The Herd with Colin Cowherd - 11/17/2020 - HOUR 2 - Herd Hierarchy, Harden

Episode Date: November 17, 2020

Herd Hierarchy: Colin's new NFL rankingsMore on James Harden wanting out of HoustonGuests: Brian Kelly, Chris Broussard 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.

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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, 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, unfilled 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,

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I don't even know what this is, Joy, what would you say this is? That's a good salmon. Yeah. Well, I'm from the coast of Washington. That's salmon fishing territory. Yeah. I'm running out of sweaters. You are?

Yeah, you know, I mean, it's L.A., so it's not really, it's not that cold here. Not a lot of sweater shops in Los Angeles. Although it got hot again really quickly. We were all complaining for like one week. It dropped below 60, and now it's hot again. So Doug Peterson coaches the Philadelphia Eagles. He won a Super Bowl. He out-duled Brady and Belichick.

And a lot of people made the mistake of considering Nick Foles a great player when he did that. No, Nick was a average player who had a great game. I still content, I think Doug Peterson's a really good coach. He went on Philadelphia radio, you know, as you do after you play a game in Philadelphia, a big radio station, what is it called, WIP. It's very popular. A lot of people yell and scream at each other. And Angelo Costaldi was the coach, and he asked him a question, and then Doug got in a bad mood, and he talked about what's happening to Eagles and what's gone wrong, and what kind of mood he's in.

I'm pissed off. I'm pissed off. I'm pissed off. But myself, I'm pissed off at the way we played, and it frustrates me. It frustrates me to no end. And we have too much pride, and I have too much pride. These players have too much pride. We work our ass off during the week. It's frustrating. It is frustrating.

And blame it on me all you want. I'll handle it with the players. You can blame it on me. I'm a big guy. I can handle it. That's fine. You know, it's funny. We do this a lot.

We do it with politics and we do it with sports. We're trying to find the problem. The guy. her, him, the. Philadelphia's got a lot of issues. It's not one guy. It's not Carson Wentz or just Doug Peterson. They lost a great offensive coordinator, Frank Reich.

Frank Reich left them, and with Jacoby Brissette, a beat-up Andrew Luck and Philip Rivers, he's 23 and 18. Doug Peterson in a crappy division is now 21 and 19. Like Frank Reich was a big problem. We can blame Carson Wentz. You could even blame Doug Peterson. I thought he got work Sunday. I thought he had a bad game as a coach.

It happened. Danny Reed had bad Sundays. But in the end, this is not a problem. The reality is when Frank Reich was there, Carson Wentz was a young quarterback and getting better and better and better. And he's not quite as good. He's just not their offensive. And then you throw in the chaos of their offensive line issues

and their wide receiver issues. By the way, you don't want to know what Matt Ryan is in Atlanta since Kyle Shanahan left? 27 and 29. Jared Goff was almost the biggest bust in NFL history as a number one pick. And since Sean McVey took over, he's 37 and 19. Like coaches matter, coordinators matter at any given time in this league, there's three or four coordinators who are exceptional.

They usually become head coaches. You know, Kyle Shanahan took four. straight quarterbacks, three or four different teams. They all got better. He goes to the Niners. He gets Jimmy Garoppolo to a Super Bowl. Frank Reich with kind of marginal quarterback play. A beat up Andrew Luck, Jacoby Brissette, old Philip Rivers, unathletic, has got a better record than Doug Peterson. So everybody's trying to find the problem. It's not a problem or the guy or the problem. Philadelphia's got several. One of them is they lost a great coordinator and their quarterback had a really good.

good relationship with him. He's never been the same. All right, here we go. It's our herd hierarchy, the top 10 teams in the NFL. There's a lot of teams I like that did not make the cut. And here we go. Heard hierarchy. Time is now. Let's go. The top 10 NFL teams, according to college, number 10. I'll go with Arizona, but I thought they were lucky to beat Seattle and Buffalo. They were outplayed by both. So you get the win. I'm not giving. giving you a ton of credit, but they are the number one total offense in the NFL. They've won five straight games with 30 plus points. They're four and one in that span.

So it's an exhilarating offense. It's multi-dimensional. They can run, they can throw it, they can go deep, and I put them at number 10. Number nine. The Ravens, listen, the reality is they're missing a lot of good starters. And they are 0 and 6 trailing by 10 plus points. but they still have the number one scoring defense in the league, including Pittsburgh, and the number two rushing offense. And they're going to get healthier.

