The Herd with Colin Cowherd - 12/03/2020 - HOUR 1 - Steelers, Wizards, LeBron, Tua

Episode Date: December 3, 2020

The Steelers are not a championship teamThe Wizards won the trade with the RocketsLeBron James was a better teammate than Michael JordanThe Dolphins need to keep playing Tua 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. Hey, what's good, y'all? You're listening to Learn the Hard Way with your favorite therapist and host, Kear Games.

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I don't care what you're saying. Yep, that's me, Clifford Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, my basketball and college football journey, or my career in sports media. Well, now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, the Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, 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 Sports Radio.com or stream us live every day on the iHeartRadio app by searching heard you're listening to fox sports radio ah here we go on a thursday it is great to have you in live

from star studded los angeles this is the hurt wherever you may be and however you may be listening fox sports radio i heart radio on fs one it is nice to have we're indoors today of course it's california in los angeles that's where we have to be joy taylor is joining me Joy, how are you? I'm great. Look at the NBA trying to swoop in and steal some headlines during NFL season.

Sorts of tasty stuff in the NBA. There's a lot going on. There's a lot going on. And there was a, let me start with this, though. There was a football game going on last night. Listen, good news, bad news. What do you want to hear first? I'm always a bad news.

Just lay it out, okay? I can handle it. I'm a big boy. I'm a grown-up. Don't, don't give me fluff. I'm not looking for whipped cream. Give me the cake. Give me the pie.

Let's go. I can take bad news. Pittsburgh Steelers fans, you need to grow up. This is not a Super Bowl team. There it is. Go cry in your terrible towels. This is not a Super Bowl team. You're not.

You're 11 and O'n, and it feels hollow. Own it. Mike Tomlin, a man's man who, if you asked him good news or bad news, would say, give me the bad news first. Here's Mike Tomlin, who knows more about the Steelers than all of us. his thoughts on his team. Mike, you had

some red zone failures and a number of drop passes that you attribute that to. Anything in particular? Sucking. Yeah, that's it. Pittsburgh's not a Super Bowl team. Tennessee's better today?

Yeah, they are. I know you beat him, but now Bud Dupree out for the year with an injury. So Devin Bush and Bud Dupree and your front seven both out. You're not stopping King Henry. You're not beating Kansas. the city? You can't lose two of your best players defensively. I mean, this is a team. I always had

this theory. Say it out loud. Before you do something in life, say it out loud. Let's play say it out loud with the Steelers. You can't run the ball. How do you take the ball away from Patrick Mahomes? Run the ball. You can't. You had to throw 51 times last night to beat COVID-19 ravaged Baltimore. You can't run the ball. Oh, by the way, your two best linebackers, arguably two of your three are out, so you're not going to stop the run as much. Baltimore again ran it two times this year against you. You've had the second easiest schedule in the NFL. You've faced four backup quarterbacks.

Let's be honest about the Steelers. You're getting worse, and teams like Seattle are getting better. You're not a Super Bowl team this morning. I mean, good God, you had the ball for 33 minutes. You had to throw 51 times to escape a Baltimore team using a backup quarterback. And I went in this morning and I went and looked at the Steelers, who have they beaten. In week one, they beat Daniel Jones. Well, yeah, he had a new coach who'd never been a head coach, and the Giants started 0 and 5.

Then you beat Drew Locke. Oh, my bad, he got hurt in the game, Jeff Driscoll. And then you had this streak where everybody bought into you. You narrowly edged Deshawn Watson, Carson Wentz. You beat Baker, Mayfield, Ryan, Tanniel, Lamar Jackson, but outside of Tannehill, which one of those guys is playing well now. After that, you beat Garrett, Gilbert, Joe Burrow, Jake Luton, and RG3. Just own it. Say it out loud.

Most important part of your defense, two huge injuries. You won't stop the run as well. You don't run the ball, meaning you can't keep it away from Patrick Mahomes or Josh Allen. I mean, this is the reality of the NFL. Like, I never feel quite this way in baseball and basketball or maybe even hockey. But in football, we have this component called injuries. and Seattle this morning and the New York Giants are much better than they were in week two, three, and four. And the Chicago Bears, the 49ers, and the Pittsburgh Steelers are not nearly as good as they were in weeks three, four, and five.

And that's the reality this morning. And what are they doing well? Kansas City is doing virtually everything well. Seattle now looks like they're starting to put things together. Green Bay, what is Pittsburgh doing well? Ask Mike Tomlin. Here's what he saw last night. I'm really disappointed in our performance tonight.

