The Herd with Colin Cowherd - 07/14/2021 - HOUR 1 - Rodgers, Kawhi, Big Ben

Episode Date: July 14, 2021

There's a possibility Aaron Rodgers gets traded to the AFC West by the trade deadlineKawhi Leonard has surgery on his knee, where will he end up?Big Ben is finally taking his health seriouslyGuest: Nick Wright Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Wherever you may be, however you may be listening, IHeart Radio, Fox Sports Radio, FS1. The herd brought to you by Jersey, Mike's subs. It's Wednesday. Be a sub above. Now, one hour from now. So we are now in mid-July. One hour from now over the next two days at 10 o'clock Pacific, 1 o'clock Eastern. I will, and I've spent a lot of time on this because I have no life.

Today, I give you my AFC predictions. All the divisions, all the teams playoff order. Tomorrow the NFC, but today is the AFC. I am allowed two amendments due to trades or injuries before the season. Listen, the Constitution has 27 amendments. I get two. So I get two amendments. Now, Joy, how did I do?

last year, for instance, in the AFC. He did very well. Seven for seven. That's pretty good. We nailed all the playoff team. So when I was with my kids this weekend, and I told him I was taking naps. I was actually breaking down the AFC and the NFC and we'll have it today. How are you?

I'm doing good. It's important that you remind everyone that the Constitution has been changed. It has been. Several times. Amendments are okay. I don't know if everyone knows that. Yeah. So I'm going to get two amendments and one of them could be the Aaron Rogers Amendment. That's an important one to hold on to. Because I don't think there's a chance he will not finish the year in Green Bay, but it'll start.

I want to start with that. So Chris Collinsworth has a podcast, as you expect. It's very good. He had Adam Schaefter on. He's a very diligent NFL reporter. Lives on that phone, baby. He's breaking stories all the time. So when he talked about Brady leaving New England a year before he left, you got to kind of take respect for it and go,

put some respect on that. He knows what he's doing. He's talking about Aaron Rogers right now and the feelings in Green Bay. here it is. It just has never sounded like it's about money. I think this is much deeper than that. I think this is, as he himself has alluded to, about people, about culture, about the way the organization is and has run.

And I don't know that money addresses that. I want to talk about this for a second because I think I'm in a rare position. Joy and I are in a rare position. We didn't, we weren't born in Los Angeles or California. We have bounced around the country. So I have literally changed jobs and moved across the country three different times. So I can speak to this as a driven somewhat workaholic guy. And Aaron did not get here because he's casual and occasionally throws a football around.

Aaron's a grinder. Aaron's a workout guy. Aaron is very committed to football. And I've always thought, and I think Joy is too, I think we're committed to broadcasting. Three different times I knew I was leaving before my company did. and even as a grinder, even as somebody that's totally into their job, I couldn't concentrate. I was thinking about the next job while I was in that job because I didn't want to fail. And I'm thinking about, okay, I've got to get prepared.

I'm going to save some of my rants. That's a good idea. I'm going to make sure to do that. I couldn't concentrate. My last six months at the other place, all I could think about was Fox. Who am I going to hire? What's the set going to look like? Who's going to be on the news desk?

What producers? I couldn't concentrate. And I'm a committed guy. I would have rants. And I'd be like, no, I'm going to save that one. That's good. Fox gets that one. And so here's Aaron Rogers.

Aaron Rogers is moody when he's happy. He's aloof when he's happy. What's this year going to be like? Like, I look at all this stuff with Green Bay. Really, they're a default champion of this division because there's so much dysfunction. Chicago's pivoting to a new quarterback. Minnesota, we got Kirk Cousins, can't play well in big games. Detroit's a mess.

And I think to myself, this was never an ideal fit, Aaron and Green Bay in the good times. It wasn't ideal. He's very much a contrarian thinker. He's very much an independent thinker. He's California cool. And they wear cheese hats in their 50s. It wasn't ideal. What's it going to be like now?

And I'm going to, I'll be on an island. But I do believe that he lost a little bit of trust with his coach, though he'd never say it publicly. Matt Lafleur. the last play that Aaron Rogers played in Green Bay, his coach took him off the field to kick a field goal against Tom Brady. Trust is hard to repair. I think oftentimes Aaron Rogers, I would not blame him if he prioritized staying healthy in Green Bay. He doesn't want to, you know, he's not happy. Wouldn't you prioritize throwing the ball away, you know, taking a knee, sliding early. The last thing you want to do is get hurt in Green Bay. I wouldn't blame him. I've been there. You start

prioritizing the next place. And that doesn't mean you're not committed to your craft. It's just very human to do that. And I want an island and I'll say this. Nobody believes the trade will happen during the season. But it's very unique in that we've got a bunch of things working here. What if Jordan Love is pretty darn good in the preseason? He should be.

