The Herd with Colin Cowherd - 3 and Out - Early Joe Judge Red Flags; Alex Smith Determination; D.K. Metcalf Breakout Star; Brady's Arians Adjustment; Mailbag

Episode Date: August 18, 2020

In this episode, John dives into the beginning of training camp by looking at some early red flags from the beginning of Joe Judge's first Giants camp, why he's inspired by Alex Smith's determination to comeback from a near leg amputation, why he thinks D.K. Metcalf is about to breakout as a superstar wide receiver, and why he thinks Tom Brady will handle the adjustment of switching from Bill Belichick's to Bruce Arians coaching style. He also answers listener questions in the Middlekauff Mailbag. 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. 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. On the Look Back at it podcast. For 1979, that was a big moment for me. 84 was big to me. I'm Sam J. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick a year, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it.

With our friends, fellow comedians, and favorite authors. Like Mark Lamont Hill on the 80s. 84 was a wild year. It was a wild year. I don't think there's a more important year for black people. Listen to look back at it on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is a win. A win is a win.

I don't care what I'm saying. Yep, that's me, Clifford Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, my basketball and college football journey, or my career in sports media. Well, now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfilled conversations with athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. So let's get to it. Listen to the Clifford show on the I Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok podcast network on TikTok.

Thunderstruck adjective. Shocked and amazed by the power of fun on Carnival. Riding Bolt, the world's first roller coaster at sea. Brian got thunderstruck so hard, his 93-year-old grandmother felt it 3,000 miles away in Nebraska and immediately booked a cruise. Hooray! Get fundersruck starting at 289. Carnival, choose fun.

Cruises run U.S. dollars per person double occupancy. Taxes fees, import expenses, additional restrictions, apply. Full details on carnival.com, ships, registry behind us Panama. What is going on, everybody, John Middlecove, three and out podcast. Back at it again. August 17th, recording this bad boy, and we got football. Now, not actual football because we don't have to be. preseason games this year, but we have people in football paths in the National Football League

practicing. And with that, we get a lot of stories come out, and it makes my job easier. And it makes you guys hopefully interested in football, and we got less than a month before the NFL season kicks off, even in this crazy year that they call Corona 2020. But we got a lot going on. And from Tom Brady and Bruce Ariens to Alex Smith's incredible comeback story to, you know, a player in the NFL that took off at the Combine a year ago and I think might be on the kind of cuss of becoming a superstar. Something I saw today, a story once training camps, like once actual practices started and I met this guy at the Combine, new coach, but man, I have red flagged.

I did not like some of the stories that I've seen coming out of this training camp. just it doesn't fly with me. And then of course, the Middlecoff mailbag at John Middlecoff is my Instagram handle. You come in my DMs, you ask me a question, and you get on the show. It's the millennial version of collars. It's how we, it's the people show, and it's how you guys get involved. And then also, if you guys listen on Collins feed, I'd greatly appreciate, subscribe to the podcast on Apple, iTunes, and leave a review.

If you like the show, I greatly appreciate it. And please leave a review. Tip my hat to you. Okay, I saw something today that made me a little worried. And I want to like this guy. I went up on my own, introduced myself to him at the combine because we have a mutual friend. And he's the head coach for the New York Giants Joe Judge.

He's an impressive guy when you're just having a one-on-one conversation with him. He's obviously worked for two of the best ever in Belichick and Nick Sabin. He has a very, very good resume working for those two individuals, constantly being elevated and be given more responsibility under their watch. But the headline I saw today made me more than shake my head. It made me think that if I was a betting man and I could bet against this guy, that I would bet the house. Because when I see these type things,

and pet peeve of mine is in professional sports, It's more in basketball when you get technical fouls, when they tee guys up for swearing. Like, this is not Little League. This is not high school. We're not teaching life lessons in the pros. And this happened a couple weeks ago. Justin Thomas got caught swearing on the air

and the broadcast has to apologize. Hey, everyone watching. If you're watching, if you're a referee, these are games for a lot of money. The PGA championship, the purse was $11 million. NBA playoff games, reputations, and legacies are on the line for life. So, yeah, occasionally a guy's going to drop an F word. That always bothers me.

I also don't like when coaches, in the pros, in college is a little different, treat their players like they're not professionals. Now, listen, the Giants, and I think Giants fans would agree, right now are a train wreck franchise. They are a disaster. You could argue both franchises are kind of in shambles. But we're just talking about the Giants who historically have been

one of the stalwarts for the league, one of the biggest cash cows for the league, and over the last couple decades, won a couple Super Bowls, beat Belichick. I mean, just one of the staples of the NFL. These last couple years have been, not just ugly, they've been embarrassing. So they've had basically their last two coaches, right?

What, lasted two years? I mean, Schumer was the last couple years was a joke. And I could have told you that before, once you got rid of McAdoo, you're basically just hiring another McAdu who'd been a head coach before, but we know it was going to be terrible. And it went as predicted, awful. We all could have seen that coming. Now you could say, didn't have any talent, Gettleman, whatever.

But so you hire Joe Judge from New England. One problem with the New England guys, they've struggled to be themselves. They've struggled to not try to just emulate and copy Belichick, which I understand. Like I get people sometimes like, you're just, you sound a lot like coward.

Well, maybe it's because I've been listening to Colin for 15 years. And I have a lot of, and I try to, you know, he's been the most inspirational individual in terms of my media career by a mile. But I also,

if you meet me, outside of just recording a podcast I know a lot of you just know me through this you would say you act exactly like you talk I am I try to be very authentic I despise let me repeat I hate frauds

I can't stand frauds people that say one thing and do another I despise hypocrites I have no patience I have no place in my life for those type individuals That's why I think politics on both sides, it's just so fake.

The whole thing is just bullshit. Now, it's not because it affects our lives, right, with their policies and taxes and all that stuff. But I'm one of those guys, I say it all the time, like, they're both doing the same thing. They just pick different issues, but it's just all fake. It's just, it's just so bullshit. And we've all worked with people that just, you know, they get called brown. to me there's a difference between brown nosing like you know when I worked for

Andy Reed or Pat Hill or Harry Roseman I was probably extra night I was trying to do the right thing you're working for someone trying to be on like your best behavior as a young employee in your 20s you know you'd probably act different as you get older as you get more comfortable

there's a difference between a guy that just says one thing to one guy says another thing to another guy and you're just like you're a complete fraud now I don't think the Belichick guys I don't think Eric Mangini is necessarily a fraud. I think he just copied Belichick. I don't think Scott Pioli was a fraud when he went to Kansas City.

I just think he copied Belichick. So this is what Belichick would do. Instead of going, what would I do and use the principles that Belichick taught me? Right? Remember there was a big article in the Kansas City Star when Pioli, it was before he got fired, but was kind of going through turmoil,

and he left a Snickers wrapper, in the stairwell where every employee had to go to their office and no one picked it up for two weeks and he freaked out. It's just like, bro, you're trying a little too hard, man. Manjini, same thing, like asking guys with the Browns and the Jets, who was the starting right guard for the 1981 team. Like, bro, you're not Belichick. So when I see the Joe Judge, two things.

Listen, it's sports. So when you screw up, if you make a guy do push-ups, even in the pros, I don't have a problem with that. To me, that's pretty normal. Teams do that in college and the pros. You throw an incompletion, you drop a ball, you do five, ten push-ups. You could argue that's kind of cheesy, but to me that's kind of normal. I'm not saying every coach does that, but I'd have no problem doing that.