We did enough to win, but that's all. It was really junior varsity, to be quite honest with you, and it was in all three phases. We couldn't run the ball effectively when we needed to. We dropped too many significant passes, very catchable, makeable passes. We didn't make significant plays in the special teams game. A kickoff coverage unit wasn't good enough. We turned the damn ball over. We gave up big plays in critical moments on defense, can't have it.

They converted a long run on a possession down. Before the half, unacceptable. They had a 70-yard touchdown late in the game. Unacceptable. Six of the 11. Pittsburgh wins or one possession. That is with the second, easiest schedule in the league and facing four backups. This is, I don't care what their record is.

I've never been beholden to records. They're getting dropped to about seventh in the herd hierarchy. This is not a Super Bowl team. And the problem is what you need to beat Kansas City is a running game, don't have it. And what you need to beat Tennessee is the ability to. to tackle the best running back in football, and now you don't have it. Devin Bush out earlier this year, Bud Dupree out now. Every bit of this skepticism on the Steelers is completely earned.

All right, as Joy said, interesting NBA day. So these two players I've been critical of, Russell Westbrook and John Wall for different reasons. Yesterday, they got traded for one another. I don't care about the first round draft pick. NBA is a developmental draft pick. will sell that pickoff to somebody else. I think many people believe, hey, bad contracts, it's a wash. I do not believe that.

I believe the Washington Wizards slam dunk won this trade because I think Russell Westbrook is significantly better than John Wall. I'll just let you know this, that nine of 12 years, Russell Westbrook has been in the NBA. He's made an all-NBA team. In 10 years, John Wall's made it once, and he's falling apart. I've been critical of Russell Westbrook. He can drive me crazy in the playoffs, but in the last 37 games of the NBA's regular season last year,

oh, by the way, it was third team all NBA. 30 points, 8 rebounds, 7 assists, 50% field goals in 77 and a half from the free throw line. What was John Wall doing? An Achilles surgery. Off a heel injury. He hasn't played in two years. And whereas Westbrook's game, is hyper athletic.

He's 32. I still get that. Wall's game is hyper speed. Off these surgeries, I don't think I get it. Yes, both guys are expensive. Yes, both guys' contracts are brutal. Yet neither guy can hit a three. Yes, neither guy I love. They're not the classic point guard.

But with Russell Westbrook, I get a healthier player. I get a better player. And here's another thing that matters. Russell Westbrook is completely obsessed with basketball. One of the reasons he wanted out of Houston, because he said the culture was too loose. He's acknowledged, my best friend is the basketball. He's got his issues, but I'm a big fan of his passion. Nobody plays harder in the league than Russell Westbrook. John Wall, when he was healthy, was often indifferent. Listen, these guys are both on the back nine, but Westbrook's like

walking up to the 11th T-box, Wall's headed to the 15th Fairway. I think, Westbrook is a first ballot Hall of Famer who drives me nuts, but I'm not so sure he's out of his prime. I'm really not. I think he's one of these guys that's had an incredibly long prime. I just think genetics DNA, Westbrook is one of the most athletic players in league history. I don't think he's slowing down. My issue with him is his flaws.

He can't correct. It's who he is. John Wall way past his prime, and I was never a huge fan of it. And here's something else that matters. In the east, Russell Westbrook and Bradley Beale will be incredibly relevant. John Wall in the point guard heavy west is a non-story in Houston. And in this NBA league we have, relevance matters. Westbrook and Bradley Beale are going to make the playoffs.

Russell Westbrook won a lot of big games and played in a lot of big games, even last year. I don't believe this is like two bad contracts being exchanged. They're not good contracts. I'm not arguing that. But to me, this is a slam dunk for all my criticisms of Westbrook. He is basketball obsessed. John Wall often seems indifferent. He's still maybe the best athlete outside of LeBron in the league.

John Wall built on speed is coming off another surgery. One guy is going to the weaker west. He's the better player. Lessville players going to the... Point guard, rich, east, slam dunk for Washington. I don't think it's just, if you go to Westbrook's last 35, 36, 37 games, he's all NBA. Again, he struggled to correct his flaws. But you're being dishonest intellectually, if you don't think Westbrook's got game.

You're in the history, how many people on the planet? 9 billion? He made third team all NBA. And that's in a league, by the way, where there's never. never been this many good guards. It's a, I mean, there are teams that have, like, it's insane. Like, Steph and Clay are the best back court of all time. Now, this year they won't play because Clay is hurt, but there's like 12 to 15 incredible

backcourts. The game is international. You've got guys now 6-7 playing point, and Russell Westbrook is third-team all NBA, and doesn't appear to be out of his prime. So, way to go, Washington. And by the way, James Hardin, there's a story out this story. morning that James Harden preferred John Wall over Russell Westbrook. I'm over Harden telling me who he prefers because we keep rolling out people for him.

