The Herd with Colin Cowherd - 12/22/2020 - Best of The Herd

Episode Date: December 22, 2020

-The Steelers need a new QB, Big Ben hasn't taken care of himself-LeBron is still the best player because his competitors make bad decisions-The Steelers have done nothing in the past decade-Carson Wentz should be rooting for Jalen Hurts to succeed -Loud teams like the Nets don't have long term success in the NBA-Herd Hierarchy: Colin's top ten teams in the NFLGuest: Nick Wright, FS1's First Things First Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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

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

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

A win is a win. I don't care what I'm 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 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, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok's podcast network on TikTok. On the Look Back at it podcast.

For 1979, that was a big moment for me. 84's big to me. I'm Sam J. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick a 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. 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. Thanks for listening to The Best of Heard Podcast. Be sure to catch us live every weekday. From 12 to 3 Eastern, 9 to noon Pacific on Fox Sports Radio and FS1, find your local station for the herd at Fox Sports Radio.com or stream us live every day on the iHeartRadio app by searching Heard. This is the best of the herd with Colin Cowher on Fox Sports Radio. Ah, here we go on a Tuesday.

I'm in a splendid mood live in Los Angeles. This is The Herd, wherever you may be, and however you may be listening, we're on Fox Sports Radio, I Heart Radio, and FS1. I feel slender, I feel energized, I had a great night of sleep. Everything is working today. I feel fantastic. Joy looks fantastic. Ready to go.

Joy, you're from Pittsburgh. There was a power outage there last night. The Internet was down because I didn't hear from a single Steeler fan for eight hours. Listen, you've got issues, guys. 412, 724. We've got some problems. Let's talk about it. All right.

It's great to have you in on a Tuesday, my last week, last day for a while. Joy is in tomorrow with Nick Wright. So let's talk about outliers. LeBron and Tom Brady are outliers. They're like in the 20th year, 18th year, and they're still as good as they've been in the last five years. In fact, I thought LeBron last year looked better than he looked in four or five years. Why? Because in life, what you put into your body, you get out.

And LeBron and Tom Brady had been meticulous with their body. and now it pays real dividends as they age. You know, your body, you can live on Taco Bell and four hours sleep when you're 21. But when you're 38, 39, 40 is a pro athlete, bro, it catches up to you. I mean, Michael Jordan is unbelievable. But Michael was a cigar smoking, wine drinking, steak, eating, card playing, no sleeping maniac. And in the end, he couldn't jump. And he's Michael Jordan.

Big Ben's reputation, and this is why I picked him for 8 and 8 and 7 and 9. Joy is my witness. I kept saying, surgery for those who are in great shape is different for those like Big Ben. He has never been a grinder. Jay Glazer has a mailbag for a subscription service called The Athletic. And Glazer's got a lot of friendly NFL contacts. He's not somebody that bangs away at players. But during the summer, somebody asked him about Big Ben.

He said, first of all, let's not put the words fitness and Ben together. They're allergic to each other. There is no fitness in Ben. His idea of a great off-season workout is a yoga session, playing golf and drinking beer. That's not a shot. That is what I have talked about on this show for years. In this instance, Glazer and I share sources. That's not a shot on him.

Ben is the greatest backyard football player in league history. but this goes for everybody. Actors, landscapers, school teachers, how you treat your body, I can tell when you're 55 or 60. And as a pro athlete, I can tell when you're 35. Big Ben, right now, it's over. Like Drew Breeze has some limitations. And Brady certainly does.

But those two also brought sort of a cerebral pre-snap. excellence to the position. Big Ben's always played this thing, like it's him and a bunch of Pennsylvania guys in the backyard, and he's the best ever at it. He wasn't one of the great pre-snap guys, one of the great audible guys, one of the off-season workout guys. It was give me a ball, get me a couple of deep threats, and let's go. LFG. The problem is Pittsburgh is built to be Big Ben in 27. They got great receivers. They got unbelievable receivers. He can't throw a deep ball. I mean, it's bad. First play of the game, he can't throw a deep ball. And so, listen, Tom Brady is an outlier. Peyton Manning fell off a cliff late 30s.

