The Herd with Colin Cowherd - 3 and Out - Another Urban Head Scratcher; Rookie Mini Camp Goals; Najee Harris Comments; Mailbag

Episode Date: May 18, 2021

In this episode, John explains why Urban Meyer's decision to play Travis Etienne at wide receiver is just the latest in a series of early head scratchers to start his NFL career, the bare minimum teams are looking for in rookie mini camp, and why Najee Harris' comments about having more free time in the NFL than Alabama is a problem that many rookies can't handle. He also answers listener questions in the Middlekauff Mailbag. Follow John on Twitter and SUBSCRIBE now to get all the latest content!! 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 IHeart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. The story I've told myself can then shape my behavior, and that can lead me to sabotage the possibility of connection. This Mental Health Awareness Month, tune into the podcast Deeply Well with Debbie Brown.

If you've been searching for a soft place to land while doing the work to become whole, this podcast is for you to hear more. Listen to Deeply well with Debbie Brown from the Black Effect Podcast Network on the Iheart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. What's up, fam? It's Isaiah Thomas. And I'm C.J. Toledano. It's our favorite time of the year on our podcast point game, the playoffs. We're digging into the biggest surprises of the season. And I'm looking back on some of my greatest playoff moments. If we didn't talk ever again, I was funny. You just understood. That's how personal it got.

Wow. Then after that game seven, Marquis keep coming to you. He's like, you know I love you. dog. You know, it's all love. This was just playoffs. This was just basketball. So listen to Point Game on the Iheart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Get right to the romance and find the way to

wow this valentines with 1,800flowers.com. From classic roses and bouquets to decadent chocolate-covered berries, gourmet treats, and more. Surprise your Valentine with 1,800flowers.com. Right now, get the 18-stem Enchanted Rose Medley for 3999, or

upgrade to 24 red roses for $10 more. Go to 1,800flowers.com slash tune in. That's 1,800flowers.com slash tune in. Is going on on a beautiful Monday, May 17th, 2021. I'm John Middellcock. This is the three and out podcast. Thanks for coming by, showing up, listening again. Appreciate it.

Greatly appreciated. We had a lot going on this weekend. With rookie mini camps, we're going to do a deep swan dive into some of the stories that came out about rookie mini camps. Urban Meyer got to start with him. He said something that I went, that's not good. Trey Lance, Justin Fields, some rookie debuts at mini camps that had like a total of like 25 players each. Najee Harris said something at Steeler Camp that really jumped out to me. And then, of course, Middlough Mailbag at John Middilkoff is the Instagram handle.

Slide in those DMs. you get answered here on the show, as well as if you listen on Collins feed, subscribe to the three and out feed, leave a review. Would greatly appreciate that. Thank you very much for all the people that tell their friends

and the people that have left reviews and people that subscribe to the podcast. This wouldn't be possible without you. So I tip my hat. Thank you. Big week. Big week. Let's dive into Urban Meyer.

And I saw this story over the weekend. I immediately wrote it down on my notep I have a little three and out, little inside the pod where I just keep tabs of different stories that I want to talk about. If I see something good, especially in the off season when there's not much going on.

So I see something, I'll either immediately forward it to my email or write it down the notepad. This was one I had circled. And Urban Meyer said something after practice and really go back to the draft when they drafted Travis E.T.N., the running back number 25th overall.

He had said that he's going to be the third string running back. I don't know. It was kind of like, whoa, but it's like whatever. draft night. Just move on. and they had practice over the weekend, rookie minicamps.

And which I wouldn't make too much of a rookie minicamp, good, bad, whatever. But he said something that is pretty much a head scratcher. And he took Travis E.T.N. Who's been a star running back who, listen, I thought fringe first round pick, early second round pick, like he went where he should have went. Three down running back. Big time player.

Urban Meyer doesn't view him as a running back. Moved him to a wide receiver. his quote after practice was worst case scenario you have a running back that's a leap with receiver skills which I got no problem cross-training players working on wheel routes throwing in the ball working with the jugs machine

but when his skill in the first round like I have no problem doing projects in the third fourth fifth round Julian Edelman college quarterback moved a wide receiver seventh round pick in the first round which, let's face it, a little bit of a weird pick, right? But let's even just take a step back. Because I remember Coward had this take with John Gruden.

He said, he's not going to do well. And I'm like, I don't know, Colin. I think he's going to be a pretty good coach. His whole take on Gruden was you don't take 10 years off in a high-level business, regardless of the industry, NFL, finance, insurance, tech, you name it, and just think you can come back and hit the ground running. he's like, it's going to be a problem.

Disaster. He was right. Because that transition is difficult. Now, Urban only took two years off. And unlike Gruden, who even his last several years in Tampa, were bad, Urban when he coached, Elite, dominated at Utah, dominated at Florida. Even though his program, you know, was like the wire meets playmakers, obviously Ohio State kicked ass.

Beat Sabin in a game for all the marbles, playoffs, won the national championship. Urban's a big-time coach. No one's ever argued that. But I'm like Gruden who just went away. There's always been a question with college coaches making the transition. And just speaking for myself, I never worked at like Ohio State, Florida level, but Fresno State, we were Division I won. And I remember making the jump to the Eagles.

And it was, I was swimming. I remember in training camp, I'm like, I don't know if I'm going to last. And I had just spent two years at Fresno State, Pat Hill who'd worked in the NFL, we produced an NFL players. Like, it was a serious pressure pack. Like I felt every day You know Walking into that building

I felt pressure So it wasn't like I was just you know On cruise control Then went to the NFL zero to 60 Like I went from pressure to the but the pressure in the NFL Was amplified a hundredfold And I remember thinking this is crazy There was a lot of shit going on

That has nothing to do With what I was experienced in college football And I was a big part of recruiting Game Days everything I saw it all And the NFL was like a different world And it's the reason why I think we read flags sometimes college coaches making the jump. You're like, well, it doesn't really parallel each other, right?

Because in college football, when you're coaching Ohio State or Florida or Oklahoma or wherever, every one of your recruits is a first round pick. We're in the NFL, if you're lucky enough to be like the Jags, you get two first round picks. But for the most part, you only get one. You get one pick in every round. And you get seven picks, right? I mean, depending on trades, but you know what I'm saying? And then depending on how much money you have, you can only sign a certain amount of players.

