The Herd with Colin Cowherd - 01/14/2021 - HOUR 1 - Harden, Nets, path

Episode Date: January 14, 2021

James Harden signing with the Brooklyn NetsThe Nets are turning into a car chase you can't stop watchingSometimes the path to titles is easierWhy aren't NFL teams going after Nick Saban?Guest: Doug Gottlieb Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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You're listening to Fox Sports Radio. Here we go on a Thursday. Live in Los Angeles, it's the Hurd. Wherever you may be, however you may be listening, Fox Sports Radio, IHeartRadio, IHeart Radio, and FS1. One hour from now, Greg CoSell, do you bet football, do you play fantasy football, or just love the game? Greg CoSell NFL Meeks sandwich in one hour.

We've got all sorts of breaking news happening today, all sorts of car chases. Car chases don't always end in car crashes. Sometimes there's a nice little resolution into a police department or something, so we don't know what's going to happen in Brooklyn. It's a lot of noise, I'll tell you that. It was a crazy day yesterday. It was. And this morning is getting even more intense.

It is. So let's just talk. James Harden wanted out of Houston. He's out of Houston. Now he's in Brooklyn. I don't know what's happening to Kyrie Irving. But it is your typical NBA blockbuster deal. Four teams, five draft picks, four draft swaps, and seven players.

And only one matters, James Hardin. Rest of it, nobody cares. Nobody cares. James Harden, if and when he gets into shape, KD., James Hardin, is interesting. Championships, no, but it's interesting. I think we can officially signal the end of the Kyrie Irving is a franchise guy. Kyrie Irving is a build-around guy. Those days are over.

I don't want to waste any time talking about Kyrie. I'm not going to project or I'm not going to guess. Who knows? His best friends don't know what he's doing. But Brooklyn, number one, Brooklyn had to make this move. Why? Because Kevin Durant can opt out in one year. After next year, he can opt out.

not sticking around for crazy Kyrie and a bunch of, you know, bench guys. Number two, this also signaled that Brooklyn and KD now acknowledge we pick the wrong running, mate. But again, I don't want to spend a lot of time talking about Kyrie. This is all about James Harden. James and Kevin Durant, two of the top seven, eight players in the league, maybe two of the top five or six. And I think they're very, very interesting. And they'll be very good when he gets into shape. And he will.

He'll get into shape. But what this really illustrates to me, the difference. between LeBron, James, and Kevin Durant. For years, there was this inane argument, and it went on for like years. Kevin Durant's better than LeBron. Oh, that's so sad. No, no, no, forget because one guy can shoot a better jumper. No, no, no, no.

Kevin Durant couldn't make Kyrie Irving work for three weeks. LeBron made it work for three years. and that is the difference. In the NBA, let's just take stars, top 12, 15 player. There's only two groups of them. There's LeBron and Steph. Husbands, fathers, dads, men, selfless, smart, businessmen, emotionally strong, intellectually strong, physically capable. LeBron and Steph, build your franchise around them.

They're grownups. Give them the keys to the franchise. Then there's the other group, 10-12 guys, super talented, unbelievably gifted. Some of the best players in the history of the game. Kevin Durant, Westbrook, Kyrie, you know, you know, those guys, Kawhi Leonard. Many of them unraveled in the bubble, couldn't take it as LeBron rose to the top of the league. That's what we have in this league. LeBron and Steph, give them the keys to the franchise grownups.

Other guys, they're just gifted. By the way, nothing wrong. Some guys don't want to be leaders. But this whole situation tells you, Kevin Durant couldn't make this thing work for three weeks. The idea that Kevin Durant was ever LeBron, you know, there's more to basketball than shooting jumpers. There's defense.

There's teamwork. There's passing. There's doing the interviews after the game. There's the face of the franchise responsibility. There's making trades work. There's elevating draft picks. There is working with your coaching staff in your front office. LeBron and Steph can do that.

And then it's just talented dudes. But Chris Broussard talked about KD yesterday. Talented, but what else? My opinion is that he let all the talk about, oh, they were cheap championships. There's an asterisk there. Anybody could have won those rings. And I was in that vote too. I believe those, he was great.

But, you know, that team was stacked with. without him. I think he let that get to him and want to go somewhere else where it was his team and prove that he could win rings on his own. Again, I think he'd deny it, but I think that's the case. And here's the thing, Colin, KD, as great as he is, he is not a leader, he's a follower, and he picked the wrong guy to follow. 99% of the stars in this league, they're just followers. LeBron and Steph, here's the keys. You'll get it done. I mean, Kauai couldn't even create decent chemistry with that stacked roster.

The chemistry went into the tank. And listen, it's, you know, KD left the Warriors because he wasn't getting enough credit when they won. Now he goes to Brooklyn. And if they win with Kyrie and Hardin, once again, he's not going to get all the credit. And now it's like a three-ring circus. But the difference is LeBron is playing chess. Everything is strategized.