Eli, last four years, was weak. Philip Rivers, probably a year left. Drew Breeze, he'll be into broadcasting. That's the way it works. LeBron and Brady are outliers because they have put so much into their bodies. Both put millions a year. I've said Russell Wilson is very much LeBron and Brady. You can see he is building a brand to play until his 40s. He puts a million and a half, you know, I have

some connections to Russell. It puts about a million and a half a year. And he's young. Not old guy. And here's the other thing. And listen, I know Ben had surgery. And you can push back and go, well, this surgery, go ask doctors, go ask anybody. Like the better shape you're in, the faster you recover from surgeries. Big Ben

was very good early in the season. But as the season is extending, It's not that he's struggling. He's awful. Maybe it's Sam Darnold. Maybe it's draft picks. It is awful. And so I think this morning you have to be, it's the elephant in the room.

They got to move. They got to move off this thing. Because this is a 16 game schedule. And if you're Pittsburgh, your standards are, two or three playoff games after that. This is no longer a 19 game quarterback. Maybe you draft somebody and you give Ben a couple of weeks off in October and November. I'm not sure if he'd like that. But, you know, you can walk around.

You can walk around to the mall and look and say, who took care of themselves and who just was born good looking. You know what I mean? You all see that person. They're great looking in high school and college. They party hard. All of a sudden, they get a little older. And they're still kind of good looking and stuff.

But it's like, you know, they stayed up late. They closed a few bars. And I think with Big Ben, that's always been the thing. And he's just always been a world-class talent, a back-year. football player and it's caught up to him. And, I mean, the surgery is not easy for anybody. Nobody is saying that, but LeBron got hurt two years ago. He's better now than he was four years ago.

I mean, it's just he bounced off that injury like nothing I've ever seen. Well, it's not osmosis. It's not a coincidence. There's a reason LeBron bounced off that injury. So here's Big Ben after. I'm not consistent enough, which affects the offense because the balls in my end every play. Ben, what is the level of frustration and concern right now is you headed in the last two weeks? high, high frustration.

Sam Darnold, draft picks, one of them. It's time to make a move. To this, the NBA begins in earnest tonight. Now, lots of fans loved MJ more than they currently love LeBron. I get it. There was a lot to like about MJ. He was great. He was glamorous.

He was cool. His commercials. He was good looking. He had that kind of American step on the throat thing. We love for our athletes. And a lot of people say the NBA was better 20 years ago. Well, I don't necessarily disagree. It had more layers.

It was physical. Players really hated each other. The rivalry was intense. I mean, I get it. The Pistons, the Bulls, the Lakers, the Celtics, and bird and tackle it. I get it. I think I like the NBA probably more than 20 years ago. I think the players are now more talented, but it was very tribal and very intense,

and there was a lot to love about it. But the people that love the NBA 20 years ago and love Michael Jordan more than LeBron, they believe the debate is over and, oh, it is not over with LeBron and Michael Jordan. It's not just beginning. It's not in the middle. There's three things LeBron has going for him. Number one, his stats in production will crush MJ, crush MJ with just two to three more seasons. Number two, LeBron's now got titles in three destinations.

Michael couldn't even win in a second. And number three, Anthony Davis. And this is the factor. When you look around at the argument for second best player in the NBA, and this has happened really quickly. Janus. Oh, he's now locked into Milwaukee, a place that won't get free agents. James Hardin, increasingly weird?

Kawhi. Alienates teammates, load management, leadership questions are legit. Steph Curry, injuries and Clay is hurt. Kevin Durant, ditto on the injuries, and I for one am a real cynic on KD and Kyrie being Tom Hanks and Rita Hanks for 40 years working perfectly at Harmony. I have my issues about that relationship. Very quickly. the number two player in the league is Anthony Davis, and he doesn't have any of those issues. We don't question his leadership. We don't question now as durability. He doesn't appear to be difficult to play with.

We have a situation now where the second best player in the league for most of LeBron's career, let's be honest, all of it, was a threat to LeBron. Folks, four years ago, you were telling me KD's better than LeBron. You kept yelling and screaming. And there's the Westbrook and the heart and beat. And now all the twos are in these situations, leadership, mental, physical, hard to play with, unglomerous markets except one of them, Anthony Davis. And from the first week, and I don't know what it is about their personalities,

not only does LeBron have the second best player, it is like their brothers. It's like they've played together for 15 years. LeBron loved D. Wade, still does. I always thought that was a weird, clunky basketball fit. LeBron and AD is literally perfect. And LeBron's entire career has been about, oh, who's the next LeBron, who's going to challenge LeBron.

