Whiskers & Whiskeys Present: Tales of the Trophies

As we wrap up the holidays, so to we must wrap up the college football season. But there's still a few gifts stuffed in our stockings. Four blue blood programs remain. After neutering the dawgs, the Irish hope to continue to honor Bob Barker and help control the pet population by spaying the resurgent Nittany Lions. And then the Longhorns stampede into Arlington, straight into the teeth of a scarlet & grey Buckeye buzzsaw. Cheers!

Alright folks, you know what time of year it is. It's that magical time between Christmas and New Years. No one is doing a damn thing. You're eating bad food and you have heartburn all the time. All work is being postponed. You have nothing to do but listen to this episode. Do it. Do it now. 

It's the Thursday before Christmas. You're not working. And you're not fooling anyone. And nobody cares. We all just pretend to work the past two weeks. This week, we stopped even pretending. Mute Teams and change your status to Away. Close Outlook. Open up a new tab. Start filling out your playoff bracket. And let us drop some pearls of football knowledge in your ear holes. Cheers!

College football fans are not normal people. We're a little odd. A little strange. Hard for most common folk to comprehend. Every Saturday for 3 months out of the year, we are absolutely locked in on 30+ games. Sure, you can explain the passion for your alma mater. But why in the blue hell are you glued to the screen at 11 PM EST watching San Jose State and Fresno State duke it out? Why do you spend your Tuesday's watching what's essentially beer league football? Why are you so obsessed with a freaking bucket? Hard to explain. Hard conversation to have at the Thanksgiving table. It's equally hard to explain exactly why a fine Catholic university in Indiana with an upstanding tradition of smash-mouth football competes with the flashy elite of Southern California in an annual contest over a glorified stick. But better than explaining it to the naysayers - just sit them down and let them watch. Let them feel something primal. Feel something biblical. Feel something that defies explanation. Is it because of the money? Is it because of the temperate climate? Is it tradition or pride or glory or glamour or love or hate? It's all of that and more. It's college football. Irish. Trojans. This is the tale of the Jeweled Shillelagh.

Los Angeles. The City of Angels. But don't tell that to the undergrads of the fine universities that call this city home. For the better part of a century, they've battled in the most mischievous, dastardly prank war this country has seen since Adams College in 1984. Defaced statues, manure bombs, cricket infestations. All in the name of their proverbial Helen of Troy - a golden bell that rings the sweet sounds of victory throughout the Hollywood Hills. Bruins. Trojans. This is the tale of the Victory Bell.  

The academic institutions in the Bay Area have produced some of the most brilliant minds and innovative solutions in all disciplines of science. However, one of their greatest contributions to society may be the one most often overlooked and undervalued. For over 130 years, two schools have competed so fiercely and vigorously in all aspects of the undergraduate experience, chief amongst them being their meeting on the gridiron. Their passion burns gloriously in their rally bonfires. The rivalry has produced legends like Andy Smith and the Immortal 21. The undergrads have committed dastardly capers ripped straight from the pages of a Hollywood script. There are hundreds of college football games every season - but this is the only Big Game. Cardinal. Golden Bears. This is the tale of the Stanford Axe.

They say there's two sides to every story - but sometimes, two sides isn't enough to properly tell a tale. Just ask the good people of Utah. In the conquest for football supremacy in the old frontier, the Holy War is just yet another battle to be won. And victory in the Battle of the Brothers doesn't necessarily secure ultimate triumph. And when you journey to the promised land, it's always good to have an Old Wagon Wheel - but don't take your eyes off the prize. Be where your feet are - or rather, where you want your feet to be: nestled snuggly in a century-old pioneer boot. Utes. Cougars. Aggies. This is the tale of the Beehive Boot.

Folks, most of the time we're doing these podcasts for you, the fans, our loyal Whiskers & Whiskeys Nation. And sometimes we're doing it for us. Just a couple of buds, shooting the breeze, talking about a sport we love and a trophy that's pretty meh. This episode is one of the latter. White millenial males don't need therapy, they just need a podcast. Grab a drink and come hang with us. Cheers boys.