This is a good old line, a solid head coach, star receiver, star back. What if Jordan Love's pretty good? what if Drew Locke struggles in the AFC West? Yeah, that's going to happen. And what if Aaron is a little condescending, not all in, temperature in the room is a little cool, not warm. Look at the schedules on this. I know I'm on an island, but look at the schedules on this.

If you look at Green Bay's schedule with Aaron, even if Aaron was 90% locked in, this is a schedule that tells me they're going to win, they're going to beat New Orleans in the opener. They're going to beat Detroit. Good luck going to San Francisco. But the Steelers at home, Washington at home, Arizona. It's very possible that Green Bay is a six-and-one start.

It's a six-and-one start going to like an Arizona. The trading deadline will be around that Arizona week. Then you look at Denver's schedule. Denver's schedule, again, with Drew Locke, you open at the Giants. Good luck. Now, you'll beat Jacksonville and the Jets, but it's Baltimore. It's at Pittsburgh. It's at Cleveland.

It's Washington. It's at Dallas. Those are losses. So I'll say this. Trading deadline is week eight. Keep your eye on Jordan Love looking solid in preseason. Aaron's a kind of guy that could go into a locker room in Denver immediately. Remember, Vic Fangio's gone if he's under 500.

So there's some urgency in Denver. Aaron can be, you know, a little difficult in the good times. What's this going to be like? So I do believe in the trading deadline, there will be discussions to move Aaron to the AFC. Denver will be fairly desperate. The Chargers, many are predicting, are a Super Bowl team. And I'm talking gamblers are into that.

We know Kansas City's better. You've got a young GM in Denver, an old coach and a quarterback. nobody truly believes in, keep your eyes on this stuff. I will say, I think Aaron Rogers' trade deadline is a viable move. Of course, by that time, it'll be too late for one of my amendments to my predictions in the NFL, which on one hour from now, I'll be doing the AFC today, the NFC tomorrow. So here's another story that came down. So Kauai Leonard of the Clippers had surgery to repair a partial tear of his right ACL.

Here's what's interesting about this. Our worldview on the Clippers forever, fittingly, has been awful franchise. Ridiculous, bad, but we all know that we used to roll our eyes at the Cubs, and then Theo Epstein and Joe Madden showed up. And then we were like, oh, like three years later they're in the World Series, right, three or four years later. So you can turn things if you get the right owner, the Ricketts family, Joe Madden, Theo Epstein, all very smart people.

The laughable Cubs went to the great Cubs farm system overnight. And we think that way with the Clippers. Ty Lou had a great playoff series. Steve Balmer is energized and focused, and they have a lot of people in that front office. I know a lot of them. They're really smart. And Kauai has a player option.

And it's really funny. He could sign for one year with a Clippers, 36 million or four years and 180 million. And my guess, he's going to go to the 181 million. He's a California kid. But you know what's interesting? Is that there's this sense, that teams are desperate to get stars.

But I think with the sons and Chris Paul, if Chris said I want one year at $40 million, I think they'd take it. I do think they'd take it. If they win the finals, one more, they'd take it. And I think the Clippers are not a desperate team anymore. And I think Kauai is so odd and so unique and so different and so nonverbal,

which you'd prefer your stars are verbal. I think the Clippers, privately, would take that one-year deal for $36 million. They have a new arena in three years. They have an energized, focused, rich owner, excellent coach, very good roster. I thought Paul George had a very strong B plus A minor. No, I think he had an A postseason. I thought Paul George, you know, as we thought he would do at a very good postseason.

So it's interesting to watch. Are we looking at kind of the Cubs here where they were roll your eyes franchise desperate for anybody. I mean, the Cubs were for a long time, you know, Lou Pinellas interested. We'll sign him forever, right? Like, that's what the Cubs were. And all of a sudden, you kind of wake up one morning and you're like, no, this really isn't a desperate franchise. This morning in Los Angeles, the Clippers have a much better roster than the Lakers do.

The Clippers have what many perceive is a much better front office than the Lakers do. The Clippers have the much richer owner than the Lakers do. And by the way, Paul George, say what you want, is there every day. Anthony Davis, not so much. So I do think if the Clippers privately could choose four years with Coire a year, I think they choose a year at this point. I really do. And it speaks well to the growth of the franchise.

