The Herd with Colin Cowherd - 02/24/2021 - Best of The Herd

Episode Date: February 24, 2021

Colin discusses the scary car accident involving Tiger Woods and what makes him different from every other athlete in history. He also addresses the status of Dak Prescott's relationship with the Cowboys and why they are only "leasing" their franchise quarterback. Nick Wright from FS1 joins the show to give his thoughts on the Woods situation and Colin gives him a hard time about Tom Brady's success this late in his career.  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. 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 Clifers Show. This is a place for raw, unfilled conversations with athletes,

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For 1979, that was a big moment for me. 84's 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. 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. 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. Ah, here we go.

It's a Wednesday, full of news. Today, live in Los Angeles, this is The Herd. Wherever you may be and however you may be listening, we are on Fox Sports Radio, IHeart Radio and FS1. Heard brought to you by Jersey Mike Subs, Be a Sub above. Joy Taylor is joining me yesterday at the end of the show. The last 10 minutes we heard about the accident for Tiger Woods, which is about 30 minutes from my house on a road I've driven on more than once.

That is treacherous. And we crossed our fingers and feel, I think, somewhat fortunate this morning. Tiger Woods has injuries, but is in stable condition. Yes, very good news that he is okay. And they also see he's conscious and talking, so hopefully we'll get better news as the day progresses. All right. Let me start with some Tiger Woods. If you felt sick to your stomach yesterday afternoon, that is okay.

Did I, Tiger Woods was different. Tiger Woods was driving way too fast on a road nobody should drive fast on. He has through the years liked driving fast. It mirrors his life. Tiger Woods was on TV by three. I'm told had an agent by 11, was a legend by 15, worshipped by 20, and a hero to many by 25. and as one of the great writers of the 20th centuries once wrote F. Scott Fitzgerald, find me a hero, and I'll write you a tragedy.

This morning, fortunately, it's not a tragedy. But Tiger Woods has a special place in a lot of people's lives. He changed the way I looked at golf. It became cool, athletic, alpha. I wanted to go play. The reality is the only one. athlete in my life who can say that is Michael Jordan. Michael Jordan's last game in the NBA had 36 million viewers.

Last year's finals had eight. The last series Michael Jordan ever played in against Utah averaged 29.5 million viewers. The following year, the finals with a New York Knicks team was half of that. Tiger Woods first two master's appearances. He didn't have quite a brand yet. Got an NFL playoff rating of 14. That was double the average. They used to call it in sports intelligence, that's a company,

they'd Tiger Woods effect. That when he started on the tour, people made $101 million in prize money. By the time he left, they made $300. Tiger Woods would crush and humiliate you, but he doubled your paycheck, and players always understood that. Think how popular Brett Farve was. He was southern. He had that Midwestern Packer charm, and he was cool enough for the coasts.

And he retired in 2010. And the ratings didn't move in 2011. Golf has been around before almost every sport in the world. Half the master's audience left when Tiger did. He made a million dollars early in his career for an appearance fee. Arnold Palmer, in over 50 years, made $3.6 million golfing. In 1991, pre-Tiger, no golfer made a million dollars in earnings. Nine years later, 45 did.

Tiger was his own economy. Michael Jordan was his own economy. He would crush you, but he doubled everybody's paycheck. He changed our viewing habits. He changed our Sundays. We all bought golf clubs. We couldn't even sometimes afford them. It made you feel kind of like an athlete.

He didn't wear pink pants. He wore a red shirt. He had muscles. He looked like a roll. over back in the NFL that would light you up if you caught a ball and didn't keep your head down. Tiger Woods to me has always been a gift. A flawed, mesmerizing, gifted, powerful, polarizing gift. But it is always a cautionary trail, isn't it? Find me a hero. I'll write you a tragedy. Thank God. yesterday wasn't.

In one hour from now, Tom Rinaldi, one of the great American journalists, and closer to Tiger than anybody I know will join us. Okay, here's a story I could do without ever hearing again.

