The Herd with Colin Cowherd - 03/24/2021 - HOUR 1 - Packers, Bucs, Zion

Episode Date: March 24, 2021

The Packers reason for not surrounding Aaron Rodgers with better playersThe Bucs have the right formula to help Tom BradyNow that LeBron is hurt, Zion is the face of the leagueGuest: Nick Wright 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 celebrated. So let's get to it.

Listen to the Clifford show on the IHard 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, what's good, y'all? You're listening to Learn the Hardway with your favorite therapist and host, Kare 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 not to be played with. And just because you have the capability that does not mean that you need to,

listen to learn the hard way on the IHard radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. Thanks for listening to The HARD 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 Hurt at Fox SportsRadio.com or stream us live every day on the IHartRadio app by searching Hurd. You're listening to Fox Sports Radio. Ah, here we go in a busy Wednesday. Boy, what a guest list we have today, live in Los Angeles. It's the herd, wherever you may be, and however you may be listening.

I-Heart Radio, Fox Sports Radio and FS1. Today is Wednesday. Heard brought to you by Jersey. Mike's subs. Be a sub above. God. Looks like Brady, Tampa Bay got everybody signed. Indomacan Su is going to sign.

Donovan Smith just signed. Everybody. It is amazing about how the cap works. Chicago doesn't pay their quarterback anything, and they had to let go of their best corner. Tampa, we have an All-Star team. Bring them all in.

People that know how to manipulate that cap are, there can't be many of them. Because in certain teams that seem to figure this out every single year, and you're like, we all are working with the same numbers, right? Like the Rams, you guys all have to use the same numbers? How do you guys have all these players? and nobody else, players, some teams can't sign another extension. It's wild.

Green Bay couldn't keep a Pro Bowl center. Yeah. I mean, they only pay like two guys. It's amazing. And one of those guys is Aaron Rogers. So I am a big believer in fit. Okay, so Joy and I have bounced around in our careers a lot. And one of the reasons I came to Fox, I thought it was a better fit for me than ESPN.

ESPN was very corporate, very Disney, very. lion king, very safe. And I'm kind of a letter-ripped guy and big opinions and I have a lot of things I'm doing on the side. And Fox is like, yeah, do your stuff, whatever you want to do, start companies, whatever. And I just thought was a better fit. It doesn't mean it's a better company, but I do think fit

is really important. And I've always said, Aaron Rogers is a weird fit in Green Bay. So Aaron Rogers, last year, Green Bay drafts a quarterback in the first round. Translation, we're going to move on here pretty quick. Then Aaron comes out. and crushes it MVP numbers.

Aaron's like, you love me, right? See, I'm good. No, no, we're still moving on. According to a story yesterday, Green Bay paid Rogers a $7 million roster bonus. They did not convert it to a signing bonus. Colin, what does that mean? It's confusing. What it means is they can move off Aaron sooner.

So they just, they didn't convert it to a signing bonus, meaning they're looking to move off him pretty quick. Now, that sounds counterintuitive, right? Why would you move off? Never forget this. When Green Bay moved off Brett Farr's, go look it up. He had just had his best year in a decade. He was a pro bowler.

They were at 13 and 3. He got him to an NFC championship, and he was six months older than Aaron Rogers is today. Brett Farr wasn't falling apart. He had just had a great year. They had just gone 13 and 3. in three. He had just made the Pro Bowl. He had just cranked up a great year and they moved off it. Why? Because they saw him as expensive and a star that was increasingly needy. That's kind of what Green Bay sees.

It's funny how it lands. So Green Bay has always been about development. We all know this. This is not new. It's very small. It's the smallest sports town in America. It's got that Midwestern small town ethos. They're almost cynical about money and stardom. They're kind of cynical, right? Like, Like when the Wisconsin Badgers hired, you know, Bo Ryan, the basketball coach, they hired him from right down the road. They didn't go for big stars. They had all the money. Wisconsin had all the money.

If you go look at the history of Wisconsin football in the last 20 years, they make a ton of money. It's one of the most lucrative athletic departments in the country. They never hire a big star as a coach. They never do. They're cynical of the big money. Not that it's jaded. That's just the way Wisconsin is. They got their cheese.

They got their packers. We don't need outsiders. We're homegrown. We develop. It's Midwest. it's our ethos. And here's rock star Brett Farv and rock star Aaron Rogers. So they draft Jordan Love, obviously.

You don't drafts a quarterback in first ground, not play him. It'd be just a total waste of draft pick. But it's funny how it lands. It's a weird fit between Aaron and the Packers. And if you read this story, basically, you know, they don't want to offend Aaron, but they're structuring this contract to move off it sooner than later. And it's interesting how it lands. For Aaron, whenever we get in like an argument,

with your wife, for your husband. The first thing psychologist taught me this years ago, he said, well, just make sure it lands for her like it lands for you. You may have an argument. It doesn't necessarily land the same way. Arguments don't. So for Aaron Rogers, here's how the current situation lands. You can't get many good players.