He doesn't get along with any of them. Coming up next. So Anthony Davis signed his massive contract. And this must be frightening for other NBA teams because LeBron, who's always been more Magic Johnson than Michael Jordan, even though we always discussed this Michael LeBron thing. We may have to open up that M.J. LeBron debate this morning. Talk about that 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 IHeard 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 I'm saying.

Yep, that's me, Clever 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-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? to do a little kill. Well, you can find out on the Look Back at it podcast. I'm Sam J. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick it here, unpack what went down,

and try to make sense of how we survived it. Including a recent episode with Mark Lamont Hill, waxing all about crack in the 80s. To be clear, 84 is big to me, not just because of crack. I'm down to talk about crack on day, but just so 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. 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,

Kier Games. And in recognition of Mental Health Awareness Month, I'm bringing over a decade of my own experience in the mental health field and conversations with so many incredible guests. I'm talking. Tripp Fontaine, Ryan Clark. Sometimes when we're in the pursuit of the thing, we get so wrapped up in the chase

that we don't realize that we are in possession of the thing and we're still chasing it and we don't know when we've done enough because people scoreboard watch. Life becomes about wins and losses. Steve Burns, Dustin Ross, because you find it important to be a good person while you hear on earth?

Are you a good person because you're afraid Because that's two different intentions, bro. Absolutely. And that's two different levels of trust. I want you to just really be a good person. Join me, Kear Gaines, is we have real conversations about healing, growth, fatherhood, pressure, and purpose on my new podcast, Learn the Hardway. Open your free, our Heart Radio app. Search Learn the Hardway and listen now.

Want to stream what you love in one place? Introducing Discovery Plus, a new streaming service bringing you the greatest collection of real-life entertainment, favorite brands, plus exclusive. of originals starting in early 2021, U.S. only. So Anthony Davis of the Lakers finalized a $190 million maximum contract to stay with the Lakers. LeBron did it earlier in the day.

And, you know, I mean, this is the reality of basketball. You have certain conflicts in basketball that you don't have in football for a variety of reasons. The basketball culture has always been a little more worship and star driven. And so, you know, players are feeling themselves. Also in the NBA

guys get to the league earlier. They have these massive shoe deals. So they're just worshipped by fans. They're worshipped by, you know, shoe companies. It's just a reality of the culture of the NBA is different. And it's fine. It succeeds in the NFL's got a different culture where you're not getting paid. You're going to college, probably for four years.

You're going to get beat up. The coach is going to yell at you. And even if you're Tom Brady or Patrick Mahomes, you could be cut. It's just a different league in a different culture. And because of that, the NBA, it's a delicate, you walk on eggshells a little with your stars. How many of them have gotten, don't get along. M. Bied and Simmons, do not get along. Westbrook and Hardin didn't work.

Westbrook and Durant didn't work. Hardin and Chris Paul didn't work. K.D. and Draymond didn't work. Kyrie and everybody didn't work. Jimmy Butler didn't work in Chicago, Philadelphia, and Minnesota. Paul George and the rest of the clippers, according to the athletic story yesterday,

didn't get along. A lot of drama, a lot of chaos with stars. This is another reason. This is another thing that LeBron is way better than Michael Jordan at. LeBron's very much like magic. He just gets along with everybody. That doesn't mean he loves all of his coaches, but he wins with all of them. Michael Jordan fought with friends.

He dumped Charles Barkley. Michael Jordan fought with coaches. He fought with opponents. He fought with teammates. He punched teammates. I mean, you watched that documentary. It was just an enemy's list. I mean, and by the way, Michael's great.

But Michael built up walls and borders and fences. Michael kept people at bay. Even now, he's kind of private. He keeps people at a distance. He's got a tight circle of friends, and that's it, and nobody penetrates it. That's his personality. LeBron's more like magic. He works with everybody.

He works with stars. He worked with Bosch. He worked with love. He worked with D. The only one he hasn't worked with. And oh, by the way, he won a title with him, Kyrie Irving. So they worked for a while. But Kyrie left, and Kyrie has been, I think this is fair, difficult to get along with a lot of people.

But Michael, this is the difference. Michael burns, and you heard this during the documentary, Michael burns people out. He just is so tireless and so intense and so relentless, he burned people out. In fact, Michael burned himself out. He retired twice. Michael burned Michael out. LeBron is happy. And this is what's scary for the NBA.

