Every week we're joined by NFL Legends, Players, Coaches, and Media Members from around the country who share their stories and insights. Plus, check out our Unsung Hero of the Week Award and Spotlight on the Positive segments.
On our show the guests are the stars. We tee up the questions and then get out of the way. We also introduce to you lessen known players who had a major impact on games with our Unsung Hero Award plus the great things players and organizations are doing in their communities in our Spotlight on the Positive segment.
We hope you'll make us a part of your NFL and College Football content. Whether you have 20 minutes or 2 hours we've got something for you. Check out our podcast episodes or segments below or on great sites like Podbean, iHeart Radio, Spotify, Audioboom, or Player.FM.
We're official partners of the NFL Alumni Association and Mike Ditka's organization the Gridiron Greats.
What They Are Saying...
Former Bills & Packers WR and current Head Coach at Aurora University Don Beebe shares his thoughts about the show.
Former Red Sox 2B and now Broadcaster Jerry Remi helps us celebrate our 9th Anniversary.
SportsCenter Host Linda Cohn gives the show a shout-out...
Former Steelers LB Arthur Moats helps us celebrate our 9 year anniversary and looks ahead to joining us on the show...
 "Great guys running a very good show. I encourage all my fraternity of athletes to join in the fun. Thursday Night Tailgate rocks!!" Jim Everett, former Rams QB |  I get all kinds of requests for shows and podcasts...but I turned them all down. But when you called, I appreciate you guys. I think you guys do a great job. Keep doing what you're doing and keep blessing your audience with the great people you have on. I am very fortunate to be a part of that." Jets all-time great Victor Green. |  "You guys are amazing and you do a fantastic job with your radio presentation. I'm honored to have met you and will continue to support what you're doing." Leonard Marshall, former Giants DE |
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 "I love your dedication to the NFL alumni. It's awesome how you and Bob and Thursday Night Tailgate keep our light shining a little longer. Much respect" Keith Millard, former Vikings DE |  "I get a lot of media requests but the one I look forward to the most is being on with Chris and Bob! Great guys without agenda or bias (well, we know Chris loves the Steelers). They just want to hear and share our stories. It's a great show to be on and a great show to listen to because it's not about them, it's about the players and some of their tall, and not so tall, tales!" Chad Brown, former Steelers, Seahawks, & Patriots LB |  "Recently I had the pleasure of being on Thursday Night Tailgate. Over the years I've been on an enormous number of radio shows but none better than Thursday Night Tailgate." Andy Russell, Steelers Legend |
 "If it's Thursday night, the place to be is on Thursday Night Tailgate." Leigh Steinberg |  "Thank you for having me on. I love talking ball/current events with you guys. It's hard to find good people in this world. I'm blessed that I have two. Congrats on your five years and I pray for many more. God bless." Todd Washington, former Bucs Offensive Lineman |  "Both @ctmascaro and @Bob_Lazzari do an amazing job putting together shows that are entertaining and informative. No screaming and yelling, no showboating, no 'I'm more important than the athlete.' We need more of this kind of radio! Please follow them.", Russell Baxter, NFL Stats Guru |
 "Chris & Bob have a great 'where are they now' podcast of former NFL greats. As a student of NFL history, and a guest of theirs, I can tell you it's a great listen and a great mechanism to keep the game's greats relevant past their retirement." Zig Fracassi, Sirius/XM NFL Channel Host |  "Why can't Thursday Night Tailgate continue all day everyday?! Too good to only air on Thursdays." Reggie Kelly, former Bengals & Falcons TE |  "Check out our friends @ctmascaro & @bob_lazzari on #ThursdayNightTailgate! Give them a follow! Great show! Lots of great peeps too!" Dina Parise, 2015 IHRA Pro Mod Champion |
