The Herd with Colin Cowherd - 02/26/2021 - HOUR 1 - Wilson, Dak, Watson

Episode Date: February 26, 2021

Why Russell Wilson listed the teams he would play forDak Prescott is asking for too much moneyThe Texans really mishandled the Deshaun Watson situationGuest: Greg Jennings 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.

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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. Hey, what's good, y'all? You're listening to Learn the Hard Way with your favorite therapist and host, Kear Games. This space is about black men's experiences, having honest conversations that it's really not safe to have anywhere, but you're having them with a licensed professional who knows what he's doing. How many men carry a suit or armor? It signals to the world that you're not to be played with. And just because you have the capability that does not mean that you need to.

Listen and learn the hard way on the AHA radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. A win is 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 Clifers Show. This is a place for raw, unfiltered conversation.

with athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. So let's get to it. Listen to The Clifford Show on the IHeard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok podcast network on TikTok. Thanks for listening to The 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 Heard at Fox SportsRadio.com or stream us live every day on the IHeart Radio app by searching Herd.

You're listening to Fox Sports Radio. Oh, here we go on a Friday. All sorts of drama. We love that. Live in Los Angeles, it's the herd. Wherever you may be and however you may be listening. We're on Fox Sports Radio, IHeart Radio, and FS1. No drama quite like superstar quarterback drama.

Joy Taylor is joining me. I am here for all of it. I love it. I root for chaos. And this is this is anarchy. Yeah. Football anarchy.

I love it. So Pete Carroll's 70. He doesn't want to rebuild, obviously. And Russell Wilson, I can argue, still in his prime, 32, but a great 32. So we start with that. Rumors, rumors, rumors, rumors, rumors, gossip, gossip, gossip, gossip, gossip, and it came out yesterday that Russell Wilson said,

I don't want to be traded, but here's the four teams I'd play for. And as I drove around yesterday, humbly as I always drive around Los Angeles, grateful for everything I have. in life. I listened to Sports Talk Radio peeps. Many of them had the same takeaway, which is, I can't believe Russell Wilson named teams that already have quarterbacks, and I just rolled my eyes. Oh, come on now. Dak Prescott's employment isn't a Russell Wilson problem. Derek Carr getting his feelings hurt is not a Russell Wilson problem. Dak was offered five years and $125 million, and he turned it down.

Dak just happened to play hardball with the Cowboys, and today he didn't have much leverage. Because if I was Dallas, I'd go get Russell Wilson and pay him less. Yes, it would actually cost them less. Russell Wilson's agent put it on the table, all the chips, pushed him out. We're going public with it. We don't want to be traded, but we'd be willing to go to these four teams and we have a no-trade clause so you can't trade us to a crappy team. That's what agents are paid to do.

By the way, Seahawks for years played nice. Go Hawks. Mark Rogers, who I know played nice. Unhappy with some things but didn't go public, but Pete Carroll ignored them. So the old saying in Seattle for the last year is let Russ cook. Mark Rogers, Russell Wilson's agent, is changing the new mantra to put heat on Pete. Pete Carroll ignored him. Pete Carroll's got a prehistoric offense.

Pete's got too much power. Nobody's controlling Pete. He's got too much saying everything. No more let Russ cook. Put heat on Pete. Let's make it public. That's what an agent's job is to do. I've had half a dozen agents.

We all play nice for a while. But if you ignore us, we put heat on you. Russell Wilson played Mr. Nice Guy forever. Tom Brady played Mr. Nice Guy in New England for 20 years. 20 years, Mr. Nice Guy. In the end, they took advantage of him. I used to criticize Andrew Luck, who I was a huge fan of. I loved Andrew Luck, but I'm like, stop always saying nice stuff.

Your GM's incompetent. Your coach is not good enough. Your offensive line stinks. Put heat on management. I've been doing this for 30 years. I have seen management often in college sports, in pro sports, in television, in radio take advantage of nice guys. You can be a nice guy.

I'd prefer everybody's a nice guy, but too often those guys get taken advantage of. Andrew Luck was taken advantage of. He's now retired. Russell Wilson was taken advantage of. At the end, Tom Brady was taken advantage of. So you leave the athlete nowhere to go. Tom Brady finally went public with it. Deshawn's gone public with it.

Russell's gone public with it. It's not his fault if Dak Prescott overplayed his hand. So, you know, I look at this this morning. I totally 100% support Russell Wilson. If it hurt Derek Carr's feeling, so be it. If it hurt Dax feeling, so be it. I think Dax overplayed his hand. I think he's a good quarterback who wants a great salary.