Welcome back to Whiskers & Whiskeys, Sports Talk Radio. The actions of Ryan Williams and Germie Bernard, practicing their jumpers during a play, really highlights the lack of maturity and leadership in that Crimson Tide locker room. Do you think Saban would've stood for that? I didn't think so. How about Julio Jones? DeVonta Smith? Couple of guys that know a thing or two about catching passes, also know a thing about blocking. How about Jalen Hurts, you think he'd let Williams and Bernard act like this? How about Tua Tagovailoa? AJ McCarron? Mark Ingram? You think any of those guys would've let this go on in their locker room? How bout Courtney Upshaw? Minkah Fitzpatrick? Quinnen Williams? Daron Payne? Dont'a Hightower? CJ Mosley, you think CJ Mosley was watching the game Saturday and said “Hey those guys are working hard and giving it their all?” I don't think he did! Rolando McClain? Shaun Alexander? Jay Barker? You think these guys would've let it stand? I know for a FACT they wouldn't have. Wayne Wheeler? Buddy Brown? Major Ogilvie? They'd have took care of it in house, settled it like gentlemen, by bullying Williams and Bernard relentlessly. How about Fred Pickhard? Wu Winslett? Red Brown? Go back to 1926, you think ANYBODY on that 1926 team would've let that sh- Alright, this is EJ taking over. Today's pod is about the Jefferson Eppes Trophy. No, not the New York financier. Cheers.

By its very nature, football attracts the rougher side of life. A little dinge, a lotta dirt. Blue collar, working class, bring your lunch pail vibes. Yet football is inclusive, and there's always room for the finer things. Prime's chains. McAfee's belt buckles. Saban's Mercedes. And of course, some fancy drink ware to toast to your rival, fashioned from the shores of Eire and served on felled giants of the Pacific. Sound intriguing? Try legendary. Cardinal. Irish. This is the tale of the Legends Trophy.

Folks, strap it in for a long one. This week, we take you on a voyage as one of our fearless leaders regaled you with the tale of his journey out west. Edmund, Dave, and their trusty Dodge Ram took a journey to the untamed west, where the Ducks and the Beavers roam free. Bask in the glory of the retelling of their trip and then stick around for the tale of an unexpected rivalry with an even more unexpected dope trophy shared between unlikely rivals.

The turbulent and tumultuous landscape of college football brings with it great progress and great compromise. Super conferences created on the rubble of demolished rivalries. The Civil War and the Apple Cup may not be long for this world as they attempt to survive nonconference scheduling. But what about a rivalry where two teams never shared a conference? How could it be created, nurtured, fostered? What if, instead of a conference, they shared a common people? Hard working, blue collar people of faith, in the heartland of America, separated by a few miles, united one Saturday a year to cheer on their mighty warriors of the gridiron. Hope is a good thing, W&W Nation. Perhaps the best of things. Former conference foes need only open their ears and listen to the revelrous echoes of the megaphone to take their lead. Irish. Spartans. This is the tale of the Megaphone.

I'm a rolling trophy, Carolina Blue! I'm rode on by cheerleaders too! Blue Devils streaking across the field! You're a Tar Heel and you're gonna cheer! Won't take no punts, won't spare no timeouts! Everybody's putting up a fight! I got my bell, gonna take you to Charlotte! I'm gonna get you, Tobacco Road get you, VICTORY BELL!

As the old adage goes: it ain't over til the fat lady sings. In the case of the survival of the PAC 12, that old bag got bronchitis, had a fall out with the lead guitarist, and cancelled the remainder of her tour. The PAC 2 has tripled in size since our last episode, and if it continues to grow at this rate, will have over 100,000 members by next fall. To honor the triumph of the indelible spirit of the 6 PAC, we bring you a tale as American as apple pie and George Washington - which is a great teaser for the tale, for this is the Apple Cup.

WAR!!!! What is it good for!? How about creating a majestic, half-finished, smooth-as-baby's-bottom wooden platypus to be owned and cherished by the best team in Oregon? Yeah, that works for us.

Folks, some of these tales, we don't tell them because we want to. We do it because we have to. When representatives of two cities that hate each other pour their creative blood, sweat, and tears into building a beautiful monument to their shared connection and rivalry, just to have it callously tossed aside a decade later… Well, we will not stand for it. This story will be told. This rivalry will be renewed. And this trophy will be found. This is the River City Rivalry.

