The Herd with Colin Cowherd - 06/03/2021 - Best of The Herd

Episode Date: June 3, 2021

Colin tries to make sense of the Clippers after another surprising loss and why this has everything to do with Kawhi Leonard’s personality. He marvels at the excellence of Luka Doncic and what the Mavericks need to do in order to win a title. He talks to Heisman Trophy winner Doug Flutie about the return of the USFL. Plus, legendary Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski joins the show to discuss his decision to retire after 41 seasons.   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. Hey, what's good, y'all? You're listening to Learn the Hard Way with your favorite therapist and host Kear Games.

This space is about black men's experiences, having honest conversations that it's really not safe to have anywhere, but you're having them with a licensed professional who knows what he's doing. How many men carry a suit or armor? It signals to the world that you're not to be played with. And just because you have the capability that does not mean that you need to. Listen and learn the hard way on the AHA radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what you're saying.

Yep, that's me, Cliver Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, my basketball and college football journey, or my career in sports media. Well, now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfiltered conversation. with athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. So let's get to it. Listen to the Clifford show on the IHeard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok podcast network on TikTok.

Thanks for listening to The 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 Heard at Fox Sports Radio.com or stream us live every day on the iHeart Radio app by searching Herd. This is the best of the herd with Colin Cowherd on Fox Sports Radio. Here we go on a Thursday. Live in Los Angeles, it's the herd. Wherever you may be and however you may be listening,

IHeartRadio, Fox Sports Radio, and FS1, Uncle Colin bet the hawks last night and the Mavs and was this close to betting the jazz. I couldn't tell you the last time I went 3 and 0 on bet. So lunch on me today. Uncle Colin is, I got cash pouring out of my pockets this morning. Well, I owe you a sub. Yeah. What bet that I beat you on?

Tebow. Tebow. They'd start talking about it. And Nick Wright bet me on the Hawks. So he did. You guys did do a separate bet. Well, he set it on the air, so I count that. Oh, okay. Yeah, that's fair.

So Atlanta rolled. I don't know how far they'll go against the Sixers, but it was a fun night. I got home last night. My house is being rehabbed. It's a disaster. I've had the refrigerator in the dining room. for now a month and a half. I'm over it.

So last night I got a little sushi and sat for four hours and watched NBA basketball joy. And we're getting very close to Kabloom time for the Clippers. So they lost their third straight playoff home game. Yet they've won all their playoff road games. That doesn't make any sense. It's Kauai's team. Kauai's teams don't make any sense. Shocker, they were awful.

late in the game last night. Listen, both L.A. teams have a hole. It's going to be a very sad weekend in L.A. The Lakers hole is health. Some of that is random. The Clippers hole is chemistry. But I kind of think, you know, this is the way it is. If AD is going to be your guy, you're just going to be Heartbreak Hotel.

And if Kauai is your guy, you're not very verbal. Statistically, the Clippers are the only really good team in the NBA that is atrocious late in games. And they were atrocious last night. Rondo's yelling at Kauai. Why is Airball on it? They were just a mess. You become your star in the NBA.

It's the smallest roster of any professional sport. Soccer rosters are bigger. Hockey rosters, baseball roster. It's a very small roster. So the star, whether it's on the plane, meeting rooms or on the floor, the star dictates the temperature of the room. You become your star. Magic Johnson's teams were fun and joyful. Steph's teams are clever and offensive-minded.

Michael Jordan's teams were relentless. Tim Duncan's teams were quiet, methodical. Birds teams were blue-collar tough. You become your star. It's a tiny, tiny locker room. 13 guys, seven really play. You become your star. Well, we have discovered with Kauai,

San Antonio in Toronto, he wasn't the foundation. the assassin that walks in and hits the shot. We've discovered when he's the foundation, your team is weird. The Clippers are an enigma. Kauai is. He doesn't communicate. Is he playing tonight? Or is he resting?

Is he guarding Luca or not? Who knows? He doesn't talk. He doesn't have press conferences. You have no idea. Last night in key situations in the third and fourth. He's on the bench. Not talking.

I'm watching him during timeout. He's not talking. LeBron. Magic. He doesn't talk. You don't know. they've become Kauai. They win all the road games.

They lose all their home playoff games. What? That makes no sense. It also makes no sense that last year the Clippers go into the bubble with the deepest roster and literally fall apart. We're sitting here going, what? They go like 10 deep. It makes no sense this year. All this talent.