Everything is thought out. Every business move. Beats, headsets, Lakers, calves, he. coaches, players, draft picks, free agents between Maverick Carter and Rich Paul and LeBron James. They are eight moves ahead of the league. LeBron is playing chess. KD and the other stars are just playing checkers. Just make an impulsive move to take a piece.

Not really thought out. Not any great strategy. Just kind of bouncing around, moving around the league. Can I win this game? Can I take that checker? That's it. There is such a gap. And I know it's a cliche, but there's such a gap from what LeBron's doing and KD's doing.

Stuff is so thought out and so smart. I mean, LeBron had this Anthony Davis deal. He had this thing done like two years ago. They had this thing wrapped up two years ago. And by the way, when LeBron went and got Anthony Davis, he's the perfect teammate. LeBron had it so thought out. Anthony Davis is quiet. Anthony Davis, LeBron doesn't like to protect the rim.

He wants to get out in the fast break. What's Anthony Davis do? He's one of the great shop lockers of all time. One of the best defensive bigs of all time. LeBron, and the personality works. The game works. I mean, Joy and I talked about this. LeBron and AD literally the first week, you're like, what?

It's perfect. It's like they're brothers. They've been playing together for 20 years. Like LeBron is just in a different galaxy. He makes everything work. He won with David Blatt. He won't with Eric Spolstry. He wins with Ty Lou.

Now he went with Frank Vogel. Katie couldn't make the Brooklyn thing work for three weeks. It's interesting. I've never turned off a car chase. Ever. I watch them to the end. And I'll watch Brooklyn to the end. All right.

So this weekend, I was told by a source at Ohio State that Urban Meyer was going to take the Jacksonville Jaguar's job. And now the NFL network, I think there's four or five people reporting that Urban Meyer assembling a staff and he's going to take the Jags job. First of all, I think Urban Meyer owed himself this. He's 56 years old. One of the great college football coaches of all time and as good an analyst in college football as the sport has ever seen. He's 56.

What is he going to golf for the next 30 years? Be an administrator at a Big Ten school. He owes himself this. He is younger than Sean Payton and John Harbaugh. He's 56. College football now because there's two signing people. periods is a relentless 365 days recruiting schloid. It's not as much fun as it used to be.

There's no offseason. And he's able to cherry pick what I consider to be a perfect job for him. Remember, it doesn't have to be a perfect job in Jacksonville. But it's the perfect job for Urban. He's got a home there. Florida Gator Country, he's an icon. He gets Trevor Lawrence. He's an offensive, gifted coach.

The division's always been sort of winnable and quirky. They've got a ton of cap space. They've got draft picks. And he'll have personnel say. He's also been promised the facilities will be upgraded. But this is the difference why Urban's probably, of all the coaches I've met in my life, college football coaches, I think Urban's really, really smart. If not the smartest, it's a short list.

Is that a lot of coaches just take jobs. It goes back to the LeBron KD thing, chess and checkers. A lot of coaches just take jobs because they're open or they're desperate. He treats his profession like a stockbroker treats stocks. So I've been fallen in Erben Meyer for 20 years. Utah has always been a good program. It had two down years with Ron McBride, an old coach. He retired.

Good program down. He swoops into Utah. Boom. 10-11 wins. He goes to Florida. Great program. Ron Zook could recruit, could not be a head coach. Great program down.

Swoops in national titles. Ohio State. program down Luke Fickle, six and seven. Swoops in, doesn't lose a conference game for two years. Most coaches, they just take jobs out of desperation. They take what's offered. There's no strategy behind it. Jacksonville just got the world's smartest stock broker. They're an $8 stock. The minute they draft Trevor Lawrence, they're a $28 stock. And Urban Meyer with that cap space, few free agents, there are a $48 stock. Too many coaches. I'm a ball coach.

I got my whistle. I got my plays. Urban Myers miles ahead of that. It's not the first job he's been offered. Utah wasn't the only job. Florida wasn't the only job. Ohio State wasn't the only job. He had Penn State or Ohio State.

He had Notre Dame or Florida. He's always taken the job. Entry points matter. You don't want to follow Howard Stern. You don't want to follow Mike Scho. Sheffsky at Duke. You don't want to follow Dean Smith at Carolina. This is a perfect entry point and a perfect fit. I don't know if they win Super Bowls, but if you go look at the AFC South, it's been nine years since somebody won 12 games. And there's only one big time

quarterback in the conference, big time being like star, Deshaun Watson, and he wants out of the conference. So congrats to Urban. I think for him it's the best job he could possibly do, and it makes the Jags. I said this about James Harden and Kyrie Irvin, Kevin Durant. Interesting's okay too. Jacksonville now is interesting. That's okay. Nothing wrong with interesting. Not many teams are championship caliber. Ravens, Packers, Saints, Chiefs, those are championship caliber. And Jacksonville is going to be interesting. I'm all for it. Coming up next, Next, just something to think about with seven NFL coaching options. Why isn't anybody asking a guy who we know would be successful?