The second now, to me, and I don't even think there's a question. he now plays with, they fit together, and the Lakers have upgraded. Listen, part of Fox Sports growth has been ESPN's decline. Part of LeBron's dominance has been the same thing. I have so many questions about the twos, about Kauai, about Janus, about Step, about Hardin, about KD, about, the only one I don't is Anthony Davis. So I do think the Lakers should win, will win, and should be favored.

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 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 you're saying. Yep, that's me, Clivert Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, the reactions, my journey from basketball to college football, or my career in sports media. Well, somewhere along the way, this platform became bigger than I ever imagined.

And now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfiltered conversations with some of your favorite athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. One week, I'll take you behind the scenes of the biggest moments in sports and entertainment, and the next we'll talk about life, mental health, purpose, and even music. The Cliverts 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 a 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. Yes. I don't think there's a more important year for black people. People. Really? Yeah. For me, it's one of the most important years for black people in American history.

Listen to look back at it on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Welcome to my new podcast, Learn the Hardway with me, your host, and your favorite therapist, Kear Games. And in recognition of mental health awareness month, I'm bringing over a decade of my own experience in the mental health field and conversations with so many incredible guests. I'm talking, Tripp Fontaine, Ryan Clark. Sometimes when we're in the pursuit of the thing, We get so wrapped up in the chase that we don't realize that we are in possession of the thing and we're still chasing it

and we don't know when we've done enough because people scoreboard watch. Life becomes about wins and losses. Steve Burns, Dustin Ross because you find it important to be a good person while you hear on earth or are you a good person because you're afraid? Because that's two different intentions, bro.

Absolutely. And that's two different levels of trust. I want you to just really be a good person. Join me, Keer Gaines. 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.

Right now in our sports world, most of the big brands are winning. The Dodgers are a big brand they're winning. And the New York Yankees, they're not winning a World Series, but they're a very good team. Alabama football, Oklahoma football, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Duke basketball, Kansas basketball. you know, Lakers are really good. Celtics are at least viable. Most of our big brands in America are winning. One is not as much as we think in the last 15, 20 years, the Dallas Cowboys.

And we kind of roll our eyes and mock the Dallas Cowboys. They don't have a pro bowler currently. Like, ooh. What has Pittsburgh done in the last decade? I want you to think about this. They've had 20 different players. different players make the Pro Bowl in the decade. New England's had 19.

New England's got 16 playoff wins. Steelers have three. It's been a decade of brand over reality, underachieving, and disappointment. They have got in 10 years no Super Bowls, three playoff wins, and two wins over the New England Patriot Dynasty. their three playoff wins were over

AJ McCarron, Matt Moore, and Alex Smith, and one they didn't score a touchdown. They lost playoff games to Tim Tebow and Blake Bortles. The last time they beat a top quarterback in a playoff game. And we kind of, this morning, we kind of wrestled with this. It was Joe Flacco, and he was good-ish, and dropped off a quick cliff quickly. You know, we kind of roll our eyes.

at the Dallas Cowboys because of Jerry's vanity and, you know, he holds a press conference on local radio. And I think we all respect Kevin Colbert, the Rooney family. And they've certainly had great dignity the entire organization's history. But if you've got 20 different players who are pro bowlers over a decade, in the last decade, 13 teams have more playoff wins. 13. They're right in the middle of the pack.

and here's another thing. There's no excuse for this. Whereas the Dallas Cowboys have had their issues, Philadelphia is well run. The Giants have Super Bowls. So does Washington. The Steelers have had the gift of having the Browns and the Bengals for the last decade in their division.

I mean, that should be, that's 4 and 0 every year, right off the top. You don't get that in Dallas with Philadelphia, the Giants in Washington. Although Washington certainly had their share of dysfunction. So, you know, I think we're getting to a point. It's not a cheap shot. What have they been in the last decade?

It just feels like underachievement, here we go again, derailed late in the season. These are not cheap shots. I'm just, I went this morning and looked it up. There are three playoff wins in a decade. A.J. McCarran, Matt Moore, and Alex Smith. And losses to Tebow and Bortles. That's just for the Steelers not good enough. One more herd?

