The Herd with Colin Cowherd - 08/20/2021 - Best of The Herd

Episode Date: August 20, 2021

Colin gives his takeaway from the Patriots second preseason game as the quarterback competition between Cam Newton and rookie Mac Jones heats up. He believes the Cowboys need to admit there is reason to be concerned about Dak Prescott’s shoulder injury as the regular season continues to get closer. He also explains why LeBron James should still be considered the best player in the NBA. Plus, WWE superstar Charlotte Flair joins the show to talk about preparing for SummerSlam and her favorite SmackDown moment.  Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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

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

Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the IHard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, what's good, y'all? You're listening to Learn the Hard Way with your favorite therapist and host, Kear Games. This space is about black men's experiences, having honest conversations that it's really not safe to have anywhere, but you're having them with a licensed professional who knows what he's doing. How many men carry a suit or armor? It signals to the world that you're not to be played with. And just because you have the capability that does not mean that you need to.

Listen and learn the hard way on the AHA radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what you're saying. Yep, that's me, Cliver Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, my basketball and college football journey, or my career in sports media. Well, now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifers Show. This is a place for raw, unfiltered conversation.

with athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. So let's get to it. Listen to the Clifford show on the IHeard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok podcast network on TikTok. Thanks for listening to The Best of Heard Podcast. Be sure to catch us live every weekday from 12 to 3 Eastern, 9 to noon Pacific on Fox Sports Radio and FS1. Find your local station for The Heard at Fox SportsRadio.com or stream us live every day on the IHeart Radio app by searching Herd.

This is the best of the herd with Colin Cowher on Fox Sports Radio. Oh, here we go on a Friday. We are loaded today, everybody from Greg CoSell to Charlotte Flair. We got a lot of flair today. It's the herd wherever you may be and however you may be listening. IHart Radio, Fox Sports Radio, FS1, Joy and I Match didn't mean to. It is great to have you on a Friday. We had a NFL game last night, the team so bad in Philadelphia, that both Cam Newton and Mac Jones looked amazing, both.

Philadelphia is an interesting organization these days. I thought there were some learns last night, though. Yeah. You know, when you're a quarterback in this league, you want to put pressure on the quarterback, force him into mistakes. Philadelphia doesn't do that. So Mac Jones had a 17 play scoring drive. Cam Newton was 8 for 9.

The only incompletion was a drop pass. Philadelphia's starters aren't good. Their backups aren't very good. And they're third and fourth string guys. Many are not professional football players. Hard to figure out what you watched last night. When you take New England's coaching and coordinating and you combine it with backups and third and four stringers for Philadelphia, Mac look great and Cam looked great.

and Cam look great. Mac Jones was pro football focus as highest graded player last night, but he was playing against guys. A lot of these guys are not going to be on Philadelphia's roster, and if you can't make Philadelphia's roster, perhaps you're not going to make any roster. So we all know that Mack Jones is eventually going to be the Patriots quarterback. He plays with a lot of poise for a young guy. Could it be soon? Here's my takeaway. Number one is the Patriot coaches are not unveiling Cam Newton the runner yet. That will add to this offense. It's a bonus that Mack Jones does not provide. Number two, Cam Newton's a power player. I mean, he really is. This is a power roster.

It is not a speed roster. It's not a pretty roster. It's not a finesse roster. Cam matches the roster. Number three is Cam Newton is getting all the first team reps at practice. So, you know what? My takeaway last night is New England's going to be very boring. They don't have playmakers. But they may be 11. and six and boring because it's the best offensive line potentially they have had in years, especially if Isaiah Wynn can stay healthy. They've got four legitimate running backs. The defense is always solid. The head coach and the offensive coordinator are probably the best at their position in the game. And you know Cam Newton or Mac Jones is going to probably especially

Cam go two and oh against the Jets. Never forget this, is that the dynasties for New England, the early and the late dynasties looked a lot like this team. Let's go to the first dynasty. The receivers were David Givens, Dion Branch, Troy Brown, no elite receivers. The running back was Antoine Smith, who over several years averaged about 800 yards a game. The defenses were stingy, Brady made no mistakes, and they won't have a bunch of Super Bowls. and the last dynasty before Brady left, let's go back and look at that one.