So Big Ben, oh, this is a big deal. The story out this morning is Big Ben. He is doing sit-ups this off-season. He is in the best shape of his life and I'll have thoughts coming up. Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd, weekdays and news. 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 I'm saying. Yep, that's me, CliverTaylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, the reactions, my journey from basketball to college football, or my career in sports media.

Well, somewhere along the way, this platform became bigger than I ever imagined. And now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfiltered conversations with some of your favorite athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. One week, I'll take you behind the scenes of the biggest moments in sports and entertainment, and the next we'll talk about life, mental health, purpose, and even music. The Clifford Show isn't just a podcast. It's a space for honest conversations, stories that don't always get told,

and for people who are chasing something bigger. So, if you've ever supported me or you're just chasing down a dream, this is right where you need to be. Listen to the Clifford show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. If you're watching the latest season of the Real Housewives of Atlanta,

you already know there's a lot to break down. Gorsha accusing Kelly of sleeping with a merry man. They holding Kay Michelle back from fighting Drew. Pinky has financial issues. I like the bougie style of Housewives show. I think it looks like it's going to be interesting. On the podcast, Reality with the King, I, Carlos King, recap the biggest moments from your favorite reality shows,

including the Real House Wise franchise, the drama, the alliances, and the T everybody's talking about. As an executive producer in reality television, I'm not just watching it. I understand the game. As somebody who creates shows, I'll even say this. At the end of the day, when people are at home, they want entertainment.

To hear this and more, listen to Reality with the King on the IHard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Hey, it's Edwin Castro, also known as Castro 1021. And I'm Conky, his best friend and business manager. And we've got a new show called The 1021 Podcast. I'm taking you behind the scenes on how I became one of Twitch's most popular streamers. We also love sports. And with the World Cup right around the corner, we'll be breaking down. the biggest storylines ahead of the big tournament here in the USA.

Listen to the 1021 podcast on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Suns, Box, Game 4, your Discover card key matchup. They match all the cashback you're earning your credit car. End of the first year, automatically, no limits. Discover.com slash yes. Good to have you in. So we got some NFL talk today. There's a Russell Wilson story.

I'll address later. There's a Big Ben story. So Big Ben, this is the story out of Pittsburgh. That's Joy's hometown. A Big Ben reportedly in the best shape of his life, according to sources. According to Ben's camp, he is losing weight. Is his elbow in better shape is the question I worry about? And I've never really thought the Steelers would be better if Big Ben was skinnier.

That's not something I've worried about. He's a big guy. The question that begs to be asked is, what took so long? losing weight means you needed to lose weight as a professional athlete that I think LeBron, Russell Wilson, and Tom Brady and Mahomes have moved past the I've got to lose weight this offseason. So congratulations on only two natty lights after dinner and sit-ups. But this is, you know, this is the classic.

You want to sell your house and you never really invested in it for 20 years. You let the plumbing go, the air conditioning unit, the landscaping, but you put some new paint on the house and you think you're going to fool people and sell it for top dollar. Well, you're not going to fool a savvy investor or a savvy homebuyer and you're not going to fool an inspector because you put on some nice paint. Okay, the bottom line here is Brady and Russell Wilson are committed to film study. They're committed to diets. They're committed to pliometrics.

They're committed seven figures annually to being in shape. They're also both highly committed to film study and audible systems and working with coaches. Big Ben, even Jay Glazer, who's got great relationships with players, probably more than any NFL reporter in my life, makes fun of Ben's off-season workout regimen. I'm not sure it can be called that. Brady is a 24-7, 365 day-a-year quarterback, and he is sprinting to the finish. Ben is committed when the whistle blows in camp to when it ends in January earlier than everybody in Pittsburgh wants. he's limping to the finish line. You can't fool an inspector on a house.

You can't fool somebody that knows real estate on a coat of paint. You fool dopes. And you can't fool people who know football because now you're doing sit-ups and you've cut back on your old Milwaukee's after dinner. Now, in 45 minutes, I'll give you my AFC preview, but I'll give you the AFC North Now without going into deep explanations. I have the Pittsburgh Steelers as a sub-500 team in third place. And eight wins, I think, considering the state of their O line, is being gracious.

That's an eight and nine football team. Joy with the news. Turn on the news. This is the herd line news. I think I imagine Big Ben is more of like an IPA guy. Okay. I don't know. Haysie IPA.