They are the worst clutch team in the NBA statistically that's in the playoffs. In clutch time games this year, in the playoffs. Look at this. They shoot 18% from the floor, their 0 and 3 and minus 22. This is for one of the top five teams in the league. That makes no sense. So it's one of these things where I think when it's hard to, the clippers to me are hard to explain. They can't win at home.

They went on the road. Why are they terrible late? Why last year was the chemistry so bad? Doc Rivers teams always have great chemistry. Doc Rivers finally had a team. Blake Griffin and Chris Paul couldn't stand each other. They still had pretty good chemistry. We found that DeAndre Jordan and Chris Ball couldn't stand each other.

We never talked to tell them about chemistry. So I think if the foundation of your house is Kauai, it's a haunted house. You can live in a haunted house. I mean, unless it's Amnibald horror, you can live in a haunted house. But there's just, I don't think you're ever going to quite feel with the clippers that you have all the answers. in the last two years since Kauai's gotten there, they are a riddle wrapped in an enigma. There's no reason they're that bad latent games.

There's no reason the chemistry was terrible. Even Kauai's injury in San Antonio was shrouded in mystery. Suddenly, the one player in Popovich's entire coaching career that wouldn't listen to the doctors. Remember Kauai went to Toronto. They were going to give him like a penthouse suite. He didn't talk much. He was kind of a loner.

He's a great player. But you become your star. It's the smallest roster in American professional sports. And I can't get my arms around the clippers. I just don't trust them. They don't talk much. Rondo, Paul George, Montrez, they shipped him out. Kauai Leonard, new coach.

Still, same old issues. Let's talk Luca, though. Luca is remarkable. Luca was playing professional basketball in Europe at 14. Now, I just want you to think about that for a second. Let that bake. At 14, I was just moving out of playing with Legos. I had just graduated post-Legos.

I still watched cartoons. Luca is now 22. Luca and LeBron James are the best 22-year-old basketball players in my life. Luca came into the NBA and averaged 21 points a game at 19. Just think about that. Now, he's not a very good defensive player, but he's the best offensive player in my life I have ever seen at 22. LeBron is the best athlete I've ever seen at my life.

At 22, he led his team to a final. 6-9, 250. He used to chase people down, block the ball off the backboard. He stopped doing it about six, seven years ago. Now, Magic was close, but Magic wasn't a great score at 22, 18 a game, and plus Magic inherited Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. That's not fair. So let's just take magic out.

When you inherit Karim Abdul-Jabbar, that is not fair. It's Lucas' team. It was LeBron's team. The pressure every night for you to score, to defend to make the play. But here's the key on this, and it's fascinating. Cleveland could never, ever get LeBron a Pippin, a Robin, a two. And Mark Cuban could never get Dirk a two. Steve Nash was great once he left.

Portland's never, seven, eight years. been able to get Dame a two. And I think it's harder than ever to get a two. Because it used to be if you got a college kid, he had been in college for three or four years, you had so much tape on him, you knew, you had so many scouts that had surrounded him. You knew if he was temperamental, you knew his game.

When you give an NBA scout four years of tape, you better not whiff. Now guys get like, if they get any college tape, it's 30 games and maybe eight where there was an NBA player other than the guy you're drafting on the floor. Some of these guys are out of high school or they go to the G League. It is hard. I mean, Michael Jordan didn't get Scotty Pippen for like four or five years.

And by the way, they got lucky to get Pippen. It was a trade with Seattle with Olden Polynes. And that was in an era. I think it was easier to get a two. You were looking at three and four years of college tape. You kind of knew what a guy could do and what a guy couldn't do after a hundred college games. Now you get 30. And back then, there were all sorts of NBA guys in college.

So if you watch Michael Jordan's tape, he would guard NBA players. He was defended by NBA players. Now you watch, you know, Jalen Sugs for Gonzaga. He didn't face an NBA guy until like the last two games of his college. career, maybe like a UCLA or a Baylor. So I just think it's harder than ever. And Mark Cuban's a really smart guy, but he could, Porzengis is not it. You can't trust him physically.

He's a three, not a two. And Mark's really smart. He's a business guy. But think about all those great Dallas team. They could never, in an easier era, find Durka, two. Portland's got smart people running the organization. They can't find Dame a two. And, you know, I just, I look around right now with Luca.

when you get a Luca, you basically are getting Josh Allen and Mahomes. You are going to be excellent for 12 years. But the difference is in the NFL draft, good God, there are pro bowlers in the fourth round, in the fifth round, Tom Brady in the sixth round. Half the league is undrafted. Doesn't work that way with the NBA draft. You are out of players by about the 14th pick. You are, I mean, the number of guys who have been stars in the second round is tiny.

