The Herd with Colin Cowherd - 07/05/2021 - HOUR 2 - Bucks & Suns, Colin Right, Colin Wrong, Cowboys

Episode Date: July 5, 2021

In this hour of The Herd with Colin Cowherd, it's another edition of "Where Colin Was Right, Where Colin Was Wrong." Also, Sports Illustrated senior NBA writer Howard Beck joins The Herd to chat about Bucks-Suns in the NBA Finals. Finally, Matt Mosley--radio personality and host of The Doomsday Podcast--connects with Colin to talk about the impact of the Dallas Cowboys appearing on HBO's Hard Knocks yet again.  Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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It was weird Fourth of July was on a Sunday. It felt real laid back to me. It felt like a Sunday with more than your average explosives and grilling. But it didn't feel like a lot of force midweek. You take the week off. It kind of felt laid back. A lot of people at baseball games hanging out, a lot of grilling with the family.

And then it got very loud across America at night. I feel like there's usually like more buildup and stuff to the fourth. So maybe it was just because it was on the Sunday. But we still got all the fireworks. I think Christmas this year, is it on a Thursday? I think Christmas is on a Thursday. It does matter. You know, it's funny.

It does matter where holidays land. Christmas is on a Saturday. Is it? This year, yep. Is that good or bad? I think that's bad. Nobody gets a day off. That's not great.

Yeah, Christmas Eve. Can we move it? Is it too late? The NBA. We can slide that up a couple days. Yeah, we could slide it up. The NBA just... Although, for all of those who like celebrating New Year's,

New Year's is on a Friday. Boom! Made up for it. So it might be a little turd this New Year's, but yeah, Christmas is on a Saturday. All right. We're Colin Wright, Colin Wrong, brought to you by Jersey, Mike subs.

New grilled, Portabella mushroom and Swiss. Delicious. try it fresh ingredients make a sub above jersey mics be a sub above Colin right Colin wrong here we go where Colin was right well Chris Paul was my MVP joy and I I kept banging on this thing for two months he never got nominated I thought it was ridiculous in game six against the clippers 41 points on 66% shooting this is a franchise that had the worst record in the league for a nine year period before he arrived too often it's all

about vertical. It's all about dunks and flash. We underestimate intelligence, experience, on the floor coaching. DeAndre Aden said he's the most important player in my career. He was the first guy that really forced me and demanded I'd be a different

player. So Chris Paul, the guy we said two months ago, was the most valuable player, not the best stats, not the flashiest, not the most vertical was the MVP. Where Colin was raw. I've been very critical of Chris Middleton. I've always felt

on a championship team, he's a three, but I wonder if he's not the one on this team. When Janus left, he averaged 29 points and nine and a half rebounds and felt loose, felt like he felt like it was sort of his team. Chris

was exceptional, and let's be honest. He can be at times streaky, but when you have Janus as your star, he is the buck shot maker. And he prove me wrong throughout these playoffs, still a bit inconsistent, but he looked like in the last two games, they're number one. Where Colin was right?

Said it for years. The Cowboys care more about entertainment and football, and that's just not the way you're going to win championships. They're now on hard knocks. They agreed to it for the third time. There are 20 teams that have never been on hard knocks, like you know the Patriots. Listen, it's a distraction. Five of the last six teams that have been in hard knocks have sort of capsized. The cowboy over under wind total is nine and a half, meaning this is not the Kansas City Chiefs. This is not the Ravens. This is not a team that can walk in and we can just put nine or ten wins down. Little distractions, you know, egos bruised is not good for this team. They don't have a huge margin for error, so I don't love this. Where Colin was right? Well,

I will say that the journey was unique, but we did pick the bucks to be in the finals. We said this roster is one that doesn't get hurt much. Now, Janus did get hurt in the end, but they were 12 and 5 in the Eastern playoffs. They got some breaks. But we said when you looked at the East, the Celtics were unraveling. We didn't like the Sixers chemistry. We didn't trust Miami. We thought there was a little lightning in a bottle for that team last year,

and the Bucks ended up where we thought eventually they would end up. Where Colin was wrong. The Yankees are now in fourth place in the American League East. They lost two or three to the Mets. They can't pitch. Garrett Cole, their ace is struggling. Or Aldous Chapman out of the bullpen is struggling. They don't really have a number two pitcher.

