The Herd with Colin Cowherd - 02/18/2021 - Best of The Herd

Episode Date: February 18, 2021

Colin reacts to breaking news out of the NFL: Carson Wentz is traded to the Colts and Colin immediately puts Indianapolis in his Super Bowl bubble. He talks about the future of the Steelers as they are now faced with an aging quarterback and limited options on replacing him. Plus, Super Bowl champion head coach Bruce Arians joins the show to tell Colin what it was like to coach Tom Brady. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is an I-Heart podcast. Guaranteed Human. Another 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 IHeart 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 IHard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. On the Look Back at it podcast. For 1979, that was a big moment for me.

84 was big to me. I'm Sam J. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick a year, 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. 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 IHeart 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, my basketball and college football journey, or my career in sports media. Well, now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show.

This is a place for raw, unfilled conversations with athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. So let's get to it. Listen to the Clifford show on the IHeard radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok podcast network on TikTok. Thanks for listening to The Best of Heard podcast.

Be sure to catch us live every weekday. From 12 to 3 Eastern, 9 to noon Pacific on Fox Sports Radio and FS1, find your local station for the herd at Fox Sports Radio.com or stream us live every day on the iHeartRadio app by searching Heard. This is the best of the herd with Colin Cowher on Fox Sports Radio. What a Thursday we now suddenly have live in beautiful Los Angeles. This is The Herd. Wherever you may be and however you may be listening, we're on Fox Sports Radio,

IHeart Radio and FS1. Nothing makes me happier than a big NFL trade, especially to a team I love, a GM I love, and a quarterback I used to love and want to fall in love with again. Carson went to the Colts. I'm going to be unbearable today. Alex Curry is sitting in for Joy Taylor. Alex, how are you?

By the way, Alex has been covering baseball forever and huge, huge baseball deal today. She'll have that in the herd line. Massive deal, Fernando Tedese, who's an unbelievable rock star. So how are you? I'm doing great calling. It's going to be a great day. I can feel your energy all the way over here from that excitement. Yes.

I have a Red Bull. is going to put it aside. Oh, that's dangerous. I'm going to be unbearable because I love Carson Wentz. I was just on the phone for a half hour with Chris Ballard about four or five days ago, the Colts GM. He was in a good mood. I knew something was up. He was in a really good mood. And I love what the Colts are doing. I think they're just, he didn't blink, by the way. This is what Chris Ballard did. Now tell you what's great about the NFL. So Carson Wentz now to the Colts. We talked about this last three days. It's really interesting. The two teams that are better today than they were two weeks ago are the Rams, Matt Stafford. So the Rams last year went 10 and 6 and won a playoff game and gave the Packers

trouble. So I think Stafford makes them a game to a game and a half better. So I've already made my NFL predictions. I haven't put them on the air yet, but I've already done my standings at home. I think the Rams go to an 11 and 5 team with a chance to win multiple playoff games with Stafford. I don't think it's like going from James Winston to Brady, Stafford to golf, but I do think it's an elevation. He's better in a muddy pocket. He's got a better arm, a little more athletic. And now Carson Wentz to the Colts. I feel the same way. He makes them a game and a half better with a chance to win multiple playoff games. They were 11 and 5 last year. I think this makes them 12 and 4 game, game and a half better. Stafford is better than Gough. Wentz is significantly

more athletic than Philip Rivers. May not be as good at the line of scrimmage. Phillips's really good there. But I think in both instances, and they both did it differently. Less need in L.A. a competitive market is a go-for-it guy. I mean, he's a wheeler and dealer. Chris Ballard doesn't blink. Here's what I'm offering you, and I'm not budging. And they both worked. There's more than one way to win in this league.

There's more than one culture. Green Bay wins with their culture. New England wins with theirs. Kansas City's a little flashier. Tampa's down there, crazy town bringing in all sorts of people. There's more than one way to win in this league. The Rams went and got Stafford wheeling and dealing. Bidding war. Colts did the opposite.