So I don't think they're a Super Bowl team today, but they're still, in my opinion, a top 10 team put them at 9. Number 8. Listen, Green Bay to me is a little overrated. They're very Aaron Rogers to Devonte Adams dependent. They couldn't even get 80 rushing yards against the Jaguars. They're not a physical team. They're very limited. They've held opposing quarterbacks under 300 passing yards in every game this year.

Some of it is you don't have to throw on them. But I think they're so good at running back, so good at quarterback, so good at wide receiver, and a couple of nice defensive players up front. But I do think they miss Blake Martinez, the linebacker. I do think you can run on them, but they have enough stars that they deserve to be at number eight. Number seven. The Rams. By the way, how good is this?

secondary. I mean, Jalen Ramsey just took D.K. Metcalf out. They've got two good young safeties. They found another corner in the draft. They have never lost under Sean McVeigh when they lead at half. And they're the first team to hold Seattle to fewer than 27 points this season. Number one ranked defense and total defense in the NFC this year. This is not an offensive team. It is not. They're getting to the quarterback. They have the top corner, the top defensive linemen in the league and I think they have the top secondary in the NFC. I put them at seven. Number six.

But Miami beat them. And Miami's special teams are excellent. Their defense is excellent. In their five-game winning streak, they're allowing 17 points a game. And I think if they played Seattle, again, they beat them because now they've got Tua who doesn't make mistakes. They have the fifth best point differential in the NFL this year. I watched him go to Arizona and win and really outplay Arizona.

And for stretches at least, stretches bottle up Kyler Murray in stretches. Coaching defense special teams win in this league, especially around Thanksgiving and beyond. I've got them at six. Number five. I'll take Buffalo because I do think their defense, which was a little bit of a mess for about a month. They now have nine takeaways in the fourth quarter this season, most in the NFL. And I think their defense is kind of finding its way with a very good defensive coaching staff. They've forced six turnovers in the last couple of games.

They outplayed Arizona. So they went on the road and they outplayed Arizona. Call it. Arizona beat Buffalo. If they played in Buffalo, Buffalo would win. If they played in a neutral field, Buffalo would win. A Hail Mary does not mean you're better. I think Buffalo is a really good team.

and I think they've shorted up some of their defensive issues. Number four. Tampa Bay. Now, why would I put them there? Well, they're the only team to win three games this year by 20 plus points. When they're on, they are really good. They've got seven or eight elite players. Only Kansas City can match their high-end talent.

Now, they've been inconsistent. But if you look at them last week, they flex. They showed off against the Carolina team that'd been a tough out. Listen, they're 0-2 against the Saints. They're 7 and 1 against everybody else in football. It's a really good team. Number three. The Saints.

I think they'll win with James Winston. They're on a six-game winning streak. That's the longest in the NFC. Alvin Kamara leads the NFL in scrimmage yards. Their defense was a little uneven early. I think they've played very good in the last couple of weeks. I don't think they'll take a major step back offensively with James. I think they're going to be fine with Taysam Hill and James Winston.

And listen, they have shelled Tampa twice. So I'm putting them over Tampa. Number two. Pittsburgh, only remaining undefeated team. Most sacks in the league, best sack differential. I don't think anybody denies. It's the best front seven in the league. Their offense has been a little hit and miss.

I did think blowing out Cincinnati was impressive. Cincinnati's got a win. They've been a little bit of an annoyance to some of the good teams. They totally dominated Tennessee Steelers at number. Number two. Number one. Kansas City, let's just not even argue. They have the number one point differential.

And I think they would beat Pittsburgh if they played right now anywhere. Pittsburgh, Kansas City, neutral field. I think they've gotten everything right. I think their defense is top five. I think their offense can play power smash mouth football. They can clearly go over the top. They're less reliant on Patrick Mahomes than they were even last year. I think from week 12 of last year, this is the best football team in the national football week.

And I think they have a chance if my home stays standing up and they can resign some of these offensive linemen. I think you have a chance to have another dynasty off a dynasty. We get one about every 10 years. We may have back-to-backs from New England to Kansas City. So Notre Dame coach, Brian Kelly. I'm a big fan of Brian Kelly. I've said this before. I'm always impressed, not with a trust fund kid.

that makes money. What's your background? You know, I can see the end of your movie. I don't get to see the beginning of it, but if I hear about the beginning of your movie and it's tougher, I think more of you later in life if you succeed. Notre Dame's an academic power. It is, let's face it, it's in cold weather territory,

Alabama, Clemson's not. It's a hard place over the last 30 years to get nine, 10 wins a year. They don't duck people. They play Georgia a couple times. They play, they'll go out and play. like legitimate bowl teams every year. And Brian Kelly, to me, is their best coach since Lou Holtz. And I've watched him two or three times this year.

