Peter King, SI, NBC Sports

I'm not really sure what time it is on this guy's body clock because he is fresh back from a I US -- NFL trip to Afghanistan to visit with -- some of our fighting men and women. But our friend Peter King from Sports Illustrated SI dot com NBC sports is on the line -- right now is it good morning good afternoon -- good evening --

I don't know but I just had my first. Long sleep in the an awful long time so I'm pretty pleased about that.

You sound like a combination of a very light and Isaac Hayes you have a cold assuming.

Yeah I got a cold I mean they're I think everybody gets sick over -- Tommie Harris got really sick the NFL guys went with -- creature of -- ended up in the airforce base hospital Sunday and in pogrom. In Afghanistan and it's it's a combination of a couple of things number war and there's there's a base there's a US based in conduct our. Which is in southern have to give a stadium it's basically written NATO troops are located. And so it's a multicultural multi national base and it's in the desert. And there's a dust storm that day and week out there and you walk out in you basically. The -- your breathing in your breathing in. Dust and dirt it is there's no other way to put it he really should be more camera with a mask. I regret that. Had some to do that and also the fact that what's so amazing about a trip like this is that you know -- everywhere you turn. These people they just want to get a piece of these players you cannot believe how much the NFL's load over there. I'll -- you very quick story I wrote a little bit about yesterday Monday morning quarterback but. Wearing cut the hard. I've met a guy who -- Who write quite literally state. It is who would be nephews be in the prewar with the Taliban's version of limbo. He's a 24 year old kid from California who told us a bunch of stories in -- sort of off the record setting. But I mean this guy has killed a lot of people and you know we Lugar -- them. And I -- that at one point or sit so how big deal here he -- that would these army Rangers who were. Kind of -- Pat Tillman and guys they go out. Are the absolute front lines and their excitement is basically kill as many Vietnamese vacated. And and soul who we wouldn't we we're we're target so many just sit yet he said you know. With the NFL's season ended we get one more mission that he shouldn't we do it out of that mission it was like. Every hour was like -- day. There was nothing to Jim Everett the cowboy experience about to tell how Romo ought to take another trip to Mexico. To eat you know ordered to together the the patriots -- and and all that stuff but he but you know there's thirty guys in their platoon. And every one of them. Likes a different team there's like eighteen teams and they like so every week the way they'd get through to week when they'd be out. Eaters you know walking through these mountains or walking in the deserts or whatever. Would be to talk about the NFL it was amazing and you know he gets to be Sunday night Monday morning with the games being played over there and everybody over there and I mean. People who were -- clerical stuff with the bases everything like that it is all centered around. Got hey you know we gotta get up early and watch the NFL games it's it's pretty it's really pretty amazing.

Peter out from a microphone on now -- Peter from what you witnessed. Or what you did witness. -- the players respond when they found out that information exactly what you told us that so many guys over there. Get there entertainment and get their talking points from what happens in the NFL.

They were no they were just get off if they couldn't believe that they couldn't believe how important what they did was to these guys. And the other thing I'll say one night we sat with these Rangers in their room. It's literally an old. Cinder block tight dorm room -- dealt with -- Ohio university and I could've sworn that I was back in my freshman year dorm. You know with the bunk bed. And everything in the series tight end in everybody's sort of squeezed -- just sit around talking you got Mike Rucker detectors and Luis cavs steal. Of the chargers sit -- he would edge of the bed. You know talking to these guys asking these guys questions like hey you know what's it like out there -- these guys say hey. Our starters really idiots but what -- the stars like and your team. You've got can't steal tellem agreed guy Ladainian Tomlinson is in. You know how sharp -- works harder -- the 53 guys on the roster that you you don't just they're telling each other stories and talking about the crap they give to the rookies into the young guys in the platoon. So many similarities it's just it's phenomenal lack. I wrote then that the at -- one night when we were there we got an invitation to. Have dinner alone win is. The army special forces now these are the guys who are the there's 35 army special forces troops. You have to get hurt 35 special forces platoons in Afghanistan. -- 35 platoons in essence they take the smartest guys and the indeed most fearless guys and they sort of combine them into a platoon and they're led by a guy the in my case I ended -- Brady writing about this guy -- about the bricks far retirement they're led by a guy who -- who is both. You know at 1600 on the SAT type tossed a guy who. Eagle is almost bulletproof and you look at him and you say my god that you just intimidated by the guy just beat in the same room almost. But I immediately thought when I was with a basic you know -- like this it was like this guy right here far. Well or eight or eight you don't really kind of unassuming but -- great like at like Monty and a he reminded me of the quarterback because of what they have to do what you're charged with doing everything have to go into little pounds. K and they have to find out where the Taliban stronghold is using intelligence and all this stuff and and then they have do they have to make find a way. That does not violate the rules of engagement. They have to find a way to get rid of these people so sometimes they capture of if they get the fire fights sometimes they kill. But this guy it was absolutely amazing talking about how much he liked -- How much he admired far and how much he really felt for retire. There was everywhere -- bunch of people would say -- Peter King what do you do an era -- what do you think too far and it was it was so funny. Two -- followed this guy for the last whatever fourteen years any retires and over the middle of the war zone -- it would is pretty hilarious.