Here's what we're offering. A third round pick and a second round pick. So this year, they're giving up a third round pick. And the following year in the draft, they're giving up a second round pick, which may become a first round pick, but right now it's a second round pick. That didn't blink. And I think this is huge. I think in both Stafford to the Rams and went to the Colts,

you have upgraded from very good playoff team. I now consider the Colts, one of my seven teams in the Super Bowl bubble. I think I got the Rams in. Again, they went 10 and 6 and won a playoff game with Goff. I got Green Bay in. I got Tampa Bay in. And I have San Francisco, as long as Garoppolo is the quarterback and upright, I have them in. In the AFC, I've got Kansas City, Buffalo, and the Colts.

I do think Baltimore is close, but I've got to see Lamar Jackson to be able to play from behind, throw the ball late in games more consistently. Seattle's got talent, but I think they make it up as they go in recent years, and I've got my issues with Pete Carroll having too much power. This is what it feels like to me. You got four NFC teams that should be in my Super Bowl bubble, Green Bay, the Rams, San Francisco of Garoppolo plays in Tampa, and I think it's the chiefs, the Colts, and the bills in the AFC. And yesterday I talked about this. I said there's warning signs. There's five warning signs in the NFL that your franchise is about to join the clown show, the clown club. I'm not going to reiterate those, but there's also five signs that you're going to become a legitimate Super Bowl contender every year.

And the Colts now have those and let's discuss them. Number one, the quarterback and the coach have a strong relationship. Breeze and Sean Payton, Andy Reed and Mahomes. Say what you want. Belichick and Brady, Fouts, and you go back to Aikman and Jimmy Johnson. Generally speaking, you are in a suit. You don't have to win a Super Bowl, but you're in the ball. Ariens and Brady, turbulent early, got along great.

When the quarterback and the head coach are in unison and they respect and like each other, you win a lot of games and Wentz and Frank Reich will be great together. He's never been the same since Reich left. Number two is you have protection. I've said this. In baseball, you cannot win a World Series with a lousy bullpen. You can't be bleeding runs no matter. I mean, the Dodgers bullpen wasn't great last year, but it was good enough.

You cannot win Super Bowls with a crappy offensive line. The Buccaneers, the untold story of the Buccaneer Super Bowl was, their offensive line at the end of the year was fantastic. Brady wasn't getting touched. Number three, you got to give your quarterback some weapons. That's why Brady left New England. Jonathan Taylor for the Colts has become a star. at the end of the year. He didn't have a preseason.

Michael Pittman, asked the Bill's secondary, has become a star receiver. They also have Paris Campbell hurt last year, one of the fastest players in the NFL. He'll be playing for the Colts this year. You've got to have a top 10 defense. That's number four. You don't have to be great. You don't have that great defense, but you can't ask your quarterback to win 44-40 every weekend.

The Buffalo Bill's defense this year wasn't very good. But it was situationally pretty good. But it has to get better. the bill's defense has to get better i mean philip rivers ran up and down the field on them so wence gets a top 10 defense and number five is you got to have a legitimate front office that just keeps your roster viable you got to manipulate the cap you can't you can't pay like dallas good players great money so the five things to me that means you're this by the way this is kind of what baltimore usually is what green bay usually is what new england was is you got a good head coach quarterback

relationship, good offensive line, give him some weapons, a defense that let you win occasionally 2320 and a front office that's viable, manipulates the cap, keeps the roster tight, you've always got a little cap space, you don't have any dead money, you're not paying good players great money. So I think right now the Colts just found themselves. The Rams and the Colts both are in my Super Bowl bubble, but I think the Colts are there this morning. They didn't blink. They've got their way of doing business. And congratulations. I knew when I talked to Ballard, he was in an especially good mood, and he just landed Carson Wentz. And let me just say this about there are different ways to do it, but what you never want to do, even in life, is sell your

soul. I mean, I'm a saver. I don't spend a lot of money. I make a pretty good living. I put 50% of my income away every year. That's who I am. Now, I tell my kids, I overspend for two things. Experiences and education. I'll break the bank for college and I'm going to spend a lot of money if I want to take my family to Hawaii because I remember as a kid, we went in five or six vacations. I can remember him and I was like seven years old. But my value system is I'm not going to sell my soul. Okay, this is what I am. I'm a saver. The Pittsburgh Steelers yesterday, Kevin Colbert, their GM came out. His quote was on Big Ben. As we sit here today, Ben, is a member of the Steelers.