So Urban Meyer takes his running back when They already had a running back James Robinson was good last year I talked to a dude in the league Who was like you know during our draft process We went over some guys that we hit and miss from last year And was like why didn't we just take James Robinson We loved him like this was a guy who was highly thought of in the league

Who goes to the jacks and then ran for over a thousand yards Like they have a good starting running back And then you add Carlos Hyde Who Trimbulki drafted urban you know Had at Ohio State like they had two running backs Take it running back later, but whatever, I like Travis E.TN. But to change positions has this feel like, okay, you know, the drip, drip, drip thing. First, you hire the strength coach from Iowa.

And listen, I don't pretend to know all the details. I just know you had to fire him within a day. Like that happened. You had to fire him within a day. Then you want to take Tim Tebow at 34 years old, which I don't even have a problem with, but let's face it, once you factor in the strength coach, now you got Tebow, now you're moving Travis E. end to wide receiver, I simply have to ask, are you a little over your head? Do you belong at this

level? I think it's fair to question. Because you go back and you look at some of the successful NFL or college coaches that made the jump, Pete Carroll would never have been considered a college coach. I don't know before he got to USC. Why? He had been coaching in the NFL forever. Assistant for the 49ers teams, head coach of the Jets, head coach for the Patriots. He had been a head coach for multiple NFL teams before he went back to Seattle. Really, he took an NFL mindset to USC. Harbaugh had been, I don't know, 15-year NFL player, and then his coaching start, he worked for Al Davis and the Raiders.

So he had played and coached in the NFL. Think about the guy who we really questioned, who was much closer to Urban. Now, his college track record was, different because he was at a small school. He got to a big time program. He became a head coach within basically a year and took him up a level.

But the program he took over Oregon was really good. It was Chip Kelly. He goes to, you know, Philadelphia, has a little success early. And then eventually his quirky bullshit and the offense that he runs gets smoked out and it's a complete disaster. And Jeffrey Lurie has to pack up his stuff

and tell him to leave before week 17 his third year. They couldn't get him out of the building faster. He went to the 49ers. It's the worst statistical 49ers season in the history of the franchise. It was an embarrassment. He'll never, ever sniff the NFL again, even as a coordinator. They're in a soul who'd hire him as an offensive coordinator in the NFL. He will probably be fired from UCLA after this year.

But like, he was a college guy who was a little overwhelmed in the NFL after overtime, right? Where Urban Meyer, to me, is closer to a Chip Kelly. He has no NFL experience. never coached a day in his life in the NFL, which ultimately, like, I could find great high school coaches. I just had a good buddy, Eric Brown, who was a player when I was at Fresno State, who just became the head coach at Clovis West,

to one of like the powerhouse high school programs in Fresno, in the Valley, which produces a lot of college players. And if I took Eric Brown and I put him on Andy Reid staff or on Sean Payton's staff as a linebacker coach, he'd have no problem. If you can coach in high school, if you can coach in college, if you can coach in the pros, you can coach. Now, being a coordinator, being a head coach,

gets a little more complicated. It takes time, takes a learning experience. But if you can coach, if you can interact with humans, if you can be a boss in insurance, you can probably figure out a way to be a boss in healthcare, be a boss in the podcasting world. Like, there are certain things dealing with people that are always going to translate.

And I don't think that Urban Meyer, some of his culture stuff, it's going to work. The problem I have is he's clearly over his head. I don't know on the most important stuff. Evaluating talent in the draft in free agency and putting him on the team. My mom could draft Trevor Lawrence. You don't get any credit on that. Like Ryan Grixon doesn't get any credit for Andrew Luck.

Everyone in their mother would have drafted him. Where you get credit for or all these other players. You draft Travis E.T.N. 25th overall. When, like I said, you probably didn't need to take a running back. And then you immediately move him to wide receiver. I have, I don't know what else to say besides what the hell are you doing? You feel overwhelmed.

It feels like a drip, drip, drip, it feels like, is this going to be a disaster? And you know right away. Like we knew right away with Gruden. We were like, yeah, this isn't that enough. Khalil gone, Amari gone, just weird stuff happening, weird draft picks, never sniffed the playoffs. Like, yeah, it is what it is.

You know right away. Like, I'm not going to make a grandiose statement that Urban and the Jags are just going to consistently suck, because like I said, he is a really good coach. But in the NFL, he's not a scheme guy. So the one thing Chip had to hang his hat on, like, was his scheme. He ran the offense. He was the offensive coordinator.

Urban doesn't do any of that. Urban's pure culture, pure gusto and adrenaline. A little bit like Harbaugh when he got to the 49ers. The difference was, look at those 49ers rosters. Bowman, Willis, Justin Smith. they draft Alden Smith. Like Vernon Davis, Joe Staley, they draft Yupati, Bam Davis, Frank Gore's already there. Crabtree, Vernon Davis.

Like that team was stacked. They just needed a little direction. If you gave Urban Meyer that Niner team, they probably would have some success. The Jags, complete disaster. Not much talent. You need to, like, pick the right players. I like Travis ETA. I'd want Travis E.T.N.

I'd want Travis E.T.N. on my team playing running back, not playing wide receiver. So listen, it's not good. I mean, bottom line, saying stuff like this discredit yourself. And I think it's hard for people to understand this, but a lot of coaches are not great evaluators. They're really not because it is difficult. You can't live in the immediate, you have to project, especially with the draft. Part of high school recruiting for Urban, he was picking the cream of the crop. Like he was getting every five star he wanted.

He was getting all these guys that were kind of ready-made players They were gonna go right to the NFL Chase Young the bosses the Ziques Like this team was stacked with star players You and I could have recruited there The NFL drafts hard It's hard for you know, Belichicks and Chris Ballards And guys that have been doing it for a long time

Right? Mickey Loomis let alone a guy That's never ran a draft And now his first draft And listen you can say Trent Balke's the GM Trent Balke answers to Urban Meyer Urban Meyer is the boss Take a running back in the first round, which, let's face it, was a little bit of a head scratcher, but then to move them

wide receiver? Here's what I do know. If I'm the Tennessee Titans, and I'm Vrable and I'm John Robinson, if I'm the Indianapolis Colts and I'm Frank and I'm Chris Ballard, I'm blicking my lips. Because I already know the Texans suck. I mean, it's not out of the realm possibility. They go 0-11. But this Urban Meyer thing, you got, you know, the Tebow kind of elephant in the room,

is he ended up going to sign them, and they're already moving like their best players of different positions. Like, this is not spring, you know, spring football practice at Ohio State. You can just try a guy as a different position. This is the National Football League. Every rep, this guy is not behind center, taking reps on pass protection,

and the offense is a wasted rep. Especially in a league, like, you don't have unlimited practice time. The CBA has rules. Like, you can't, unlike Florida and Ohio State, when you can do whatever you want, that's not the way it works in the pros. You'll get turn. 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. 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 TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok.