Dak Prescott's contract. I swore I wasn't going to talk about this a year ago. And I talked about it yesterday, and I talked about it Monday, and it's Wednesday, and I'm talking about it again and I'm just ashamed of myself, but we do appear to have some new information. Jeff Darlington is an excellent reporter. I know him and I have once had beers with him,

maybe even six times. And yesterday he reported on a show called, oh never mind, it's another network. He reported that it looks like DAC is going to be franchised. They call it a franchise tag. It's a financial instrument, kind of like a lease. It's a financial instrument. It's a financial instrument. the NFL uses when they really, really, really like you. You got to really like somebody to franchise tag them because you got to pay them enormous amounts of money. But you just got a question about durability, talent, skill.

There's just something there you're not sure of. And the Dallas Cowboys a year ago, and we all kind of thought this when they franchised Dak, it was, listen, they just want one year with Dak and Mike McCarthy just to make sure. And then something called a really ugly injury happened, and the Dallas Cowboys a year later,

they want another year to make sure Dak and Mike McCarthy are legitimate. Now, people grumble about this because we like Dak and his injury gave us a lump in our throat and made us feel kind of nauseous and he's a good guy and players like him and he's cool and he's a cowboy

quarterback and stoback. And stawback. and Akeman, they kind of feel like American heroes, right? That's cowboy quarterbacks feel bigger than everybody else. But players agreed to this, and essentially what it is, it's a lease. I lease everything. Kids' wife excluded. I lease almost everything. I just sold my third house.

I've lived in L.A. six years. I'm not even sure how to get to my new place yet. Ask yourself, how many quarterbacks would you sign to a five-year deal? I mean, we know Mahom. Aaron Rogers, Russell Wilson, right? But even Brady now, you couldn't because he's 43 and 44 by August. I like Lamar Jackson, but geez, five years. What if he regressed a little this year passing?

I like Derek Carr, but doesn't have a huge arm. He's not super mobile. Could I sign Derek Carr to a two-year contract? Maybe three? Listen, four- and five-year contracts. That is a long-time, four-year contracts. anything. So this is the financial instrument that the NFL created. Kirk Cousins didn't like being franchised. I don't think Dax's going to like being franchised.

But for one year, he'll make, I don't know what the numbers are, $37 million. I don't know much about the Dallas economy, but if you go to Zillow or Realtor.com, you can get a mansion there for like a million and a half. That, of course, gets you a garage in Los Angeles, but in Dallas, 37 million on top of the franchise money last year, DAC is set for life. But it's not really about that, right? What it's about is, isn't DAC the right fit for the Dallas Cowboys? Intangible leadership, productivity. I can absolutely. make that argument, especially in the NFC East, which is, let's be kind here, awful at quarterback. But the fear is, of course, if you sign them to a four or five year deal, then you're

stuck with a B plus guy in a league that rewards A to A plus quarterbacks. So listen, players have agreed to this. Dallas keeps pushing off the wedding, the engagement that lasts forever, and this morning, DAC is going to get paid, whether it's four years or this year, one year he's set for life. My guess is eventually he's highly productive with Mike McCarthy. The Cowboys have a gifted wide receiving core. Zeke's still a top five, six back. The offensive line, at least early in the year pre- Thanksgiving will be healthy. They're going to draft some players to elevate that. And he's going to win and lose eight and eight. Most of the shootouts, the Cowboys, of course, will be in because they're not very good defensively.

And a year from now, I won't have to talk about this because they won't franchise tag him a third time and Dak will be a cowboy for four to five years. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays at noon Eastern 9 a.m. Pacific on Fox Sports Radio, FS1 and the IHeart Radio app. My buddy Nick Wright, who just got off a great vacation with his family. It's so great to have him back on FS1. Joining us brought to you by Mercedes-Benz, the best or nothing. So listen, I don't know where Tiger Woods lands for you. My family didn't have money. We didn't golf. I didn't know a lot of golfers.

I didn't watch a lot of golf growing up. And then there was Tiger Woods. And Tiger Woods felt like us. And he looked like an athlete. And he made it cool. And I had certain shirts I liked to wear when I golfed. And he had muscles and stuff. And he was sort of alpha.

And so yesterday, I'm not going to lie. It made me sick to my stomach. I was literally like, oh, no, no, no, no, no, don't do this. How did it land for you? I refused to process it yesterday, and then this morning, when I did, because I was about to go on the air, I am not ashamed to say it. I almost cried. Listen, I'm incredibly grateful that he's alive, and it looks like he's going to be able to recover as a human being. But selfishly, as a sports fan, Tiger Woods is one of the two most important athletes of my lifetime.