I think outside of maybe Alabama, I think they match out with everybody. With that offensive line, they may match out with Alabama. They may. So we're going to be Brian Kelly. I'm a big fan of his coming up next. 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.

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. is a win. I don't care what I'm 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 big. moments in sports and entertainment, and the next we'll talk about life, mental health, purpose, and even music. The Clifford Show isn't just a podcast, it's a space for honest conversations, stories that

don't always get told, and for people who are chasing something bigger. So if you've ever supported me or you're just chasing down a dream, this is right where you need to be. Listen to the Clifford Show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. Do you remember when Diana Ross double-tapped Little Kim's boobs at the VMAs? Or when Kanye said that George Bush didn't like black people. I know what you're thinking.

What the hell does George Bush got to do with Little Kim? Well, you can find out on the Look Back at it podcast. I'm Sam J. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick 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 crack. So I'm starting to see that there's a through line. We also have AIDS on the table right now. Thank you finishing that sentence. I don't think there's a more important year for black people. Really? Yeah. For me, it's one of the most important years for black people in American history.

Listen to look back at it on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Welcome to my new podcast, Learn the Hardway 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, Tript Fantine, 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 hard way and listen now. Saturday on Fox, it's a battle of Big 12 title contenders. This K-State takes on Iowa State at 4-Eastern.

Then Arizona and Washington clash in Pact 12 action at 8 Eastern. College Football, Saturday beginning at 4 Eastern on Fox and the Fox Sports app. Do you know who has the longest winning streak in college football? Notre Dame, 14 straight wins. They've won 10 plus games in the last three years. And when Brian Kelly first took over at Notre Dame, it was so intense because Notre Dame's pressure is so much. And I thought, he's a good coach, but man, does he want to do this forever? He's never looked more comfortable.

They've never been on more of a role. They've never had more NFL bodies. And Brian Kelly is going to join me live now from a great place to join me live from, Notre Dame. Football headquarters. You know, it is true. Brian, I think you look comfortable. I think you look happy. I saw you played a close game against Louisville, and I watched.

the post-game interview and you were very at ease and it was it was a windy choppy day and i gotta be honest the first five years there it notre dames a lot it's a lot of pressure you look more comfortable that that's what i see have you if you found kind of a groove brian expectations staff because you look like you're in a good place yeah i mean i think early on it's like anything else you come to Notre Dame, and the pressure is not to lose. And that's the wrong way to look at it. You've got to really come here and think about the production and how your players are competing. And don't even look at the scoreboard. And I think we spent too much time thinking about, you know, winning games. And when it's all about winning, you play tight. And there's just too much

anxiety. I think we've gone to the point now where it's about our production and how we play on Saturdays, and the rest takes care of itself, and it's gone pretty good for us over the last four years. I ran into Ian Book's dad in Utah this summer, and I said, I like your son, and I said, but, you know, Brian's going to push him, and this is what Brian's going to do. He's going to push the quarterback, and I watch Ian, and he delivers for you, is this your, all things considered, is this your best Notre Dame team? I would say it is. You know, we had some great players on the 12th team. the 18 team, even 15, we're, you know, Will Fuller on the outside, C.J. Pro Seis.

I mean, there were some great players in 15. But I think if you talk about physicality, if you take about the basic premises of putting together a really good football team, it's O-line, D-line, and speed on defense. And I think those are the three areas that separate this football team. You know, it's interesting. I had a PJ Fleck on, a guy have a great deal of respect for. His team's kind of unraveled. I know James Franklin.

I love James. his team's unraveled. I know Harbaugh, it's not been good. So I'm watching some of these really good coaches, and it is with COVID. It is unraveled, coach. You have not. Is there, do you look back over the last six months and think,

boy, I'm glad we did this, because whatever you're doing, I've seen a lot of good coaches, it just comes unglued here, and you haven't. Why do you think that is? Oh, wow. There's a book to be written about this.