It was Edelman and old gronk. Brady didn't make a lot of mistakes. The defense was stingy. And like the early Patriot dynasty, the running backs, three different leading rushers in three different Super Bowl wins. When New England had the playmakers, Randy Moss, Aaron Hernandez,

Wes Welker was the best slot receiver in the league. and win any Super Bowls. Those were ones in the Super Bowl years. They were good. They broke some records. They were more fun to watch. This roster is a lot like the early and late Super Bowl rosters. I don't even think it matters.

I'm dead serious here. I don't think it matters. I think Mack Jones or Cam could both win 10 or 11 games. Now, I think Buffalo is head and shoulders better than both teams right now. Both, you know, Josh Allen's better than Cam and Mac. I think the roster's better. I think Miami and New England's rosters are fairly even with Miami having more perimeter speed and playmakers. But go look at the schedule right now.

I looked at the schedule for New England this morning. Here's four guaranteed wins, just on coaching and defense. Jets twice, Jacksonville, and Houston. That's four wins. Here's three feel-like wins. New Orleans, Carolina, and Atlanta, all rebuilding. And then here's two that could go either way, but they get both of them at home, Dallas and Tennessee. Four plus three plus two is nine.

The over-under in Vegas is nine. And by the way, last year, New England had the most opt-outs in the NFL. They're all back. They had no pre-season for Cam who got signed late. And then Cam got COVID. So the quarterback situation this year, even though it's Cam, it's better. You have a much better Cam, you have Mac Jones. So I look it up and down to this roster and there's this big argument who should start.

I think the coaches for New England got it right. I think Cam's going to offer a little playmaking Matt Cant. Cam's taking the first reps with the first team. And I think Cam, they haven't unleashed his running yet. Cam's a power player. This is a power team. But, you know, I sat and watched the first two weeks of the Patriots and I'm like, this is a lot like their first dynasty. in their second dynasty.

Now, the AFC is much better today, and they shouldn't be favored, and Kansas City's better, and Buffalo's absolutely better. But after that, they're in the class with the Chargers, Baltimore, Cleveland. I mean, they're coaching their defense, their offensive line. I don't think it matters who starts. I think this is a 10-win team. And I think if they get some breaks and Mac keeps growing and Cam stays healthy, maybe 11. So it's interesting on the Cowboys.

So whenever I'm trying to decipher a story, the most obvious thing to do, you would do it. You try to find people close to an organization or a business who have good sourcing. And what are they saying? So Gil Brandt used to work for the Cowboys, still very connected to the Cowboys. I think he lives in Texas. Came out with a tweet. He said, had a long talk with Dat Prescott yesterday out in San Francisco, Frisco, Texas. he said, I expected to be out there, but I'm not sure he's going to be 100%.

The season tilts on his health. That's what Gil Brandt said. And by the way, remember, Mike McCarthy three weeks ago, Dax playing in the preseason. Then he had a second MRI, and Mike McCarthy said Dax out for the preseason. Michael Irvin, very connected, lives in Texas, still close to the Cowboys, said this about Dack in a recent podcast. I'm watching on TV when I was there at camp and he was throwing the ball back. to the guy that was snapping into him with his left hand.

Wouldn't even raise the right hand to throw the ball two yards. I was like, oh, no, oh no, you don't stay out this long with something this minor at that position when you had all the last year off. But wait, there's more. Troy Aikman on an early broadcast, Hall of Fame broadcast, I think it was. Troy Aikman, very close to the Cowboys, lives in Texas, said this. Yeah, the Cowboys are. downplaying it, but I think when your franchise quarterback's missing the amount of time that he's

missing, I tend to think it's probably a little bit more significant than what they have led on and, you know, a big year for a lot of people. Dallas, remember, is very DAC dependent because they don't do a lot of other things well. Their head coach, their defense, their backup quarterback situation, you watched New England last night. They're not as quarterback dependent. A, they have a better coach. B, a much better defense. C,

they can start either of those guys. They're not dependent on Cam or Mac Jones. They can each play. The worse your team is, the more dependent you are on the guy that touches the ball 60 times a game. I mean, never forget. Dak was on pace

last year in the four games he played, started and finished. To throw for 60 700 yards. Shatter every NFL record. And they were still one in three. And the one win was that ridiculous fluke win

against Atlanta. Like Dallas needs to get on the phone. It's called Nick Foles in Chicago, Gardner Minchew in Jacksonville. I mean, I'd go Mason, Rudolph, and Pittsburgh because it looks like Dwayne Haskins may win the backup job there.