For Green Bay, here's how it lands. Well, we would like to get you more, but you're too expensive and you're getting older and you're kind of needy. and both could be right. Aaron can't get more stars. That's why when they play Tampa this year and go 0 and 2, it looks like Tampa has far more good players. Brady takes a pay cut.

That's why when they played San Francisco a couple years ago and Garoppolo wasn't making a fortune, it looked like San Francisco had way more good players. So how does it land? For Aaron Rogers, this whole thing lands like, you can't get me more good players. You can't even keep my center. You couldn't keep Jared Cook.

I can't get J.J. Watt. And for Green Bay, they look at it. it and think, dude, we're building this developmental roster, making fifth rounders, pro bowlers. We would love to get you more players, but you cost us almost $35 million a year. We're doing our part. You're not sacrificing. We're not going out and overspending and making it easy and getting free agents. We're not cherry picking like the Giants of Dori Jackson and Kenny Ghaladay or like the Jets, you know, Carl Lawson and Corey Dave.

We don't do that. So we have to sacrifice in Green Bay. We are sacrificing Aaron all the time. It's a small town. This is our ethos. We have to draft and develop. And you, who are big contract guy,

are getting in our way. And so, I mean, it's, you know, Tom Brady's cap hit this year is $28 million less than Aaron Rogers. That's why they have an all-star team. So I just,

this whole thing is very interesting to me, is that when they moved off Brett Favre, he had Aaron Rogers, he was 13 and 3, he would just turn 38, he was a pro bowler, he had his best year in a decade, just like Aaron did. And they just said, you're expensive and you're needy. And the whole thing in Green Bay is they look, they look to develop. It's almost a college team. And they look like, well, we developed Favre. He was lost in Atlanta, kind of a mess personally.

And we developed Aaron Rogers, who had to go to a junior college. And now Jordan Love from Utah State, this is what we do. We develop. We don't get the big free agents, Aaron, and now you're really expensive. And we're doing the best we can, but we can't get great players now. Maybe the conference championship, that's what we can do. Because Green Bay is not stupid. They know the more you pay a quarterback, the less you can win.

Can't win Super Bowls with an expensive quarterback. It doesn't happen. It hasn't happened in years. Hasn't happened in 15 years. Very funny. So just look at the story today on Aaron Rogers. They, not real subtle. it looks like they're giving him bonuses because they don't want to get trapped in two to three years with Aaron's contract.

So this is funny. So the bucks are going to now sign Dama can sue. And now yesterday, Donovan Smith reached an agreement, $32 million contract for their left tackle. So they have now signed Chris Godwin franchised him, Donovan Smith, Shaq Barrett, Levanti, David, Rob Gunngrowski, Gronkowski, Ryan suck up a kicker, and now Indomacan Su is going to get $9 million a year. This is the most talented team Tom Brady's ever played on. Go look at mock drafts. Go look at mock drafts.

Every other team in the NFL is drafting for need. Even the well-run teams, like the Colts need a speed receiver, the Chiefs need an interior offensive linemen or a tackle. Everybody's drafting for need, except Tampa. They're just drafting for depth. Literally, people are like, they're going to take an interior defensive lineman. Well, they have endomic and sue. Well, they need a linebacker in case Levante David doesn't sign a way he did.

Well, outside a pass rusher, oh, Shaq Barrett signed too. And Donovan Smith. If you go back to the 2007 Patriots, that Randy Moss team that went undefeated, they had eight Pro Bowlers, three on the offensive line. Now, they had Randy Moss, but that wire. receiving course not close to Tampa's. They had Mike Vrable, but that linebacking core in New England is not close to as athletic as Tampa's.

Well, they had Vince Wilfork. They did. But this defensive line is far greater as a unit than that defensive line. The only area that New England team is better than the Tampa team is offensive line. And I would make a strong argument that the offensive line for Tampa in the last two months was unbelievable. Ali Marpet is a top three guard in the league. Ryan Jensen's a top 6 to 7 center.

Tristan Worf's right tackle looks like a pro bowler. That's the weak spot of Tampa. This is the best team Tom Brady's ever played on. They are literally drafting for depth. And don't forget this. They got really good after the buy. And I kind of look at Tampa as two seasons. There was the Tom get signed, no preseason, a lot of turbulence,

kind of trying to fit Ariens offense with Brady's offense. And we all watched it on television. It was bumpy. They got crushed by the Saints twice. They got beat by the Bears. They're yelling at the deter. It's a lot of ugliness. Then the buy hit.

They got 10 days of practice. They sewed it together. And from that point on, 8 and 0, and the average score was 34 to 19. And it was the number one offense in the NFL. They are literally drafting for depth. That is it. So that buy was like their preseason. It's incredible right now.