And there's, Every step along the way has been one to navigate through with clear communication. Our first meeting is what I would say was probably the most important. And we said, look, you guys need to understand you should not be here unless you understand that you're going to have to sacrifice a lot, things that you've never sacrificed before, because this is going to be difficult. And I think that first meeting kind of set the tone that everybody that was there, was going to have to pay attention to the detail things if they wanted to fight this virus

and fight for a championship. And I think that helped us in our first meeting. You know, first of all, I think you've become an offensive line machine, and Notre Dame offensive line that should be noted are getting paid. Getting paid, folks. Get that message out because when we call for that big endowment check, you know, we won't have to remember that. But it's interesting because I've seen you play Georgia twice. They're go-either-way games.

I saw you beat Clemson. And there was about a 15, 20-year period where I was like, oh, that's not a good space for Notre Dame. And so you are going into homes and you're competing against Clemson, Bama, and LSU and Georgia for players in Ohio State. And it's tougher at Notre Dame. Academics are tough. It's a small town. The weather's not always grand in November, December. But do you feel like the way you're rolling now, that you can go in against Sabin, and there are players you can beat him on?

Yeah, again, we're very transparent in terms of who we are and what we're looking for. So we're going to be clear when we talk about why you would come to Notre Dame. Here are the things that you would get by coming here. And I think that that's where we'll have our niche. Now, again, I think what we can point to is that we have an incredibly physical football team on both sides of the ball. And we've developed those players to move on to the NFL. as well. So I think that there's a great niche there. You're going to come to the Midwest. You're going to expect to play in difficult conditions. So, you know, this is where we can really,

for us, get into some of those homes and talk about how we can develop you and get you ready for the next stage. And we've done really well with those kids that understand Notre Dame and want to move on to the NFL, especially those linemen. Yeah, Jalen Smith, by the way, Will Fowler, Quentin Nelson, Chase Claypole, Quentin's going to get paid a lot. And guards generally don't. He's going to make a lot of money. You know, it's interesting. You've won everywhere.

And you've not just won as a coordinator. You've won as a head coach. And the great thing about college football, Brian, is that you change lives. It's an incredibly rewarding experience. But I have to ask this, you're good enough to coach in the NFL. It's not a money thing. It is a itch thing. It's a Pete Carroll.

You think you'll ever scratch that itch? No, I think I've always looked at the possibility, but I'm at a point now at Notre Dame where, you know, I can control the roster. I have a great understanding of what our process is here. You know, they give me the opportunity to set this program up and make all the decisions as it relates to how this program runs on a day-to-day basis. You don't get those opportunities in the NFL unless you're Bill Belichick or Andy Reid. So for me to, to give up all of that, to go into the NFL, as much as you want to be able to coach the best players in the world, this is such a great opportunity at Notre Dame. It's one that you can't give up. I got to talk about one of your opponents. So I follow recruiting because I'm a dork. And I saw this kid, I got to tell you something, that quarterback, that freshman quarterback

for Clemson, Joy and I were watching him. I saw him on tape two years ago. And I'm like, I can't believe he's a high schooler. Now, everything's a little bit of a fastball. But did you go, you recruited him too, didn't you? Yeah, until he gave us the temperature and the windchill temperature in South Penn. DJ is just a wonderful kid. And of course, he's at a school where, you know, Notre Dame can recruit, you know.

It's a great profile school for us. But, yeah, we knew we weren't in that running pretty early on when we knew weather was going to be a factor there. But he's what a terrific player. And what a tough problem Davos got with those two guys. No kidding. That's your backup. Hey, continued success, your schedule, you're at Carolina. You got Syracuse at Wake Force.

It sets up well if you're focused. You know how much respect I have for you. Brian, thanks so much for coming on the show. I really appreciate it. And congrats that on that win over Clemson, NBC. Thanks, Colin. Thanks for having me on. I appreciate it.

You bet. Brian Kelly, great football coach at Notre Dame. And here is Joy Taylor with the news. No, no, no, no. Turn on the news. This is the. Heard line news. Yeah, that's how Ben weather hits a little different.

No, no, it's different. I mean, like, you, for some kids, like, if you grow up in California or Florida, there's some kids that just don't, I get it. I'm watching that game, I'm watching that Cleveland Brown's last two home games, and I'm like, not interested. How about the Ravens Patriots game? It's like when I can't see the players. It looks cold.

You look cold at home, looking at how cold they are. But, you know what? If you can play in that weather, you can play anywhere. So Tua has been very successful as a starter in the NFL so far, and he said he thought the transition from college to the pros was going to be a lot more challenging than it has been. In the interview with pro football talk, Tua said, I expected it to be a lot harder.