Not exactly a big advocate, by the way. That's what Les Needs said exactly. A week later, he traded Jared Goff. The Steelers have sold their soul a little bit on Big Ben. Let me tell you about Big Ben and the truth. And Pittsburgh has known this since day one. He doesn't commit in the offseason. Jay Glazer jokes.

His idea of an offseason workout is beers and a yoga work out once a week. He's never been good with film study and it's gotten worse over time. He's an average practice player. They run a remedial, unsophisticated audible system. They've catered it to Ben. And also, he struggles with high profile offensive players. Pittsburgh's a smart organization. They know he should be better at film study. They know he should be more committed in the offseason? They know he's too dramatic when anybody gets a little glare on the offensive side. They sold their soul for Ben and here's where they are. Trapped. 42 million bucks. If they cut him, they'd pay $23 million on the cap and he's now bad at

the end of the year because he's never committed in the offseason. He was awful in December. He was one in four, eight picks, bad. That's what happens. As you age as a quarterback, Breeze didn't have the arm left in December, Ben's bad in December. My wife preaches something all the time. And she's always on this. She's always like, stay current, dress current, social media current, get on Instagram. Just stay current. And Tom Brady is the embodiment of this. He gets on social media and he's funny. He's relevant. He's good with young teammates. He's adaptable. He's very good with his body. Tom is the embodiment of staying current. His superbondal wife probably is part of that equation.

She's got to stay current. He stays current. Ben and Fav never did. This is who I am. I'm not moving. I'm not improving. I'm not learning new stuff. And they both age poorly.

And I'll say this for Green Bay. Green Bay may drive me nuts sometimes. But even for the smallest NFL market, they never sell their soul. They moved off Fav and they've already drafted Aaron Rogers' replacement. They don't romanticize the past. Green Bay never sells their soul.

I wish occasionally they'd go for it in free agency. But they've got a soul and a value system and they never trade it. Pittsburgh, a small market too, sold their soul for Big Ben. They knew he was a crappy practice player. They knew he wasn't committed in the offseason. They know he doesn't put in the film study time.

But he was so talented. They appeased him. They placated him. They let him get away with it. And now they're trapped. Green Bay's not trapped. Pittsburgh's trapped. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays in noon Eastern, 9 a.m. Pacific. On Fox Sports Radio, FS1, and the IHeart Radio app. 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. A win is a win. I don't care what you're saying. 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. 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 at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. Hey, I'm Deanna Maria Riva, actress, mother, lover, and a Gen X woman walking through life one hot flash and hormonal crying jag at a time. You ladies know what I mean.

I'll bet you a perimenopausal chin here you do. So let's talk about it. Join me on my new podcast. How hard can it be with Deanna Maria Riva, where I call on my Gen X squads from Ohio to Hollywood as we navigate midlife's most fantastic BS. All of a sudden, I'd had hanginess happening on my own. I was like, what the hell is that? I was married when I had her, so I didn't even consider how empty that Ness was going to be. Mood swings, night sweats, fupas, sex drive.

Wait, what sex? Dating at 45. How hard can it be? How can it be? Getting naked at 50 with the new guy. That one's kind of hard, you know? Well, that's lighting. They say we can't polish a turd, but we're sure going to try. So let's get blunt with laughs, tears, or tears of laughter, and dive into it, unfiltered and unbothered and ask, how hard can it be? I cannot believe I'm about to say this out loud in public. Listen to How Hard Can It Be with Diana Maria Riva as part of My Cultura Podcast Network

available on the Iheart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. What's up, fam? It's Isaiah Thomas. And I'm C.J. Toledano, and our podcast Point Game is about defining the odds. Like LeBron heading into the playoffs without Luca and Austin Reed. And finding ways to win no matter what. He's the smartest player to ever play the game. His IQ is at a level that we've never seen before. And he knows.

Without Luca and Austin Reeves, I got to manipulate. the game. We get a player's perspective on the challenges of the playoffs. I think Joker's going to be exhausted this series because when they don't have Rudy in the lineup, he has to really guard guys like Nas Reed. He has to guard Julius Randall. And then he has to give us everything he gives us on the night-to-night basis on offense. And when IT's friends stop by, like Quentin Richardson, we dive into some playoff history too.

