The Herd with Colin Cowherd - 3 and Out - Chiefs/Niners Juice; 49'ers Play-By-Play Announcer Greg Papa Talks In-Depth SF/KC Matchups, Super Bowl Stories

Episode Date: January 29, 2020

In this episode, Middlekauff is down in Miami and talks about the vibe on the ground and why this Super Bowl feels like a premium showcase for the NFL. He's joined by Niners announcer, Bay Area broadcast legend, Greg Papa to preview Chiefs/Niners, discuss key matchups and shares some incredible stories from past Super Bowls. Follow John on twitter @JohnMiddlekauff and go to theherdnow.com to find the latest content. Subscribe now! 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. Last night, a blown call changed a game. This morning, the internet lost its mind, and nobody's telling you exactly what happened. That's where Sports Slice comes in. I'm Timbo, and every episode, we're cutting through the noise,

breaking down the biggest moments in sports and giving you the real story behind the headline. And we're going straight to the source, the athletes themselves, their locker room stories, their reactions in the moment, and the stuff nobody gets to hear. Listen to Sports Slice on the Iheart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more, follow Timbo Sliced Life 12 in the TikTok podcast network on TikTok.

Another podcast from some SNL late night comedy guy, not quite. Unhumor me with Robert Smigel 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. What's up, guys? This is Clivert Taylor the Fourth. And on my podcast, The Cliverts Show, I'm bringing you conversations about all kinds of stuff. Like being an internet famous referee. We're in the middle of a game. This linebacker, this linebacker walks up to me. He goes, hey, ref, my mom wants you to wave at her.

What? Time out. Quarterback on office blue with 42. Hey, Wreck, my mama want you to weigh better. What? Hey, Miss Parker. Listen to the Clifford show 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 harmed. you just understood.

That's how personal it got. Wow. Then after that game seven, Mark keep coming till he's like, you know I love you, dog. You know, it's all love. This was just playoffs. This was just basketball.

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Go to 1,800flowers.com slash tune in. That's 1,800flowers.com slash tune in. What's going on, everybody, John Middlecob, three and out podcast. Coming to you live, live from Miami, I guess it's Radio Row. I'm going to rename it podcast row because that's what we're doing podcasting. I see Gottlieb's gone. I'm here burning the midnight oil. You know, it's 630, no big deal. Serious XM. We got CBS. We got all the movers and shakers and three and out podcasts right in the middle of it, boots on the ground. I just did an interview with a friend of mine who happens to be the Niners play-by-play guy, Greg Papa, on radio. He used to do the Raiders for about 20 plus years. He does basketball.

baseball, he does every sport, but football is his passion, and he's just, I'm going to the Clevelander tonight and have some drinks with him later. I think some people are going to be there, some fired up on that. I've ran into Rob Gruncowski, Michael Vick, had just BS with Jerome Bettis, no big deal. It is kind of cool. Like, I don't, I've truly been starstruck in my life. Brett Farve, I remember meeting when I was in the NFL, and he came, we were playing the Vikings, and he was hurt, and he came to say hi to Andy and I just remember him walking by me like kind of put it out of his hand to shake it

just being cordial and I just kind of froze and I mean I'm not trying to act like big time because I'm not but I've never done that before but I did to him and you kind of you know the little kid because if you work in sports

and I've been lucky enough to make a profession about it you do it because you love doing it like I wouldn't be in sports I guess there are some people that I don't even know if they like sports you should be a fan And when you grew up, and if you grew up someone not like Kyle Shanahan, who's around it from birth, I remember when I was in like fifth or sixth grade at Pioneer Elementary and UC Davis would send the Aggie football team to school to like read us a book, it was pretty cool.

Let alone the first time you meet a professional athlete when you're young, it's just a, it's an unreal experience. And this, you just walk by, you're like, oh, there's, you know, Jerome Bettis, right? there's Rob Grunkowski. Now, younger guys, probably not as much. It's more like this morning. I'm walking into the media center. All of a sudden, this guy's walking right at me. He's like, what's up?

And he says it first, and I look, and it's Anthony Munoz. And I kind of have something in my throat, and I can barely say hi back. And I'm like, that's Anthony freaking Munoz. Arguably the greatest left tackle in the history of the sport. Couldn't have been nicer. Just said hi. I looked like he was walking with his wife. So it's kind of a geek out fest.

Now, you can say be a pro, and you can be a pro, but you can still have a little fan in you that gets to enjoy, like, how cool, how freaking cool that this is and just seeing some of the legends, I mean, the legit legends that littered the Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio of the game. It'd be like the equivalent of, like, the NBA of like Michael Jordan and Dr. Jay and Shaq, just people like that are walking around. That's this, just with football. You know, it's just crazy. And I've had to kind of take a step back.

It's easy with everything that's happened this week and just put everything into perspective. Just be like, you know, take a deep breath and enjoy this. Then you factor in just, you know, my hometown team I grew up rooting for and the guy that gave me a start in the NFL in this game, it's pretty special. And I'm, before we're getting to pop, I think that's my one takeaway so far. It is just this game is big. It feels big. It feels like the two best teams.

Definitely the Niners are the best team probably in the league start to finish. The Chiefs, while they're record, I know. with the two-seed. They hit some weird times in the middle of the year. But I think it's pretty clear their high-end because of their quarterback. They're an elite team as long as he's playing. They're flawed, right? Their defense, their linebackers have some issues, but that offense is just elite. The quarterback is beyond special. The offense is just unreal. The Niners are just a well-balanced ass-kicking machine, and we get to see it. And, you know, the last couple, I mean, last year was the Rams Patriots. It was 13 to 3.

and Gurley was a shell of himself the last couple weeks, and remember they had to ride C.J. Anderson in the game, and you watch the game, you're like, ah, just are the right teams in this? You know, and there have been years where it just doesn't, you know, Denver, Seattle. You're just like, ah, then there have been years Seattle, New England, or even the Philly year when Nick Foles took them there, and you felt early on, like, we got a big-time game,

and I really think that's what we're going to get. We got two really focused teams the other night at the media night. Now, part of this is just the culture we live in. no one's really going to talk shit about other people, right? You're not going to blast them. But it's just two pretty focused groups, two really mature groups. I guess Frank Clark talked a little bit, but, I mean, whatever. Not, he called out D. Ford's like, bro, you guys play the same position.

It'd be one thing if, like, Tyree Kill, who actually called Richard Sherman the goat, if, like, I'm going to smoke Richard Sherman. That's really the only thing I'm missing from this game is like Nick Bosa going. Patrick Mahomes sucks. Or just something like that, because I would die for the guy. that, partly because as a sports fan, not just as a podcast host, but as a sport, I like that stuff. I like it when an athlete, an elite guy, I saw Dion Sanders today. And he would just be like, yeah, this guy can't get one catch on me, this quarterback's.

And he could say that stuff. Jalen Ramsey might have jumped the shark a little bit, but I do, there's an element of Jalen Ramsey, I appreciate. I love watching an old school, like NBA classic documentary. It's like Larry Bird walked into the three-point competition, kicked open the doors, and said, which one of you mother bleepers are finished in second? And it's just, you know, Larry's one of the most notorious trash chockers in the history of sports. I like that.

And that's one thing. You know, I might be shooting for the moon there, but that's really, to me, it feels like the only thing we're missing because we get two elite coaches, two of the best play callers. Not just in the, I mean, Andy's one of the best play callers in NFL history. I'm not trying to get ahead of myself, but clearly Kyle. It's got a chance to be right up there. Good players everywhere. I mean, you just remove Patrick Mahomes.

You got Tyree Kill, Travis Kelsey, Chris Jones, Frank Clark, Honey Badger, who's just a badass. Then you go to the Niners. You got Kittle. You got Sherman. You got Bosa. You got Armstead. You got Buckner. You just got studs.