Jordan Montgomery, for the time being, is it. They don't run the bases particularly well. Not a great defensive team. They're not overly athletic. They have a negative run differential, which is real trouble. It is a team that is very, very, reliant on the home run, which can be fine if you're starting pitching is money. But Garrett Cole, I got to tell you, that whole tack issue, you know, a lot of pitcher spin

rates have been reduced a little, but Garrett Cole suddenly can't get anybody out. Makes many people suspicious. Where Colin was right. The Dodgers, though, have won nine straight. And they got through a tough time when they had some injuries, but they have now swept the first place giants. They swept the nats over the weekend. I watched a lot of that. They won three or four from the Cubs. Their pitching has been excellent lately. The team ERA is number one in baseball. Kershaw, by the way, the guy is just still money. Kershaw gives you, gives you that six

innings minimum. He's nine and seven on the year. Second best record. They're unlike the Yankees, they run the base as well. They're athletic. They're getting great pitching. And right now behind the Red Sox, second best record in baseball. Where Colin was wrong. Well, I've never been a fan of Alabama quarterbacks in the NFL, mostly because they have such great coaching and such great defenses. They have such great receivers and offensive lines. It just doesn't relate to the NFL. It's an easy life for a quarterback. And I think Mack Jones looks like another Alabama quarterback who underwhelms.

But apparently he is swaying teammates. There was a report that he has connected with offensive coordinator, Josh McDaniels. Pat's insider, Mike Reese says Mac Jones had a very strong first impression on not only coaches but players. So I have had my doubts for years on Alabama quarterbacks who, you know, throw the wide open receivers, always play with a lead, always have a great running back. But we'll see if I just, you got to get number 50 often. That just does not look right to me. Where Colin was right? Well, we had said Dame Lillard is going to finally speak up.

He's going to do a Russell Wilson. Northwest athlete, I'm tired. Well, Chris Haynes broke the story that Damian Lillard is considering his options that he believes he is sort of mired in mediocrity, mired in NBA quicksand where you're not terrible, but you're not great and you can't win the championship. He's a little uneasy there. And Chris Haynes reporting, excellent job by Chris,

who comes on this show regularly that Dame is realizing Warriors are going to be better, Maverick's only getting better, Clippers, Lakers going nowhere, now the suns are great, Utah finished with a number one seed, maybe it is time to demand his way out of Portland. So good stuff. Howard Beck's going to join us this hour, Matt Mosley too with the Cowboys.

The interesting thing about the Cowboys, we know that HBO Hard Knocks, is not going to take the chiefs and make them the Jaguars. But there is something to be said that, you know, in the NFL, we know who's going to be really good and we know who's going to be bad. You know, there's about five on top, five on the bottom. And then you get a lot of these teams where little stuff will matter. Like, we know Baltimore is going to win a bunch of games. And we know Kansas City's going to win a bunch of games.

And we know Buffalo is going to win a bunch of games. And we know, you know, we know Green Bay should win their division if Aaron Rogers comes back. And we also know there's four or five bad teams at the bottom. Philadelphia looks like a wreck right now, right? And we know, you know, there's some messes out there. Dallas is in that middle group where they're not good enough to have distractions and win. They're going to have to be really good offensively because they're not great defensively. They're depending on a lot of rookies from the draft to help the defense.

The offensive line is old and the season now is one game longer. So it's going to put more pressure on DAC. So Dallas is just in a situation where I think any little distraction could be the difference between 10 and 7 and 9 and 8 and not making it. If Kansas City was doing hard knocks, I'd be like, oh yeah, Tampa Bay. You'd be like, not ideal, but it's not going to disrupt the season.

Dallas is in that one distraction. We thought we were over the distractions, right? Dax signed the contract. No or not. Here we go again. Howard Beck's been covered in the NBA for over 20 years. Covered the Knicks for the New York Times and the Lakers as well. He's got a podcast with Chris Mannix called The Crossover, and he is joining us live.

Sports Illustrated senior writer. So Joy and I, Howard, talked about this is an interesting situation. Let's say in the finals, Devin Booker is great. He's your MVP in Phoenix wins. And D'Andre Aiton, who's playing well, goes toe to toe with Dionys, and at times outplays him. And you own the sons, and you're like, okay. Okay, Booker's now MVP

of the finals. DeAndre Aitin's great, and the rest of the salaries are manageable. And Chris Paul wants four years. He's older. He's had injuries. And now, you know, he has a so-so finals. Part of me thinks, you have to re-sign Chris Paul. I would. And then part of me thinks,

what if Booker and DeAndre Aiton carry this? They're just fantastic in the finals. Do you think it's a lock that Chris Paul's back for several years in Phoenix. I think it's a lock that he's back. I don't know how we wanted to find several for a 36-year-old point guard at this stage of his career. But, I mean, look, there is no way that Chris Paul should want to go anywhere else.