LeBron and Anthony Davis are the couple everybody else is jealous of. They get along better than you, and they work better than you. I mean, do you really think K.D. and Kyrie are going to be together in four years? M. Bid and Simmons are going to be together in two. John Wall and Hardin. I mean, let's be honest about this.

From day one, LeBron and Anthony Davis worked perfectly. It was insane. We would go on this show, Joey 9, and be like, wait a minute. It's a whole new team. Even D. Wade and LeBron, best friends took 17 games. They were like 8 and 9 or 9 or 8, and it was clunky. There were a lot of times that LeBron and D. Wade and Bosch.

It felt like you're marginalizing Bosch and D. Wade and LeBron do the same thing, and it's Wade County. LeBron and AD were like brothers, best friends, game two. And, you know, you start looking at all these teams putting these stars together. And there's an article yesterday in The Athletic that, oh, that Paul George Kauai thing, we didn't think it was great. It was way worse than that. You know, you start putting these stars together. LeBron's not only a better player. He's got more self-awareness.

He's a better teammate. It's got to be discouraging for the rest of the NBA. Here's Joy with the news. No. Turn on the news. This is the herd line news. Everyone is assuming that the Cowboys are committed to Dak Prescott as their franchise quarterback. Oh, I don't even know what this story is and I'm already interested.

Going forward. But one pro football focus analyst is proposing another idea for the future of the position. The Cowboys currently have the fourth pick in the draft. The idea is that they could trade DAC and that first round pick to the Jets to get the first overall pick. I wouldn't do that. And then the Cowboys would be in line to draft Trevor Lawrence.

Well, it'd be great for Fox Sports and the league. It'd be amazing. Yeah. Was this leaked by Pro Football Forcas or our bosses? Who leaked this story? I mean, I don't think it's a story.

I think it's just an idea. Like, because the Cowboys currently have the Fourth O'Crow. So I can get Trevor Lawrence, who's going to cost nothing, or Dak, who's going to cost a lot, who I don't think is as good as Trevor Well, so for the Jets, they would obviously move off of Sam Darnold, so they'd get another first round pick, and they'd have the Cowboys fourth round pick, or fourth pick, and

Jack Prescott. Yeah, I don't. I know. So you'd have a proven quarterback, who I think everyone at this point certainly thinks is better than Sam Darnold. Yes, he's been better, yes. And you'd have two first round picks. Well, they don't need draft capital.

Well, the Jets got nothing but picks. What they need is players. They have a zillion picks. But, I mean, they could package those picks for other players. I'd like to get this pro football focus person identified. This feels like what our marketing department did. I mean, it's very exciting. For us, yes.

It's very exciting to imagine. I don't think there's any chance of this happening. I think the Jets are going to take Trevor Lawrence. I think Trevor Lawrence is not going to force his way out of New York because that's, I mean, force yourself to wear. Like, you'd have to find a situation that. is more ideal than New York. And if you're looking at the other teams that need quarterbacks, the current draft order, Jets, Jags, Bengals, Cowboys, Chargers, and Eagles round out the top six.

So, you know, you want to force your way to Jacksonville? No, I think I know as long as the Jets and Jags and the Bengals keep losing, I absolutely believe I know what the first three picks of the, I think Trevor Lawrence Jets, Justin Fields, Jags, and Penae, Sewell, Bengals. All three of those are great fits. then you get into Dallas at four. What I would do if I was Dallas, I would just trade down. Because what I'm looking for is more picks, cheaper labor.

Because they're not going to take a quarterback, even though I would. Dallas is not taking a quarterback. They're going to stick with Dak. That's fine. What Dallas needs is like players because they're so top-heavy. They need. And if they stick with Dak, they're going to have to pay him $40 million. That's right.

Like this is what Seattle did a couple years ago when they signed the Russell Wilson contract. They had four picks. they turn it into 11 picks before the draft. It's like, okay, we got to get inexpensive on the defensive side. And so that's what Dallas needs to do is Seattle. Trade that number four pick. By the way, it's going to be a great. Jerry's a dealmaker.

So there's going to be four to five teams calling on that Dallas Cowboy pick. Because if I'm Cincinnati, I don't move because I have a, well, maybe I do it. It's a good offensive linely. I think both the Bengals and Cowboys potentially will take phone calls and move. I thought there was going to be a lot more movement in this draft than there was still, too. But this draft has five quarterbacks first round. Two are stars. I think we're going to have a crazy draft.