But when I read two things today, and the first one, my jaw just went like, I wouldn't say hit the floor, I guess my reaction was like, this is a clown show. that when you screw up as a player or a coach, you have to run. Like, what are we doing? Bro, this ain't Little League. This is the big leagues, Joe. I know you almost ended up in Mississippi State,

but you can't do this at the New York Giants. You can't make, and listen, Freddie Kitts is going to be run a lot of laps. But there's not a coach on the Giants that I would imagine that makes less than $100,000. There are probably several coaches, Jason Garrett, their defensive coordinator, their special teams coordinator,

that are making seven figures. And there are probably several coaches on the staff making anywhere between $4,000, $500,000. Part of being a football coach is establishing a hierarchy, the head coach to the assistance over the players. Just so it's just easier to operate. Now, just because you're the head coach,

just because you're the manager in an office, just because you're the boss, doesn't mean that the people under you immediately respect you. maybe 40, 30 years ago it did, but I'd say in 2020, more than any time in the history of the world, you kind of got to earn our respect

if, you know, I'm working for you. And you could argue that's just human nature. You are naturally going to have to gain the respect of the people you're coaching, the people that, you know, are working for you, whatever. And it's a process, right? It just, it takes time. But when you do things like

make a coach run a lap. To me, that lesses the credibility with your own players. I saw Sterling Shepard said, yeah, I don't think I've ran a lap since middle school. Sterling Shepard didn't play at some Division III school. He played at Oklahoma. He played for Bob Stoops and Lincoln Riley. Like, he knows what high-level shit looks like.

We can make fun of Jason Garrett all we want, and he's not some dynamic scheme guy. But Joe Judge, You're going to make Jason Garrett run a lap? Here's what I know. I don't think you know more than Jason Garrett. And I'm not saying Jason Garrett's great. Like, he deserved to get fired.

But give me a break. And then when I see that he says that they haven't earned the right to have their names on the back of the jersey, so every player on the team had their name taken off the back of their jersey, that might be even dumber than the laps. I understand, like, taking decals off helmets, right? It's kind of a collegiate thing to do. You haven't earned the right to have the decal on the helmet.

But like, if I'm Daniel Jones and I'm 24, 23 years old, like, I'm Daniel Jones. This has been my name for 24 years. I'm Sequin Barclay. Right? Like, that's, Barclay's my name. If I haven't earned the right to be a giant, if I'm Daniel Jones, you want to take the decal, okay. Take my name off. Here's the other thing.

Think how counterproductive that is. It's not like you've been in OTAs with these players. You've seen them through Zoom. But when you get to the practice field, they're in shoulder pads and a helmet. It's hard to tell who's who, especially guys not named Seguan Barkley. It's a big reason in training camp,

like when I was with the Eagles, especially when I was at Fresno State and a lot of colleges do this, when you have new players, sometimes they put tape on the helmet with like Johnson or the name so the coaches can identify who the guy is. Just so you know, we can be more efficient?

Is this guy running a little league operation for the New York Giants? I would understand if this was the Jacksonville Jaguars. I'd be like, yeah, of course. Clown show, joke. If I'm John Mara and I walked out to practice, and I saw, even if I saw Freddy Kitchens, it'd be pretty funny seeing Freddy Kitchens run a lap,

and I would imagine he's going to have to run some laps. But Jason Garrett running a lap in the middle of practice because Joe Judge made him run a lap, I would contemplate firing the guy. I seriously would. I would think to myself, This is the dumbest shit I've ever seen in my entire life. And I've just seen Pat Shermer and I've just seen Macadoo.

So I've seen some dumb stuff. But this takes the cake. I'm all for setting the tone, you know, changing a culture. It's hard. But how about we just compete in practice? How about we, you know, coach up these mistakes in the film room? Running a lap as a coach, you know, basically demasculating the coach physically in front of the player. Like, do you know what Bill Walsh used to do?

he'd play psychological games. He wouldn't yell at the player because he didn't want the player to go into the tank. He knew his assistant coaches could handle it. So what he'd do is Mike Holmgren was his quarterback coach. He'd light into Mike Holmgren or Mike Shanahan or George Seifert.

Then he'd know that that entire position group, that entire offensive unit would go, I don't want to see Mike Holmerin get just his ass ripped in front of the entire team. We won't screw that up again. And Bill, I think at the end of his career, We talked about this, it was like a psychological move. He didn't hate the coaches or whatever.

He did it to motivate his team. To me, making your coach run is just, it's not just counterproductive, it's just moronic. It makes zero sense. I also think taking the names out of the back of the jersey is also less efficient. Your coach is Jason Garrett doesn't know half the team. You know, it just doesn't make any sense.

And I think sometimes these guys get these jobs, And just like anything, you know, a lot of people get jobs based on resumes, based on transcripts. The real world is not played on paper. It's not academia. It's not based on theories on a chalkboard. It's actually in a meeting room, in a, you know, in a pitch room, in a football, you know, on the grass as a football coach. Like, it happens in real life. and you have to actually then interact with actual people.

And you can't, all the theories and stuff, you told the owner and the stuff you wanted to do, all the things you've been talking about in your head that I would do different from Belichick, you eventually got to do it. And I would say that this team's going to suck. They're going to be really, really bad. And I think you've seen a recent example

of a guy that left Belichick and went to a team that sucks. And that's the Detroit Lions. And he does a lot of stuff like this. Makes them practice outside. when you know they play in a dome like I get it Patricia you want your team to be tougher we all want our teams to be tougher

but if you're playing Sunday in the dome it doesn't make any sense to practice outside on a Wednesday that would be counterproductive you can't tell me Belichick would do that Belichick practices outside you know because Foxborough is outside if Belichick played in a dome he would practice inside

Why? Because that just makes sense. We're not reinventing the wheel here. This is not rocket science. It's football. And while the best coaches are dynamic on game day, I think a lot of times the worst coaches try to be dynamic during the week. Instead of just...

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. Podcast Superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth.

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

Well, somewhere along the way, this platform became bigger than I ever imagined. And now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfiltered conversations with some of your favorite athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated.

One week, I'll take you behind the scenes of the biggest moments in sports and entertainment, and the next we'll talk about life, mental health, purpose, and even music. The Clifford Show isn't just a podcast. It's a space. For honest conversations, stories that don't always get told, and for people who are chasing something bigger.

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

I know what you're thinking. What the hell does George Bush got to do a little kill? Well, you can find out on the Look Back at it podcast. I'm Sam J. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick it here, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it. Including a recent episode with Mark Lamont Hill waxing all about crack in the 80s. To be clear, 84 was big to me, not just because of crack.

I'm down to talk about crack on day, but just so y'all know. I mean, at this point, Mark, this is the second episode where we've discussed crack. so I'm starting to see that there's a through line. We also have AIDS on the table right now. Thank you for finishing that sentence. Yes. I don't think there's a more important year for black people. Really?