American soccer is about to explode. The World Cup is coming. Ramos sending on to Ernie Stewart, the chip. Score! I'm Tad Ramos. I'm Tom Boe. On our podcast, inside American soccer, you'll get the real storylines.

I'm not worried about Policic. I'm not worried about Balagan. I'm not worried about McKinney. My only concern is what happens in the back. The biggest decisions. You're going to look at stats and numbers. He has no shot. at making this World Cup team.

And the truth about the U.S. national team. It wouldn't be a huge surprise if our team ends up in the quarterfinals or potentially a great run into the semifinals. The World Cup is almost here. Experience it all with us. Listen, Inside American Soccer with Tom Bogart and Tab Ramos on the iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts,

wherever you get your podcast. Hey, I'm Deanna Maria Rivera, actress, mother, lover, and a Gen X woman walking through life one hot flash and hormonal crying jag at a time. needs know what I mean. I'll bet you a perimenopausal chin here you do. So let's talk about it. Join me on my new podcast. How hard can it be with the Adamia Riva, where I call on my Gen X squads from Ohio to Hollywood as we navigate midlife's most fantastic BS. All of a sudden,

I'd had hanginess happening on my own. I was like, what the hell is that? I was married when I had her, so I didn't even consider how empty that nest was going to be. Mood swings, night sweats, Fupa's sex drive. Wait, what sex? Dating at 45. How hard can it be? Getting naked at 50 with a new guy. That one's kind of hard. Well, that's lighting. They say we can't polish a turd, but we're sure going to try. So let's get blunt with laughs, tears or tears of laughter, and dive into it unfiltered and unbothered and ask, how hard can it be? I cannot believe I'm about to say this out loud in public. Listen to How Hard Can It Be with Diana Maria Riva as part of my Cultura podcast network available on the IHeart Radio app. Apple Podcast. or wherever you get your podcasts. Turned in. You'll get in trouble.

There are bylaws of this bad boy. I just, I don't know, man. It's different. It doesn't parallel the situation perfectly, but a little bit of a John Grudney feel. Right now, I'd probably bet against this working as smoothly as even I once thought. Fox Sports Radio has the best sports talk lineup in the nation.

Catch all of our shows at foxportsradio.com. And within the IHard Radio app, Search FSR to listen live. Get right to the romance and find the way to wow this valentines with 1800flowers.com. From classic roses and bouquets to decadent chocolate-covered berries, gourmet treats, and more. Surprise your valentine with 1-800flowers.com. Right now, get the 18-stem enchanted rose medley for $3999 or upgrade to 24 red roses for $10 more. Go to 1-800flowers.com slash tune in.

That's 1 800 flowers.com slash tune in. What grows in the forest? Trees? Sure. Know what else grows in the forest? Our imagination, our sense of wonder, and our family bonds grow too.

Because when we disconnect from this and connect with this, we reconnect with each other. The forest is closer than you think. Find a forest near you and start exploring at Discovertheforest.org. Brought to you by the United States Forest Service and the Ad Council.

Look through your children's eyes to see the true magic of a forest. It's a storybook world for them. You look and see a tree. They see the wrinkled face of a wizard with arms outstretched to the sky. They see treasure and pebbles. They see a windy path that could lead to adventure. And they see you. Their fearless guide is this fascinating world.

Find a forest near you and start exploring at Discovertheforest.org. to you by the United States Forest Service and the ad council. Rookie mini camps. I saw they're going viral on the Twitter.com, on Instagram, teams websites, the internet, the interwebs, just all these pictures like Trey Lance, Justin Fields, Trevor Lawrence. It's cool. I'm not going to argue it's not cool.

If you're a fan, seeing your first round pick, Najee Harris, in your team's uniform. It never gets old. Now, for me, like, I was not going to go to the Niners rookie minicamp. Like, I was texting with a coach this week, an assistant. He's like, God, rookie minicamps are so stupid. But I get it. It's part of the deal.

It just, it is what it is. I'm going to equate rookie minicamp to dating. Whoever your significant other is, whether you're in a serious relationship, whether she's your fiancé, whether you're married. You had to start somewhere, right? You had to have a first date. Maybe you met through a friend. Maybe you met on the internet.

maybe you met at a party eventually you just ask him hey can i take you out can we go to dinner the first date's a pretty big deal you just i i don't believe you can necessarily fall in love at first sight you can obviously be really attracted first date can go really well you're like damn i want to have another date i want to spend more time with this person this is awesome this is going really well she's way cooler than i thought damn this is you know this is this is what i'm talking about right but we've all had the first dates where if you could press that button, the eject button,

you know that the fighter pilots do when their plane gets shot down or when they have a malfunction and they press that button and ejects them, we would all have done it several times because we've all been on a date where you go this is miserable. I can't believe I'm sitting here.

What can I possibly do to get out of this? How can I run away? I don't know if I've ever known anyone who's done this I've definitely read about it where girls too I mean fake go to the bathroom whatever and just leave like your date has to be going

pretty pretty terribly for you just to bounce mid-meal but it surely happens because it can go some people just aren't compatible right you're just like yeah we're not vibing this is not gonna work I don't see any any future in this bad boy

I think rookie mini camps a lot like that ideally you just your first date you just want to have another date, right? That's where, when you're going to the first date, you're just like, I want this to go well, like each other, and just goes on. We can start, you know, dating or whatever, right? The thing you are,

you would never go to a first date if you knew it was going to be terrible. If I told you before a first date, you're like, this is going to be the worst experience of your life. You'd be like, well, I'm not going to go. Well, rookie minicamp, you are just praying to God. You don't need to fall in love. You don't need to ask her to marry you.

You just want them to love. look good. You just want them to be able to, if you're a quarterback, Tray Lance, Justin Fields, take a snap, throw a basic out route, and just be like, oh, we knew he was big, we knew he was fast, we knew he had a big arm, that went well. He just looked solid. He just looked like we thought he was going to look, and you can just take a deep breath. Because the moment you go, uh, this is not what it's supposed to look like, uh, we got a long way to go, not the end of the world, but unlike dating, you can just not date them anymore. The moment you drafted them,

you basically married them at least for four years. That's what a first round contract is. Yeah, later round picks. But any guy early in the draft, you know, you're not cutting a third round pick unless you're John Gruden, then you'll trade the guy mid-training camp. But you see what I'm saying?