I hope so. This one did not have the movement that I thought it was going to, even though what the deal did turn out to be a great draft. So the Chargers haven't officially been eliminated from the playoffs yet, but their chances are slim sitting at the bottom of the AFC West. And Anthony Lynn says he's being realistic with his team on what they are really playing for these last few games. You know, we talked about today, we don't plan for each other. You know, the playoff hunt is, that's probably not going to happen at this point.

Eight and eight, the best we can do, and I don't think that's going to be good enough. But we play for each other, and we play for the love of game. Well, Anthony Lynn's record with the Chargers is 29 and 30. A losing record would be the team's second in a row after going 21 and 11 and winning a playoff game over Anthony Lynn's first two seasons. So whether or not. not he gets a fifth season is kind of going to be dependent on how much they consider those first two seasons. We talked about this yesterday. The Chargers are in L.A. They're in a market that is

completely saturated, not with teams, not with entertainment, but high-level teams. All winning. All winning with lots of stars. And they have to sell tickets and they're giving away tickets. Yes. Well, as of right now, nobody's worried about tickets. But they will be eventually. And they're going to need something that is going to get people there. Now, I think Justin Herbert's an amazing job so they know that they have a star and him. I would go watch him. They also have a world class pass rusher in Joey Bosa. Like they have a quarterback. Yeah, I mean, they

have lots of great players and fun players and talent. Are they going to be able to put it all together is the question. And this year has been a huge disappointment. And obviously it didn't start the way they thought it would. They thought they were going to have Tyrod Taylor, but Justin Herbert's been amazing. I don't know if Anthony Lynn

is there next year and I don't know if that's necessarily fair, but I also don't know how much, similar to college football, not for the money reasons that are in college football. I don't know how many changes like that. Dramatic changes are going to happen around the NFL other than the teams that like, obviously, the

Falcons that had been, you know, consistent for a while. I mean, whether it's fair or not, I just think the charges will make a move. I think what happens in the NFL, you can sense momentum. Like right now you're like, Giants, good momentum. Dolphins good momentum. Carolina losing, good

momentum. Chargers, bad momentum. And I think when you have bad momentum, you've got to move off it. Like Bill O'Brien won a lot of division titles, but this past, when it started this year, oh, and like four, you're like, okay, Bill was winning and we knew he wasn't a good GM, but the momentum turned, and, you know, Dave Wonstead always says this. You can lose a game, you can't lose a locker room. Yeah. And if you start losing these close games after a while, you start losing the trust, the momentum. Well, this becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy after a while. So the Browns are on a three-game winning streak and are in a great position to

make the playoffs with the 8 and 3 record, but Baker Mayfield also hasn't thrown an interception in the last four games. That's good. But he's not satisfied with how he has been playing. I'm very critical of my play. It's just I pride myself of being an accurate passer and I didn't do that. So I'm going to beat myself up about that because I know I can be better. And it gets me off when I don't do the things I need to.

I'm trying to get better each week. And that's taking care of the ball and that's completing these passes that should be made in my sleep. Yeah, he's right. I don't know what to make of the Browns. I just don't want to be extra critical because they are playing great and they deserve the credit. And I think Stefansky's done an amazing job. I think we all know what they are. Yeah, I just feel like they...

They'll have the worst quarterback in the playoffs and that means they're not going to last long. I mean, if you start looking at quarterbacks that are going to make it, low-end guy would be to some like Derek Carr. Well, Derek Carr is better than Baker Mayfield. Like right now by far. I just feel about them the way that I feel about the Titans, but I feel about the Titans, but I feel better about the Titans than I do about the Browns. They go as their running game goes, both of these teams. But if they have to rely on their quarterback,

I'm going to trust Ryan Tannahill more than I'm going to trust Baker-Make-thew. And that's absolutely what you should do, because Ryan's a better quarterback. And this is not a shot at Baker. But I think actually, almost more than any team, I think we know what Cleveland is. They have to play a certain way to win. They're a limited team. Very limited. But that's not a – that's just an evaluation.

Everything's not a criticism. That's just an evaluation of what they are. Yeah, that's what they are. Like, they should be completely happy with it. They should be thrilled with this season. They're having an amazing season. And Savansky is completely right at the ship there. And it seems like he is finally establishing a culture in Cleveland.

When nobody yaps. Which is what they needed. Yes. They don't talk. They're not chatty all the time. They're exactly what Cleveland should be. Yeah. Uh, joy with the news.

Well, that's the news. And thanks for stopping by. The herd lie news. And it's really funny with Baker, Because when Baker came into the league, everybody compared him to Drew Breeze. And I'm like, no, two is Drew Breeze. But Baker's not that accurate of a thrower. I didn't buy him.