I'd love to pay Dax somewhere between $285 and $31 million. He wants 37 or 38. That's Mahomes, Russell Wilson, Aaron Rogers category. So, you know, this, I don't feel bad for all the other quarter. backs in this league. Brady played nice. Andrew Luck played nice. Russell Wilson. They played nice forever. They did it the right way. But when people ignore you and Belichick and Pete Carroll start ignoring you and the Houston dysfunctional Texans are ignoring Deshaun, you leave the employee no other route. It didn't have to get here. Didn't have to be there for Brady. Remember when Giselle said in the

documentary, he just wants to go to work and be appreciated? Can you imagine when six Super Bowls and not feeling appreciated? There was a time Joy and I were on the air and Belichick had to give Brady a game ball. We had footage of it. It was uncomfortable. It was uncomfortable Belichick having to acknowledge, you were pretty good today, Tom. It doesn't have to get here. It's here because of egomaniacs, coaches, GMs, and owners not respecting the star player.

All right. So it's very interesting. So four teams were mentioned by. Russell Wilson and his agent. And those teams are the Cowboys, the Bears, the Raiders, and the Saints. And this is why the Cowboys is very interesting. Jerry Jones is 78 years old.

It is virtually impossible, virtually impossible with a new NFL to win a Super Bowl with a very good or good quarterback making great money. In fact, this morning I looked it up. The last 10 Super Bowl-winning quarterbacks, they averaged about a 9 to a 10% cap hit, meaning they only take up about 9 to 10% of your cap.

Brady last year was high. Now, he took a pay cut. He was almost 14. That's abnormally high. But in most instances, you look at it here. Russell Wilson won a title. He was 0.4% of the cap. Nick Foll, 0.9.

The average is about 8, 9, 10%. DAC with a franchise tag is 20%. Russell Wilson goes to the Cowboys, he's less than 11%. So think about that. Jerry can get on the phone at 78. He wants a Super Bowl. I get a better quarterback for half the cap hit because Dallas won't have to pay that $13 million a year signing bonus. Don't have to pay it.

Dallas also, this is interesting, of all the teams that Russell Wilson mentioned, Dallas has the highest draft pick. The advantage is, of course, they could call Pete Carroll and say, Okay, we'll give you DAC, we'll give you the number 10 pick. That's just a starting point. So Dallas got that higher pick in every round. Also, you don't have to deal with this weird franchise tag DAC dilemma. Not only would you pay DAC like 37 million this year,

but if you tagged him again next year, you'd pay him 50 million. It'd be brutal. So, I mean, you get to a, this morning, you really get to a situation, and this is not anti-DAC, but it's almost a no-brainer. It's almost a no-brainer. I don't get into franchise tag hell. I get a better quarterback. I could say a more marketable quarterback.

He's better and he's cheaper. I mean, that's one of those things. Stephen Jones and Jerry Jones, I mean, you don't have to finish a coffee over it. You don't even have to, I mean, you don't even have to call each other on the way to work. You could just text each other. Let's make a call. So, and I'm not anti-DAC at all. But DAC, I think we would all agree on this.

DAC was offered a five-year deal over $100 million. And he has played his hand. His agent's been very aggressive. They believe DAC is worth more. That's fine. I mean, a lot of people in every business who have agents, entertainment, music, sports, whatever. You play the hand. You think you have a right to play.

I think. Remember when Russell Wilson came out about a year ago and there were rumors he wanted to go to New York? He played his hand. Well, Seattle traded all these picks. They signed Russell. He had leverage. Dak's been doing the same thing. And I do believe, I said this on the air to joy.

I think Dak had leverage a week ago. I absolutely do. Then this story comes out. Now he's got no leverage. So that's the downside to kind of playing your heart, ball hand, playing your leverage because Dak had a ton of leverage until yesterday. And now it's like, oh, bro, he don't have any leverage. I'm Jerry Jones. I make the call today.

The question is, does Seattle like what Dallas can give them? Do they like the number 10 pick in several rounds this year? So that's where we are this morning. Dallas is fascinating. You've got a deal-making owner with a quarterback dilemma he likes, doesn't love. You've got a very good draft pick or multiple draft picks to give the Seahawks. Would Seattle move on it? it's something to think about

have DAC for a year get the 10 pick do what you got to do but it's interesting this drama by the way is and I want to talk about this coming up next so listen obviously it doesn't matter if you have a baseball team

or a football team or an NBA team if you're a general manager or an executive or an owner long enough 10 20 30 years you're going to have a star that wants out it's just going to happen, right? You know, even well-run organizations, somebody's not happy.