You can get one of those at Herrberger, Joy. You know, they're fantastic. You're welcome for the plug. One of the front runners for the AL MVP sold the show last night at the All-Star game, Vladimir Guerrero, won All-Star MVP honors after hitting a 468-foot home run and driving in two runs in the ALs 5 to win. After the game, Vlad said he actually made a promise to his teammates that he would bring home the MVP trophy. He said, they said, you better win the MVP or don't come home. Dreams come true. Since I was a kid, I've been thinking about this moment. I've worked all my life very hard and thank God it's happening right now. He actually made a special glove with images of him and his dad at the

game in the early 2000s because Guerrero and his dad, Vladimir Guerrero Sr., joined Ken Griffey Jr. and Senior with Bobby and Barry Bonds as the only father's son combinations to win or to hit a home run in an all-star game. Am I? I'm going to throw something out and baseball seamheads will probably rip me. But baseball's unique. And then the father-son combos, the kids are often better than their legendary dads. Like Ken Griffey Jr. was better than Ken Griffey, Sr. Now, we don't know if Vlad Jr. is better than Vlad Sr. Because Vlad Sr. was all that.

But he is great. Bonds. Right. Okay, Bobby Bonds, Barry Bonds, better than Bobby Bonds. And Bobby Bonds is a good player. Why would baseball fans be mad about that? No, I'm just saying, I'm not sure I'm correct on that. Oh.

I mean, it would. It would seem that way, but maybe that's that way in a lot of sports. I think you can find some examples of that in basketball. Can you? Yeah. Steph Curry's like transformed the sport. It just feels like in baseball, the great shoes of all time. The son in the father's son thing is often the star.

The dad's good. The son's a star. I guess I got to think of some more examples in basketball. I threw it at you. Clay Thompson. Who's that? Clay Thompson. Is better than Michael Thompson?

Michael wasn't bad. Michael was it? Well, I mean, it's not about being bad, but just like how much are they, like, are they better? Are they having better careers or have they had better careers? I mean, maybe we just have more examples in baseball. He's also the youngest to Homer in the All-Star game since Johnny Bench, who did it in 1969 at 21. By the way, you baseball fans, go to my social account. Tell me if I'm right or wrong, but it does feel like in, for whatever reasons, in baseball,

the sun is better than the dad a lot. I'm getting, you know, we'll see. We'll see. So after back-to-back losses, the team USA put on. on a dominating performance against Argentina, 108 to 80. There's that blowout that Pop was looking for. Durant had looked a little sluggish in the first two games, had eight points in the first quarter,

but finished with 17 points on six for nine shooting. Bradley Beale also hit his first four shots of the night and finished with 17 points as well. And Popovich cited conditioning as the reasons why Team USA faded down the stretch in the two losses. He keeps saying that everyone came a little not out of shape, the season just ended, but just not in the conditioning shape that they needed to be in to go on a run. Well, let's be fair about this.

We didn't overreact to this yesterday. Remember, like the Australian team, these guys have been playing together for years and years and years. There's only so many great Australian players, right? We have our team changes, our chemistry changes, and it is a weird formation of a team. They have no rim protector. So last night they actually rebounded well, which is a thing, because they're not terribly big. and it's also you don't have like Zach Levine,

Dame Lillard, Bradley Beal, all gifted, who's the leader? So we have to be fair about this. We have so many great players in America that we have a new team every time. Yeah. And we just, we have new coaches, new players. A lot of these teams, like Argentina for years,

had Manu Genoobli, and Australia's got a lot of the same guys, so their chemistry is better. So don't be shocked. In the first handful of exhibition games, we look like blank, and the other teams look a little, by the way, it's not like Australia

was great either. It was a sloppy mess. It was such a sloppy game. But initially, the other teams have better chemistry. Same coach. Argentina is not as tough as an opponent. No, they used to be a better. They used to be much, much better. They'll have a rematch will team USA

will with Australia on Friday at 6 Eastern. I didn't think it ever was anything to overreact to. I just think it was something and they'll figure it out. But I think the biggest point is who is going to the face of this team USA who's going to be the leader of team USA. So Devin Booker didn't have a great showing in game three. He did not.

And he said the first thing he did was to stop thinking about it in order to prepare for game four. Short memory. Just move on. Been there before. You know what I'm saying. So just understanding that, understanding the game, understanding. Situations that I've been through and just trust in the work that you've put in. As simple as that, but, you know, my main objective out there is to win the basketball game.