That the format for people who have been reading your accounts was that you guys would set up a little table -- a microphone and you would like MC up a question and answer session with -- steal on rocker. And I'm wondering how you do that. Literally minutes after attending a fallen comrades ceremony.

That was I was we're all -- scoring this kid from California was blown up by. By improvised explosive device and so this entire base 8000 people -- laid up a detention. For over my -- right next to each other person to person in the coffin just goes by very slowly and so was it goes through this dusty little air base in the military gay employees have a better turn this thing goes through every day goes through the streets in the the two star general agreement based asked us to come -- to be right up there with them. As beef. You know as -- as the casket got to be -- C 130 it was going to take it to do over here base that night. That onto the illegal in California. And that just to see the incredible outpouring of emotion from his platoon it from everybody here and everybody who's over here knows that they're Warren if you don't just theory -- and see riske I'll be right away from this happening to them it was very powerful that night we -- biggest -- we have anywhere we have about maybe 300 people. In the in this room here and they were -- attentive. Football mad audience but I have to get up there but they were silent when we got in their because it ten minutes after. The body was loaded onto the -- hat to the C 130 we we we start this thing and you don't general owes him -- we get in you know we have all these troops in there and I had no idea what to say pat was. I was really speechless and I just you know you just try to stay how much of an -- is to be here you don't try to provide them some small diversion. You know from how they deal with it. Eighty you know for how they deal with such a difficult time in their lives and so at the end of it one guy in the back has Tommie Harris was there for the bears. One guy in the back yelled out -- Chicago Bears and so everybody just like trying to get a chuckle -- that we get started talking about football. But that was the night it would -- worker just broke down. And we -- the hospital that day and seen a bunch of the injured and and so act coming -- have inherited had a couple real touching things that it can steal of the Mike kept to Rucker and he just started telling me he looked out of the soldiers Regis that I love you guys and he just tears just stared -- and his base in the system. Is very very powerful it was. It was really a powerful trip.

Peter clearly you had an idea going in. What what you're going to see him probably had some preconceived notions about what was going to happen there I'm interested to hear. What you thought what your emotions were as you were leaving. --

