The Herd with Colin Cowherd - 10/28/2020 - HOUR 1 - Rays, LeBron-Brady, Packers

Episode Date: October 28, 2020

The Rays made a huge mistake taking Blake Snell outLeBron James and Tom Brady have a lot in commonThe Packers need to go after a WRWho are buyers and sellers in the NFL?Guest: Nick Wright Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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

Where does your group perform? We do some retirement homes. Those people are starving for banter. Listen to humor me with Robert Smigel and friends on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal, but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque.

Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast's Superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the IHard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, what's good, y'all? You're listening to Learn the Hard Way with your favorite therapist and host, Kear Games.

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

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

Thanks for listening to The 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 heard. You're listening to Fox Sports Radio. Here we go on a Wednesday, home of the World Series

champion. Dodgers, this is the herd, wherever you may be, and however you may be listening. We're on Fox Sports Radio on FS1. It is so great to have you in here today. Los Angeles. Lakers a title. Dodgers a title.

I get out of bed for second place. It's unbelievable. The entertainment capital of the world. Joy Taylor, how are you? I'm great. Congrats to Dodgers fans. Lots of Dodgers fans. This was not like the Lakers where you go out and get LeBron A.D. and win.

Dodger fans have lived through this for seven years of, this is their, what, third trip to the World Series in four years? They've been very patient. They deserve it. They were a great team. Mookieie was spectacular. It was a great world series. So let's start with this. The big story, of course, is the raised pitcher Blake Snell.

He's their ace. He is great. He is just mowing everybody down. And they pull him in the sixth and put in a reliever who had been struggling. This, of course, is called analytics. The numbers say, Mookie Betts was coming up. And you don't want him to have to face Mookie Betts a third time. Oh, boy.

I get analytics for a regular season. I have always questioned analytics for postseason. NBA, baseball. As a consumer, when you watch that game last night in the World Series, does it feel different than a regular season baseball game? Oh, it does. There's more drama, more pressure and intensity. That's because it also feels different for the athlete.

I parent one way 99% of the time. I let my kids make mistakes. but dad parents differently, the 1% were in crisis. Dad takes over. I read books on how to parent. They inform me. They don't own me. They don't control me.

Analytics are great information. But they value long-term data, not short-term reality. Okay, Blake Snell is a great American athlete. Nick Anderson is an average relief pitcher. And in America, we write sports books about Jeter and LeBron and Michael and the Lake Kobe and Shaq. And we write them about Ted Williams and Babe Ruth. We write them about Brady and Aaron Rogers, Russell Wilson. And what all those have in common?

They are great athletes who rise to the last. level, even in later years to shock us. We do not write sports books about average professional athletes hoping in the moment they finally deliver against mookie bets. That's not what we write books about. We write them about the legends, LeBron and Brady, who in that last hurrah, win another title. You don't take Blake Snell out there. It's one thing to be guided by analytics. It's another to be controlled by them.

If you don't think that sucked the energy out of the raise and empowered the Dodgers, here's the manager, Dave Roberts, his reaction after the game when the rays took out their ace. I was pretty happy because he was dominating us. and we just weren't seeing them. So, you know, once Austin got that hit, then they went to the pen. I think that Mookie looked at me with a little smile. And we were just all kind of excited that snow is out of the game. I mean, hello.

Again, I want in the biggest moments, this is not a regular season game, game 28, 36, 42. Okay, this is the moment. There's a guidebook for pilots on how to land a plane. When the engine goes out, Sully Sullenberger, the guide book doesn't matter. You land it, whatever it takes. And in that moment, you get to game six of the series, you face Mookie Betts, the analytic book doesn't matter. The last two NBA seasons, the three players that have led teams to championship,

LeBron A.D. and Kauai Leonard. The Lakers believe in the three-point shot. so did Toronto. But in the finals, in the moment of clarity to win it, the Raptors and the Lakers, get a stop and get a basket. The analytic three ball guidebook is out the window. It's great to get you places, long-term data, but short-term reality is AD. We're going to feed it to you down low three straight times.

We'll take three bucket, six points, instead of three shots, potentially nine. But in this moment against that defense in the NBA finals, where there's more intensity, drama, expectations, and tightness, you may not have your best shot. Again, I want all the information. It's not going to control me. Here's Cody Bellinger when Blake Snell was pulled out, a player of the Dodgers, what he thought.