I watched Oklahoma and Baker play Georgia. I'm like, when rushed, he's not that accurate of a thrower. I compared him to Case Keenham. And everybody said, whoa, it's unbelievable as a shot at Baker Mayfield. Case Keenham won like 11 games in Minnesota when he had a very conservative run first coach and Kevin Stefansky as a coordinator with a bunch of good offensive pieces around him. That's what Case Keenham did.

That's what Baker's doing. He is Case Keenum. Now, I think he has a better, stronger arm, but he's not any better athletes. He's not any bigger. I don't think he's any better at the line of scrimmage. This was my prototype. So Stafansky took Case Keenum.

He was the offensive coordinator and had a bunch of good pieces, right? And they won like 11 games, and they were a playoff team. But you always felt there was a real ceiling. This is exactly what Stefansky has done. He's created this running game. There's a very low ceiling, but you have a coach that, you know, Minnesota doesn't yap a lot.

Browns don't yap a lot. It's a very solid culture. And so I always felt with that Kay's Keenham team, I'm like fun, but, you know, not going to go to them. They can't win multiple playoff games, and that's what I feel about Cleveland. Peter King in about 10 minutes. This is interesting to me. So when you win in the NFL,

it just, it's like, remember that thing white out? If you were typing and they had white out, it just, it's like LeBron's the human eraser. If you have problems, like LeBron just sort of erases all that. Winning is sort of the solution to all your like drama and problems. The Miami Dolphins are winning. Tua, I just want to throw this out. In his first month as a starter, Tua was benched and got hurt. Nobody's talking about it.

he got benched and he got hurt hurt in high school hurt in college oh boy hurt in the pros and his passing totals for two in the first four games are 93 yards 248 109 and 83 or is it 169 he's averaging under 150 yards per start and whereas there's a lot of wow with these young quarterbacks keiler marie's legs wow Lamar jackson speed wow Josh Allen sighed is an arm. Wow. Justin Herbert's arm and everything. Wow. With Tua and like a Dac Prescott, it is, I wonder, winning. And that's something. But Miami is in a very interesting place. And I want you for a second. You're Brian Flores. You run the team. So by April, late April, the Jets are going to have Trevor Lawrence.

Wow. The bills already have Josh Allen. Wow. And Belichick's the best coach in football. You will have Tua. And Tua's strengths, and this is not arguable. The two things we know about him at every level. Accurate and he gets hurt.

Now, accuracy matters. It is something. And Brian Flores may be thinking, hey, my defense, I'm a better defense. defensive coach than everybody in this league except Belichick. I just want an accurate guy who doesn't turn it over. I want Drew Breeze. I don't need, wow.

I don't need massive arm. But it's a very interesting situation because Miami has Houston's first round pick. And Houston just lost their wide receiver and corner to like PEDs. So Houston's going to be really bad for the next month, despite Deshaun Watson. What does that mean? Miami may have the fifth or sixth pick in this draft. That's the last time Brian Flores going to have a top five or six pick. This is it.

And it is a awesome quarterback draft. This is why I believe you play Tua. You're not going to have the fifth or six pick in the draft. Brian Flores is too good of a coach. He's built too good of a defense. They got too much momentum. And they're getting more. I mean, they have draft capital, endless draft capital.

So it's a fascinating place. Does he look, does Brian Flores look at this and think to himself, okay, here's what I know with Tua. He doesn't throw picks. He didn't throw them in high school. He threw 11 picks at Alabama total. He doesn't throw them in the NFL. And he thinks there's not a lot of wow there, but I get Drew Brees.

I get accurate. I get no mistakes and I can win with defense. But just remember, by late April, Trevor Lawrence and Josh Allen are in your division with each about a 12 to 15 year runway. That's what you're, if you stay in Miami for 15 years, you will have the less smaller less of an arm, arguably less mobile quarterback. It's fascinating. And you have a draft pick from Houston.

You may never have again in your career. Patriots don't draft top three very often. It just doesn't happen. So kind of fascinating. Tua in his first month, benched and hurt. And nobody's talking about it. You can't tell me they're not thinking about it. This is why you can win with Ryan Fitzpatts,

Patrick, I would put two out there. Even if it cost me a game, put him out there. All right. Coming up next. All my years doing it. There's something happening I have never seen. In fact, I've not only never seen it, I can't even compare it to anything. That plus Greg Kosell top of the hour, NFL meat sandwich coming up.

Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd, weekdays in noon Eastern, 9 a.m. Pacific. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast's Superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds.