Why is he not getting calls? I'll talk about that next. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays in noon Eastern, 9 a.m. Pacific on Fox Sports Radio, FS1, and the IHeard Radio app. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential.

Either way, the podcast's Superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the I-Hard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is a win. A win.

A win is a win. Yep, that's me, Cliver Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, the reactions, my journey from basketball to college football, or my career in sports media. Well, somewhere along the way, this platform became bigger than I ever imagined. And now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfiltered conversations with some of your favorite athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated.

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They delivered sandwiches yesterday and they were, got to be honest, I didn't taste mine. I devoured it. I swallowed it whole. You inhaled it. So I got a story in the NFL that's stunning me. and then one that's surprising me. And just hear me out on this.

I don't ask for much in life. Why isn't anybody calling Nick Saban? Boy, it's too old. We just had two presidential candidates. One was 78, one was 74. To run the country. And the 78-year-old won. That's global travel.

Four years of it. Nick Saban is a non-drinker and a non-smoker and is an energizer bunny. He's burning 16,000 calories every game screaming at people. Does he look old? Pete Carroll's 69. He just signed a five-year extension. Vin Scully was doing play-by-play, eloquently by himself, in a booth in the summer. In his mid-80s, Marv Albert's going to be 80.

Regis Philbin was laugh-out-loud funny at 78 years old on the air. Joe Biden's are present and he's 78. Nick Sabin's 69 years old. Takes care of his body. I think he looks. He's in great shape. I think he's lost weight. Doesn't drink, doesn't smoke.

Every time I see him on TV, he's eloquent. Belichick, 68, Pete Carroll, 69. Coach K is 73, Popovich, 76. Jim Beheim, 76. Warren Buffett's the number one stock trader in America. He's 90. You don't think Saban could get the Houston Texans right? You don't think Saban could go to Tampa if Bruce Ariens isn't the guy next year with Brady in that roster?

He was not a disaster in the NFL. He was 9 and 7 first year with Miami. The team doctors wouldn't allow him to get and sign Drew Breezy. He went 6 and 10 and said, see ya. Thanks for flying United. I'm going off to Tuscaloosa. Why won't anybody call him? It's amazing.

We've got guys who have never been a high school head coach getting offered NFL jobs. I mean, you do know there's seven openings. Four of the guys they hire won't work. One will be a stud. Two will be okay, but eventually fired. You're not going to give Nick Sabin, you don't think Nick Saban would mop up in the draft for the next four years? He would crush. Urban Meyer is going to crush for the next three drafts.

He's seen the tape on all these guys. why isn't anybody offering him a job? Folks, you think I, when do you think I'm leaving? You're going to be looking at this ugly face for 30 years. I'm going to be eating Jersey Mike subs when I'm 80 breaking down NBA trades. Where's my teeth? I'm not going anywhere.

This idea that like, oh, he's 68 years old. Pete Carroll just signed a five-year extension. Pete Carroll's wearing out his gum every Sunday on the sidelines. Do you treat your body? Pete's not a big drinker. not a smoker. He's thin. He's an exerciser. He's a movement guy. We've all been around 68-year-olds that feel 108. We've all been around 68-year-olds that feel 55. Nobody's calling Nick Saban. Really? He's never had a health scare. Urban's had a couple, never had a health scare. Huge energy.

By the way, he just had his best recruiting class ever at Alabama. Ever. Do you know how hard recruiting is? Recruiting's all energy and work. He's doing, he's a d'all energy and work. He's doing, he's a different coaches every year. He's hiring this guy and got to get rid of that guy and got to replace that guy. It's effortless. Every year he's great. I don't know why people aren't calling him. He wasn't a disaster. Spurrier was a disaster. Nick went nine and seven. Doctors are like, you can't have Drew Breeze. Six and ten, I'm out. By the way, how'd Belichick do this year? It's amazing what you can't do in the NFL when you don't have a quarterback. You can't win. Nobody can win. Belich can't win without the quarterback. Joy with the news.

This is the herd line news. I mean, I guess you can keep beating Kentucky football. And I mean, I just think Nick, Nick is so young to me. What's he want to do? So you want to just hang out in a lake and, I mean, I don't know. I mean, the NFL is just, it's a different sport. Well, he was pretty good. He was okay at it.