I mean, Dodgers are great organizations. Zach Grinky a few years ago wanted big money and they weren't going to pay them. So they left. I mean, it's the reality of it. So Houston is making the Houston Texans are making the classic mistake. And I'm always amazed when there's a history of something that doesn't work. Because the smartest people in any business read a lot. They're curious.

to get burned. When they make the classic mistake, the Houston Texans with Deshaun Watson, I don't know why. We have multiple examples of what to do when a superstar wants out and what not to do, and they're doing what you never do. And that's coming up. 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. Hey, what's up everybody? It's me, three-time Pro Bowl of LaVoy-Arington, and I couldn't be more excited to announce a new podcast called Up on Game. What is Up on Game, you ask? Along with my fellow Pro Bowler, T.J. Hushmanzada and Super Bowl champion.

Yep, that's right. Plexico Burris. You can only name a show with that type of talent on it. Up on Game. We're going to be sharing our real-life experiences loaded with teachable moments. Listen to Up on Game with me, LaVar Arrington, T.J. Hushman Zada, and Plexico Burris on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast from.

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, 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 Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok.

Welcome to my new podcast, Learn the Hardway 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, Tripp Fontaine, Ryan Clark. Sometimes when we're in,

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 iHeartRadio app. Search Learn the Hardway and listen now.

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 In. 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, so. Thank you finishing that sentence. 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. Hustler turf equipment, most complete lineup of residential and commercial zero-turn lawnmowers in the industry. A thousand dealers across the nation, they know what they're talking about. Go to a hustler turf dealer near you or go to a hustler. HustlerTurf.com, hustlerturf.com. So the Houston Texans are really mangling this. Not a shock.

Head coach David Cully got the word directly from the source. Deshawn Watson has no intention of playing for the Texans. They met on Friday. DeShon Watson said, I am playing for you. Okay. So this is what happened in Houston with James Hardin. James Hardin didn't want to play. And the Rockets pushback, pushback, and it goes public.

and then you got no leverage. And in the end, the rockets now have lost nine straight. They're awful. James Hardin is crushing it. And the rockets kept waiting and waiting and waiting and got less in the end. The longer the Texans wait and the more public it goes, you're trapped. Remember, free agency. We've already seen Stafford with a new team and Carson Wentz with a new team.

Two or three more teams are going to get their quarterback in free agency. Then five teams are going to get their quarterback in the draft. So there's only going to be one or two teams that need a quarterback, and Deshawn Watson has the no trade clause. So he can dictate who and where he goes. So the rule in sports has always been really simple. When a superstar wants out, make a deal before it goes public. I'll give you an example. Lou Al Cinder, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, was one of the great college basketball, best high school basketball player ever,

one of the great college basketball players, he goes to Milwaukee. He doesn't want to stay. But he's smart. He realizes, I'm not going to go public. He tells at a dinner the Milwaukee organization, I do not want to be here. They were able to make a deal with the Lakers and they got a haul. It's one of the only trades ever where a superstar was able in return to get tons of picks and players back. I'll give you another example.

Paul George wanted out of the Indianapolis Pacers. Remember that the Indiana Pacers? And he went public. Pacers got two players. When he wanted out of Oklahoma City, he didn't make it public. Oklahoma City got five players and a rising young, promising star at Point Guard. So if it doesn't go public, you have some leverage. You can call two or three GMs.

Hey, I got this story. And I got two teams hot. You're one of them. and if they threaten to go public, you can just tell them, I'm giving you one chance to get him. I'm giving you one chance to get to Sean Watson. Well, I'm not hanging this phone call up. I'm going to give you five minutes. Sit down with your people, make a decision.

There's two teams that want it. You put the pressure on the teams and the GMs. But once it goes public, the GMs that the other teams put all the pressure on you. Why should we give anything up? He wants out. He's got a no trade clause. So Houston is mangling this. Matt Stafford, January 23rd, said, I'd like to move on.

Seven days later, he's a ram. What did the Lions get? A starting quarterback and a bunch of picks. They got a nice haul for it. The Lions got a, I don't know if they got the right coach. I don't think they do, but they got a hall for it. Oklahoma City for Paul George, got a hall for it. Lou Al Cinder leaving Milwaukee.

They got a hall for it. So, I mean, this is what's amazing to me. There are ways to do things when you own or run a team. And listen, you never want a star to want to go. Of course you don't want. Now it's out there in public. Every general manager picks the phone up with a smile on their face. I don't know.