Yeah. For me, it's one of the most important years for black people in American history. Listen to look back at it on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Welcome to my new podcast, Learn the Hard Way with me, your host, and your favorite therapist, Kear Games. And in recognition of mental health awareness,

this 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're doing. you here on earth? Are you a good person because you're afraid? Because that's two different intentions, bro. Absolutely. And that's two different levels of trust. I want you to just really

be a good person. Join me, Keer Gaines, is we have real conversations about healing, growth, fatherhood, pressure, and purpose on my new podcast, Learn the Hardway. Open your free Our Heart Radio app. Search Learn the Hardway and listen now. Trying to be efficient. Trying to interact and get to know their players. One thing I saw with Andy Reid, he got to to know guys. He treated people like professionals. And obviously he's a dynamic schemer, but the most basic level of their relationship is he could just be friendly with a player. He didn't ask them to do things that he wouldn't be willing to do. He wouldn't tell, you know, Matt Nagy or Doug Peterson to do a lap because they called the wrong play. Again, that's the

dumbest thing I've ever heard of. Thunderstruck adjective, shocked and amazed by the power of fun on carnival. Riding Bolt, the world's first thing. roller coaster at sea. Brian got thunderstruck so hard, his 93-year-old grandmother felt it 3,000 miles away in Nebraska and immediately booked a cruise. Hooray! Get thunderstruck starting at 289.

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Okay, let's dive into Alex Smith. And Alex Smith, he was cleared for practice and he's back. And this video went viral of his wife and his kids sprang and champagne. It looked like as he was headed to practice for the first time he was ever going to be able to practice since 2018, I think middle of November. So it's been, you know, not that far away from being two years removed from the injury. And if you haven't seen the E60, I would highly recommend either YouTube it, find it on TV, you know, DVR, however, you search it, on-demand it. It is fantastic. Now, it's an eye-opener, and it's a tough watch just because of how bad his leg

injury was. But there is one word that comes to mind when it comes to Alex Smith. And it was something that I saw, I'm not a huge TED Talk guy. I don't pretend to be one of those guys that writes like, I love Ted Talks on my LinkedIn profile. Like no. But I will watch. If something's going viral, I'll dabble into something.

And I'll never forget when I stumbled upon Angela Duckworth, who I didn't even know who it was. And I think enough famous people, you know, when I say famous people, like successful business people had recommended the book. I'd seen different places, maybe the Wall Street Journal, and she had written this book on grit and why it was the most successful attribute for, you know, the most important attribute

for successful people. And I've read the book, and she basically was a psychologist that did in-depth studies on what makes people successful in any walk of life. And I think most of us, when we're young, think it's like just God-given talent, intelligence slash IQ, whatever. There's a ton of things,

that you think that would lead to success. And she says, bottom line, if you don't have this, it's hard to succeed. And it's grit. And I know this. Listen to Colin Sunday or Saturday podcast this weekend with Dana White. I met Dana White really briefly at the Super Bowl. I just went up and introduced myself.

I'm not even a big UFC fan, but I like that guy. And if you listen to Colin Saturday podcast, it's fantastic. He's a gritty SOB. He just refuses to lose. And one of the thing Colin talks about on that podcast, like you Boston guys, I think Dave Portnoy with bar stools a lot like that. There was just a level of grit.

You do not need to be the most educated guy in the room. You do not need to be the most talented guy in the room. You know, it's just the grit determination and just refusal to lose. I say it all the time about Tiger Woods. Tiger Woods, by the time he was like 30 years old, had hundreds of millions of dollars in the bank. By the time his Eelon hit him in the face with the club, he had 14 majors, right?

He had accomplished almost like high 70s PGA Tour wins. He'd accomplished everything you need to accomplish. Now he hadn't broken Jack's record. He has no business continuing to play right now. He has a fuse back. He has a reconstructed knee. He'd had a torn Achilles. I mean, he's a screwed up individual when it comes to being, you know, physically,

his body reads more like an NFL player than a golfer. Yet Tiger Woods is grit. I would put up against any athlete ever. Now I understand it's golf, but still, check out his injuries. They aren't normal golf injuries. He's built like a guy that played football in the 90s in terms of what he's had done to his body. And when I see Alex Smith, who from all, I mean, I know a lot of people that are around him. I know Coach Reed, Nagy, the guys in Kansas City, they love him.

They absolutely swear by Alex Smith. Mahomes, to this day, swears by Alex Smith. So as a person, Alex had his intelligence and high-level character going for him. He had that going for him to begin with. With the 49ers, he was like booed off the field in the late 2000s. They chanted for David Carr to take over because they thought he was faking an injury. Meanwhile, he had like dislocated his shoulder. And ultimately he had run through two of the dopiest coaches you'll ever meet.

Mike Nolan is just, I mean, give me a break. and Mike Singletary is, let's just face it, a laughing stock when it comes to a coach. He was recently fired at a high school. Like that happened, Mike Singletary, fired as a high school coach. Might be a nice guy, whatever, great player, horrendous coach. When Alex finally got a real coach in Jim Harbaugh, he never looked back. And he went from Jim to Andy to have like a seven-year career of being a, you know, a really, really good quarterback. A guy that could lead your team to the playoffs and who won playoff games.

Alex Smith won playoff game. So when I see Alex Smith come back from this injury and then I Google how much money has Alex Smith made in his career And I see the number $175 million He's made a $175 million Alex Smith when he got injured in Washington And the injury became so bad it became so infected Gangrene Listen I'm not a doctor.

school guy. I just watch this E-60 and you're just blown away. There was a shot of his leg where it looked like it was just bone. And he almost gave the go-ahead to the doctor to amputate his leg. I mean, Alex Smith was

giving a thumbs up to the doctor, it's okay to amputate my leg from being having one leg and having a prosthetic leg. And I think his wife, if I remember correctly, kind of talked him out of it and Alex was in a bad place, kind of got his mind right, and they decided to kind of plow through. He had to then have the Secretary of Defense sign off on Alex to go to Texas where wounded warriors who's had limbs blown off in the Middle East to rehab.

That's how bad it was. And now this guy gets, you know, okay to clear practice. I think it's one of the most gritty performances in the history of America. Now, you can say, listen, he's got a ton of money in the bank. He does not have to be doing this. I even think that's more impressive. In what world, if you were in his situation and had all that money, and accomplished what he'd accomplished?

He's been the number one overall pick. He's won playoff games, a ton of cash, he's gone to Pro Bowls. He doesn't need to prove anything to anyone. He's in his mid-30s. What is he, the Washington Redskins? His determination and his grit, like you could have re... Angela Duckworth could rename her book, Alex Smith. Because I don't think they'll be a player.

Now, listen, he's not the great. greatest player in the world. He's not Peyton Manning. He's not Tom Brady. He's not Aaron Rogers. But he's definitely, you know, nowhere near a middle of the road scrub. Like he was a legitimate starting quarterback who Andy Reid was rattling off 10, 12 win seasons for, you know, I think four of the five years Alex was a starter there. And I think it's one of the most impressive feats I've ever seen athletically in my 35 years of life. Because at this point in time. Like, Tiger, while I'm blown away always, but Tiger now when you see him move, like he is moving normally. Alex has to wear a sleeve over his lake. They put his calf muscle

in like front of his bone. You'll never see his leg. Now maybe eventually someone will take a picture in a locker room that will go viral, whatever, and Walby is just like, oh my God, but I hope we don't. I don't need to see that. I just can't have enough respect. Like, I couldn't have any more respect for this human being because he has no business like he doesn't need to be doing this but you can't

what's inside of that human being is something that we all kind of wish we had I would die to have that and I view myself listen to that I'm not trying to act like I have some huge ego or anything but I'm pretty gritty SOB but when I see something like that I go God he's on a completely different level than me

right? Most humans I know can't relate to that because if you gave me those type career earnings and you gave me even if I had somehow been able to walk again and make it to the wounded warriors area and paddle through and get to where I could walk, I don't know if I could have tried.