I didn't think he was terrible there. I think that the entire world would be a different place if that doctor hadn't made them pass on Drew Brees. Like literally the whole world. Like, you were talking about butterfly? effect of what happens in the world since that doctor decided that Drew Breeze wasn't capable of playing football anymore. Change college and pro football. Forever. Can you imagine Belichick and Brady have to face Sabin twice a year with Drew Breeze?

Yeah. Brady's career doesn't look like this. Belichick's doesn't. Sabin, college football is different. A doctor who hopefully lost his license. A doctor said you can't have Drew Breeze. And that was it. And it's like, okay.

And here we are. And Brady's in Tampa. It's the only spot on his resume. I mean, everything else is like... It was interesting in Miami, I will say that. But I don't think he's incapable of transferring back to the NFL and having success. I just, I don't think he wants to. I think you're right.

But God, when I watch him on the sidelines, he could do it. Yes. But I think he just decided like that's not for him anymore. It is a different lifestyle. It's a better lifestyle. Depending on what you want to do. My coach is... He has to replace his offense.

He doesn't have to work too hard to recruit now. No, but, God. God, does he have to replace his offensive coordinator every 16 months? God, it's better than replacing your job every three years. I don't know. In the NFL, the pensions are so good. Coaches don't do that. Occasionally, you'll lose a coordinator.

Like Brian Daibol is going to take a job. Okay, so, okay, but the bottom line is most of the assistants on that staff with their pensions, they'll just stay in Buffalo if they have Josh Allen for 10 years and raise their families. Yeah, I don't know that NFL, the statement's worried about pension at this point either, though. I think he's good. So the Nets pulled off the blockbuster trade yesterday, acquiring James Hardin from the Rockets. They now have a big three. So we were back down to big twos for a while there with Dwight Leonard and now they have a big three.

Do they have a big three? On paper, they have a big three. Hardin, Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. And Anthony Davis is looking forward to see what they do together. If you wanted to play there, we'll see how to go. I mean, you know, Katie and James plays together in OKC. They had another guy, Kyrie, you know, lost him, some key players, Jared Allen, Karras of Burton.

But, you know, they look good on paper and we'll see, you know, how it goes when those guys, you know, get in between the lines and get a chance to play alongside each other. Well, we knew that even without Hardin, they were going to be a very strong offensive team. Hardin and Durand have combined to win seven of the last 11 scoring titles in the NBA. So we know they can score. And they'll become the fifth pair of teammates in NBA history to play on the same team after winning multiple scoring titles.

But Kyrie didn't love being a two. Now he's going to be a three. I just don't think, I don't know. I mean, I'm not going to, I'm not going to, I don't know where he's at mentally and I'm not going to project that. I don't have any idea. But I just know, as a basketball player, when he's on the floor, he's verbal, he's in control. And you can't, that's hard. So is James Harden.

So I just think it's a weird chemistry. play? I think chemistry is the biggest question because we've seen these teams come together before. Obviously, the Miami Heat is the biggest example of that. Everyone thought it was going to be an instant situation. And look, they didn't make it to the finals. So it's not like it was a disaster the first year. But it didn't work as far as winning a title the first year, which is the expectations when you have three of the top 10 players in the NBA team. But Bosch, Wade, and LeBron are very functional men. Like, they're all guys, you can see. You can see. sit down at a table, talk, and they are all kind of aligned, I think, on what wins basketball games.

But it was, and even with that, the chemistry and everything didn't come together right away. It wasn't immediate. This is, this is the conversation. There were issues with Kyrie before Hardin came. What happened in Houston was a disaster, and it's on Hardin. You can say it's the organization, but everything that Hardin wanted, he got. Like, we know that Hardin ran the organization. You set the practice times.

You made the schedule. Like, it was your organization and it failed. So now you're with KD. To me, Katie is the 1A. Like, he is the alpha in this situation. Katie is the proven one by all stretch of everything. He's the best player. It all has to come together, though.

And that's going to take. And Katie's got to make it come together. A lot of work. Yeah, a lot. And Katie's got to spearhead that because he's the best player. There's no question about the talent. And he's got the titles. Yes.

So while watching the Browns beat the Steelers Sunday, Chiefs receiver, Sammy Watkins, was tweeting about how shocked he was with the outcome of the game. And then when someone replied to him saying, looks like we've got some competition next week, Watkins dismissed it saying, I wouldn't go that far. I wouldn't do that. The top-seated chiefs are a heavy favor going into Sunday's game, but Baker shrugged off Watkins' criticism. I have no problem with it, to be honest with you.

Because if you don't have confidence, then you're not going to have success. And those guys have been doing it together for a few years now. They have a ton of confidence in each other. And so, I mean, it's just people get mad when you put it out there as, you know, you're put on for a bulletin board material. But, I mean, I don't have a problem with it. It comes with the nature of this game that you've got to be confident. You got to know and believe in yourself.