Yeah, I was shocked. We were kind of joking around. We were like, all right, way to get him out of there in the six like we planned. But not like that. But yeah, and then we just kind of got, we rallied from there. And Snow had his stuff today. He was gross. So, yeah, I would say that it uplifted us.

Championships should be won by stars and players, not managers and guidebooks. By the way, the funny thing about analytics is it's always about the pitcher. Baseball people will tell you, Mookie Betts, a great player, a right-hander, actually can't hit lefties. He didn't have a home run all year against lefties. If you really want to go deep into analytics, Blake Snow was perfect for Mookie Betts. He has struggled all year as a right-handed batter to hit left-handers. All right, let's start. Now, people throw stuff out all the time. Your teams average are bad, and we're getting close to the NFL trading deadline. And when I used to do local radio and I worked in Portland. I had only one rule. You could not call my show and just come up

with a trade and then say, I'll take your answer off the air. You can't just call my show and go, okay, I want LeBron James and I'll give you a bench player. I'll take your answer off the air. So I started banning that call. No trade suggestions. But occasionally you will see a trade suggestion and go, oh, that makes perfect sense. Here's one on the inner web, pro football talk. Would the Cowboys trade Amari Cooper wide receiver? I would tomorrow and I've got a team, the Green Bay Packers. Does Green Bay ask yourself, what is the standard of Green Bay?

I would say at Super Bowls. This is a franchise that aims for Super Bowls. Do they want to win one? We saw them play Tampa. Can they beat Tampa with this current roster? No, they cannot. They cannot beat Tampa with his current roster. Amari Cooper is a need, and by the way, he's expensive, but you can get out of the contract after next year.

Look at the arms race currently happening just in the NFC. Tampa Bay now with Antonio Brown has three number one receivers. Seattle has Tyler Lock at D.K. Metcalfe. They've got two number one receivers. The Rams have three to four. very competent receivers. The Saints have Alvin Kamara, who's half receiver half back, Michael Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders. By the way, Arizona now has won 7 of 10.

Christian Kirk, D. Hop. Kyler Murray's a weapon. And you're going to go with Devonte Adams, who gets hurt fairly regularly and a bunch of guys who are two and three receivers. And if you got to the Super Bowl, Kansas City and Pittsburgh are loaded with weapons. The NFL rules are changing. they're changing this is not nineteen eighty five football god it's not twenty fifteen football it is all about offense green bay has to admit this is hard for general managers to do they butchered their number two pick in the

draft they needed a receiver they got stubborn they chose a running back who is now number three on their depth chart he was number four before the season started this is a perfect deal. Dallas needs picks. Dallas needs to rebuild. They need picks. They don't need wide receivers. Green Bay doesn't need picks. You got two more, three more elite years with Aaron Rogers. You need weapons for Aaron. You don't need developing players. You just need more weapons. Same situation Tampa's in. That's why they're getting Antonio Brown. You can't just sit and wait and develop people. Get Brady Stars now. Get Aaron Stars now.

Dallas, once again, you are in a rebuild, whether you want to admit it or not. Amari Cooper with the emergence of C.D. Lamb and young Michael Gallup makes complete sense. Green Bay, you pay a little, you don't love free agents. This guy, this personality, his work ethic, his ability to get open is perfect for the Packers. And I think changes how everybody around the league would view them. coming up next LeBron and Tom Brady I'm on this constantly

have a lot more in common than you think have you seen the official pro PFF grades of quarterbacks Russell Wilson Rogers and number three Tom Brady that's coming up be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays in noon Eastern 9 a.m. Pacific

on Fox Sports Radio FS1 and the IHeart Radio app 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 you're saying. Yep, that's me, Clivert Taylor the 4th.

You might have seen the skits, the reactions, my journey from basketball to college football, or my career in sports media. Well, somewhere along the way, this platform became bigger than I ever imagined. And now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw,

unfiltered conversations with some of your 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 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 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 all day, but just so y'all know. I mean, at this point, Mark, this is the second episode where we've discussed crack. So I'm starting to see that there's a through line. We also have AIDS on the table right now. Thank you for finishing that sentence. 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 Hardway with me, your host, and your favorite therapist, Keer 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're We don't know when we've done enough. Because people scoreboard watch. Life becomes about wins and losses. Steve Burns, Dustin Ross, because you find it important to be a good person while you hear on earth? Are you a good person because you're afraid? Because that's two different intentions, bro.