Manu Genoblee, Draymond Green. It's pretty tight. Yokic, obviously, there's some. So I'm fascinated to watch. Cleveland could never find LeBron a two. Portland hasn't done it. Mark couldn't do it with Dirk. This kid's Mahomes.

This kid's Josh Allen. Can they find him a two? In an era where I think it is, maybe you have to go buy a two. They tried to do that with Porzingis, but he's a three. So they overpaid to get Porzengis, he's not a two. If he's your two, you're not winning champion. chips. If he's your three, you can win him. Really interested. But he is Luca and LeBron. I've never seen 22-year-olds that good. Never. Now, now, fourth quarter, he's a little tentative.

I don't think he trusts himself at the free throw line late in games, a little tentative late. It's okay. I mean, LeBron first at 22 years old, LeBron was still figuring out defense in the, LeBron can block shots, but he wasn't the same player defensively. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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 IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. 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's big to me, not just because of crack. I'm down to talk about crack all 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. I don't think there's a more important year for black people. Really? Yeah. For me, it's one of the most important years for black people in American history. Listen to look back at it on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Welcome to my new podcast, Learn the Hard Way with me, your host, and your favorite therapist, Kear Games. And in recognition of Mental Health Awareness Month, I'm bringing over a decade of my own experience in the mental health field and conversations with so many incredible guests. I'm talking. Trip Fontaine, Ryan Clark. Sometimes when we're in the pursuit of the thing, we get so wrapped up in the chase that we don't realize that we

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

you're afraid? Because that's two different intentions, bro. Absolutely. And that's two different levels of trust. I want you to just really be a good person. Join me, Keer Gaines, as we have real conversations about healing, growth, fatherhood, pressure,

and purpose on my new podcast, learn the hard way. Open your free, our heart radio app. Search, learn the hard way, and listen now. The Lakers season can be summed up like this. Tonight, the sons win if Anthony Davis doesn't play.

Or the Suns, win if Anthony Davis plays but is really, really limited. Or the Lakers win, in my opinion tonight, if Anthony Davis plays 38 to 40 minutes and is just relentless and unbelievable. Good luck. He's got a groin strain. I think the Lakers season ends tonight. Anthony Davis talks about his injury and playing tonight and going forward.

Hopefully, you know, all the rehab. and treatment that I'm doing, you know, pays off. And, you know, the doctors clear me to go tomorrow. That's what we want. So, you know, like I say, getting more treatment tonight tomorrow and kind of talks to the doctors before a game after, before and after our shoot. And hopefully everything comes back good where they clear me. So that's what we would open for.

He was grimacing in warm-ups a couple of days. go. Listen, I didn't mention LeBron's name in the three outcomes tonight because this team, LeBron's averaging 22 points in the playoffs. This team has won two games, the Lakers, and both times Anthony Davis has been a monster. That's how they win tonight. The Lakers have become the Sixers. You just, if the big fella's healthy, you like their chances. Listen, what we have in the NBA right now, and I'm not sure the reasons why, there are point guards everywhere. Some teams have two. Paul Booker. I mean, it is, Derek Rose is 32 with 48-year-old knees. He's productive. John Morant, Dame, Steph, Donovan Mitchell, Luca, Trey Young, Chris Paul, Booker. There are guards

everywhere in the planet. Next year, there's more good ones in the draft. There are guards everywhere and wings everywhere. There are about four great bigs on the planet. Janus, M. B. A. D. Yokic. That's about it. And by the way, and by the way, A.D. doesn't even like playing center. He'd rather play four. So you get into a situation. I thought Philadelphia should have moved off and be two years ago because we have a clear pattern. When bigs get hurt early, they get hurt a lot. It doesn't get better with big bodies. You would think in football because they tackle each other that there'd be a lot of injuries. But football players by and large are 6'4 or under. I'm 6'2. I think I'm fairly, I'm taller than the average American, but it's, it's,

I don't have a unique body type. You're talking about a league where players are seven feet tall and Porzingis is seven four, whatever. It's a different league. KD, seven feet, Yokic. These guys get hurt a lot. These are unique body types. And we ask a lot of basketball players.

They play on a hard surface. They crash to it and play 82 games this year 72, condensed schedule and then go 25 games in the playoff. And shocker that baseball pitchers, who we asked to throw a hundred miles an hour. You're not supposed to throw anything that hard and basketball players get hurt more than football players do because of the body sizes and what we ask them to do. So I look at the Lakers and the Sixers and I feel the exact same way. If the Big Fell is healthy, probably going to win. But you end up, it's a walk on thin ice. You can never be overconfident. You can never feel

great. I'm not trying to blame anybody, but this is the reality. of what the Sixers and the Lakers have become. You have this rare, unique body type on the planet. When they're good, they're unstoppable. I mean, unstoppable. But my guess is tonight, AD plays, tries to play. Season on the line is not terribly effective. I'll never predict he's going to get hurt.