This is a very DAC dependent team. And I hear this all the time. is quarterback dependent. You watched New England last night. They're not. That is a coaching, running game, O-line defensive story. One quarterback passed his prime, the other not near his prime. They could win 10 games. They won seven last year. Now we've added an NFL game and they're a better roster. So, remember, this is a baseball injury to DAC. It's a shoulder injury, right? That's why the Cowboys contacted the Texas Rangers and the New York Yankees. And pitchers. And pitchers who get this injury, they put them on the shelf.

They don't pitch. So add this in. Zeke has been on the decline for three years. Defense, new coordinator, new system, a lot of young draft picks. They need to make an impact. This thing could blow up. They better get on the phone because this is not a good enough football team to go to a backup quarterback and win five games. Washington's better.

the giant should be better. Get on that. Jerry's got a 350-foot yacht. He's got to get on that small little iPhone right now and call the Chicago Bears of the Jacksonville Jaguars. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays in noon eastern 9 a.m. Pacific on Fox Sports Radio, FS1, and the iHeart Radio app. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal but encouraged. It's the enhanced games.

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

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

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

I don't think there's a more important year for black people. Really? Yeah. For me, it's one of the most important years for black people in American history. Listen to look back at it on the IHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Welcome to my new podcast, Learn the Hardway with me, your host, and your favorite. 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, as we have real conversations about healing, growth, fatherhood, pressure, and purpose on my new podcast, learn the hard way. Open your free, our heart radio app. Search Learn the Hardway and listen now. So I'm going to say something that you know it, I know it, and everybody that watches football knows it. Where you land as a rookie quarterback is about 80% of it. It's about 80% of it.

Where do you land? Your GM, your ownership, your O-line, your coach, expectations. Mac Jones is going to win more games than Zach Wilson. And I think Zach Wilson's more talented. Think of these eight things that Mac Wilson. has. He's got a great offensive line. How many kids, Dak got that. He won 13 games as a rookie. Dak inherited that. A very successful coordinator. Yeah, it kind of matters. A Super Bowl winning coordinator. Been in a lot of big games. A legendary head coach. A great defense.

It's Belichick. They're always top 10, top five. A very strong running game. No chaos in the front office. He doesn't have to start. And he doesn't have to start. And he didn't. He didn't have to carry the offense. They're not going to put him in positions to play above or beyond himself. I looked up this morning. Zach Wilson of the Jets has none of those. He needs to start now, first time play caller, rookie head coach, worst roster in his division, shaky O line, his left tackle came in at 370, about 25 pounds overweight. That's what the Jets are acknowledging. He's got none of those. Mac Jones is going to win more NFL games than Zach Wilson, certainly early, barring an injury. And you put Mac Jones in Chicago, it's an entirely different outcome.

They don't have an offensive line, coach in the hot seat, I don't trust their front office. They have like one playmaker, and if Alan Robinson got hurt, Justin, make plays for us. So there's maybe one to two quarterbacks a decade that can overcome dysfunction. function and win. Andrew Luck. Yeah, that's it. That's it. Andrew Luck. And he was forced into early retirement. Mack Jones has really hit on what they call pocket aces. He got the best college football of all time. And his coordinator, Steve Sarkesian, won the award for best coordinator in college football, 130 teams. He goes to the NFL and he gets the best coach in the NFL's history. And if they gave out an award, Josh McDaniels would be on a show.

shortlist to be the best coordinator. At both Bama and in New England, excellent running game, tremendous offensive line and protection. Both have great defenses. They don't ask you to play above and beyond yourself. They've been in big games. They know what it's like. This is as well as you can do.

Again, you put Mack Jones in a lot of different spaces. Jacksonville could be a disaster. Chicago. But I'm looking around this last. night and I'm like, he had a 17-play drive. Now, it's Philadelphia's four stringers, but we all know this. Like, this is not a debate. This is one of the few things you and I can always agree on. Where you land. It's a lot like life. You know, the difference is in the NFL for a rookie quarterback, they're going to give you about a year and a half to two years to prove

you can do it. So if you inherit garbage, your career is mostly garbage. For the rest of us, you're born into a family. If things aren't great, yeah, I got 70 years to figure it out. but I watch Mac Jones and I'm like, this is perfect. I mean, this is, could you have given a kid a better landing spot than Mac Jones? It almost, in a weird way, his limitations athletically are perfect. Like, he knows, this is what I can't do, this is what I can. And he's smart enough to see what New England provides. It's just, just put it in automatic.