Many of the tales we tell are a delightful little surprise, like awakening to a fresh fallen snow on a cold winter morn, running into an old schoolmate at the farmers market, or opening your front door to ten Amazon package three days after you finished two bottles of chardonnay in an evening. However, some tales are coals in a steadily stoked fire, burning for months, even years, glowing white hot with anticipation, waiting for their day to be told. In September 2022, EJ and Mike first laid their eyes on the Black Diamond Trophy. Two years later, they tell that tale.

Welcome on back to Season 4 of Tales of the Trophies! For our senior season, we're talking best of the rest in the Power 4, and we kick things off with an all-timer. The boys come full circle with a trophy mentioned during our pilot episode - the Territorial Cup. Mike takes things a step further in paying homage to the pilot episode by getting nice and liquored up. This is an elite episode with an elite trophy. Come laugh with us.

This is it. The culmination of our weeks of research combing through facts and figures and running countless simulations in NCAA Football 25. The W&W boys give their predictions for the first ever 12 team college football playoff. Will one of us hit it right on the money? Probably not, but EJ's scenario is pretty damn compelling, so give it a listen.

The previous playoff era may have started and ended with the Big Ten - but there's no denying that the in-between was absolutely dominated by the SEC. While some conferences could only hope their champion would have a playoff-worthy resume, the SEC champion was essentially an auto-bid, and even the runner-up got an invite to the dance on multiple occasions. SEC bias, you say? Maybe. But the talent well down south doesn't seem to be running dry anytime soon. Will they send 4 teams in the first year? 5? Fill half the field? Grab a seat and let's chat about it.

After the departure of the Longhorns and the Sooners and picking up the remnants of the Pac 12 Yard Sale, the Big 12 looks a little different this year - but the vibes are still the same. Dynamic playmakers that can air it out and pound the rock. Punishing defenses that thrive off raucous home atmospheres. The conference championship race is as open as the Great Plains and Big Sky that these teams are spread across. Come kick it with us and sort out the contenders from the pretenders in the Big 12.

The subject of our next conference preview needs no introduction - but it's new members might. One team shops exclusively in the boys extra medium (husky) section of Kohl's. The other quacked at the principal when they got detention. And two more hail from the same city as Death Row Records, which is fitting given they killed their old conference. This conference's TV commercial is our generation's Sistine Chapel. Where Midwest Nice meets Cali Vibes and the Cascade Clash of the Northwest. This is the Big Ten. PS - The boys (Mike in particular) are still shaking the rust off. Stick with us through one or two or ten technical difficulties.

Jordan. Tiger. Manning. Voldemort. Jordan again. And now: Whiskers & Whiskeys joins the ranks of men most notably known for being BACK. That's right, folks. Season 4 of Tales of the Trophies is right around the corner, but why don't you soak up the late summer sun with a scintillating auditory snack for your eardrums and your bankroll? Our ACC conference preview will prime the proverbial pump for the 2024 college football season, and we tossed in a few futures that you'll look forward to cashing around Turkey Day. Just remember us on your Christmas list, we accept fancy bottles of brown liquid from Kentucky, Scotland, or Japan.

Whiskers & Whiskeys hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season! The boys are back for one more episode to wrap up the college football season. We talk through our conference and playoff picks we made before the season started to see what we got right and what we got wrong. We also discuss the greatest addition to bowl season and the overall great college football season we witnessed. So grab a seat, pour a drink neat and let us get you through the after holiday scaries. Cheers!

We have arrived at the season 3 finale. The boys reminisce about trophies and seasons of past while digging into another beautiful looking trophy. No better way to end the Big 12's season than finishing with a rivalry between two Texas schools. So grab a seat and get a Thanksgiving Day plate and enjoy the episode and enjoy your holiday. Cheers!

We are nearing the end of the road for season 3 and the penultimate episode discusses a rivalry that historical has been low stakes but that has changed this year! Made up bird vs. cat of the wild. Rock chalk vs. the Little Apple. If you didn't which state is the Sunflower State, you're bout to learn. Cheers!

A trophy that commemorates the stealing of the opposing teams plays? Is this 1959 or 2023? In this episode, the W&W boys give their thoughts on the current CFP rankings, on what's going on in Ann Arbor, and on how a trophy about a phone could be taken to the next level. We also give the listeners a little taste into a future series.. Cheers!