There's no way that the sons should want to see him anywhere else. Chris Paul should get whatever Chris Paul wants at this point. I think that that's fully reasonable. If it means overextending him, I mean, if it means, and by overextending, look, 36 is already old for a point guard, especially of his size. 37, 38. I mean, every year you're getting closer to something very, very risky when you're weighing the contract against the production. But I think you try to find some comfortable ground with Chris Paul and his representation.

And he's made a lot in his career. He wants to go out on the highest note possible. That might mean a championship in the next two weeks and the chance to compete for more before he's all done. I think they can find something that is comfortable for all parties. You know, we were saying, Howard, that there are, it's just the entire time I've watched the NBA, there are players who are really built for the regular season, and they're effective in the postseason, but not quite as dominant. James Hardin's ball-centric style, he sometimes needs the whistle.

He feels like he gets it a little bit more in the regular season than the postseason, and he feels a little worn down. You know, Janus is so good in transition defensively, but sometimes in half court set, situationally, he's a little bit of a liability. And I watched the box, and I'm like, listen, we know they're better with Janus, but boy, Chris Middleton and Drew Holliday felt like there's a little more freedom. Brooke Lopez. Do you think Milwaukee, will it change the way Milwaukee coaches in the finals, even if Janus was available? Well, yeah, I mean, look, obviously the first question is when, and if is Janus going to be available?

We just got noticed from the NBA within the last 20 minutes that Janice is not addressing the media today to talk about his injury or his status or when he might be back. So it certainly sounds like we should not expect to see him for game one, but anything is possible, I suppose. If he's back and limited, you have to reassess everything anyway. Yes, you did finish off the Atlanta Hawks

with Chris Middleton playing great, Drew Holiday producing at a high level. Brooke Lopez having a kind of a throwback game. And you can win that way. And you can certainly beat the Hawks that way for a couple of games. I don't think you can necessarily do that against the sons who are deeper and better balanced than the Hawks were. So I think you're going to need Janus.

They're not better off without Janus. But if Janus is not 100%, man, I don't know how they win this series. And I do think regardless of his status, just the fact that you have found some things that worked over the last couple of games, yeah, I think it's smart to try to exploit what you can with the talents of that surrounding cast. You know, it's really interesting. I'm watching Luca lead Slovenia to the Olympics, which is the size of New Mexico. And I mean, you look at the countries involved in that, America and Argentina and Germany and Japan and Nigeria. These are countries, you know, 100 million people, 50 million people. We have 335 million people. And here's Slovenia with 2 million people.

And it just, what it does, it gives you a sense of, it's very Larry Bird, Indiana State, where it's like, wow, this is not just a great player. This is an all-time global talent. And the Mabs have already fired a coach, got a new GM. And it's interesting when I watch this. You know, Howard, Luca and Dirk are very different personalities. And also, international players now are such an important part of this league. They deserve an opinion.

And Luca's got an opinion. And it feels like to me, when I watch him, I think to myself, boy, Mark Cuban, this can't be through the draft. You have got to get somebody quickly for Luca. Because unlike LeBron who left Cleveland, and he's from Akron, Luca's not from Texas. He wants to win. So when I saw that Kauai story last week, Howard, I really took it seriously. Like I was like, that's the kind of move you may have to make.

Having covered this league forever, when you heard the Kauai rumors with Dallas, what was your initial impression? Well, I mean, listen, same thing as with, you know, to an extent, Chris Paul with the Sons. I don't expect Kauai Leonard to leave the Clippers. He moved heaven and earth to get to the Clippers and to be closer to home. Kauai to the Los Angeles area is kind of akin to LeBron going back to Cleveland, Akron area. So I don't think Kauai necessarily should want to leave. And their failures this postseason had a lot to do with Kauai not being available.

So it's not as if he could just look at it and say, well, we didn't do this right. And I've lost faith in the franchise. Guys, granted, there are some murmurings out there about his concerns about the health care he's gotten or the advice he's gotten from medical. That is obviously an ongoing thing in Kauai Leonard's career. That's an ongoing theme. If it comes to a breaking point, of course the Dallas Mavericks, along with the Miami Heat and several others are going to go all out to try to get Kawhi Leonard. And it makes sense. And yes, the Mavericks, to your point of this discussion in general, the Mavericks need to move heaven and earth themselves.

to get Luca Donchich the best possible help sooner than later. It won't come through the draft partially because they'd be drafting low and partially because, well, actually, they're out two picks for the Porzingis deal. So that's not really a viable option anyway. They haven't drafted that well over the years anyway. Luca notwithstanding, they have not had a great track record. But it's a new management team, new coach. I imagine we'll see a new kind of strategy emerge from the Mavericks with this new team.