Like, you just want to go to a rookie minicamp, especially if you have a quarterback, and that could be the guy as hyped as Trevor Lawrence, it could be a random guy as Kellyn Monde. And you just have a practice and you go, okay, this guy looks like an NFL play. We got something to work with here. Your wide receivers, your offensive linemen, you're like, okay, we feel good about this.

You can't come away with any, you know, grand proclamations that we got a Hall of Famer, we got an all-timer because you have no clue. The 49ers had 22 players at their practice. They did not have a defensive lineman. There literally was not a defensive lineman on the practice field. There are corona rules right now, so you couldn't sign a bunch of random undrafted free agents to fill out. But so all these rookie mini camps are not even normal rookie mini camps. They're missing players.

It's basically like seven on seven practice and shorts and t-shirt. But you can at least see like, okay, this is what it's supposed to look like. Physically, he's got the arm, he can take a snap, a running back, you know, can make a cut. He plays fast. We just, we can just kind of exhale. Now, once you get to veteran mini camps and training camps, it obviously gets accelerated. It's like the intensity of dating someone seriously. like the more and more you date, like things just get more serious and more variables come into play.

But that first date, that first mini camp, you're just praying to God it goes smoothly. And you go, yeah, I'm looking forward to my next practice with the guy. I'm looking forward to my next date with her. Because if it's any other reaction, and I'll never forget, I was in Philadelphia when we drafted Danny Watkins, the firefighter from Canada that played at Baylor, it was clear early on the guy was awful. Like you just knew it right away. And part of it, and this is where I think coaches have a better feel for it than just a personnel guy on the sideline. If the meeting rooms, if they're overwhelmed, they get to practice, they don't know what's going on.

You go, God damn, we might have a bigger project than we thought. Because part of football is not just physically, right? You have to be able to mentally take what they're telling you, and you don't, like, you can know what they learned in college, right? Talk to their coaches, talk to the player. but you never truly know until you start giving them information in the meeting room, on the whiteboard,

in the walkthroughs, and then you take it out to practice. And there can be a lot of information coming. Alabama guys, they're used to things flying. They're used to information. Ohio State, Clemson, Oklahoma, like these guys are used to a lot of information. But sometimes you get a guy from a smaller school,

a school that you've never drafted before, and you go, God, this guy, this is a little much. Sometimes it's the opposite. You get a guy, you're like, I didn't think we had that much there. And you go, damn, we might have something. Now, it doesn't mean, just because you have one good first date,

doesn't mean you get married the next day. Just because one fifth round pick makes a bunch of plays in rookie minicamp doesn't mean much. But you might go, you know, okay. I remember talking to a dude with the Raiders when Hunter Renfro first showed up. They're like, I think this guy's better than you think. And Hunter Renfro's a good player. I mean, he's a starting slot receiver on a really good offense in the NFL.

And you can kind of tell, like, we got something. The number one key to me, though, is just to not be a disaster. And if you're not a disaster and you're not an embarrassment, that's the goal. That is, and obviously no one gets injured. But if the number one goal, no embarrassments, no major problems, obviously no injuries, you hold your head high and you just work to the, you know, to the normal mini camps, which it feels like are right around the corner. A former neighbor of mine, Naji Harris, Alabama running back,

Antioch's own, Antioch, California. You know, we struggle to keep, you know, our players out west. You know, that guy should have ended up at, like, UCLA or USC or Oregon. But he went to Alabama, hard to blame him. Ended up getting drafted 24th overall and is now on the Steelers. He said something this weekend. He said a couple things. He was funny about dudes.

They must have not allowed the reporters on the minicamp practice, so they were up in the facility, and he called them boosters. like he was just confused what it going on. He's funny. He's a funny interview. He also said something that really jumped out to me. And I think it kind of shows what all these teams, general managers, their coaching staffs, and the scouts are looking for in a player.

Because I think we underestimate, like the transition from college to the pros. I know this. When I left college, in college, I ended up not like, The last couple years in college, I was bored. I had so much time on my hands. I aspired to do more. I was like, God, this is, I'm not enjoying this anymore. Now, don't get me wrong, I enjoy drinking on the weekends or whatever, but it was just a lot of downtime.

And once I started working, I never had less time. Like, when I went to work, now granted, I mean, I went to work in football, but a lot of my friends that went to work in finance, went to work at, you know, go to work at KPMG accounting firms. Like, the most you ever going to work the first four or five years. once you leave college. For us non-football players, college is kind of a joke. Now, if you're listening and you went to a really good school

with your major was hard, you probably spent some time in the library. I would only go to the library, sometimes just to power down my breakfast burrito and read the newspaper, not to study much. But for me, college was, I had more than enough time.

For Najee Harris, he said, quote, free time compared to Alabama. And I think this rings true for dudes at Clemson, at Ohio State, at Michigan, at USC, whatever, Texas, Texas A&M, Oklahoma. When you're a college football player, I lived it when I was a GA at Fresno State. It's crazy how much limited free time they have because everything's either football oriented, working out oriented, or school oriented.

Now, obviously every once in a while you get a free night, but for the most part, they have way less free time than all the students. And then once they get to the workforce, if you're Najee Harris, you actually have way more free time on your hands that you just had in college. But here's the difference. You have a lot of money. I'm sure everyone listening, your first couple years out of college, 23, 24, 25, if you went into an industry that's competitive, you probably worked a lot. And if now 10 years, 20 years later, you were making way more money. So back then you work the most you ever had in your life and you had the least amount of money you've ever had. Now obviously you didn't have any money before you left college but I'm just saying like

on the income scale you usually make the least amount when you first get hired somewhere. It's the opposite in pro football. I pay you a ton and I give you more free time. So really a lot is dependent on your own self-discipline, your own focus, your own ambition, your own drive. A lot of times when we talk about guys that quote unquote bust in the NFL, I don't hate that word, but I think that word is a little bit disingenuous, because when I think we use the word bust, it's like the equivalent of like, you know, popping a balloon, it just blew up, it sucked. For the most part, I don't think most guys didn't have enough talent, especially highly drafted players. I think the majority of players fail. Jamarcus Russell, Trent Richardson. I mean, we can just go to

recent bus upstairs. They didn't have the discipline. They didn't have the work ethic. They had the physical talent. We saw these guys at the highest level in college, the highest level. Their pro days blowing it up. Like how physically gifted they are. But when they get to the pros, they don't really know what to do.