This is a bittersweet one for the W&W boys. It's one of our favorites that did not survive conference realignment. Join us as we learn about the back stories of one of the best mascots in the biz, discuss one of the best college football traditions that no one talks about, and as we say see ya later (not goodbye) to one of the best rivalries in college football. Cheers!

Football in the state of Texas is always fun to talk about especially when you throw in a good rodeo and a little bit of disagreement on what to do with your hands on the football. Join us as we break down yet another beaut of a trophy and stay for the debate on special teams rules. Cheers!

Double episode alert!! Mike and EJ revisit their conference preview from the beginning of the year and discuss what's gone right, what's gone wrong, and what's to come. Cheers!

The W&W grab the bull by the horns and takes on another Florida based rivalry, this time involving a centrally based school and a "southern" based school. The rivalry itself is knight and day compared to some of the other Florida based rivalries but the trophy packs quite a punch. Grab a seat, pour your drink neat, and listen to our latest rivalry trophy episode before we come up with more puns. Cheers!

Do you love a good duet in perfect harmony? Well you might want to fast forward a few minutes to start this episode.. The boys can't help but belt out the song Wagon Wheel as it breaks down another absolute beaut of a trophy coming from the new Big 12. This in state rivalry is not a widely known one but is one definitely worth amplifying, maybe as a week long celebration that culminates in a wagon race.. cough cough Utah lawmakers. We enjoyed this episode and we hope you do too. Cheers!

Big Tex. Split Stadium. 100 year old rivalry. THIS IS ONE OF THE W&W BOYS FAVORITE RIVALRIES. Pop a squat, grab a drink, and hear our smiles through your speakers as we talk about an incredible trophy to match an incredible rivalry and come to the realization that this trophy has subconsciously been the measuring stick for all others we've covered and will cover. Sooners. Longhorns. Enough said. Cheers!

Do you hate a state so much that you would rather die than let a doctor from that state save your life? Then this is the rivalry for you! Most rivalries think they are heated but most don't have Civil War veterans representing both sides of the war on opposing sidelines. Nicknamed the Border War, this rivalry extends beyond football and the W&W beat the drum ;) and implore everyone to ignore these two schools mediocre football histories and come learn about one of the most historic and heated rivalries we've covered to date. Cheers!

What do 5lb cinnamon rolls, 42 inch pizzas, 8 layer deli sandwiches, frog legs, and cooking utensils have in common? They all come from Texas. Join us as the W&W boys discuss another crosstown rivalry and another incredible trophy. Make sure to bring a snack for this mouth watering discussion.

Still distracted by the LSU FSU game, the boys talk about another gem of a trophy and one of college football's longest rivalries. Join us and learn about an underrated rivalry and an awesome trophy coming out of the OH-IO. Cheers!

As much as things change, they also stay the same. Mike makes his season debut as the boys break down ANOTHER BUCKET. While this bucket doesn't represent an entire state, it is the prize for the W&W's first crosstown rivalry. Come join us as we talk about our type of trophy and stick with us as we try not to get too distracted from the FSU LSU game. Cheers!

Tales of the trophy season 3 is officially here! EJ and two distinguished guests break down one of college football's best rivalry trophies the Keg of Nails. We also introduce a new wrinkle to our Pickem' with the Boys Challenge. As always, grab a seat and pour your drink neat and enjoy another great season of college football. Cheers!

HAPPY WEEK 0 W&W NATION!!! For the first time ever, the W&W boys embarked on a college football conference preview competition. With help from Pick Six Previews, the boys breakdown who will participate in each Power 5 conference championships, who will win each conference, who makes the playoff, and who takes home the natty. Mike predicts the revenge tour of a blue (crimson) blood program, while EJ becomes the Mayor of Corvallis, Oregon and culture ambassador for the orange and black. Join us and decide which breakdown you think is going to be the most accurate when it's all said and done. College football is back!!! (along with a certain team from the lone star state ;) Cheers!

WE ARE OFFICIALLY BACK!! A mere 10 days away from the start of college football, we bring you an emergency episode to recap the recent news in conference realignment. Mike and EJ discuss their thoughts on the topic including a new found love for a dying conference and a proposed relegation system. Join us as we remember the college football of old and try to embrace the college football of new. As the great Narddog said, "I wish there was a way to know you're in the good old days before you've actually left them." Cheers!