Absolutely. And that's two different levels of trust. I want you to just really be a good person. Join me, Keer Gaines, as we have real conversations about healing, growth, fatherhood, pressure, and purpose on my new podcast, learn the hard way. Open your free. iHeartRadio app search learn the hard way and listen now.

Stop phoning in your underwear, fellas. Tommyjohn.com. Best parryl everywhere. It's free guarantee. Say 15% right now. Tommyjohn.com slash heard. Tommyjohn.com slash heard. I'm wearing it right now. Los Angeles, the home of winters, baby. So obnoxious. So we just do this all the time. And we see it all the time. We want to bury stars. We're great in America building up stars. And then we want to tear them down before they're ready to be torn down. We do this with LeBron. We nitpick. We nitpick. We knit pick. And he's not the same player he was seven years ago, but he still has so many advantages over everybody else. And we're doing it now with Tom Brady. I just looked at pro football focus. The three highest rated

quarterbacks in the NFL are Russell Wilson, Aaron Rogers, and Tom Brady. But Colin, LeBron's way more athletic. That's never been why Brady wins. LeBron and Brady are much more similar than dissimilar at this point in their careers. LeBron can no longer give you 45 minutes a night and guard the best player for 45 minutes, and Tom Brady can no longer take seven, eight, and nine hits. Okay, LeBron James needs the right piece to win a title, and Tom needs the right weapons that drive the ball down the field. But they have much more in common than you think, A, they're both innate leaders.

They're business leaders. It is innate. LeBron has been built to lead. Social movements, basketball movements, businesses. Brady similarly. They understand how to play with stars. Not everybody does. Big Ben can struggle with that.

Westbrook can struggle with that. They get how to play with stars. Number three, they're more committed than even other committed athletes. They also get the most emotionally out of teammates. I mean, AD was one of those guys that never played through injuries. Wasn't hurt much this year. And finally, they see the game. They don't just play it.

LeBron's not playing basketball. He's seeing it, coaching it, and playing it. They also, LeBron moves West. And for years, we bragged about how great the West was in the NBA. And then LeBron moves out there, and a year and a half in, we're like, well, you know, the West has a lot of good teams, but they don't have any great ones. Oh, LeBron's team's the best. And Brady moves to the NFC.

And for years, we talked about how deep the NFC is. And by week seven, we're like, yeah, Seattle and Green Bay are good teams, but Tampa appears to be head and shoulders better. Oh, by the way, LeBron leaves teams. They disintegrate. They're not just bad. They disintegrate. Even the well-run teams like Miami.

Brady leaves New England, a well-run organization. Seven games later, they're disintegrating. They're very similar. Ask yourself a question. Is Tom Brady as good as Jimmy Garoppolo? I'd say, yes, way better. Garoppolo was in last year's Super Bowl. Is he better than Jared Gough?

He was in the year before Super Bowl. Is he better than Matt Ryan? He got to a Super Bowl three years ago. Tom and LeBron can't do everything they could seven years ago. But their passion, their commitment, their intelligence, their innate leadership, their efficiency, their understanding how to elevate others. There's nothing else out there like it in the NBA or the NFL. Nick Wright will dispute that in 5, 10 minutes. Joy Taylor with the news.

Turn on the news. This is the herd line news. Chevro Lawrence is considered the likely first overall pick in the draft in 2021. Yes. But he said the option of returning to school for one more year hasn't been completely ruled out yet. Hmm. We'll just have to see how things unfold. There's a lot of factors in that.

But honestly, just really playing this year, putting everything I have into it and not really focusing on next year, whether I leave or day or whatever. Obviously, I have the option to do either one. Kind of my mindset's been that I'm going to move on, but who knows? There's a lot of things that could happen. Okay, Sunshine. It sounds like a shot at the Jets to me. It is a shot at the Jets. And I'm not mad at it.

The Jets have not done anything to earn any of our respect this year. This year? How about this decade? Well, look, they have, they've had some years, right, where they've had pops. You're right. 10 wasn't a bad year. You do realize, though, you don't need New York anymore, especially in the NFL. You don't need New York. But I will say this.

