The Herd with Colin Cowherd - 03/18/2021 - Best of The Herd

Episode Date: March 18, 2021

Colin discusses the Seahawks making some moves in free agency and what this means for Russell Wilson and his relationship with head coach Pete Carroll. He also believes the Deshaun Watson trade rumors have officially taken a big step towards reality. After another impressive win for James Harden and the Nets, Colin explains why Harden is actually more valuable than Kevin Durant right now. Plus, Gonzaga head coach Mark Few joins the show to talk about being a heavy favorite entering the NCAA tournament. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is an I-Heart podcast. Guaranteed Human. Another podcast from some SNL, late-night comedy guy, not quite. Unhumor me with Robert Smygel and friends. Me and hilarious guests from Bob Odenkirk to David Letterman help make you funnier. This week, my guest, SNL's Mikey Day and head writer, Streeter Seidel, help an a cappella band with their between songs banter.

Where does your group perform? We do some retirement homes. Those people are starving for banter. Listen to humor me with Robert Smigel and friends on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast's superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year.

Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the IHard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what I'm saying. Yep, that's me, 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, unfilled conversations with athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but the show. celebrated. So let's get to it. Listen to the Clifford show on the I-Hard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok's podcast network on TikTok. Hey, I'm Deanna Maria Riva, and on my

new podcast, How Hard Can It Be? I call on my Gen X squad from Ohio to Hollywood as we navigate Midlife's most fantastic BS. Unfiltered conversations from night sweats to futas to scheduling sacks. Wait, what sex? Is it just me? Or does every

woman my age, want to look at Pinterest instead of having sex sometimes. They say we can't polish a turn, but we're sure going to try. So let's get blunt with laughs, tears, or tears of laughter. Listen to How Hard Can It Be with Deanna Maria Riva on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Thanks for listening to The Best of Heard Podcast. Be sure to catch us live every weekday. From 12 to 3 Eastern, 9 to noon Pacific on Fox Sports Radio and FS1. Find your local station for the herd at Fox SportsRadio.com or stream us live every day on the IHeartRadio app by searching

Herd. This is the best of the herd with Colin Cowherg on Fox Sports Radio. Ah, it's a Thursday. Tournaments getting close. NFL moves happening live in Los Angeles. It's the herd.

Wherever you may be and however you may be listening, IHeart Radio, Fox Sports Radio, and FS1, Mark Few, coach of the Gonzaga Bulldogs, an overwhelming favorite to win. My buddy for a long time will be joining us today. Always makes fun of the show. He goes, nice you could squeeze a little college basketball into your football show. So we'll bring Mark on today. They are an overwhelming favorite. Score 90 points regularly and with Duke out and Louisville

out and Kentucky out and a lot of the big dogs kind of rebooting Gonzaga. A lot of people are saying Gonzaga or the field. And most of your betters, most of your sharps are taking Gonzaga. And Joy Taylor is joining me. So the tournament starts. Tonight there's a play-in-game Michigan State, UCLA. Both teams have their issues, and the staff here says they'll take Michigan State, so we'll see UCLA's five feet from where we sit right now. No UCLA love here? No use to.

We're right around the corner from UCLA, but how are you, Joy? I spent three hours of the dentist yesterday. Oh, Lord. Why? I had a drill in my mouth for like an hour. Oh, sorry to hear about that. Moving and dentistry. It's not my great week.

What a week for joy. They were awesome, but it was a lot. It was a lot going. on. You look great and full of energy today. And so sometimes it's just weird how this works, Joe. You have to complain to get what you want. And Russell Wilson complained, and it looks like Seattle was listening. They went out yesterday and got Gabe Jackson from the Raiders, an absolute upgrade on the offensive line. And they went and got Gerald Everett, who had 41 catches with the Rams at tight end, which is a lot. He got buried in the Rams system. He's really a good player

because they have so many good wide receivers and McVeigh likes to run the ball. Gerald Everett is a massive upgrade at tight end and a great target for Russell Wilson and Gabe Jackson is a massive upgrade. And so Pete Carroll and Seattle, the organization took a beating because most people like me with a microphone sided with Russell Wilson having to deal with a shaky O line and an outdated offensive system. And the reality is Seattle listened. Now Seattle still is weak at center. I don't like their center. They're still have an odd draft history. Pete Carroll would still rather run the ball than pass it, and they gave up way too much for the Jamal Adams trade. That's why they have no draft picks this year.

They've got three, and only two are decent. But Russell felt like he had no choice. When Paul Allen, the owner of the Seahawks, died, Pete took control of the organization. The GM almost left because he has no say. And Russell Wilson thought the only way to go about this was go public with his complaints. He named four teams. None really were going to happen. Dack like Dallas.