The herd streams 24 hours a day, seven days a week, Within the IHeart Radio app, search heard to listen live or on demand whenever you'd like. So there's a lot of reasons why the NFL is so much more popular than every other league in America. And it's not really close. We see the metrics, a lot of different metrics, it's not close. You know, unlike baseball, it's got a zillion games. There's more urgency. Every Sunday feels like it matters.

That's a big part of it. We bet football, our whole lives. We've been betting football games. Somebody in America has, we don't really bet baseball on NBA. We do now more with, you know, gambling, becoming more part of our fabric, but we've always bet it. It's really good on television. It literally the field fits the box.

But I think one of the under-discussed reasons, the NFL is so popular is hope. You don't get stuck in like quicksand with a bad contract to a baseball. baseball player. You know, it's like you're not stuck for nine years. You're not stuck in the NBA when you get a bad contract and a difficult player. The NFL players have less power and leverage than every other American professional athlete. And sometimes I think that's its strength. If a guy's a headache, you cut him. If a guy underperforms, you move off him. And a couple weeks ago, I said, I thought the Philadelphia situation was so bleak. And then I watched Jay Hurtz Sunday and I thought, no, no, I've seen this before in the NFL.

This is the sport of a silver lining. And Carson Wentz, the minute Nick Foles the backup won that Super Bowl, it's never felt comfortable. He's a young kid. I mean, if I took a week off and it was the highest rate of this show ever was with my backup, and they built a statue of the guy outside Fox, I'd probably be a little insecure. And Jalen Hertz was drafted in the second round. it's not like they drafted him with other needs which they have to sit and watch games from the sideline.

The NFL style is moving into his style. Philadelphia is going to find room for Carson Wentz. How about we start with the Colts, go to the Patriots, keep your eye on Denver and San Francisco. I think they ideally like to get him to the other conference and not have him come back and burn him. Yes, it's a big cap hit for Philadelphia. But if Jalen Hertz is as good as potentially we've seen, he's free for three years. So the quarterback position, again, if he's performing at a division-winning level, it's not an outrageous fee for him. Wence needs a reboot, probably a new coordinator.

Hertz needs an opportunity. And I think Philadelphia is going to find somebody who's going to buy that contract. I mean, good God, we woke up this morning. and thought, wow, Pittsburgh needs a quarterback. It's like every weekend we're like, oh, that team's good. Oh, no, they're not. I mean, I've gone back and forth on Cam in New England six times this year. So the NFL is not the NBA.

You don't get stuck for seven years in quicksand or mud where you can't get off a contract. You can't get off a, you know, you pay a picture of fortune. Boom, Tommy John surgery. Now you can't fulfill your bullpen needs, your infield needs, and you're stuck with a contract. In the NBA, the players have more power. You can pay a guy a lot. He gets injured.

He gets an attitude. He has more, he's hard to play with. So Doug Peterson talked about Wentz and Hertz. Listen, this is an eggshell thing. But the more I watch Hertz play and the style of the NFL and quarterbacks that move in their success, I'm like, maybe it's the best for everybody. This is a situation where it's not, you know, it's not Carson versus Jalen or Jalen versus Carson, right? This is a team that, you know, we're fighting and scratching each week and still have an opportunity to, you know, pull this thing out and see what happens here in the next

two weeks of the regular season. And, you know, the team doesn't feel like, you know, there's any kind of animosity between either one of the guys. Carson Wentch should actually be cheering for Jalen Hertz because it speeds everything up. If Jalen Hertz has, if Jalen Hertz has two great final games. And Philadelphia Inside says, let's make a call to the culture of Patriots. You think Bill Belichick's going to sit around with a rookie

quarterback? I don't. And Wentz is better than Donald. I don't. You think Philip Rivers is really the answer against the Mahomes of Justin Herbert? I don't. So, you know, two weeks ago, this was bleak. I watch Hertz

and I think, yeah. It's the NBA. It's the NFL, excuse me. It's fixable. So NBA season starts the night. K.D. Kyrie, getting a lot of love and publicity. I've said this before. I do not like loud teams. Philadelphia last couple years have been loud, a lot of talk. They've unraveled in the playoffs. The Houston Rockets are talented, but a loud team. They've unraveled in the playoffs. Jimmy Butler's career was loud and headlines and I don't like and this. And then he

moved to Miami and just became a baller, a leader. You didn't really hear a lot about Miami last year. They got quiet and good. In the bubble, the Clippers were loud. It was the Lou Williams Strip Club. Pat Beverly opted out. Chemistry issues, dock in trouble. A lot of noise.