No, I'm pretty sure I just would have been like, listen, I would have retired from the NFL. And I think the majority of humans, even gritty humans, would have probably retired from the NFL. So this guy is just, you know, I think we all agree that, NFL players and hockey players, just the physicality of the sport, the injuries.

We all respect how physically tough they are. To me, this is on a completely different level, and I think the NFL is lucky to have a guy like Alex Smith still around. Okay, let's dive into a player that I think is about to become a star. Now, this player is famous, mainly because, and typically when this happens, when you become famous for something that happens in the offseason before you're drafted, I usually red flag you because it's usually like jumping out of a pool or like a dude pushing a truck up Mount Everest. I mean, we've seen it all at this point, right?

A dude carrying a house on a shoulder training. So it's like, listen, Sequin Barclay used to have videos that went viral of him squatting like 800 pounds. And then he'd gash Michigan, gash Wisconsin, gash Ohio. state. He always backed it up. And he was king of videos going viral for doing freaky stuff, but then he backed it up with great play. I don't pretend

to watch much Ole Miss football over the last several years. They've been really shitty. I watch Alabama. I watch LSU. I watch Georgia. I watch the really good teams. I watch the games that are on CBS out west at 1230. It used to be with Vern forever. Now it's with

I don't even know the play-by-play guy. But it's my favorite game. what it's, you know, LSU, Bama, right? Texas A&M, Auburn, Georgia, Florida. It's a great game. CBS pays hundreds of millions of dollars for the A.R. It actually pay a pretty cheap deal. I think it's going to ABC here in a couple years.

But it's been the number one television product on Saturdays for a handful of years now, beside the Ohio State, the big Ohio State games. And when the picture of D.K. Metcalfe went viral. I said, is this guy even human? We all laughed at it, right? because he made AJ Brown, who was the better player, in theory, and still might be, we'll see, he might be a star two,

look like me. I was like, what is, who is this guy? Is this guy, you know, in the strongman competition? He made David Boston look strong. And it turns out David Boston was just steroids. It just, it was like, what is this? And then he goes to the combine. He runs 4-2.

I start texting people. Is this guy going to go in the top 10? I got a lot of responses like LOL slash, that was really impressive. and then he gets drafted to Seattle Seahawks. And the one thing we know in football, basically like the opposite of baseball, it's not a plug-and-play sport.

I can trade for the best third baseman in baseball. Let's just say it's Matt Chapman of the Ace or Nolan Aeronado of the Rockies. And I need a third basement. I just plug that guy in a third base. I put him at third in my lineup, and he dominates. Let's say I need a number one starter.

There's no such thing as fit. I just go pay a guy, $300 million, Max Scherzer, Garrett Cole, and he's my ace. And he starts shoving it down your throat. Well, in football, if I run a zone running scheme

and I pick a guy that is not comfortable in the zone running scheme, he can be a really talented running back and look bad. Just like I can make a guy that can look pretty average on college film and put him in that zone running scheme, and he'll look good.

It's been happening for years. The Shanahan family has made a living half of it. fit. So the fit in football is very, very important. We definitely see it often on defense. Like some teams aren't comfortable with six three corners. Pete Carroll lives for him. There's a reason Richard Truman goes in the fifth round. Now, maybe he would have became a star anyway, but he went to the perfect fit in Seattle. And what I see with D.K. Metcalfe is, listen, I don't pretend. I watch some YouTube's of them when he got drafted, and the highlight tape can make anyone look sweet, and his highlight tape

look sweet. But I remember last year I went to the Monday night game at Levi Stadium against Seattle. And he had already been making some plays. And he was obviously on our radar again because of that picture. And then the video that went viral of Pete Carroll taking off a shirt. But it's fair to say that Russell Wilson is the best deep ball thrower in the league. He throws the most beautiful deep ball. Doesn't mean he has the strongest arm.

It doesn't mean he throws the hardest. he just throws the best deep ball in the league. And I think D.K. Metcalf, right now as I'm sitting here on August 17th, 2020, is probably the best deep ball. Maybe Stefan Diggs. I mean, he'd be on the short list of guys, if I had a deep ball thrower, like a Russell Wilson, that's what ultimately the bills want with Josh Allen. Now, he's got to complete those balls.

Russell does. But you know what I'm saying. D.K. Metcalf's on the short list of that league, you know, of the guys I'd want. Deshawn, for a long, long period of time was that guy. It's hard to find them. Because a lot of guys we see come through look fast. They don't necessarily look like D.K. But we've seen a lot of guys,

4-3, that are just hauling ass by corners. And then they can't catch a cold. Or they're just not that skill. They don't have good ball skills. But I've been seeing this guy go viral the last couple of days on social media. And then I've seen some headlines like D.K. Metcalf is stealing the show. But what I saw that night at the Monday night football game, because it was clear early on.

Like, this guy's pretty skilled, good. fit is Richard Truman was lining up over him and I was watching like I wonder if this guy's going to be a little intimidated by Richard and when they would go when they would because they run the ball a lot and D.K. would go right after him. Now he wouldn't necessarily win or whatever but he wasn't scared. I'm like I like this guy.

He ain't flinching against arguably one of the best if not the best corner in the league. Definitely the toughest corner in the league. Definitely a guy if you're not tough he's. He's going to intimidate you. And D.K. wasn't hesitating. And they were tossing each other around. I mean, DK is huge too. And I was like, God, I like this guy.

And then as the season went on, he kept making plays. In that playoff game against the Eagles, it was like, damn, he had 11 catches in the playoffs in two games. He obviously had 58 catches, seven touchdowns. I think we're looking at a future star. He's in the perfect fit. He's got a quarterback in the peak of his powers who does what he needs to him to do perfectly.

because I was texting with a player in the league who played against D.K. And I said, what did you think? And they're like, I was actually really impressed. He's pretty talented. But you can see laterally, he's going to be a little straight line. He's not going to be, you know, Antonio Brown or Julian Edelman. Like, he's not the most, I would say his change of direction is not great.

He's a little stiff. But in terms of the go, the post, anything deep breaking, he could dominate and he should and he might dominate at those routes because he's faster, he's bigger and he clearly has pretty good ball skills and then as a wide receiver

you're very dependent on the guy throwing you the ball. Well he's playing with a Hall of Fame quarterback that throws the go and the post as well as any quarterback in the league. So if he had 58 and 7 last year when they were kind of still forcing the run and I saw a quote from Russell Wilson

the other day like hopefully we can start approaching some of these games with the urgency that we have in the fourth quarter where we throw the ball all the time earlier in the game. So I think Seattle's point differential last year was atrocious. I swear someone told me the other day it was seven.

I don't want to... I'm in the middle of a rant. Don't want to Google it. But it was not great. They were constantly in tight games. Every single Seattle game looked the same. It was like a tie game with seven minutes left. And it shouldn't be that way

that they should take advantage of lesser teams. And a part of that, and I think a lot of, like, football people push back, Pete forces the run. We'll see, maybe they'll change a little bit. What will force them to change

is this guy, D.K. Metcalf, hauling ass down the sideline, wide open. Because you'll start throwing that ball to him. And I see, and I've seen this since they started even doing walkthroughs, the chemistry that Russell and DK.

Have already feels pretty special. Listen, I'm not, I'm more of a daily fantasy game. than a full year fantasy guy, but if you're a fantasy football, person. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal, but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential.

Either way, the podcast's Superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the IHard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what I'm saying.

Yep, that's me, CliverTaylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, the reactions, my journey from basketball to college football, or my career in sports media. Well, somewhere along the way, this platform became bigger than I ever imagined. And now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfiltered conversations with some of your favorite athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. One week, I'll take you behind the scenes of the biggest moments in sports and entertainment, and the next we'll talk about life, mental health, purpose, and even music.

