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00:00Inside the big game continues. I am Gable Maranci. We're throwing it down in New Orleans,
00:25Louisiana, Sports Grid Radio and Television Network, Sirius XM Channel 159. Now listen,
00:32one of the things that New Orleans is most famous for is its cuisine, so we have to talk
00:38about the taste of the NFL, and we're joined by the woman who's been running the taste
00:43of the NFL for five years, and I'm sitting alongside a former Notre Dame Fighting Irish
00:48legend, 12-year NFL vet, two-time pro bowler. We welcome Anne-Marie Krotheim to the program
00:54and Kyle Rudolph, thanks for joining us guys on Media Row. Thanks for having us. So I'll
00:58start with you Anne-Marie, five years running the taste of the NFL and here we are in New
01:03Orleans. You have to get excited to think, oh God, taste of the NFL going to a city known
01:09for its food like New Orleans. It does not get any better, and taste of the NFL here
01:13in New Orleans will be a culinary and gridiron extravaganza. We have 30 chefs, 25 locally
01:22renowned chefs, we have five nationally recognized chefs. We'll have the best of the best of
01:26New Orleans. We have representations, Chef Folse from Restaurant Revolution, we have
01:31Brennan's, we have Dooky Chase, we have the Palace Cafe, Zazu. The menu, it will make
01:37your mouth water if you haven't eaten lunch. So anybody can go, anybody's welcome to go
01:41to the event and the proceeds go to charity as well. Yes, tickets are available at tasteofthenfl.com
01:47and all net proceeds, that's really why we're involved. Gen Youth is a national non-profit
01:52and we help to ensure children thrive by being well nourished and physically active. So all
01:56net proceeds coming back from Taste of the NFL will go to schools in all 32 club markets
02:02across the country to end student hunger. So while the day itself is phenomenal and
02:07it's a wonderful experience, it's really about leaving a long-term legacy behind from Super
02:12Bowl weekend. It's the largest NFL-sanctioned philanthropic event in the city this week.
02:17And Kyle, is that how you got involved through the charitable aspect of this?
02:20Yeah, so I'm a board member of Gen Youth and actually we were reminiscing my first event
02:26with Gen Youth and my introduction to Gen Youth was the last time the Super Bowl was
02:30here in 2013. So throughout the course of my career, I participated in many of the events,
02:36a lot of the school visits in different Super Bowl locations over the years, and really
02:42just aligning with their mission, understanding that one in five kids in our country are food
02:49insecure and don't know where their next meal is going to come. It's unfathomable to think
02:53that that happens in our country, and it does. The Taste of the NFL gives us the opportunity
02:59to bring together what we all love in football and food, and there's no better place to do
03:05it than New Orleans with some of the best food in the world to raise money for an incredible
03:10cause and to make a lasting impact far beyond just the big game on Sunday.
03:14I think a lot of people sort of assumed a lot of problems in the world sort of take
03:18care of themselves. We had some vets on earlier in the week, and they provide dogs for returning
03:26military members. And he was so thankful we could get the word out, and it takes these
03:33events, doesn't it? You have to do something on your own. You can't just say, well, let
03:37other people do it. And it really is amazing to me, Emery, as well, to just see how much
03:42the NFL really is involved in these things behind the scenes that people don't realize
03:46with so many different charities and youth groups.
03:49I think that's really the priority of the league is to do good in the city where the
03:52game is being held and have that long-term benefit. Through our work last year in Las
03:58Vegas, we netted about $2 million. And again, that money went back to schools across the
04:03country.
04:04Another great city with great chefs, too. You've been knocking it out of the park.
04:09And we expect to even surpass that here this year in New Orleans. And we're so lucky to
04:13have Kyle. He's one of our board members who elevates the cause through his platform as
04:18an NFL alumni player through the league itself. And we'll have many other players with us
04:23on Saturday. Doug Flutie will be with us. DeMario Davis. We have James Brown from CBS
04:28Sports will be with us. So it's great that these players give their time and give their
04:33energy and help uplift this mission for GenYouth to help end student hunger.
04:38One thing that I've noticed about spending the week here, fried food is the way to go.
04:42And I think you two probably have a healthier lifestyle than I do. So I don't mind it. But
04:47what about you, Kyle? You know, man, he loves the crawfish, the catfish, the oysters, the
04:53gumbo.
04:54And you can get all of that at Taste of the NFL on Saturday. The menu is incredible. Anne-Marie
04:59mentioned some of the great chefs and what they're cooking up for everyone to just sip.
05:05This isn't the time to eat healthy.
05:06Yeah.
05:07We want to have fun. Instill that wisdom into our kids in schools across the country and
05:12educate them on proper diet and nutrition. But Saturday night's not the time for that.
05:19We want all the good, authentic New Orleans cuisine. And it's there. So if you're here
05:25in town and you want to come out and support, you will not regret it. It is some of the
05:31best food you will ever have. And I promise you will not regret the decision to come to
05:36Taste of the NFL.
05:37Kyle, I got to ask you about the big game that's coming up. I remember when you came,
05:41you went to Notre Dame. You were like a monster for a tight end, right? And there wasn't big
05:46tight ends before, but you look at how the position has evolved right now. And, you know,
05:51it used to sort of be the Mark Bavaros guys. I know there were the Aussie Newsom's, but
05:54who was your guy growing up? Who was your favorite player?
05:56You know, for me, watching guys like Tony Gonzalez, Jason Witten, Antonio Gates.
06:02And you were a basketball guy too. One of the best high school basketball players in
06:07Ohio State history right here.
06:09Thank you. And I've had that conversation a couple of times where the basketball skill
06:14set really transitions over to the tight end position. We'll see it on Sunday. Travis was
06:19an incredible high school basketball player. Great athlete.
06:22Yeah. And short space, right? He seems to just sort of know where to be. He's always
06:26in the right place at the right time. Is that what makes him so great?
06:28It is. And I've mentioned that like him and Patrick being on the same wavelength and every
06:34week defenses are looking at the Chiefs and thinking, how do we take Travis Kelsey out
06:39of the game? And yet he finds ways throughout the course of the play to find space and get
06:46open. As a Bills fan, bro, I'm all, I'm all, I'm
06:47all too aware. Yes, you've seen it.
06:49And even if he's not doing much, but you know, when it's, when it's third and six, Mahomes
06:54goes to him when he gets seven, right? It's just the way it goes.
06:57I'll be interesting to see the way Philly matches up with him. They play so much zone
07:00coverage and you can't do that against Travis Kelsey. He's going to find holes in the zone.
07:06Patrick will be waiting for him. He'll find him when he gets open and they're going to
07:10move the sticks, convert. They're patient enough. Who do you think wins the game? We've
07:15got 30 seconds. So I think Philly is the better team. I thought
07:20last year, San Francisco was the better team. I thought Buffalo was the better team last
07:24week. Buffalo was the better team until you dethrone
07:26Patrick Mahomes and this Kansas city Chiefs team. You can't root against them. I think
07:30the Chiefs win again and they solidify themselves as the greatest 10 year dynasty this league
07:35has ever seen. We'll see what they can do for the next decade. The Patriots has something
07:38to say about a two year decade, two, two decade. Taste of the NFL. Be there. Enjoy yourself
07:45and support the cause.