Not that it's not hard, I would say I'm comfortable, but a lot of that starts from practice and just kind of a combined thought process for all of us together and to all kind of be on the same page. It starts from practice and it translates to the game. This actually makes sense that he says this. Obviously, it's going to sound like he's saying it's so easy to go from college to the NFL. But when you're prepared, everything is easier.

When you have Brian Flores for a top coach. I mean, you talk to Rams players about Sean McVeigh. They don't hit once the season starts. So, like, if you've got the right coach and the right culture, it isn't as tough as it is playing for a bad team. It's absolutely true. People ask me all the time, like, do you get nervous before you go on air? And I'm like, no, I'm not. I'm not, the only time I'm ever nervous is if I don't know what we're, what's going on.

Like, I don't know what's happening. What are we going to do? That's, that's when I get nervous. We're prepped for days for hours before the show. If you're prepared, there's nothing to be nervous about because this is what you do. Like, this is what we do. This is what they do. They play football.

So if you're prepared, and he said he talks to his offensive line a lot, like they're in constant communication. So the more that you are prepared, the easier it's going to be. Obviously, the speed of the game from college to the NFL is going to go up tremendously. but he knows what to do because he has good coaching. I am obviously thrilled with how the dolphins are playing lately, and they have the Broncos this week, which Broncos, Broncos, at the Broncos, at the Jets, Bengals, and then the Chiefs. We'll see how that one goes.

I like Miami again. They create turnovers and Denver obliges. Yeah, Drew Locke has been very gracious with the turnovers lately. So the Raiders, speaking of the Chiefs, the Raiders defeated the Chiefs 40, 32 in Kansas City back in week five. I love this story. After the game, the Raiders team's buses circled Arrowhead Stadium as if to take a victory lap before heading to the airport. Love it.

And ahead of their second matchup this Sunday, Andy Reid and John Gruden spoke about the incident. Listen, they won the game, so they can do anything they want to do. No, it's not our style, but we'll get ourselves back, ready to play. Andrew Reed mentioned a couple times the victory lap you guys took in KC. Is that something that you think about this week as far as the bulletboard material? Not really. I mean, you can find a smart Alec bus driver in Kansas City who made some snide comments when we got on the bus. Maybe that's why we drove around the stadium to tick him off.

You know, this is ridiculous. Next question. That is so funny. I love it. I absolutely love it. It's obviously not a story, but it's just funny. It's funny to ask about. The NFL, since I was a kid, the Raiders have always been the

rebel of the league. Right. They were always. I remember the first time I saw the Raiders, I thought they were wearing practice jerseys. They were all ripped and tattered and their owner, Al Davis, fought the league and John Madden guys would be sitting on helmets and this is who they've been.

So the Raiders are perfect in Vegas because it's an outlaw city. Yep. And I think the NFL is better when the Raiders are good and a little obnoxious and a little loud. It is perfect. Every league needs a villain. and I don't see the Raiders as a villain, but around the league, they're a little contrarian to the corporate NFL way of doing business.

Absolutely, and you need those brands in every league. I think, and it's not a knock on Derek Carr at all, but I think if Derek Carr had a little edge to him, then they would fully lean into that. But Derek Carr is such a nice guy. He just doesn't, he's obviously a great player, but he doesn't fit that, like, Raiders attitude. Big Ben feels a little more.

Raiders. He's a little scruffy. He'll tell you what he thinks. He's got a little drama. Big Bend of the Raider. He feels a little bit like... I mean, even someone like Baker. Yeah, I mean, Baker would... Even like Joe Burrow, who's not a big talker, but just has like a tiny little bit of edge to him.

But I love it, though. I'm really looking forward to this game. It is funny. It's just funny. It's just funny. Listen, to talk about it. College football's always in my mind been better when Big City, Miami and Big City USC are a little obnoxious. Baseball's better when the Yankees are winning,

and are a little obnoxious, it's okay to have somebody that pushes back on the corporate shield of the NFL. I'm a big fan of villains. I don't think you can really have a strong story without a strong villain. You've got to know who to root for,

who to root against. And they do have to be a little bit over the top, a little bit flamboyant or obnoxious. So this is a little bit of edge. It's fun. Finally, James Hardin has made it pretty clear. He's trying to get out of Houston. He reportedly declined a contract extension

that would have made him the first $50 million dollar a year player in the NBA and is focused on being traded to the Brooklyn Nets. The Rockets and the Nets have reportedly been in contact, but there's not been any meaningful dialogue yet. Hardin is under contract for multiple years, so Houston has the ability to slow play this process and flesh out offers and also try and change his mind. They want him to be there long term, but he wants to win a championship, so he's trying to get his way over to the Nets.

because he thinks that they have a window to win a title and he's trying to be there. I will say no league has more of its stars willing to give money back. Can't say it's a money move. It's not a money move. And I've seen that Kevin Durant gave up some money. And I've seen multiple players. Anthony Davis gave up some money. LeBron Wade and Bosch gave up money when they teamed up in Miami.