When I first heard this story or the rumblings of this, and I have no problem with Trevor Lawrence saying that. Nobody believes he's going back to school. That's right. He's not. He's not, and he shouldn't. But he also should say that because he should keep teams on alert. Because even though we're saying with full confidence that he's not going to, the fact that he can

is leverage that he should use. Look how good he is. He's amazing. The Jets have not earned that. The Jets have not earned that. Kansas City didn't win Super Bowls, but they earned Mahomes. They traded up to get him.

They also didn't pick number one overall in the draft. But they were capable. They were always capable. They were well-owned and smartly run. They just didn't have the guy. Like, you can be average, but when you're poorly run, you don't deserve Trevor Lawrence.

You haven't earned Trevor Lawrence. If you're at the top of the draft, you've earned the number one overall pick. That's how the draft works. We don't love it. because we don't necessarily want to reward terrible teams with the best talent that's coming out of college, but that's how the draft works.

Because you, in theory, want to make those teams better. If there was a draft in our business, should we have to go to a crappy network? We have earned the right to pick and choose where we go. No, but we're in a different business, which is all the more reason why. I'm very pro-player.

I'm very pro-leverage. But this situation does give me a bit of pause because it's going to add an incredible amount of pressure onto what is already very high expectations. If you look at the draft order right now, the Jets obviously have the number one. Oh, it's done. It's over.

They're the number one. It's done. But they do have Sam Darnold. And we are all operating as if they're just going to move off Sam Darnold with whoever they bring in as a new head coach. And they might not. I think they'd take Trevor Lawrence. I think they would want to as well.

But if they are comfortable sticking with Sam Darnold and they trade out of that, top spot. Oh, you can get, no, the Colts would give you a lot for Sam Darnold. They'd give you picks. How many do you need? What are you taking for, what are you taking for, what are you going to get for Sam Donald? A two, a second round pick and a starter. A defensive starter and a second round pick. And then I get Trevor Lawrence and I, I, I, are going to get more picks after that. The Jets have as many as 11 picks in this draft, including two first, one second, and two thirds. Okay, give me another first or a second, and I'll give you.

By the way, if I have the number one pick, I probably would take a first for Darnold. Why? Because I have Trevor Lawrence is the leverage. But if you look at the draft order, look at the top 11 teams right now in the draft. What teams need a quarterback? Jaguars.

Washington. That's it. That's it. Because Atlanta, Matt Ryan's too expensive for the next two years. The Giants we think are going to stick with Daniel Jones. I think they will. Dolphins have Tua. Vikings have Kirk Cousins.

may not do it. Obviously the Bengals have Burrow, Cowboys have DAC, Chargers have Justin Herbert. So unless the Patriots make a dramatic move, so you're risking maybe Jacksonville. What's a better situation there? I don't know. There's a lot that can still play out. Obviously, we have a lot of football left to play, but

this is going to be... Fantastic. For our business, it's fantastic. It's a amazing conversation. It's a quarterback draft, and those always are better. Yes, yes. And he's not the only one. So the Sixth and O Steelers face another tough test this weekend in the Ravens. And Mike Tomlin says the defense is going to be at their best

facing the strong Ravens rush game to remain undefeated. They got quality backs, man. We got to get ready for all three of those guys. Ingram and Edwards and the rookie all three guys. They utilize all three. They utilize Lamar. I think Lamar's got 50 rushes. You know, and they're a tough nut to crack.

They are. It's a fascinating game because I think too many of us because Kansas City is not only a great team, are a bad matchup for Baltimore. We've discounted Baltimore. And it's like, nobody else outside of Kansas City is having a great deal of success against Baltimore. So let's not forget that. We're not talking about Baltimore at all.

I was thinking about it this morning. Like, man, Baltimore has been flying under, for all the hype that they had going into the season, they've been flying under the radar the last couple weeks. Like, we're talking about the bucks. We're talking about the Chiefs. We're talking about the Steelers. Talking about the Titans. What about the Ravens?

Still a very good football team. Well-run star quarterback. This is a great game this weekend. Lamar has 50 carries and two rushing touchdowns this year. Now, obviously, the Steelers defense is incredible. There's six in fewest points allowed per game, fewest yards allowed per game, second fewest rush yards allowed per game

and the most sacks this season. So this is going to be a great AFC North game. By the way, I had a winning, blazing five. I made my picks this morning. It is a great betting week. You get about five a year where you're like, of the 16 to 20 weeks in the NFL, you get about four to five a year where the numbers are great.