Their sack differential after the buy was number one. Their wins were number one. Their points were number one. Their point differential was number one. Their turnover differential was number two. That's the team coming back for preseason next year. That's the team entering this season. This team is so stacked.

And I will say this. The other break they get is the Saints will be worse. Drew Breeze has gone. They had to shave cap. Green Bay could not take their Pro Bowl center, could not get him or JJ Watt, probably not quite as good on the offensive line. They do a good job in Green Bay to develop offensive lines,

but probably won't be as good as, when you lose the best center in the game or the second best center, you're probably not going to be as good. Seattle's been noisy as heck. Dallas still can't figure out their defense. I mean, this is the best thing they've ever been on. They're going to re-sign in Dominc and Sue. And Donovan Smith got $31 million.

They are completely stacked. I mean, the weakness on this team last year was offensive long. It was dominant in the end of the year and secondary, mostly because it was young. Also, this is a franchise that drafts incredibly well, so you might as well put three or four more really talented guys on this roster. Wow. Zion Williamson's going crazy. We love that.

Mack Jones. Good Lord. Mel Khyper's got to slow down on this. Mac Jones ain't going to work, folks. It's not going to work. You just got to come to terms with it. It's not going to work. 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. What's up, everyone? It's me three-time NFL All-Pro Sean Mariner. And I have a new sports podcast called The Lights Out Podcast with Sean Mariner. This podcast is special to me as I get a chance to talk to some of the best we've ever done it on the field or the track. So whether it's talking to a Super Bowl champion or a NASCAR Cup Series champion, The Lights Out Podcast will bring it to you the only way I know how to.

I'm giving you the best insight from the best who's ever done it. Listen to Lights Out with Sean Merriman on the IHeart Radio app or wherever you get your podcast. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast's Superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds.

I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the I-Hard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what I'm saying. Yep, that's me, Cliver Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, the reactions,

my journey from basketball to college football, or my career in sports media. Well, somewhere along the way, this platform became bigger than I ever imagined. And now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfiltered conversations with some of your favorite athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. One week, I'll take you behind the scenes of the biggest moments in sports and entertainment, and the next we'll talk about life, mental health, purpose, and even music.

The Clifford Show isn't just a podcast. It's a space for honest conversations, stories that don't always get told, and for people who are chasing something bigger. So if you've ever supported me or you're just chasing down a dream, this is right where you need to be. Listen to the Clifford show on the IHeart radio app, Apple 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. Trip Fontaine, Ryan Clark. Sometimes when we're in the pursuit of the thing, we get so wrapped up in the chase that we don't realize that we are in possession of the thing. And we're still chasing it. And we don't know when we've done enough. Because people scoreboard watch. Life becomes about wins and losses. Steve Burns, Dustin Ross.

Because you find it important to be a good person while you hear on earth. Are you a good person because you're afraid? Because that's two different intentions, bro. Absolutely. And that's two different. and levels of trust. I want you to just really be a good person. Join me, Kear Gaines,

as we have real conversations about healing, growth, fatherhood, pressure, and purpose on my new podcast, learn the hard way. Open your free iHeartRadio app. Search Learn the hard way and listen now. Do you remember when Diana Ross

double-tapped Little Kim's boobs at the VMAs? Or when Kanye said that George Bush didn't like black people. I know what you're thinking. What the hell does George Bush got to do with Little Kim? Well, you can find out

on the Look Back at it podcast. I'm Sam J. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick it here, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it. Including a recent episode with Mark Lamont Hill

waxing all about crack in the 80s. To be clear, 84 is big to me, not just because of crack. I'm down to talk about crack on day, but just so y'all know. I mean, at this point, Mark, this is the second episode where we've discussed crack.

So I'm starting to see that there's a through line. We also have AIDS on the table right now. Thank you for finishing that sentence. Yes. I don't think there's a more important year for black people. Really? Yeah. For me, it's one of the most important years for black people in American history.

Listen to look back at it on the IHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Save Biggin Your Water and Energy Bills with Navi and tankless water heaters. Make it easy to go tankless, endless hot water for spa-like comfort. Visit tankless made simple.com. tankless, made simple.com. In the NFL, how you score, it doesn't really matter. If you get into the end zone,

makes you happy with your fantasy team. It doesn't matter that Derek Henry runs one way and Aaron Jones the other. They both get into the end zone. They're both really good players. It just doesn't really matter in terms of how you get there. Brady's never been the most dynamic player,

but he's the best quarterback. But in the NBA, it's different. how you score is going to get you the shoe deal. How you score is how the league is going to put you on television. Carl Malone was boring. Sean Kemp was riveting. So Sean Kemp became a big start. I had personal demons, but like 80% of Carl Malone's points were free throws or a boring pick and roll.

Same with John Stockton. Isaiah Thomas was much more clever. Magic, the big smile. So if you look at the history of the NBA, who the biggest stars have been. It's not always been the best players. It's how they score. Magic Johnson was so unique.