It's sort of two things. I really felt well you know leaving these guys who. Any of whom I mean I looked at that we came in on our trip in the air -- about a 16070 troops mostly Marines who were going to be stationed throughout the country and as I look back at the plane. This was last Monday I looked at the plate and I just said while they said. He'll probably -- you know it at some point Kennedy's troops will be dead tend to these. You don't 192123 year old men and women. You don't want survive this and and who knows what the number will be put some number will be and so when we left we all just said. You know it's silly and unrealistic but you know wire week total McGuire they've. It's it's it's one of those things that that I ran into this. So this woman is about 21 year old woman who was in the navy lieutenant. And who was stationed and -- a base two miles from the Pakistan border now Pakistan as where this whole thing's happening it's. It's really it's very ugly here it's Indian combat every day. -- this this woman still Amaechi get shot at every day. She goes home on her eighteen -- leave. In December she lives near CF -- in fact we had a long talk about Drew Bledsoe should lives in Yakima Washington you know which is whatever 23 hours outside of Seattle. And so I told her that yeah I had been Yakima wants to do a story on Bledsoe definitely. And that love the apples and she was excited I had been near the that I said so. What is it like to go home and you know and just try to see different that you always seen and she said. What I got but I get to -- else some woman saw me in my way. In my head dress uniform and that came up to -- so appear easy if you know you look so good in that uniform he's serving here locally in. -- what goes no no I didn't have actually stationed in Afghanistan. She goes it's still a war there and this woman said. They're cheap can look for the older lady actually try to it to shut up -- not say anything but she just lost it and she said he your citizen of the United States in you don't know that word war with the Taliban in Afghanistan. And so I think a lot of people Michael we're just really really frustrated one of the reasons why. Us being there is so good for them. Is because so many of those people. I think that we've all forgotten about it it's forgotten war nobody reads about it nobody writes about it. Barely in the paper I bet if you open up the Boston Globe today there wouldn't be a word in it anywhere about the war in Afghanistan. I'm not saying that it should be different page every day I don't know what it should be have not really gets the media coverage and just simply saying that as a society. We've forgotten that there are tens of thousands Pete of our kids in Afghanistan and Iraq fight this or whatever you feel about a politically. -- like I told everybody everywhere I went on the biggest dove on the planet. But I really feel an affinity to kinship to end -- a deep respect for. The job that these people are doing and it was it was it was just powerful B and there you are. Only one time we took --

A Blackhawk helicopter right in the town called Shalala bad. Which is twenty miles from Pakistan. End on the eastern border of Afghanistan and now. I think was last Thursday or Friday and when we went up and helicopter. We went over a mile mountainous area. -- maybe five or 6000 foot mountain peaks and the kind of crevices in the air work quite literally that's where the Albanians live that he in many cases the you know they -- In mountain areas and survive and then come out of when it basically it would be element of surprise and -- we didn't take a little towns. So we went over a couple of these mountains and my heart was in my -- thinking win in we get to gunners on the side of the of helicopter it was one of those things that the doors are open. Not only first to get a good view but for them to be able to make sure that they can see everything they need to see on the -- to these mountains. So that was the only time when we're on these bases and I felt safer that I would act. We you know walking around can or square after it's our -- I mean that because quite literally. Everybody walks around -- space has an inch sixteen around his or her neck or a pistol depending on what they're carrying and you just say to yourself if anything at all happens here. These people are going to be like secret servicemen with the president they're going to protect us we have people -- the whole time in their job was. No matter what cost to protect us and so I'd never had any fear at all we're on the ground.

Is this where the American soldiers are convinced Osama bin Laden is.

No I think most of those people. They don't get into that most of the troops they all have thought they -- series.

I have a lot of the marketing marks there off the record just god just curious where has -- Any impression I get is that bin Laden is in Pakistan. Bin Laden is in dialysis done dialysis right now and that he's not a well person in December there were some very firm reports -- and there are not a 100% positive he's still alive but I think he'd probably is. And most of them think he's in Afghanistan they're in Pakistan at the funny thing is. You know how we treat our borders you know the borders of the US is sort of sacred territory -- come over here without a passport you whatever you know it's. It's -- it's hard to you know in most places to you can't just walk over the border well. For centuries. And their families. Who lived on either side of the packers' stadium Afghanistan border -- literally just walked across it's meant nothing to them. Borders of countries beat -- never -- a lot of these people are bedouin tribesmen they literally just leave intense. And they migrate from one place to another just to make sure that they're Campbell's. It livestock can have food to -- they don't care where they live and so they don't care about borders and they'll. You don't know we're prepared because a lot of these people who who were being trained in Pakistan by the Albanian by -- Al Qaeda. We're now trying to close these borders and that's a big huge part of the conflict so and that's that's one of the things I mean I think. To be obviously be of most people do that the capture of bin Laden that would be an extremely symbolic fairly meaningless. They I read because towards America it and at least on the side of element. You know they get their marching orders and just because bin Laden dies it's -- do anything to what to what they want to do for every one of them that dies. They've got to get others are ready to take their place so you know that's why. That is the depressing thing about this war. Is that it's like put your finger in the dike. You know -- you kill abroad cheesecake you wipe out a stronghold somewhere but they keep -- and over the border both -- rescued -- and from Iran and I mean it's too political for the show I don't even know the answer. But it seems like a fairly fruitless thing not that we shouldn't be their. Play it it's sort of smells like Vietnam a little bit.

