The Herd with Colin Cowherd - 02/24/2021 - HOUR 2 - Tiger, NBA

Episode Date: February 24, 2021

What Tiger Woods meant to the sports worldLuka Doncic is gonna be a MVP contender for years to comeGuests: Tom Rinaldi, Marc Stein Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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From 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.

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Ah, live in 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. Joy Taylor, of course, is joining me. Jonathan Vilma will actually come on set today. We don't get that much anymore. Yeah, we had LaVar yesterday. I know. It was a COVID-Protocal stuff, so when we get people in the building, we can get them on set.

So let me, some thoughts about Tiger Woods yesterday. We all felt a little different with Tiger Woods because he meant more to us. I said this a couple years ago when he won the Masters when he came back. That was just incredibly emotional watching on the couch. And, you know, different actors, different entertainers, different musicians, they just land differently for us. Maybe you go through a tragedy in your life and you listen, you know, for me it's been an Eric Clapton song. For you, it could be Beyonce. It could be Kanye.

It could be anybody. And it was a time in your life that you really needed something. And that musician or that artist or that painter or that athlete delivered for you. And, you know, Tiger Woods, it's really interesting what we ask of our athletes. And I consider music and sports the only places in America where we ask 15 to 20 year old young men and women. to run companies, and the company is themselves. And I can't speak for them, but let me speak for me. The idea that I could be a $100 million franchise at 17,

I couldn't have done that at 30. And so what you see with Tiger Woods is magnetic and amazing and polarizing and vulnerable and flawed. and yesterday he drove too fast on a dangerous road and he made a big mistake. And we've seen some mistakes, but I've always considered him a gift that I understand, I've always tried to, that adults would struggle with the riches and stardom we ask of our artists, our entertainers, our musicians, and our athletes. The fact that you look around the NFL at these quarterbacks and you look at the

around the NBA stars and you look around baseball and soccer. And so few of them have missteps. But Tiger was always different. Whereas Michael Jordan had the struggle to prove himself at Carolina and played in a rigid Dean Smith system and prove himself as he was tackled by the Celtics and the pistons. And we watched that 10-part documentary on Michael Jordan. And I think Joy and I were both taken back by how much of a damn struggle it was. for the greatest basketball player, the most glamorous basketball player,

the best dress basketball player, the best looking basketball player, the most skilled basketball player. Good God, he was fighting with his own front office. Tiger was different. Television at 3, Agent 11 worshipped by 15. That is a cautionary tale. And it is not a surprise that there have been some missteps and moments like yesterday that are really scary.

And with that, I bring in Tom Rinaldi Fox Sports, who's been covering Tiger for all. 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. So 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. 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 um 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'd trust 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. deadpanned. Well, I have no use for it, Tom. So yeah, I'll give it to him. 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, you know, 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 as 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 jam. dab 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. you were, 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 my 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. I'm compelled as you. You're

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, Embraceable as Peyton Manning and the multiple surgeries or Brett Farr, the death of his father. They were so embraceable. 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 an 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, certainly the most dynamic for a decade. Do you have any information? Are 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.

party, 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 real, 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 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 him. And thanks, buddy, appreciate you having you on. So glad. I know I said it before, Colin. I'm so glad that you're back with us and you're feeling healthy.

We appreciate you. All right. Tom Rinaldi, I knew him back when he was a local reporter and he was going to be something special. We're so lucky at Fox Sports to have him. He has been it. You know, it's interesting.

You have these, you don't get many of these. And I was just thinking to my head. The moments when he said Brandy Chastain, I mean, I get, you know, I'm emotional.

I get goosebumps. If I watch Brandy Chastain again, like I get, I get, there's maybe been 10 in our lives. The LeBron Block, Golden State to me was like, just say it. Oh my God. Brandy Chastain. God, Tiger Rocco Mediate at the U.S. Open was insane. Just go YouTube it. After the show, of course.