Just even this Debo. It looks like a freaking baller. It's hard not to just think this has a chance. You never know. I mean, why do you play the game, right? but it feels like this game has a chance to just kind of live up to the hype and you feel it this week. It's just the other thing that's cool in a day and age, and maybe the Kobe story has an impact on it,

it feels like this week has just kind of been about football. You know, sometimes these weeks take on a life of their own with whatever social commentary is going on in the real world. I'm not saying that stuff doesn't matter. It does. But if I want to watch it, I'll go to a political channel. When I get to the Super Bowl, when I get to the NBA finals, when I get to the Final Four, I just want to enjoy the game.

And maybe that's a little bit of the purest in me. And again, the game means you're like, well, John, you're just talking about them talking shit. Well, that's part of the game. Like, I don't think the guy can guard me. That's just real life, human stuff. I'm glad this has just been about football. I'm glad media night, again, I didn't go too big of a zoo for me. Just felt like a lot of legit football questions.

And when I'm talking, I just mean the game. Sometimes in this business, and again, I'm giving. guilty, we just, we can find, we can weave our way away, and we get into all the fluff about just hypothetical stuff, even in the offseason. And don't get me wrong, I love that stuff. Who's going to, who's going to return? Who are they going to keep? Who are they going to trade? Like, sometimes even that loses side of the game. That's been a big problem with the NBA. It's talking about all these hypotheticals and actually the sport. And I think this, this year, it's been a really good year for the NFL, obviously the ratings are up. But I think it's been a lot of

substance behind the sport. A lot of teams, you know, starting, really once the playoffs you could have seen four or five teams be in the Super Bowl. We had some big upsets in the playoffs. We had some breakout stars this season. We had a lot of stars sustain their greatness. We saw some chinks in the armor of some older guys. Eli just retired. Philip Rivers might be done the chargers. You know, Tom Brady's coming down the home stretch. Drew Brees, got a month to decide if he's going to retire. Like a lot of good football stuff. Even the stories have been like tangible on the field stuff, which is just cool. And I know for me personally who got into this because I loved the game.

And I love games in general. Like I love watching the games. And this game, I keep my fingers crossed that, you know, people get, who do you want to win? Like, yeah, I mean, my family and my close friends and my listeners of the other podcast, Hey, Raymondal Koff. Last night, a blown call changed a game. This morning, the internet lost its mind. Highlights are trending, opinions are flying, and nobody's telling you exactly what happened.

That's where Sports Slice comes in. I'm Timbo. Every episode, we're cutting through the noise. Breaking down the plays, the controversies, and the stories behind the headlines. We go straight to the source, the athletes themselves. Their locker room stories, their reactions, the stuff nobody gets to hear. The laughs, the drama, the triumphs, the moments that never make the highlight real. From viral moments to historic games, from buzzer beaters to controversial calls, we break it down,

give you context and ask the questions everybody wants answered. Sports Slice brings you closer to the action with stories told by the people who live them. Listen to Sports Slice on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more, follow Timbo Sliced Life 12 in the TikTok podcast network on TikTok. 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, 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. What's up, guys? This is Clivert Taylor the 4th. And on my podcast, The Cliverts Show, I'm bringing you conversations about all kinds of stuff. Like being an internet famous referee. We're in the middle of a game.

This linebacker walks up to me, he goes, Hey, ref, my mom wants you to wave at her. What? Quarterback on office blue 42. Hey, rec, my mama wants you to wave at her. What? Where's she at? Hey, Miss Parker.

Listen to the Cliverts show on the I-Heart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. Hey, it's Edwin, Kevin. Castro, also known as Castro 1021. And I'm Kunky, his best friend and business manager. And we've got a new show called The 1021 Podcast. I'm taking you behind the scenes on how I became one of Twitch's most popular streamers. We also love sports. And with the World Cup right around the corner, we'll be breaking down the biggest

storylines ahead of the big tournament here in the USA. Listen to the 1021 podcast on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you. get your podcasts. It would be great if the Niners win. But I keep kind of getting back. You know, Coach Reed means a lot to me. And I just, I've been a huge fan even once I left Philly and he went to Kansas City. And it's hard not to root for him, to be honestly.

It's kind of a tough spot. And Brett Veach, but, you know, I like John Lynch a lot too. It's a hard one. Just a lot of good people in this game and hopefully a lot of good football. But let's get into my interview with the voice of the. The 49ers, Greg Papa. On January 19th, 2020, for B-B-D-O and AT&T radio,

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And they see you. Their fearless guide through this fascinating world. Find a forest near you and start exploring at discovertheforest.org. Brought to you by the United States Forest Service and the ad council. Okay, special guest here, a friend of mine, as versatile of a play-by-play broadcaster, maybe in the history, maybe there's some guys on your level. He's done the Raiders.

That's where many people probably know him. He's out first year with the Niners. One for one, one year Super Bowl. Called the Warriors, called the A's, called the Giants. Done it all. San Antonio Spurs. Indiana Pacers. The voice of the 49ers, Greg Popper, how you doing?

How are you, Johnny? I'm doing good. We are very good friends. Very good friends. What's new? I don't know. This guy Andy Reid, you know. He's fun.

he got back to the Super Bowl. It's been a long drought. So you've been, what, who's had a longer drought? You were 02, he was 04. You got him beat. Yeah. I don't quite have Dick Vermeal. That's true.

But I'm there. What was Vermil? 20? 81. Vermil was there with the Super Bowl 15 when he lost to the Raiders. And then he will, I mean, Dick had a reason. He went and worked television. In fact, he worked with Brett Mushberger on ABC for,

Brent was gone, Coach Ramil was gone about 15 years when he was doing college football. Great broadcast. Longer and Gruden. Yeah, because John, John last 10 years, 9 or 10? 10, I think. Whatever it was. And then, so the last Super Bowl I was at was Super Bowl 37. Bear Robbins never came back from Tijuana?

No, it was my fault, actually. We're not going to have that problem here, huh? Jimmy's not going to go to Cuba or anything? Well, no. Tijuana is far from here. It is true. You may go to Cuba or something, but no, no, it's, but you know what? Times are different?

No, but Barrett had issues, and there were a lot of going on that week with him and his family. But the one thing about this game, and even as a broadcaster, the one thing I remember when I did do Super Bowl 37 in San Diego was I got a little nervous. I got tight early in the game in particular. And it's just, you know, every call you make is going to be there forever. And you don't want to screw it up. And I'm just a play-by-play guy. As a player, you don't want to be the one to make the big mistake. So I think...

Luckily, the way that game went, they just played Tampa Bay Highlights. No, I mean, we... What was the final score? We made several mistakes. I don't even know. We came back at the end. We blocked the pond. Jerry Porter cut a touchdown.

It was lopsided right away. They scored right before half. Keenan McArdle on a back shoulder right in front of Charles Woodson. But Charles came back that year. He had a broken bone of his foot. He came back to his credit and play. but he wasn't healthy. That was the classic game where John Gruden was on the other sideline.

That was weird. And he knew everything that we did. He practiced it. They knew the calls. He got slug-o seam, John Lynch. I was watching NFL films where I even flew here on Sunday morning. I'm watching that whole game back. And John Lynch knew all the calls because John told him what Gannon was going to do.

We didn't change our terminology much. And you know what's funny about that game, John? And what relates to this game? was, so when Gruden was there, 2000, the Raiders led the league in rushing. Tyrone Wheatley, Napoleon Kaufman, John Ritchie, 14 Blass. So what all the best teams did back then, right? Ran the ball, for the most part. But then we ran to the Baltimore's defense, which was built to stop the run.