Yeah, we also, we've got to be careful making too much of a response to a tweet. Well, it wasn't a press conference. Yeah, it's not like it was a press conference. It's where we're looking for anything. Like, this is the content world. So they're going to pay attention to it. put it out there, people are going to make a bigger deal out of it than it really is. And look, to Baker's point, he probably does feel that way.

They're a very good team. I think it's kind of crazy. Everyone's just writing them off. I think they'll have a little bit of rust, but as we've seen throughout the years, they have no problem playing from behind. So even if they do get ahead, they still have Patrick Mahal's. I cannot wait to watch this game. I don't even know what the TV rating is going to be.

Cleveland won 11 games, people. How do you, how are you a 10-point dog to- That's the, so the Chiefs are. 10 point favorite over the brown and the line has it moved that part i'm with you on that i think is crazy that i think is absolutely i don't get it for nothing else because the chiefs haven't blown out a team in a long time they've still won yeah they're the important part we know they're talented but they haven't blown out of teams so the line is just crazy and hasn't moved meaning that it's the right line like the sharps i could see if cleveland was having a little trouble running the ball

or something like that like there was like some gaping thing happening or like Stefansky wasn't going to be back. Or there was another COVID issue. Right. There's not. It's very strange. I don't. I still think the chiefs are going to win this game and I'm really looking forward to it. But yeah, I'm with you. The line is crazy. So the Ravens defense is facing a huge challenge in trying to slow down Josh Allen on Saturday. And defensive coordinator Wink Martindale has a pretty impressive comp for Josh Allen. We love comps around here. And he said Allen is like a young Ben Rothesberger because of his size and how he extends plays with Dan Marino's arm.

We're getting wild with these Josh Allison. Let's just say this. He's really good. He is really good. And I like when opposing coaches build up the opponent. Not only does it sell the fight, but it's like the appropriate thing to do. It's a Belichickian thing to do. You notice Belichick always does this.

Even if they're going against an awful team that hasn't won a game all season, he will find a player and he will rant and rave about how. how great they are. Now, obviously, you don't have to exaggerate how great Josh Allen has been this year's in the MVP conversation. But he does have a big Ben feel. They went to small schools, a lot of doubters, big arms, mobile, huge size. I can openly admit, I thought Josh Allen was a disaster's first two years, and he has proven everyone wrong, and they deserve all of the credit for everything that's happened. I said of the five quarterbacks drafted, he had the potential to be the biggest bust, so I missed on that. No, I don't think you did. I think he could have been a bus. They

could have easily bailed on him after the first year. This is what we do now. now. They stuck with him and they deserve credit for it. The bills are two and a half point favorites, according to Foxbat. God, that's going to be great. The games this weekend and the AFC are. Amazing. Joy with the news. Well, that's the news. And thanks for stopping by. The Hurd-Ly News. All right, James Hardin-Tradt trade. You know, we said this. Urban Meyer and Trevor Lawrence are going to make the Jags interesting. There's nothing wrong for leagues having interesting teams. Harden, Kyrie, and Durant. It's fascinating. Nobody turns off a car chase. It doesn't know it was in a wreck. Doug Gottlie, brought to you by Mercedes-Benz, the best or nothing.

I don't know. I mean, the two of the three don't love defense, but there's something to it, right? Oh, this are three amazing basketball players. I think, Colin, this is a really important point to point out, is that we can all be critical of Kyrie Irving, not just for, you know, people say, like, hey, take all the time you want.

like we don't actually mean take all the time you want, Carrie. We want you to play basketball. But whatever he's working through, it just doesn't feel right. And he's hurting the rest of the league that is really forward thinking in terms of valuing mental health. That said,

I think if you ask most people in the NBA, you used to ask me, like, Kyrie Irving's probably the most talented point guard. He can do things others cannot. So it is just tantalizing talent. James Harden, tantalizing talent. Not just a great score, but in 2021, he gets lamps, hits threes, and gets to the free-field line. That's how you're supposed to play basketball offensively, and he's a great passer.

Kevin Durant, I believe, was the best player in the league before he got hurt, and he's picking up where he left off. So before we talk about all of the things they don't do and all the questions we have, like the reason is because we think they're all awesome in terms of their talent as basketball players, the question is, does it actually mean there'll be a great basketball team? And that is going to be fascinating to watch with somebody like Steve Nash, who's never done it before being their head coach. You know, Durant's an interesting guy that, listen, it's the burner accounts. Broussard said it yesterday.

He's a follower, more than a leader. By the way, so are most athletes. It's okay. There's very few quarterback personalities. But it's interesting. He left the Warriors because in the end he won a little more credit. and now if they win with Kyrie and Harden, he won't get all the credit. It is, it's like he went to a less functional version of the Warriors.