He's one of my two favorite athletes of my life. And I said this this morning. A lot of my life benchmarks, you don't know this about me, Colin, but like I measure them with Tiger's career. Like one of the most memorable conversations I ever had my grandfather, who passed away almost 20 years ago now, was in 96, he called me and said, Nikki, get to a television. There's a young man playing golf that's going to change the sport. That was when he was going to win his.

his third amateur. And I watched that. I was 11 years old. And from that moment, I was hooked like a drug. And from 96 to when he won his 14th major, the U.S. Open in a playoff with the broken leg, Colin, he was one of the only constants in my life. My parents got divorced. I had falling outs and then reunited with family. I moved. I went to college. And it was Tiger. It was only Tiger. My team stunk, the chiefs and the royals stunk. It was Tiger. And then he was gone like this. I signed up for Twitter, Colin, to talk about, I looked it up this morning, his first car accident, the one in 2009. And then like a godsend, a decade later, I'm watching the Masters with my four-year-old at the time daughter, Deanna, five-year-old at the time. And we watched him to

together and now she's hooked. Yeah. And she wants lessons. And she asks me about when's Tiger going to play. And so it's heartbreaking that I think we're never going to get to see him play again. But I am so thankful because there's never been an athlete like him in my lifetime. And I, the memories he gave us as a country are unlike any athlete I can remember. Yeah, you know, I've said this before on the air and Joey's been here.

About once or twice a year, I'll just go, you know, fishing on you. YouTube. I invariably end up with either my favorite comedians or watching Tiger Woods' greatest moments. And they're just, you cannot. It's unbelievable. It's incredible. Hitting 270 yards out of, you know, foot high grass. It's hard. I tell me about this all the time. It's hard to explain to young people what boxing was like in the 70s and 80s, where I was watching a cartoon show as a kid in Seattle called J.P. Patches. A cartoon show, a clown show. And they interrupted to tell me that Ollie beat Foreman and Zaire. That's how big boxing was. There are 50 years from now, you will tell people, there's a guy named Tiger Woods. And literally, you waited all weekend

to watch Sunday. And you're like, golf? You're like, no, no, no, no, it was like, it was like an NFL player playing golf. And it's, and the other thing is, and this is where life is, I don't know, fair, unfair, tragic. He was not only unbeatable, but seemingly immortal for a decade. And the decade since he's been nothing but mortal. And it's almost like as per, and you, HBO had that documentary and it was a good, it did the off-the-course stuff, but it was a good reminder of how insane the run was. It was just he was a favorite against the field major after major after major.

And I understand he's not going to get Jack's record now. No one can convince me ever anyone ever played that sport at a higher level than he did. Well, you watch majors today and people win by a stroke and it's thrilling. He was winning majors by like 12 strokes. And I mean, guys in the majors were like Phil Mickelson in their prime. winning by 12 strokes. All right. So the story that won't go away appears to have an ending.

Jeff Darlington, legitimate reporter, said today, Dack's going to get a franchise tag. It is essentially a lease. Players have agreed to it. They hate it. But you get a paid enormous sums of money for a year. And your takeaway on this is what? I don't understand why the Cowboys are insistent on doing business poorly.

They pay the wrong guys and don't pay the right guy. You give Zeke, what, six years, 90 million at the most fungible position on the field? And now you are, to me, this guarantee, if they franchise him, it guarantees he either he plays elsewhere in 2022, or they have to give him an impossible to manage contract. Because I know they say, oh, you can franchise a guy three times. No, you can't. because the third time you have to pay them 140% of what you paid in the most recent year. Yeah.

So this will be the last year they have Dak Prescott on anything close to a reasonable deal. And by the way, reasonable this year under the franchise tag becomes the highest paid quarterback in the league. They should take advantage of the fact that every other team in that division has no idea what they're doing at quarterback. that. Washington doesn't have a quarterback yet. Daniel Jones is the most fumblingest player I've ever seen. And the Eagles just traded away Carson Wins. You can have the best quarterback in this division for the next five years. Is Dak perfect? No. Have I been hot and cold on him? Yes. But is he clearly one of those guys that you can win with? Absolutely. Is he a great intangible guy? Absolutely. And the fact that they are potentially going to play this game again,

is bananas to me. Yeah. So Zion Williamson, I don't recall what you thought about Zion. I fell in love with his personality and his self-awareness early. And, you know, anybody that's different, whether it's Kyler Murray or Zion, physically different, and I'm like this too,

I struggle to figure out how it's going to work, right? And like Zion, though, I said this from the beginning. If he can shoot free throws well, he's Carl Malone but more explosive. He's going to initiate so much contact. He's just going to live at the free throw line. And that's exactly what has happened. He'll never be a great jump shooter.