What am I going to give you? There's only two teams left that need a quarterback. We're one of them. He's got no trade clause. I mean, can you imagine if all these teams make a move for a quarterback and it's down to New England? and Deshawn's like, yeah, I'll go to New England. And Belichick's on the phone.

He's like, everybody else got quarterback. We're the only team left. He wants to come play for us. What do you think Belichick is going to give a goofy Cal McNair? He's going to give him an end table and a cup of Starbucks. You're not going to get anything. So the longer you wait, the more you get butchered, you got to get on the phone and get this thing done before, by the way,

the way this thing's working out now, we may have Russell on a new team in two hours. We have Sam Darnel and the best. bears in three hours. You've got to get going on this stuff. Joy with the news. No. No. No. No. Turn on the news. This is the Herdline News. What a

disaster. They really are. I've heard a story this morning about Cal McNair. I may play it later. It's so embarrassing. I'm not here to, it's just bad. You know, you think. Billionaire smart person. Well, I mean, I don't know what I don't want to go

that it's not smart. It's just I think there is a there's just a level of arrogance when it comes to these situations that shows every time. Sometimes it's just time to part and that's just that's it. We all know this is a bad space

for any team. James Hardin wants out of the rocket. It stinks. So you do get to the point in life what's the best we can do with this terrible situation? Yes. If we go on vacation, I've gone with my kids. It rains for three straight days. All right. What's the best we can do? now with the rain. Let's go to an aquarium. Let's go out to a rainforest cafe and laugh at all the

stuff in the cafe. You just do the best you can with a lousy situation. I used to love rainforest cafe. Love it. I ate lunch there four days a week with my son. Had every little crevice of it memorized. So the recruitment of Russell Wilson is already underway after it was reported that he would only go to Dallas, New Orleans, Chicago, or Las Vegas. Bears running back, Tareke Cohen tweeted at Russell Wilson. You called, bro? receiver Cordarelle Patterson posted a picture of the two of them followed by a tweet at Russell Wilson What's good dog heard you were looking for a way out

This is great And then Saints wide receiver Michael Thomas also joined in And posted a picture on his Instagram story Of him with Russell Wilson at the Pro Bowl So all very subtle Terrike Cohen Well maybe not so subtle but Tarique Cohen wins my tweet of the year award

You called bro? That is fantastic This is um This is the new wave. This is what's happening with stars and star quarterbacks. And for the record, Joy, social media. Yeah. So now when a star quarterback is unhappy, he doesn't have to go to a newspaper reporter.

He can go to his Instagram page with 10 million followers and say, I'm very unhappy. So this is a new power element, advantage player. Well, also, players make so much money away from. the sport in endorsements and advertisements and in just investing in businesses that they have more leverage now than before. I mean, 20, 30 years ago, this was, you needed the money from, and they're not saying that these players don't need money, obviously, from their sport, but they make so much away from it. It's like, look, Deshaun can sit for a year. He's chilling. He'll be all right. Oh, I am a huge believer. I'm a huge proponent. I, because I said this,

you know you hired the wrong coach when the first thing they say him out of him is he's a nice guy David Covey. Yeah, I love nice people. I adore nice people. Red flag though. I only have nice people around me in my personal life. Right. Nice, honest people, though.

I don't like yes people. However, for work, you don't have to be the nicest. I will take slightly more competent, slightly less nice. Like, you can't be a terrible person, but like if you're extremely competent and like, you know, we don't get tea in the afternoon. I'll be all right. So let's say I was setting you up. I met a nice man and he said, oh, I want to go out with joy. And you said, you ask, what's he like? Yes. And the first thing I said was he is a nice guy. First thought is, well, I only go out with nice guys. I don't go out with jokes.

No, but I mean, if that's... I would prefer the first thing you say is that he's very smart. He's very funny. Smart, funny and nice. And then nice, yeah. It's like nice can't be the opener. Red flag. again, like personally, I don't know. Yeah, you have to have some other elements. But yes, for business, I love my... For business, you better be competent. I love my wife. Sometimes she's not that nice to me.

Okay. For example, let's flip it. I'm coming on the show, right? Yeah. To fill this lot, and the first thing that I'm described as is nice. That's not what you want to hear. No, I know because I know when I told them I wanted you, I said, yeah, she knows her sports. She's done radio.

She's really good talking. And then at the very end of the end of the... I didn't even, I didn't ever even asked if you were nice. I'm actually not that nice. I didn't even care. To be honest with you, it was never one question. So the Steelers are confident they can restructure Ben Rathesberger's contract to keep him with the team in 2021.