It's a big guys inside, right? Yeah, Syracusa and, you know, Michael McCrary. And they kept, they had, who was the other big tackle next to Syracuse? They had two of them. 95. You couldn't get to Ray Lewis. Forget his name. He wasn't he like 340?

Yeah, they had big guys. How good was Ray Lewis? Well, Ray was, nobody touched him. Nobody laid a finger on. I think Romo always had the stat because he was on the Raiders that year, Bill Romanowski. Like, he was blocked like seven or eight times the whole year. Literally offensive linemen never got to him.

They had a pair of tackles, Tony Syragusa being won. Ted Washington was the other one. And you couldn't get to him. But so that year, we led the league in rushing, ran to a great rush defense. Gruden coaches one more year. We lose the tuck game. Bill Callahan comes in, changes to a complete passing team.

We're running up against Tampa Bay, which is one of the great past defenses of all time. So watching the highlights back of Super Bowl 37, they might Gruden for that game. And John liked to run the ball. You know, John was a, you know, he still does. Still does. And at one point he's just, don't they ever run the ball in Oakland anymore? What's going on? And then when we got our run stuffed a few times, he said,

now I know why they don't run. They can't block it. But you mentioned Barrett Robbins. Losing Barrett Robbins really hurt in that game because they went to Adam True, who was the long snapper. And he was more of a tall, angular, leaner center. We couldn't run the ball. There aren't really any situations going into this game.

Is there a guy on the, I mean, Chris Jones going to play, he's back? There aren't, are there any injuries to keep an eye on? Shady McCoy. I ran into Shady at its opening night last night. He's a happy, good luck. Exactly. And I want to say, Shady, I want to talk to you. He keeps moving by.

Perfect name for him, right? He's a shaked. That guy's a shady, he's a shady dude. But I looked him in the eyes and said, are you playing Sunday? And he said, I am playing. I said, at Super Bowl Sunday, you're not going to miss this game, right? Why is nobody talking about Shady McCoy and his availability in this game? Because when he did play, you know, it wasn't that.

He's still a good player. He's never been a guy that hung his hat on speed. But for one game, yeah, catch the ball out of the backfield, give him 7, 8 touches. Because they're going to put him in a gun run. For sure. I think Damien Williams has been playing pretty well. Damien's doing well, but just to have the other element of Shady McCoy. But anyway, so the point was, you know, it's a little like the 2002 Raiders where they didn't throw the ball.

They didn't run the ball. It was all throws. They don't even worry about it. But Kansas City, the one thing, just watching the end of that. He'll run screen passes, though, to receivers and the running backs. But I don't know if you saw the interview of Bill Coward did with Andy Reed. for NFL today pregame. I didn't.

It was fascinating. And at the end of the interview, Cowers talking to him, and he cans him a 5 by 8 index card, and it's got Andy's last handful of playoff games. And he circles the one where they won the game. And it's got, I don't know how many, 38 rushes for so many yards.

The point was, so Andy looks at it and goes, you want me to run the ball? And Cowher said, run the ball. So what Cowher would do... This was going into the AFC championship. This was going into the either that or coming. I think it was after the Houston comeback game. It may have been that game too.

But the point was what Bill Cower would do with those teams, he would Andy Reed you early in the game, where he'd use Fast Willie Parker. He'd have whoever was the OC back then, Mike Malarkey. I bullshaded it with Jerome Bettis today. Then they get the lead with Fast Willie. And then there was some point in the game where Cower said, drive the bus over them.

and they just went to Bettis and they just milked the clock. Andy Reed did a little, a lot of that at the end of the AFC championship game when they got the lead. Even before I think they hit him with Sammy over the top. They started to run the ball with Damien Williams, a lot of runs.

When I think of them, I think is Mahomes ever under center? Is he always in the shotguns? In that game, though, he got more under center and they ran the ball a little bit more. To me, big picture, they're a big physical back, even just like a Chris Carson type, just a guy you can rely on. to being a dominant, I mean, the greatest offense we've ever seen.

You've been calling games, what, since 97? Yeah. Are they the best passing attack you've ever seen? Most explosive passing attack? No. Would that be the Rams? Well, I think that New England team was pretty special. Their speed.

No, I mean, the year of Brady threw 50 touchdown passes and 23 to Moss, Peyton Manning did throw 55 touchdown passes. The Denver team? Well, they scored over 600 points. I think they had 606. Was that the team that got blown out by Seattle? Got blown out by Seattle. First play of the game, Maddie Ramirez, the center snaps it over Peyton's head.

But this team has, Mahomes is an elite, elite thrower of the football on every level. To me, this game is so much like the 84 game when the 49ers beat the Dolphins in Super Bowl. What was that 19? Against Marino. Was that his rookie year or second year? full year. So he came in, he didn't play the second half of the year.

He played the second half of the year. First start was ever was against the Raiders. I remember watching him play the Bills in Orchard Park that year. I saw him at Pitt, his junior year. He was just different. Just different. And he had the Marks Brothers. I mean, that year, John, he threw 48 touchdown passes.

The previous record was 36 by Y.A. Tittle. That's how far, in 5,084 yards. He obliterated the record. I was born that year, but it seems like the Niners guys feel that was their 84? Yeah, that was their best. Dude. Why was such good friends? I don't know.

Because you're a young soul. Wasn't that their best team? Doesn't a lot of those people say that that was their best team ever, the 84-9ers? Yeah. A great defense. Well, that was a great defense. I mean, the 94 defense with D-O-D-O. Because then Jerry Rice came the next year.

Yeah, they didn't get Rice. They didn't get Rice yet. But the 94 team had a, they were talent-laden. So you're saying this Chief's team is comparable to that 84 team? Totally. Totally. Was Marino good athlete? No.

This guy's better. This guy can move around better. And Marino. Was Don't, Chula offensive mind? Both, yeah. He did both. I mean, what's great about Coach Chula was when he, in the 70s with, when he had, you know, Zanka, Jim Kick and Mercury Morris, they ran it down your throw. Grasy won playoff games where he threw it. It was infrequently as Garapolo. And then he gets Marino and he goes to this passing attack. The one thing about Dan,

he had a tremendous arm more for like deep digs, you know, 18-yard ins, like a Dan Fouts arm. but he still kind of powered the ball a little bit. This guy, Mahomes, like a Rogers, flick of the wrist. It's like he's breathing. Yeah, it's easy. Like, Aaron Rogers,

like even Aaron's advanced age, watching him warm up before the NFC championship game. The way he goes out of hands. The ball is just, it's like, it's like walking. How about the dagger touchdown that Mahomes threw against the Tennessee? It was just like, Whampton.

It was like, oh my God. And he, to me, his athleticism, is what sets him apart. He's got a hose of an arm. A wippy, like a Jay Cutler, even a Jeff George, but better. You know, he doesn't, he could throw it down the field. I mean, there's been, you know, Brady could throw a deep ball. Joel Flacco could throw a deep ball.

Yeah. Namath could throw a deep ball. This guy can. But I think what sets him apart. Eli has a pretty good deep ball in his piece. But what sets Mahomes apart is the whippiness. And I think it's so many of the guys playing quarterback in this generation, 12 months of the year, we're going to raise you to be a quarterback.

We're going to seven-on-seven drills, three, five, seven-step drop, shotgun. I love that he's an athlete. Instinctive athlete. Well, he doesn't he play quarterback like a shortstop? Yeah. When he's rolling into his right, does he not look like an elite major league shortstop on a chopper to the left side of the infield where he comes in,

charges the ball, cuts across the third baseman, and then throws the ball. side arm to get it to first. And then I thought going into the game, you got to make him go left. You got to make him go left. And then I see him going left. And again, to come back against the Texans, he's going to his left.