And coming off a winning week, I probably have too much hubris. It is a great numbers week in the NFL. It really is. Finally, speaking of the A.C. North, the Bengals are reportedly trading defensive end. Carlos Dunlap to the Seahawks. This is what the trading deadline is for. Bad teams get picks.

Good teams get players. Cincinnati will receive an undisclosed draft pick and a player in return. And Dunlap has been upset with his role with the Bengals defense this season. Yep. She was told to stay home today while the team worked on a trade and the Seahawks get some defensive help that they need. Smart veteran player. He'll figure the playbook out quickly.

Gives you about 9 to 11 sacks a year. This is exactly what Seattle needs. Now, he's not going to be a great player for four or five years. But if you can get, can you get 15 great games out of him? Could you get this year and next year? That's a great move for Seattle. And by the way, the Bengals are going to rebuild. Yep.

He's expensive. Let's get a pick. This is a great move for both teams. Joy with the news. Well, that's the news. And thanks for stopping by. The Heard Lye News. I mean, I can't imagine living in a city like New York

where everybody's in last place. In Los Angeles, folks, we do not get out of bed if you cannot promise us a conference championship. Our teams went on Monday night. They win last night. They win championships.

I am so smug this morning. It feels just great to be. They're renaming it to Winners City. That's what they're naming it. Brought to you by Mercedes. Ben's the best or nothing. Nick Wright. His teams aren't doing great.

There's no reason to rub it in and be a month. Well, well, that's Colin. Yeah. Colin, I mean, if that's true, so you, so you, So you still have not gotten out of bed for your beloved clippers? Because they haven't made a conference championship game ever. So, I mean, do they count?

I don't know. Are they like the Orange County clippers? I'm not sure the greater the geography of the area. How are you? I'm doing great. So I've said this before. Analytics, it's like parenting. I read books on parenting.

They inform me. They don't control me. Analytics inform me. They shouldn't control me. I watched the analytics control. the raise last night, pulling out Blake Snell. And I think like America, I thought, I don't understand it. I don't get it. What did you make in the moment? So this is so multi-layered and I find it so fascinating. At the very base level in sports, all managers and coaches, and we've said this before,

before you make any major decision, your final question should be, like before you leave the house, did I leave the stove on? The final question should be, is this what my opponent is praying I do. And if the answer to that question is yes, then don't do it. You knew the Dodgers wanted him out, and you took him out anyway. But I think it's deeper on an analytical level than you even went to. Because the defense of this is, well, he didn't go six innings all year. All year long, this is what we did.

We never let him see a third time through the lineup. Got it. Understood. And that might be the flaw. By that I mean this. I'm going to use a cross-sport example. Yanis Ande Kumpo this year won the NBA MVP in part because he did all 30 points, 15 rebounds, five assists in 30 minutes per game. Colin, he was only playing 30 minutes per game.

And some of us, while loving Janice said, you know, that could be actually a problem. Because in the postseason, he's going to have to play 40 minutes a game. and if you're not ramping him up for that, if you are not preparing him for that, you might not be preparing your team best for postseason success. And what happened with the very analytically inclined bucks? Mike Boodenholter said 36 minutes is the ceiling for those guys because that's how they run their team.

Right. The rays are very smart. The raise got further than they should have. Analytics has helped them massively get to where they are. But if all year long, you are building a team, out to not be able to handle the biggest moments of your year, then what are you doing? So the flaw might not have just been last night. It might have been Blake Snell's third start when, you know what,

let him get knocked around a bit and see if he can figure out how to attack a guy a third time through the lineup because you're going to need him to do that in October. Yeah, I think it's really well put. And both you and I, I've said this about the Houston Rockets. I like analytics. But when you get to the postseason, Kauai Leonard gets me a bucket or a stop. LeBron's, you know, how do you analytically measure LeBron's intelligence with four minutes to go in a season? Well, you know. Well, that's the same thing. It's the, it's this Nate Silver, who I really like. If you follow his basketball model, if you're a gambler, during the regular season, you could make legitimately, make a lot of money just following Nate Silver's basketball model.

In the postseason, it is worse than a drunk guy on the subway because they haven't figured out. Three of the last four years, he has had LeBron's team an underdog in round two of the playoffs because they can't account for how drastically different postseason basketball is from regular season basketball. I think you saw this in the NFL last year. Colin, everyone liked the Ravens last year.