Saints, there was no money. Chicago couldn't give a quarterback back and the Raiders are kind of a circus. But I will say this. I sided with Russell Wilson on this. But let's be honest about what happens when you're a great college quarterback and going to the NFL. Here's what happens to 90 to 95%. You either get a lousy coach, a lousy team, a lousy owner, and a lousy GM. Or if you're like Sam Darnold, you've got three of four, actually four of four to start.

Like sometimes it's man overboard Sam Darnel. When Russell Wilson came into this league, I know he's not happy. But let's be honest. Patrick Mahomes getting Andy Reid is perfect. Josh Allen in that situation, boy, that's really good. That's not the way it is. The way it is, there's a lot more Sam Darnold than there is Patrick Mahomes, where you get a brilliant offensive guy. You get unbelievable weapons.

You got to sit behind Alex Smith for a year. You got a great GM. The Hunt family has been. Rock solid forever. Come on. That is your first job out of college. You're a partner in a law firm. It doesn't work that way. Patrick Wilms, and I love him, it doesn't work that way. Let's go back to when Russell Wilson entered the NFL. He got Marshawn Lynch at running back, probably a Hall of Famer. He got the Legion of Boom defense. The last great defense in the NFL. He got a guy that's going to get Hall of Fame votes as a coach, Pete Carroll. He got a

capable general manager, and you can make an argument, the best home field advantage in the NFL. I have supported Russ, but that's pretty good living out of college. And there wasn't a lot of pressure on Russ. He wasn't replacing a legend. They didn't overwhelm him. They let it be a defense run game first. Now, since then, the offensive line has gotten worse. They don't have a Marshawn Lynch.

But even today, they have D.K. Metcalfe. Tyler Lockett, now Gerald Everett, solid running backs. They've upgraded the O-line. So now I believe the pressure Seattle, Pete Carroll, John Snyder said, okay, we heard you. We're going to give you a super athletic tight end. We're going to upgrade the interior of the offensive line. Seattle probably uses their draft picks on defense.

They need a corner or two. But now it does shift a little bit. And I'm a Russ guy. You came into this league and got to two Super Bowls early. were a play from two Super Bowl wins. They listened, they upgraded, they upgraded, and now it's on Russell. You can't expect perfect.

It may never get better for Russell Wilson than those first seven years. You may never get another Marcheon Lynch. You may never get another reason to boom. You're probably most guys don't get Pete Carroll and John Snyder. Certainly don't get the home field advantage, the weather advantage Seattle can have throughout the course of an NFL season.

So now Seattle is, upgraded tight end, upgraded O line. Now, and I think this is smart by Pete Carroll, now it's on Russell to win games. Because if you look at Seattle, a team that won what, 12 games last year, this feels like a playoff team. Russell doesn't have to run for his life. Okay, now I will say this. I jumped on, I got some heat for this on the interweb.

I jumped on Russell Wilson about two weeks ago, these rumors, and that's all I talked about for about two weeks. A is a star. B, I'm from the Northwest and have good sources, and I was hearing things. So I went all in on the Russell Wilson rumors with Chicago. I was validated about four days later. It came out, my sources were the sources that told Ian Rappaport, Chicago Winpeg, players, draft picks, all told. I have stayed away mostly in the morning what happens is my staff comes out and they

pitch ideas to me. And they've been pitching this Deshawn Watson trade stuff for about a week. and I've said, my people say it's nonsense. I don't buy any of it. That changes today. So three things are happening right now. Number one, John McLean, a very powerful, well-connected, 30-year columnist in Houston, announced today he expects Deshawn Watson to be traded.

He is highly connected. Number two is Jeff Howe, very connected on the Patriots, says New England told Cam Newton, No promises. We don't get another quarterback. The Patriots have 35 to 40 million in cap space. That could afford Deshawn Watson. So now Jeff Howe connected with the Patriot says, keep your eye on this. Number three, if you look at Cam Newton's contract, it is very much super incentive-based.

It's like the Tyrod Taylor contract. Is that if Cam Newton starts and plays, he's going to make about $14 million. if he backs up and plays infrequently, he'll make five, meaning that contract is 32nd in cap space. That contract protects New England if they go out and land someone else. A star college quarterback or Deshawn Watson. Add this story. We all know this.

Houston has said we're not taking calls. But Nick Casario got his big career break from Bill Belichick. He now runs Houston. he would take Balichick's call. So this feels like something. Two very well-connected people saying, one saying Deshaun Watson's going to get moved. One saying the CAM contract is incentive-based.