Yeah. Boy, Luca is just incredible. I mean, by the way, beating Lithuania, which is a Titan, which is an international titan that's had 14 guys in the NBA. I just, there's, you know, it's funny. I said the best 22-year-olds I've ever seen, Magic, his maturity and court leadership, LeBron athletically and Luca offensively. Am I missing anybody as far as a 21, 22-year-old star in NBA? You've covered this league forever. Those three, LeBron, Magic, and Luca, I just, his game is so offensively sophisticated now.

Different example, Colin, but Kobe was, I believe, 21 and a couple months shy of 22 when he and Shaq won that first championship in 2000 against the Pacers. And, of course, his signature moment, one of the signature moments of his early career was game four after Shaq fouls out and Kobe has to deliver the win in overtime in a crucial, crucial game. And Kobe had missed the prior game with a really bad ankle injury. So Kobe at that age, with a highly developed game, different, right? He wasn't a primary ball handler. It wasn't the same kind of era where your best ball handler slash score just did everything, the way that Luca's allowed to, the way that James Hardin does, the way that several others do in today's game.

It was different during Kobe's time, plus, of course, he had Shaq there. Yeah. Howard, great seeing you. Happy holidays to you. Hope you had you and your family a great fourth, and thanks for coming on. You too. Thanks, Colin. You bet.

We'll go to Dallas before. the end of the hour of my friend Matt Mosley, Cowboy Insider, regarding the Cowboys getting on hard knocks. And, yeah, it's, that Lucas story is unbelievable.

A country of two million people. In fact, the next smallest, I believe the next smallest country is, like, I think it could be like the Czech Republic. They have like 11 million people. They're five and a half times the size of Slovenia.

in the Olympics. Listen, he's a baller. I think, I think, Trey Young's probably second. And I mean, as good as Devin Booker is, I still feel like with Devin, there's some development going on, efficiency. I feel like offensively,

Luke is almost, he's almost a perfect player offensively. Maybe it could be better off the ball, but that's not his role right now with Dallas. All right, more in a second. Live in L.A., it's The Hurt. Be sure to catch live editions of The HARD, weekdays in noon Eastern 9 a.m. Pacific on Fox Sports Radio, FS1 and the IHeart Radio app.

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

Yep, that's me, Cliford 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 Cliverts 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.

need to be. Listen to the Clifford show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. Do you remember when Diana Ross double-tap Little Kim's boobs at the VMAs? Or when Kanye said that George Bush didn't like black people. I know what you're thinking. What the hell does George Bush got to do with Little Kim? Well, you can find out on the Look Back at it podcast. I'm Sam Jay. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick a here. unpack what went down and try to make sense of how we survived it. Including a recent episode with Mark Lamont Hill,

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I don't think there's a more important year for black people. 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

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Search Learn the Hardway and listen now. Tonight on FS1, the biggest soccer tournament of the year has reached the semifinals as Tiago Silva leads Brazil against Peru. The action kicks off tonight at 630 Eastern on FS1 and the Fox Sports app. You know, we were talking about the Dallas Cowboys and about how they're on hard knocks and 20 teams have never been on it. this is the third time for the Cowboys. And Jerry Jones, let's be honest,

he likes his players to be announcers on networks, Troy Aikman, Tony Romo, Michael Irvin. Like, he likes that. And he should like it. But, you know, I was saying about the Cowboys just don't feel like they're a team with a ton of margin for air. And so let me clarify it. I think there's certain things in the NFL.

We know what the top is. We know what the bottom is. And it's really clear more than ever. there's four really, really bad teams in the NFL. You know, let's take Philadelphia. Rookie head coach who's been embarrassing so far in front of a mic, and they don't know what their quarterback situation is long term, and they're a rebuilding franchise.

The New York Jets, worst roster in their division, rookie coach, rookie quarterback. Lions, again, worst roster in their division. Looks like a downgrade at quarterback, and I don't trust Dan Campbell. Texans, some talent there, but it's just been a, a circus in the offseason. I don't think it's a good hire as a coach. Those are bad teams.

The bottom of the league is real clear. There are six teams then, I think, are really, really talented, and they just feel like playoff teams. They could stumble. They could have a distraction. The bills, the Browns, the Bucks, the Chiefs, the Packers, and Ravens, as long as Aaron Rogers plays. You know, in their divisions, you know, I just think Cleveland in Baltimore just feel, you

know the Steelers O line, Ben's old, they haven't ended the season well. I just think these six feel like these are safe bets. They're playoff teams somewhere. Then there's the NFC West where it's the best division easily and it feels like two, potentially three teams would come out of that division to make the playoffs. I mean, Arizona was eight and eight and they're getting better every year and they added pieces. Then I think there's two teams where I like the rosters, I really like the coaches, the Colts and the Washington football team.