But I would say he'll be limited. There'll be some pain. The sons win the game. The sons win the series. on. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays in noon Eastern 9 a.m. Pacific. Hey, it's me, Rob Parker. Check out my weekly MLB podcast Inside the Parker for 22 minutes of piping hot

baseball talk featuring the biggest names and newsmakers in the sport. Whether you believe in analytics or the eye test, we've got all the bases covered. New episodes drop every Thursday. So do yourself a favor and listen to Inside the Parker, with Rob Parker on the IHartRadio app or wherever you get your podcast. A win is a win. A win is a win.

I don't care what you're saying. Yep, that's me, 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 friends, 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. podcast or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. 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 IHeart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. 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 Jek. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick you here, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it.

Including a recent episode with Mark Lamont Hill, waxing all about crack in the 80s. To be clear, 84 was big to me, not just because of crack. I'm down to talk about crack all day, but just so you all know. I mean, at this point, Mark, this is the second episode where we've discussed crack, so I'm starting to see that there's a through line. We also have AIDS on the table right now, so. Thank you for finishing that sentence.

Yes, I don't think there's a more important year for black people. Really? Yeah. For me, it's one of the most important years for black people in American history. Listen to look back at it on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Welcome to my new podcast, Learn the Hard Way with me, your host, and your favorite therapist, Kear Games. And in recognition of Mental Health Awareness Month, I'm bringing over a decade of my own experience in the mental health field and conversations with so many incredible guests. I'm talking, Tripp Fontaine, Ryan Clark. Sometimes when we're in the pursuit of the thing, We get so wrapped up in the chase that we don't realize that we are in possession of the thing.

And we're still chasing it. And we don't know when we've done enough. Because people scoreboard watch. Life becomes about wins and losses. Steve Burns, Dustin Ross, because you find it important to be a good person while you hear on earth. Are you a good person because you're afraid? Because that's two different intentions, bro. Absolutely.

And that's two different levels of trust. I want you to just really be a good person. Join me, Keir Gaines, as we have real conversations about healing, growth, fatherhood, pressure, and purpose on my new podcast, Learn the Hardway. Open your free iHeartRadio app. Search Learn the Hardway and listen now. Aaron Rogers is showing, for the first time in his career, a real stomach for being disliked. He likes to be liked. He and KD, what they call rabbit ears, they can get a little defensive with critical. criticism. We've seen it with both. Aaron now has gotten empowered. Well, he's dating a Hollywood celebrity. Well, he's been doing that for years. Well, he's making a lot of money now. He's been

doing that for a year. Well, he just, yeah, he's got to the NFC championship. He's been doing that for years. What's changed? What's changed is the Packers drafted Jordan Love, his heir apparent. And Aaron has watched him and knows football and knows what he sees. Aaron's got no real replacement. So yesterday, Packers, no more 7 on 7. This was 11 on 11. Jordan Love was sacked twice, threw a pick,

and on seven consecutive snaps, threw it to running backs, check down six times. Matt Lafleur once again with word salad. Today was the first time that we've had a competitive period that wasn't seven on seven. So I think there was definitely some learning for everybody on the offense aside. It was a little bit of a rough day for the offense. But typically this time of the year, I think that's pretty normal, you know, just in terms of the defense is typically ahead of,

ahead of your offense. And so, you know, we'll take a look at the tape. And, um, but I think he's, he's really attacking it the right way. Whatever. Can I be concerned? Jordan Love had 31 college starts. 31. In a generation of seven on seven leagues, quarterback camps, personal quarterback

coaches, passing camps, year two, struggling it. Practice. Seven consecutive snaps check down six times to running backs. Justin Herbert, Joe Burrow, had no OTAs, had no preseason. And I could certainly argue less talented coaches or offensive lines. Those were bad old lines. They threw for 300 plus yards multiple times. In fact, I went last year I went and looked up quotes from some quarterback. first time you saw him at camp. This is what they said about Joe Burrell, first scrimmage. He had his first scrimmage the other day.

Nearly flawless in his execution. Sounds like the arm strength, better than anticipated. Big things for Joe Burrell, who will be a day one starter and was really good behind a battle line. This is what they said about, you want to do Justin Herbert, first practices. quote, you know, we talked about it when we drafted him as athletic ability, rare for his size, but to see it in person, the type of throws he's been making in practice, very impressive. Heck of a job staying in the pocket when the pressure is coming. Hasn't flinched.

