Jim Trotter joins Brother From Another to discuss his new role at The Athletic, his prediction for the Warriors in Game against the Lakers and shares his favorite NFL schedule release videos.

Video Transcript

- [READING] "My goal at The Athletic? Remain comfortable covering uncomfortable topics." That is the great Jim Trotter. Jim, welcome back to the first Ladies First Friday Edition of "Brother from Another." you've always joined us on Women's Wednesday. You're one of our staples, so we wanted to have you back for this. And also you've been on the show since you left NFL media. But you hadn't started your new job yet. So we knew you were going to The Athletic, there was an announcement, but this is the first time you're joining us since you've been back. Can you tell us a little bit about what you're going to be doing?

JIM TROTTER: Yeah. First of all, thanks for having me. You know I love being with you ladies. I'm going to be doing a little of everything. I'm a national columnist for The Athletic, which I'm excited about because it gives me an opportunity to touch on whatever subject I want to. So there'll be a heavy dose of NFL because, obviously, that's where my expertise is. But if I want to weigh in on the NBA, if I want to weigh in on Major League Baseball or hockey or whatever it may be, whatever topic it may be, I'm able to do that. And excited about that from the standpoint that--

You know I mean that. I like to get into issues and to go places where others might not really want to go. Or there are things we talk about in private and maybe we don't talk about in public. Well, now we can start to shed a light on some of these things and give a voice to those whose voices aren't being heard. So I'm excited about it. Cool, and this is your latest.

- I'm excited for you as well. Because there's a lot of topics that happen in the NFL that are very uncomfortable and that need to be said. And so we need voices like you to continue. I see your hat, though. I feel like you're going to be having some basketball tapes as well, though, because I see you got your rooting interest on your head that I didn't see prior to us coming back. So we know where you're going with that one.

JIM TROTTER: You know what? Look, when you're going to be on with Matt, you've got to represent, right? She knows-- she knows how much I love the Warriors. Look, I grew up in the Bay Area. I was born in San Francisco and was attending Warriors games up in the nosebleed section for $5 way back in my youth. And Nat knows the jersey behind me, my room here my office here is filled with NFL jerseys of players that I've covered and respect, Hall of Famers, all of that. But the only basketball jersey, non-NFL jersey, is that one behind me, and that's Steph Curry.

So yeah, I got great love for the Warriors. I'm not going to hide that. And that's part of the reason I probably won't write about them much is for that reason. I know that I can be completely objective about them.

- [LAUGHS] Well, it's--

JIM TROTTER: And I should say we have two great Warriors writers up in the Bay Area in Marcus Thompson and Tim Kawakami, so there's really not much for me to-- as well is Slater. There's really not much for me to weigh in on.

- Well, I'm sure you will find things if it's suitable. But we look forward to reading all you're going to be writing, including your latest on Deion Sanders and HBCUs and those players being drafted. But there is some other NFL news. And it's a big thing. It was like a whole production. But it is the NFL. To me it's like a production, you know? So the NFL schedule has been released. I thought one of the greatest examples of like one of the teams is the Titans and what they did. So let's take a look at the Titans and how they announced their schedule.

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- St. Louis Rams.

[TRUMPETING]

- Oh--

- Lightning McQueen.

- No.

[TRUMPETING]

- Oh, that's just the football logo.

[TRUMPETING]

- Boston Bobcats? No idea, no idea.

[TRUMPETING]

- Cowboys, Cowboys!

- Yeah.

[TRUMPETING]

- [LAUGHING] My favorite one was Lightning McQueen. You know, like-- I don't even-- Like I don't even know what a Lightning McQueen is. And also I don't know that a Stallion looks like a bird. But that lady said that it did. And I love how the [MUTED] changed their name after the result. This is my favorite time of year, Jim, when we get to see everybody doing their schedule releases. The Chargers had a good one as well. The Bears had a creative one. So even though I hate the production of it all, I just really want the schedule, I loved how everybody got creative about how they did their schedule releases.

And there was one--

JIM TROTTER: That's why the NFL-- Go ahead.

- Yeah, I was going to say I really like them here like what the Chargers did. And I know they had the anime video. But it was the one-- Jim, you were talking to me about it-- with the Pop Tarts. Like I was like--

- Yes.

JIM TROTTER: Look, I don't know who runs the Chargers social media account. I'm starting to think maybe I need to do a column on this person. Because they kill it every year. They kill it every year with what they do. Yeah. The creativity is incredible. So I was going to make a snide remark like maybe we ought to make that person the offensive coordinator or the

Play caller. But we're not going to go there. We're not going to go there. Anyway, no. They do a great job with it. To me, this speaks to the level of interest in the NFL now where everything, including a schedule release, can now become a major production and people are waiting to see now who is going to present it the best in terms of their social media teams and whatnot.

It's become a thing now, so I enjoy it. Because otherwise, I understand the importance of the release because people want to be able to book their plans, their travel plans for games and whatnot, because we've known the opponents forever now. So I get that importance. But now they've turned it into this major production. And the NFL, I guarantee you, is going to monetize this in some sort of way where they will continue to make more and more money off of something that used to be almost just something that was presented in passing.

- Yep. It was something that happened.

- What was your favorite part?

- It happened. And also, too, guys, it happened-- It used to be before the draft, the week before the draft. Now they've moved it to make it basically like in its own entity. So you already know the NFL has monetized this to make this a big deal already. What's your favorite part about the release, Rita?

- Like Jim said, in the past, this was the day that I would try to look at my schedule and see if I could pick my games. And so this year I hated pretty much all the games that I wanted to go see, so this was not fun for me. And I wish that I just had gotten the schedule earlier so then I could have just dealt with what I can't do. And where I can't go. But my favorite part, literally, is watching all of the teams release their videos because it's extremely well done. And Jim, please find out who this Chargers person is. We need to know who they are because they are very good at what they do. I love it

JIM TROTTER: Yeah, you know I'm serious. I think you're right. I am going to have to look into that. I'll make that call after we get off the air.

- Please.

- We know you're connected, Jim, so get us the scoop. I am just most looking forward to seeing my Eagles match up again with the Chiefs. So that was my favorite thing, like just what date is that? I'm going to put that on my calendar. I know it's not an actual rematch. I know nothing tops the Super Bowl again. But that's what I want to see.

- Well, as a Bay Area native, I'm looking forward to the 49ers seeing the Eagles again. But the thing that's interesting to me about the schedule now is how the NFL tries to appease all of its broadcast partners now because everybody wants the good games. And so now we're seeing these changes now where it used to be that NFC games were exclusively limited to Fox, and now-- and AFC games to CBS in terms of home games and whatnot. And now we're seeing that that's not necessarily the case, even though those networks maintain a majority of those conference games.

But the other thing that's interesting to me, which I didn't even know, of the top four regular-season games last season, excluding Thanksgiving, the Dallas Cowboys were involved in every one of them. So as much as we make fun of the Cowboys and talk about why do they get so much press. And we continue to focus on a team that nobody cares about. The ratings tell us something different. The ratings say they draw people in. So from my standpoint, that was kind of interesting to me. As well as Aaron Rodgers getting the first Monday night game for the New York Jets.

- Well, Jim, who you got tonight for the Warriors game?

JIM TROTTER: Come on, Nat.

- All right. There you have it. Warriors win tonight. Thank you, Jim. Everyone have a great weekend.

- We already knew that.

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