New England believes they've still got to get better at quarterback. This is the first time. Listen, when Wentz went to the Colts, we talked about that a week before it happened. Why? There were personal connections. Wentz, Frank Reich. There were things that made sense.

You're starting to hear things from people, connections that make sense. And, by the way, Cam in New England, I said it earlier this week. It feels 9 and 7 and 10 and 6. It does not feel like a Super Bowl team. Remember when Belichick went out and got Cam. He had played Cam twice and Cam gave him fits. The last two times, Belichick and his defense, Now, Belichick unravels all these young quarterbacks.

We know that. Darnold, Josh. I think he's won like 27 to 28 games against like Tua and Darnold and Josh out, all these young quarterbacks. The last two times, Belichick has faced Deshaun Watson. Deshaun Watson is the only quarterback without a giveaway against the Patriots over the last two years. 300 passing yards a game. Five passing touchdowns, a rushing touchdown, no picks. Two and O against Belichick and a 74% completion burst.

percentage. So Belichick can't stop him. Belichick struggle with Cam. He went and got him. Belichick struggle with Deshaun Watson. Stories coming out. Houston columnist. He's going to get traded. Patriot Beat Rider. So this has something. This has a little bit of a feel to it. So keep your eyes out for it. 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, this is Jason McIntyre. me every weekday morning on my podcast, Straight Fire with Jason McIntyre. This isn't your typical sports pod pushing the same tired narratives down your throat

every day. Straight Fire gives you honest opinions on all the biggest sports headlines, accurate stats to help you win big at the sports book and all the best guests. Do yourself a favor and listen to Straight Fire with Jason McIntyre 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 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, Clivert Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, the reactions, my journey from basketball to college football, or my career in sports media. Well, somewhere along the way, this platform became bigger than I ever imagined. And now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfiltered conversations with some of your favorite athletes,

creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. One week I'll take you behind the scenes of the biggest moments in sports and entertainment, and the next we'll talk about life, mental health, purpose, and even music. The Clifford Show isn't just a podcast, it's a space for honest conversations, stories that don't always get told, and for people who are chasing something bigger. So if you've ever supported me or you're just chasing down a dream, this is right where you need to be. Listen to the Clifford Show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast.

And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at the TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. What's up, fam? It's Isaiah Thomas. And I'm CJ Toledano, and our podcast Point Game is about defying the odds. Like LeBron heading into the playoffs without Luca and Austin Reed. And finding ways to win no matter what. He's the smartest player to ever play the game. His IQ is at a level that we've never seen before.

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

Steve Nash would get that thing. That man, hell get the flying. He running up the court, licking his fingers why he got the ball, like, you go through a training camp with that, Isaiah, you figure it out real quick. Get your ass up and down the court. And And you're gonna get the bomb. So listen to Point Game on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, I'm Jared Adano. You might know me as that loud guy who yells out,

help on the internet. Help! Somebody! Please! But there's so much more to me than that. I'm an actor. I'm a comedian. And recently, I've become quite the helper myself.

And on my new podcast, hope from a hypocrite, I'll be changing lives, helping people in need with my sage advice and thoughtful solutions. Psyke, I'm a comedian! I'm not qualified to give good advice! Join me and my comedian friends as we riff, rant,

and recommend some of the most legally dubious advice known to man. If I'm calling you, even if you're on your phone, let it ring twice. One ring is too scary. Oh, cream a chicken suit, hey, cream... Cream a chicken suit. This is Help from a Hypocrat, the worst advice from the dumbest people you know. Listen to Help from a Hypocrite as part of the My Cultura Podcast Network available on the IHart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

When Kevin Durant, super talented, left Golden State, the speculation was one of two things. He and Draymond had issues, but more importantly than that, he never felt like it was his team, which it wasn't. It was Steph Curry's team. Steph was the heart and soul of a team. And that's why Anthony Davis is a great player. LeBron's the heart and soul of the Lakers, right? Like, we all know that.

And so there's four players to me in the NBA. and I've been on this thing, poor Joe has to listen to this. I hate the MVP award in the NBA. Nobody knows what valuable means. There's four guys in the NBA to me that are truly valuable. They're talented and valuable. LeBron. A.D. Leaves.

Lakers defense is still number one. Chris Paul. Everywhere he goes, they win. Everywhere he leaves, they don't. Steph Curry. I mean, last couple of years, Golden State, when he hasn't played, it's the worst team in the league. Statistically, record-wise.

And number four, Jimmy Butler, you can't deny it. When Jimmy Butler doesn't play, this Miami team doesn't win, that's with a bunch of good shooters, BAM, and Eric Spolstra, and Pat Riley. They don't win without him. He changes the defense. He changes the attitude. He changes the locker room. He changes the offense.