By the way, Herbert had the highest passer rating in the NFL last year of all quarterbacks under pressure. They saw it initially in practice. Doesn't flinch. DeShone Watson, he's pretty good. Bill O'Brien. That's what Bill O'Brien said. First practices, first scrimmage. Once we got to OTAs, he was able to operate the line of scrimmage right away.

Operate in the huddle, right away. That stood out to me right away. You know what he was right away? Good. Okay. Like, I just don't think, I mean, this kid's got 31 college starts. He'd been around the operation, the playbook for well, over a year.

And he is 11 on 11 struggling against the Packer defense he sees in practice. He's like, who knows who can play and who can't. 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. The future of both Duke and North Carolina. I mean, you can certainly make an argument last 20 years, last 30. Those are the two best college basketball programs in America.

Of course. And then the coaches both are stepping down one recently and one next year. Will they both thrive going forward or who will thrive more? And I felt I needed to give an opinion on this. Of course. That's what we do. So if you love college basketball, you can't really take the emotion out of it. But I'm going to describe Duke the university.

Not the basketball program. I'm going to describe what Duke is. these words or terms, private, exclusive, small, elite academically, tiny arena. And ask yourself, does that sound like a college football or basketball power? No, that's not how we describe Ohio State football, Alabama football, private, small, exclusive, elite academically, tiny arena. Now let me describe North Carolina. State school, public, massive revenue producing arena. Good school, little less intense academically.

Michael Jordan connection. Now take out the Michael Jordan thing. I just described Ohio State football, Alabama football, Florida sports, state school, public, huge revenue producing. Good school, little less intense, not private. not, not. Duke has been around since 1905, the basketball program. Coach K has half their wins. Duke is not built to be as great as they are. They just got a once-in-a-lifetime basketball genius. North Carolina has won three titles with three different basketball coaches. They're the big state school. They're public. massive revenue.

So my takeaway is replacing Dean Smith or Roy Williams is hard. Replacing Mike Shoshchevsky's impossible. Nobody will, nobody has ever replaced John Wooden at UCLA. Nobody will ever replace Nick Saban at Alabama. You'll have a good coach. You'll never get Saban. That is a once in a lifetime coach. By the way, Dean Smith and Roy Williams are great.

I'm not knocking it. But Roy Williams, if tomorrow Bill Self wanted to leave Kansas, you'd have a replacement. You'd be fine. I mean, I think Hubert Davis will win a bunch of games. You can replicate mostly Roy Williams, not a lot of them, maybe six or seven. There is no Mike Shoshchewski. If you knew his life story, his hard scrabble life, what he grew up with, his determination, his intellect, there are no Mike Shishvsky's. there are no more Nick Sabins.

You're not going to get a Bill Belichick whose mother spoke seven languages and whose dad wrote the book on scouting. They'll never be a Belichick. They'll be good coaches. They'll never be a Belichick. There are no more Tiger Woods. There's not. There are once in a generation.

So I think Carolina will remain a basketball power. I think Duke could win a bunch of games. But if you think you can just move a Duky guy in, it doesn't work that way. Carolina has won a bunch of football games and a bunch of bowl games with a lot of football coaches, and they've won basketball titles with three different coaches. And my guess with Hubert Davis, eventually they'll win a fourth. But, you know, we always, we don't appreciate greatness quite as much as we should. A lot of people in golf complained about Tiger.

That's all the network show. The documentary about Tiger is more interesting than any current golfer not named Phil Mickelson. The documentary about Michael Jordan is more interesting that all. about three NBA players. The documentary. Like, there is no other Coach K. The market doesn't have him. And I say that with respect to a dozen great coaches in college basketball. But there are, you know, the Haley's Comet. It just comes around very rarely.

Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays in noon Eastern, 9 a.m. Pacific on Fox Sports Radio, FS1, and the IHard Radio app. Doug Flutie was available to go to the NFL when you had to be six, four to be a quarterback. Those were the rules. Doug Flutie goes to Canadian football and is arguably the most dominant player in the history of the league six-time MVP, most outstanding player. They won three great cups. In college, you won the Heisman trophy at Boston College. Now, let's just say this.

Nobody wins the Heisman at Boston College. That's not the way it works. You're at Notre Dame. He did. goes to the USFL, star, goes to the NFL, go look up his numbers. Doug Flutie could flat play. He's a pro bowler, comeback player of the year. Nobody is as well-traveled from high school to college, Canadian, USFL, NFL,

dude won everywhere. But he had to overcome the, well, Doug's, you know, he's 510, 5, 9, just a different world. Doug Flutie is available today on the market. He's a first round pick. There's no question about it. He's a first round pick. and Doug, the former USFL star. USFL's coming back to Fox.