The Clifford Show isn't just a podcast. It's a space for honest conversations, stories that don't always get told, and for people who are chasing something bigger. So, if you've ever supported me or you're just chasing down a dream, this is right where you need to be. Listen to the Clifford show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes,

follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. Do you remember when Diana Ross double-tap Little Kim's boobs at the VMAs? Or when Kanye said that George Bush didn't like black people. I know what you're thinking. What the hell does George Bush got to do with Little Kim? Well, you can find out on the Look Back at it podcast. I'm Sam Jette. And I'm Alex English.

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And you're going to draft. I would think about this guy relatively high. Because if you said, John, what would you imagine if D.K. really breaks through a big year for him would be, I'd be like, 88 and 12 touchdowns. I think we're looking at a star. And I think his teammate's going to be a star too, AJ Braes, college teammate, AJ Brown. You're looking at those two guys.

It'll be one of those Jarvis Landry-Odell Beckham situations where you look back and you go, how the hell did Noel Miss win more games? And this is often where in the scouting circles, we tend to think if a guy is being underutilized but he's really talented, we don't put much stock into whatever that coach says at that given program. We look at that coach go, yeah, you're probably screwing this up.

This is probably on you. You have way too much NFL talent here to be a 5-6 win team. Now, I know D.K. battles some injuries, and that's, you know, when you're that tightly built and that big, you know, pulling hamstrings and soft tissue injuries are always going to be something to monitor, sure looks like he was pretty healthy last year. It sure looks like these visuals I'm getting from the Seahawks' Twitter account. Again, take it with a grain of salt, but I saw him do this in games last year.

He looks pretty damn good. I think this is one of those guys, and it comes up on you fast, right? It just, whoa, all of a sudden he's an 80-90 catch guy. It happened with Michael Thomas, right? It happened, I think it was year three with DeMonte Adams. It just happens. And this guy's already on the radar because he had a good rookie season. And he's healthy. I just think the fit, I think just the chemistry that he already has with Russell, his physical attributes, and just how hard it is to play defensive back in 2020, right? You can't really hit him, so you can't really intimidate him. He's going to be bigger than every corner he goes up against besides Sherman. That we're looking at a star here.

D.K. Metcalfe. Pro bowler? Don't be shocked when it happens at the end of this year. Get right to the romance and find the way to wow this Valentine's with 1,800 flowers. 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 $39.99, 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. Look through your children's eyes to see the true magic of a forest. It's a small. 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. Brought to you by the United States Forest Service and the ad council. And we're live here outside the Perez family home just waiting for And there they go. Almost on time this morning. Mom is coming out the front door strong with a double-arm kid carry. Looks like Dad has the bags. Daughter is bringing up the rear. Oh, but the diaper bag wasn't closed. Diapers 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.gov slash the right seat. Brought to you by NHTSA and the ad council. Let's start with Tom Brady. and his new head coach Bruce Ariens. And we say this all the time, and we see this with social media, like, this would never happen in my office.

This is not how it works in the real world. Well, pro sports aren't exactly like the real world, and really sports in general. You know, the only corporate setting I've really worked for beside the NFL was in radio. And it's not like I had an office there in the sense of, I came in to do my show when I left. I wasn't there like eight to five.

But I have enough friends and family. I've seen enough television shows. Like, you're not getting yelled at consistently unless you work for, you know, crazy people on like Wall Street in an office job. You're not getting MFed when you screw up. Now, it doesn't mean you don't get in trouble or don't get reprimanded.

But if you've ever been to a practice, and I was lucky enough to go to Freso State practice for years, and then Philadelphia Eagles practice for years, and then because I've had multiple, teams in my backyard with the Niners and Raiders go to NFL practices as a member of the media for years. It's not a normal environment. Guys are constantly getting screamed at.

I wouldn't say it's uncomfortable because if you're in the football world, it's normal. But the reality is, I never mind getting screamed at and I was screamed at when I worked in college football. I was yelled at when I worked in the NFL. And a lot of times it was justified. Now, we're all humans when you're actually getting yelled at, for doing something wrong.

You don't love it. But certain people react better after the yelling ends. And luckily for me, I actually like direct confrontation. And people that I knew in football liked it too. But I've also met people that did not. We're all different. But here's what I do know. That Tom Brady came from an environment where there was daily direct confrontation.

He was held to the standard just like, the practice squad guy was held to the standard in New England. It was talked about for years. It was well documented that Tom Brady was treated no differently than every other player in the New England Patriots locker room. In team meetings, in practice situations, Bill Belichick, his standard was held as high as anybody. And he was liable to get screamed at for checking down to the wrong guy for throwing a pick, even though he doesn't throw that many picks, for whatever.

any sort of screw up he may have had. Just like the backup linebacker on special teams would get yelled at for leaving the lane or missing a tackle. And that is not normal. I think we've heard story after story that a lot of times the best player on the team or the best players on teams are treated differently. And that's always a place that like New England

really separated themselves from, right? The best player, not just on the team, but arguably in league history, was treated like he was an undrafted free agent every year, even after he had MVP's, Lombardies, Super Bowl MVP's. And I think most of us, I know just when I worked in the league, since I've been out of the league, I respected that. And I know Tim Duncan was always like that in San Antonio.

And it really separated those two franchises because the best player in the franchise could be treated like a guy trying to make the team and everyone falls in line from there and at the end of the day tom brady it just turned 43 or whatever could have gone to a place kind of had a little swan song right he's got a 50 million dollar contract go to a place where obviously he wants to win and have success but go to a coach that he could chill a little bit with and just go because you typically right when you break up with somebody or you know in the coaching profession when you fire a coach you usually go the opposite.

You then look for something or someone that has the attributes opposite of what you just got rid of because that's the reason, either a personal relationship, why you separated, a coaching relationship, what you thought that person wasn't doing well. Now, Bruce Ariens and Bill Belichick, their personalities are different.

Like when you go to the combine, you'll see Bruce Ariens throwing them back. Bruce Ariens wears Kangle hats. Bruce Ariens like swears, you know, in press conferences. Belichick doesn't say anything. He doesn't let anyone in. And really, even during game day,

Belichick, despite, you know, the camera always being on him, always kind of looks the same. He doesn't really yell that often. You know, I would say the way to describe Belichick on the sideline would be probably one of the most even keel coaches in sports history, not just in the NFL, but in all sports,

where Arients a little more up and down, definitely a screamer. But Aryans like Belichick screams at everybody. It's one of the things that once he became a head coach, and it's kind of crazy, that it took him, and really Mike Zimmer was the same, kind of old school coaches, they don't play politics, just like Belichick, though Belichick became a head coach much younger. But these two guys were just really candid,

and they just let you know what they see. They don't hold anything back. They're too old. I mean, they don't have time to be passive aggressive. When I think Bruce Ariens, I do not think passive-aggressive. And same with Belichick, despite them being different about the way they go about it. And a story that came out this weekend was Bruce Ariens was asked, do you still hold or treat Tom Brady?

You cuss at Tom Brady. He said, of course. And his example was, Tom's used to, in walkthroughs, throwing the football. We don't do that here. And I've let him know. And then Tom Brady on Twitter quoted a tweet with some laughy emojis. And at the end of the day, the thing I respect most about Tom Brady, one is just his drive and determination to be a great player is probably unmatched.