And that's what it's become, right? Yes. I do think that the move out of Golden State, or the move first out of Oklahoma City was because he sat there and said, I'm the best player in the league, and I just don't have the space. I just don't have the guys around me to show. And then, you know, look, he beats LeBron in the finals two straight years and is the better player and the bronze guarding him.

And he had the two dagger jump shots in LeBron's life in the same spot in the same series. And, wow, they just have too many guys. Like, hey, look, LeBron with the Cavs, Kevin Love, Kyrie Irving, Hall of Fame players. Okay, blue guy at Power Forward, Tristan Thompson. Same thing. But no one ever points that out. All they say is LeBron's in the goat conversation. And Kevin Durrett had to join the Warriors to win a championship.

So he searches for this respect, right? For the admiration, not of his peers, but a lot of. people like you and me. And he goes to, goes to Brooklyn because I got to have another guy. He does. And oh yeah, by the way,

one of the reasons that Kyrie and KD both like Brooklyn was the culture. Well, they destroyed that culture. Now, here's where I will give him credit. If he can make it work, like if he can make it work with James Hardin,

who doesn't play defense, and Kyrie Irving, who, when he was in Boston, Colin, and they were playing the bucks in the playoffs. Their basic game plan defensively was, everybody's going to switch except Kyrie.

We do not want Kyrie guarding Janice and Tenacupo. And do you know what Kyrie did? Kyri said, I'm going to guard Yadna Kupin. And how did that turn out for? Right. He is to this point in his career virtually uncoachable. And to this point in his next career, virtually uncoachable. Doesn't want to be coached.

If Kevin Durant can make this work, I actually think it might show that he's a much better leader than we've ever given credit and a much better place. historically than we give him credit, even though he has two other super talents around him. Urban Meyer, listen, he cherry pecked a good gig. I mean, he's got a house there. He's beloved there. It's not a vicious media, so he'll be treated well. He gets Trevor Lawrence, 70 million in cap space. It's a weird division where there's no Mojolmes. There's not even a Justin Herbert. Deshaun wants out of the division. It feels like it's going to work, right? Yes. Again, And this is percentage chances of working.

Urban Meyer, I think you have to be smart enough to know what you don't know, right? That's what really smart people do. I think he does. I think he'll hire a very, very good staff. You know, because his offense, the college offense that he ran, I don't believe that'll work. Although some hybrid of it, we've seen different versions of it working now in limited instances in the national football. What Urban is great at is, and I think you've pointed this out in your show, is player evaluation because they have a ton of draft draft picks,

okay, and they have to find a way, have to find a way to use those draft picks, and he's recruited all of them. He's coached against all of them. He's viewed all of them as an analyst for Fox. I think that part is, but the other part is he's an amazing leader.

As you know and we know, inside the building of Big Noon Kickoff, he made it into the best show on TV. Okay, It is the best college football show on TV. And the reason is his leadership. He allowed Matt Liner to be Matt Liner, Brady Quinn to Brie.

And then it all kind of fed into his analysis. And he would share information that he had. He's a great leader. And I think his ego is in check. Because the difference between college and pro is, when you're in college, it's all about the head coach. Everything's about the head coach. And your egos sometimes go out of control.

When you get to the pros, it's still about you, but you've got to make everybody think it's all about the players. and Urban can do that. He has done that on television. He's shown he can do that even in college. When he left Ohio State, he made it all about Ryan Day. I think he can do it. Now it comes down to whether or not Trevor Lawrence is as good as everybody tells us he is.

You get the quarterback and you have all those draft picks and you have a quarterback on a rookie contract. Plus, you have the time. I mean, how long was Doug Marone the coach? We got like, like, Doug Moron's going to get fired. Doug, if you can get time, quarterback under a rookie contract and all those draft picks, each should work. Percented chances of work are very, very high.

So I don't think it's nuts. We just elected, you know, a 78-year-old president, Warren Buffett's 90, Shishowski 75, Beheim 76, Pete Carroll, just five-year extension. I don't think it's nuts to call Nick Sabin, right? Like, call him for Houston. That's not nuts, right? It's not nuts.

I don't think it's crazy to call and ask. but if I'm Nick Saban, why? But what do you, you can go down as the single greatest college football coach of all time. And I guess it's because we're going to deem the Miami Dolphin thing of failure. Again, I don't know what motivates him, right? I don't know what motivates him. I do know that the fascinating thing about Nick Saban is, his willingness to evolve. Yeah.

I mean, think about it, you go back five, six years. years ago. He said that Oregon's offense by playing tempo was unsafe. You can't play tempo, right? You can't play fast. Shouldn't spread out. They used to be ground and pound. Did you see what they did the other night? Right? He evolved. So I do think in the desire to evolve, it's there. The problem with Houston is they don't have the draft picks. They're in Capel and everybody loves Deshaun Watson, the guy, but I'm like, look, he's not happy. A lot like what Joy said about James Harden. Everybody, that's been done has been done to make him look better. Like you can say you don't like Jack. Jack Easterby, it feels like a cult.