This time next year, joins us live. Look at that hat. Okay. So take me back. If I'd never seen the USFL, share with my audience what it was like. USFL came out and was playing in the spring. It was an option to NFL players at the time because there was no leverage in the NFL. So the USFL started stealing a lot of NFL players.

It was NFL caliber football. Jim Kelly, Steve Young, myself, Herschel Walker. Kent Holt was our center. Kent was a perennial pro bowl or as a center with Buffalo. You name it. There was talent. The year after the USFL folded up, 15 USFL players played in the NFL Pro Bowl. Wow.

It was NFL football. No doubt about it. But the difference was we were playing in the spring. And in the spring, we had our football. own audience. We had a contract with ABC. We were on national TV. Some of the franchises did extremely well. The problem is it was a small league. So the lower tier teams that don't win don't draw and they lose money. The higher tier teams did exceptionally well. We did well, Baltimore, Jacksonville, drew. And that's why there are teams in Baltimore and Jacksonville today, because of

the success of the USFL back in those cities, putting football back in those cities. And, you know, it was the problem was that the top half the league had to pull the bottom of a half league along. Yeah. By the way, I watched the XFL last year, and Doug, I strongly believe had the pandemic not hit, it would have worked. The ratings were actually, Joy and I talked about it, shockingly good. I've always believed spring football can work. And I also think in a weird way, I don't know if the USFL at Fox will be like this, but if I was an NFL, I'd kind of like it.

it's almost like it's better than college. I can see if Doug Flutie can play, right? Absolutely. It can be a testing ground for those marginal guys. It can be a testing ground for guys that maybe you drafted them late ground and they didn't make your roster, but you're not sure because you didn't have time. All those types think. The fact that they're playing in the spring, people love football.

The bottom line is we all love watching football. And if it's real football on the spread, people watch spring games, Colin. Spring games, it's tough. football. It's like the coaches cringe. It's not really a game. They don't even hit each other anymore. And you get 50,000 people in the stands and people watching it on TV. People love football, the exposure in the spring. It could be a feeder ground for the NFL, but the plan would be within five, six years to be, you know, competing for players. You know, what's interesting about this, Doug, there's two reasons why I think the USFL is going to work. Gambling is

exploded. It gives us something else to bet on. The second thing, is there's more good quarterbacks than ever now because of quarterback camps and seven on seven. They got to go somewhere. We're seeing four and five guys. I mean, seriously, Doug, it used to be if you could get, I mean, seriously, one great quarterback in the first round, maybe two. There's the L-Way Marino class. Good God, we got four and five guys now, right?

So I just think there's too many good quarterbacks in this world not to work in the USFL. Your thoughts on that? I agree. There's so many talented guys now that. They're taking it more seriously early on and the bigger numbers are coming out. But also the smaller guys that are running these spread offenses are having success. So the variance of offenses has allowed more guys to be successful at the position.

So you get the Kyler Murray's at 510 out there, balling on the NFL field, and you still have your Josh Allen's in Buffalo that are 6'4 and slinging it around. You know, it's just amazing that there's a lot more open-mindedness. now to how to run an offense and it's allowed more guys to be successful. So it's opened the door for the athletic quarterback as well. Let me ask an Aaron Rogers question. He's all over the news. He's sitting out, blah, blah, blah, blah.

And Green Bay is not budging. A lot of the criticism that Green Bay is, could you communicate? Just talk to him. It's not that difficult. And I say that. And I think, you know, Aaron can be sometimes. He's a star. He's a California guy, date celebrities.

Maybe Green Bay doesn't know us feel comfortable calling him before. drafts. When you were playing in the NFL, was communication ever a problem? Is there a divide between management and player? I was never in a position to be that guy to make it demand, to go to the front office and say, we should be drafting here or drafting there or I want out. I was just fighting for a roster spot. But I've never heard of Tom Brady going to the front office and say, we should be drafting this, drafting that. I just, the communication can be there. I think there is a disconnect. I think, you know, because when the day comes that you're, everyone's expendable at some point. So I don't see too many players, you know, NBA is different