Steve Nash would get that thing. That man, hell get to fly. He run up the court, licking his fingers, why he got the ball like, I think. You go through a training camp with that, Isaiah, you figure it out real quick. Get your ass up and down the court, and you're going to get the ball. So listen to Point Game on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Carson Wentz has been traded to the Colts. By the way, the Colts had a top 10 offense last year.

Moving the ball, they were at ninth in yards per play. And that's with Philip Rivers, and I love Philip, but he's the least athletic quarterback in the league ever since Eli Manning retired. so they couldn't move the pocket, and they were ninth in the NFL in yards per play. And it should also be noted that Jonathan Taylor, the rookie running back, 22-year-old kid, he didn't really, from Wisconsin, he didn't really emerge until post- Thanksgiving. So if you really look post- Thanksgiving, Michael Pittman, the wide receiver from USC, the rookie, again, there's no training camp, there's no exhibition season. Those guys didn't really pop until post- Thanksgiving.

So at the end of the year, the Colts felt like to me they were a top five, six yards per play offense. Now you bring in a quarterback who sometimes do his demise likes to move the pocket. So this is going to be a much more viable offense. They won 11 games last year with the least athletic quarterback in the league. So big day for the Colts. They're in the Super Bowl bubble to me. I do think that JJ Watt is great for the Packers. He may fit the Titans better, their schemes, but Joe Barry's the new Packer defensive coordinator. He's done a 3-4 or 4-3. He's done it. I know Joe. he can do whatever he has to do for his personnel. But the latest story is, and this stuff starts leaking, and I've always had a theory in

my business, stuff only leaks when people want it to leak. All right? Like, we don't get stories if you don't leak stories. And that's just the reality of it. If somebody wants it out, I've had stories in my life that I banged on doors forever and they never got out because nobody wants them out. And these stories are leaking because it's now we've got a bidding war and JJ Wat likes it that way.

So J.J. Watts, one of the only defensive players. Hell, he may be the only one that's got a brand. The way it works in the NBA, defensive players, Rodman was rare. Rodman had a brand. It was crazy town, but it was a brand. Usually rebounders don't have a brand. Defensive players don't have a brand in the NFL. J.J. Watts got one.

There's a reason all these stories yesterday, J.J. Watts stoking the fire. Quote, free agency is wild, he says, on social media. He just pouring gas on that puppy, and I don't blame him. he's saying listen i know i've had injuries i know i'm older he wants to get paid and j j wats like listen i'm i was still a seventh top seven defensive lineman i want to get paid here's the problem green bay does not get into bidding wars as i just talked about some teams are very comfortable with that dallas is through the years philadelphia is um a rams are some big city teams they'll get into these bidding wars they're okay with it they trust their scouting department and they trust

their market to make the big move worth it. Indy's not going to do that. Belichick's not going to do that, and Green Bay is not going to do that. So that's the bad news here is J.J. Watt right now is that great high school football players. He's got four or five hats on the table. And he goes on his Instagram for a week and he's like, man, big decision coming on signing day. I may go to Clemson. I may go to Bama. I may go to Oklahoma. And he's just pouring gas on it, getting everybody revved up. That's what J.J. Watt and his agent and his side are doing. They're just putting enough stuff out there to create a bidding war. Green Bay, they do a lot of things well.

They're not getting into bidding wars. So that's not necessarily, to me, a great sign for the Packers. And listen, JJ Watt has every right to make every penny. I think I would rather play for a winner at this point. He's a lot for the Hall of Fame. He's got nothing but money. I think I'd want to win. But listen, Buffalo's out there, they win.

Tennessee wins. Green Bay wins. This may come down to somebody just offers him a bigger deal. And that's okay. I mean, listen, there are times when I criticize guys for signing a deal with a I mean, Robinson Canoe going from the Yankees to the Mariners, you're like, dude, you don't want to play in Seattle. You're going to suck up all their money.

They're not going to be able to afford any other good players. You don't want that's a mistake. I don't have a problem with guy at the end of his career when four winning teams, you know, you've got Buffalo's a winning team now and Tennessee's a winning team and Green Bay is a winning team. I don't have a problem with the guy taking money then. Winners are winners, right? Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays in noon Eastern, 9 a.m. Pacific. There's a story today on Dax contract that Todd France is his agent.