We don't know exactly what we're getting at quarterback, but they have dominating units. The Colts offensive line is dominating. Washington's defensive line is dominating. These are, they got the right coach. I like their rosters. They have dominating units. If they ended up just wild card teams,

it's probably because they weren't efficient enough at quarterback. But boy, there's a lot I like here. And then you get a lot of Steelers, Giants, Cowboys, Chargers, a lot of questions on one side of the ball, or it's a rookie head coach, or it's still a young quarterback, or they're too dependent on one player. And I think Dallas is in that group. And when you're in that group, you just don't have a lot of margin for error.

And I think another team in that division, the Giants and the Cowboys are very similar. You don't really know. Over under on Dallas is nine and a half. That's what the, and people, the wise guys, the Sharps in Vegas are betting the under. That means they think Dallas is going to be like nine and eight. So that's where Hard Knocks is just enough of a distraction. Does it peel off one win?

That's what it's done in recent years. So we thought the Cowboys distractions were over when they signed DAC. And then this feels like a self-inflicted distraction. I think that's what's frustrating if you're a cowboy fan. Joy with the news. No, no, no, no. Turn on the news. This is the herd line news.

Luca helped his country of Slovenia clenched a spot in the Olympics. This is Slovenia's first Olympic birth for men's basketball. He recorded a triple double, 31 points, 11 rebounds, and 13 assists in the win over Lithuania in the final. And after the game, Luca was asked, if winning a gold medal or an NBA championship would mean more Tim. What would mean more to you? A gold medal would have? I would say gold medal with Slovenia

with Slovenia. You play for your country and that's something that really, really, but I wouldn't mind both. Good luck. West is going to be loaded. I do love that answer though. And I love that he said his country too. Like if that's what's most important to him, he doesn't have to say NBA championship. They're not playing for an NBA championship right now. He's in the Olympics, which is exciting. He's in group C, so it'll be Argentina, Japan, Spain, and Slovenia in that group. The U.S. men's team is in group A with France, the Czech Republic, and Iran. So I think this is a good notch for Luca, like bringing his teams to the Olympics for the first time with that performance. What they're going to do in the Olympics, who knows? But Lucas just arrived as a star in this league.

I don't think you can put somebody in a superstar status at this point in their career until they start, you know, making some noise in the playoffs, which Luca hasn't done yet. And part of that may be what the Dallas Mavericks have to do over this next two years. There is going to be a lot of pressure on the team. And I think that's fair. I think sometimes we get into this space with, you know, there was a lot of talk as Luca unhappy, is Zion unhappy. Like, if they're unhappy or not unhappy, they have standards and we hold them to those standards. We're the ones that talk about them every day. We're not talking about the, you know, Dallas Mavericks front office every day.

We're talking about Luca. So the standards that are on them should be applied to the organizations as well. But this is fun for him, I'm sure, to be able to. He's got a million moves. He's so good on body angles. And, you know, it's just hard to get in front of him. A lot of elbows, a lot of size. He's big.

He's always leaning on everything. I just like that he also plays with a little attitude. I think it's fun, like, just watching Trey Young in the playoffs. And, you know, he doesn't mind being a villain. and everybody isn't built like that, right? You don't have to be. Some people just want to be the jolly, lovable guy, and that's, I think, based up of your personality.

But it is kind of fun to have someone who talks a little trash and has a little attitude while they're out there on the court. It's very old school. So Bucky Brooks compiled a list of the best Batman and Robin duos around the NFL. He only picked from within position groups to identify the most dominant pairs. So here's his top five. Tyree Kill and Travis Kelsey, number one.

Nick Chubb and Cream Hunt number two, Marlon Humphrey and Marcus Peters, three with the Ravens, Levante David and Devin White from the Bucks at four, and Aaron Donald and Leonard Floyd at five. He described the Batman and Robin duo as a superstar and an elite sidekick. Well, I would say I put the Ravens lower.

Can I see that list again? Yeah, I would put Levanti, David, and Devin White of the Bucks two or three. Tyreek and Travis you win, but boy, those guys are unbelievable. Boy, and they just very much contributed to winning a Super Bowl. And with Marcus Peters, I get a lot of hot and cold. He's really good, but he has his moments. There's a reason he's been, it's a reason great coaches have moved off him, two of them.

I would move up Levante, David, and Devin White. They just won a Super Bowl. I would also move up Aaron Donald and Leonard Floyd. Aaron Donald is widely considered to be the best overall player in the NFL. Yeah. And they played, well, Aaron Donald's played in. the Super Bowl. So yeah, I would move them up. But not a whole lot of pushback on Bucky's list, though. So speaking of the Rams, there's a lot of hype surrounding the Rams this year,

thanks to the addition of Matthew Stafford. And with the Super Bowl being held at their home stadium in L.A. this season, offensive tackle Andrew Whitworth, feels like it's Super Bowl or bust for this team. We figured out to win playoff games. We've made some runs in the postseason. And this time, you know, for us and this opportunity, we feel like this team, nothing short of going on that Super Bowl and winning is good enough. And that's really the expectation level for us, even though we know that's a slippery slope, but that's where we want to be.