He can't quite get his shoulders turn to square it up. So he's like a basketball chess pass, but he does it with one hand. The one to Kelsey on the goal line when Kelsey came back. It wasn't even a throw. It was like he pushed him the ball. He just, it's like he just has, Some guys are just blessed with hand-eye coordination on another level.

But throw in a football for almost everybody, there has to be an element. Last night, a blown call changed a game. This morning, the internet lost its mind. Highlights are trending, opinions are flying, and nobody's telling you exactly what happened. That's where sports slice comes in. I'm Timbo. Every episode, we're cutting through the noise. Breaking down the plays, the controversies, and the stories behind the headlines.

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What's up, guys? This is Clever Taylor the 4th. And on my podcast, The Cliverts Show, I'm bringing you conversations about all kinds of stuff, like being an internet famous referee. We're in the middle of a game. This linebacker walks up to me, he goes, Hey, ref, my mom wants you to wave at her.

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Powering the ball. When he steps down, the one thing to look for in this game is he loves to step into the B gap over the right guard. When you watch him, we'll move a little bit to his right. You're saying when he's stepping up in the pocket. Stepping up into the pocket. Duvonay Tardy, if the right guard. he's good player. But you got to get pressure into his right to the BACAP.

Just watch when he's got a clean pocket and he can plant the foot and then come through. That's where it's like heaven. Well, then he's a little bit like his dad. You know, I did the A's game. Could he throw hard? His dad threw. What I remember, he threw about 94 with an over-the-top curveball. And the A's lit him up.

He had a 90-R-A against the days. But, I mean, he pitched with the Yankees for four. He pitched 11 years in the major leagues, a good pitcher. But he just, the different arm angles, he's got to get the, the ball there. It's just the question is, can our past rush get on him abruptly

enough of the time? I'm talking 2.2, 2.3. If he gets 2.5 even, if they can get on him enough and just rattle him a little bit, and it has to be what I like into a burning building. It can't be where he is

a fire escape to get out to the right. He could jump out a window. You've got to bring it so the whole building is just going to collapse on head. So that means equal rush. The tackles, Buckner and Armstead inside. Stefan Wisniewski, their left guard, oh, I know well. Power bothers him.

You put Boas over him. You put Buckner, Armstead, Sheldon Day over him. Even in some situations to speed him up, you put Ford, who's, you know, D's been able to convert speed to power now. Well, he could fly, so he's moving so fast. Right. And he's a different athlete.

He gained weight. When he was in Kansas City when he was young, the word was run at D. Ford. Because he was always heard. He didn't lift. This year he's watching him the other night. He's next bigger. He's just a bigger man.

His speed off the edge is a leap. His first step is ridiculous. He's Vaughn Miller, Derek Thomas-type fast. If they're going to win this game, the 49ers, I mean, they got to get home on Mahomes and knock him down, sack him. And I'm talking about not hurries. He's got to hit the ground, what, 15, 12, 15 times on the ground. Yes.

Getting after him. Even when he's throwing the ball hit him. Knock him down. Like the Brady, tag him, tag him every play. So he's seeing ghosts. Like there was a point in the NFC championship game where Aaron Rogers started to see ghosts.

Yeah. The rush was not there. He had more time. What happened to Cousins the week before? He just started. It takes you out. And Tim Ryan, my partner, calls it the rattle rush where you rattle them.

You're not necessarily getting there, but he's starting to feel you. Even when it's not there, he just speeds him up. It's why the one guy that is unfazed, anytime he plays a great night or defense is Russell because you can't really rattle him. And I think this kid has a little rustle in him

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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 toddler. 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 fan 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 slash the right seat. Brought to you by Nidza and the Ad Council. You've called every, I mean, the last 35 years,

every elite athlete from Barry Bonds to Michael Jordan to Kobe to Steph to all the NFL guys. I mean, just his two years. I get as, I mean, is this one of the more remarkable players, any sport you've ever seen? He'd be the first Super Bowl, a guy who's a football champion and an MVP. he'd be the youngest in the history of the league. Yes. And the eye test. It's clear.

Do you remember his draft? So when I'm watching him. Salman Thomas. Yeah, that draft. But when I'm watching him at Texas Tech, I hated him. The word I kept using, I don't know if you and I were texting then, was just reckless. This guy's reckless. I see him throwing the ball from his thigh pad underhand, like he's playing high lie.

I'm like, what is he doing? Andy and Beach love that. So then? And then, you know, Kafka. Nagy was there. So, you know, I was doing the Raider games then. So I got an eye on Chiefs. So I'm watching, I think it was Chiefs.com,

I'm watching their practice video from training camp. Yeah. And I'm like, who is this number 15? Tom Flores used to wear 15 back at the 7th. I'm like, that's not Tom. That's my holds. I'm like, dear Lord, he's holding the ball higher now. His mechanics are better.

Well, he spent a year around Alex. I had to help. It did help. And that was in training camp. And then I watched all the preseason games. games. I was enamored with him. Remember the Week 17 game against Denver? It was like, oh, my God.

So then the next year he's named the starter. And you mentioned elite athletes that I've seen. So Mitch Holtes, who's a great friend of mine, voice of the Chiefs comes on. Who would ever thought you'd be doing a Super Bowl, you know, with them, against them? Well, you know what? And it worries me in this game. How long has he been doing the Chiefs? 20-plus years?

Right after Kevin Harlan. Yeah, Kevin did it before. Well, worries me, I haven't called the 49ers, the Raiders, not one time all year. But when I think of the Chiefs, it's the Raiders and the Chiefs, Raiders' chiefs, right, you know? Touchdown Kansas City. Well, it's just, now I'm just worried that I'm going to call the 49ers or Raiders. Did you see him before the game? Well, because it's just in the –

Raiders' Chiefs, Raiders' chiefs. I'm just so embedded in that rivalry. See the color. See the team? Yeah, so anyway. So the game will be closer. Mitch Holtz comes on the air with us. And it's early in Mahomes.

You know what it was? But when they was playing the 49ers week three. And he got off. But he was – remember his Pittsburgh game the week before was just awesome. Awesome. What was he like? I think he'd throw him 10 touchdown passes and no interceptions. Well, his opening game against the Chargers was like, oh, my God.

Did he have four or six? The first two games, I think he threw 10. Maybe you're right. So Holt this comes on. How to start in the history of the NFL? It's his third game as a starter. Yeah. He drops.

He's Steph Curry on me. And I'm like, well. Says it over the air. Yes. And there's the peak of Steph. Steph had already won two MVs. Steph's already unanimous MVP, two-time, three-time champion. Steph Curry's already Steph Curry.

I'm like, what? I texted Mitch the other night. You're dead on. My Holmes is Steph. Three ways. His, the range on the arm. So what Steph has done, he's changed the geometry of the basketball court

because he's shooting. You've got to pick him up 40 feet. You can't do that. You're not going to go out and guard him at 40 feet. Because then you've got to lift your, well, everybody's going back door. But he can hit the 40. You have to guard him one dribble across mid-course. and that's never been done.

So he's going to get that shot. He'll make it enough. And then you got to, so we do have to get up on him a little bit. But now we're coming way out to guard their offense here. Screws up our whole defense. Well, now everything's so much easier than the ball handling. The way Steph, and Steph's left hand is psycho. Steph's got the second best, you know, he and Steve Nash, the two best left hand passing.

You can't tell which is Steph's dominant hand. Mahomes, like I was talking about earlier. the basketball half a chess pass to Kelsey in the championship game. It's like a little or the divisional game against Houston. That's a basketball play. Then the one he's probably most known for is so my thing was, don't not let him get out to his right. You've got to, if he does get out, get him to make him roll left.