Todd's a very legitimate agent. And there's talk how the Cowboys can pay him about 32 million a year, big signing bonus and make it work. I'll say this about all contract negotiations. Somebody's usually got the leverage. A lot of times it's the corporation. It's the team. The longer the Cowboys have waited on this, in my opinion, the more leverage DAC has. There's four or five things working now in DAC's favor.

Number one is Jerry Jones is 78. He didn't want to start over with a rookie quarterback. He's 78 years old. He wants to win. Dak's productive. Number two is Dak is beloved by teammates and he ensures you won't have chaos at the position. Number three is, Cowboys have a lot of needs to fill. It'd be nice to go into camp knowing you got the quarterback.

I mean, they got to go draft another corner. They got to draft a safety. They got to figure out what to do with Demarcus Lawrence because he's cost a fortune. They may have to move one of their wide receivers because they got three of them, but yet they've got an aging offensive line. The other thing Dax got going for him is we got nine, ten teams need a quarterback. Now, take the Colts out of it. We may be down to eight.

Dax got a market. He's got a market now. It may not be the market he wants at 35 large a year, but Dax got a market today. The culture off it, but you got a San Francisco. We talked about it yesterday. Pittsburgh now, listen to their GM, they're looking for somebody. So I think the longer this goes, it doesn't always benefit the employee or the quarterback. But I think in this instance, the longer they go, DAC is eliminates chaos at quarterback.

And in the NFL, you'd prefer to be great, but what you don't want to be is chaotic. Washington this year at times was chaotic at quarterback. DAC ensures you're not chaotic. It's not maybe as great as you want, but Jerry's 78. He doesn't want a circus at the most important position. All right. Coming up next, Albert Breer joins us on the Colts, acquiring Carson Wentz. The Eagles get completely worked.

What's that mean for Darnold? What's it mean for the rest of the teams? What's it mean for Garoppolo? What's it mean for DAC? Albert Brear next. You know how you should kick off the new year? How about a new pair of boots? You never think of me as a boot guy,

but Tocovus, TECOVAS from Austin, Texas. They do leather goods really, really well. Wallets, I got one of those, belts, their travel bag. I'm moving actually right now. I got my travel bag is everywhere. It's my backpack. It goes everywhere I do. Step out in 2021 with a couple of complement magnets on your.

feet from Decovis. This year's lineup, classic cowboy and cowgirl styles, urban western Chelsea boots in both men's and women's. Their zip boots are great, fit under a slimmer pant leg but looked like a traditional cowboy boots. All the boots are handmade. Quality that translates to confidence. Free returns and exchanges. Why? Because they trust their product. Never have to worry about pulling the trigger on a pair of Decovis. They'll always shoot you straight. New year, new boots, folks. Find them at Decovis.com in Austin, Texas, or stop by one of their many. Want more herd? The herd streams 24 hours a day, seven days a week within the IHeart radio app. Search Herd to listen live or on demand whenever you'd like. 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 Podcasts 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 which I'm saying. Yep, that's me. Clipper 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 Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. Hey, I'm Deanna Maria Riva, actress, mother, lover, and a Gen X woman walking through life one hot flash and hormonal crying jag at a time. You ladies know what I mean. I'll bet you a perimenopausal chin here you do.

So let's talk about it. Join me on my new podcast. How hard can it be with the Adamani Arriba, where I call on my Gen X squads from Ohio to Hollywood as we navigate midlife's most fantastic BS. All of a sudden, I'd had hanginess happening on my own. I was like, what the hell is that? I was married when I had her,

so I didn't even consider how empty that nest was going to be. Mood swings, night sweats, fupas, sex drive. Wait, what sex? Dating at 45. How hard can it be getting naked at 50 with the new guy? That one's kind of hard. Well, that's lighting. They say we can't polish a turd, but we're sure going to try. So let's get blunt with laughs, tears, or tears of laughter, and dive into it, unfiltered and unbothered and ask, how hard can it be?