Those are by four. Butler, Steph, Chris Paul LeBron. Valuable. Great, but valuable. The rest of the league is just talented. AD, KD, Janus, Kauai. Toronto was good before Kauai got there. The Lakers couldn't be good before AD gets there.

But I'm watching Brooklyn right now without KD. And he's going to be out for more weeks. They've won 13 of 14 without KD. They've won six straight without KD. They won again last night with James Hard to know KD. They have the best record in the East without KD. KD is AD. Talented, not that valuable.

talented and brittle. And the truth is, go look at James Harden since this team was put together. Who's the most, who's the least of the big three emotionally unreliable? Kyrie. He's gone off the deep end several times. So I can't trust Kyrie emotionally.

I can't trust KD physically. James Hardin has become the Steph Curry of Brooklyn. He's the heart and soul. He's healthier. He's a baller. He gives you 82 starts. He never gets hurt. I get 35 a night.

He's a little quirky. He's a little quirky. But now he's become a very good distributor as well as a great score. So once again, Kevin Durant is back into the same Golden State situation. Golden State won without KD. Brooklyn wins without him. It's not saying he's not talented. But when I look at Brooklyn, I can't trust the emotions of KRI.

I can't trust physically KD. who can I trust for 34 a night? It's James Harden. He's the Steph Curry of Golden State. He's the heart and soul of it. Through the years, I've gone back and forth on Hardin. At first, I didn't like him because he just mailed in defense. And then I've come to terms with, he tries, he's not very good.

He's like Steph. He makes an effort. He's not great at it. But you've got to give James Harden credit. Every night shows up, plays hard. He's almost like Westbrook and that he's a total baller. The difference is he can't. change his game. He's become a very solid distributor. Russell kind of plays in a tunnel. Hardin doesn't.

He's got a wider prism. But when I watch Brooklyn now, they're flourishing without KD. If you're the heart and soul of a team, you leave, your team struggles. Miami Heat cannot win without Jimmy Butler. OKC now. Can't win without Chris Paul. Go look at the Lakers record last two years without LeBron. If you leave and the team is better, it means you just fall into. you're talented. That's what KD is. About five years ago, half the NBA media thought KD was better than LeBron. And I've been saying this for years.

The second chapter on LeBron, the first chapter is, oh my God, he's amazing. The second chapter is, does that dude ever get hurt? I mean, LeBron's had one injury in his entire career. You can't be brittle and valuable. You can be brittle and talented. Katie's out. Brooklyn's on fire. 13 of 14, 6 straight, best record in the east.

He is not, once again, the heart and soul of his team. Maybe the most talented he's not the heart and soul. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays in noon Eastern, 9 a.m. Pacific. Let's first state, John Gruden is going nowhere. So we all know that, right? John Gruden is seven years left in his contract. Mark Davis is in the Gruden for Life Club. He's got power.

The three coaches with the most power in the NFL. are Bill Belichick, John Gruden, and probably Pete Carroll. And Pete basically runs their draft. So the Raiders have gotten rid of a starting guard, Gabe Jackson, a very good starting center, Rodney Hudson, and Trent Brown. Now, why would they do that? I'm going to throw my theory out there. So Derek Carr and Matt Ryan are very similar.

Give them a good old line. They can be very effective. But both Matt Ryan and Derek Carr, if they don't have protection, they're not very good. If you look at Derek Carr's numbers over last year, under pressure, he's a bad quarterback. Clean pocket, he's a Pro Bowl level quarterback. It's very much Matt Ryan. These guys can't make plays with their feet. They need to feel comfortable.

So why would John Gruden bail on his offensive line? All the analytics tell you, Derek Carr and a clean pocket's very good, and the Raiders have had a very good offensive line for the last two to three years with Derek Carr. And Derek Carr statistically has played very, very well. He does not under pressure. Why would they do this? Okay, let's go back to this. Gruden is not getting fired.

Gruden can play around a lot. He looks at his division with Patrick Mahomes twice a year and Justin Herbert. not so coincidentally, those are the two highest-rated quarterbacks in the NFL last year under pressure. And Gruden sees that. But Gruden has spent a lot of money on his offensive line, much to the demise of his defense. They can't afford to have a good defense. They have built a very expensive offensive line. Is John Gruden saying, okay, now I'm taking the training wheels off Derek Carr.

Now you're going to have a Justin Herbert O-line. or a Patrick Mahomes O line. Okay, I've spent a lot of money. I mean, didn't we all go crazy with the Trent Brown contract a couple years ago? We're like, what are the Raiders doing? They're paying a right tackle what they should pay a left tackle for. It was training wheels. It was, let's make him.