You know, in maybe sports history. I mean, he's 43. His legacy is longer and more distinguished than every other player in league history. He has nothing to play for, but he's still driven and still trying to win. You know, most human beings with hundreds of millions of dollars in the bank would probably just start drinking some beer and eating some ice cream. Tom's still eating avocados and still drinking smoothies and trying to win. And him allowing Bruce Ariens to scream at him, which could get a little weird.

Because I don't think any person right now could coach Tom Brady in the NFL. There'd be half the coached in the league that would just be intimidated by Tom Brady. I mean, he's Tom Brady. So when he walks in, he's going to be more famous than you. Now, there are a handful of coaches that would seamlessly do it, right? Sean Payton, Andy Reed, could handle it immediately. Maybe Pete Carroll. It would be a small list, though.

Most guys, like Tom, would have more equity and more juice in the locker room than the coach. And you could argue Tom Brady has more equity in juice just when a player sees him than Bruce Ariens. But I think the way Bruce Ariens just coaches is actually perfect for Tom. Now, I'm not talking schematically. And I've said over and over the challenge schematically is, it's, there's going to be a huge learning curve. And it might be a little more clanky than we think early on. Like it might not look great early on.

They did not have an offseason. You know, definitely in the last handful of years, they have been on polar opposites of the way they played. I don't want to, this is going to sound bad, but Tom's been more of a dink-and-dunk type quarterback. And I mean that, it sounds negative, but I don't mean it that way. He utilizes tight end.

He utilizes a slot receiver. and he throws the running back a lot. When I think Bruce Ariens, I think a guy throwing go routes and throwing bombs. Now, Tom has done that before, and he had one of the greatest seasons, if not the greatest season we've ever seen, throwing bombs in 2007.

But it's 2020, and the guy's 43 years old. So they're going to have to mesh this scheme, but I know this. Tom yearns for this type environment. Tom is that type of guy that wants to get yelled at, that wants to be pushed. and I think the best players, just like the best employees, just like, you know, the most successful people,

they want to be around people that kind of make them uncomfortable. And because when you're being pushed, it is a little uncomfortable. I don't care who you are, what you do. Getting yelled at is never easy. Whether you're a 10-year-old or whether you're Belichick's offensive coordinator in the Super Bowl. Like it's intense. Now, I do think as you get older, you develop kind of like a,

you know, like a coat. Like we say thick skin, but I just think you're able to let things just roll off your back. You don't take things as personally. You're not as emotionally up and down every day about comments and words. Because at the end of the day, you know, I say this all the time.

Words don't mean anything to me. I judge people off actions. So even if you're getting screaming, that a lot of times in football, people are getting yelled at. I mean, Bill Walsh was known to do this. He just yelled at the coaches to play mental games with the players. Because he wanted to yell at the coaches to put then pressure on the players that they didn't want their position coach to get yelled at,

then they would try harder. So he would often yell at those guys, even if they weren't wrong, to put pressure on the players. Because he also wanted the players to like him. It was kind of a genius psychological game. Now, Bruce Ariens ain't playing that. Bruce is just screaming at whoever. But I also think Bruce, for a guy that hasn't won a Super Bowl,

has a lot of credibility in the NFL. He's a guy that you go, when you say Bruce Ariens, you go, that's a big-time football coach. And listen, would Tom have ended up there if just Pat Schumer was the head coach of Tampa? Maybe because the offense was loaded. It was in Florida on the East Coast. His options were limited. The 49ers didn't want any part of them.

It might have been his only option. But I think it might just be the perfect fit, personality-wise. And as we've seen, not everyone can handle Bruce Arias. Look at the guys that could. Mainly been great players. Locke, Rathesberger, Carson Palmer. I mean, James, say what you want about him. I think he is pretty mentally tough.

Is he good enough at football? The jury's still out, clearly. But I think when it comes to Tom, when it comes to Bruce, when it comes to this environment, this is the type environment Brady thrives in. where everyone could be just be destroyed at any moment because that's New England

and that's Bruce Ariens and the reality is that is not every NFL team so this team is loaded offensively they got a ton of weapons but I think this type environment is Brady's sweet spot okay

let's do a little Middlecoff mailback at John Middlecough Instagram my Instagram handle shoot a follow but most importantly shoot a DM It's our equivalent of like radio callers. This is how we interact with the people in 2020 and on podcast. So fire me a question and you'll get it answered here.

Also, I hammer this home. You might think I'm crazy. Leave a review. It helps with our advertisers, helps with our business. You know, we got to keep this thing rolling. Shit ain't free. Okay, Mike. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out the formula for sustained success in the NFL.

Invest numerous resources in the offensive line to protect your quarterback and also strengthen your pass rush to neutralize the opposing quarterback. New Orleans, Philly, Pittsburgh, Baltimore, San Francisco, all come to mind. As a long-suffering Jets fan who has watched multiple GMs failed to address the trenches for the better part of a decade, it has been refreshing to see Joe Douglas followed the example of the league's best franchises. Well, where's he from? Learned in Baltimore and was in Philly.

My question is this, why do some general managers refuse to invest high picks and or free agent cash on their offensive lines and pass rush. Do they not value the lines or as much as other GMs is the offensive line talent scarce? Are some GMs just plain dumb? Appreciate your time and insight. Well, if we've learned anything, and I'm 35 years old, in watching sports, and I would imagine most people that are listening to this,

are obviously football fans, but probably sports fans too, either baseball or basketball or team sports, that just because you're a GM in pro sports, especially football, does not mean you know what you're doing. Might have meant like you're in with the owner, the coach liked you. I'm not saying you don't know football, but we have countless examples. Just because you become a GM in the NFL does not mean you can build a team. Or understand value in the draft.

Think like Gettleman a couple years ago. I love Saquan Barclay. Can't take Saquan Barclay number two overall. It doesn't make any sense. Again, love Saquan Barclay. take him number two overall. But I'm not here to just bang on Gettleman. My point is that a lot of general managers and, uh, is it Mike McCagnan?

I mean, he's a laughing stock. He was terrible. And he's your classic just, I mean, he'll never, ever sniff another GM job again. I also think when you said, is the offensive line talent scarce? Yes. As the offensive, uh, football in college has become, you know, predominantly just spread offenses, it's hurt the in, you know, the, you know, shit flows uphill in football. Like you, you, the talent that come, when it's not shit, I mean the talent, I just use

that example of, it doesn't start at the top and roll down. It actually starts like the talent comes from college football. So you need to get just the base level of talent in the draft. And when you think in recent memory, like the offensive linemen that have come to the league the last five years has not been on par with the defensive linemen that have come in the league. There's never been a longer list of better interior pass rushers. Think of some of the outside pass rushers that have come into the league. And up until this last draft, there haven't been very good offensive line drafts in the league.

And yeah, and I think some GMs, and listen, I'm a sucker for this as a fan, it's easy to get intoxicated by skill guys, whether it be wide receivers, whether it be corners, whether it just be people on the outside. And I'll never forget, we talked about this all the time when I was in Philly and just the people that I respect in the league, just watching them and their press conferences now, building the team up the middle. You know, your offensive line, your defensive line, your quarterback. You know, I'm actually a big believer in the linebacker,

a three-down linebacker, has never been more important. Because so many teams run zone schemes, you've got to play sideline to sideline. and then you have to cover now. Think how many running backs in the league are great pass catchers. So you have to cover out of the backfield. So I just think the game changes, the game adapts, and some people are quicker to adapt than others. Some people are slow, some people are hard-headed,

some people, you know, I don't know. They're not talented enough to see the big picture. I think a lot of humans in general are short-sighted. I think oftentimes two people, force needs and not take the best player. I think free agency can be complicated because whenever you enter free agency, you're paying a premium, and you're not receiving a premium because premium players don't hit free agency.