I cannot believe I'm about to say this out loud in public. Listen to How Hard Can It Be with Diana Maria Riva as part of my Cultura Podcast Network available on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. What's up fam? It's Isaiah Thomas. And I'm C.J. Toledano and our podcast Point Game is about defying the odds. Like LeBron heading into the playoffs without Luca and Austin Reed. And finding ways to win no matter what. He's the smartest player to ever play the game. His IQ is at a level that we've never seen before.

And he knows without Luca and Austin Reeves, I got to manipulate the game. We get a player's perspective on the challenges of the playoffs. I think Joker's going to be exhausted this series because when they don't have Rudy in the lineup, he has to really guard guys like Nas Reid. He has to guard Julius Randall. And then he has to give us everything he gives us on the night-to-night basis on offense. And when IT's friends stop by, like Quentin Richardson, we dive into some playoff history too.

Steve Nash would get that thing. That man, hell get the flying. He running up the court licking his fingers while he got the ball. Like, after you go through a training camp with that, Isaiah, you figure it out real quick. Get your ass up and down the court, and you're going to get the ball. So listen to Point Game on the High High High High School. Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. So Bruce Ariens is very unique.

He's the oldest coach to win a Super Bowl. He's the only interim head coach to win coach of the year. He's the only team that has all black coordinators, multiple female coaches. He retired from coaching and came back. He's done it his way from day one in the league. And right now he's at the top of the heap in the NFL. And Bruce Ariens, the Super Bowl champ, the Bucks Head coach, is joining us live, and we appreciate that. By the way, I want you to go,

AriensfamilyFoundation.org, cocktails with Ariens and friends tomorrow night, 6 to 8. So Bruce is joining us. First of all, Bruce, you're a busy guy. You didn't have to. We appreciate this. And I want to start with this moment.

What was the moment, Bruce, this year? You may have said it to your family. You may have said it to coaches. but you said to your staff or somebody, guys, we're really close. We are really close to getting this thing buttoned up. Was there that moment or epiphany before you got to the Super Bowl, Bruce? It really was, Colin. And first of all, I'm so happy that you're healthy.

Oh, thank you so much. Yeah, you don't need to be scared me like that, brother. Scare me, too. Yeah, I bet. But, yeah, I think it was right after the loss to the teeth. You know, we had lost it around by three, lost the cheese by three, and we had our open date. It's like, too.

All our guys, team players, you guys know how close we are. Let's just get rested up, all right, and let's get ready for this last run. And there was a total belief in our entire organization that we're going to get this done. And it's funny because after that moment, you get a break, and then you guys were on fire. Bruce were practices different? Did you and Tom have a certain symmetry? What went on in those by-week practices?

Was it different than anything you'd been a part of in coaching? Because something happened over that stretch, and you came out with your hair on fire for two months. Yeah, we basically put up the scenarios for the playoffs. Who's the first team? Who's the second team? Where do we stand? What does this game mean?

and we started the playoffs that. We are now in the playoffs. You guys want to be in the playoffs? Here we are. And every game matters. The practices, intensity was always good, but it went up a notch. Tom knew how to take that bull by the horns and get a little more involved, leadership-wise.

And we don't accept anything but perfection, but it got better. It got better starting that next week. You know, Bruce, it's interesting. wasn't the easiest team to coach. You didn't have a preseason. You had a bunch of new parts. You had Lenny comes in. You got Gronk comes in. You got A.B. comes in. Godwin was hurt early. This wasn't easy. This was not easy, Bruce. You had injured players. You had new players coming in. Go back to September, October. Were there some moments of turbulence that you ever had a doubt and thought, good Lord, we got a lot of new faces? We got a lot of new guys. We got a lot

a mouse to feed. Was there a point when you questioned it? Oh, we're so fortunate because when Mike Evans and Chris Guy, when you're your superstar receivers, they're the most unselfish guys I've ever coached to be great players. They just wanted to win. So nobody could bitch and want the ball because they didn't bitch and want to ball. So it was like, as we added the pieces at a necessity because of injuries, they were welcome with open arms. I went to Mike. I went to, Mike. I went to Chris has a look. I think I might sign A-B.