You don't even have to shift gears. Just an automatic. Just drive when you start. Just drive this puppy because the road is just totally grooved for him right now. Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd, weekdays in noon Eastern, 9 a.m. Pacific. Hey, what's up, everybody? It's me, three-time Pro Bowl of LaVarerrington, and I couldn't be more excited to announce a new podcast called Up on Game. What is Up on Game, you ask?

Along with my fellow Pro Bowler, T.J. Hushman Zada and Super Bowl champion. Yep, that's right. Plexico Burris. You can only name a show with that type of. a talent on it. Up on game. We're going to be sharing our real-life experiences loaded with teachable moments. Listen to Up on Game with me, LaVar Arington, T.J. Hushmanzada, and Plexico Burris on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast from. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing

human potential. Either way, the podcast's Superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the I-Hard radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what I'm saying. Yep, that's me, Cliver Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, the reactions, my journey from basketball to college football or my career in sports media. Well, somewhere along the way, this platform became bigger than I ever imagined. And now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfiltered

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

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

I don't think there's a more important year for black people. Really? Yeah. For me, it's one of the most important years for black people in American history. Listen to look back at it on the IHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Welcome to my new podcast, Learn the Hardway with me, your host, and your favorite things. Careers, 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, Keir Gaines, is we have real conversations about healing, growth, fatherhood, pressure, and purpose on my new podcast, Learn the Hardway. Open your free, Our Heart Radio app. Search Learn the Hardway and listen now. They did an NBA off-season survey. Now, ESPN only surveyed 10 scouts and executives. That feels like a bizarrely low number.

I don't know. But it's a number. It execs. You'd like to get into the 30, 40, 50 number, but it's 10 execs and scouts. And they polled them on a bunch of stuff anonymously. Best off season, worst off season, best trade, worst trade, best player. So there were 10 votes. And LeBron James got zero votes for the NBA's best player.

Janus got five and KD got five. Now, you can make the argument. LeBron is not the best score. He's certainly not the best shooter. He's no longer the best defender. But he did win MVP of the finals 10 months ago. I would argue, you could easily say he's still the best player. Because everybody else has a hole.

Yonis can't shoot. Kauai can't stay healthy. Hardin and Steph are liabilities on the defensive end. KD's the closest thing to LeBron. but he's a little brittle. So Tom Brady's never had the best arm. Tom Brady's never been the best athlete. He's never been the strongest guy or the quickest guy.

You could argue with Peyton Manning. Probably wasn't even the smartest guy. But if you had one drive-in football, fourth quarter, who would you take? I'd take Brady. If you gave me seven minutes, game seven, fourth quarter, in the entire league, I'd take LeBron. Is that make him the best player?

It makes him the best player. player was seven minutes to go in the season in game seven. So I've said this forever. LeBron does everything pretty well. He's a good shooter. Not great. He's a really good score. He can be a really good rebounder. He's still, at times, a really good defender. He's a really good leader. He's a great ball handler. He's an amazing passer. He's an A or a B plus at virtually everything. You can't marginalize him. He can go left. He can go right. He can go mid-range. He scores at the rim. He can shoot a three. You can marginalize. everybody else or like Kauai, they're not really distributors or leaders and they're quiet.

So he's got a little bit of a leadership hole. KD's the only thing close to me in terms of just, okay, get a bucket. But I feel like LeBron, if I needed a stop, would probably get it before KD. And I've said this about LeBron. He has been for the last 15 years the NBA Swiss Army knife. the knife isn't quite as sharp as it was about six years ago. And I would argue this. If I need a basket, just a basket, I'd take KD.

If I need just a stop, I would go Janus or a healthy Kauai. But if I needed seven minutes of brilliant basketball, leadership, distribution, ball handling, passing, defense, could hit a three, could score at the rim, could hit mid-range. I'd take LeBron. and I would take Tom Brady one drive. I wouldn't take Aaron Rogers. Aaron Rogers history is. He's not great on the final drive. Russell Wilson is,

but I don't think he's all in, has the experience in big games like Tom Brady. So, you know, it's best player is, we know it's a very tiny, tiny group, but you start looking around. And I think one of the things of Brady and LeBron, it's hard to marginalize him. They don't like A or B plus at everything.

You don't have any grade at everything. I say this about the NFL. You just can't be terrible at anything because the coaching's too good. Like the New York Giants are really bad on the offensive line. That will completely unravel their season. Carolina has a bad offensive line. They can only be so good. The NFL coaching's too good.