If they're healthy, they're absolutely good enough to win the Super Bowl. They've got to be healthy, and they're a little top-heavy. They don't have Tampa's overall depth of talent. What they have is a handful of unbelievable stars, and then it's cross your fingers on the O line with health, cross your fingers, D-line with health. But their top-end talent's fantastic. They have a lot of talent.

And we all know what Sean McVey is capable of. I got to see Matthew Stafford. I'm not saying that Matthew Stafford's not going to be great, but I would just want to see it. Because we've been told about Matthew Stafford that it was always the lion's fault for all these years. And now he's in a situation where he does have a lot of talent. He's got the coach.

They have a very well-run organization. They're not dysfunctional. Like everything is in place. The Rams are one of those teams that I think have a lot more pressure, even within that division, than we've really given a credit for yet because I don't know that I'm looking at San Francisco the same way like it's what's going to happen with Jimmy Garoppolo.

Like I think I'm going to have trailands out there right away. Like this is a situation where it's like, okay, pressure's on to Andrew with a point. Yeah, they, they've taken an aggressive tack since they showed up in L.A. Yes. They've never... Which I love. And people say that it hasn't worked. Like, they went to a Super Bowl.

No, it's absolutely working. So I think it has worse. Absolutely it's working. I mean, to a. escape the best division in football. What they're doing is absolutely working. Like an off season for them last year, they got to the playoffs and won a

playoff game. And that was a disappointing season. That's a good franchise. And what do they do in the off season? When they got a new quarterback. Right, right. So their standards are incredibly high. They're totally a go-for-it franchise. They're a little bit the antithesis of the Packers.

They'll just go for it. They'll give up first-round picks. They'll go top-heavy. and I think Stan Cronkey, the owner down, less need. They're gamblers. This is a big city. That stadium's a big deal. And I think in Los Angeles, which there's so many entertainment options,

you have to be kind of a go-for-it franchise. Yeah, we don't like things to just be the same all the time in L.A. We don't. Joy with the news. Well, that's the news. And thanks for stopping by. The Heard Lide News. Have you been to that stadium yet?

I haven't, no. I would love a tour. It is spectacular. I saw your pictures and so many people's pictures looks amazing. It really is. And it is for a city, it's really easy to get to. It's not, you know, you don't see in this picture, the Englewood, the forums right next to it. But you get on the freeway, you get off.

It's a straight shot. It's easy to get to. It's a really unbelievable facility. It looks amazing. And they did a little bit what the Lakers did with Staples. There's a lot of corporations here, and there's a lot of money in L.A. what I loved about it is virtually everywhere in the stadium feels special. You can be on the fourth deck and you've got a beer garden behind you

and you've got cool views. They did a great job to make everybody feel special. I feel like a lot of the newly constructed stadiums have implemented that because if you're going to go to a game now and spend your money to go watch a game in person, you want to kind of have an experience. And I think it's nice that they're like implementing local food. options and all these different ways to watch the game. Like Vegas has that whole club section.

Miami has had that. Like the way that they're building these new stadiums with all these options for fans is really smart. Because if you're going to go to a game, you're going for a different experience. Like you don't want to feel like you're just sitting at home on your couch watching the game or you would stay home. I noticed that when I went to, I go to about one or two Utah Jazz games a year. And when I take the family Utah skiing, and I noticed that with their place. It's like they have. a food club on upper deck, next deck, loge, bottom.

It's like, you're asking a lot from fans. It's not good enough. I always told you the story Yankee Stadium first time I went to it, the old Yankee stadium. I'm like, there was nowhere to eat in the stadium and watch the game. I'm like, time out. I just came from my law office or my doctor's office. I'm a professional.

I spent a lot for season tickets. I'm not eating hot dogs 81 times a year for dinner. You have to make it. And the old diehard fan is like, yeah, who care? I care. If I spent 12,000 on season tickets, I'm not doing hot dogs and mustard 81 nights a year for dinner. And it's like the new stadiums are like, fans matter. Treat them better. They're paying a ton for tickets. Have food options like a real dinner. I mean, the food options are expensive, but you're going to get some good food options.