They went out and got Waller, the tight end. They went and drafted a running back. It's been a very complimentary, very protective offense for Derek Carr. And he has flourished and deserves credit. but what it tells me is Gruden is now saying, nah, we're not winning enough. Last seven years, Derek, you've had one winning season. And Gruden's not going to blame himself,

and he's not going to blame the general manager he hired, and he's got a seven-year remaining contract. So what Gruden is saying is, all right, we gave you this great O line, this wildly expensive O line. We're bad at the end of the year. And so what he's saying now is training wheels off. Now you're just going to have an average O line.

we're going to go spend money on defense. We're going to go spend money on defense. And that's what it feels like to me. And oh, by the way, if Derek Carr struggles, you know how much of a cap hit he is next year if you move off him? Zero. That's what it feels like to me. Is that, I mean, when Gruden got there, he went big into the O line.

He spent a ton on the offensive line. He drafted the offensive line. And what's he got a show for it? And then the two guys in his division, Mahomes and Justin Herbert, were one and two in the NFL. I forget the order. Passing under pressure. And he looks at the analytics. Gruden does and go, my guy under pressure, not very good.

And I've given him great, but I have to spend so much money on the offensive line. What is it getting me? Nothing. Raiders can't make the playoffs. Raiders aren't viable at the end of the year. So it feels like a little bit of, I'm not going to blame me and I'm not going to blame the guy I hired. I'm taking the training wheels off. You're just going to have an O line.

not an elite expensive O-line. That's what it feels like to me. So they've traded away three off. They didn't resign Richie Incognito, but he is really old. Really old. One more herd? The herd streams 24 hours a day, seven days a week within the IHeart radio app. Search herd to listen live or on demand whenever you'd like.

Arizona goes out and gives A.J. Green a one-year contract. Now, AJ Green's a good receiver, but he's old. And he's way past his prime. they give J.J. Watt a couple years, right? Again, J.J. is out of his prime. He's not a 16 game player. And then they give Rodney Hudson. They go get him at center. And again, this is, Rodney Hudson is an interior NFL lineman. Those are dog years. 11th year in the NFL. Like, he's probably got two years playing really great football left. And to me, this is interesting. To me, it's Steve Kime, the general manager, saying, listen, if I don't win this year, I'm out and Cliff Kingsbury's

out. So we got no interest going with the youth movement. Now, you could say to yourself, that's not in the best interest of the overall program to go get three old dudes who can win now. But if you look at the history of Arizona, winning now would be fine. This is not the Packers. The Packers always build it long term. It's always the tarmac. That's their business culture. But for Tampa Bay getting Brady, if we just win one Super Bowl,

that's good enough for us. That's not the way the Yankees see it or the Dodgers see it. Or if you look at the Celtics and the Packers, they basically run their program, always eyeing the future, winning trades, developing players. The Celtics and the Packers have these loyal fan bases that are going nowhere.

It's like Michigan football. It's generational support. fans are going nowhere in Green Bay. They're going nowhere with the Celtics. They're going nowhere with the Dodgers. So there's no rush for those franchises to go all in and take a risk. Arizona's not that. It's a transient state with a lot of retirees that are bare fans, Viking fans.

They come from the north or down. So in a very competitive sports market where you've got spring training, you've got an NBA team, you've got a major university, you've got a baseball team, you've got the NFL. Just winning a championship goes a long way for the Bedwell family, just being the hot team for the next 18 to 24 months. So another thing is, Kyler Murray is good, but he's not overly vocal. J.J. Watt is vocal.

A.J. Green is a team leader. Rodney Hudson will call all the plays on the offensive line. So they go get kind of vocal, verbal, culture-setting guys with a super talented quarterback who's not overly verbal and vocal. That's not his game. So when I look at Arizona, it's the opposite of the Packers. It is the opposite of the Celtics. We don't have this absolute live for the franchise season ticket base that will never go away. It's very Tampa Bay. Tampa Bay is just going to go all in with Tom Brady.

Go all in. You win a Super Bowl. And that gets you cover for about eight to ten years. And so a lot of people, it was funny. Yesterday I was talking to some executives around the league and they were kind of going, Jesus, this is the old man club in Arizona, which has got a bunch of old people in the state anyway. but I get it. I get what they're doing. Win one, go big, quarterback, rookie contract, vocal guys, culture setters.