So you're paying, you know, $1.30 for a dollar. You're not, you're just not getting the best players because the best players get extended by their own team in the NFL. So when you're buying a guy in free agency, a top guy, right, quote unquote, quote top guy, but you got to pay big money, it's hard for that guy usually to live up to the contract. You know, there's a reason, like, the George Kittles, the Aaron Donalds, the Cleo Max,

like they get huge money and they just can stay good players because they don't leave. Now, obviously, Cleo got traded, but you know what, Fletcher Cox, just go around all the, Tyrone Smith, you know, who am I missing? You know, Holmes, just, Sean Watson, like really good players in the NFL,

never leave. What's up, man? From one podcaster to another, what did you do to make your career first take off? And what sort of tips would you advise to promote a podcast? People ask me this all the time, and I don't have a great answer. Because I've been in the podcast game now since about 2016, Haberman and Middilkoff, and I've done this podcast now for about two years. But my first, my kind of the Bay Area podcast, but we talk a little bit of everything, I mean, we talk a lot of 49ers, a lot of warriors, and just other big shit, whatever we're worried about.

We had a radio show. So when we started the podcast, we had an audience of just a base. You know, we didn't start at zero. We immediately, the first podcast we ever put out, you know, 2,500 people listened or whatever the number was five years ago. So they're just, immediately people were going to listen. And if you just start a podcast from scratch and you're not like a celebrity or an athlete, I don't know. I don't know the answer. And then this podcast, I'm partnered with Colin Howard.

So I don't know. I mean, my tips would be you could Instagram market. Marketing works. You know, Facebook market. I think social media marketing is huge now. YouTube market. I would market on the platforms where younger people stay. Obviously, you're not going to market like television marketing.

It doesn't make any sense to start out. It costs too much. The cost of the entry point is too expensive. and you wouldn't get the bang for your buck. I mean, on my other podcast, I've Instagram marketed, and it helped us last year. I'm planning on doing it again before football season these next, like, three weeks.

So, and then obviously I just promote it on social, but I actually don't think just tweeting out a link. Like, I tweet out my podcast, that doesn't get me anymore, people listen. It's actually, no one goes to a podcast, in my opinion, as much, like, through Twitter anymore, or even through Instagram. But, you know, you see stuff, you hear stuff,

You just got to kind of grill a market and just be relentless in tweeting about it, LinkedIn about it, Facebook about it. You got to do stuff like that because if you're starting from zero, it's going to take time. So, I mean, I don't, I'm not some great success story because I already had a listener base from my original podcast. And this one, I started from scratch. Well, I had Collins podcast feed to start me off. So it just, I didn't start scratch. With the Big Ten and Pac-12 canceling, I had this thought. Does the Rock use the XFL to try to recruit juniors and seniors to start a season in a bubble?

Just invite NFL scouts to come into the bubble and see these guys. With the college football possibly canceled, networks could be looking for things to fill time. Not a terrible idea. I think the problem is this. I watched them at Nick Sabins Press Conference today. The SEC's playing football. The ACC is playing football. and the Big 12 is playing football.

Now, that might not come to fruition. Maybe they get into a couple games and can't keep going, but they're going to do everything in their power to play football. And because of the money, the SEC, the Big 12, and the ACC has, they have the resource, especially the SEC, and the Big 12. They have the resources to pull this off in terms of the testing, in terms of just anything they need they can get.

And that's a huge advantage for them. Now, I think the hard part of the rock, I don't hate the idea. If those kids were to leave, like, would the NCAA let them back? It just gets really complicated. I know what you're saying, but on Colin's Saturday podcast, the guy after Dana White was saying, Colin asked him about Saturday NFL games. He's like one of the big shots at Fox.

And he said, well, if the three conferences, the only way we would move NFL games to Saturday would be if all college football ended. then we would have to be very interested. But because the Big 12, the SEC, and the ACC are going to play, we're going to have enough inventory to not do that. So I actually think that they'll be okay. Is it an ideal situation?

No. Is that, you know, a pretty good outside the box idea? Hell yes. I just think the execution of the idea is borderline impossible. This feels like a lot of disrespect to Carson Wentz. Being raided behind quarterbacks like Dak Prescott and Kyler Murray. Is that warranted because of his own? injury history or unjustified because of what he was able to do with no-name

cafeteria workers from last year. I would say it just depends who you're listening to. When you get hurt a lot and you're a great player, and great it would be strong. When you're a talented player, people are going to ding you. And I think in Carson's situation, when they won the Super Bowl and the next year a playoff game without him, like listen, I mean, it's just, that's tough. Now, I'm with you. Last year what he did with the cafeteria workers, aka practice squad guys,

was really impressive. And I don't think there's a team in the league that would take Dak Prescott over Carson. But there is a legitimate concern right now with Carson Wentz. Can he stay healthy? Because right now I don't think you could say yes. Last year was the first season. Was that since his rookie season?

Did he play 16 games as a rookie? He obviously hasn't played 16 games the last three seasons. Or I guess the two seasons. What was last year? I can't even keep up with Carson Wentz's career. It's just, I'm pulling up his game. logs right now. So he's played four seasons.

His rookie year, he played 16 games. Last year he played 16 games. His second year is when he got injured and it looked like he was going to win the MVP. He had 33 touchdowns, seven picks and, you know, tore his ACL. In 2018, his stats actually don't look terrible, but I think we all agree the eye test. It was weird. They were not playing well. Foles came in and then he beats the Bears.

Last year, 27 and set, like his stats don't look bad. there were games when I watched him last year I didn't think he was playing well he flipped the switch the last five or six games now I think the last four games were division opponents I'm a big believer in Carson Wentz I think he's got immense talent I think he has an elite coach he needs to get on the same page without Sean and Deshawn

assuming they'll be healthy the first round rookie you know they got Miles Sanders who should be a good player they have a good offensive line I guess they're missing Brandon Brooks through his Achilles but they brought Jason Peters to try to play guard they have a good offensive line coach I'm bullish on the Eagles and Carson once I think they're going to be pretty good Now, Dak Prescott

You'd say this for him He's got Amari, he's got Gallup And he's got Cid Lamb and he's got Zique And he's got a good offensive line He's set up to have a pretty good You know pretty good year Again, in theory Quick question

Why do you think Kittal is the best tied in in football I'd argue Kelsey is significant better pass catcher runner. Also worried that Kittle's bruising style leaves him more vulnerable to injuries. I'll concede that Kittle is a better blocker, but I still feel like I'd rather have Kelsey, thoughts. I am somewhat biased as a cheese fan. Well, Kittle set the tight-in record two years ago for running after the catch. So when the ball is in Kittles' hands, he's like a 4-5-0-40 guy.