You can't be terrible at anything. New England this morning is not terrible at anything. I'm not sure they're great outside of coaching at anything. But B-plus wins a lot of games. And B-plus also wins a lot of championships. One more herd? The herd streams 24 hours a day, seven days a week within the IHeart radio app. Search Herd to listen live or on demand whenever you'd like.

Cities go in cycles with sports. Good or bad. Tampa got in a hot streak. The Bucks won the Super Bowl, the Lightning won the Stanley Cup, and the Rays were in the World Series. year before, Dodgers in L.A. and the Lakers won. Milwaukee, by the way, the Bucks just won. The Packers are excellent, and the brewers are a great 9-to-1. If you can bet in this country, if you're in a state where you can bet,

bet the Brewers to win the World Series. Dominant Ace, great closer. They went on pitching. Yellich isn't having a great year. But they're a great 9-to-1 bet when you, they win with pitching, and we've seen in post-season. Pitching, good pitching is going to beat good hitting. So, and then there's the opposite.

Thank God for Detroit, where everybody's circling the drain. Philadelphia, I'm watching the Eagles last night. The Flyers are a nothing burger. The Phillies are on a bad skid. The Eagles are a mess. Sixers have talent, but they're highly combustible. They can't figure out the Ben Simmons move. You know, the Eagles right now, I cannot remember a franchise that I, for years respected.

And then overnight, they've become an eye roll. The way they treated Doug Peterson, the Carson Wentz mess, the meddling stories, how they've handled Jalen Hertz so far as weird. They're just, this is a passionate sports city, a little bit of a mess. And, you know, again, the good news is, you know, they're in a division, which is you don't exactly have, you know, the 85 Chicago Bears in it. This is a fairly limited division. the Cowboys defense, the Giants O-Line, you know, Washington's quarterback situation.

You know, you could hang around in this thing until Thanksgiving if you were not a very good football team. They're just bad. Like Philadelphia, the Eagles right now are just a bad team. I always say that there are four components to be a Super Bowl bubble team. Owner, GM, head coach quarterback. If you're an A or a B-plus and all of them, you're in the Super Bowl bubble. I used to think Jeffrey, Lurie, and Harry Roseman were both in it. I'm not sure now.

And boy, head coach and quarterback, it's near the bottom of the NFL. It is tough sledding right now for Philadelphia. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays in noon Eastern, 9 a.m. Pacific on Fox Sports Radio, FS1, and the IHeart Radio app. On this show, we only bring the best on. No fringe people. Only champions on this show.

And this weekend, it's a summer slam. It is a massive event. John Sina, Roman Rains is one of the headlining events and we can pick who we want to bring on the show and I said, The Queen is the only person I want on the show. The Great Charlotte Flair, an 11-time WWE woman champ. She is joining us now live

4-0 and SummerSlam matches. By the way, you do not age. You're in better shape today in the last time I saw you. Give the audience some perspective. You know, we all know you're the daughter of Rick Flair. your workout ethos, your workouts are legendary. In the average month, how many planes are you on and how many hours a week do you work out? Let people know how hard you work.

An hour and a half a day, at least, it's like my one time to decompress, to turn everything off, to kind of forget the outside noise. So I'd say an hour and a half a day, minimum 30 minutes. But I just have to move. I just have to sweat. So you are fighting in a triple threat match with Nikki ASH and Ria Ripley. And you have what they want. And, you know, it's almost like LeBron James.

I'm the best player. You all want it. Do you feel pressure? Do you love it? Do you love annoying them? Take me inside what it means to be you in matches like this weekend. Well, I think that's how I came up with the name, the opportunity, whether I have the title, whether I don't. I'm giving the women an opportunity to beat me.

If you beat me, it's like, that's what makes you a champion. Nikki Ash has the raw women's championship, but if she beats me tomorrow, it's like that's even bigger, but now it's a triple threat match. It's just giving them the opportunity to be in the ring with me. Some people have to rise to the occasion. Yeah, some people don't like to be a villain. There are times I think you love just getting in people's head. Am I right on that? I do.

It's just if you can get people to react, whether it's good or bad and get under their skin and go with it, I enjoy it. I enjoy getting that reaction out of people. And the more you dislike me, the more you like whoever I'm facing. And that's what it's all about, good versus evil. So Sina takes on Roman Rains.