Probably. Okay, but go and look at, if you haven't have players around him, how the hell he lead the league in passing yards? I think Houston is not a good job is the problem. And it's not just because the Easterby problem or the Serio problem, whatever. I think it's because of the cap hell and not the pick. That's what makes Jacksonville such a good job is because you have time, you have picks, you have cap space right we got a run uh dug gotley good stuff uh after our show fox sports did you notice did you notice i hear you get on the hat on backwards train you want to pick the browns on this weekend you're gonna

listen you you had on backwards guys you win one playoff game and you go crazy well you're a 10 everybody's head on backwards guy i just i got to point out to you go and look on the internet everybody even the homes erin rogers who you don't like tom brady who you love uh russell wilson who's Once again out of the playoffs and played terrible second half the season. We have to go. Get on the train. Get on the train powered. No, I have my values and morals and my belief system.

None of them had on backwards. Greg CoSell, top of next hour. Coming up next. Okay, I said something surprise me in the NFL. Something that shocks me and it's sometimes you just have to admit. Yeah, I'm wrong. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays in noon Eastern 9 a.m. Pacific. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal but encouraged.

It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast's Superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the I-Hard radio app,

Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what I'm saying. Yep, that's me, Clifford Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, the reactions, my journey from basketball to college football, or my career in sports media. Well, somewhere along the way, this platform became bigger than I ever imagined.

And now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfiltered conversations with some of your favorite athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. One week I'll take you behind the scenes of the biggest moments in sports and entertainment and the next we'll talk about life, mental health, purpose, and even music. The Clifford Show isn't just a podcast, it's a space for honest conversations, stories that don't always get told, and for people who are chasing something bigger. So if you've ever supported me or you're just chasing down a dream, this is right where

you need to be. Listen to the Clifford Show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. Do you remember when Diana Ross double-tap Little Kim's boobs at the VMAs? Or when Kanye said that George Bush didn't like black people. I know what you're thinking.

What the hell does George Bush got to do with Little Kim? Well, you can find out on the Look Back at it podcast. I'm Sam Jett. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick a here, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it. Including a recent episode with Mark Lamont Hill, waxing all about crack in the 80s.

To be clear, 84 is big to me, not just because of crack. I'm down to talk about crack on day, but just so y'all know. I mean, at this point, Mark, this is the second episode where we've discussed crack. So I'm starting to see that there's a through line. We also have AIDS on the table right now. Thank you for finishing that sentence. Yes. I don't think there's a more important year for black people.

Really? Yeah. For me, it's one of the most important years for black people in American history. Listen to look back at it on the IHeart Radio app, Apple. podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. Welcome to my new podcast, Learn the Hardway with me, your host, and your favorite therapist, Keer Games. And in recognition of Mental Health Awareness Month, I'm bringing over a decade of my own

experience in the mental health field and conversations with so many incredible guests. I'm talking, Tripp Fontaine, Ryan Clark. Sometimes when we're in the pursuit of the thing, we get so wrapped up in the chase that we don't realize that we are in possession of the thing. And we're still chasing it. We don't know when we've done enough. Because people scoreboard watch. Life becomes about wins and losses.

Steve Burns, Dustin Ross, because you find it important to be a good person while you hear on earth. Are you a good person because you're afraid? Because that's two different intentions, bro. Absolutely. And that's two different levels of trust. I want you to just really be a good person. Join me, Keer Gaines,

as we have real conversations about healing, growth, fatherhood, pressure, and purpose on my new podcast, learn the hard way. Open your free. Our Heart Radio app. Search learn the hard way and listen now. Michelin Endurance X.D. Silicon Wiper Blights, they last two times longer than other blades. They're available only at Walmart. One of the things we know to be absolutely true, it is easier to win NBA championships and Super Bowls when the path is easier.

We know Michael Jordan. We suspect he's the best basketball player of all time. Many believe that. But when the Pistons with Isaiah Thomas were in their prime and the things, Celtics with Larry Bird were in their prime, Michael couldn't get to the finals. And then those teams got old and the path was easier in the East. And then he won and Magic and the Lakers got old and the path got easier. And he never had to really face great teams in the finals. It was Barclay's Sons, Gary Payton's Sonics, you know, Clyde Drexler's Blazers, good teams, not all-timers.

Belichick, it's amazing how easy it is when you always get a buy home field advantage because the AFC East is terrible. It's amazing how that works. There is this sense that Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs are going to go on a 12-year run, and it's going to create a litany of Super Bowl trophies. They'll have to build rooms in Kansas City. But remember, they're going to have to pay him. This year, his cap hits $5 million.