No one pays attention to that. But it's also a very unique league in that, well, most leagues now big time stars have a lot of endorsement deals, but you have crazy money with shoe contracts and things like that. So it becomes a little easier to sacrifice a, you know, 10 or 20 million here or there when you're making 50 million a year on shoe contracts. And I don't know what his contract is. But I will say, this is fun for, like I said, it's fun for us, fun for people who get to talk about the league.

I don't really necessarily feel bad for Houston in this case. Like Houston had an opportunity. They made moves to get stars and they couldn't get it done. I think there's plenty of fingers you can point at to make that case. I don't know if this works unless everyone buys in. To your point, the beginning of the show, while basketball is very much a star sport, you have to play your role.

Like yes, you need a star, you need a leader, you need the number one guy. But if everyone else buys into the role, you can absolutely win championships and have a dynasty. But you have to buy 100% into your role. And I think that has a lot to do with not only the stars buying in, but having a coach that can convince you that this is what's gonna work.

And if they can put that together, I think that's will be a problem, But that's a big if. Yeah. Kevin Durant's the best player of the three. If Kevin did a little bit of a LeBron where he holds his teammates accountable. And if Kevin's healthy and hitting it, then I think they all kind of, they could potentially fall into place. That's, you know, let's see Kevin post-injury. But I mean, Kevin's the best player of the three.

I think he's going to be fine post-injury. It's just a matter of what you want. Like if you say you want to win a championship, then there's just sacrifices that have to be made temporarily to win a championship. It's a joy with a number. news. Well, that's the news. And thanks for stopping by. The Heard Lye News.

You know, it's interesting. We were talking about the, so Drew Breeze has got multiple fractured ribs, going to miss three or four weeks. I mean, it sounds like a month out. But I was saying is, James Winston will now play. And we view James as inconsistent. But Brady was the most consistent quarterback of my lifetime.

Like the same, you got the same crap every week. Last year, Brady in New England, didn't have one game with multiple picks. He's already got two this year. Is that Bruce Ariens? So were some of James's issues, Bruce Ariens, who's a high-risk quarterback? And I went and looked this morning.

So I'm just going to, I'm not going to talk about the teams. But look how inconsistent Brady's been. In week one, he was bad. In week two, he wasn't great. In week three and week four, he was amazing. In week five, he was bad against the Bears. In week six, he was fine. week seven he was great

week eight he was really good week nine he was awful and then he was amazing last weekend so he's got two terribles two not very goods one fine and four greats and so Brady is Mr. Consistent

and he's been wildly inconsistent this year so Jemis who we view is inconsistent is that a Bruce Ariens thing because if Tom's now inconsistent what is James if he goes to a much more, I would say, sort of efficient, detailed coach who will not tolerate. No risket, no biscuit, no biscuit.

That's an Aryan saying. That's not a Sean Peyton saying. So it's interesting. Chris Broussard's around the corner. We got some NBA stuff to talk about. Big deals happening potentially. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays in noon Eastern 9 a.m. Pacific on Fox Sports Radio, FS1, and the IHeard Radio app.

Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal but encouraged. It's the enhance. enhanced games. Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast's Superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds.

I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the I-Hard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care which I'm saying. Yep, that's me. 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 Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. Do you remember when Diana Ross double-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's big to me, not just because of crack. I'm down to talk about crack on day but just so y'all know I mean at this point Mark this is the second episode where we've discussed crack so I'm starting to see that there's a through line We also have AIDS on the table right now

So Thank you finishing that sentence I don't think there's a more important year for black people Really? Yeah For me it's one of the most important years For black people in American history Listen to look back at it On the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts

Or wherever you get your podcast Welcome to my new podcast, Learn the Hardway 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, Tript Fontaine, Ryan Clark. Sometimes when we're in the pursuit of the thing, we get so wrapped up in the chase that we don't realize that we are in possession of the thing. And we're still chasing it. And we don't know when we've done enough. Because people scoreboard watch.