So what's probably the most spectacular play is when Vaughn Miller's chasing his ass, running him to his left, right? Was that Thursday night or Monday night football? Thursday night. Vaughn is in Vaughn's fans he can haul ass in Mahomes now Bahams he's got Vaughn Miller chasing him he cannot square his show he does not have time to decelerate turn his shoulders and front the line he's got it so what does he do he throws with his left hand to Tyree kill it's like that's Steph Curry yeah and then how about the the the no look where he'll let you know the he'll be looking this way and throwback that's that's basketball and then the other thing he does that Steph does is explode in quarters. Steph Curry, like Durant, when he got 32, Durant went 8, 8, 8, 8, 8, every quarter.

If he was going 50, it was 10, 10, 12, 10. Like the one playoff game against Houston, Steph had zero in the first half. 33 in the second half. Mahomes, maybe he'll be, he can't get it out of neutral to start. He's had multiple four touchdown quarters. Once he starts, John, they went six for six, six possessions, six touchdowns. He said 28-point quarters against the Raiders he did it, and he did it against Houston.

So like- You're a fan. I'm taking it. Why, yeah. He's beatable. You know what? Sometimes I wonder you could fool him a little bit. He's still young. He's not. This is not Johnny Unites.

I'm going to go to the area you missed out that I heard Andy talk about earlier this week. One thing that he liked, because he knew he was a project. They actually thought that they were going to redshirt him two years. They were in no rush to get rid of Alex. That week 17 game. Andy had Nagy and Childress and his staff work on the playoff game and he just worked with Mahomes. At the end of the week before they played, he realized, God, this guy is football smart. Then he played like that.

Then Alex lost the playoff game. He said that what they really liked about him, obviously his personality like Steph Humble Guy, but why was he that way? Way he came from his dad was a big leaker. Being around it, not too fazed. Unphased by the hype, the money. Totally. Do you have, like Steph, Steph unfazed by the money he made?

Second generation. Do you have any concern that Mahomes is going to get his head too big when he gets paid? Like you probably won't, that's a lot of money, but you doubt it. I don't know him well enough. But I would say what you've read and about him. Lee Steinberg represented me for years, Lease coming on Radio Road interview, talk to me this week. Loves the kid.

He's his agent. They love him. He's going to get, how much is you going to get, 140? Well, I saw that Clark Hunt must have said this yesterday. They might not do it, and I wouldn't do it either until next year. I'd play this rookie deal and just stack the team and try to win a couple because that number is going to be massive. And the CBA changes. There's still way below the salary cap.

So they have money. They do have money. Why wouldn't these two teams? I wouldn't I wouldn't tear up his contract. I'd just extend it. I'd let him play. He's a first round pick. He's got him for five years.

He's been good money. Yeah. Well, I pick up his fifth year option right now. Yeah. So if you want to extend them, we're going to start in year six. Yeah, exactly. It's like they did with Todd Gurley. There's no reason to tear it up.

So whenever you do it do it. do it, you do it. You know, you'd probably be, what if he, I mean, what injury could he suffer where you wouldn't pay him? Yeah, he could tears ACL on each knee, you'd still give it to. I mean, maybe if he had an elbow or something. It would take a lot. Yeah, I mean, so beyond that, he is what he is.

But the second generation element is also there. I just didn't get there yet. He's, that's like Steph, is, you know, being Del Curry's son. And it's not just the lineage and the ability in the body. It's just the poise. He said, you know, when 49ers played the Chiefs in the preseason, I walked out with him after, just stood behind him and watched his group. He's just, he reminds me so much of Curry in just every way.

Easy going. High five and usherers. Yeah. Like he's like some guys get. Feel the moment. They lock a little. Like most NBA players, you cannot get near them. On game day.

You can talk to Steph. I brought my family the game. You know, we've watched them warm up. It's 610 for a 740. He comes over and starts talking to me. I'm like, I'm not used to that. Clay's kind of like that, too. So they're just a breezy, no big deal.

Not with a football player, normally, you don't go up and talk to him the day of a game. You let him breathe. Garapolos like that too. You would mess with Richard Sherman before a game? He's all right. He's loose. Yeah, he's got the earphones on. He's kind of locked in.

But I think this guy in every regard, Mitch was right. He really is, Steph. He's changed the game that way. Who's the Niners' best player? Two best. George Kittle on offense, Nick Bosa on defense. Bose is incredible. He's better than his brother.

It's insane. I mean, his brother's so good. Why had a scout tell me he thought the difference was because he's like, listen, Joey's elite too. He's like, when you watch Nick, what's mind-blowing is how consistently hard he plays on every snap. Like when Khalil hit his peak, like three years in, he was just playing hard the majority of the time. J.J. Watt used to be like that. It was like, God. Nick is just that play he made was it the Minnesota game where he like turned into a DB

Oh when he dropped in coverage on Delvin Cook I wasn't I wasn't a huge Nick Bosa fan coming out in the sense of the hype He's not going to be better than Joey I belong he's the best defensive rookie I've seen 10 years Talking about football he's better than I saw Khalil Khalil wasn't even close as a rookie it took him to it Khalil did not have a sack for 10 weeks what was Vaughn like is a rookie he was pretty good Vaughn was great well Vaughn's just pure speed yeah he was so unique so you know Alden didn't start.

Where Vaughn was lacking. Run game? Absolutely. I remember the Raiders going jumble, putting an extra tackle over him and running right at 58. I remember we ran right at him. He had to come off the field. But Vaughn, then he went, remember he's doing that pass rushing summit?

And he would have it in San Francisco. Yeah. And he would run on the beach, though. And I remember standing next to him the next year. I'm like, look at his legs. Because he's not the biggest guy. No, but he's gotten his lower body, his trunk. his legs have gotten stronger.

He's got to stand up in the run game. I think Dee Ford, likewise, D was a guy they ran. We used to run at D. Ford. He didn't want to run a Tom Bowley or Justin Houston. Hell no. You ran at D. Ford. But D's gotten a little stronger. He can't just ragdow him.

But the thing about Boas's brother, Joey, was just so, he was immediately a great run player and not just an edge setter. He could do that. But he collapsed the edge, shove it all in. How about the play in the play in a playoff game? Nick gets off the block and makes the one hand tackle. He's getting blocked on his outside shoulder. He just shoves that away, comes in with his free arm inside.

He's just dominant. Well, even lynching, those guys would tell you. We thought he was good. He's better than we thought. I mean, you have that type of rookie season. He looked like that in college, but you're thinking, can he play like that in college? Then he got hurt in mini-can. But his body was so tight.

Yeah. He looked like he may break down. And the one thing, I did, I did an Alabama game last year, the Iron Bowl. So I watched, it was late in the year against Auburn. So I watched Quinn Williams all year. Quitted Williams. Well, he's elite. a dominant. He looked like Orrin's sad.

His one year was elite. I mean, but Nick was starting that way. If you look at the first two and a half games before he got hurt at half time, the TCU game, he had two and a half dominant games. He just got hurt. The thing with Bosa, he doesn't even need, if he just maintained this for seven years, he's a Hall of Famer, like, you're going to naturally get better. But if he just, is this moving forward, the Niners hit a walk off grand slam. Like, that's all you want to pick.

He's just got to stay healthy. Yeah, he's got to stay healthy. And Quinn got hurt this year. I was the irony. He missed a lot of games. Who you got? I didn't come all this way. Let's go this. Chiefs win if. If the pass rush can't get to him, he gets out.