Larry Bird was the best shooting, best passing forward in the history of the game when he arrived. Then it was Michael who was glamorous and good looking and cool. There's been a lot of great players. Shaq, Steph Curry, you become the face of the league. That's what Zion Williamson has. Janus, Kauai, Anthony Davis, Chris Paul. They'll give you a quiet 26.

Zions is a loud 25. It is memorable. It is Sean Kemp. It is loud. And right now, last night, they beat the Lakers. Zion's great. Do you know through 65 games in the last 40 years, the only player that scored more points was Michael Jordan.

He's literally getting into Wilt and Michael Jordan territory. And right now, through 65 games, he has more points than LeBron did through 65 games. He's got more rebounds than LeBron did through 65 games. had a higher field goal percentage than LeBron did. He's got a higher three-point percentage than LeBron did. And LeBron was pretty good. LeBron dropped 40 multiple times in his rookie year. So the way you play in the NBA will determine a lot.

It's not like that in soccer. It's not like that in baseball. Nobody cares. Get guys out, win 20 games you win a Cy Young. But basketball is not. How do you score? And frankly, Zion, to me, now that LeBron's out for a month, he's the number one TV product.

It's Stefan him. Those are the guys I rush to a TV to watch. And there is a, you get power, you get strength, you get forcefulness, you get, you get all these really important things all jammed into one. Had Sean Kemp had a better personal life, Sean Kemp would have been a massive NBA star for 20 years, but he had his, you know, personal foibles and, you know, don't we all? But when I watch Zion, I mean, his critics now look ridiculous. He is just must see television.

He is the face of the league that LeBron's hurt. It's nothing against Janus or AD or Chris Paul. It's nothing against these guys. They're all great players or Kauai. But they're not necessarily great television products. And that, in more than any league, that matters. Joy Taylor with the news. No, no, no, no.

Turn on the news. This is the herd line news. James Winston spent most of his time on the bench watching Drew Breeze last season, but now that Breeze is retired, the path is open for him to win that starting spot. And he got emotional talking about how much of an impact Breeze had on him in his one year together with him. He doesn't even know how much he means to me and my family. For real. I love football.

That's all I've done my entire life. And someone that I look up to that I admire that I actually could touch was my teammate and I had a chance to serve him. Like, man, I'm speechless today. Like, that really gets me emotional because I really love Drew Brees. Like, I don't think he understands. I have this thing about grown men crying. It always makes me cry. I thought that was really nice.

We watched James, obviously, in college and through many ups and downs in his career. And, you know, one of the great things about sports is that when you do have a talent, and, you know, we want to give people second chances. And I think he's gotten a great opportunity to learn from one of the best to ever do it. A teammate that everyone speaks that way about. I mean, we've seen other retirement ceremonies when people are retired. They're not going to play with DeBreeze anymore, and they cry. about not being able to play with Drew Breeze anymore.

I think we've seen like four guys cry. Yeah. About Drew Breeze. Offensive lineman. No, I mean, that's how he touched people. Yeah, and that shows the impact that he has. But I mean, we also talked to Taysam Hill at the Super Bowl last year. We had him on set back when we could do that.

And he was talking about how, like, what it is like to learn the process that Drew Breeze does. Like, there's something to being set. Like, the guys always say, like, oh, he's the first one there. He's the first one to leave. Like, we got to throw that out a lot. But, like, are you? literally the first one there and the last one to leave at your job? Like probably not.

And he doesn't get extra money because he does that. I don't know. He just compensated very well, but he doesn't have to do that. Like that was something that people always said about Kobe. Like Kobe is in the gym. If he tells you that he's working out with you, you need to get there two hours early because he's going to be an hour early or two hours early. And you don't want to get to the gym after Kobe gets to the gym. So there's something to learning from an all-time great and obviously the talent doesn't transfer but learning the process of how to do something

does transfer into longevity and that you are what you habitually do. So if you're learning from somebody who does things well habitually and that rubs off on you, that can help your career. But I do see James as the starter. Yeah, so do a lot. So Mack Jones had a strong showing at

his Alabama Pro Day yesterday. Reps from all 32 NFL teams were in attendance to watch him. Jones wasn't that impressed with his performance, saying he could have thrown it better and was frustrated with the few that he missed. But Daniel Jeremiah reported that he thought Jones had a solid workout describing him as smooth, comfortable, and poised. I know you are very... I don't want to be a negative guy. I don't think he... I don't want to get too much into the, you know, he was a little faster than people thought.

I just don't think... Like, if you're a trust fund kid, you're going to struggle in your life if you get into chaotic situations. and you have to overcome stuff because you're not built to overcome it. There's a reason none of these Alabama quarterbacks work. They never trail. Mack Jones didn't trail in the second half of any game he played last year. Oh, by the way, he never got hit. Oh, by the way, his receivers are wide open. Oh, by the way, he always had a better game plan.