A.D.'s always been quiet. Lakers had veterans. They went to bed early. Lakers got really quiet in the bubble. James Hardin's career has gotten worse. Versus it's gotten loud. Story this morning, according to Shom Sharania, at the new Rockets team he's playing with. He had a confrontation, did James Hardin with one player, and threw a basketball at another on Monday.

The good news, at least now he's passing. The point being is, I don't like loud. I think teams unravel. And you know what? I'm not crazy here. Brooklyn's been loud and the season hasn't started. Kyrie saying, A, we don't need a coach. Kyrie saying Katie's actually better closing games than LeBron.

Kyrie saying the media, I don't talk to pawns. Kevin Durant having to dismiss the James Harden rumors and stories. I say the louder a Hollywood marriage, the sooner it ends. There is a little bit. You've got to be honest. Katie and Kyrie, there is a little Kim Kanye thing here, just a little, just a little. Very good on social media. Very attractive.

A lot of concerns. conspiracy theories. You never quite feel it's a hundred percent stable relationship. I don't know. It just feels like it's going to be really fun and I can't wait to watch it. And they're really talented and it's really interesting. But go look over the last several years. You want to know who's quiet last year at Miami and the Lakers and Denver.

Just quiet. They just bald. Jimmy Butler's whole career was loud. They went to Miami, a city in which it can make quiet people loud. You didn't hear anything about it. He's just, I like my coffee. I like my teammates. It's like he became 58 years old in a year in Miami.

Miami just had no distractions, no talk, having fun, bawling. Jimmy's coffee. Clippers last year got really, really loud, especially in the bubble. I don't know. KD. Kyrie is going to be fun, but it just doesn't feel stable to me long term. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd.

Weekdays at noon Eastern, 9 a.m. Pacific. on Fox Sports Radio, FS1, and the IHeart Radio app. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast's Superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year.

Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the iHart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what you're saying. Yep, that's me, Clifford Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, the reactions, my journey from basketball to college football, or my career in sports media. Well, somewhere along the way, this platform became bigger than I ever imagined. And now I'm bringing all of that excitement

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

and for people who are chasing something bigger. So, if you've ever supported me or you're just chasing down a dream, this is right where you need to be. Listen to the Clifford Show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. Do you remember when Diana Ross

double-tap Little Kim's boobs at the VMAs? Or when Kanye said that George Bush didn't like black people. I know what you're thinking. What the hell does George Bush got to do with Little Kim? Well, you can find out on the Look Back at It podcast. I'm Sam Jett. 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, so.

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

or wherever you get your podcasts. Welcome to my new podcast, learn the hard way with me, your host, and your favorite therapist, Kear Games. And in recognition of Mental Health Awareness Month, I'm bringing over a decade of my own experience in the mental health field and conversations with so many incredible guests.

I'm talking, Tripp Fontaine, Ryan Clark. Sometimes when we're in the pursuit of the thing, we get so wrapped up in the chase that we don't realize that we are in possession of the thing and we're still chasing it and we don't know when we've done enough. Because people scoreboard watch. Life becomes about wins and losses.

Steve Burns, Dustin Ross, 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, is we have real conversations about healing, growth, fatherhood, pressure, and purpose on my new podcast, Learn the Hardway. Open your free iHeartRadio app. Search Learn the Hardway and listen now. Heard hierarchy. Time is now. Let's go.

The top 10 NFL teams, according to college. Number 10. Tampa Bay overcame a 17-0 halftime deficit to win. Why were they down 17? They're 4 and 3 in games this year. They've trailed by more than 10 points. Why are they always down in big games? Now, you could argue so was Kansas City,

but Kansas City's got a much higher end at the end of games. Part of Tampa is their back end worries me. They're 8-1 against teams 500 or worse. There's a lot of wins over a lot of junk. Brady doesn't appear to me to be the issue. The issue is the back-end's not good. The pass rush is inconsistent. They blitz a lot.

They take a lot of chances, and their back-end often does not save them. on those blitzes. I have them at 10. Number nine. Tennessee. I'm going to give you a stat that is insane. You think you know all the good quarterbacks in the league. Since Ryan Tannahill got the starting job last year in week seven, he has 67 touchdowns, 11 picks and a passer rating of 112. Better than Mahomes.