And they're going to run by. I think the 49ers have got to get away from the cover three. A single high. You've got to play two save. Do they have a fast corner? Well, Emmanuel Mosley's fast, but you're not going to man match them. These guys are elite. elite. Hardman, Tyree, and they're skilled. Sammy, Robinson. And then the one formation that

really is concerning to me, and they run it all the time, is three by one. They put three receivers bunch. They call it tray left, and they bunch them all to the right. Wouldn't you do that on the other side of Sherman? I don't think it matters. Why? Because you don't even know who's coming away. Kelsey's the one side. So how many tight ends have you seen where they go three by one? the tight ends the one. Well, I saw one of them today who's walking through Rob Gruncowski. Rob got it some. I don't even think Antonio Gates, they try to hide them a little bit.

He didn't have that kind of star treatment. You could do it with Kittle if you want it. Without question. But Kittle's more of an inline guy. Where they use Kittle, you know, drag him, sneak him out underneath. He's like a Brent Jones, Jay, Obercheck. Block for a beat, get out. Yeah.

Kittle's not the route runner, Kelsey is. Kelsey's a better route runner. He's just so fast. But Kittles is far better blocker. not close. But so what do you do? Kelsey's a lead to going over the middle. I think you just, when they go to that three by one,

and as well, it's three receivers bunched, and it's always Tyreek, not always, but usually it's Tyreek and Sammy. And then the third one is either DeMarco, Robinson, number 11, or Hardman 17. He can fly. And they're, I mean, Hardman, maybe as fast as Tyreeks. See, his ball skills are pretty good. So then they're all bunched, and then Kelsey's singled. Kelsey's a wide receiver.

you've got to treat him like a wide receiver. So do you, when they go to that? Who covers them? Fred Warner or Tart? Well, they play mainly zone. But I think what you do with this game. Well, he's zone alive because he's so good at it just kind of sitting in the middle and he box you out. I don't know if you can make the teams that have beaten them.

But you'll let him take 10 yards all day long. You don't want to give the 20 yards. No, I know, but you can't give him 10 yards. To me, you double Kelsey most of the time. And then, well, you double Kelsey with brackets in and out. and then hill over the top. With safety cheating. So they're not, I mean, they'll blitz some.

And we're talking generalities here. But most snaps, you're going to rush four, drop seven. So it's seven over five. No matter what they do, they're not going to send out more than five. So you double, you can double two. Kelsey's got to get the in and out, like the Antonio Gates treatment. We may even want to vice him. Now, the 49ers don't typically get this exotic.

No. They just play their thing. Well, that's Seattle's deal, right? He's a little different. I don't think you, with a car. Cover three is just a single high. I think with this team speed here, Jukwoski Tart, I think you put Tart on one hash or one numbers,

and you put Jimmy on, Ward, on the other. Kind of like Monty Kiffin, go, go over two. You got to play cover two. It could be two men. Because they can't kill you deep. You play mad, but it's two man, where it's too deep, man under, or it's just cover two. And then I think you always keep somebody over-kill.

You're not going to shoot threes. We're going to guard the three-point line. We're not going to let you hit go rats. The thing that Tyreek does, He's so skilled. His speed, straight line speed is so scary that he gets tremendous cushion on comeback routes. So you'll see him run hard at you for 17 yards. And if you're covering him, you're like, Jesus, I got to go.

I got to get back. What if he's just running the goal by him, it's a streak? I got to get back. Because he'll go right by it. So he could lock it up, come back to the ball, make the comeback at like 12 yards. Now. He's still got a little cushion. He got three yards on it.

He can go left, right, or by you. So now, he's a punt returner. Yeah. So he feels comfortable in that. His speed is not just straight line track speed. It's football functionality start. He's like, you know, years ago they had Dante Hall. He's not quite that guy.

But he'll move on you and juke you. So if he comes back at, you know, he can break a tough tackle. He can break a second, turns around, come back at 12, catches a splatter from a homes. And now he's got three yards on you. I know. Now, can you wrap? Now, that's the game. Can you open to a tackle?

And then, you know, some you'll tip. Some homes will get out and get flushed. They won't hit him every time. When they do hit that. Three or four times, don't let it go 40. Give them 12 yards. Give them seven. Put them on the ground.

If he makes two of those a touchdown, you're in trouble. Now, the one thing about my theory, that's scary. And this is where Fred Warner's got to be dominant. He is, though. I mean, he's a really good player. So when it's covered three, it's a three-deep four under, right? You're buzzing with four under. Yeah.

Now, if we're going, if we're going two, you know, two safeties deep. Now we only have three to buzz. We're taking Tart out of that. I'm thinking you shut the run game down with seven, maybe even six, certain times. Coach Reed might not even run it. He might.

I'd much rather have him handed off to Damien Williams and Shady than have that guy, you know, throw all over the place. So on the flip side, the Niners, do they just keep doing what they've been doing? They're going to run the ball and let's see if Kansas City can stop it. I think the Kansas City weakness of their entire team as their linebackers. and I don't, what they seem to me to be doing is playing the two former cowboys in the base. So you've got Hitchens and Damien Wilson. Hitchens has the green dot.

I couldn't figure out what they're doing with the other green dot. I went to opening night last night. One of the things I wanted to do was the interview Ben Neiman, the nickel linebacker, 56. See if he has a green dot? He does. Yeah. So have you ever heard of that? Well, you can have your nickel linebacker have one too, right?

But most of the time that the guy is unique because he doesn't come off the field. Right, but most guys you have one guy that does not, and the guy that wears the second green dots, your backup mic that comes in because of injury. So what they do is... Well, because they don't have a true backup mic, really, right? Because they use Hitchens and Wilson in the base, and then they bring in Neiman, he's fast.

But if he's in the game... Like for the Vikings, like Kendrix would never come out of the game. He's the green dot. Bowman or Willis have a guy like that. Just glukey. Honestly, I can't think of any time, and I'm big and, you know, how much I... I'm big a green dot.

I know. Because it tells you what personnel group they're going to have on the green dot. quarterback is. So I've never seen a team. It's their weakness. So they have two. Now, what Neiman was telling me was, he's got a helmet. I said, explain this.

So if they're on the field together, he's got to take it off. He's got to take it off. It's illegal. It's illegal. Can't have two green dots. When are they ever on the field together? I don't see many snaps. But Hitchin's the Mies fast.

So then. What happened? They get penalized? You can't have two. And then if you're on special teams, it's got to come off. So you've got to have a different helmet. Sometimes you don't have time. What if we go out of the no huddle?

I mean, keep an eye on Belichx team. We've got to take the helmet off. So here's the part that a little bit confounds me. You notice things that other people don't notice. Because it helps me call the game because I want those in the sub package. So the outlier there's Reggie Raglan. So Reggie Raglan to me is. We can't run.

He's an old school, Levin Kirkland, Mike. They don't exist. You know, big butt linebacker can't run. He comes in a lot of the nickel. Sometimes they just don't have the bodies. But if he's in. in the game. You got to go right after him. Make him cover. Yeah. He's not a nickel line back. Well, it was like when they played Minnesota. When Barr was in the game and you get him manned up,

you go right after. So I don't know, I think that's the weakness of their team. So I would think, you know, and it's his clothing line, kittle over the middle. I mean, where Jimmy, where Jimmy is really strong. Is that really his clothing? Is it clothing? K-O-T-M, kettle over the middle. That's pretty good. So he, uh, Jimmy's, Jimmy's, Jimmy's so good in between the hashes. You know, where Jimmy's strong, he's getting a ball going in the middle. Now, sometimes I'll get fooled by a buzz linebacker and not see him. Eric Kendricks.

He's done it all times. And that's why his picks look so bad because they hit him right in the hands. But I think this linebacking crew, and even their base guys have a hard time disengaging. Yeah. I see Wilson get stuck on blocks. I see Hitchens get stuck on blocks. Even Raglan, who's one skill to me as a run player, he gets stuck on. They can't shed.