I actually like this mentality. I do think that you need to, you know, review the tape, do a little studying, see what went wrong, see what you can improve on. But to sit around and harp on having a bad game as you're going into the next one is a waste of time. I tell my kids this. I don't know if I've told you this, not that you need my advice, but I've told my kids about the internet. play offense, not defense. Don't defend your positions. The money, the monetization on social media is scoring. It's not in defending your position. That's why I don't go back and forth with fans. Why? My whole job is to score more, to have more content, because you and I are filling three hours a day in July. I don't have time to play defense. I'm playing offense. And by the way, I miss shots all the time. I have bad segments. I have bad moments. I have stupid things. In this instance, as a show, shooter, Devin Booker. There's no reason to defend a bad night. You're a score. Go shoot. Steph Curry's had terrible nights. Clay Thompson's had terrible nights. Do not defend your game

if you're a score. Do not just go score and worry about correcting your offense. I agree. I think that the criticism of Booker is that if you are having a bad night, since you are a score, how else can you contribute so that you can still be on the floor and not. be, not the Booker is ever a liability, but that you can be on the floor and so contribute, even if you are not shooting the way that you normally shoot. Shoot or shoot, whatever, it's cliche, but he has to shoot his way out of this bad shot. He can't just not shoot anymore. So not having that anxiety and that weight of the last game on you as a shooter is important, but how can you improve your game so that if you are having a bad shooting night,

that you can still contribute and help win. For the record, he's 24, 25 years old. He's not a complete player yet. He's still, there are parts of his game, that he's still building his game. And this is his first finals. Yeah. I think he'll be fine. The bucks are favored by five tonight. I like Phoenix plus the points tonight. I do too. Good stuff. Joy with the News.

Well, that's the news. And thanks for stopping by. The Hurd-Lie News. So Nick Wright is my buddy. First Things First. He's the big star on that show. He is now joining me live, brought to you by Mercedes-Benz the best or nothing. So game for the finals tonight. Now, it's interesting.

Because I am old, I do like old NBA stories. I tend to like Chris Paul, you know, a couple of veterans in our respective industry. You are flashy and young and going places and your futures in front of you. And you have put your arms around Yonnas in his hideous free throw shooting. I think this series is going to come down to this. Last two and a half minutes, last two games, game six and seven. and I got Chris Paul shooting free throws and you have Janice, yet you have been almost bizarrely confident with Janus going forward.

Explain yourself, young, progressive, smart guy with the great future. Well, thanks. Appreciate that. And I also adore Chris Paul, and I'm very happy he's gotten to this moment, but this moment is Janus's moment. So you mentioned NBA history. We don't have to go that far back in the annals of NBA history to see a very similar arc.

So if I were to tell you, there was a two-time MVP who hadn't won a championship, who was coming off his lowest playoff moment, who faced multiple elimination games before he even got to the finals, and then left those finals, and everyone said,

oh, he's clearly and unquestionably the best player in the world. He has solved his demons. You'd say, who am I talking about. That was LeBron in 2012. 2011, they lose to Dallas. He'd already had the couple of MVPs in 2012.

They faced elimination down 3-2 to Boston. He has the 45, 15, and 5, and the rest is history. They beat KD, Hardin, and Russ in the finals. Well, Janice, a couple MVP's, down 3-2 to KD and Brooklyn, has

the 40 and 10 in game 7, including the game-tying shot on KD in overtime. And now, I believe, has taken full control of these finals and is going to leave this season as the best player in the world. Phoenix has no answer for him. And the only game that they've played five times this year, they've somewhat slowed him down,

was the game where he was seven days removed from his knee bending the wrong way. So I don't think Milwaukee needs Drew and Middleton to play well. I think they just need one of them to play well because Janice is going to do everything he wants and he's going to average 35 and 15 in this series and I believe he's going to leave this series a champion and at 26 years old he's going to have a couple MVPs and he's going to have a title

and I think he's going to go into the next season unless LeBron, well, until LeBron could potentially take it back from him as the best player in basketball. So you and I, I think, agree that Daryl Morey takes big swing, Simmons and MB don't work. A lot of people are talking about Portland. They need to take a big swing.

They're stuck in NBA quicksand. Good, not great, good, not terrible. But I do think Golden State's fascinating here for a couple reasons, and I'll throw it at you. It's a very good draft. You can go to about the 22nd player, Chris Duarte of Oregon. A lot of people say he's 21, 22. He will play in the NBA.

He can shoot. He can make his own shot. Like, he's a real NBA player. Last year, we got to about the sixth player, and we were like, We didn't know if he was an NBA guy. And they were better than we thought. So this is a good draft.

And the Warriors have two lottery picks. And they have Andrew Wiggins, who's good, not special. I'm Golden State Year of Philadelphia. Would you take the number one lottery pick Andrew Wiggins for Simmons? Is that reasonable to you? I hang up the phone. You don't like it? I, there is, no.