And as a non-hot dog eater, I appreciate that. Matt Mosley, Cowboy Talk next to The Herd. Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd, weekdays at noon Eastern 9 a.m. Pacific. What's up everyone? It's me three-time NFL All-Pro Sean Marriam. And I have a new sports podcast called The Lights Out Podcast with Sean Mariam.

This podcast is special to me as I get a chance to talk to some of the best who'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 which I'm saying. Yep, that's me, Clifford Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, the reactions, my journey from basketball to college football,

or my career in sports media. Well, somewhere along the way, this platform became bigger than I ever imagined. And now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfiltered conversations with some of your favorite athletes,

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

Listen to the Clifford Show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. 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 was big to me, not just because of crack. I'm down to talk about crack on day, but just so y'all know. I mean, at this point, Mark, this is the second episode where we've discussed crack, so I'm starting to see that there's a through line.

We also have AIDS on the table right now, so... Thank you 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, or are you a good person because you're afraid? Because that's two different intentions, bro. Absolutely. And that's two different levels of trust.

I want you to just really be a good person. Join me, Kear Gaines, is 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. Well, and there's something happening in Dallas or a couple of things happening. I rely on Matt Mosley. Cover the Cowboys for 17, 18 years, part of the Doomsday podcast with Ed Werder. And Matt, my friend, is now joining us live.

He was eating sausage and brisket yesterday, he tells me, which is the only way to do it in Texas. That's very proud of you. So let's start with this. Hard knocks. 20 teams have never been on it. Third time for the Cowboys. We thought the distractions were over with Dax Contract. What was the initial reaction in Dallas?

You take phone calls. What was the initial fan reaction on that? You know, it's just pure comedy. The fact that this team and this is a team, and you've even heard people prognosticators now saying, oh, this is a playoff team. this could be a Super Bowl type team. I was there for every bit of the last time it rolled through town.

And Wade Phillips was there for Hard Knocks. And the whole thing was dedicated, as I recall, to Pac-Man seeing how many punts he could catch it once. I think he caught eight at one point. So it's already a circus. When we get there, you can imagine when Terrell Owens was involved, the whole scene is already sort of chaotic. and this will just amp it up. And there'll be a fair amount of people.

Jerry loves this thing. And so he was probably lobbying like crazy for it. So I would say, you know, he famously said, do you like those three Super Bowls to a fan call in many years ago when they were complaining? And now he can say, do you like those three hard knocks? You know, they're over under is nine and a half. half wins.

Is that reasonable to you? Does that feel a little, you know, I mean, offensively, they've got some gifted players. But when you see that number, Vegas is betting the under, by the way. Vegas sees them as basically a 500 team. I tell you, with the extra game, if I were you,

I would get on that over. I do think with DAC back and appearing to be at full strength. And again, we won't know until he gets hit. I don't know. These quarterbacks that have been out and had horrible injuries, you never truly feel great about things until they take a hit. But with the whole extra game, that would lead me to believe I would think about going to over on this. In fact, Colin, if you're doing one of your usual junkets, kind of a weekend deal coming up, I would

think about getting involved in some of that. This, this to me, does seem like a 10 or 11 team win team. You know, you were very critical of the Cowboys on their draft. There were some character issues. There were some big reaches. Do you feel better about that? How was that received? I mean, you know, these offseason for the Cowboys,

they're speculation city. Now we have another distraction. It defensively, what you've seen so far in camp, what you've heard, will it be competent defensively as a team? Well, I think the schemes, I do think that, you know, this is going to be one of those things you're going to start hearing, we believe in Dan Quinn. There's a lot, you know, this is a team. It's so funny with all the great history, all they want to do a lot of times is obsess about other teams history. And so what they've desperately been trying to do for six to seven years now is become Seattle.

And that's a team you're very familiar with. I don't think they have the defensive backs to do it. This Joseph is like a one-year guy at Kentucky. He showed up at some of these OTAs. I mean, I think he was kind of less than impressive. So this is going to be a fascinating team for a lot of reasons. One of which is they have a very crowded lineback room. And there's some talent in that linebacker room,

but you don't know how all that's going to play out. How do they get everybody on the field? But in terms of the cornerbacks, I still am, and I, again, it would be interesting. Our Doomsday podcast would be better if they would win some games and everything. But I am very, the camp phenom, the kid

that keeps coming back to me, and Ui talked about him from Oregon State. I mean, you don't do a lot in this league with 6'4 or 6.5 cornerbacks. And they need these guys to play and play immediately. I'm still have huge concerns about

corner. Now Parsons at linebacker, that's going to be that'll be your hard-knock storyline. Apparently, this kid's already basically done a deal to be the whole star of that show. Oh, good. That's great to know. By the way, the Lucas situation, Slovenia to the Olympics, he's obviously at 22 years old in a LeBron magic category.