Tiger at the Masters. There's not many of them. I mean, you go back and you even look to Super Bowls. There's not a lot of moments where they're just indelible. Like if I said to you, 10 best sports moments ever, you can't count your local team. Well, to Tom's point, Tiger is so unique because it's in a sport. that you didn't grow up with, I didn't grow up with. It's very inclusive. He brought a whole new audience, and he did it by himself. And all these other sports moments, there's teams you can argue who helped to. It was just Tiger out there by himself being greatness.

And it's not always the sports you think. Miracle on ice. I was in a bowling alley as a kid, and I heard we beat the Russians. It wasn't on live American television. Buster Douglas over Mike Tyson. I literally had a friend Aaron Gordon called me. He's, get over here. You're not going to believe what's happening.

I'm telling you, there's been about 15 of these, and tigers in a couple of them. We all experienced it together. Yeah, incredible stuff. Mark Stein, NBA stuff. Luca delivered last night. Interesting player. Interesting player.

One more herd? The herd streams 24 hours a day, seven days a week within the I-Hard Radio app. Search Herd to listen live. 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 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 you're 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 where 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 all day, but just so you all know. I mean, at this point, 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, so... 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 IHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, 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? 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 personal.

on my new podcast, Learn the Hardway. Open your free Our Heart Radio app. Search Learn the Hardway and listen now. Who will survive the career altering elimination chamber and go on to battle the head of the table, Roman Raines, for the Universal Championship. It's an all new. Friday night Smackdown, live at 8 Eastern on Fox.

Yeah, I can feel it. You know, I think that it was a brief moment in time. I could have been a pro wrestler. I was eight. and then then your brain forms and you realize I wasn't the only kid that did pro wrestling in the backyard though

no no everybody does that you did it too yeah I did it well I actually fought there used to be a guy who had the sleeper hold I don't even know if that works but it was a sleeper hold the late Jimmy Superfly Snooka so I was kind of who I was you were Jimmy Superfice Succa

we didn't really have turnbuckles like trees and things like that Joy Taylor with the news No No Turn on the news This is the herd line news Spotsered by Mercedes-Benz

The Best or Nothing Pretty lofty goals for myself As a child Pro wrestler Well I was gonna be the president Of The United States of America Okay

Yeah I wrote my My inauguration speech Oh really? Yep My fellow Americans It was very eloquent How were you?

I was probably like eight Yeah Bubbellicious for everyone Yeah. Listen, I was solid. I also wanted to be an astronaut and an archaeologist. Well, and I settled on hot take guy. So the relationship between Carson Wentz and the Eagles deteriorated this off season,

report service that Wentz wasn't exactly the best locker room guy. But two former Eagles that played with Wentz, Malcolm Jenkins and Chris Long, do not agree with that narrative. All of these things that have happened to them, it may be hard to, to overcome those things in Philly. But now that he's somewhere else, those lessons are going to be things that he, I hope, will learn from and lean on

and make him a better player, especially when it comes to, like the locker room stuff. Because like you said, he's not a locker room cancer. We play with him, and that's not it. You know, this has existed as this extreme conversation when he's got things to fix,

but I don't remember ever thinking, what an a... No, no, no. So locker room cancer is a... I know. I don't know that I would apply that to Carson West. I don't think there are many of those in sports. But honestly, if I, I'm always, okay, I'll give you a way.

Jay Cutler wore a, the first one that comes to mind. Yeah, he wore a lot of people out. And I, and I don't know, Jay. I've met Jay. But I remember somebody I know that knows Jay well and kind of tolerated him, said, yeah, he's a blank. And that, I mean, he would, like, Bear fans would come up and say hi, and he would just swear on him.