I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the I-Hard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what you're saying. Yep, that's me, Cliver Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, the reactions, my journey from basketball to college football, or my career in sports media.

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

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

I know what you're thinking. What the hell does George Bush got to do with Little Kim? Well, you can find out on the Look Back at it podcast. I'm Sam J. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick it here, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it. Including a recent episode with Mark Lamont Hill,

waxing all about crack in the 80s. Clearly, 84 was 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 Podcast. or wherever you get your podcasts. Welcome to my new podcast, Learn the Hard Way 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 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. iHeartRadio app search learn the hard way and listen now. Greg CoSell NFL films. If you bet football, fantasy football or just love football, he's our NFL meat sandwich and he will be joining us at the top of our number two. Chris Broussard today as well. So, you know, big story in the NBA yesterday. Anthony Davis finalized his deal with the Lakers. That means Giannis is not coming out here. And that's better.

I think LeBron A.D. They should win it, but, you know, let's make it interesting. You don't want to get Durant, Stefan Clay, which is fun for about a year. Then afterwards, it did not help for NBA ratings. It felt like nobody else was relevant. And LeBron just signed his contract. And the Lakers are overwhelming favorites. But what I'm about to say, we all know. And I started to notice in this probably about 15 years ago, not like I noticed it, or Joey noticed that everybody noticed that sports, athletes were ending up on the cover of GQ. They were in movies.

Maybe Michael Jordan started it. I mean, athletes always did like Gatorade commercials or McDonald's commercials. But you started seeing like Michael Jordan in a movie and people went and saw the movie. And then Shaq was in movies and you start seeing guys doing, you know, it's hip-hop stuff, it's movies. There's this, it kind of, they transcend sports. Like athletes are now on the cover of non-sports magazines, right? So we know there's been this melting of like. like Hollywood, athletes, and it's been happening for a long time.

And it just happening more and more because there's more money in sports. I remember a couple years ago when Steve Balmer bought the Clippers and he bought it for $2 billion. And people freaked out. And I'm like, well, he bought it cash and he's not going to sell it. It's going to be worth $10 billion in 30 years. Who gives a rip? He's got enough money. You know, he can't keep all his money in Microsoft stock.

Like, who cares? Everything's growing. The safest place in the world right now. now to put your money is literally in sports teams. Like the richest people in L.A., LeBron and Stan Cronky, they own like parts of Liverpool in the English Premier League. Like that's where all the rich people, you can't put it in stock markets. Real estate's got bubble.

Where do you put it? You know the Boston Red Sox are going to be in Boston in 40 years. You know Liverpool's going to be over in the EPL in 40 years. So this thing is just exploding. Sports is exploding. It's the only thing that anybody watches on TV now is literally politics. and sports and news. That is it. But what is happening in Los Angeles, and obviously

L.A. is different than other cities. It's the entertainment capital of the world. It's really benefiting Los Angeles. Nobody cares here about, you know, the rich guys don't care about their taxes or they wouldn't move here. Right now in Los Angeles, this is unprecedented. This town's always had stars. They've got the best player in all the sports. So here's the 10 best best professional athletes today in Los Angeles. LeBron, and let's just think about this.

LeBron's number one. He's the world's best basketball player. Aaron Donald or Patrick Mahomes is the best football player in the world. Aaron Donald voted on by players more than once has won it. Aaron Donald, I'd say number two. Mike Trout is overwhelmingly considered the best baseball player in the world three. Anthony Davis, after this bubble, maybe the second best basketball player in the world. They have him.

Oh, and Mookiee Betts, number five, is also the second best baseball player in the world. Kauai Leonard's arguably the third best basketball player in the world. And then there's four guys who maybe not the best player in the world, but Joey Bosa for the Chargers is what everybody in the NFL wants. Unblockable. Cody Bellinger is a former MVP. Jalen Ramsey's probably the NFL's most physical corner and has transformed the defense. And Walker Bueller has an argument as the best young arm in baseball.

But here's how much talent is in Los Angeles. Three people didn't make the list. Clayton Kershaw, this generation Sandy Kofax, I would put at 11. Now, I would have put him top five three years ago. But he's older now. He's not the ace. At number 12, I put in Paul George. He's a six-time all-star with his own shoe line.

At 13, I put Justin Herbert, who appears to be like Andrew Luck with a better arm. Like, LA's always had stars. And the other thing is, most of these guys outside of LeBron are like babies. They're like 25 and 26 years old. Walker Bueller. Mookie Mookie Betts isn't that old? Just think about this.