Neiman's a run-around guy that you can lay on. I like Sorensen. I think he's a great player. But he's, you know, he's going to play a 208-pound. Trust me, every scoutsman trying to get rid of that guy for years. He's a good player. So that's the weakness of their team, I would say, is to attack them. But it's answering your question, you know, Kyle showed his hand.

Yeah. If he can run it, he'll run it, he'll get four yards. I mean, you know what? The other commonality of this game, not just the 49ers of 84 beaten Marino, the New York Giants of 90 beating the K-gun with Belich. and what did they do? How good was that offense? I was young.

I don't remember. It was fantastic. But they scored 19 points. And what did what did Parcells do? They ran O.J. Anderson down their ass all day. The time of possession in that game was 40 to 20. So the best way to stop that bills off. And they look at the numbers, the bills offense.

Was Jim Kelly the player, though, this guy is? Was Jim Kelly a good player overrated a little? I thought he was overrated. Okay. I mean, Houston Gamblers, USFL. See, I've seen some people. I know, I know Trent Dilfer said that he sees a little Denver, Seattle, the blowout game. My issue with that, though, Peyton's a sitting duck because he can't move.

This kid can move. So to me, it's just horrible. Last night, a blown call changed a game. This morning, the internet lost its mind. Highlights are trending, opinions are flying, and nobody's telling you exactly what happened. That's where Sports Slice comes in. I'm Timbo. Every episode, we're cutting through the noise, breaking down the plays, the controversies,

and the stories behind the headlines. We go straight to the source, the athlete themselves, their locker room stories, their reactions, the stuff nobody gets to hear. The laughs, the drama, the triumphs, the moments that never make the highlight real. From viral moments to historic games, from buzzer beaters to controversial calls, we break it down, give you context and ask the questions everybody wants answered. Sports Slice brings you closer to the action with stories told by the people who live them. Listen to Sports Slice on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. more, follow Timbo Slic Life 12 and the TikTok podcast network on TikTok. Welcome to my new podcast, Learn the Hardway with me, your host, and your favorite therapist,

Keer Games. And in recognition of Mental Health Awareness Month, I'm bringing over a decade of my own experience in the mental health field and conversations with so many incredible guests. I'm talking, Tripp Fontaine, Ryan Clark. Sometimes when we're in the pursuit of the thing, we get so wrapped up in the chase that we don't realize that we are in possession of the thing. and we're still chasing it and we don't know when we've done enough

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Search Learn the hard way and listen now. What's up, guys? This is Clever Taylor the 4th. And on my podcast, The Cliverts Show, I'm bringing you conversations about all kinds of stuff. Like being an internet famous referee. We're in the middle of a game. This linebacker, this linebacker walks up to me.

He goes, hey, ref, my mom wants you to wave at her. What? Time out. Quarterback on office blue 42. Hey, rep, Mom, I'm a one. I want you to wave at her. What? Where's she at?

Hey, Miss Parker. Listen to the Clifford show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. Hey, it's Edwin Castro, also known as Castro 1021. And I'm Conky, his best friend and business manager. And we've got a new show called The 1021 Podcast. I'm taking you behind the scenes on how I became one of Twitch's most popular streamers. We also love sports.

And with the World Cup right around the corner, we'll be breaking down the biggest storylines ahead of the big tournament here in the USA. Listen to the 1021 podcast on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. To blow them out because he can move. That would be my, I'm not saying that they might not win by 15. But I don't think you could see a Chiefs game looking like that.

Well, here's the other side of it. Say Kansas City does score in the 30s. You don't think the 49ers could score? Well, they can't. They laid 48 on New Orleans. So they don't want to play like that, though, right? That's not their terms. But they could, if they have to, hell, whatever's required.

If Kansas City scores 41, we've got to score 42. If Kansas City scored 17, they're in trouble. The Niners could be fine. Right. But even if Kansas City scores a big number. So when you break it down, the 49ers can beat you running the ball. They can beat you throwing the ball. They've done both.

Their defense can shut your running. game down, they can shut your pass game down. Jimmy's thrown like 20 passes in a month. What is the one aspect of these match up when you size them up, the one unit that is lacking? Kansas City's defense. Now, I know they've gotten better

over the last 10 games. Chris Jones a good player. Let's find out. Frank Clark's a good player. Chris Jones, I think you can run him, you know, another aspect of this game is tempo is no huddle. Yeah. And also, you know, the Super Bowl is

famous for gadget plays because you have an extra week to prepare. You know, Breschallie special. Breschard Breland will double move him. He will take the cheese on some action. You can do exotic things with jet sweepers, throw on the ball, or reverses, or the Super Bowl just historically, because you're just, you'll watch every game they play. I mean, you do anyway. But in the Super Bowl, that extra week, you just, sometimes you over-cook it in your

But I think you also get a little more gadget plays. Like go back to Pittsburgh when they won Super Bowl 40 that Antoine Randallel passed to Heinz Ward. Wasn't that the way it went? No, they beat the Cardinals? When they beat Seattle, when they beat Seattle. Oh, in the mid-2000. Yeah, Super Bowl 40.

Gotcha. Cowher Super Bowl. That game was stuck in the mud. Slow scoring game. Fast Willie broke a big run. But where they popped that game, I think it was Aryans. me malarkey. Just a creative offensive coordinator.

And, you know, Antoine Randallelaw could throw him a quarterback in college. So they ran, you know, he threw the ball. I mean, just, and the Patriots have done that. Throw the ball to Brady. Remember Matt Ryan caught one? Yeah. Or Nick Foles. Nick Foles.

Yeah, I mean. Got a statue. Catch one down the sideline in that. Or Ryan. I think they did that later. They tried it for Brady. Or maybe. Brady went off his fingertips, right?

Did Nick catch two balls in that game? Or did Ryan? catch what did Kyle do it? Remember Brady just missed one off his finger in that game? It was the game they lost. It was Philly. It was the game they lost. It was probably the foals before the Philly special. So anyway, I'm just, I mean... You get some weird shit happening.

Onside kicks with the Saints in the open up first half. Yeah, second half to clip that game. I mean, this is a game you're laying it all out. And you know what else is a big in this game? His quarterback's running. Go back and watch Joe Montana. Keeping plays alive with his legs. Well, you hit that back foot. Holmes did it last week. And you just don't feel

like you can hit that third down. He can't fit it in. You're not going to risk it. Yeah. Mahomes is their leading rusher in the playoffs. He had two games over 50. Carapolo, Jimmy will lay out and die. This is it, man. There's no game to heal up for next week. You're not playing again until September.

What's it like for broadcast? Empty the kitchen sink? I'm going to blow out my larynx at the opening kickoff. I mean, are you, I'll get you out of here on this. I'll be fine. As a broadcaster, though, I mean, this is the mecca, right? I mean, there's no event. Because even a World Series you might not get to Game 7.

It's just. Yeah, it's one game, and it's the biggest event. It's the pageantry of it. The history. And you know what's nice about just, you know, it's my first time being at a radio row, John, where I'm calling the game as the voice of the team. When the Raiders went to Super Bowl 37, we didn't have two weeks between the game. It was one week.

Wow. And I remember doing my radio show, but I did it from the team hotel. So I wasn't on a radio role. Well, I got more access to players because they were at the, off the, feel it was it was just different it was more sterile to be around it and so you know i love the history of the game i've watched every for super bowl i remember watching live as super bowl four and the chiefs won their only super bowl so i've watched everyone and then just to me this is just a football festival of overload where then you know when the week is over we're in years past i'm

sad because i typically do radio rather than fly home and watch the game and home with my family now my family's flying here and we're going to go broadcast the game And it's, you know, chance for this great franchise to get their sick. So I'm having a great, great week and a great season. Thanks for coming on. Have a great call. Thank for you, brother. Love you.