His yards per attempt, you think this is about, and I'm not saying he's better than Mahomes. You think this is Derek Henry. Folks, Adam Gives. Ace is apparently an atrocious coach. Ryan Taniel's plan is arse off. And Derek Henry's unbelievable. Now, why are they ninth? They have no pass rush. They do not match up against the Kansas City. They just don't. This is a team that everybody that plays up, I don't think they match up with Baker Mayfield in Cleveland. I think they make quarterbacks too comfortable.

We got to come to terms with this. Ryan Tanahill is a top 10 quarterback in this league, him Gays can't coach because I saw him in Miami and I thought he was a stiff and he's just not. Number eight. Rams, listen, don't sell too much of your stock. There's a couple of things here that matter. They're one of only two teams in the NFL to outgain their opponents by over 1,000 yards. Vegas cares about that. They have the number one defense and they've allowed the fewest big plays in the NFL. So this is a really good football team. Here's the problem. Jared Goff gets into these like turnover tunnels. And in the last seven games, he's got eight touchdown passes and 12 giveaways.

It is a problem. It's frustrating McVeigh. It may shorten his career in Los Angeles, but don't kid yourself. Jalen Ramsey allows them to match up with everybody in the NFL. You could put them on a Tyreek. You can put them on a D.K. Metcalfe. You can put them on a Devante Adams. And you know you're getting a pass rush with Darnold.

So they're a matchup. They have some matchup symmetry with almost every good team in the league Rams at eight. Number seven. Cleveland. I got to tell you, their offensive line is the best in the NFL. You know what they remind me of? Dak and the Dallas Cowboys is his rookie year. Here comes Dak, best offensive line easily in the NFL, great running game, and you're not putting a ton of pressure on the quarterback, and Dak and the Cowboys go 13 and 3. Listen, Baker's humming right now. Without OBJ, he's a point guard, and he can pass to anybody. He's got time to throw. The running game is wide open. Play action pass all works now. 15 TD's one pick for Baker since Odell's injury. I don't care what anybody says. He looks more comfortable.

He looks like he's kind of controlling the offense. His body language is good. Doesn't have nervous feet. His confidence, his accuracy has gotten very good in the last six weeks. Brown's at seven. Number six. But Seattle's got a Hall of Fame coach and a Hall of Fame quarterback, and I would take them over Cleveland in a matchup,

even though I don't like their offensive line. The reality is the Seahawks defense is on fire since Carlos Dunlap, who we loved, came over. Top five defense since he arrived, 28 sacks since he arrived. They've held each of their last four opponents under 20 points, and the running backs are healthy, which is when Seattle is scary. Carlos Hyde, Penny, Chris Carson. Now, their offense has been a little stagnant for a month as they reboot their defense,

but I still like them a lot. Number five. Miami lost to Seattle. earlier, I don't think they would today. Is Brian Flores, are the dolphins right now the best coach team in the league? Not saying he's the best coach, but are they the best coach team in the moment. I got to tell you

something. They won last week, and they were missing four of their top five players. They were missing Miles Gaskin, Devante Parker, Mike Gisicki. They're only allowing 18 points. Tua is Drew Brees. He makes no mistakes. You're not going to get a ton of huge plays.

No mistakes. He is the perfect quarterback right now for Brian Flores. I don't know what it is. They lead the NFL in takeaways, 20 straight games with one or more. I don't understand the lines in the NFL. Vegas doesn't buy them. They're only a two and a half point favorite over the Raiders. I don't get it.

This to me is a top five team in the NFL. Number four. The Saints. The last couple of weeks, they've been gashed. But some of that is the defense is on the field for 42 minutes against the Chiefs. You're going to give up 400 yards. This really is a defensive story. They're a lot like Pittsburgh except Breeze can still play.

I wouldn't take too much out of the Kansas City game. Didn't have Michael Thomas. Breeze was awful in the first quarter off the rib injury. This is still a high functioning team. Number three. Green Bay. I'm going to know a lot more after this weekend against Tennessee. I know they're good.

I know they play well with the lead. I know they beat bad teams. Can they go into the Octagon with a Tennessee, with a bruising running game and play from behind or play after getting punched. I don't know if they can. I will in less than a week. Number two. Kansas City, five turnovers in two weeks.