Next year, it's 22, 21. After that, it's in the 30s. After that, it's in the 40s. You better win now. because look at the current AFC quarterback roster. Look how many great young quarterbacks are in the AFC. Mahomes 25, Watson 25, Baker 25, Josh Allen 24, Burrow 24, Lamar 23, Justin Herbert 22, Trevor Lawrence 21.

I won't count Justin Fields because I don't think he's a guarantee to be a star. In the NFC, we're not talking about what could really have. happened with Aaron Rogers. Is it going to be Aaron, whose 36 has five to six years left that goes on an unbelievable run? Brady's a year or two from retiring. Breeze is retiring. Alex Smith, Matt Ryan, Matt Stafford,

and a bunch of young quarterbacks, Goff, Tribisky, Carson Wenz, Garapolo, eh, a lot of meh, a lot of, eh, a lot of, I don't know. Aaron Rogers is going to have a much easier path, even in Aaron Rogers division. Minnesota is not going to live with Kirk Cousins forever. Chicago's eventually moving off Tribusky. Stafford's not the future in Detroit.

It's going to look like the AFC East. It's going to be Aaron Rogers and three teams trying to figure out quarterbacks. And Zimmer's a defensive coach, and the Lions may hire Robert Sala, and he's a defensive coach, and those are not wizards offensively like Aaron has with Matt LaFleur. We're all talking about Mahomes dominating this league. He's got Justin Herbert in his own division. Good luck with that for the next decade. It looks like to me Aaron's got this runway of 8, 9, 10 years, and the only other star is Russell Wilson.

That's it. That's it. And Russell had to just get his OC fired. and has the worst offensive line of all the star quarterbacks. So I know you don't think I like Aaron Rogers, but I look at the runway, and the runway for Aaron is Russell Wilson and a soon-to-be-year-old head coach,

who's more of a defensive guy. It's like, all right, that's what, you may not even have to play in the playoffs. Somebody else could knock them off. I mean, Mahomes is just going to have this. I mean, Josh Allen, many believe, is just as talented. Lamar's not, but is a better athlete.

And I'm not even counting like Justin Fields. I'm not counting Tua. What if Deshaun Watson goes over to a better coach? So it's not a knock on Kansas City. I think it's remarkable. And in a lot of instances, this is really all about one thing. AFC general managers moved up to get Lamar, moved up to get Mahomes, moved up to get Josh Allen. in a lot of instances,

AFC general managers were just smart, super aggressive, and moved up to get star quarterbacks. I don't know. Kiler, I guess, is the real star in the NFC. He's the one guy we all believe is kind of magnetic.

And I don't doubt that. I think he's, I don't think he's Mahomes or Josh Allen, but I do think there's some real talent. Maybe Jalen Hertz becomes that. But it's a lot of Carson Wentz, Trubisky, Goff. And then it's a bunch of Matt Ryan's getting old and Stafford's getting old and Breeze is going to retire and Brady's going to retire and that's Aaron Rogers, Russell Wilson, and a lot of we don't know. I think the Packers got a long

runway of Super Bowls if Aaron can stay upright. Supplement I take every day is MDrive, powerful ingredients backed by science, muscle leaner, a little more energy. Go to mDrive for men.com. Today, Greg CoSell NFL meat sandwich on a Thursday, live in L.A. next. podcast from some SNL late-night comedy guy, not quite. Unhumor me with Robert Smygel and Friends. Me and hilarious guests from Bob Odenkirk to David Letterman help make you funnier. This week, my guest, SNL's Mikey Day and head writer, Streeter Seidel,

help an a cappella band with their between songs banter. Where does your group perform? We do some retirement homes. Those people are starving for banter. Listen to humor me with Robert Smigel and Friends on the I-Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal but encouraged. It's the enhanced games.

Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast's Superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the I-Hard radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Hey, what's good, y'all? You're listening to Learn the Hardway with your favorite therapist and host Kear Games. This space is about black men's experiences, having honest conversations that it's really not safe to have anywhere, but you're having them with a licensed professional who knows what he's doing. How many men carry a suit or armor. It signals to the world that you're not to be played with. And just because you have the capability that does not mean that you need to. Listen to learn the hard way on the AHA radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your, podcast. On the Look Back at it podcast. From 1979, that was a big moment

for me. Eighty-four was big to me. I'm Sam Jay. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick a here, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it. With our friends, fellow comedians, and favorite authors. Like Mark Lamont Hill on the 80s. 84 was a wild year. I mean, it was a

wild year. I don't think there's a more important year for black people. Listen to Look Back at it on the IHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get Your podcasts. This is an I-Heart podcast. Guaranteed human.