Life becomes about wins and losses. Steve Burns, Dustin Ross, because you find it important to be a good person while you hear on earth? Are you a good person because you're afraid? Because that's two different intentions, bro. Absolutely. And that's two different levels of trust. I want you to just really be a good person.

Join me, 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 hard way and listen now. Time to change up your wireless provider. Can use the same phone number, but grab your phone, dial pound 250 and say my name, Colin Coward.

It's Pure Talk USA, two gigs of data, 20 bucks a month. Chris Broussard, co-host of The Odd Couple with Rob Parker on Fox Sports Radio, NBA Dude for us, the guy we lean on, joining me now live. So James Harden, Kyrie Irving, and Kevin Duran. It makes a good movie poster, but let's start with this. How in God's name, what can Houston get back? I mean, is this just one of those things that an agent throws out there, but can it happen? Well, there's a few things to say about that.

You mentioned an agent throwing it out there. People around the league are saying, whoever put it out there and it probably was agents. This goes for Hardin and Westbrook. They did their clients a disservice. because they made it that much harder for the Rockets to trade either one of these guys because now teams know you got two disgruntled superstars on your hands where if the Rockets make a call to Team A

and say, hey, we've been close but we haven't gotten over the hump, we're thinking about going in a different direction, what would you give me for James Harden? Right. Now you're in control and you get a better package. And so that, whoever put it out there, has hurt the leverage of the rockets. But as far as can this work,

I was just talking with an executive an hour ago, Colin. What they're saying the word around the league is, now I haven't heard this from Kyrie or anybody close to him. But people around the league are saying Durant wants Hardin and Kyrie does not. Oh, boy. All right. And because Hardin might have,

would likely have the ball in his hands, right? Here's another thing for Kyrie to think. think about or for those that are looking at his situation. Who is James Harden close with in the organization in Brooklyn? Mike Dan Tony, who was just hired as a coach for the Brooklyn Nets to assist Steve Nash. Dan Tony said James Hardin is the best offensive player he's ever seen. Dan Tony, every offense he's created has had one guy handling the ball and creating the offense for everybody else.

Who you think he's giving the ball to in Brooklyn if they get James Hardin? Right. It's Harden. And I don't see Kyrie wanting to be the third best player on a team. He's never been the third

best player on the team. Yeah. And so it would be a chemistry experiment to the if degree. Now, I got to say this. As much as skeptical as I am about it being able to work, I mean, you'd have to give

him a puncher's chance because that is some overwhelming individual talent. Yeah. But it would be a chemistry experiment of the most extreme order. Yeah, I don't think Kyrie wants to hear in the huddle over and over again. Hey, you're going to be a decoy here, Kyrie. We're going to set it up for Hardin and Kevin Durant. I don't think that'd play well very long. Set up in the right corner, Kyrie.

Set up in the right corner. I will say this. LeBron created player empowerment. I've always defended players who are mobile. you and I in our careers have been mobile. I think I'd be a hypocrite. But I do wonder, in the last two years, if this deal went through, Kevin Durant, Hardin, Kyrie, choose New York, A.D. LeBron, Kauai, Paul, George, choose Los Angeles.

It feels very coastal. There are not a lot of stars if this goes through in the middle of the country. Is this good for the league? Well, obviously, talking NBA like this in the offseason is great for the league, right? almost if you want to call it hot stove like baseball, this is great. And it creates more storylines and we get excited about it. If Harden were to go to Brooklyn,

we can't wait to watch the Nets and see what that becomes. I also would say this, Colin, right now, yeah, L.A. is hot. Brooklyn is hot. But I just think it's, I even hesitate to say cyclical. It's just kind of the way it is these past few years. We could go back a few years and say LeBron chose. Cleveland. We can say Westbrook chose to stay in Oklahoma

City. Paul George chose Oklahoma City over the Lakers. So I think that I don't want to write off the small markets and say they can't get anybody and they're doomed. Nobody's choosing the NICS and that's the marquee market, you know, in the country.

So I won't go that far. What it is, and I'm with you, Colin, I'm for player movement, player empowerment. I never killed LeBron for creating Super teams never killed k d for going to golden state but i'm going to be honest there's a little bit of me that's just like when i look at brooklyn and i could say the same thing about lebron trying to go after kawai last year you had anthony davis coming now you need kawai and and when i look at

brooklyn i'm like i you're k d you're great on paper not just kiree who's awesome but jared Allen, Joe Harris, Spencer Denwitty, Karras Levert, some really talented role players around you. And now you want to add James Hardin, there's a sentiment, there's a little bit of you that's like, do dudes want to compete? I mean, really, like we got to get every single star to play with us. It bothers me a little bit. I haven't killed those guys and I won't. But I look back at a quote Jerry Krause had about Michael Jordan.