 " You guys always do a great job with the questions. It's like reminiscing in the moment. I always look forward to coming on the show. When I played I never reflected on what I was doing until I was done." Marvel Smith, former Steelers Tackle |  " Every time I come on I follow one of the dudes I grew up admiring. I love listening to those stories. You're keeping old football alive and I really appreciate it.I grew up loving those guys. It's really exciting. Hopefully the fans appreciate it as much as I do. It's certainly why I enjoy your show so much." Brian Baker, Alabama D-Line Coach |  "I have to be better about keeping up w/your podcasts. They’re like books to me: Too many good ones, so little time.” Erica Steussie, wife of former Vikings Tackle Todd Steussie |
 "You have to love these guys Chris Mascaro and Bob Lazzari are the best in the business. Thanks for allowing us to share our lives." Leonard Wheeler, former Bengals, Vikings, & Panthers DB |  "It's always great to be with you guys. You guys always do an awesome job with guys who come on your show, giving them a platform to speak the game, any sport, speak about their life, their foundation and the things they're doing in the community. You guys have a fantastic platform." Eddie Kennison, former Rams & Chiefs WR |  "I appreciate the way you help the old guys. Not enough is said about that. It's terrific. It makes me feel really good. I love it when you guys do that and you do it all the time and you do it because you want to do it...God bless ya." Ed White, former Vikings & Chargers Pro Bowl Guard |
 "Thursday Night Tailgate is only the third time in 30 years that I left an interview where I felt uplifted and positive. Chris & Bob have a positive spin on life and sports that is such a blessing and so needed nowadays. There is a reason why great athletes, super agent Leigh Steinberg come on the show because they feel safe about talking about open veins because they know Bob and Chris will shine the light on them and positivity." James Allen, Pro Football Hall of Fame Board of Directors. |  "I enjoy how well you guys prepare your questions and how positive you both are." Jason Tarver former Raiders Head Coach, current Vanderbilt Defensive Coordinator |
December 17th: Richmond Webb, Tony Collins, Linda Cohn, & Paul Alexander
January 7th: Victor Green, Tony Collins, John Luke, and Gus Frerotte
January 14th: Arthur Moats, Tony Collins, Gerry Cooney, & Brian Baker
January 21st: Greg Lloyd, Tony Collins, Zig Fracassi, & Beau Bock
January 28th: Don Beebe, Tony Collins, & Rocky Bleier
February 4th: James Allen, Tony Collins, Nick Lowery, & Vencie Glenn
February 11th: Leon Searcy, Tony Collins, & Lee Flowers
February 25th: Ed White & Ottis Anderson
March 4th: Wendell Davis, Kurt Bevacqua, & Randy Fuller
Upcoming Guest Schedule
Current Episode
On this week's show our guests are: former Bears WR Wendell Davis, former MLB Infielder Kurt Bevacqua, and former Steelers DB Randy Fuller.
Spotlight on the Positive
Hear why DE Dalvin Tomlinson was the Giants nominee of the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award and the incredible generosity that Bucs DT Ndamukong Suh has shown in the communities he's been a part of.
Recent Episodes
Former Steelers & Jaguars Tackle Leon Searcy, former Patriots RB Tony Collins, and former Steelers Safety Lee Flowers join us.
Hear their Super Bowl insights and memories from their experiences playing in a Super Bowl, plus Leon's draft story when the Steelers stole him away from the Cowboys and how Lee earned his way into being a starter on the Steelers top ranked defense of the mid 90s. Plus find out who our Prognostication Champion is this season and hear about the great things that Colts DB Pierre Desir and NBA Legend Vince Carter are doing to make a positive impact on their communities in our Spotlight on the Positive segment.
Pro Football Hall of Fame Board Member James Allen, former Patriots RB Tony Collins, former Chiefs & Jets Kicker Nick Lowery, and former Chargers, Saints, Vikings, & Giants Safety Vencie Glenn join us.
Hear their Hall of Fame and Super Bowl stories and insights. Press the play button below to listen to this week's podicast episode.
Former Bills, Panthers, & Packers WR and current Head Coach at Aurora University Don Beebe, former Patriots RB Tony Collins, and Steelers Legend Rocky Bleier join us.
