AI Summary
5 min readThe Cold War Continues
Brandon Aiyuk has now torched roughly $53 million. The 49ers wide receiver was due a $24.9 million option bonus on September 1st, but general manager John Lynch confirmed the team would not pay it because Aiyuk defaulted on his contract by going AWOL. As Ben Maller put it on his overnight show: "You know how hard it is to default on a contract? It's just basically have a pulse, you get the money. Have a pulse, you get the money. And he's F'd that up."
The Olympics of Stubbornness
What began as a contract dispute has curdled into something stranger. Aiyuk got the contract he wanted, in theory, but remains at loggerheads with the franchise, demanding on social media to play for the Commanders while refusing to report. Maller's diagnosis is blunt: this is no longer a negotiation. It is "the Olympics of stubbornness," and Aiyuk is the only contestant, "selling himself and lighting himself on fire" simultaneously.
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What you'll learn
- 1 (04:39) **The Cold War Continues: Brandon Aiyuk vs. the 49ers** - Ben Maller opens the show by framing the ongoing standoff between wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk and the San Francisco 49ers as a "Cold War" that the player cannot win.
- 2 (13:38) **Aaron Donald’s Comeback: Is His Trainer’s Opinion Worth Anything?** - Ben pivots to Aaron Donald's return to the Rams at age 35, dismissing the positive review from Donald's personal speed trainer.
- 3 (18:46) **Atlanta’s Pathetic QB Competition: How Bad is Tua Tagovailoa?** - Ben declares the Falcons' quarterback decision the "most pathetic" in the NFL, questioning how Tua Tagovailoa could lose the job to an injured, unready Michael Penix Jr.
- 4 (23:13) **Opening the Phone Lines and Listener Banter** - Ben opens the phone lines and reads listener comments, including a recap of the Vegas Meet and Greet and a discussion about who did and did not show up.
- 5 (35:05) **Caller: Tiger Man on the Bears, Dolphins, and Lane Kiffin** - Long-time caller Tiger Man joins to question why nobody is high on the Broncos, Chiefs, or Ravens, and to defend LSU coach Lane Kiffin's tactics.
- 6 (40:09) **Caller: Metaphor Kyle from the Vegas Meet and Greet** - Ben chats with "Metaphor Kyle," a listener who attended the Vegas event and is known for his love of honey mustard.
- 7 (44:09) **The Who Am I Game: Nolan Ryan Edition** - Ben introduces the "Who Am I" game, asking listeners to identify the pitcher who held the record for oldest pitcher with 10+ strikeouts and one or no hits allowed before Max Scherzer.
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Guests on this episode
Show Notes
Ben Maller talks about Brandon Aiyuk's protest causing more damage to himself than the 49ers, Aaron Donald saying his longtime speed trainer told him that he hasn't lost a step, how bad Tua Tagovailoa must be for Atlanta to consider starting Michael Penix Jr., and much more!
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