And you start looking at this deal, it's not about always having guys. Like I think the Lakers look at Anthony Davis and go, he doesn't play 82 games. This is not what he is. I think Brooklyn's come to terms with KD is not an 82 game guy. Some guys give you that every night. LeBron James Harden. J.J. Watt and A.J. Green are not going to give you 17 games, just not the way it's going be. But can they change the culture? Can they get you big sacks and big catches in important moments

in a brutally tough division? Yep. And that's what Arizona is looking for. So not every, it all starts with what is your fan base? What are your expectations? What does a championship do? Green Bay will, listen, we've talked about this ad nauseum. Green Bay will never give up the future for the now. It's just not in their blood. And green, and by the way, it drives me nuts. But Green Bay is like, hey, back-to-back years, we got to the conference championship. That's better than like 29 teams in the NFL. So Green Bay will just never mortgage their future for the now. Won't do it.

Boston Celtics won't. Again, it's maddening. They'll never mortgage their future for it because they've got 15 championships or whatever they have. The Arizona's, it's not necessarily a bad deal to do that. It's not Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Not necessarily a bad deal to do it. A few years ago, like Kansas City Royals were in the world.

That ain't happening. They got no money there. Kansas City Royals don't have the money to do that. It's mortgage your future for the championship. You're bad in Kansas City or Pittsburgh Pirates or Seattle Mariners. You're bad forever. So you accumulate all these good draft picks. And then they all kind of, by the way, the Padres are doing this.

So the Padres have accumulated all these draft picks because they've been so bad for so long. And then all these young players sort of get good. And you're like, screw it. We're going all in now. We're going about four years. We're going to go all in. and if we have this four to five year run, we win one world series,

we get to the playoffs, you get season ticket renewals, NFL team left town, you're good. And so not every team looks at it the same way. Your heritage teams look at it as don't ever, ever sacrifice for the future.

A lot of these teams like Arizona, you win one, you're good for a decade in where you play. It's what the Rams did. Rams, okay, and the Rams are a fascinating one. So they move here in a crowded sports market. The Lakers and the Clippers are on fire. The Dodgers draw $4.5 million a year.

USC has a wildly supportive fan base. When Pete Carroll was in L.A., you didn't have two NFL teams, and now you've got a very popular LAAFC soccer team, which sells out every game. The market was wide open. Pete was the toast of the town. It's not like that anymore. So you get into a RAM situation where...

Mountains, Beach, Dodgers, Clippers, Lakers, LACC, USC, they're fighting for relevance in this town. There's no question. The Rams are fighting. You wouldn't think, by the way, the Chargers are really fighting for it. I mean, they're the second team that's most popular in that stadium. So for the Rams, they're a little bit like Arizona, which is, we've got to keep up. This is a distracted sports market.

And everybody's kind of good. L-AFC is good. USC is underachieving, but they're kind of good. Lakers good. Clippers good. Dodgers great. So if you're the Rams, you have a little short, there is some short-term appeal,

which is winning now and staying relevant. 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, this is Jason McIntyre. Join me every weekday morning on my podcast, Straight Fire with Jason McIntyre. This isn't your typical sports pod pushing the same tired narratives down your throat every day.

Straightfire gives you honest opinions on all the biggest sports headlines, accurate stats to help you win big at the sports book, and all the best guests. Do yourself a favor and listen to Straight Fire with Jason McIntyre on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential.

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

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

behind the scenes of the biggest moments in sports and entertainment, and the next we'll talk about life, mental health, purpose, and even music. The Clifford Show isn't just a podcast. It's a space for honest conversations, stories that don't always get told, and for people who are chasing something bigger. So if you've ever supported me or you're just chasing down a dream, this is right where you need to be. Listen to the Clifford show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast,

or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. What's up, fam? It's Isaiah Thomas. And I'm CJ Toledano and our podcast Point Game is about defying the odds. Like LeBron heading into the playoffs without Luca and Austin Reed. And finding ways to win no matter what. He's the smartest player to ever play the game.

His IQ is at a level that we've never seen before. And he knows without Luca and Austin Reeves, I got to manipulate the game. We get a player's perspective on the challenges of the playoffs. I think Joker's going to be exhausted this series because when they don't have Rudy in the lineup, he has to really guard guys like Nas Reid. He has to guard Julius Randall. And then he has to give us everything he gives us on the night-to-night basis on offense.

And when IT's friends stop by, like Quentin Richardson, we dive into some playoff history too. Steve Nass would get that thing. That man, hell get the flying. He running up the court, licking his fingers why he got the ball. Like, after you go through a training camp with that, Isaiah, you figure it out real quick.

Get your ass up and down the court, and you're going to get the ball. So listen to Point Game on the, iHeart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. The story I've told myself about love or relationships can then shape my behavior, and that can lead me to sabotage the possibility of connection. This Mental Health Awareness Month, tune into the podcast deeply well with Debbie Brown and explore the journey of healing, self-discovery, and returning to yourself.