Maybe he'll never be a great passer. He just, he literally could not walk from the end of the bench to the front of it without hitting something. He's just contact and big and thick and bounces. And he's going to live at the free throw line. So I am overjoyed that he's the fourth youngest guy to make an All-Star team. What did you think he would be and he surpassed your expectations? I don't know if he surpassed him, but it's because you and I both got a lot of flack when he was at Duke.

I was on the same page. When he was at Duke, he was a top 25 player in the NBA. He just wasn't in the NBA yet. People are like, oh, my God, that's saying Alabama can beat the Jags. No, it's not. It's saying a guy who is a freak athlete will continue to be a freak athlete. And so here's the thing. and this is not an insult.

Zion Williamson is not yet a great basketball player. He is living off instincts and athleticism. He one day will be a superb defender. He's not yet. He one day will have more of an intermediate game. He doesn't have that yet. Despite that, he gives you 25 a night on 60% because no one can stop him.

And so, yeah, I mean, this was, to me, when they were talking about, should the Pell, you know, if the Knicks get the number one pick, remember, should they trade? No, you don't trade it. Like, this guy is going to win an MVP one day. And that's very, very hard to do. A lot of great players go their whole career and never do. Zion will. And so I'm glad he's an All-Star, and I'm glad you enjoy correctly.

We're not earlier on the All-Star thing saying just bemoaning Devin'clock. Booker's lack of inclusion because the guy who would be taken out would either be Chris Paul who's more important or Zion. And Zion's got to be there. Zion's been spectacular, even though the Pelicans haven't been. So you and I are on the same page on him. By the way, I got to circle back to football. Tom Brady's going to be like 44 in August. You know he's going to sign an extension? He's going to sign an extension. Yeah, I know. An extension. It's not even a question. You're just taunting me. You know what? You're just trying to end this on a sour note because Tom Brady won't leave my life.

Because Tom Brady is just Jason in a number seven, number 12 jersey. So that's fine. So instead I'm going to turn it around. I'm going to end on a very bright note and I'm not going to talk about Tom Brady at all. I want to tell you something about your co-host, the incomparable Joy Taylor, and I want to tell America something about her. I know America, you know Joy Taylor for her hot takes on this show. Yeah.

And those just fiery Twitter fingers that she fires out at people. What you do not know about Joy Taylor is the softer side of Joy Taylor. My family, we lost our dog of 16 years recently, and my wife took it very, very hard. Sure. Arrived at our doorstep was a gold personalized bracelet with our dog's name on it from Joy to my wife. That is the type of incredibly kind person you are working with. Now, part for the course, I got nothing, not even a text. But my wife got a beautiful piece of jewelry.

And so, Joy, it was incredibly nice of you. That is the person she is, no matter how mean she is to use simps on Twitter. Colin, Joy, I will talk to you guys later. Thank you, Nick. Nick Wright, first things first, my guy. He is so funny. 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. Cliver Taylor the Ford. 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. 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 J.

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 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 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. And 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, Kear 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. So the NBA named their reserves yesterday in the Eastern and Western Conference. Of course, I was very happy that Zion at 20 made the All-Star team. I think he's one of the top 15 players in the NBA. And I said before he got into the NBA, he would be a top 20 player by the end of his first year. So let's look at who I believe are the top 15 players in the year. NBA, and I think he's absolutely one of them, pretty much in my order of where I think they

deserve to be. LeBron, Kevin Durant, Kauai, Anthony Davis, Joel M. Bede, Steph Curry, Janice, Dame, James Hardin, Yokic, Tatum, Luca Dantich, who had a game winner last night, Zion, Chris Paul, and Kyrie Irving. You know, people can argue for their Tray Youngs and Paul George and Devin Booker. But I think the most impressive thing about Zion Williamson is 20. Patrick Mahomes said this at the end of his second year. He said, you know, I really started to feel like by the end of my second year in the league,

I could read a defense, meaning Patrick Mahomes couldn't read a defense and was great in the NFL. That's why everybody kind of freaked out. He acknowledged, I'm not good at that reading the defense thing, and he was winning almost every start. as Nick Wright just pointed out, Zion didn't really have a mid-range game. But he has, I got to be honest, he has missed one game all year. That's what we worried about. And that was due to COVID protocol. You can look up and around this league.