New York City is the biggest, it's the most powerful city in America, right? Who's their number one? Kevin Durant hasn't played a game yet. Aaron Judge can't stay healthy. Jacob de Grom wouldn't be recognized on a subway in New York. New York! Who's your one? Who's your two?

Who's your three? Who's your four? It is unbelievable the level of talent. And I think a lot of it is just you get noticed here. You know, it used to be, oh, the weather's good here. I think it's all about, like when LeBron James showed up in Los Angeles, Remember this. Philadelphia had a much better roster.

Houston had much better players. The Lakers were a mess. And I have, I'm close to people that are close to LeBron. It was a, hey, this brand, this business, and we've seen LeBron within like nine months, movies, TV shows, he'll own his own network soon, pizza chains. So I know most people hate Los Angeles and love to bang on Los Angeles, but I'll tell you who likes it. pro athletes. And they're all winning. The Dodgers are winning. The Clippers are winning. The Lakers are winning. L.AFC's winning. Everybody's winning.

But the taxes. Taxes. Listen, nobody likes taxes. Move to New Hampshire in Wyoming. I love paying taxes. If I have to hear that again, the taxes. I mean, they are. They're ridiculous. No one likes paying taxes. Guess what? Guess what you're going to do for the rest of your life? You're going to pay taxes. It doesn't matter who the politicians are.

or where you live, you're going to pay some taxes. But there's something about Los Angeles. You don't understand it until you got here. No, no. So it's very funny about this. Not just because we live here. Los Angeles, in New York, if you're rich, it's difficult. New York is hard. The weather's hard.

The summers are humid. The winters are rough. You're on a football-shaped island. You can only build vertically. You're jammed. In Los Angeles, the stars all live in Malibu, in their own little colony out there. You can't get through the gay.

Los Angeles is the biggest county. I think Jacksonville County and L.A. County. It's all spread out. There's five. You can live on the beach. You can live in the city. You can live in the burbs. You can live up in Santa Barbara.

You can live down in Malab. But you can hide in Los Angeles. You can just, it's just. No, the quality of life here is very different. It's expensive, but it's not stopped any rich people from living here for generations. And it's not stopping superstars from coming here. No. And by the way, our politicians drive us crazy.

They drive us nuts and our taxes are no good. We don't like those either. But there has never been a time in American history where a city had the best basketball, the best football, the best baseball, the second best baseball, the second best basketball, this is third best basketball. It's, it's, and I'm, yeah, I mean, we're showing pictures of Los Angeles. What can I say? I mean, there's been cities that have had, I mean, Boston, obviously, win championships.

But when you're talking about stars. It's insane. And by the way, this is also a city. Boston is not star-friendly. Manny didn't like being there. Kevin Garnett did. Ray Allen didn't like. A lot of stars don't like being in Boston.

They're like not into it. This is an easy place to live if you're a big star. You can go high. Coi lives in San Diego. You know, the Lake Kobe would, I mean, he lived down in Orange County. I mean, he lived like an hour away from, you can just hide in Southern California. Or not, if that's not what you're in. That's right. You'll go front and center.

Hills, topography, canyons, there's everywhere you want to live. So I feel like a Chamber of Commerce commercial, but we were sitting there this morning. And after the A.D. LeBron contract, I was like, it's incredible. It's just insane. Well, I just think that there's something still to the cities, right? And I know we sound like coastal elitist and whatever. Yeah, whatever. Maybe we are. Yeah, maybe we are. But this is our experience.

So to me, you can still see that there's. of value to being in these big cities. Like if you are a star, there just is. I mean, look at the Christmas Day lineup. What are we were just talking about? Like, if you're in, if you're in L.A., like, it's a different situation. If you're in Dallas, even if you're in New York,

like, it just, it's Miami, it still matters. It does. No state gets criticized more, but yet attracts more people in sports, in tech, in business, than Los Angeles. So it's like, all I know is this morning when I wake up, It is, and it's always had this reputation that don't care about sports. The Dodgers draw five million a year.

They care about sports. And why wouldn't they? Everybody's good. They don't even like USC's coach right now. They're unbeaten. Everybody's good in the city. Greg CoSell, NFL meat sandwich, right around the corner on a Thursday. No Thursday night football tonight.

What a bummer. It's 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 I-Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal, but encouraged.

It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque. others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast's Superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the IHard Radio app, Apple Podcasts,

or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, what's good, y'all? You're listening to Learn the Hard Way with your favorite therapist and host Kier 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 to 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 which I'm saying. Yep, that's me. Cliver Taylor the Force. 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, 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 Clifford Show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast.

And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok podcast network on TikTok. This is an IHeart podcast. Guaranteed Human.