So he's also, though, he's not Dirk. He's not as agreeable. He is outspoken. He's better than Dirk at 22. They fire the coach. They fire the general manager. Is that because Mark Cuban, wanted to or Mark Cuban feels a little corner that he has to, or Luca will just lose interest very

quickly on this franchise in Dallas? Well, I think when you start going outside the box and bringing in Nike executives to be the GM, everybody was talking about Michael Finley, who everybody loves around here, getting promoted, he wasn't. My biggest issue with that, boy, I love it when you so Slovenian highlights. I mean, this man, this man took over. Look at that. He was unstoppable for. So you're right. He is a once-in-a-generation-type player. All these moves are being made to try to looking down the road and saying, please stay in love with us. He loves Dallas. He loves the organization. But when, you know, you start, Donnie Nelson was like 23 years here. Even when when Cuban hated his father, Don Nelson. Nelson, Donnie stayed. So there's a lot of things. There's a lot of moving parts. And let me tell you this. They've tried this before. They brought in Gerson Roses a few years ago, and it lasted like a

month. Gerson was on there two months. They didn't like Gerson was trying to do some analytics. They said, Gerson, go back to the rockets. So there's no telling if this will work or not. The one thing I would be concerned about is Jason Kidd, because I like Jason, extremely thoughtful person. He's shown us nothing so far that suggests he's going to be a great coach. What they have brought, and LeBron does this from time to time, they have brought in basically a coach for one player. Now, they'll go out and try to do better around him, but you've got this albatross of a salary in Porzingis, and Luca doesn't like him. You know, we can try to clean that up and go, oh, maybe they're okay. The body language is bad. He doesn't respect him.

doesn't particularly want to get him the ball. They don't like running plays together. I mean, I like Luca. Luca's amazing. But Luca has that, you brought up magic, okay? Got a coach fired early in his career. Yeah. I'm not saying Luca definitely did that, okay?

I'm just saying they're making some of these moves, as you suggested, to please Luca. And he did not show respect to Rick Carlisle. Rick Paulo adapted, tried to give him everything he wanted. Rick's actually a very agreeable guy in some ways, all these are strange guys sometimes to deal with if you're in the media. But Rick, he basically, I think Lucas already gotten a coach fired. What I'm wondering is, is Jason Kidd the guy to fix it?

Because I've seen nothing at his other stops that make me think, oh, this guy's going to be a tremendous head coach. This to me is a quick fix. This is see if they can. I mean, this is no different than Steve Nash with those superstars, except there's three of them, all right. Kid, they have one of them in Dallas, and they don't have much around him. And so they've got to do something.

I mean, you can't Tim Hardaway, Jr., you know, load up with him. You don't go win titles with that. So you're right. And this NBA, Colin, we're a year away from Luca getting upset. and saying, trade me, get me out of here. That's the way this thing rolls. Although he's really wired that way. He's just wired.

He's just a mercurial type guy who doesn't mind showing up his coach. Although I don't think he's quite the backstabber that we've seen from other NBA players over the years. All right. Good stuff. Matt Mosley, Cowboy Insider and More. It's always a pleasure to see you. Happy 4th and the following week of festivities. Have a good time, buddy.

keep eating that brisket. Thanks for stopping by. Yeah, I better stop that. Keep calling me NBA Insider. I'd really like to go with that. All right, Matt Mosley. Yeah, I mean, listen, this is magic early in his career at Paul Westhead and wasn't happy and LeBron wasn't happy. And, you know, listen, Steve Kerr's a great coach with titles, but, you know, he was walking on eggshells.

That's not a well-kept secret with Kevin Durant. This is a star-driven league. And if you get a star, especially early, they don't want to waste time. I've said before. career was basically 12 years with nine peak years. I got 40 years of this stuff, right? I can be 30, 40 years. But if my career was nine years of peak, I would not tolerate.

My poor bosses, it would be, I'd be in their office every day. So this is where I defend players. They don't have 30-year careers. They don't have 20-year careers. So Luke is like, let's get this right. I've already given you three years. I'm already an All-Star. Let's get it right.

I'm not sitting around. So we'll see. I don't think Jason Kidd was a bad hire. I don't know if he's a great hire. I think he's a bad hire. I get it. Hour three in a Monday in L.A. 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, 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 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

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 and learn the hard way on the AHA radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. On the Look Back at it podcast. From 1979, that was a big moment for me. 84 is big to me.

I'm Sam J. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick a hear, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it. With our friends, fellow comedians, and favorite authors. Like Mark Lamont Hill on the 80s. 84 was a wild year. I don't think there's a more important year for black people. Listen to look back at it on the IHeart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. This is an IHeart podcast. Guaranteed human.