because it's such a small number of guys. The players have a lot more say. Not, not so much in the NFL. Yeah. No, I think you're right. And especially now that we have so many good young quarterbacks, you know, I worry because Jordan Love has been there a year and he's struggling at practice. And I think to myself, God, he played 31 college games. It shouldn't take this long. I mean, Justin Herbert, Joe Burrow didn't even have camp last year and they were great. When would you know, would it concern you that Jordan Love's already been there a year and he's still not ready to play? I mean, did you see late developed? You were ready to play. You were a star in Canada, star USFL. Does it worry you about that? A little bit. I think that with all the offseason work

that these guys have these days, back in our day, you had a little bit of a mini camp, but you learned the offense in training camp. You learn now they have all offseason. They're working together and guys are up to speed right away and they're ready to play that first season because they have so much time in the off season and teams make a commitment to that guy. Now that being said, you need time on the field. Peyton Manning wasn't a star year one, right? It takes that playing time on the field, getting used to game situations, running your offense, calling the shots on the field to you work into that role. That's why back in our day, you sat the bench for a few years before even getting the opportunity. But they can see a lot of things, and Jordan loved during the offseason, and obviously

they're not solo in the fact that he is the next franchise guy. By the way, Reggie White, I was just thinking about it. Reggie White played in the USFL. 15 guys came from the USFL first year, made the Pro Bowl. That tells you the quality of it. By the way, one more USFL question. It's here on Fox starting next spring. You were about, did you, did you, did you, did you, did you? you run a lot? What were your stats like? You were on a winning team with the generals, I remember. What were your stats like? My stats were horrible. I swear I had a dead arm. I had played my college season, took three or four weeks off and went right into camp, and then played an 18 game season. And at the end of the year, Reggie White actually broke my collarbone. Oh, great.

So you bring up Reggie White. But we won because Herschel was it, Herschel Walker was their tailback at a 2,000-yard rushing season. I took off and ran a lot and made a bunch of first downs, completed a few balls. Actually, the second half of the season, my stats weren't bad. First half, they were horrible. But we got rolling, and then going into the playoffs, I broke my collarbone.

And we lose a playoff game, 6 to 3. Hey, it's great seeing. I can tell you, I can tell from the hair. You're hanging out at the beach. You look great, Doug. I appreciate you stopping by. Hey, thanks a lot, Colin. Great talk with it.

Be sure to catch live editions of the herd. days in noon Eastern 9 a.m. Pacific. Very, very lucky. When you look up Mike Shoshavsky's resume, you can't top it. 41 years at Duke, winning his coach in the history of the sport, most wins in the tournament,

12 final four appearances, a three-time Olympic gold medal. We talked about this yesterday. When you mention great basketball coaches, many people just list NBA guys. And I think Mike and Phil Jackson and Red Arbach, there's an argument to be made. Just

intellectually their ability to adapt through eras, it's Mount Rushmore stuff to me. I don't think of Mike as, I think of Mike as a basketball savant, and he's not going to admit that. He's going to roll his eyes at me like Joy often does. But Mike Shoshchewski is kind enough retiring after next year. Join us live now in the herd.

So let's start with this. You look fantastic. You have your health. Why retire now? Yeah. Well, thank you for saying that. And your comments, I am healthy, my wife's healthy. We're not retiring because of coming off of COVID or the state of college basketball,

which is somewhat of a turmoil. Yeah. We're retiring because both of us are going to be 75 at the end of next season. And it's time. It's time to do something else. Although in saying that, I'm passionate about coaching this year. And the reason, Colin, we came out and did it now is because it'd be impossible to recruit if you know you're not going to coach next year. So to have a coach in waiting, if there is one available and there was one, the best, my associate head coach, John Shire, this was a good, I call it a succession plan, being a former military guy.

we believe in succession and with right succession, you have a greater chance for successful continuity. And that's the goal here. Your military background is substantial, and I do think it's a big part of your success. You did not have the easiest life growing up. You are a fighter. And I think that is huge. What you also do, which I have a great deal of respect for, you adapted. And that is not always the case. You are a great adapter. You didn't love one and Duns, and you adapted. You adapted recruiting. Recruiting is always been a handful. A lot of coaches don't adapt. Did you adapt due to fear of failure? Did you adapt because of necessity?

Most great coaches don't. You always did, not to be a psychologist, why were you always so willing to change to succeed? Well, because of what I learned about leadership and teamwork is that you can't keep fitting people into the same environment if that environment is not the one that is out there right now with culture and everything like that. So you have to adapt and create an environment that's conducive to success. And as a leader, I would adapt to how you communicate with your guys. You never adapt with the values of your organization, your intention. integrity and courage, respect, and selfless service, duty, loyalty, trust. Those are, those know, they do not know an age.