I'm not saying you can't work, but you start looking at what works in the NFL. What should really happen? Because the best quarterbacks go to the biggest schools. If it was just that easy, this linear process, that USC always has a top five quarterback. So does Clemson, so does Alabama, so does Ohio State, so does Oklahoma. Then why when you look around the NFL are the quarterback starring in this league from Texas Tech and Purdue? Because those experiences collegiately ready you for the chaos you'll deal with in the NFL. Alabama's a trust fund kid.

You're walking in and it's like, oh, I've never trailed in a football game with eight minutes to go. and everybody in the world knows I have to pass and I have a bad O line. You never experience. Matt Ryan didn't throw to a single NFL player at Boston College. So the time he got to the NFL, it's like, yeah, my windows are small. Nobody was ever wide open. Everybody for Mack Jones is wide open, and I just don't think it translates.

That's why Alabama quarterbacks are great in college and don't do anything in the NFL. Look at Tua. That was my question about Tua. And then when you get the scout on him, that he's a, he's a rhythm quarterback and everything has kind of have to be on schedule. What happened in the Super Bowl with what everyone agrees with is the best quarterback talents in the league currently, Patrick Mahomes, when things fell apart. He couldn't make it happen.

And he was flying sideways, flipping it backwards and still hitting people on the helmet and he couldn't get it done. So there's no way that you can translate not having any kind of adversity to the NFL. Like we've seen it. Like what Alabama quarterback has worked. Now, clock's still on on Tua, but I'm not a believer as of yet. I don't want to be down on Mac Jones either, but I was never high on Mac Jones still the season.

So I'm like it's not, it's not, I don't expect him to make this big jump. And that's not to say that he's not going to have an NFL career. There are plenty of quarterbacks like this who need to be on schedule, who knew things to be perfect, who have great careers as backups. By the way, what if he goes to San Francisco in that run-centric offense and gets Kyle Shanahan? He's going to succeed in the NFL. This is the knock on Jared Gough. Yeah.

That he needs everything to be perfect. And look, Derek Gough got to a Super Bowl. Yeah. So, Draymond Green got everybody upset yesterday. The Warriors are not in the playoff picture for the West right now, but he is still very confidence. And this week he raised eyebrows when he talked about where he thinks he ranks as an all-time elite defender. I think I'm the best defender that ever played this game in NBA.

Do you? My 100%, that's my opinion. You know, when I look at all. the facets that make up the defensive side of the ball, I think I'm great in every facet that makes up that side of the ball. So I think I'm the best defender that ever play in the NBA. And I stand by that. I'll put myself up against anyone. I don't know. I will say this. It is harder to, people think it's easier to defend today, the game softer. I'd argue it's harder to defend now because wing guys, bigs can shoot threes. It used to be you just had to wait to the

big and the wing, like the forward, would just come to you. Now you've got to go to him. So I think it is, and by the way, bigs now can dribble, Janus dribbles. Well, there's definitely, everyone is much more skilled. Yes, no question. It's centric and comes into the league more skilled for those reasons. And a lot of that has to do with a team that he's on and Steph Curry stretching the court the way that he does.

I mean, you could argue both sides. You could say it was hard to defend back in the day because players were much more physical and Ben, you could argue that defenders had an advantage because you could really foul somebody and they were not really calling fouls the way that they are now. I feel like if I was an NBA defender, I would rather defend a guy

in the 80s and 90s if I was a big tough Charles Oakley guy. You're going to come to me in the post and if I'm a big strong guy. Yeah, you can mall you. Okay. Now if I'm Charles Oakley I have to run out to the perimeter and guard him there too and oh by the way, he's a really good

ball handler now. So I do think Draymond's argument is, look at what I have to defend now. By the way, the game's now much more European, so we're getting the world's best players, not Marquette. Well, I mean, I don't like the idea that just because something's new, it can't be the best, right? There's this addiction to the old school, especially when it comes to sports, and we romanticize past eras as thinking that they're better, when in fact, they're maybe just different. So something can be the best, even though it is right now.

Like, Steph Curry can be the best shooter and three-point shooter of all time and still be playing right now. You don't have to make the argument for a guy that played 30 years ago just out of respect for the game. But I do think when you say yourself that you are the best at something that people take a lot of pride in, you're going to get pushback. Like from Charles Oakley or Tony Allen. And then you're going to talk about, you know, Akimilajuan, excuse me, to come in with Tumbo, Ben Wallace. Like you're going to start putting yourself on lists and then you're going to make the center of the argument. Now, Draymond probably doesn't care, which is why he said that because he knows what people are going to react to.

But it is kind of a fun debate like who you rank because immediately I was like Tony Allen? I don't know. I don't know about it. He's top five. I don't have a problem. I don't think he is anymore, but I think in his peak about four years ago he was. To be honest with you, I think LeBron James is top two or three. I think Michael Jordan.