And even in what would be Ben's 18th season, team owner Art Rooney believes they can win with him as the starter. I don't, this is crazy to me. So Rooney said, we think that Ben played at a high level last year. We won our division and set a franchise record for the most consecutive wins to open a season. I think in part Ben wants to come back and. leave on a high note. We're still confident he has the ability to do that. His arm, I would say, is as strong or almost as strong as ever. So I think he's certainly capable of getting the job done.

Is he going to put some time in a tape study? Offseason commitment? This is what's upsetting about that statement. And look, the Roonies are incredible ownership. No question. Like, amazing. No question. That's one of the best in the league. Yep. But I don't care about winning the division. I don't care about 11 straight games. When has that become the standard in Pittsburgh? That's a standard for Cincinnati. Yes, that's nonsense. I don't care about that. We're not building on something in Pittsburgh.

That's not how you approach the season. So what does that even mean? So what, you won the division? Washington won the division. You think they feel good about where they are right now? No, it means nothing. It means nothing. I know.

Like, that's the first, that's the first goal that you should have every single year. The Mets want to win the division. The Yankees have higher standards. I mean, it's really disturbing that that is the standard now. If I said, if I met Aaron Rogers out for coffee and I said, I'm a soothsayer, I can see into the future. You're going to win your division next year. He would laugh at you. He would be like, yeah, yeah.

But what else? Well, it'll end after that. You think he'd walk away going, oh, it's a great coffee. No. You're like, oh, we don't get her again? No. He's going to start lighting some stage and changing the mojo up because that is not the standard. It's nonsense.

So they have until March 17th, essentially, to get this deal done or they're going to have to release him because they have to figure out the money situation because he has so much tied up in his contract and both parties have said they're going to restructure the money. I don't know. It's very, it's not that I expect them to just cut Ben Rothesberger, but I would just like to hear that they have a plan for the future. They absolutely need, listen, they don't need any help defensively. I mean, they're fine. They're good at receiver. They could use a tight end.

It's time to draft another quarterback. Right. Forget the Jordan loved Aaron Rogers thing. They have to take with their first pick. if possible first or second, a quarterback. If you're going to do this, one more year, that's what I want to hear. I don't mind you running it back

with Ben Rathesberger one more time. But let me know what the plan is for the future. Because what it sounds like is you're just riding off with Ben into the sunset. And I know Pittsburgh's a very loyal place, but like this is business and the standard is not winning 11 games in the regular season

and winning the division. So the Nets continue to roll. They won 129-92 over the magic last night. have the longest winning streak in the league right now at eight. It's the team's longest since moving from New Jersey to Brooklyn and the six longest in franchise history. They're also doing all of this without Kevin Durant, or mostly without Kevin Durant,

who has only played one game during the stretch. He is in the six games now. They are 22 and 12, half a game behind the 76ers in the east. Kyrie at 27, Hardin at 20, and Landry Schmidt added 19 points. Listen, I've watched a ton of NBA in the last four or five. days. I watched Philadelphia last night. Tobias Harris got hurt. They still hammered Dallas. Philadelphia is playing well. Philadelphia is playing really well. I watched a little of this game. So what's interesting about this team right now is that Hardin and Kyrie get to build a little mojo here without KD.

Because KD of the three is the easiest guy. He works with everybody. Right. Hardin doesn't. Kyrie doesn't. So Kyrie and Hardin now are getting this thing all figured out. And then you just insert Kevin gets along with everybody. Kevin can play with anybody. Yeah, and I have no concern about what he's going to look like because we saw him coming back healthy. He just needs to take his time with him. These two worry me. Durant doesn't worry me in this mix.

He'll be fine. I still want to see what they do in the postseason. We know what Kyrie can do. We know what KD can do. I'm really more interested in what Hardin is going to do in the postseason. But, I mean, they just, they look strong. Let's be honest. Hardin doesn't have to play that exhausting game. So like, Harden now doesn't have to be as ball-centric.

You're going to get a different Hardin in the postseason, a much more refreshed Hardin, I think. No, they're not going to need to rely on him. And you're seeing now with Kyrie and Hardin they're able to do it without KD, this is the benefit of having a big three. This is working way better than I thought. Way better than I thought. I'd like the Nets to come out of the east before Hardin got there. It is.

If you had told me that a nine-game winning street without KD, you're like, what? It's working. Absolutely, it's working. Joy with the news. Well, that's the news. And thanks for stopping by. The Hurd-Lod News. For the record, you see Zion last night?

My God. Zion is just getting... We have a star. He's getting better by the game. Yep. By the game. We'll show you later his splits for the month. Like, he's jumping 20, 25% as a player every month.