They're the most talented team, but I don't love what I see. Red zone defense, red zone offense, been a little clunky in the last month. Listen, Kansas City was seven and four through 11 weeks last year. They weren't the best team in the league until week 12 on. right now this second Kansas City is number two number one and right now this second

Buffalo is rolling and is number one I think they have the best coordinator in the league Brian Dayball I think Josh Allen is frightening I think they match up with Kansas City and they've gotten better I think if you go since week seven seven and one

32 points a game second point differential 400 yards in this moment now now do I love do I always love their defense no, but I like it situationally. Best team last two weeks I see. I cannot believe they dropped

48 on Vic Fangio's defense after a Steeler win. It was the perfect time for a letdown game. And they dropped 48 on at least a competitive Denver team. And Vic Fangio, who's a top five defensive coach in the NFL, and with that, I

bring in my friend Nick Wright. Used to live in Kansas City. Probably won't sit well with him. Brought to you by Nick Wright. All right, Nick. Can you at least acknowledge that Kansas City is sputtering a little

right now? Sputtering? Yeah. Can we show the hierarchy again? Is that possible? I don't know. Because what I do know is that Kansas City went to

the number one team and beat them. They went to the number four team and beat them. They went to the number five team and beat them. They went to the number 10 team and beat them. Baltimore's not on there. They went there and beat them. Oh, but they didn't hang 48 on Denver.

Is that the problem? They did hang 43 on Denver, though. Five points is the difference? Sputtering. I don't know. They just completed the greatest road season in NFL history, Colin. Look it up. Eight and no beating the best team in the league Buffalo,

beating New Orleans, beating Miami, beating Tampa, all in their best. buildings beating Baltimore. No, they're not sputtering. The offense could be better. That's why they only scored 32 points in New Orleans. What are you talking about? Sputtering. They've lost one game since before last Thanksgiving. One game. Well, we see out of your mind. We see the sports car slightly differently. Now, you will have to admit, you had created this narrative out of thin air that Brady was an old relic. You needed to rust-proof the old car.

It was sputtering down the road. His numbers with a new city, new team, new playbook, no coordinator, new roster are better than Aaron Rogers last year with a new coach. Same team, same city, same space. Brady has shocked you

how competent he is. Has he not? Well, competent. Yeah. And you know what? As you get older, competency is the goal. There's competency tests. Make sure you still be able to drive the car. So I guess competence is what we're shooting for here.

No, I'd like to congratulate Tom Brady. He's 9-0 this year. And he's doing it all by himself. Because as we know in Tampa, the rules are when the Bucks win, it's because of Brady. And when they lose, it's Bruce Ariens and all of his terrible teammates' fault. So the Bucks, O and five, Tom Brady, nine and O, put them together their nine and five. Colin, I told you after the Chiefs went to Tampa in one, that what was going to happen is Tampa was going to get in the buy,

and then when four consecutive games going into the playoffs and be everyone's hot playoff team before losing in wild card weekend in the postseason, they are halfway home. The only thing that was surprising about that football game was that they were down, 17-0-0 to the Falcons. If you don't have a pass rush, the bucks will eat you up. If you do have a pass rush,

the bucks are drawing dead, which is why, I'm going to caution you of this because of how much you love Tom, you don't want them to move up to the five-seat. If they move up to the five-seat and get Washington,

they will lose. The Washington pass rush will beat them, and while they'll probably lose if they're the sixth seed and get Seattle or the Rams, at least it won't be as shameful as losing to a 7 and 9 Washington team, which will happen if they get the 5 seats. Interesting about OBJ, it is not his fault.