We explore higher consciousness, emotional well-being, and the practices that have help you find clarity, peace, and self-mastery in a world that can feel overwhelming. The world is becoming lonelier. We're not becoming more social and connected. We're becoming more individualized, but we actually meet people in connection. If you've been searching for a soft place to land while doing the work to become whole, this podcast is for you to hear more. Listen to deeply well with Debbie Brown from the Black Effect Podcast Network on the IHeart

Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And so you're hearing all this Gonzaga or the field where you get the great program that finally gets with all their other really good players, the great NBA prospect. And Mark Fuse, my buddy, 22 years at Gonzaga. He's won 83% of his games.

It's the highest among men's basketball coaches, all-time NCAA. And he joins me now live from the bubble. They've got their own college bubble. So when you hear, when you're a humble guy, when you hear people like me saying, Gonzaga or the field, I'll take Gonzaga. That mess just make you sick to your stomach. Especially coming from you, yes.

I'd expect slightly better from you. But, I mean, I'd be remiss to not acknowledge. Like, I usually listen very loyalty to you on the radio. to see you, you know, like the TV viewers do with this mustache. Oh, my Lord. Changes everything. You are, you're like, I hate to age myself, but Errol Flynn or Clark Cable or something. That's a good look for you.

I've never really thought mustaches are good these days. That's a good look for you. Very suffra. Yes. So maybe up for the next bond. Now that you live in there's a new bond. You know, we could use a new bond. So it's funny because you've always had good players, and that's never been the question.

You go to California, you get a top five player, you go to Texas a couple years ago, you get international players. But this is different because now you have this great program and you're bringing to Jalen Suggs. And he's a great play. He's an NBA prospect. Were you worried at all that, wow, this is not really us. We've got to make sure he's the right kind of guy that understands us. Absolutely.

Absolutely. And a really quick, funny story with that is, and I don't know if people will believe this, but it's true. It's like they literally had to convince, or me, to recruit him. You know, they had reached out and said, hey, you know, we're really interested in you. Jaylon's really interested in you and the family and the AAU coach. And I'm like, come on now. This guy's one of the best players in the country. And that's usually not the waters we fish in.

And they're like, no, no, no. We've been watching you forever. We love how you guys play, you know, just and love your player development. And lo and behold, they kind of convinced me. And then obviously, once you meet Jalen, once you meet the family and everybody around him, we knew, yeah, you know what, this is somebody that values everything that we value. And he's a great talent and a great player. but the two things that really set him apart, Colin, are he's really, really coachable and just yearns to get better.

And even down to the deep, deep details, I mean, he really likes to watch film and break down stuff with us all. And then he's a ferocious competitor. I mean, he is, he's a football player. So, you know, I know Joy will like that. And I just tell you, be having a football player, it makes for such an easier. adaptation when you come in to college ball because it's so much more physical than high school. And I mean, from day one, there was no, he was ready for that from the jump. So he already kind of had an edge on everybody.

So you've won 25 or 26 games by over 10 points. Your kids are smart. They know they're favored. How do you keep them loose? Because we don't doubt. Every time I saw you play this year, you got to 90 points, you're very good offensively. You're athletic, you've got bigs, you've got experience, you've got shooters. But even though all those things, teams get tight in that first couple of games.

Have you tried to loosen your team up in the last two, three weeks, knowing you're going to be a 15, 20-point favorite in this first couple games in the bubble? Yeah, I mean, to be honest, we've played kind of loose all year. And I don't know where there's really been an instance. And even one of the things that I think and hope is really going to serve us well is, you know, BYU was putting it on us in the conference tournament final, you know, a week or so ago. And yet I never sensed our guys got tight or anything. It was more just adjustment about us making plays and kind of amping it up to BYU's toughness and energy.

And, yeah, I mean, listen, we've talked about it. We're going to go in this tournament as aggressive. as we can possibly be. We are not buying the hype of the, you know, the Gonzaga or the field because that just isn't kind of who we are. There are some really, really good teams out there that I've seen a lot of and have been so impressed with. And, you know, especially in this tournament, this is not a NBA 7 game series

or, you know, Major League Baseball or any of this is one. And you either move on or your season's over. So we have to be good on that particular day, in some instances, even great. And the only way we're going to do that is if we're aggressive and we're the hunter and not the hunted. Mark Fugon, Zagah, head coach. So the NBA had a bubble and a weird thing happened for the first time in my adult life. The young teams played very well in the bubble. And I talked to some NBA people and they said, listen, the old guys are married.

They have kids. They were depressed. They don't like a bubble. The young guys, it was like, I hoop and I play video games. I'm having the time of my life. You're in a bubble now. And I think to myself, okay, you tell me, you've been there for a few days, what are the adjustments emotionally, physically, this bubble provides that go into a regular tournament?