No, if I'm, here's, here's why. If I'm Daryl Morey, I say to myself, okay, I have a 24-year-old with four years left on his contract, who the season before this one was an all-MBA player, this year almost one defensive player of the year. I already know there are two star guys in Dame and Beal who are borderline unhappy with their teams. Right. And knowing NBA history, another guy likely is going to become unhappy with his team. Who is going to be able to come up with a better package than me with Ben Simmons, Tyrese Maxie, who was good as a rookie, and Matisse Tybal, these were a Phillies draft

through the last couple of years. Those are good pieces to include in a trade. OKC has all the picks in the world to trade. But Portland is not going to send down. to OKC. He's been too good for the franchise for them to do that to him. New Orleans has a bunch of picks and they could include Brandon Ingram in a trade, so they are a possible contender for any of these guys. But Philly almost got James Hardin for Ben Simmons nine months ago. I don't think they are all of a sudden going to make a trade where it's Brogden-centric or Andrew Wiggins-centric.

I know why Golden State would want to do it, would love to do it. I don't think Philly would do it. And Colin, what I want to throw at you is this. Let's assume I'm right about these finals. Don't you think there might be a number of teams around the league that say, oh, okay. So if you build the right team around a non-shooting scorer, you can go win the title. And don't you think Yonis's success could actually make Ben a more attractive piece for a lot of teams around the league? Because what do we say? We say Ben, shoot more. With Yonis, it's like, shoot less, buddy. Do what you do.

So I think that if Yonis rampages to the title, there might be teams that say, you know what, Embed and Simmons didn't fit, but Yonis and Embed wouldn't really fit. And I'm not saying Ben Simmons is Yonis. He's not. but he might be the closest facsimile we have, like 85 to 90% of Yannis. He's only 24, put the right pieces around him. So I think that unless Bradley Beale or Damien Lillard are coming to Portland,

I think Ben Simmons is starting the year on the Sixers, and Darrell will hold on to him until he can get a true All-Star caliber player back. So yesterday, players, coaches, and executives in the NFL release their top 10 quarterbacks. Now, my takeaway on the list, I think, was different than yours. My takeaway was, as a dad, it was an incredibly encouraging list that there is no one way to success. Dak Prescott, fourth round, Russell Wilson, third round, Brady's sixth round, Aaron Rogers Jr. College. Mahalms, non-traditional power losing record in college. Kyler Murray's five, nine and a half.

Josh Allen went to Wyoming. My view in it is, isn't this amazing? there is no one way to get to the NFL small school, tall, short, run more. Lamar Jackson still has critics. The one exception to that is Matt Stafford, number one high school quarterback, number one college quarterback, number one draft pick, lousy record. Your takeaway on this list was more about Stafford,

not the other guys, I'm told. Yes, I have two takeaways. Let's start with Stafford, and then I can get to my second one if we have time. Stafford was sixth on this list. He was ahead of Dak. He was ahead of Lamar. Well, he was ahead of everyone except for the top five guys, which were Mahomes, Rogers, Brady, Russ, and Josh Allen.

I like Matt Stafford, and I, like many people, really like the Rams this year. Colin, do you think Matt Stafford's the sixth best quarterback in football? That felt a little premature. Yeah. It felt like the Sean McVeigh glow. has already started to rub off on Stafford. Hadn't played a game for him yet.

Like, if you are, if you are, I'm not a huge quarterback wins guy. Yeah. But if you're this, if you're one of the six best quarterbacks in football, you're not sub 500 over a five year stretch. You might have a down year. Don't you think that's a touch high

and a little premature with Stafford, Colin? Yeah, I think, I've been told through the years, um, scouts love. him, execs love him. I think it speaks to what the NFL executives are telling you is, good God, the Lions front office and ownership is worse than Cleveland's the last decade. That's what it's telling you, that people think the Lions are incompetent tire fire. So there you go. That's right. But I'm glad you mentioned Cleveland because that's my second takeaway. What's the argument that Kyler Murray, and I like Kyler, should be on this list and not

Baker Mayfield? I'm just curious. Okay, okay. Like, what, you tell me, tell me the argument. Well, one is a world-class athlete, and one was a walk-on. Kyler Murray's an unbelievable. He's the only thing in the world that looks kind of like Russell Wilson. He plays a little like Russell.

I don't think he's as good as Russell. So I think Kyler Murray's an unbelievable. I mean, God, the guy, be honest, he was a baseball guy, 50% baseball guy, and he still comes into the NFL. And by the way, he had better stats at Oklahoma the year he was at Oklahoma than Baker did, the one year. Well, they both won the Heisman. They both went number one overall in the same system of the same university. Kyler does have the benefit of DeAndre Hopkins and Larry Fitzgerald. Baker, of course, lost O'Dell.