But the really smart analytics folks were presenting us with numbers saying, this is one of the five greatest teams in the history of the sport. And I think a lot of us were like, well, that seems to be a bit much. Like, do I really trust them if they get down a touchdown in the postseason? So there is not a secret sauce here. It has to be some science, some art, and I think someone put it really well last night. I wish I gave him credit. I can't remember who it was.

You are an idiot in 2020 if you ignore analytics entirely. But you might be as much of an idiot if you totally ignore the human factor and the art and the feel of these games as well. So, you know, I said this. We always look at the dissimilar with LeBron and Brady. know Tom is not the athlete of LeBron, but LeBron's intelligence in innate leadership has always been undervalued, and Brady's never won because of athleticism. They both share a very high IQ, pre-snap, big situational. They're beyond committed. They elevate others, very secure in themselves when it comes to giving the stars the ball or the shot. And I look at Brady today,

and when LeBron came to the West, the knock was, or the West is just, too good. And then about an hour later, you're like, yeah, it's got a bunch of good teams, but it doesn't have a great team. And Brady goes to the NFC, and you watch Seattle and you watch Green Bay, and like seven weeks later, you're like, no way. NFC's got a bunch of good team. They don't have a Kansas City. It doesn't appear to even be outside of Tampa, a Tennessee. And I looked this morning and I think Tom Brady's going to end up in the Super Bowl. He's the third highest-grated quarterback today. That stings for you, does it not? A little. Okay, there we go. We got there eventually. All right. So LeBron and Brady do have some similarities. They also have some drastic differences. I would argue maybe the biggest is LeBron. LeBron's circle, his friend group, is at least to my eye, one I'd much rather hang out within the folks Brady hangs out with, but that's a different story entirely. Listen, man, I'm just going to have to let you marinate in this moment.

moment. Right now in October 28th of 2020, your lifelong love affair with Thomas Edward Patrick Brady, not only does it seem to be as strong as ever, but it seems to have, you know, reach new heights. The bucks are coming off back-to-back dominant victories. Brady has played back-to-back, excellent games. He has managed to go eight consecutive quarters without forgetting a down. he's not yelling at people. It's all great. And so I just have to let you have this moment. Now, do I think they're better than Seattle?

No. By the end of the year, do I think they'll be better than Green Bay? No. Am I convinced they're going to win their division? I'm not. But right now this moment, he absolutely wins the title belt of most surprising story to me of the 2020 NFL season.

And I've just got to let you have it. So I won't, I'm not giving much, but I'll give you that. I'm not putting him in the Super Bowl yet. But right now, this does appear to be at the moment, one of the rare debates you and I have had where you have the upper hand. I can concede that. That's the greatest moment of history of the show right there. Finally, it would be easy to blame Baker Mayfield because OBJ never worked. It would be easy to blame OBJ because it never worked.

I'm going to blame Stefansky and the GM. If you watch data and you watch Baker Mayfield in college, when he sprinkles it around, he's actually very good. And when he gets hurt against Cincinnati and sprinkles it around this week, best game he's ever played. His best year in Cleveland, not with the best coach, his best year was OBJ wasn't there. This chemistry is virtually impossible to create.

It is so difficult. OBJ should have been traded before the season. When you went out and got Austin Hooper, you had two tight ends, a star receiver, two backs. This deal should have been made when relationships don't work. The data tells you it doesn't. You always move sooner than later. OBJ has a history getting dinged up. This is not on Baker.

It's not his fault that a superstar comes into a dysfunctional organization and he has to, he just naturally feels he's got to get him the football. I would, you would, anybody would, if OBJ walked into town. This is on the management of the Browns that didn't see it earlier, move him earlier. How is that for supporting Baker Mayfield? Yeah, I mean, that's one way to support him. The other way would be, you know, in the final three quarters this weekend, he was 22 of 23, 300 yards, five touchdowns, three fourth quarter, go ahead touchdowns and threw an absolutely 10 out of 10 perfect pass to win the game.

But it was against the Bengals, so I don't think those count your official statistical ledger. They don't check. I know they don't. It's like, hey, these games against the divisional rival, don't count because he's awesome in him. I think Odell's a great player. I feel terribly for him that he just got hurt again. I do think you are correct in this.