And all these stars missing games, he's missed one. And he simply looks different. If you turn a television on and Zion is playing, he jumps through the TV screen. He is just bigger, more dynamic, faster, stronger. He looks different. This is why I struggled with Kyler Murray. I'm like, that looks too small to me. I don't understand that.

But, you know, the reality is NFL quarterbacks come in all shapes and sizes. And I think the NBA could do itself well to embrace the two-point shot and the creators of conflict at the rim. And I think Zion is fantastic. Yesterday we had Antonio Daniels who calls the games for Zion's Pelicans. You know, sort of like Janus, where Zion's initiating the offense. I didn't realize that his basketball IQ is what it was, and his skill set with his ability to handle the basketball is what it was as well. So what we're seeing this year is a little bit different Zion, and they're moving him all over the floor. A couple nights ago, they beat the Celtics, came from, I think, 24 down.

He took control of the ball. He took control of the tempo. You know, you forget when leagues lean a certain way. Like right now in baseball, it's a great time to be a home run hitter. Because it used to be the stigma with home run hitting was strikeouts. I grew up with a guy named Dave Kingman who hit towering blast, but he struck out a lot. Now nobody cares. Now the culture of baseball is, it doesn't matter if you strike out.

Just don't hit a ground ball and create a double play. Nobody cares about strikeouts. Dave Kingman now would be proud if he hit 50 jacks and he struck out 200 times. Nobody cares. But the stigma was years ago, Kingman was a liability in your lineup to some degree because he struck out a lot. The culture of basketball now is offensively gifted players, go get them. Kyrie can't defend and James Hardin can't defend and Durant doesn't defend like he used to and that's the best team in the East because the sport has decided offense is about 80% of it.

Offense gets fans in. It's an offensive league. Zion is atrocious right now defensively. By the way, most young players in the NBA are for an obvious reason. They've never guarded an NBA player before and they just don't know how to defend, but points are, they come easy naturally. And defense is a lot of work. And offense is a lot of natural gifts and hard work.

But some guys are just with the ball in their hands, their scores. So I think what he's doing is great. I think he's fun to watch. And congratulations. 20 years old, I think he's a top 15 NBA. player. I don't think he has a mid-range game. I don't think he's very refined. I think he's kind of rough around the edges, but I think he's an unbelievable watch. And this league, by the way, the NBA's had a good year so far. Most of your stars are playing. They jammed all the games

together because they had a short off season. So a lot of stars, you know, like Russell Westbrook, who lives and dies basketball is not playing back to back. So a lot of those guys aren't, but Zion's not missing any starts. 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. And with that, I bring in Tom Rinaldi Fox Sports, who's been covering Tiger for over two decades. He always got the exclusive. He certainly did following that Thanksgiving accident, and he is now joining us live. My first reaction yesterday, Tom, I was sick to my stomach. I said golf, I didn't grow up with money.

golf was for rich people and old people. And Tiger made it cool. And he made it inclusive. And he made it like he was an athlete. And my first thought yesterday was, oh, God, no, no, no. It's been a bad year. You're really close to him. What was your first thought?

Almost exactly the same. It was not for the legend and the athlete and the golfer and the all-time great, Colin. It was for predictably, I'd say, for the man. I don't think whether you know him or not, that's your first reaction. That was compounded by seeing the state of the car. And we understand that the car obviously is going to undergo further damage due to extricating him. But nonetheless, to see the airbags deployed, to be so thankful for that, for the crumple zone, to see the images of it 30 some odd yards or whatever it might have been off of Hawthorne in that downward winding part of that. Boulevard, whatever speedy was traveling at, you naturally wondered about survival. And that's a frightening, frightening thought. And that was my first thought. Tiger was socially different. He was a star at Stanford. And socially, he didn't have a robust social life. And initially, he, you know, trusted people and was kind of jovial. And then he got