But yes, I agree. I would much rather have Kyler in the decathlon. But it's the NFL, it's playing quarterback. And so Baker's arc is, because their collegiate arcs were very, very similar because they went to the same school, you know, same system, all that. In the NFL, Baker as a rookie set records, had a down year two coached by arguably the least equipped NFL coach ever. As soon as he got a real head coach back, they went to the playoffs, one double digit games, won a playoff game, and were in the game in the fourth quarter at Eric. go ahead. And he's doing it all the while. He has America's favorite media personality on a daily basis trying to tear him down. Like, Kyler doesn't deal with that. Kyler's got nothing but

love from people. Baker's got to deal with a lot of stuff. Again, it's not that it's with Kyler, particularly. Kyler just came in 10th and I'm like, we can't get my guy Baker in the top 10. He's not one of the 10 best quarterbacks in football seems harsh. No. Deshaun Watson, by the way, is not on that list. So he could be the argument, but I would say this. And I don't want to be critical of Baker because I do think I have Cleveland being a very good team this year. I think a lot of that's the offensive line and the coach. These are really good.

But I'd say this. Cleveland was better last year the fewer times Baker threw. Okay, that's an important stat. When he threw less, they were better. Secondly, the Kansas City game. Yeah, the Chiefs were missing a guy in most of the second half. Random player, maybe you've heard of him. I know.

A little misleading. I know. I agree with that. I know. I was thinking it was the end of the segment. You might not get there. Yes, it is true that the Chiefs did seem to be in firm control until Mahomes went down. Yeah.

But if you're going to hit me with that, then I'm going to hit you with this. That hole, they were better when they threw the ball less is a first cousin of the stat of all. Well, if you get to 40 rushes who win the game, which is a second cousin of the stat, you know teams that take knees in the fourth quarter are undefeated. Well, why doesn't everyone do it? Well, it's actually you're taking a knee because you've already won. They are throwing the ball less because they've already gotten a lead typically by throwing the football. So I don't buy that first part.

But the second part is fair that Mahomes did get hurt, which did affect things. Kind of. Yeah, that is true. It just marginally affect the outcome of the game, yes. Good to see you, buddy. Nick Wright. See you, man. All right. Top of the hour.

I'll talk Browns in the entire AFC. Last year I was lucky enough. Well, a little luck, little skill to go seven for seven on my playoff picks. We now have seven teams. That was adopted two years ago. We now have 17 games, which, by the way, is a reason. I had this discussion in the airport the other day because somebody came up and asked me about, it could have been the Browns of the Ravens.

I was a Browns fan. anytime there's anybody from Ohio that spots me anywhere publicly, they've got to come up and ask me questions. And I said, I may like you and think you're an 11 and 16, but I'm going to make you a 10 and 17 because I think players are going to rest more. I think GMs are going to rest players more. Undefeated,

this whole Tampa Bay is going to go undefeated nonsense. It is zero chance that's happening. There's no way Tampa that just won a Super Bowl is going to push all their players to play 17 games. You're going to give your veteran defensive lineman, JPP, you're going to give him a week off late because you want him healthy for the playoffs and rest it. So we'll talk about that coming up. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays in noon Eastern 9 a.m. Pacific. 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 where you're saying. Yep, that's me, Cliver Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, the reactions, my journey from basketball to college football, or my career in sports media.

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

stories that don't always get told, and for people who are chasing something bigger. So, if you've ever supported me or you're just chasing down a dream, this is right where you need to be. Listen to The Clifford show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. Hey, it's Edwin Castro, also known as Castro 1021. And I'm Conky, his best friend and business manager. And we've got a new show called The 1021. podcast. I'm taking you behind the scenes on how I became one of Twitch's most popular streamers.

We also love sports. And with the World Cup right around the corner, we'll be breaking down the biggest storylines ahead of the big tournament here in the USA. Listen to the 1021 podcast on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. The story I've told myself about love or relationships can then shape my behavior and that can lead me to sabotage the possibility of connection. This Mental Health Awareness Month, tune into the podcast deeply well with Debbie Brown and explore the journey of healing, self-discovery, and returning to yourself. We explore higher consciousness, emotional well-being, and the practices that help you find

clarity, peace, and self-mastery in a world that can feel overwhelming. The world is becoming alone. We're not becoming more social and connected. We're becoming more individualized, but we actually meet people in connection. If you've been searching for a soft place to land while doing the work to become whole, this podcast is for you to hear more. Listen to deeply well with Debbie Brown from the Black Effect Podcast Network on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Leadership is undervalued. The sons are in the finals this year, not because they changed their roster.