Just because a guy is a great player does not mean it is the best use of resources given how a team is built. And I think Baker is better off, potentially with, to use a $2 word, I guess, more of an agape. an authoritarian offense where everyone gets equal distribution of touches rather than one where you've got to force feed a certain star of the ball.

With that said, the Browns are going to be in the playoffs, much to your chagrin. And in the playoffs, they're going to play a team that's better than them, like the Steelers, like the Ravens. In a game like that, the way you win that game is Miles Garrett on the defensive side makes a couple great plays and your superstar on the. the offensive side, Odell Beckham makes a couple great plays like he did against Dallas. That's now removed. So I do think this hurts them against the very best teams, but I also think they probably are better served trading Odell this offseason to a place such as Green Bay

where his talents can be best utilized and where they can maybe use those resources elsewhere in Cleveland. You know what? I'm going to stop it right there because I was right a bunch, and that's happened so infrequently with you and I that I feel like I was on the right. You know, it's just like... You were right a bunch. I mean, Baker was pretty good. Baker was pretty good this weekend. Meanwhile, I do believe that your beloved godson, Sam Darnold, might be shopping real estate. But, you know, who am I to bring that up here?

It's not his fault that Jets are the worst team I've ever seen. What impact can a quarterback have in this league? It's not like he's the left guard. I mean, come on. Nick Wright, first things first. Good to seeing you, buddy. See you, pal. You too.

Coming up next, Super Bowl bubble. I have those. Eight teams are always in the Super Bowl bubble. Who are my eight? And we're also going to introduce a new bubble that will include the Cowboys. And it's not the Super Bowl bubble. That's 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 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, 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 picket 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 you 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. Then you're 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, you find it important to be a good person while you hear on earth? Are you a good person because you're afraid? Because that's two different intentions, bro.

Absolutely. And that's two different levels of trust. I want you to just really be a good person. Join me, Kear Gaines, as 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. If you're not ready to give up, want to feel more energized,

Visit mDrive for men.com today. It's a supplement. They also have protein shakes. They're really good. So here's some good news for the Cowboys. They traded defensive end Everson Griffin to the Detroit Lions. This is what the Cowboys need to do. They are rebuilding.

They just don't want to admit it. This is a sign that they went and got a conditional six-round pick. It's not a great pick, but at this point Griffin's not a great player. But he can help Detroit situational and a pass rush. It's interesting about this, and I've talked about it a lot this week, is that if you look at the NFL every year, and this is the kind of stuff I sit on and look at the Internet all day and I have for years, there's always one quarter of the league about eight teams that I think are in Super Bowl bubble. They have a chance. They may not be perfect. They need a break or two.

And then I always feel the exact same number of teams, eight teams are rebuilding. And between that, that's 16 teams. That's half the league. The other half of the league is just okay, average or slightly below average. But there's usually eight teams that should be favored and could win the Super Bowl if they stay healthy and maybe get a break. You know, Baltimore gets a break and Kansas City gets knocked out. They don't match up particularly well. And there's eight teams that are rebuilding.

The key is the teams at the top usually know they're good because you're beating everybody. The teams at the bottom sometimes think they're better than they are and they don't go into a rebuild. Dallas moving Everson Griffin and the Amari Cooper rumor. And it looks like Dallas now is starting to figure out we're bad. This is a great place for the Cowboys. So I always do a Super Bowl bubble. And these are the eight teams this morning that I feel are in the Super Bowl bubble. Green Bay, Seattle, Tampa, Pittsburgh, Kansas City, Tennessee, Baltimore, and the Rams with the Niners and the Saints close.

Now you say, why the Rams? Well, let's be honest. They're a bad call from right now 7 and 1, or is it 6 and 1, 7 and 1, that bad call in Buffalo. And by the way, the bears are a very good football team. They pushed them all over the field. And there's something in the water in Los Angeles. All we do is win championships. I think the Niners on any given day are better than the Rams.

They proved it two weeks ago, but they are falling apart physically. So I put them outside. And the Saints, same. I worry about Michael Thomas, the situation there. But I want to introduce a second bubble. I'm going to call it Collins Rebuilding Rubble. And I believe these are the eight rebuilding teams in the NFL. Washington, Miami, Jets, Giants, Bingles.