There's a lot of really exciting young players. I know, like, I was thinking about the other day. I'm like, God, what's going to happen when LeBron eventually retires. Well, guys are so like quarterbacks. They're so much better early. Luca's, Luca is a top five player. He's 20. Zion's 20.

I mean, guys, even Michael Jordan comes in. He's 22. He can score, but these guys come, all these athletes in the world now. At 19, 20 years old. They're just so much more access to information at a younger age now. And nutrition and better training. These young NBA guys, Luca and Zion

are on, I mean, listen, neither plays a lick of defense, but that's, LeBron wasn't a great defender. I'm not worried about them defending. They're still young. They're still growing into their bodies, really. Can't sell merch on defense. Nobody's buying a jersey on defense.

Not anymore. I used to like that Michael Jordan was a good defender. Yeah, my Ben Wallace jersey I lost. Greg Jennings now joining us, brought to you by Mercedes Ben's the best or nothing. Ten years in the NFL, seven with the Packers. So I think you're a nice guy. You're a nice guy. You're even dressed like a professional.

You're a nice guy. I think Brady was a nice guy forever. Russell Wilson was Gohawks forever. Andrew Luck was too nice. And at some point, I thought it was okay for, because I want to be a nice guy. But Brady at one point is like, okay, I'm going to do documentary, and I'm going to call some of your crap out. And Russell Wilson two days ago went to his agent and said, okay, we keep saying go

hawks at the end of interview. We're not doing that anymore. So as a former athlete who was a nice guy, does part of you love the fact that stars are pushing back and going public? 100%. You have to. When you are in the position that these guys are in in this 21st century with social media having so much influence and you having so much leverage, you mentioned it earlier, because of your platforms, because of your own brand, you got to use it. you got to capitalize on it, and specifically at the quarterback position, because they're the ones that are going to be the catalyst when it comes to football of guys and players being able to speak up and speak out and make these requests and then demands of what they really want. So four teams that Russ mentioned, Dallas, Chicago, Saints, and Raiders.

Greg, was there one initially that you thought, oh, I'd like to see that. that'd be interesting. For me, it's always been about the Chicago Bears. I know people are going to be like, what, why does it make sense? But the Chicago Bears, with that defense and with them already having quarterback issues, Matt Nagy, Ryan Pace, the general manager, they're not trying to tie their hitch to Mitchell Trubisky or Nick Foles. And so you know that that's a situation where he can go in and he can impact it right away.

Now, obviously you would have to continue to try to grab hold of what's going on with Alan Robinson and get him back in the fold and some other pieces. But that offensive line, people look at that Chicago Bears offensive line and say, well, they gave up a lot of sacks, but they had a lot of revolving doors. They were switching a lot of position, moving around a lot, playing a lot of musical chairs. But when they're all healthy and they're all set at their rightful positions, that's a pretty solid offensive line that could support what Russell Wilson's asks has been for the Seattle Seahawks. So I saw a story that Brady is going to take another pay cut.

And I think to myself, and I've thought about this before, like with LeBron James. LeBron makes about $60 million a year in apparel and shoes. His net worth is $950 million. He'll be a billionaire suit. And I've thought to myself, I mean, LeBron's totally committed. but the difference between him and Brady is Brady's like, listen, I'm going to take half of what I can take. It's a total commitment. Now, I know everybody says, Giselle's rich.

Yes, and LeBron makes $65 million a year on shoes. And I look at Brady, was there ever a moment where you considered taking less or you thought taking less for a pro athlete made sense? No. Not for me, not in my position. Seriously, because I had been in a position where I was a second. round draft pick came into green bay and had to earn it you know and so once i started to earn it everyone around me was getting paid and i had to make sure that i was going to get my value and get my work and so when green bay the year i ended up getting signed with the minnesota vikings

that was a business decision not just financially but even for my family and being in a better situation for my wife and her business to thrive and all of those things so you equate all of these different variables when you're making that type of a decision. But when you've been in the league for 20 years and you've made the amount of money that Tom Brady has made off the field and you are the celebrity, not just a football star, he's a celebrity. When you are, when you get to that status, you're going to make up off of the football field. And I heard Joy talk about this. guys make so much money off the field, specifically at that position, when you take advantage of it, which is why I truly believe Dat wants to remain in Dallas because he understands the prestige that

comes with the star. But yeah, they can afford to do that. Not every player is willing to do that, especially when you haven't made top dollar before or you haven't been in the elites of the elite class where you are going to be offered and garnered after and sought after, excuse me, for so many other By the way, I felt until yesterday, Dack had leverage. Jerry's 78, Jerry Jones. He doesn't want quarterback chaos. They've got the 10th pick, but the good quarterbacks would probably be gone or they'd have to use some draft capital to get up. I thought Dack had leverage.