We'll hear Super Bowl memories and insights from 4 guys who played in a total of 10 Super Bowl. We'll also give you our picks for some of the Super Bowl prop bets you can wager on. Press the play button below to hear all this and much more...
Steelers legend Greg Lloyd, former Patriots RB Tony Collins, Sirius/XM NFL Channel Host Zig Fracassi, and the Dean of Atlanta Sports Talk Radio Beau Bock join us.
Greg Lloyd tells it like it is. He shares his unfiltered thoughts on the Steelers late-season collapse, calling their tackling "garbage". He also reacted to the passing of Kevin Greene and Tim Lester, plus talked about how the mindset of their 90's defense was to make guys want to quit playing football after having played them.
Zig Fracassi shared his insights on where the Cowboys go from here plus whether Ben Roethlisberger and Drew Brees should follow Phillip Rivers into retirement and his thoughts on the AFC and NFC Championship games.
Beau Bock shared his thoughts on all of the Atlanta sports franchises. He talked about being optimistic about the Falcons' new Head Coach and GM, why the Braves and the University of Georgia never seem to be able to get over the hump plus his outlook on the Hawks season.
NFL Legends Arthur Moats and Tony Collins Plus Colts Defensive Line Coach Brian Baker and former Top Heavyweight Contender Gerry Cooney join us.
Arthur Moats talks about his alma mater James Madison University and being inducted into their Athletics Hall of Fame. He also shares his thoughts on the Steelers debacle against the Browns and his book, Moats Theory of Life which you can buy at www.moatstheory.com. Gerry Cooney talks about surviving his childhood with an abusive alcoholic father and why he and Larry Holmes never had a rematch. Brian Baker talks about his last 3 years coaching the Defensive Lines for Mississippi State, Alabama, and this season with the Colts. We also get his perspective on what makes Nick Saban such a successful coach and his life coming full circle from watching the Baltimore Colts leave his hometown to being part of the organization now.
This week we're joined by Jets all-time great Safety Victor Green, Jets fan & former A&E Storage Wars Auctioneer John Luke, and former Washington Pro Bowl QB Gus Frerotte. Hear their thoughts on what's next for the Jets, is Sam Darnold still their future franchise QB, and did Doug Peterson do the right thing in the 4th quarter of the Eagles game against the Washington Football team. Former Patriots Pro Bowl RB Tony Collins also leads us through our Wildcard Playoffs 5 Star Picks of the Week.
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Segment 2
Segment 3
Segment 4
Spotlight on the Positive
Victor Green
Tony Collins
John Luke
Gus Frerotte
Kevin Byard &
Kirk Cousins
Former Dolphins Pro Bowl Tackle and TNT Guest Hall of Famer Richmond Webb, ESPN Host Linda Cohn, and Pittsburgh Sports Talk Radio Host and TNT Guest Hall of Fame Paul Alexander join us. Plus, former Patriots Pro Bowl RB Tony Collins is back leading us through our 5 Star Picks of the Week.
Segment 1
Richmond Webb
Segment 2
Tony Collins
Segment 3
Segment 4
Spotlight on the Positive
Linda Cohn
Paul Alexander
Jonathan Allen & JuJu Smith Schuster
We celebrated our 9th Anniversary by inducting 4 more great guests and Legends into our Guest Hall of Fame. This year's Hall of Fame class includes:
Former Cowboys RB and Broncos, Giants, & Falcons Head Coach Dan Reeves, former Bucs & Texans Center Todd Washington, former Dolphins, Rams, & Chargers TE Randy McMichael, and former BC Lions WR Marco Iannuzzi. Hear them share their stories and insights...
Segment 1
Dan Reeves
Segment 2
Todd Washington
Segment 3
Segment 4
Spotlight on the Positive
Randy McMichael
Marco Iannuzzi
Travis Kelce & Dhani Jones
Former Panthers DB Mike Minter, former Patriots RB Tony Collins, former Chicago Bears LB Chris Zorich, and Former Falcons & Rams QB, now Offensive Coordinator of the Houston Roughnecks in the XFL Chris Miller, All Join Us...