Atlanta is. I mean, they just fired everybody in the front office, the Jags and the Dallas Cowboys. And Atlanta, with Matt Ryan, won't feel like one, but where don't they need help? And that's what I'll say about Dallas. Outside of wide receiver, where they have so many good players, they could actually trade one. And then running back where they don't have the depth to trade anybody, but they've got two guys I really like. Where don't they need help? They need a more dynamic tight end.

Both offensive and defensive lines need to be rebuilt. The secondary needs to be rebuilt. They could use another linebacker. So I think Dallas is in the bottom eight. Now, Atlanta and Dallas may not feel like rebuilt. Some people would say Detroit, but Detroit's got a veteran quarterback. They're three and three. The wild card is wide open in that division.

and they're making moves to bring players in. So they feel they're close. They feel they're close. And I think that's kind of where we are this morning. So I want to bring up this as well. That the Patriots are two and four right now. And a question has been asked, are they buyers and sellers at the trading deadline?

This is very interesting. Are they buyers and sellers? Now, you know my position has been, they had eight players opt out. They didn't resign free agents. I said, I think they want one of these three young quarterbacks. They're not tanking because nobody does that in the NFL, even Jacksonville. What they're doing is restructuring.

Bill Belichick says, you know, take care of your family. It's about family opt out. Now there's trade discussions on Stefan Gilmore, their best player. They're not giving Cam any weapons, their second best player. So take a look at the top 11 picks. This article says, are they buyers or sellers? So let's eliminate the teams that don't, I don't think we'll take a quarterback. The New York Giants are not going to take a quarterback.

They're not going to trade Daniel Jones for Justin Fields. And they're too good to end up, number one. Atlanta, Miami, Wattua, Cincinnati, Dallas, Dack, and the Chargers. So those teams. So here's what is left. The Jets, the Jags, the Vikings, Washington, and New England. for those top three quarterbacks. So let's just give the Jets Trevor Lawrence.

They're awful. I don't see wins on their schedule. They get Trevor Lawrence. That means two elite quarterbacks left. If you look, Washington believes this morning it can win a division. That locker room is all in. They'll get a player, not trade one. And I think Minnesota is still way too talented to not win another three to four games.

If you look at the Patriot schedule, it is sure. shockingly difficult. I believe they'll beat the Jets twice, making them a four-win team. At Buffalo, Baltimore, at Houston, Arizona, at the Chargers, at the Rams at Miami, Buffalo. Trade Stefan Gilmore. Move out, Ellman, they lose all those games. New England is what I believe, the opt-outs, the not-signing free agents, letting guys go.

I believe it's all part of a very subtle. Belichekian reboot. You look at their schedule. The Chargers, Herbert's way better than we thought. Miami, way better than we thought. Houston's not as good, but they're a lot better than New England. So I look at this, people asking, are they buyers or sellers? I think New England's going to be a seller.

I believe they started the season knowing they're a seller. When I see Stefan Gilmour, and I'm not saying it's not the right thing, I think it is. The free agent market's going to be what for quarterback? Resigning Cam. What is it going to be? Jimmy Garoppolo in a trade? I don't know. I think it's very obvious.

I think they've been doing it since the season started. I heard all this stuff about Belichick would never, ever tank. Belichick knows he's won 43% of his games without Brady. He's got to go find the next Brady. And it's not on the free agent market. So I think they're sellers. I think they'll move somebody in the next few days. And as Joy said, the Seahawks just now picked up Carlos Dunlap.

There's a lot of buyers on this market. Green Bay, Seattle, Baltimore, there's also a lot of sellers. Joel Clats around the corner. Number two, hour two. 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 to David Letterman help make you funnier.

This week, my guest, SNL's Mikey Day and Hensens. 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 I-Hard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, what's good, y'all? You're listening to Learn the Hardweight with your favorite therapist and host Care Games. This space is about black men's experiences, having honest conversations that's really not safe to have anywhere, but you're having them with a lot.

licensed professional who knows what he's doing. How many men carry a suit are armored. It signals to the world that you not to be played with. And just because you have the capability that does not mean that you need to. Listen to learn the hard way on the AHA radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. On the Look Back at it podcast. From 1979, that was a big moment for me. 84's big to me.

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. with our friends, fellow comedians, and favorite authors. Like Mark Lamont Hill on the 80s. It 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. This is an IHeart podcast. Guaranteed human.