Tailgating, tailgating, and tailgating oh my! You don't want to miss our second installment of Rec'n with the Crew as the W&W boys talk all things Washington Football Team/Commanders/Foot Commanders with our special guest, a 2014 Hall of Fans inductee, Tailgate Ted!! Lahbsta rolls, pimp my ride tailgate edition, and parking lots named after professional wrestlers are just some of things we discuss so grab and seat and pour your drink and enjoy this awesome interview. Cheers!

Introducing a brand new offering from the boys at Whiskers & Whiskeys - Rec'n with the Crew! This series is supplemental to the Home Field Advantage: The Ultimate Sports Travelogue. Home Field Advantage is you go-to guide to make you feel right at home when you're on the road supporting your favorite team in enemy territory. Tailgates, booze, eats, travel - the travelogue has got you covered. In this podcast series, we'll be bringing in experts to give you the 411, and we're starting with our very own experts hailing from the D - EJ & Whiskey Joe!

Happy new year to you and yours, W&W Nation. We're turning up the heat on these cold winter nights with Ladies Night on the pod! And for their very first takeover, the ladies had a special request - drafting the dreamiest NFL coaches. Winning Games vs Winning Hearts. Cover Defenses vs Under the Covers. Vibes vs Visors. They say beauty is in the eye of the beholder, so have a listen and let us know who you think won.

Merry Christmas to all in Whiskers & Whiskeys Nation. You've all been extra good this year, so the fellas have a special treat for you - our very own Holiday Special! We're joined by recurring guests Nick & Jimmy (& Chris, in spirit) as we draft the BEST uniforms across college football. Throw this on and let visions of Sugar Bowls dance in your head. Cheers boys.

Last episode of the regular season, and the boys went out in style. Not sure if it was because of the holiday silly season or the anticipation of Auburn getting their butts whooped yet again, but we were busting up laughing from the jump. Come have a laugh with us for the last episode of the regular season, but stick around for we're far from done for the year. Enjoy the turkey and rivalry week, boys & girls. Cheers.

Passing Fancy. Gotcha Twice. Immaculate Deflection. Back to Campus. The Stand. The Pick & The Kick. Number 100. The Comeback. The Egg Brawl. The Piss, The Miss, & The Double Dismiss. With this many notable names, you know this rivalry is one for the ages. Join the W&W Boys and recurring guest Nathan as we talk about the Egg Bowl.

This trophy is definitely one of the most popular and prominent in the SEC - and for good reason. It wouldn't be a stretch to call this the gold standard, and it's creator is the mind behind many other awesome trophies (including one we already reviewed this season). Come with me, my fuzzy little man peach - pour yourself a little Bailey's and drink it out of a shoe as you learn about the boot. I'm Old Greeeeeeegggggg!!!

Yess, things move a little bit slower down in South Carolina, but the hatred still runs deep and burns hot. These two fan bases have hated each other before Clemson was even a school! Come hang with us and learn about the crown jewel of the Palmetto Series that's hotly contested between South Carolina and Clemson.

This is the second episode this season wherein the powers that be take a stand against consuming mass quantities and engaging in excessive revelry, but the W&W boys won't have it. It's still the World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party to us, damnit. And the boys celebrate with a power rankings of tailgating essentials. But we can't be too hard on the folks from Florida & Georgia - with the name change also came a PHENOMENAL trophy. Could this be a contender for the Szn 2 champ? Tune in and find out!

If at first you don't succeed, try again - and then try one more time. That's what the good folks of Oxford and Baton Rogue say, because buddy, the first couple tries at the Magnolia Bowl trophy died on the vine. The current iteration? See it in full bloom this Saturday, and catch this episode beforehand. Oh, and, uh, Mike talks about the third Saturday in October.

Whiskey Joe and Nick Doyle are back as we talk about THE college football rivalry that defined the 90s hailing from the sunshine state. We talk citrus fruits, crab legs, sketchy coaches and the sketchy players who played for them, and craziest Florida Man headlines. We also get side tracked talking stadiums and hockey but ultimately circle back to an awesome trophy to match an awesome rivalry. It's Seminoles fighting Gators a true battle for dominance in the sunshine state. Cheers!