Now, Sina is, my takeaway is he's legendary nice guy. He has messages. He's very positive, very optimistic, the good guy. Roman Raines, not always the good guy. Can be a little bit of a heel. So do you find yourself ever rooting for certain people in big matches? I think this match is bigger than just Sina versus Roman. It's just these two massive superstars and what they mean to our industry.

I mean, when I first started, I always said I wanted to be the Sina of the company because no one works as hard as John Sina. I mean, he has a work ethic second to none. And then you have Roman, the new face of the company. I mean, he's been the face for a while, but he's, he has come into his own. He's a new character. You're seeing all these layers. He's saying, yes, there are levels to this. But I don't necessarily find myself either rooting for Roman or Sina.

I'm just, it's the spectacle of it. It's like SummerSlam has turned into another mini-Resslemia. And seeing just these two superstars and Sina has transcended WWE and Roman, just go at it. I'm just here for the ride. It's not even who I'm fooling for. It's just take me on that roller coaster. I'm so excited for them.

Did you know that Sina was a star instantly? The first time you saw him, Russell, did you know it instantly? I don't necessarily remember the first time that I saw him wrestle or noticed that he was a star. But when you see him speak on WWE television, you can't deny his love and passion and respect for this industry and what the fans mean to him. Like you can't fake that. Like when he talks, you believe every word he's saying. So that's to me what drew me to him and was like, wow. like he oozes what he's saying like yes like roman oozes confidence but when

sina is talking you just you eat every word up so i have somebody in my life that loves sasha bank she faces bianca bellair uh again big personalities take me to what you think we'll see tomorrow night so for bianca and sasha bianca to me she's newer to the game instantly had the factor. That's what's making her so special. Sasha is one of my oldest rivals. We go way back. One of the full horse women. She already is. She is the boss. And she has that just natural swag. But tonight Smackdown is in Phoenix and seeing them face to face after facing each other at WrestleMania this year and being back against each other

tomorrow night on SummerSlam. Again, I don't know who I'm rooting for. They're both just oozed that confidence. But, um, Bianca will have a lot to prove to beat the boss again. Do you think you intimidate other women in the ring? I think I intimidate men and women. Let's be honest. Yes, completely. So by the way, in your personal life, you seem to be happy as well.

Your professional life is flying. It's a good time for you, isn't it? Yeah, you know, I've done a lot in my career. I mean, I've been able to main event pay reviews raw smackdown main event WrestleMania but I really feel right now I am so zoned in and

in the best shape I've ever been in my promos are just getting better better the character like I am in my prime right now like I can't wait to see what my future holds because I didn't come this far to come this far and one I'm looking forward to stealing the show tomorrow night there's only one queen in

WWE what's one of your favorite what's one of your favorite Smackdown moments if I said Charlotte a moment that you still think about from time to time. What is it? So it's a sad moment, but a good moment. So when my dad was sick a couple years ago, SmackDown just so happened to be in Charlotte, North Carolina, right after my dad was released in the hospital. And I didn't know my dad was at Smackdown that night. And obviously, we all thought we were going to lose him. And somehow he had this miraculous recovery. But I

wrestled Natalia for the SmackDown Women's Championship in Charlotte, North Carolina. And I won. And when I one my hometown was chanting you deserve it but not that wasn't even the best part when i got out of the ring and was walking to gorilla um they had my dad come out of gorilla and i just ran i'm gonna get emotional i just ran to him and hugged him because the whole time he was in the hospital i was just like am i never going to see my dad he's he never going to see me wrestle again like yes i do it for the fans but there's nothing like having your parent you know be there to watch you so seeing him come out after everything. Like, that's my top smackdown moment was, yeah, yes, that moment's just about me, but you, you couldn't fake anything that was happening there and winning the title. It was just

like light. It's just a perfect, you can't write these kind of things. Yeah. Congratulations. You can cry on our show. You can get very emotional. No, never. I've cried to myself. I spend all this time on this makeup, Colin. You know how long this takes. Hey, great seeing you, Charlotte, the Queen. It's SummerSlam, it's Vegas. You look fantastic, rooting for you. I'm heading there after the show today. Thanks for coming on. Thanks, Colin. 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 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. 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 have to be played with. And just because you have the capability that does not mean that you need to. Listen and learn the hard way on the AHA radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what I'm saying. Yep, that's me, Cliver Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, my basketball and college football journey, or my career in sports media.

Well, now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifers Show. This is a place for raw, unfiltered 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 Podcasts, 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.