As a coach, you think it's going to help us win the Super Bowl? I think so. All right, we're all for it. We'll give up catches. We don't care. We want to win a Super Bowl. God, that's great. You know, one of the things about Tom is that there's a sense in the world when a player gets great,

he's harder to coach. And, you know, I, listen, Tom has things he's good at. Tom probably has things he doesn't like. love to do. You guys, you have ways you like to coach. He's got ways you've got to play. But you kind of made it work. What is it like to coach Tom? Is it easier? Is it more of a challenge? And that's not a knock on anybody, but there are players that have kind of a system they believe it. What's Tom like to coach? I know it's a simple question, but what is it like? He loves hard coaching. He wants to be coached hard, and he wants to learn new things and try new

thing. So that's that part of it. But also, Byron did such a great job of keeping him comfortable what we were doing and what he has done in the past

and adding the conglomeration of his offense, our offense, it was just the Bucks' offense. And it wasn't, I have to laugh when I hear these guys.

Oh, man, they're running New Angeles offense now. Go back and watch the film at Cleveland, Pittsburgh. It's the same shit. We've been running for 20 years. Right. Tom just

He can make every throw And it's just Bying into Okay 3rd and 2 I got a shot for the first down But I also have a chunk for 40 yards And I love my matchup

I coach it take the chunk Yeah He's probably in the past That I'm getting the first down And I would turn to film I said look dude you had a chance for 40 And he started attacking And Blake

that philosophy, it's such a great job of keeping him comfortable, verbiage-wise, because, I mean, it was, I laugh. I said, Tom, you couldn't have no half the words met when I say New Orleans the first time. Yeah. I have a third time, and it's like, oh, yeah, I got this. I got this now. Yeah. And he loves being coached.

He loves a challenge, and he loves looking at things in a different way. You know, there was a couple of plays. I said this on the air. I thought my favorite play in the playoffs from you guys was actually in the Green Bay game. And I think you gave it. It was a little bit of a jet sweep to Chris Godman at the end of the game to get that first down and he slid. And I said, God, I bet Bruce Arian has had that damn thing in his playbook for 12 weeks. I literally went on the next day and I went, they've been holding on to that play for 12 weeks.

And it was the end of the play game. So you've got to just give me clarity on that play. You can't. I didn't see you run that thing the whole year. How long had you had that kind of jet sweep to seal the Green Bay game at Lambo? Well, we've been practicing, oh, God, six weeks. And all, every time we go to five, what we've, it's a hundred percent passed with, with five wide receivers in the game or four in a tight end.

So we had that four or five run. That was our favorite. It was just the perfect timing. I said, Byrd, if we get the third and four or less, we're going to run that ball. He's all coach. That's the perfect one. That's the perfect one. He called it. And the guys executed it to perfection. Do you think you'll actually, do you think Bruce, and you're a young, you're very much a family guy, you're young at heart. Did you sense maybe it was after the Super Bowl that you know what? I can do this for a few more years. I got about three or four years. Did Tom actually make you feel a little bit of that fountain of youth? Oh, there's no doubt. There's no doubt. I mean,

uh, now if I'm not to start coaches, if I lost Byron or Todd, that would have to think about it because not losing any coaches, you sure it makes next year so much easier and so much easier to repeat. But once you start deleting your coaching staff, I don't want to go back to calling plays. Right.

And Byron right now is still the only guy I trust doing it. Yeah. I'd have to think long and hard, um, if I was going to. going to lose him. Boy, you look, I'm watching you drink that. It looks like a bud light on that boat. Good Lord, you look happy. Hey, dude, and you know me, I don't drink beer, but that was a hell of a good taste in beer. Okay, so cocktails with the Arians and friends. That's tomorrow night, 6 to 8 Eastern. For more information, go to Ariensfamilyfoundation.org. Everybody I know

that knows you, loves you, and you're one of those guys. Listen, the last two Super Bowl winners are Andy Reid and Bruce Ariens, and you may be the two most loved guys in the league. I could not be happier for you and your front office. I covered the bucks years ago when I worked in Tampa, and I'm happy for you, coach. Thank you. Oh, you bet, Colin, man.

And you stay healthy now. Don't scare me like that no more. All right. I won't. I promise, Bruce Ariens. Another podcast from some SNL, late-night comedy. Not Quite. Unhumor me with Robert Smygel and Friends. Me and hilarious guests from Bob Odenkirk to David Letterman help make you funnier.

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