Like, he was difficult guy. When you have a locker room, let's just take guy sports, and you got 55 alpha males. And by the way, almost all exceedingly confident. Isn't it possible that Wentz rubbed some people the wrong way? I do think that's possible. I think at the quarterback position, you have a maybe impossible standard of bringing everyone together,

but you are the leader of the locker room. But I think what happened with Philadelphia is more complex than just a locker. like we're seeing stories that they weren't like Peterson and Wentz weren't talking to me the story in Philadelphia isn't necessarily him getting along with his teammates it's more about what happened with the front office and the head coach like I think as the leader you have a responsibility to try and get along with the people that are above you like you're you're an extension of the front office as a quarterback you're an extension of the head coach and if you can't make those relationships work that says more to me about it than getting along with 53 other men like that that's a hard thing to do and different people are motivated differently. Everyone's not wired like Tom Brady. Everybody isn't Patrick Mahomes or Dak Prescott. We have these really big leadership expectations that we put on guys. But my thing with Carson Wentz is I don't know what Carson Wentz has gone through

that is so unique to Carson Wentz. Like he had an injury. Happens to literally everyone that plays this game. He went through having to deal with players that weren't top-notch, playing with practice squad guys and guys that weren't necessarily the best. talent literally happens to everybody and his position was drafted like who is this not happen to in the league like i understand that these things are difficult to overcome i'm not belittling his own experience i'm just saying it there's this kind of idea around him like oh he's like

spent through so much of philadelphia like what can't what of those things can't we apply to tom brady yeah i mean i think i quarterbacks howie long always says this you can't have two in the room one sucks all the oxygen out it's a difficult position because for my entire life, quarterbacks have been treated differently. You don't compete for the position. Right. And like in the last three or four years, oh, we're going to redraft the position. You've been here a year.

Like two of us. We may move off. So quarterbacks are starting to get treated like running backs, like corners, like linebackers. And I think for some of them that grew up as the guy, like you go to USC or Alabama, Oklahoma, like a big recruiting school. They now recruit two great quarterbacks same year and one of them always transferred. They recruit six receivers a year and none of them transfer.

But I think that's a reflection of society. We're just more impatient as a society. We want results more quickly. But some quarterbacks, I don't know if they can handle that impatient. Because remember, now, I think in six, seven years, it will be part of their life experience. I think we're going through that weird situation where some of these guys who grew up in the old school,

which is I'm the guy, is there we're going to draft another guy in the second round. It's like, whoa, time about that. And I don't necessarily think that that's the way to do it. I don't really agree with that. I think you have to really be atrocious to be drafting a quarterback in the top three rounds every single year. Like, I didn't agree with the Jordan Love pick.

And what happened with Jalen Hertz, obviously deteriorated the relationship there. But I just, I don't know. I think there's a lot more pressure on Carson Wentz this year than everyone is giving him credit for. before the Patriots signed Cam Newton last year it looked like Jared Sidham was going to be the guy in New England's

because to some people, not to me, but some people believe that. He watched from the sidelines, mostly only saw the field in five games and Boston Sports Journal, Greg Vodard, gave more insight into why Sidham never really got a shot. He said there was

not much faith in him in the building. There was a feeling within the team that they had turned the keys over to Sidham that would become a complete debacle down the stretch. and that wouldn't be good for anybody. Here's why I became very skeptical of Jarrett Stidham. I told you this. We watch games.

Coaches watch games and practice. Right. He practiced for a year there and couldn't beat out Brian Hoyer. And we didn't hear anything about him. Not that things leak out of New England because we know they don't, but there was no buzz. Like there was no intensity around Jared. This was like, oh, Brady's gone.

I guess it's Jared Stidham's job now. Like, why? he's there because he exists in the building? Like, what about him? This is what I worry about Tua is that you're starting to hear, remember that story at the end of the year where multiple dolphin players are like, yeah, but we're at practice and Ryan Fitzpatrick is better. Anytime you go, because I remember Belichick fell in love with Garoppolo in like three months.

Like if you, Russell Wilson, I never forget, Seattle assigned Matt Flynn to a $10 million contract. That time was a lot of money for a quarterback. It was some money. and literally by the second preseason game, you were hearing rumblings. Yeah, Russell's going to be the captain of the team in the starter. Legendary Kobe Bryant stories, summer league camp. Like summer league, not in the league yet.