Oh, obviously Michael. Michael's. Michael and LeBron are both great defenders. Now, Bird and Magic weren't. But Michael took pride in being good on the defensive side. He was a great on-ball defender. I mean, you literally can find like one piece of video from Iverson where he got beat. I mean, that's good when they find the one guy that crossed you up.

Joy with the News. Well, that's the news. And thanks for stopping by. The Heard Line News. Nick Wright calls first things first. Now joining me as he does every Wednesday. Brought you by Mercedes-Benz, the best or nothing. So the Aaron Rogers story today is pretty interesting

is that without confusing the audience, they basically gave him a check and they didn't want to rework it for cap space, meaning we drafted a quarterback and they don't want to offend Aaron. But I was saying this, people forget that when Farr, when the Packers moved off Fav,

they were 13 and 3. They got to an NFC championship. He had his best. year in a decade, and he was a pro-Bowler, that Green Bay is almost cynical toward money and stardom. That's not what they do. They develop players. They take great. It's the Midwest small-town ethos. You're a Midwest guy. And Kansas City thinks that. Green Bay doubles and triples down on it. And I look at it and I think, it's not hard to figure out here. They're moving off Aaron fairly quickly. This is not a real debate, right?

Yeah, and that's why despite nearly 30 uninterrupted years of Fav and Rogers, they have been to three Super Bowls and won two, because they have squandered and they have been more worried about staying good than being great. And Rogers is going to continue to feel, call it anxious, if not a little paranoid, but it's not paranoid if they're actually out to get you. as long as Jordan Love's on that roster, Colin. And so, listen, if I were advising Brian Guttencunst, I would say, listen, man, maybe Jordan Love's going to be the next Aaron Rogers, but more likely than not, he's just going to bounce around the league as a fringe starter.

That's usually what happens with late first-round pick quarterbacks. Yeah. So here's what you should do. You should trade him to a team like, I don't know, Atlanta for their second round pick. You should use your first-round pick and trade for Odell Beckham Jr. You should go out in free agency, and I don't know, bring back a guy like Casey Hayward

or you probably never should have let go to the Chargers. And you should go all in right now because you're 26 and 6th the last two years, you're in back-to-back in FC championship games, and you're very close. And it is over, staying good is overrated, and being great for a short period of time is underrated. Your beloved Tampa Bay Bucks understand that. They are mortgaging all of the mid-2020s for the right now as they should. The Packers need to take a page out of that book, Kyle.

I was saying this to start the show is that I follow mock drafts. Everybody's into something, right? And I like, I follow them. Tampa's the only team that is not addressing a need. They're literally drafting for depth. People are like, well, defensive line, if Indomacan Sue doesn't come back, oh, he is. I mean, literally they're just drafting for depth, maybe a running back. I said this morning, the only New England team close to this was 2007.

They had eight pro bowlers, but three on the offensive line. This is the most talented team Brady's ever played on. I mean, I honestly think that this morning. I understand why you think that. I also think we are being a little reactionary to the Super Bowl as opposed to the entire of Tampa's playoff run where they were up five. points against Washington in the fourth quarter and Washington had the football against Taylor Heineke before Heineke got hurt. They were, in my opinion, struggling mightily against the Saints

until Drew Brees really unfortunately in the final half of his career melted down and the Packers had every opportunity to beat them. I respect and appreciate what Tampa's doing. I think they're doing the right thing. I think they should be doubling down. But I also think think you are relying on a lot of older and aging players, particularly on the defensive side of the ball, to get through another year as healthy as they did last year. I know Vita Vaya got hurt and have the same level of production. So I'm not criticizing their offseason, but I think Tampa's going to go into the year big time favorites to get back to and win the Super Bowl, and that's not a bet I'm willing to make, even though as we sit here right now at the end of March,

they do look loaded and I've got to give Jason Light their GM credit. I didn't think they'd ever be able to keep all their top free agents and they've kept all their top free agents and we'll see if they're interested in keeping AB. You know, we were saying this that every year in the draft, there is a player in the NFL draft that just doesn't look like a college player. Chase Young, just draft him. Quentin Nelson. You can't draft a guard that high.

He's the best guard in the league by a second year. Kyle Pitts at Florida. Zion was like that. Zion didn't look like a college athlete. Zion, you know, in the NBA, most college kids come in. They get thinner because the travel, the sleep, they're struggling to keep weight on young players. Zion looks like he's been in an NBA weight room for 15 years. Are you even a little surprised at how dominant a score he's become? I'm a little, listen, you and I were as high on Zion as anybody, as any two people in America.