Because think about how many people you knew. Like I was lucky in high school. I guess not lucky, but like I partied. I was around a lot of stuff that I ended up being around in. college. And that never did anything for me. So it was easy for me to say no. Sometimes in college, my last couple years, like I wouldn't, if I didn't want to go out, I wouldn't go out. I've been partying since I was 15 years old. It wasn't that new to me. It didn't really do that much for me. But I knew some people who got to college, even people I didn't go to college with, guys I'd gone to high school

with or that I knew friends that they had gone to like other high schools with in Sacramento and had gone to places like USC or Arizona. And they failed out of school. within a year. Because they had no self-discipline. They were overwhelmed. They didn't know what to do. Honestly, it's somewhat similar in the NFL. You have to be a self-starter. Now, obviously, coaches are on you, the veteran players are on you. There's an infrastructure in the pros to help you out, but the infrastructure in Alabama will not let you fail because it doesn't give you any free time. It doesn't give you any wiggle room. I think, and like you could list probably a bunch of programs. but where Najee Harris is coming from,

you go to Alabama, you may end up not being a good enough football player to become a pro football, you know, to one day get drafted high, whatever, right? You might just be a role player on Alabama, but you are going to be successful when you're in that program. That's not true for the NFL. And part of it is just simply, it's the private sector.

And if you're not a first round pick, if you're a fourth round pick and you start acting like an idiot, it's like, I don't have time for this. Cut, see you. You're not really getting cut in college football. in the pros, if you're not on a contract where I can't get rid of you and you start acting like an idiot, remember the undrafted free agent last year in Corona that snuck the girl in in a Seahawks uniform to the hotel and he got caught the next day, Seattle caught him. It's like, bro, what are you doing?

You don't get second chances here. Bye, adios. It's on you to figure that out. It's not on the coaches. We're not going to hold your hand. Like there are some basic elements of life that you better be able to figure out. And then there are these other, you just issues that, humans bring, right? How many family members are you bringing? How many people that are going to

be dependent on you? Can you handle it? And some people are really mature and they really can't. Or they're strong enough to say no to certain people and yes to others. You know, you got to kind of keep a tight circle. Not everyone is equipped to be able to do that. Some people feel overwhelmed. You know, if you're Mike Tomlin or you're Kyle Shanahan or you're, you know, Mike McCarthy, you got eight million things going on. Like, you can't hold everyone's hand. And I'm even including the 10 rookies. You need some of these guys to act like grownups. Just have some basic common sense.

When I tell you to be here, you got to be there. But they're not going to send someone to your house. Now, I mean, technically in the NFL for a rookie, they probably would. But you know what I'm saying? Like, in college, they're class checking. They're walking you to the academic advisor. Like, in the pros, at the meetings at 8, like, come for breakfast at 7.30. The high-level guys are getting there at 6.30, getting a workout in first.

but ultimately it's on you to pick and choose when you're going to show up. You just better be there by 8. Now, if you want to be a really good player, you've probably got to be here by 615 and get 45 minutes of workout, shower, get a breakfast, get a little film study, before the meeting even starts. But as Najee's saying, we got hell of free time. So you're free time, what are you going to do with the free time?

Are you going to get in trouble? Are you going to run around and like push the envelope? Are you going to get extra work in? Are you going to study? It's the thing that we talk about so much in these draft meetings. and everyone talks about it. Every GM, every coach, and you try to decipher what makes every guy tick.

And you spend so much time once you decide if the guy's good enough or not what he's like as a person. But like, think about how many human beings you've met over the years at first that are cool and then they become assholes or at first they're assholes, then become the greatest guy.

You never know. You really don't have any clue until the more and more time you spend around them. Like with time, it's why the cream always rises. No different in the NFL, as in finance, as in a classroom, as in the medical field. Because the guy who's relentless, whose focus, who's determined, whose discipline is going to keep improving. The guy who has the talent but cuts every corner, who's not showing up early, who's not taking care of his body, who's not doing the right things, is going to eventually fall behind. And,

ultimately what will define, like, Naji clearly has the talent. And I'm just using him as an example. Like, if he becomes a great player, like, think about the great players in Pittsburgh of the last couple decades, right? The one thing they always said about Antonio Brown, I had Darius Hayward Bay on this podcast. That guy was so incredible as a worker in practice.

The reason Gruden okayed and Mayock traded for him is because Gruden at Monday Night Football used to go to Pittsburgh Steeler practices, getting ready for games, and that dude was running every play 80 yards to the end zone, Jerry Rice style. practice habits were incredible. Now, he's a little crazy, but from a work ethic, the reason he kept passing everyone, he outworked them all. I've said these stories about what I hear from

people with the Chiefs about Patrick Mahomes. He's not just accidentally that good. His work ethic, his drive, his focus, the amount of time he puts into his craft is insanity. Like, if someone could literally print out what he does during the season, I think it would blow people away. The DJ championships this weekend. Like the best players, the amount of time they put into their golf game, the elite players, the guy that ends up winning this tournament, is holding the trophy and is a major champ at the end of the weekend. It won't just because he played well this weekend.

It'll be all the years, all the recent work he's done, all the time in Corona, he honed his skills in the last six months. It's all that stuff. 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, 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 Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast.

And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. American soccer is about to explode. The World Cup is coming. Ramos sending on to Ernie Stewart the chip. I'm Tab Ramos. I'm Tom Boe. On our podcast, inside American soccer, you'll get the real storylines. I'm not worried about Policic.

I'm not worried about Balagan. I'm not worried about McKinney. My only concern is what happens in the back. The biggest decisions. If you're going to look at stats and numbers, he has no shot at making this World Cup team. and the truth about the U.S. national team. It wouldn't be a huge surprise

if our team ends up in the quarterfinals or potentially a great run into the semifinals. The World Cup is almost here. Experience it all with us. Listen, Inside American Soccer with Tom Bogart and Tab Ramos on the iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, wherever you get your podcast. Hey, I'm Deanna Maria Riva,

actress, mother, lover, and a Gen X woman walking through life one hot flash and hormonal crying jag at a time. You ladies know what I mean. I'll bet you a perimenopausal chin here you do. So let's talk about it. Join me on my new podcast. How hard can it be with the Adamia Riva, where I call on my Gen X squads from Ohio to Hollywood as we navigate midlife's most fantastic BS.

All of a sudden, I'd had hanginess happening on my own. I was like, what the hell is that? I was married when I had her, so I didn't even consider how empty that nest was going to be. Mood swings, night sweats, fupas, sex drive. Wait, what sex? Dating at 45. How hard can it be getting naked at 50 with the new guy? That one's kind of hard. Well, that's lighting.