They're ageless. But how you communicate and get them across is important. And then so you adapt communication-wise because you keep getting older. And the guys you coach, I'm 50-something years older than the guys I coach. Yeah, but I'm always old. older, I just kept getting older, they stayed the same age. But the other thing, the other thing, Colin, is I try to adapt to the people that I'm coaching. In other words, a system of offense and defense might have been good for the team last year.

Right. To assume that that is going to be good for this team is not right. And so, really, I spend every summer watching the individual workouts of my guys and assessing our talent. and trying to get them better. And by the time fall comes around, we have a system that we're trying to teach. And that's incredibly interesting to me. Yeah. And I even do that during the year, because especially with young players,

a player in October can be a lot different than the player in December. And if he's still in the system of October, you might be putting him in a box where he can do more. So it's kept up my interest, and then I learned that at the highest level when I was coaching the U.S. team because you really should be incredibly adaptable to that level of talent.

You know, you don't seem like a guy that would live a life of regret. You did turn down the Lakers job. You've had innumerable opportunities at the professional level, and you certainly, to a large degree, conquered college basketball. Is there even a twinkle of,

I would have loved to have given that pro-game a little bit of a chance. I think I would have definitely had that in 2007, 2005, I should say. No, seven. I'm losing my years here. Whatever the way it was, seven, I think it was. But anyway, I was looking at my career, like maybe I should do something different.

And then actually is five. USA basketball then was offered to me five years later. And I not only scratched that itch, I scratched enough where I would never have that itch. Right. And, but I love the pro game. I loved coaching the pro players. And I think if today I was 57 and had won a few national championships, I think there'd be a

better chance that I would be a pro coach in today's college game than at that time. Yeah. I'm going to give you a player and I want you to tell me your first thing. impressions when you saw him play. LeBron James. I only saw him in the pros. Right. So, yeah.

And, whoa, wow. You know, and what a, what a, what a guy to develop. And that was just seeing him physically. And then I got to coach him. LeBron and I were very close and I got to coach him as a younger guy. Then I've recognized and starting to coach him. He had tremendous leadership qualities, and he's smart as can be, and he has a great command voice. And, you know, working with him to develop those three aspects of his game, not the ball handling and whatever, was incredibly interesting for me and very fulfilling.

First time you saw Michael Jordan play in high school. I never saw him play in high school. He was a very low off-to-target guy. and committed to one of the great coaches of all time, and Dean Smith and a good, great friend. I saw him play enough in college. He was one of the guys almost got me fired in my first three years. How about one of my favorite young players, he plays with such joy.

Zion Williamson? Diamond and a rough, you know, he, You know, I didn't think he was ever in the shape when I saw him at high school. And then coaching him, Colin, Zion made you happy every day. Really? He is such a smart and upbeat, happy kid. He enjoyed a coach and a great, great teammate. Got an unbelievable sense of humor.

You know, he's one of my all-time favorites. see and hopefully he doesn't have injuries now because he'll end up being one of the one of the great all-time players in the NBA yeah I'll throw one at you Jay Billis we both know him what was your first impression yeah slow he yeah this is a this will be a lot of fun uh Jay's mental ability where he smart and could see things quickly in the moment it was happening, never translated to his physical talents of being able to do it. In other words, he was a car that could see openings and speed and could only go to 50. He was on a highway, he was a right-lane player.

And fooling around about that, though, he is, and he was one of my assistants, too, for a few years while I was going to law school. Yeah. I love Jay, mature beyond his years, ultimate team player and a really good player. Yeah. You know, he did play pro ball in Europe. Probably in this NBA, if he was his age now, he'd be an NBA player. He can shoot. He can shoot.

And he wouldn't be used. We had to use him inside a lot. But more athletic than you would think. And really smart as hell and very competitive. Yeah. Let's stop talking about him. He's at the other place. Hey, coach, absolute pleasure.

You made time for us today. He didn't have to. You know how much respect I have for you, coach. And continued success. I'm very happy for you and your family. and I just want to thank you for joining our show. Yeah, thank you, Con. Always a pleasure and an honor to be on.

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 Acapella band with their between songs banter. Where does your group perform? We do some retirement homes. Those people are starving for band.

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 I-Hard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, what's good, y'all? You're listening to Learn the Hard Way with your favorite therapist and host, Kear Games. This space is about black men's experiences, having honest conversations that it's really not safe to have anywhere, but you're having them with a licensed professional

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I'm Sam J. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick a here, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it. With our friends, fellow comedians, and favorite authors. Like Mark Lamont Hill on the 80s. 84 was a wild. It was a wild year. I don't think there's a more important year for black people.

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