They added a 36-year-old veteran, Chris Paul, who plays about 30 minutes a night. That's it. Leadership DeAndre Aiton said, I've never played with anybody who challenged me more. Dodgers bring in mokey bets. The Dodger players are like, oh, my God, lead by example. First in, first around the cage, extra work. It's leadership. Tom Brady, not the fastest, past his prime athletically, though he was never a world-class

athlete, goes to Tampa, mostly the same roster, coaches. Tom comes in. We don't really value optimism and leadership and positivity. And that's what Mookie Betts and Brady and Chris Paul do. It's not like Chris Paul's given you 44 minutes and 39 points. That's not his game. It's not like Brady is extending plays. It's not like Brady has the best arm. You know, Mookie Betts, it's not like Mookie Betts. It's not like Mookie Betts is playing multiple positions. He's the closer or the starting ace. But there is something to be said for constantly lubricating and energizing locker room. And I thought this was very interesting. You know I love Russell Wilson. The ringer has a guy named Kevin Clark. We bring him on the show. He's very smart. He interviewed Russell Wilson. And I want you to think about

Aaron Rogers' moodiness and at times sort of condescending nature and snarkiness going into the season. Here's the interview. Just think about being around this. Here is Russell Wilson talking to Kevin Clark who said, hey, you've got a new coordinator this year. And he started and Aaron and Russell just starts talking. And he goes, oh my God, Shane Waldron, amazing mind, super collaborative. We had a lot of fun. It's been an amazing along the journey. Going to throw more and win more games. We're so excited about it. We think we've got a chance to win. We're just going to totally go for it. Compare that to Green Bay. Here's Russell talking about players. He goes, I'm looking forward to D.K. Metcalf. He's such a young guy. Chris Carson's back. We're so excited to have him. Gerald Everett coming from the Rams,

a tremendous football player. How about Duane Brown? He's been so dominant since he got here at left tackle. We got a new guard, Gabe Jackson, a physical dominant player. How about Damien Lewis moving to left guard? I'm so much energy there. These are real quotes. Jamal Adams. He'll be in his second year for the Seahawks. How great will be he be? Bobby Wagner, nobody better in the league than him at his position. Plus, he's a great leader. And how about Quandre Diggs? He can make all the plays. I'm so excited getting the guys back and the fans here. These are real quotes. I'm not making this up. Everything's an amazing journey. Every day, positive, optimistic, focused. I mean, if you're a player and Russell Wilson's the best player that franchise has ever had, and he's

talking about you in the ringer like that. What does that make you feel? I'm going to go to the wait room. I can't let him down. I mean, my bosses talked about our staff like this. You would get in early the next day. He'd be like, oh, my God. Russell Wilson's talking about D.K. McCarrison. You're talking about Chris Carson. I love him back. Oh, I'm so excited for, oh, my, Damien Lewis, going to the left side. Your Damien Lewis, you're like, that's my guy. Compare that to having fun on this golf tournament. I'll figure it out. I don't know.

Snark, snark, snark. Listen. Optimism matters. Chris Paul matters. Mookiee bets. Tom Brady. This stuff. Positivity.

Makes you want to work out harder. Energy. I know. I know. I know. People say, oh, it's a lot of, you know, sometimes Russell Wilson's over the top. I'll take it.

I mean, Tom Brady eats avocado ice cream. won't drink a beer in a season. It's a little over the top. It works. People want to be around positive people. They energize us. They focus us. They make us feel like guilty for not being in the wait room earlier and not working harder or not putting the time in. I just, I love that's who he is. Think it's fake or not. That's who he is 24-7. It's the hurt. 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, that David Letterman help make you funnier.

This week, my guest, S&L's Mikey Day and head writer, Streeter Seidel, help an a cappella band with their between songs banter. Where does your group perform? We do some retirement homes. Those people are starving for banter. Listen to humor me with Robert Smigel and friends on the I-Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts,

or wherever you get your podcasts. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal, but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque. others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast'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. On the Look Back at a podcast. From 1979, that was a big moment for me. 84 was big to me. I'm Sam J. And I'm Alex English.

Each episode, we pick a year, 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. It 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. A win is a win.

A win is a win. I don't care what you're saying. Yep, that's me. Clifford 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, unfills of conversations with athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. So let's get to it.

Listen to The Clifford Show on the 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. This is an IHeart podcast. Guaranteed human