Peter before we ask you about covering the NFL I want to know how do you feel now. About covering the NFL are you more passionate about your job is there. Some type of guilt you you said you felt a little guilty leaving when -- when they weren't leaving how do you feel when you approach your job now.

No different at all Michael it's you know. The one thing I did learn -- I I can't tell you how many people came up to the end and certainly. Well Monday morning quarterback eat you know I wait for Monday morning quarterback to come out you know I love what you -- eight you know it's probably a lot of people just being nice but I. I'd feel more responsibility than ever to make sure that what I write something. I really try to I try to beat the absolute best I can be right. You know that's that's the thing I guess I've been thinking a lot I -- a lot on the way home that. That you know there's such a responsibility that comes we do our jobs because so many people. It lead theater and it's amazing it's absolutely amazing. I mean pat and I was I was didn't there's a couple of -- appeared to have wireless. And I am looking up stuff just try to be working in my house eight -- in the -- the soldiers are the exact same way. And they read. They get as much about the NFL MVP even more they are people who were morphing into the NFL and college football. And other sports that they would be at home because it really provides these skates and so. If anything I came home. Stinking -- I've got a huge responsibility and you try to give these people ten minutes out of their lives that. Brings them a little bit closer to home then I've got to do everything -- came to do with the best they can't.

Briefly before we let you go one more Monday in matters do you think we're ever going to hear from Matt Walsh.

you know I was trying to follow I would about three -- 43 days over there without seeing any Internet without knowing much of anything. So if they hadn't done Sunday I read that -- that New York Times account that. That they think they're close in everything -- in my whole thing is. It sounds like that Matt Walsh's a lot of sound and fury with not much about him. Dave I could be wrong but that's what it sounds like to meet. What we're not going to know anything well we're not going to be able to put this big to bed until this guy gets added until this guy really. Until we find out from him everything we need to know that that's sort of the way I look at it. It once. Whatever he says is that there were going to be able to put this thing to bed because I just feel now at this point. There's two there's been too much said too much written. Basically to just say to just forget about Matt Walsh we'd need to make sure that. That you know he's he does have some that we -- hear from the they had it sounds like they're close to do that but I think at the end of the date probably historian the next couple weeks. Is going to be put to bed and we're going to give out that matters of football.

I'll wondered Peter from what you heard either from the commissioner people close the commissioner is this story. As important to the NFL still as that is to Arlen specter and Michael Levy and and I guess Matt Walsh to a degree.

The NFL wanted to go away they want this story to disappear it's it's it's a bit -- to the NFL. And I think it until until it disappears we're still going to have -- The first day. That we -- pretty we're in this country Kircus -- which is like staging area for India. For everybody who goes in and out of Afghanistan and we we bed with a bunch of mechanics there -- a platoon of mechanics and service the aircraft and there's. B fifty of a -- this group that we Europe there I was asking questions to them. What's your favorite team will be light -- certainly you root for the superbowl. And it was it was wild it was 95% giants. And the patriots were like you know some guy yelled out Billick -- you know edit -- soul. I think that's the kind of thing that the NFL really wants to. They want to make they want to get -- they basically want to give the patriots a clean bill of health as soon as possible because. It's unseemly first the ball for a team that wins the Super Bowl three years to be universally despised. It's wrong it is because you know 99 point 8% of what they did. Clearly was accomplished because they were better than everybody else may be 99 point 99% okay. But this this little park worked the reason that it's important for the inability goes away is because you don't want to feel. You don't want to look back on three Super Bowl wins and say. Geez you know they would no one these without. You know without without sparring a the other team and so that's why I think it's important that the NFL do everything make him. Not only to hear from Matt Walsh he would every Estes say. But it just basically put this thing to bed and get on with the business of football.

Welcome home it was fun reading your stuff and and I'm I'm sure we'll get a chance to share some some more stories sometime in the future we really appreciate. So great thanks -- take -- argue either that is Peter King from Sports Illustrated SI dot com and NBC sports