People are like, oh my God, he's destroying people. Like, if you in a year of practice to Belichick, Belichick doesn't go, that's it, then you're not it. He's got 300 practices. You're not it. I think it's looking more and more like Cam Newton is going to be, back there another year. So his old team, the Panthers, are ready to make a change at quarterback just one year after signing Teddy Bridgewater. They have been in the mix in

practically every other quarterback trade discussion. And Albert Breer explained why Carolina might be ready to make a move. He said Carolina's already looking to move on. The main reason for it, as I've heard it, is that he's very clearly shown the physical limitations that limited interest in him as a free agent last year. Yeah, but I've already knew that going in is Teddy is kind of Alex Smith. There's arm limitations. There's throws he's not going to make. That's kind of, everybody knew that going in.

Yeah, I think. He's a bridge. I think he, well, yes, he was. He was. And he is very capable, but if you're going to make, if you're going to win the division, if you're going to win multiple playoff games, if you're trying to go to the Super Bowl, then he's probably not the guy. But you've got to have the other guy in the building in order to have a bridge.

It's Case Keenham. It's Teddy Bridgewater. Right. Case Keenham won 11 and 5 one year with the Vikings. If you give him enough stuff, you can win a bunch of games. He's a grown. I mean, 5 and 0 is a starter in New Orleans. But, yeah, I mean, he's not a guy.

I mean, you can look at him right there, not big shoulders, not big arm. You know, to me, he's the best kind of bridge. Smart, respected, hardworking, mentor abilities, and doesn't make a lot of mistakes. He won't make the throws he can't make. He knows what he is. But, I mean, I know they're in the mix or they want to make an offer for Deshawn Watson. But if you're not getting someone like DeShawn Watson Well, then you draft a quarterback at number.

You have to draft a quarterback. Yeah, and they can get one at six. They have them a three or $63 million deal, but I'm just saying like why move off of him if you don't have another guy in the building? Yeah, so what they're telling you is they're probably going to draft somebody. They should. Yeah, I mean, they can't get to Sean Watson. That's what they should do.

Yeah, they actually have a unique package for Deson Watson. I'll tell you what, that division now with Brady. Brady's looking at Bridgewater right now or a rookie quarterback. Matt Ryan with a new coach. And Tase him Hill. Yeah. Tom Brady's winning his division. He tends to do that.

Joy with the news. Well, that's the news. And thanks for stopping by. The Hurd Lye News. Brought to you by Jersey Mike's subs, be a sub above. So 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. You know, I always laugh at this because I don't consider myself old at all. I think I'm going to do this for 10 to 15 years until networks are over me. But 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 Sabin 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. An hour after 15 years, Baker.

Mark Stein on Luca, the NBA, possible trades, trading deadline, all-star game that nobody wants to play coming up in Zion 2. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays at noon Eastern 9 a.m. Pacific. 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 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, CliverTaylor 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.

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 it 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 Hard Way with me, your host, and your favorite therapist, Kear 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. Trip 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 Hardway. Open your free Our Heart Radio app. Search Learn the Hardway and listen now. I want to thank Tom Rinaldi for stopping by earlier in Nick Wright. I've known Mark Stein for a long time. Covers the NBA for the New York Times. Kurt Gowdy Media Award winner.

as he's been covering the NBA forever. He covered the Lakers and Clippers in L.A., the Mavericks in Dallas, and now it's a great pleasure as he lives in Dallas. He gets to cover Luca, who many believe is going to be an MVP contender for the next 15 to 20 years. I watched that Celtics Mavericks game, and Mark Stein is now joining us live. You know, it's interesting. Luca complains a lot. He's a perfect NBA star.

He wants every call, and I love that about him. I hear stories about a Porzingis trade. Luke is going nowhere. He's Dirk Novitsky, maybe better. He's there for 20 years. How do you compliment him, Mark, for the next five to seven years? What does he need around him to elevate him to maybe solve some of his issues? What is, what is plan?