And then Russell Wilson comes out and say, I want to play for Dallas. He ain't got no leverage because he's cheaper, actually, than what Dack wants. And part of me feels bad and part of me thinks, Dak, they offered you a five-year deal. do you, this morning I look at Dak and I think, man, you talk about losing leverage over a tweet. That, how did, that's what it felt like for me. What did it feel like for you? Now, he definitely lost leverage. He, there's no doubt, no question he lost leverage. However, it is not as easy as people think it is to just, there's not, Seattle Seahawks are in this for making the right decision for them. Now, they want to first and foremost keep Russell Wilson.

That doesn't appear to see them be the case for Russell Wilson because you put out these teams that you would like to or you would be willing to go to. That's being smart. That's using your savvy, your veteran savvy to say, you know what? I know these teams are going to start calling and inquiring. So they'll apply the pressure that I don't have to apply. And so when you look at Dallas, yes, DAC is a higher marked player. but you're going to have to give up more than just that. Seattle is not just going to say,

hey, we'll take that if you give us Russell Wilson or you won't give you Russell Wilson and you have less to pay Russell. No, it's not going to be that simple. They're going to ask for a ton in return because they know that they're getting the value, the Dallas Cowboys. Yeah, also, remember Seattle gave up so many first round picks, two first rounders for Jamal Adams. So Seattle would like to get first rounders back. Yeah. Exactly. Yeah. So Seattle's listening like, we gave up a ton for Jamal Adams, whether he's worth it or not.

They're going to ask for minimum, minimum three first round picks for Russell Wilson. We kind of know that. So Greg Jennings, Fox Sports Analyst, have a great weekend, bud. Thanks for coming on. I appreciate it. Now, a lot of people aren't taking the Raiders seriously. But remember, the advantage the Carolina Panthers. have going for Deshawn Watson.

The biggest advantage is David Tepper's the new owner, and he's hyper-aggressive. So David Tepper's the kind of guy, like, he'll go down and just say, well, just may you work? I'll make the deal. That's an advantage. That's the disadvantage the Green Bay Packers have. They don't have an owner, right? So the advantage the Raiders have with Russell Wilson, John Gruden controls the franchise.

If Gruden wants Russell Wilson, he can give up whatever he wants to give up. Keep your eye on the Raiders. It's an interesting scenario for John Gruden. coming up next. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays in noon Eastern 9 a.m. Pacific. Hey, what's up everybody? It's me, three-time Pro Bowl of LaVar Arrington, and I couldn't be more excited to announce a new podcast called Up on Game. What is Up on Game, you ask? Along with my fellow Pro Bowler, T.J. Hushman Zada and Super Bowl champion. Yep, that's right,

Plexico Burris. You can only name a show with that type of talent on it. Up on Game. We're going to be sharing our real-life experiences loaded with teachable moments. Listen to Up On Game with me, LaVar Arrington, T.J. Hushmanzada, and Plexico Burris on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast from. 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 is a win. I don't care what I'm saying. Yep, that's me, Clipper Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, the reactions, my journey from basketball.

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. Welcome to my new podcast, Learn the Hardway 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, 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, 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, Keir 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.

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 a 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 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 was big to me, not just because of crack. I'm down to talk about crack on day, but just so y'allon, But just so y'all know. I mean, at this point, this is the second episode where we've discussed correct. 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 podcasts.

Black Rifle Coffee Company, Veteran Own, serving premium. coffee to people who love America. Black Riflecoffee.com slash herd. Checkout, 20% off your first coffee club order. If you use the code, Heard, H-E-R-D at checkout. So we've been talking about this thing for two or three or four years, that aggressive is now winning in sports. Dodgers got aggressive with Mookie Betts.

They won the World Series. Tampa Bay got ridiculously aggressive. Antonio Brown, Leonard Fernette, Gronk. they won the Super Bowl, the Nets got aggressive. Brooklyn now the best team in the East. Lakers got aggressive with AD. I mean, to be honest, they just shipped like seven guys out. And Raptors got aggressive with Kauai Leonard, and they won.

So aggressive more than ever wins. So think about this with the Raiders and Russell Wilson. So the first two quarterbacks John Gruden ever dealt with. He was a 49ers assistant. They had Joe Montana. his next job, he was a Green Bay Packer assistant. They had Brett Farr. Since then, here's the quarterbacks he's dealt with.