But we have all in our life had an older brother, a boss, a mentor that we kind of want to impress. So Baker comes to Cleveland, here comes a superstar. And I think he kind of like wanted to make OBJ know, He was aware of him. I'm not blaming either of them. But I do think it's indisputable. Baker's now the point guard. You know, he can pass to everybody. He's more comfortable. His body language is good. This is not me blaming. He is absolutely a better quarterback without OBJ. When I watch him now, he looks totally comfortable. There's no pressing. You know OBJ. You like him. Is it possible? Is it possible? He was an issue. You're right. No, you're right. You're right. This team's, it's, this is the, odd time where removing a super talented player has made the team function better. And I actually think it puts the Browns in a great position because Odell, if traded, that contract becomes super palatable. The guarantees are already paid out. The base salaries like, I think,

12 to 14 million a year over the rest of it. So I think at the minimum, they'd get a good second round pick, if not a late first round pick. And in fact, I might even be able to tell you, Colin, they might be able to get the latest first round pick. How about the 32nd pick? How about a team that's going to win the Super Bowl? That's going to have Sammy Watkins coming off the books. That, you know, could we see Odell follow the Randy Moss career path, unbelievable start, odd second stop, and then an unbeatable third act for Randy was in New England? for Odell in Kansas City? I mean, the rich get richer, possibly.

Who knows? It's just something people are talking about. By people, I mean me. But yes, I do think the one thing you got right about the Browns all year was Odell. I do think that.

I think everything else you were wrong about, but the Odell thing I think you were right about. I really appreciate that. Nice assist. Okay. So let's talk about this. I understand people who liked M.J. over LeBron. First of all, he was the best player.

He was the best looking. He was the most glamorous. He had the best shoe thing. Like Michael was, it was just a force of awesome. Everything. Cool. Glamorous. Great.

Triangle offense. It was Chicago, big city. And I understand it. And I also understand people who liked the NBA more 20 years ago, even though the players are better now, because it was very tribal and intense and a rivalries. It was like college football in the South. Everybody hated everybody.

But I do think those people think the LeBron MJ debate is over. And my argument is, Anthony Davis, if you look at all the second best guys to LeBron for the last eight years, only one appears to have perfect chemistry and a perfect teammate, AD. You start looking at Harden and Steph and KD and Kyrie and Hardin. And I look at this and I think, folks, this LeBron AD thing, this could be a three, four year run. Am I nuts on that? No. I mean, they're the overwhelming favorites this year. The only thing you're nuts on is when you're listing all of Jordan's like accomplishments and accolades, you said best looking as if Kurt Rambis wasn't in the league at the same time. But it's neither here or there. I, listen, I think that it would be, I will take the Lakers over the field. I think the clippers are not better. Do you know the best point guard on the clippers?

roster, Chauncey Billups, and the second best is Tailu, and they're both coaches. So that problem is not solved. And out east, Brooklyn, to me, is going to be the most watchable team, the most interesting team. They are going to have the best offense in basketball. Kevin Durant is going to stake his claim, I think once again as arguably the second best player in basketball, but that team is going to be atrocious defensively. So bad, I don't think they get out of round two in the east. I don't think you can beat multiple good teams in seven game series with defense is that bad. So now who are we talking about? Now you're talking about

beating the Sixers, beating the Bucks, beating the Mavs, beating the Nuggets. So I am old enough to remember the consensus of the consensus of opinion being LeBron James chose Los Angeles because of his family, because of Space Jam, because of movies, because he's already accomplished enough, he doesn't need

any more rings, he is in a different phase of his career. Maybe he chose Los Angeles because he had just an inkling Anthony Davis might shortly thereafter join him, and that they could win three championships in a row. Maybe that's why. This is

another thing just some people are saying. You know, that OBJ Chiefs thing, you know, only you would come up with that. That's not going to happen, but it is, it is a delicious idea. And I thought to myself, I mean, if you're, listen, I'm just saying, if you're Brett Veach and Andy Reid, and you have the 32nd pick of the draft, which this year they used on a running back, who they didn't really need, and Sammy Watkins and his money's coming off the books, and you're looking at the draft, you're like, well, there's a solid inside linebacker from Georgia or Odell Beckham Jr. I'm just saying I think Odell Beckham Jr. could fit. And I might be

able to help him find a house there. There's some gorgeous areas. Great place to raise a family. If Odell's ready to settle down, I can talk to him about it. Good seeing you, buddy. You're doing my show tomorrow. Nick Wright, multiple talented. Another podcast from some SNL late night comedy guy, not quite. Unhumor me with Robert Smygel and friends. Me and hilarious guests from Bob Oden Kirk 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. 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, Clifford Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, my basketball and college football journey, or my career in sports media. Well, now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfills of conversations with athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. So let's get to it. Listen to The Clifford Show on the 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. On The Look Back at it podcast

For 1979, that was a big moment for me. 84 was big to me. I'm Sam Jay. 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 podcast.

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