ever seen. Absolutely. But those days do seem like they are long.
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