Didn't. I think that's a great question and a great call by you. That's interesting. I never looked at the NBA one like this. Listen, we talked about it at length. even up to, you know, when we knew we were going to be in the tournament two to three weeks ago, about, hey, this is not going to be, you know, our normal daily routine. You know, we're going to be subject to other guys' schedules when we practice

and we only get a certain amount of time to practice, and we only have a certain amount of time when we go down and shoot. But, you know, strangely enough, we've kind of been dealing with all this stuff all year. We've pretty much been isolated on our own campus. And I truly believe that, you know, and this is an advantage, I hope for us. I mean, if you really, really like your teammates and, you know, and you like your staff and you have great chemistry, then that's going to be a huge advantage in this thing because we're literally just around each other, you know, 24 hours a day.

It's just us. And so you just kind of deal with it. And I think we're getting kind of the rhythm of it now and getting used to it. We actually had a great afternoon yesterday. We were able to go outside and play on the AAA field. They played football and bad maintenance and some things like that. The guys had a blast. And so that helped break up today.

This thing gets ramped up tonight now. And once these games start rolling, it's just going to be games, rest, preparation, games rest, preparation. So the waiting is just about over. Yeah. You've had a lot of, you're a humble guy, but you've had opportunities to go everywhere. When you took this thing over, I mean, by the way, it was a good program when you took it over, but you've made it more international. You've got some support. You got a new arena. You got a little more money. The recruiting's ramped up, but you would be the first to admit it was a good program. You took it to another level.

And you've never left. And it was funny. I was looking over your program a couple days ago. And I was looking at the pictures of all your kids. And it was not just smiling. I mean, they're just, you have, you, you have created a very joyful program. And it's, Mark, you got international guys, you got NBA guys, you got local guys, is when you're running, you're running a business now. When you're running a business and the impression and there's international and there's different sensibilities in basketball, you've made it, you keep it a happy place with a lot of expectations. What's the secret sauce on that? Well, you know me. I mean, I get, it's my, you know, vision of a program, right?

Like, we're going to work really, really hard. And, you know, we're going to, you know, challenge you kind of intellectually with, you know, schemes and everything that we do. And we really like kind of experimenting. And we play differently every year. This team is vastly different than, you know, a lot of my other teams. And we're very much into player development. But then, you know what? when that's done, let's go have some fun. And, you know, it doesn't have to be a job. And I think our

players, I hope our players, that's my vision for them, play with that kind of joy. But also outside of basketball, you know, where, you know, maybe the other people don't get to see them like I do. You know, we have fun and we have, you know, great relationships. And I try to treat them like adults. And I really trust them. We don't really have any rules, and they understand that. We have some things that I, you know, talk to them about character-wise and how I want them to represent themselves in our program and our community, and that's about it. And they're unbelievable with how they do that. And we do have fun. I mean, I have a blast. We've had a blast this year. I couldn't have picked a better group, Colin, to go through all this, you know, COVID protocols and

separation and isolation and all this. I mean, they've literally just been a blast to hang out with. And, you know, at this point, you just don't want it to end. You literally, you just don't want it to end. Yeah. No rules. I like that. You'd have to, you know, if I would have played for you with this mustache, but if I'd have played for you, I'm not very coachable. You would have needed a lot of rules for me, coach, I'd say right now. I was just an NCAA infraction waiting to happen. I would have been nothing but a handful, but maybe that's why we get along. I feel like our culture would have embraced your individualism but kind of kept you under wraps. Well, you could see it that way, certainly from your perspective.

Mark Fugan's great seeing you. We'll see you soon. Have a beer and appreciate it, coach. Yeah, all right, buddy. Take care. Take care. 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 headwriter, Streeter Seidel, help an a cappella band with their between songs banter. Where does your group perform? We do some retirement homes. Those people are starving for banter. Listen to humor me with Robert Smigel and friends on the I-Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal, but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast Superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the I-Hard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what I'm saying. Yep, that's me, Clifford Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, my basketball and college football, 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 unfilts of 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. Hey, I'm Deanna Maria Riva, and on my new podcast, How Hard Can It Be? I call on my Gen X squad from Ohio to Hollywood as we navigate Midlife's most fantastic BS. Unfiltered conversations from night sweats to futas to scheduling sex. Wait, what sex? Is it just me or does every woman my age want to look at Pinterest instead of having sex sometimes?

They say we can't polish a turd, but we're sure going to try. So let's get blunt with laughs, tears, or tears of laughter. Listen to How Hard Can It Be with Diana Maria Riva on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. This is an IHeart podcast. Guaranteed human.