You and I both said when he was at Duke, he right at Duke was a top 25 NBA player. He just wasn't in the NBA yet. And pardon me, folks were worried about his weight. They were worried about all this foolishness. And it's like, well, he's just stronger and can jump higher than anybody I've ever seen. And that seems to be useful in the NBA. I think he's going to be okay. What I am surprised about is that he is scoring at this level at,

at 60% from the field. We've never, and by the way, the biggest criticism with the Pelicans, and I like Stan Van Gundy, but they need to have, and Brandon Ingram had a really good game last night, I think he had 36, it was a good revenge game for him against the Lakers,

but they need to have a come-to-Jesus moment and make sure Brandon Ingram knows, this ain't your team, man, because I'm sick, honestly, I'm sick of seeing Zion Williamson went nine for 13. He needs to be going 12 for 21. So many times you look at the box score, it's like, oh, Zion had 26 points on 11 shots.

And so I'm a little surprised they're not letting things run through him more often. And I think that's one of the reasons that they've had some late game failures. And I'm also a little surprised that nobody has been able to slow him down. Like I thought he'd be a 20 point a game guy immediately. I didn't think it would be at what is record-breaking efficiency. Yeah. So LeBron's second big injury in three years. He is older.

Maybe it's just a coincidence. But I've seen this before. He does now. He doesn't have quite the stamina. The bubble was great for him. Four and a half months off. He looked like a completely different player defensively in the bubble last year. He was more arrested.

He's human. What do you make of the injury? Where does it sit with you? Is it the sign of age that Brady hasn't quite shown yet? Oh, if it would have been another soft tissue injury like the groin, then I'd walk down that path with you more readily. This to me was, you know, a guy rolls into his leg, you look at it, and I think Brandon Marshall said this on Monday, and he's right,

I think for most guys, this is a torn ACL. If you look at how his knee flexes, I think LeBron was pretty lucky to get out of this with just a high ankle sprain. What it means for the Lakers is, when he comes back, they're going to be in seventh or eighth place. Right. And I don't know how much they care about standings. They won the title last year with zero home games,

so I don't think they have to worry about not having home court. But they are going to have to grind at the end of the year because until AD comes back, with no LeBron and no AD, that's a bad roster. But, Colin, can I just throw something at you? because I think you'll enjoy because you saw what happened after he got hurt, right?

Right. So he gets hurt and he has seven points. At that point, he had scored 10 points in 1,035 consecutive games, longest streak in NBA history by a mile.

They called timeout to take him out. And me, thanks, LeBron knew he had seven points and said, guys, I think I got one more shot in me. Because he went back in the game, hit his one and only shot at corner three,

to get to 10 points. Then they called another time out, and now he's out a month. So I'm not saying that was a higher degree of difficulty and more clutch shot than Jordan's against Utah. All I am saying is that was game six that Jordan did his. They were going to have a game seven even if he missed. LeBron was going to be a streak over. He's been working on the streak since 2007, and he nails it.

So I'm just saying, just add that to the little legacy bar. He suffers his second injury ever. has the self-awareness. I need to hit a three to get to 10 points. I can do that even though I basically have a broken leg. It's like Tiger, the Masters. Broken legs still can do it. I won't make that leap, but I think it is a fascinating point made by Nick Wright. It's what people are saying. I'm hearing it. It's what I'm hearing. I'm hearing it's more, it's like the Ray Allen shot, the Michael Jordan shot, and LeBron's three in the corner against the Hawks in the second quarter in March. I think that's the list.

All right. If that's how it lands for you, it makes me happy. Nick Wright, first things first. Pleasure to see you, buddy. I do appreciate it. Coming up next. Coming up next. Joy and I were talking about this. So we all know, right?

There are good pilots. You think when you get on a plane, it's a capable pilot. But there are better pilots. Sully landed on water. Not every pilot can do that. It's the same in the NFL with the cap. Some people work the cap, and a lot of teams get worked by the cap. And I'll give you a great example of this.

It's got to be discouraging for people in Chicago. Listen. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays in noon Eastern, 9 a.m. Pacific. What's up, everyone? It's me three-time NFL All-Pro Sean Mariner. And I have a new sports podcast called The Lights Out Podcast with Sean Mariner. This podcast is special to me as I get a chance to talk to some of the best we've ever done it on the field or the track. So whether it's talking to a Super Bowl champion or a NASCAR Cup Series champion,

The Lights Out Podcast will bring it to you the only way I know how to. I'm giving you the best insight from the best who's ever done it. Listen to Lights Out with Sean Merriman on the IHeart Radio app or wherever you get your podcast. 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, 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. Trip Fontaine, Ryan Clark. Sometimes when we're in the pursuit of the thing, we get so wrapped up in the chase

that we don't realize that we are in possession of the thing. And we're still chasing it. And we don't know when we've done enough. Because people scoreboard watch. Life becomes about wins and losses. Steve Burns, Dustin Ross. Because you find it important to be a good person while you hear on earth.