They say we can't polish a turd, but we're sure going to try. So let's get blunt with laughs, tears, or tears of laughter, and dive into it, unfiltered and unbothered and ask, how hard can it be? I cannot believe I'm about to say this out loud in public. Listen to How Hard Can It Be with Diana Maria Riva as part of my Cultura Podcast Network available on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. you have so many different variables because you have 11 guys on the field, you have 53 man team, you got all these coaches. The amount of time everyone, you've got to just kind of take care of your own stuff

is more than I think we talk about. It's something that's just the un-talked-about part of the sport. And all these rookies are going to realize pretty quickly, it's like, damn, I got some money, I got some days off to do whatever I want. It's kind of up to me. It's like, yeah, it's the real world. It ultimately is up to you. How good do you want to be?

The reason Tom Brady became the greatest quarterback ever is not because God just handed him the greatest talent ever. He's a freaking machine. Dedicated his life to the sport of football. And it's reap the rewards. But I think the first thing he'd tell you would be like, this didn't randomly happen. When you're sleeping, I'm working.

When you're eating a cheeseburger, I mean avocado ice cream. Right? The reason I got so drunk at that party, I don't drink anymore. That's why I could barely walk. You ever not drank for like a month and then like had a cocktail at dinner? You're like, damn, I feel pretty good. That's how Tom Brady probably felt when him and Grok slammed a couple tequila shots before the parade. Because he's never drinking.

He's too focused. Trying to win a Super Bowl. Now he's got seven. Now it doesn't guarantee you're going to be a Hall of Famer or Super Bowl champ, but it does guarantee that you're going to be in the best position to possibly have success. And that's the thing with the rookie mini camps, these guys, I think the guys that really separate themselves early on are the mature guys or the focus.

Now, everyone matures at different rates. You know, I mean, I'm someone, like I view myself as a slow mature. Like, it took me probably to my late 20s and definitely my early 30s to really get some stuff that I'm sure some people had in their early 20s. It's a big advantage you have in life

if you were mature at 20. You have the upper hand on a guy like me, right? You're a decade ahead on just some basic things. And I'm still working. on it. But, like, if you are focused early on, you can really separate yourself in the NFL. Get right to the romance and find the way to wow this valentines with 1800flowers.com. From classic roses and bouquets to decadent chocolate covered berries, gourmet treats, and more.

Surprise your Valentine with 1800flowers.com. Right now, get the 18-stem enchanted rose medley for $3999 or upgrade to 24 red roses for $10 more. Go to 1800flowers.com slash tune in. That's 1,800flowers.com slash tune in. If I could be you. And you could be me? For just one hour.

If you could find a way To get inside. Each other's mind. Walk a mile in my shoes. Walk a mile in my shoes. Walk a mile in my shoes. We've all felt left out. And for some, that feeling lasts more than a moment.

We can change that. Learn how it belonging begins with us.org. Brought to you by the ad council. Walk a mile in my shoes. And we're live here outside the Perez family home just waiting for the... And there they go. Almost on time this morning. Mom is coming out the front door strong with a double-armed kid carry.

Looks like Dad has the bags. Daughter is bringing up the rear. Oh, but the diaper bag wasn't closed. Dipers and toys are everywhere. Ooh, but Mom has just nailed the perfect car seat buckle for the top. And now the eldest daughter who looks to be about nine or ten has secured herself in the booster seat. Dad zips the bag closed and they're off. Ah, but looks like mom doesn't realize her coffee cup is still on the roof of the car.

And there it goes! Oh, that's a shame. That mug was a fam favorite. Don't sweat the small stuff. Just nail the big stuff. Like making sure your kids are buckled correctly in the right seat for their age and size. Learn more at nhtsa.gov slash the right seat. Visit NHTSA.com.

dot go slash the right seat brought to you by nitsa and the ad council okay let's dive into a little thing we like to call the middle cough mailbag at john middlecoff is the instagram you guys know the drill dms wide open baby john thanks for the content have much respect for the pod made the account to ask you about mahomes he has been a start in the league for three years his TD to interception ratio for those three years is 5013, 26, 5, 38, and 6. I think you meant 50 and 3. He's 13 picks his rookie year or second year. His win loss for those three years are 12 and 4, 11 and 3, 14, and 1.

In 2020, he played five teams with 10 or more wins. In those games, he had 14 touchdowns and 3 picks, 71% completion, and a QBR of 84. He was the passing leader last year before he sat week 17 and did so with 6.5.5. and did so with six offensive line opt-outs or injuries throughout the year. I would appreciate a truly unbiased take on the Casey quarterback from a former NFL scout's perspective. I grew up as a Chief's fan. Am I biased to think that he is still improving?

Could the best two seasons of his career be his next two? They play the NFC East this year. Could you see Casey winning 15 or more games the season? or am I just being over-enthusiastic fan? I think when you look at Aaron Rogers and you look at Tom Brady, hell look at Russell Wilson, if you put all your chips in the middle of the table at this sport, and you do absolutely everything you can to be the best possible player,

and you have freakish talent. Really, Brady's not a great example for Mahomes in terms of talent. In terms of work ethic and stuff, obviously that's what you want. But he's really more a Rogers type, right? Just insane physical gifts. Unlike Rogers, who hated Mike McCarthy, he has Andy Reed and a ton of talent. And from everything that I've been told, that Mahomes is everything you could possibly want if you drew up a player in a lab off the field, the character, the work ethic, the drive,

everything we've talked about. The physical gifts are mind-blowing. We all agree he's, you know, him, a young Farr, a young Rogers, like, I didn't see Elway or Marino, but, like, his talent is Pantheon-level, just physical, gifts. So yeah, how does anyone stop improving if they keep trying at their craft? Think of whatever you do. If you're a coder, if you're a podcaster, if you're a stock trader, even if you're a freaking elite. Like, if you ask Warren Buffett, did you get better over your life? He'd say, hell yes. I got better. Do you think Bill Belichick is a better coach now than he was 25 years ago? Of course.

Than he was 10 years ago? Of course. So yeah. I mean, I don't think it's even. I don't think it's even. even a question that health permitting the upside and the ceiling for Patrick Mahomes is it's going to be hard for him ever to win seven Super Bowls. Let's just go conservative and say he wins, just two total. He wins one more. I do think it'd be possible to go down in the way we talk about him. Most talented guy to ever play the position. Brady's just, it's going to be hard to knock him off with seven rings.