What is number two after him? Well, obviously, you want shooters, and that's universal across the NBA. everyone is trying to get more shooters, but you also want defensive players who compliment him well. This guy's going to run your team, and you're going to have an elite offense just having him because, you know,

he's a walking, and he's almost 30, 10, and 10 for the second straight year. He's making a run at that. And then if you double him, he's always going to make the right pass. So yes, there are turnovers. Yes, his body language gets critique. Yes, as you noted,

he does complain to the referee. too much. He'll be the first to tell you that that's an area he needs to improve him. But look, the Mavs came into this season saying defense is our priority and they're down around 25th in the league. The defense has been awful and that's been one of their major issues. But, you know, if you get shooters and a rim runner around him, he's going to make your offense look really good. You know, it's interesting, Mark, we've been saying this. The Boston Celtics feel like the Green Bay Packers. draft well, they're frugal, they're patient, they develop players, they get the young smart coach, but they don't really go for it. And the league increasingly is a go-for-it league like the

NFL is and Tampa Bay got Tom all these weapons and you start looking at, you know, Brooklyn. They just said, we're going to go for it. We'll figure out defense later. It's an offensive league. I'm going to be talking to Mark Cuban tomorrow. Cuban is a go-for-it guy in his business. there is a sense you need a second star. And I've asked this question and I've never figured it out. If I was an NBA free agent, Dallas would be incredibly attractive. It's in the middle of the country, no five-hour flights, no state tax. Cuban is very pro player.

They've won a championship before. But yet they've lost a lot of these free agent battles, Mark, and I don't know why. Can they land a number two star? Mark Cuban's been asking. himself this question for about 15 years because they haven't been able to figure it out either. And that's why you see all of their big splashes are always through trades. When they made the Porzingis trade, you know, they saw an opportunity to get him before Porzingis was going to be a restricted free agent.

They were going to go after him in free agency, but they know their free agent track record isn't good. And so they saw chance, let's get him now, even though maybe it's going to cost us more, get him now. Now, Porzingis has to be a lot more consistent. If Corzingis is playing like the guy we saw in the bubble, the Mavericks might have their second star or a very good third star and be a lot closer to title contention. This team is supposed to be in the mix for the number four scene in the West.

Now, COVID was a factor. Four of their most important players have missed nine games or more. So the Mavericks are up there on the list of teams that have been disrupted by COVID. But the defense hasn't been there. Porzinger has made. A bumpy recovery, will say it best, from his most recent knee surgery. And yeah, they're still looking to upgrade. They know that they need to get more around Luca Dantich because, again, they had Dirk

Novitsky for 21 years, which still doesn't sound true even when you say it out loud, 21 years in a row with the same franchise. And then they find a way to trade for Luca Dantzich and get his draft rights. They know how fortunate they are and they can't mess this up. I've said before the NBA people who cover the league too often seek the best story instead of the real most valuable player. I would contend that LeBron has mostly been the MVP most valuable player in the league for a decade and a half. I do feel some time, you know, Phil Jackson won coach of the year once. He was a victim of his own success.

Do you think this year we've given it to Hardin and we've given it to Westbrook and we, do you think this year there's a little bit of a move back to, okay, let's get serious. LeBron won the title that LeBron is a frontrunner for the MVP this year. He's definitely a frontrunner because he wants it that bad day. But look, I do not vote on awards. The Times does not permit us to vote on awards. So I haven't

been a voter since I got to the Times in October 2017. But I voted on these for a long time. And just to try to give you, I think, what the general voter's perspective is, I can't speak for everyone because everyone does it a little bit differently, but MVP, you're trying to reward the best season. If this is just the best player in the league award, we can give it to LeBron as part of the Christmas Day schedule, and then we don't

have to talk about it. That's not what MVP is, where this MVP is not who's the first player you would pick in an open draft. Obviously, LeBron would probably still be that guy. He's still that good at 36. But has he had the best season? He hasn't won the MVP awards since 2013, but has he had the best regular season in that time? Last year, he was really angry that we didn't vote for him. And so he's clearly made it an emphasis this year. I'm going to play. You guys are not going to be able to say that I post. We had the shortest off season in history, but I'm here. I'm going to play every night. I'm going to take on this load because he wants to win it again. You know, when Zion