Are you a good person because you're afraid? Because that's two different intentions, bro. Absolutely. And that's two different. and levels of trust. I want you to just really be a good person. Join me, Kear Gaines, as we have real conversations

about healing, growth, fatherhood, pressure, and purpose on my new podcast, learn the hard way. Open your free iHeartRadio app. Search, learn the hard way, and listen now. Do you remember when Diana Ross

double-tap little Kim's boobs at the VMAs? Or when Kanye said that George Bush didn't like black people. I know what you're thinking. What the hell does George Bush got to do with Little Kim? Well, you can find out

on the Look Back at it podcast. I'm Sam J. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick 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, this is the second episode where we've discussed crack.

So I'm starting to see that there's a through line. We also have AIDS on the table right now. Thank you for finishing that sentence. 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, Veteran-owned coffee company serves premium coffee to people who love America. Check it out, black rifle coffee.com slash heard 20% off your first coffee club order. So Joy went to the dentist for three hours this past week. I went yesterday, and it is amazing. I fell into a dentist. I got recommended. My dentist is amazing. The gap between good dentist and average dentist is a mile.

I have gone to dentist for my whole life, like all of you, and a cleaning can be painful. I could have now a cavity replaced. I could do this show while he's doing it. He's so good. The lasers, his staff, the equipment, the intelligence. He always gives me, you know, kind of a lecture on what to do with your mouth and how it's tied to your stomach. He's just better than every other dentist. And it's not particularly close.

And yesterday they're doing a, you know, doing their stuff. And I'm just sitting there thinking, this is the, this is like, this is first, this is like the Dubai Air, Emirates Airlines of Airlines. Like you can shower on it. You can, you can watch movies. They have a gym. It's like, you know, but it's funny about this in the NFL. We all know there's great coaching. staffs and then there's average coaching staffs. We all know that. We know clearly there are

great scouting departments, saints, and then they're not great scouting departments. This works with the cap too. The salary cap is very confusing, but some teams, think about the saints. The saints have gone from a hundred million over the cap to cap compliant in three weeks. Why? Because they got a guy named Kai Harley, who is supposed to be a genius. So this guy named Kai Harley with the Saints is, he's a master. It's just he's, he manipulates the cap and most of the league gets manipulated by the cap. And I'll give you a great example. Tampa's resigning everybody. It's an all-star team. Donovan Smith, Chris Godwin, Brady, Gronk, Shaq, Shaq Barrett, LeMane, David. These are like elite players that they Chicago though and one of the reasons Tampa could do it is well they don't pay Brady anything well

Chicago doesn't pay Andy Dalton anything they don't Chicago pays one skill person Alan Robinson they don't pay their quarterback anything they don't pay their offensive line much they don't pay their tight end anything they don't pay their backs much and they had to let go of their best corner Kyle Fuller and by the way not only did Chicago let him go there's a nine million dollar dead cap hit for it They don't know what they're doing. Chicago's front office does not know what they're doing. They had to let go of their best secondary player. Why? They're not paying Andy Dolan anything. They weren't paying Mitch Trimisky anything. Why?

They don't know what they're doing. So, I mean, Tampa literally, they're stacked in defensive line. They're stacked at wide receiver. They're stacked at tied in. They're gifted in the secondary. They're loaded at edge rush. They have a pro bowl kicker. It's just, it's the reality.

You could give two families $100 and say get food. And one family with $100 could get enough food for a week. Another family would buy gummy bears and luncheables and by Tuesday no food for the kids. Like some people don't know how to work a budget. Some people don't know how to work a kitchen. Some people don't know how to buy groceries. You go to the grocery store. You've been behind somebody.

You're like, his bill's 80. and that stuff's out in three days and then you watch the person that comes up with vegetables and they've gone green and it's produce and you're like that you can feed a family for seven, eight days with that. It's the same in the NFL. Chicago didn't know what they're doing.

If Andy Dalton's your quarterback and you're paying him $10 million and you have to let go with your best corner and it's a $9 million dead cap hit, get a new capologist. I got a new dentist. It's not that hard. It's a couple of calls. Hour two coming up next.

Another podcast from some SNL late night comedy guy, Not quite. Unhumor me with Robert Smygel and friends. Me and hilarious guests from Bob Odenkirk to David Letterman help make you funnier. This week, my guest, S&L's Mikey Day and head writer Streeter Seidel help an a cappella band with their between songs banter. Where does your group perform? We do some retirement homes. Those people are starving for banter.

Listen to humor me with Robert Smigel and Friends on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not. not only legal, but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast's Superhuman documented it all,

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

Yep, that's me, Clivert Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, my basketball and college football journey, or my career in sports media. Well, now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfilled conversations with athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. So let's get to it. Listen to The Clifford Show on the IHeard Radio app, Apple Podcast,

or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford, and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. Hey, what's good, y'all? You're listening to Learn the Hardway 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 not to be played with. And just because you have the capability that does not mean that you need to, Listen to learn the hard way on the IHard radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. This is an IHart podcast.

Guaranteed human.