And he played till 44. But I think Mahomes has a lot to gain. He has the next decade to become just an all-timer. Look at, do you watch the last dance? How focused Michael Jordan was? Do you think Michael Jordan, like, ever stopped? If you never stop trying to improve at your craft, which I don't think he's going to,

yeah. I mean, I think his next, his best football could come in his early 30s. Now, he might not be quite as physically as potent, but he'll be smarter. The more reps you get at anything in life, the more of a ability to recall and know what you're getting into. Experience makes us better at whatever we're doing.

What will it take for the NFL to expand in Toronto? I love the NFL and fantasy football just adds to the excitement. There are so many Canadians who feel the same way, especially here in Ontario and around Toronto. I appreciate the chance to send a message. Thanks, bro. I would say it's not happening. I cannot see...

I don't pretend to know that much about the Canadian demographics, but if we expand... When I say we, I mean the National Football League, it feels like London and maybe another team, but it feels like... I don't think they're going to expand. I think they would just move teams. Now, could a team move?

Like, would the bills? You know, their owner now is really rich. I don't know any Bill's fan has a better feel for the stadium situation, the lease, like that all factors in. I see it in my own backyard with the A's, just the dog and pony show. It's like, just go to Vegas, just leave. You're not going to stay here. We get it.

Just go. But I think the bills of Polygula has a stupid amount of cash, so I can't see expansion happening. They're not enough quarterbacks. You know, part of the strength of your league is on the quarterback play, and as we know, there aren't 32 legit starting quarterbacks. It's probably like 15. So you can't keep expanding when you don't have enough quarterback.

Now, one day, if there's enough quarterbacks, maybe you could think about it, but I would lean, I don't have any inside information on this one, obviously. I would lean that Toronto's not getting a team. But I hear you, it would do well. Longtime listener of the podcast, keep it up. What the heck is going on with the TV contracts with the PGA Tour or the Golf Channel and its partners?

When times get moved up because of weather, why isn't there something in place where live TV coverage is on television? This is something that drove me nuts this weekend. As a gambler and a watcher of the PGA Tour, the great part about football, whenever a game starts, whether it's a 6 a.m. kickoff in London, whether it's a 6 o'clock kickoff on NBC or Monday night football,

we watch the entire game. The worst part about PGA Tour golf, you don't get to see the entire tournament. This weekend they had a rain delay or I mean rain coming in so they moved up all the times At 10 a.m. the tournament came on Golf Channel I flip on Golf Channel They're showing Jordan Speed Tia which in theory is cool

And then I click on my phone and he's on whole 10 It's like guys it's 2021 I get in 1991 I get in 2001 hell I'll even give you 10 years ago But in 2021 with the internet You're throwing up 10, you're throwing up tape delayed live events. Here's a simple reality of sports television right now.

Football's king. The real estate and market share for number two, three, four are wide freaking open. I read a good article this weekend. The NBA has lost 50% of their fans in the last five years. Adam Silver is not very good at his job. Baseball has an older demographic. Soccer is rapidly growing in this country. PGA Tour Golf, just a random tournament does like 3 million people.

The majors get a lot of people. You have to be consumer-friendly. The number one thing I will give the NFL, and where they've run laps around the other leagues, they're the most consumer-friendly. I buy a $200 ticket, and I'm going to go watch Niners Rams. If Matt Stafford or Aaron Donald or Debo Samuel or Nick Bosa is not playing, the reason I know they're not playing, they're either suspended or they're injured. I've had so many friends go to NBA games and be like,

I bought this ticket, LeBron's coming to Sacramento, and then he sits. I go to the Warriors game. Ah, Clay's not playing this game. Not because of injury because of rest. That's not consumer friendly. And then as a TV viewer, like I know when I watch football, if your guys are healthy, they're going to play. And the most powerful thing these leagues have now is our time.

Am I willing to give you my time on my couch as a sports viewer? Because that's where they make their money. Well, I mean, I think a major problem for the NBA is I sit there to watch a game, it's like, your stars are resting. Like, it's basically an FU to me sitting on my couch. You're saying you don't care about the sport, why should I? Baseball, just the monotony of the, you know, the pace of it can drive. I love baseball, but I think it's hard for some people. But for the most part, like, if Aaron Judge is healthy, Aaron Judd is going to be in a lineup.

In football, it couldn't be any more consumer-friendly. In golf, it just is very challenging to watch. You're like, I got to watch Golf Channel, and then I got to go to the other channel. You need to find a way to make it easier. Because the number one thing moving forward that my generation is going to be used to, stuff being easy.

My mom's dog, Callie, need it, like has a chain. And the chain, the way it is, it's like kind of, I don't even know what the material is. It's kind of metal and it kind of rips. And if you're yanking the chain back to get Callie to come back,

it can cut your hand. So my mom's always cutting her hand. I'm like, mom, I'll get you a new, rope. I was, we're sitting there on Mother's Day. She's like, yeah, we need a new rope. I pressed two buttons, Amazon app on my phone, one button, 50 feet of rope with two cooks for chains next day at her house. You know why Amazon dominates? The number one reason they dominate? Not even necessarily because her stuff is cheap and it used to be cheaper now. It's probably more normal price points. It's easy. It's simple. You know what? I'm out of Gatorade Zero. Do I

want to go to the store today? No, I don't really want to go to the store. I'm at my desk. What can I do? Amazon, boom, give me a Gatorade Zero's, reds and the yellow ones, boom, at my door the next day. The consumer in modern day society, especially the younger ones, and I think the older ones are adapting this too, you better be easy. You better make it easy on me. Whatever you do, and the NFL makes it simple. The games, it's very straightforward when they are. You know you're getting the players. You know, if they're not injured, You know you're getting their best effort. Golf can make it a challenge, and I'm a golf lover.

I mean, PGA Torr should die for a guy like me who has a massive football audience to, like, hype up their sport. And if anything, it's driving me nuts. Come on, guys, we've got to get with the times. Can't be archaic. I read today that a player who suffered an Achilles injury working out from a team facility will be cut prior to 6'1 and will not get $10 million in salary.

I never thought this was a risk if you're working out. I've heard of clauses like no basketball or motorcycles, but not no working out. How do you see this playing out in terms of present and contracts determining football and non-football injuries? If someone working out away from the facility, it almost seems to encourage that the player throw, catch, and work out with their own time, what gives? Well, the details on that little story are quite funny when you dive into it. Joanne James was working out at the Denver Bronco facility, training every day in their weight room with their strength coaches.

And then the union, led by this guy named J.C. Treter and Demoria Smith, had this idea, let's gather everybody, and boycott the offseason. So he went one day from working out at the facility to getting advice from union leadership to boycott the facility and go work out on his own. The reason, now, he might have tore his Achilles sometime no matter what. I'm a big believer. Not a doctor. Just got a Cal Poly degree.