entered the league, not that there was resentment, but you know, guys like me fell in love with them and there was a lot of pushback on his body and his weight and he can't shoot and he's got no mid-range game. And I look up today and he looks like a top 15 player. He's the best. I mean,

he's automatic points down low. He initiates contact. He hits his free throws. When you talk around the league, how was Zion viewed anonymously if nobody's going to get quoted, what do they say about Zion who just made the All-Star team? Offensive Marvel. I mean, now that he's incorporating playmaking into his game, I mean, he's

just become even harder to deal with. I mean, he is, you know, just a monster offensively. There's no doubt about it, but defensively still learning the NBA game to put it charitably. And the rebounds, they're not there for a player of his size and power. You want to see him rebound the ball more and you'll get worthy all-star now if you say top 15 player i think i can go with you on that one is he in the top 10 yet not yet i mean he's going to be there he's still incredibly young and this is still the infancy of his career but the pelicans are 28th in the league in defensive rating and i never thought they were going to be that for after getting someone as meticulous as a coach like stan van gundy so i'm not putting this all on zon

on by any means. But if you want to know what scouts kind of whisper about and talk about, I mean, there are questions about his, you know, how plugged in is he on defense? And, you know, how quickly is he going to embrace that side

of the floor? And he's got a rebound too. 90 seconds left. Can you win the NBA championship and be as bad defensively as Brooklyn? Look, I was dead set against that trade. But look, they are They are making all of us skeptics very nervous, very quickly.

And look, if the Lakers are full strength, if Anthony Davis recovers from his issues, I still say the Lakers are the favorite. But the Nets can get out of the East, the current East, with all the issues other teams of the East are having, the Nets can win the East as is. Yeah. No, I think you're right on that. I think, you know, Mark, you watch the NFL and you watch baseball and the Dodgers and Mookie bets.

the teams that are aggressive and go for it and spend a little more money than they're comfortable with. The stuff pays off. And I think the NBA rewards offensive players more so than ever. And I was wrong. I thought it was just going to be one ball, three stars. It wouldn't work. And they swept through the West very easily. Mark Stein, New York Times, happy for your success.

And we'll talk soon again. Mark, thanks for coming on. Sounds good. Great to see it. All right. Also knows his soccer, by the way. A little bit of soccer officiato. Yeah, I mean, listen, the NBA is, I used to say all the time about wide receivers.

They're icing at best on the cake. They're icing. You can't. And all of a sudden, you look up and you're like, no, they mean a lot. Like the receivers for Tampa, like, that's one of the reasons they got there. And the receivers for Kansas City are real good, and that's probably the reason they got there. I feel like it goes in waves, though. Like, there will be a year where we're like, eh, they're running backs.

You can just draft a new running back every year. And then two or three or four franchise running backs will be like, no, no, no, no. You've got to pay them. You need them. It just, you know, it's like always influx. Yeah. Black Rifle Coffee Company, veteran-owned, serving premium coffee to people who love America, first responders, black rifle coffee.com. Code Herd, the code Herd at checkout and get you 20% off your first coffee club order. Jonathan Vilma is going to be in studio today. We, of course, celebrate that because in the last year there's been a pandemic, and we don't get many in-studio people. Joel Clatt, LeVar Erington,

Jonathan Vilma. Is that it? I think we've had like one or two others, but... Terry Bradshaw. Terry Bradshaw. Well, we threw him out of the studio, so he came in, we threw him right out of here. All right, hour three, Jonathan Vilma's thoughts on Tiger Woods

and more Hour 3 live in Los Angeles. It's The Hurt. 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. 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. On the Look Back at a podcast.

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. Yep, that's me, Cliford 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.

This is an IHeart podcast, guaranteed human.