See you great. Be good, man. Adoption of teens from foster care is a topic not enough people know about, and we're here to change that. I'm April Dinwiddy host of the new podcast, Navigating Adoption, presented by Adopt U.S. Kids. Each episode brings you compelling real-life adoption stories told by the families that live them with commentary from experts.

Visit Adoptuskids.org slash podcast or subscribe to navigating adoption presented by Adopt U.S. Kids. Brought to you by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Children and Families and the Ad Council. 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. 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.

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He knows his stuff. You know, he kind of talks like a coach. He likes football more than me. I don't know anyone. You know, sometimes broadcasters, I think they think they like it. They don't like it like that. This guy,

likes sports just in general, probably more than any human I've ever met. I live for him. I clearly I'm on the high end as well. He likes him more, and especially football. That guy watches so much football. So, you know, for the one Super Bowl that he made with the Raiders, it was a long time ago. And then they were so terrible for so long. And the butt of every joke, he gets hired by the Niners.

Let's, you know, this isn't meant to be a shot if you're a Raider fan out there, but they're a much bigger brand. They're just a much bigger organization. And first year goes Super Bowl. So, you know, he got fired from the Raiders as well. He had a, the irony, too, is that he made the owner mad. He held it as a radio show because he said they shouldn't hire Mike Shanahan because Mike Shanahan had a beef with Al Davis and Al Davis was his guy.

And now he works for the team that has, Mike Shanahan's son, Kyle, but he liked Mike Shanahan. It was more just the disrespect for Al, Mark Davis, really petty. Raiders fired him. And, yeah, you know, small world. Luckily, he lived in an area where there's two NFL teams, and the Niners are like, well, you're a guy. And now one year in, he's in the Super Bowl.

Let's go a couple of middle coffee mailbags. I got to get a little more active on Insight. I told people I was going to be all over the place on Instagram doing the Super Bowl. I'll try to get better as the week goes. Okay, let's bang out a couple questions. At John Middlkoff of my Instagram. It's where you get in. After months of listening, great show content.

I just followed you on Instagram and guess what? You don't look how I thought you would look. So that means I look fantastic, huh? Question, how many years, if even measurable at this stage, do you think the Giants are from contending for the next NFC championship game? I'd say at least two. And that's best case. To me, the only chance they are even remotely close

is if Daniel Jones flips the switch and becomes. a pro bowl level quarterback in the next two years. And I just think Jason Garrett's the O.C. You got Joe Judge, which we know nothing about besides a special team's coach. There's a lot of questions. A lot more questions right now than answers on the New York Giants. But you got Sequin, so at least enjoy that. Do you think the Giants can become a super –

God, we've got a lot of Giants fans. Become a Super Bowl contender with Gettelman as the GM. I'm doubtful with some of his baffling decisions and quotes of the media, but he does seem capable of drafting good players, at least. Thank you for the podcast. Well, I think actually it's a two-part question. I think it's Daniel Jones going to have to be dramatically better, and Joe Judge is going to have to be a good coach.

And I just think our unknown on Joe Judge, I can't even begin to have an opinion. You know, I thought regardless of what I think of his press conference, it doesn't mean a damn thing. Because I hated LaFleur's press conference. Six months later, or eight months later, or whenever, I guess it would have been like nine, because it was actually, yeah, longer than that. A year later, he was in the NFC championship.

game. So I'm, what press conferences, regardless, it's just a media take. I don't know. I know nothing about his coaching ability. Absolutely nothing. So it's going to be on him being good. Big Charger fan from Philly and the Chargers officially moving on from Phil, who should they take? I would trade up for Tua, but that usually isn't what Tolesco does. Herbert seems like the safe pick here, but I've been hearing a lot of buzz on Jordan Love. I don't think you can move on from Philip Rivers to Jordan Love. To me, it has to be Herbert or it has to be Tua. My guess would it becomes Herbert. But it's kind of clear that they like Herbert, so it's already getting out there.

I'd be careful. Teams are going to trade up for these guys. As I said, I think three of them are going to go in the top five, and I'd have to double-check the draft. But aren't the Charters draft in sixth? So they're going to have to get up a couple spots. Now, the good thing about being six doesn't cost you that much to get to three or two. Right? When you're at 18, to get to three or two, it's a lot.

When you're at six, it's just, you know, a couple twos. Love the show, but last week's Friday episode and this week's, Monday episode aren't showing up on the three and out section on Apple Podcasts. Thought I'd let you know. They're showing up on the Collins' herd section. I thought I'd listen to mine on, not listen, but a check, just updated it the other day that it was on the three and out podcast section. So I don't know.

If it's not, I'm sorry. I don't know what to tell you. Good thing is, we got a little dual feed. You can always go to Colin. Where do you see Phillip Rivers going? Is there any chance the chargers trade up into the top five and take two of Herbert? Yep. Are the Jags a possible landing spot for free agent quarterbacks?

No. The Foles experiment failed miserably, and I don't think anyone sees Minchue as a long-term starter. I think the question is of Philip Rivers, where does he go? I think you have some, is he better than Ryan Tanyhill right now? I don't know. I thought Philip Rivers looked pretty washed. Would James, James throws a lot of picks, but he is a really explosive player, is Philip that level explosive. Carolina, you know, would they cut Cam and go with him? I don't know. I think there are a lot more questions than answers right now. And I really, don't have a good feel. Would John Gruden be interested? To me, the Raiders, Tampa, Tennessee, if he truly becomes a free agent, meaning they don't franchise him, I think we'll all kick the tires and talk to him about options. He clearly will be a starting quarterback. I think the Chicago Bears,

I mean, Mr. Bisckey, even as bad as Philip Rivers was in 2019, I would take Philip Rivers with one leg over Mr. Biscay in a heartbeat. Are there any other questions? I've been wondering your opinion. I got an ultimate. What do you think about AUD? I've been wondering your opinion on the ultimate Frisbee and the professional league for a while, and since Fox agreed to show the game this week, I felt like it is being taken more seriously. I'll be honest. I don't know if this is a complete joke or not. I didn't know that professional Frisbee was a thing. I have no takes because I've literally never seen it. I've never played it. I've never seen it. But if you're being serious and Fox does have it, I will check it out. I will definitely

check it out. Appreciate everyone listening. Be back again on Friday and just keep swinging, getting ready for this game. Adios, Godspeed. Talk to y'all soon. Enjoy the week. Get ready for the Super Bowl. Let's go. See you. If you love to be remembered as the person who gives the best birthday gifts, I'm here to tell you that 1-800flowers.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 1-800flowers.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. Last night, a blown call changed a game. This morning, the internet lost its mind, and nobody's telling you exactly what happened. That's where Sports Slice comes in. I'm Timbo, and every episode we're cutting through the noise,

breaking down the biggest moments in sports and giving you the real story behind the headline. And we're going straight to the source the athletes themselves. Their locker room stories, their reactions in the moment, and the stuff nobody gets to hear.

Listen to Sports Slice on the Iheart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more, follow Timbo Sliced Life 12 in the TikTok podcast network on TikTok. 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, S&L'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. What's up, guys? This is Clever Taylor the 4th. And on my podcast, The Cliverts Show,

I'm bringing you conversations about all kinds of stuff. like being an internet famous referee. We're in the middle of a game. This linebacker walks up to me, he goes, hey, ref, my mom wants you to wave at her. What? Quarterback on office blue 42. Hey, rep, my mama want you to wave at her.

What? Hey, Miss Parker. Listen to the Cliverts show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. What's up, Fam? 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 part of you. You just understood. That's how personal it got. Wow. Then after that game 7, Mark 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. This is an IHeart Podcasts. Guaranteed human.