He said he never came to me about trading for players. He never came to me about drafting players. He never came to me asking to add a player. He thought he was so darn good that he could win with anybody. There's a little of me that likes that. And I'm telling you, when you debate the goat, that comes up. So that's all I'll say about this. That's okay.

I don't necessarily disagree. So sometimes I see a trade. I remember years ago when I saw the Powell-Ghassol trade to the Lakers. I was on a plane, on a tarmac, and I'm like, what? How did they get Powell-Gas-all? How did that work out? So now, Dennis Schrooter is not Powell-Gasol, but he's an 18-point-of-game guy. He's young.

He's athletic. And reportedly he's going to the Lakers and are not giving up much. And I thought, what? It feels a little bit like a little bit like a lot. little steel for the Lakers here? I mean, Dennis Schroeder's a real player, right? No question. There was talk, remember, they get Demar de Rosen for Coosma and Danny Green.

And this is better. Obviously, you didn't have to give up Coosma, but you also got, I think, a better fit in Dennis Schrooter, who shoots it well enough where he won't shrink the floor for LeBron and AD. We know they need spacing. He can create plays for himself and others off the dribble. he's got a lot of swag to him, which I like. He showed an OKC playing with Chris Paul and Shea Gilder's Alexander

that he can play on the ball or off the ball. So I like it a lot. Colin, part of what I'm hearing is that KD is saying, look, how are we going to beat those two studs with the Lakers, Anthony Davis and LeBron? And it's like we need a third star that they don't have. And that's part of the impetus for all of this Harden talk. Because here's the thing, the Lakers are going to be better.

Assuming LeBron doesn't fall off and it's coming at some point, but assuming he has another year where he's the top player in the league or top three player in the league, Anthony Davis is going to be a lot better with the confidence from winning the championship, knowing he can get it done. And now you add in Schrooter who's better than Rajan Rondo at this stage. Yeah, Lakers going to be a handful. Good stuff. Chris Broussard, odd couple. You and Rob Parker, weekday, 7 to 10, Eastern Fox Sports Radio and IHeart Radio. It's great seeing you, bud. You too, man. You too. All right. It's wet out there in New Jersey. Stay dry. It's heating up in L.A. and it's getting wet in New Jersey. That Patriots Ravens weather is all encompassing on the East Coast right now. Yeah, it's, you know, it is funny about the whole player. You know, like I can see people in Portland's weather.

Portland and Sacramento and Indiana. And we don't have our guys. But the reality is owners in the NBA, they don't want to give out like baseball, like 10-year contracts. Because their fear is we give a guy 10 years. He didn't have to play hard. And unlike baseball, we don't have 162 games, right? We've got a salary cap. We need our stars to play great.

And so the NBA owners would rather, you know, have shorter contracts. And then, you know, NBA stars get, you know, one year away from the end of their contract and they're like, no, I want to move. Listen, it's no fun to play 82 games on a bad team. And I think James Harden looks at it and think Westbrook wants out. My coach, who by the way, is a great offensive coach is out. And the GMs who are a real sharp guy and he is out. I mean, you can also just have a really well-run organization and win that way too. The spurs have done it. They're not in a big market. No, you can do it. You have to hire the right coach and you can draft well. You have that option as well. You don't

have to have superstars come in free agency. And I also thought San Antonio got the right star. Like Tim Duncan did not want, I mean like Tim Duncan's jeans t-shirt. Accordingly, draft personalities that fit within your organization. It's not really rocket science. Look at what the Warriors did.

You can talk about Kevin Durant coming to the Warriors, but they drafted Steph Curry and Clay Thompson. You can can actually build a winning organization in the NBA without having free agency, free agent stars come to you. I mean, the reason they could afford KD is because they paid Steph and KD, Clay Thompson, they didn't draft them number one.

It's something. Like, you can cry me a river about stars moving around or you can run your organization the right way. Yeah, good stuff. Totally agree. John Johnson, Ram Safety, Max Crosby, Raiders, pass rusher, extraordinaire. Both join us last hour in the herd.

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. On the Look Back at a Podcast. For 1979, that was a big moment for me. 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, Cliford 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 Cliford Show.

This is a place for raw, unfilts 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 Cliford Show on the IHeard 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.