Rich Gannon, Brad Johnson, Jeff Garcia, Brian Greasy, Derek Carr. By the way, capable people. He has won 50% of his games. He is an 8-and-8 football coach. That's what Gruden is today. So John Gruden is at a fork in the road in his career right now. He's got seven years left on his contract. He's not going to get fired.

His brand remains strong. But they're nine and seven now. They have the worst defensive personnel in his division, and it's time for a big boy swing. You cannot win your division with the fourth best quarterback in your division. They do not. They have the third best. Derek Carr is the third most talented quarterback in their division.

They have the fourth worst defense. So just say this out loud for John Gruden. He's going to his fourth year with the Raiders. Third best quarterback talent, and I like Derek Carr. It just so happens. Mahomes and Justin Herbert are sensational transcendent armed talents. So he's got the fourth best defense and the third best quarterback. Only four teams in the AFC had fewer pro bowlers than the Raiders last year.

So how do you catch up? Because they're up against the cap. How do you catch up? Can't go to free agency, big. You catch up with a phone call and get Russell Wilson. That's it. That's how you catch up fast. Derek Carr goes to Seattle, which, by the way, doesn't make any interceptions, doesn't

throw picks. Very safe, very smart. Derek's a top 12 quarterback. You need about a top 12 quarterback to win a Super Bowl, so Seattle still gets Derek Carr. But Russell Wilson catches you up fast. John is the only coach in football that's had three, straight non-winning seasons and hasn't been fired. So he's not getting fired. But if you look at his career, now he's a 500 coach. He's better on television than he is coaching football at this

point. That is what he is. So to me, it's a real fork in the road. And the advantage Gruden has. And Belichick has this power too. And Pete Carroll, here's the big advantage. There's three coaches that can do whatever they want in this league. Belichick, Pete Carroll, Gruden. Andy Reed cannot do everything he wants. He's got a real owner and a real GM. There are three coaches in this league that have ultimate power. Belichick, Gruden, and Pete. Pete and Gruden could pull this off. They both have the leverage to pull it off. That's it. So two of the three guys who have the power as a coach can make this thing happen. Derek Carr, by the way, is a pretty good fit in Seattle. Pretty good fit. So, so I mean, listen, Gruden,

could get John Gruden out of the AFC so he doesn't come back to burn him. And Pete could get Russell Wilson out of the NFC so Russell doesn't come back to burn him and keep him out of Super Bowls. So the Raiders situation, and what you don't want to do is trade a guy. This was when Garoppolo got traded by New England. He sent him out west to the NFC. So Garopalo didn't end up beating Belichick and you pay a price for it. So ultimately, Seattle, if they had the trade, Ross, you want to get him to the AFC.

If I see him in a Super Bowl, I can live with it. You don't want to have, and by the way, Gruden, same thing. You know, Derek Carr, I'd rather him not come back in, because he'd probably come back and play his best games against me if I'm Gruden. I'd rather get him over to the NFC and put him in a tougher division. So, you know, Pete and Gruden have the power to pull this off, whether they should have that power or not. But I think if you look at Gruden right now, he starts his career with Montana and Farrv.

And I like Rich Gannon. I do. And I thought Jeff Garcia is pretty darn talented. and I like Derek Carr. He's a 500 coach. He's a 500 coach. And when you look in that division, I got Patrick Mahomes twice a year and I got Justin Herbert twice a year.

And I got a lousy defense. The only way to catch up is a superstar quarterback. That's it. You're not going to do a pass rusher. You're not going to do a running back. I already got a great running back. So very interesting. These are interesting times.

Drama is our friend. Coming up next hour, Zion Williamson is literally getting better by the game. It is incredible. Remember all the critics? It's all they can't shoot, mid-range game. Listen, he looked like Charles Barkley. If from new rule on the show, if you see a 19-year-old and you're like, oh, he plays

like Charles Barkley, he's going to be good. Charles Barkley was good. He's going to be good. Hour two, Chris Simms stopping by. It's the herd. 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 Smygel 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. Hey, what's good, y'all? You're listening to Learn the Hard Way with your favorite therapist and host Kear Games. This space is about black men's experiences, having honest conversations that it's really not safe to have anywhere, but you're having them with a licensed professional who knows what he's doing. How many men carry a suit or armor? It signals to the world that you're not to be played with. And just because you have the capability that does not mean that you need to. Listen and learn the hard way on the AHA radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast.

On the Look Back at it podcast. For 1979, that was a big moment for me. 84 is big to me. 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. 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. This is an IHeart podcast. Guaranteed human.