burned a couple of times by the media and shut himself down. He never shut himself down with you. You had a trust with him. Do you remember the first time you met him? And do you remember the first time you thought he trusts me? Well, the first time I had any real substantial time with him, he was at his absolute zenith, Colin. He was in the 2000 season when he was competing the Tiger slam, essentially. Yeah. And I sat down and did a sit down. with him at Augusta National. And afterward, I'm a handwritten note guy. And I wrote him a handwritten note to say thanks for the time and how open-hearted and generous he was. And I reached out to Mark Steinberg, his longtime agent and great friend and said, if I send this to you, will you get it

to him? I'll never forget. Steinberg deadpanned. Well, I have no use for it, Tom. So yeah, I'll give it a hint. And I did. And sure enough, the next time I saw him was at the subsequent U.S. open that season. And Colin, there was a media gathering in the media tent. He did a press conference and then there was a small gaggle when he used to do those. And on his way out the door, he just happened to catch me, catch my eye and just said, thanks for the note. And maybe from there, for whatever reason, and if he were on this line, and we certainly wish he was for many, many reasons, he would, I'm sure, bust my chops and bust yours about the fact that he probably regrets that we've been connected as we have been over the years. It's a connection. I never want to overstate.

It's not like we go whitewater rafting every other weekend, but he is somebody who, through, I guess, reasons I'll never fully understand, has been wonderful toward me. Cordial, kind, open, can throw a jab with the best of him, can break your chops. He's just been wonderful toward me. You know, Tom, there are certain things that are hard to describe. I tell the story all the time is boxing was so big when I was a kid. I used to watch a cartoon show in the morning in Seattle and they broke into programming

to say Ali beat Foreman and Zaire for a cartoon show. And you can't really describe how big it was. Boxing was huge in the 70s and 80s and Muhammad Ali was massive. I want you to take my audience back to what it was like the galleries

at the zenith, at the top of covering Tiger. Many of people that will watch this clips on YouTube and such, they're 20. They have no idea what it was like. You've covered everybody. You've covered everything. Was it surreal? Yes. The sound, the fact that he was, Colin, and I thought you described this beautifully when you said, Jordan and Tiger meant more to their respective sports than anyone else. And I would even say that perhaps Tiger, because of how he changed his sport in terms of its inclusive category, that maybe he even outpaces Jordan in that regard.

Eight and nine and ten deep, the children that wanted to see him touch him be a part of him, the older generations that wanted to see him, the people of color, the black and brown faces that came out. And I said this, Colin, I really believe it. Right now, he is among the five most compelling figures in our country across any venue, any societal institution. For many of the reasons you eloquently laid out at the top of this hour, for what he achieved, but also what unfolded in the wake of that achievement. I'm compelled as you are, Colin, by greatness. But what he embodies is greatness at its highest note and also at its greatest cost. That's what in so many ways Tiger embodies. And to me, that's the best I can do to put my finger on why he is so compelling.

You know, it's interesting. We tend to love people that are more vulnerable. Brady never ages. And he's not as, I think, embracable as Peyton Manning and the multiple surgeries or Brett Farr, the death of his father. They were so embracable. Tiger was hard for many in golf to embrace initially. He was so worshipped.

And then he had real world problems. And then he comes back and wins the masters. And those galleries, it was hard to find a dry eye at Augusta. It's so unique. His comeback is like nothing I've ever. It's a different Tiger Woods, right? I could not agree more. I was bold over, Colin, by the number of people who reached out to me,

texted me in the wake of Tiger winning in 19, exactly as you describe stoic men, crusty men who were crying, who were crying through sending texts out, who were moved so emotionally. And as you try to think as to why, I think there's two pretty obvious reasons. And then there's individual reasons. Here are the two obvious ones. Number one, because of the generational loop so perfectly portrayed, 97, the bear hug with Earl and everything he had poured into Tiger. and that iconic moment, and then Tiger all those years later, hugging his own children, after all he'd been through.

Second reason, Colin, is because of his seasons and moments of failure. Some, of course, self-imposed, others that were physical in terms of their breakdown, and the fact that he endured and ultimately prevailed through those. For that moment is something that just moves people so deeply. I've been blessed, Colin. I was at the game when George Bush threw out the first pitch post 9-11. I was at the first Women's World Cup, Brandy Chastain. I could go on and on about, I was at Jordan Game 6 over Russell.

