Episode 78: Ickey Woods
On the 78th episode of “Great Dane Nation,” Morten is joined by Cincinnati Bengals legend Ickey Woods to talk about his dance, his foundation, today’s Bengals, and much more (13:56 – 51:02). But first, he checks in with TommyFreezePops (Tom Carroll) for this week’s edition of the “Opening Kick” (00:57 – 13:04). In honor of the iconic “Ickey Shuffle,” Morten talks about his dancing career – yes, you read that correctly. Plus, the guys talk about the Mardi Gras celebrations happening right now in New Orleans, LA.We then move to our interview with Ickey Woods, where he discusses a wide range of topics: how the Bengals of today still pay tribute to Ickey Woods by breaking out the “Ickey Shuffle” (15:14); why he was surprised by the Bengals’ run this season, and thoughts on the Bengals’ loss to the Rams in the Super Bowl (16:47); how Joe Mixon is able to stand out in a league that is continuing to devalue running backs year-after-year (18:48); thoughts on Joe Burrow, and what the Bengals have to do to improve next season (19:55); why the AFC is going to be a three-horse race for the next decade, and why the Bengals are capable of being the 1-seed in the AFC as soon as next season (22:07); why the 1988 Bengals were so special compared to the other Bengals’ teams of that era (24:37); how Boomer Esiason was able to rise above a loaded quarterback field in 1988 to win NFL MVP (26:40); the origin of the “Ickey Shuffle,” and why it wasn’t an overnight sensation (27:46); the difficulty of retiring at such a young age (29:15); his involvement with the Cincinnati Sizzle, and why he believes women’s football could take off if the NFL gave it some real support and backing (30:13); the background and mission of his foundation, the “Jovante Woods Foundation,” and where people can go to support Ickey’s mission of ending Asthma-educed deaths (32:29); why Ickey hated playing against Morten’s Saints (36:22); why he believes it’s partially the Bengals organization’s fault that there is only one player from their team’s history inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame (37:37); why he's happy Las Vegas finally got an NFL team, and the advice he’d give players who are embarking on a football career in Sin City (38:54); and this week’s edition of “The Name Game,” featuring Randall Cunningham, Anthony Muñoz, Boomer Esiason, Paul Brown, Cris Collinsworth, Sam Wyche, Solomon Wilcots, James Brooks, Eddie Brown, Max Montoya, David Fulcher and Dick LeBeau (40:47).Finally, we close things out with “Morten’s Game Winner” – a weekly monologue from The Great Dane on his biggest takeaway of the week. This week, Morten talks about Ickey Woods, and how his short NFL career has had a lasting impact both on and off the field (51:42).