I think Achilles are born to tear. Like, they're going to tear for certain people. Like, you know, the wear and tear, whatever. Certain people are just more likely to have an Achilles tear. It's kind of like a tire. Like, once the tire gets worn down, like it's eventually going to pop. But if he had not gotten the advice, of the union, who now ironically is suing the team in the league, like, hey guys, you screwed up.

You gave him terrible advice. His Achilles pops, and now he's out $10 million. If he had not listened to them, or they had not given him that advice, or they had not tried to boycott the offseason, because clearly it's not working that well, I just saw Matt Mayoko, who covers the Niners, said 80% attendance today for the Niners. I saw the Raiders had about 75, and whatever team you follow, you know, it's not going to be 100 because the union's trying to push some of these older veterans to show, which is your prerogative. But if you were working out at the facility, again, because you're going to be working out whether you're at the facility or away from the facility, and then they tell you, yeah, you should probably go, screw these guys. Screw the man, the big bad, the man, John Elway and the Bowlins and the Denver Broncos.

You do you, dog. cost him $10 million. Will the union make them whole? Of course not. What will they do? Oh, they'll file grievances. You know what James should do? He should sue the union. But I'm sure there are

obligations in his contract where he doesn't have that type power. So if anything, he's S-O-L. Sucks for him. Doesn't suck for the union. They just keep going upon their day. It just costs one of their members. I don't know, $10 million. Because if he had been working out in the team facility, do you know what they couldn't have done?

wouldn't have been able to get out of the $10 million. That's a union problem. Terrible advice. Easy for them to say, boycott it. Now he's $10 million. Poor. Actually, he's not because he actually didn't have the money yet, but he would have received that money.

Now, depending on the contract, maybe he doesn't receive it all, but they would not have been able to do from what I've read what they did. I'm a big Rams fan, and I was intrigued to learn that we picked up an offensive lineman from Italy through some European development program named Max Purcher.

A little less excited when I found out that only teams who got these players were every team in our division but okay. I wonder if you had heard of this developmental program and what your opinion would be of players coming out of it specifically Purcher. Seems like something the league would have a big interest in having worked out well as far as player success that move over since they want to develop a fan base in Europe. What do you think?

I'll be completely honest. I did not know that. I haven't heard of this developmental league, but I don't think it's dumb. Like, I think it's something smart to do. You know, I'll give Adam Silver. One thing he did a good job of is he's developed this African League, African Developmental League.

And it's led to some players. Like talking to this dude that trains NBA player was like, yeah, you know, some of these guys are coming from the development. developmental process of the developmental leagues that are going over there in Africa. It happened once upon a time in South Africa with Ernie Ells in golf. There are a bunch of guys from South Africa that are now on the PGA tour. So these developmental leagues or facilities are always smart to do.

We have how many people in this world, we only have so many people in America. And there are definitely talented people, whether it's the U.K., whether it's South America, whether it's the Asian countries, that if you could find a couple, it might not be that many because there's not leagues over there for them to play. But there would be people with the body types that you could train and maybe make an offensive line. Like part of this guy, whether they found them, right, there are only so many guys that are 6.3 to 6.5 that have 300 pounds of muscle and power. So it's going to be a small percentage of people you're going to find right off the bat. But they do exist, and then you start training, and then you take his chance on them. So I know nothing about this, but I think it's smart.

I would always have international training. Just doesn't, even if you find no one, whatever, but eventually you're going to find someone. And all it takes is one guy to have success, and then boom. Then more people are interested, like you said, then it grows, then they show the games over there. Then that guy, if he starts on a good team, that's the goal.

So, yeah, back to your original question. Never heard of them. Don't know anything about it. Smart move. Roger Goodell. Best commissioner in sports by a wide margin? Remember when the media hated Roger? You're like, Roger?

Village idiot. Roger! Get rid of Roger. Now Roger did some dumb things. Right? I did not agree with deflategate. I think Tom got railroaded. I even think some of the stuff with the Saints,

probably a little overboard. Obviously, if he saw the video on Ray Rice, you know, I probably would have suspended him for the year. But overall, from a business standpoint, there are two commissioners that stand out by a mile in my lifetime. David Stern, who I think is probably the best commissioner of all time. And I think Roger Goodell has thrown his hat in the ring. You know, in my lifetime.

There are probably commissioners before me. I can't speak on them. Just in my lifetime, Stern and Roger, lead juggernauts. They know what they're doing. And they, you know, the media hates them. When the media hates you and you're a commissioner, that's a good thing. They love Adam Silver. How's that going?

I want my commission to be hated by the media. That probably means we're printing money and doing big ratings. Because that's the way that David Stern and Roger Goodell were treated, you know, by the... If David Stern had been like rocking and rolling in the social media days, oh my, he would have got crushed. Absolutely destroyed. But those are the type guys you want running your business because the goal of your business is to grow and add revenue and add viewers. And that's what those two guys do. So smart move by Goodell or whoever was behind that.

And appreciate you listening. subscribe to the podcast, tell your friends. Have a great week. Adios! If you love to be remembered as the person who gives the best birthday gifts, I'm here to tell you that 1800 Flowers.com is your ultimate birthday gifting destination. 1,800 Flowers has thoughtful and artfully created options that are guaranteed to deliver the best birthday surprise. Shop thousands of unique gifts at 1800flowers.com for exclusive offers and great values.

To order today, visit 1,800flowers.com slash tune in. That's 1,800flowers.com slash tune in. 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 I-Hard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. The story I've told myself can then shape my behavior, and that can lead me to sabotage the possibility of connection. This Mental Health Awareness Month, tune into the podcast deeply well with Debbie Brown

if you've been searching for a soft place to land while doing the work to become whole. This podcast is, for you to hear more. Listen to deeply well with Debbie Brown from the Black Effect Podcast Network on the Iheart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast.

Hey, I'm Deanna Maria Riva, and on my new podcast, How Hard Can It Be? I call on my Gen X squad from Ohio to Hollywood as we navigate Midlife's most fantastic BS. Unfiltered conversations from night sweats to futas to scheduling sex. Wait, what sex? Is it just me?

Or does every woman my age? Want to look at Pinterest instead of having sex sometimes. They say we can't polish a turd, but we're sure going to try. So let's get blunt with laughs, tears, or tears of laughter. Listen to How Hard Can It Be with Diana Maria Riva on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. This is an IHeart podcast. Guaranteed human.