But I've never seen an emotional reaction to a moment in sport and achievement of victory like Tiger in 19. It's indelible, something I know I'll never forget. Tiger turned 45 in December. If he never played golf again, he's best or second best ever ever. certainly the most dynamic for a decade. Do you have any information? Our thoughts on his future this morning? Obviously, we begin with hoping that his recovery, his health, all of those things are going to be the priority, to be a father, to be a friend, to be somebody who can lead his best and fullest life. But here's the thing, Colin, his competitive fire as lit by the game of golf,

will help him in all of those other pursuits because he is so driven. Whether that does lead to a return to golf and then competitive golf, that's way out on the horizon. But I wouldn't say it's way out on the horizon already in that man's DNA and in his mind. And wherever it resides, it will serve as fuel to help him achieve the more immediate and important priorities to get back to health. And I think, Colin, you know, the notion as to those lower leg injuries and how serious they are, it's going to be a difficult grinding, grueling rehab. But he's been through it before and come out the other side. God, I just love looking at these images. It's just incredible.

Oh, they're awesome. Yeah. I say this often. I about once, twice a year, I go down the Tiger Woods YouTube rabbit hole. And I watch some of his shots, and he was so mesmerizing. There's two things, three things in my life that have changed my. TV habits. The Sopranos on Sunday night, the NFL, and Tiger Woods. It literally for a decade, Sunday night, I would literally go into a weekend think, get all your crap done, Cowherd,

because Sunday at three, I'm turning the television set to Tiger Woods. And it's, it's, I didn't grow up with golf. And that's how I felt. I'll also say this, Colin, he, you know, as a generalist, as somebody who's covered a lot of different sports and gotten to, to spend some time with a lot of different coaches and athletes. No one is more connective than Tiger Woods. No matter what the sport, people, especially athletes, Colin, and coaches in particular, let's say college coaches, they are fascinated by the guy. They all want to talk about him in football, in tennis, in baseball, in basketball. They all want to talk about him. He's a remarkably transcendent and yet connective figure in that regard.

Tom, great having you on the show, continued success. It just reminds me how many events Tom Rinaldi has been at, and that's why he's at Fox now. We love them. And thanks, buddy. Appreciate you having you on. So glad. I know I said it before, Colin.

So glad that you're back with us and you're feeling healthy. We appreciate you. 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 is a win.

I don't care what I'm 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. Talk Podcast Network on TikTok. Do you remember when Diana Ross double-tapped 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 J. 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.

Clearly, 84 was big to me not just because of crack. I'm down to talk about crack all day, but just so you 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 Podcast. or wherever you get your podcasts. Welcome to my new podcast, learn the hard way 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. and 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,

or 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, Kear Gaines, as we have real conversations about healing, growth, fatherhood, pressure, and purpose

on my new podcast, learn the hard way. Open your free, iHeartRadio app search learn the hard way and listen now so uh the gm of the buccaneer said tom brady will probably get an extension he's 43 today he'll turn 44 in august and i would have no problem giving him an extension um you know i always laughed at this because i don't consider myself old at all i think i'm going to do this for under 10 to 15 years until networks are over me but um we if you go to Twitter, it wants to tell you that lit, hip, cool, and young are taking over the world. Even in music, Elton John was the second most successful musician in the world last year.

He's 73. Our president's almost 80. Tech. Colin Tech is where the young people are. Elon Musk will turn 50 this year. Jeff Bezos is almost 60. Bill Gates 65 and Larry Ellison, one of the smartest people on the planet 76. college football is dominated by 69-year-old Nick Saban and the NFL's Bruce Ariens at 68 just won a Super Bowl.

Meryl Streep's the best actor, maybe of my life is 71, and Tom Brady is 44 in August, and I would absolutely sign him to a two-year extension. I am not saying old is always the answer, but you guys out there just keep trying to shove us out the door, and it ain't happening. We're not going away. So Tom Brady is getting an extension. And Nick Wright doesn't want to hear about it. And some of you guys don't want to hear about it.

But, yeah, I'm around for the next few years. obnoxious as I am. Baker Mayfield's thinking, that guy's done in like an hour. 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, S&L'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 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, 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 Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. On The Look Back at it podcast.

From 1979, that was a big moment for me. 84 was big to me. I'm Sam Jay. 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.

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 podcast. This is an I-Heart podcast. Guaranteed human.