LSU Hall of Famer & Former Bears WR Wendell Davis, Kansas City Chiefs Insider Nick Athan, former Patriots RB Tony Collins, and former Steelers, Seahawks, & Patriots LB Chad Brown Join us.
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Wendell Davis
Segment 2
Nick Athan
Segment 3
Tony Collins
Segment 4
Spotlight on the Positive
Chad Brown
Blake Martinez &
The Chiefs
Former Pitt & Chargers DE Burt Grossman, former Patriots RB Tony Collins, Former Vikings DT Keith Millard, and former Falcons, Broncos, & Seahawks WR Mike Pritchard Join us.
Segment 1
Burt Grossman
Segment 2
Tony Collins
Segment 3
Keith Millard
Segment 4
Spotlight on the Positive
Mike Pritchard
Gio Bernard &
Tom Brady
Curt Wootton (Pittsburgh Dad), former Patriots Pro Bowl RB Tony Collins, Singer/Songwriter Kevin Chalfant, and AT&T Sports Net Pittsburgh Host Paul Alexander Join Us...
Segment 1
Curt Wootton
Segment 2
Tony Collins
Segment 3
Kevin Chalfant
Segment 4
Spotlight on the Positive
Paul Alexander
Allen Robinson &
Trae Young
Former Steelers Pro Bowl DB J.T. Thomas, fromer Patriots Pro Bowl RB Tony Collins, former President of HBO Sports now Head of his own Production Company Ross Greenburg, and former Bills & Packers WR now Head Coach at Aurora University Don Beebe Join Us...
Segment 1
J.T. Thomas
Segment 2
Tony Collins
Segment 3
Ross Greenburg
Segment 4
Spotlight on the Positive
Don Beebe
Devon Kennard &
Chase Winovich
Former Falcons & Bengals TE Reggie Kelly, Former Patriots Pro Bowl RB Tony Collins, Super Agent Leigh Steinberg, and former Pirates !B/OF Al Oliver Join Us...
Segment 1
Reggie Kelly
Segment 2
Tony Collins
Segment 3
Leigh Steinberg
Segment 4
Spotlight on the Positive
Al Oliver
Travis Frederick, Greg Senat & Mark Collins
Former Cowboys RB & NFL Head Coach Dan Reeves, former Patriots Pro Bowl RB Tony Collins, former Heavyweight Contender Gerry Cooney, and Steelers Legend Rocky Bleier.
Former Dolphins Pro Bowl LT Richmond Webb, former Patriots Pro Bowl RB Tony Collins, AT&T Sports Net Pittsburgh Host Paul Alexander, and Pro Football Hall of Fame Board Member James Allen join us...
Former Bears DB Mark Carrier, Patriots Pro Bowl RB Tony Collins, former Rams Pro Bowl DB LeRoy Irvin, & former Rams Pro Bowl QB Jim Everett join us...
Former Jets Safety Victor Green, Patriots Pro Bowl RB Tony Collins, former Cubs, Giants, & Pirates legend Bill Madlock, and the Dean of Atlanta Sports Talk Radio Beau Bock join us...
Steelers Legend Greg Lloyd, former Redskins & Vikings QB Gus Frerotte, former University of Minnesota & CFL QB Rickey Foggie, and former Falcons & Rams QB Chris Miller.
Steelers Legend Levon Kirkland, NFL Stats Guru Russell Baxter, and Florida A&M Head Coach Willie Simmons join us. Plus, former Patriots Pro Bowl RB Tony Collins leads us through our 5 Star Picks of the Week.
We kicked off our 8th season with: Former Purdue, Giants, & Browns FB Randy Minniear, former Patriots Pro Bowl RB Tony Collins, AT&T Sports Net Pittsburgh Host Paul Alexander, & former Georgia, Dolphins, Chargers, & Rams TE Randy McMichael
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Tony Collins, Eddie Meador,
E.J. Junior, & Leonard Wheeler
Muhsin Muhammad, Tony Collins, Eugene Napoleon, Paul Alexander, & Boo Williams
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