Kittle can fly, and he has good hands. Now, I say Kelsey is the best route runner, but Kittl is a pretty damn good route runner. And Kittle is by far the best blocker in the league. Now, Kelsey is a much more accomplished receiver, but I think Kittal is every bit as talented. Now, I'd say I'm with you. Kelsey is a more accomplished and has proven to be a better ride receiver

production-wise. He's also played with my homes the last couple years when he has 200 catches. But I think the total package I would take Kittle. But I'm not putting Kelsey far behind him. and there are years that Kelsey has had that I, who knows if Kittles ever going to have a hundred catch season There's a reason one guy

I mean they're both all pros You know I just think there Would I know this The Niners would not trade Kittles straight up for Kelsey Because of what he means in the run game I think it's probably fair to say the chiefs would not trade Kelsey straight up for Kittled Now the difference is Kittles four years younger

But like you said Kittle to me Kittle has a legit red flag he already got dinged up last year when you are that physical of a player he is so physical with the line of scrimmage and then in the open field like I'll give Kelsey one thing like he'll go out of bounds

like in a smart way I'm not calling him soft or anything like he just he understands like he is valuable to his team and he's bigger than the lot of corners he's not trying to run over everyone Kittl and I've talked to Kyle about this like Kittl has to play

a little more under control but it's hard right you don't want to like tame the beast part of what makes Kittle Kittle and, like, Gronk all those years, was being that physical. But the one thing we saw with Gronk, it eventually led to so many collisions that that's why they've desperately tried.

They signed Jordan Reed. They drafted a tight end last year. They have Dwellie on the Rock. They want other guys to do it. Andy doesn't worry about the wear and tear on Kelsey beside like normal NFL wear and tear because he's not taking just unneeded hits. Kittle takes a lot of unneeded hits

on top of having to block every team's defensive end. So if you're playing the Chiefs, you're asking Kittle to help block Frank Clark on top of playing in the open field. Kelsey at this point in time is basically just a glorified wide receiver. Now he's an unstoppable glorified wide receiver. But, yeah, it's a good question. I always lean again.

I'm a little bit of a sucker for physical football. And, you know, Kiddle came on the Haberman-Middle-Middal podcast a year ago. So I'm going to lean with Kittle. Big fan of the pod. Love or you're able to bring a different perspective. Appreciate it. Could you walk us through how you would personally build a team from scratch? Start with quarterback, O-line, D-line.

Another area I had is if you could discuss the ideal team system for a quarterback based on their strengths. Thanks for giving, taking time to read this answer. To me, the key is the coach. You know, as a general manager, as a team builder, you're just trying to find what your coach is great at doing. and unless you have Belichick, most coaches have a specific scene, scheme, or even if you're like Pete Carroll, a philosophical belief on just the other side of the ball. So to me, I haven't just been around Coach Reed,

and if you were Brett Veach, it's pretty clear what they like to do, right? They put an emphasis on the line of scrimmage, and they love speed. Now, if I was for Kyle Shanahan, it would be completely different. I would put an emphasis on the line of scrimmage, offensive defense, but my offensive linemen might be a little different than if I ran more of a gap scheme. So to me it's very based on who my coach is. If my coach is Kyle Shanahan, then I would do it differently than if my coach was, let's say, Ron Rivera, right?

So it's hard to say what would be your scheme. I need to know who my coach is. That's the thing. This is not basketball or baseball. I don't get to run the show as the GM. I am dependent, and really I am, almost like the coach's helper. And the scouting staff is there to kind of guide the coaching staff

and help them find players that they're ultimately going to coach. So to me, I don't necessarily have a scheme preference, 34, 4, 4, 3.4, 3, it doesn't matter. Whoever the best coach is, and I hired him, and that's what you want to do, we're in. I'm good. And we'll run that scheme. Now, if we have certain players already on the team

that fit a certain scheme, it's probably smarter to build that scheme around those players. Now, if the team sucks, might as well just blow it up and do whatever they want to do. But yeah, I mean, obviously, to me, quarterback is the only thing that matters at first. You have to find a quarterbacker just wasting your time. I think it's pretty basic the offensive and defensive lines. I am a big believer in the middle linebacker position. You know, there are only so many Luke Kikleys in the last 20 years coming through,

but I'm looking for a versatile three-down middle linebacker. I'm also kind of a sucker for wide receivers despite, you know, I know Collins called him window dressing and the icing on the cake. Like, I don't necessarily agree. Like, you give me Julio Jones, you give me Mike Evans, you give me a Devante Adams, I want one of those guys for my quarterback.

And a tight end. Like, I can find running backs. And I can, and really it's more about tackles. Like, I can find guards and centers. I need to find my tackles. I need to find my pass rushers. Whether it's interior or, you know, on the edges, but I got to find one on each.

I need a guy up the middle, and I need a guy at the edge. Ideally, I have multiple pass rushers on the edge, but let's just focus on me. Get a sweet one on the edge, get a sweet one up the middle, get me two tackles. I can find designated pass rushers. I can find guards and centers. I can supplement wide receivers,

but I like having a guy that I can just, I got a little bit of an NBA mindset. Just give the ball to Kevin Durant and let him cook. Like, we're throwing it to Devante, every play. I don't give a shit if you know. I'm throwing it to Julio. We all know it's double cover his ass. We're going to still kick your ass. That's kind of the way I believe. And again, I like linebackers.

You know, depending on the scheme, sometimes you can get by with just solid corners and safeties. You don't need to put a premium on those if you have an elite pass rush. If I have two sweet edge rushers and a sweet defensive tackle pass rusher, I can get by with average DBs because I'm going to kick the quarterback's ass. because most teams aren't going to have four good offensive linemen, let alone five, let alone three. Some might have two other five guys be good. And then I want versatile physical players

because I want to be good on special teams. I want to be, you know, and I think Belichick is good at this, placing a premium on covering kicks. Because then it's just field position. It's harder to go 80 than it is consistently go 65, right, and talk field goals. So I think athleticism, physicality, is what we'd place a premium on for the backups and toughness,

which is easy to say, and it sounds pretty like run-of-the-mill answer, but I think a lot of people say it, and then a lot of people don't live it. Who's your pick for offensive rookie of the year if you had to choose now? One of these rookie wide-out seems like the easy choice, but what do you think of the guy like A.J. Dillon? The one thing with A.J. Dillon is the running backs for the Packers

were really productive last year. so to me it'll be hard for him to have the production relative to the unit. Like he's not going to run for 1,000 yards and 10 touchdowns just because they're going to split carries between the guys. You'd say Judy, Rugg, CD, you'd say CD is going to split a bunch of catches between that group. Judy, pretty big unknown on his quarterback. Ruggs, as of right now, is not even the starting unit.

KJ. Hamler's going off. You would think it would be hard for the quarterbacks, despite I'm high on the three quarterbacks. Herbert's not even starting. Tua, the team sucks. Burrow, the team sucks. Could, like, Mackay Beckton win it? I know he's not going to have any stats,

but what if he's a badass left tackle? I saw some clips coming out of Jets camp that he was kicking ass. He'd be my pick. Can you pick a lineman? Because I'd do Beckton for the Jets. Absolute freak show ass kicker. And I don't think the big heavies get enough love.

So I'm going to go Beckman. Let's end it on that. Appreciate everyone listening. Again, leave a review. I'd greatly appreciate it. Keep the DMs coming. And have a great week. And just keep your spirits up.

Keep smiling. Keep swinging. Talk to you a Friday. Peace. If you love to be remembered as the person who gives the best birthday gifts, I'm here to tell you that 1800flowers.com is your ultimate birthday gifting destination. 1,800 flowers has thoughtful,

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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 Superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the IHard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. On the Look Back at it podcast. In 1979, that was a big moment for me.

84 was big to me. I'm Sam J. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick a year, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it. With our friends, fellow comedians, and favorite authors. Like Mark Lamont Hill on the 80s. 84 was a wild year. It was a wild year.

I don't think there's a more important year for black people. Listen to look back at it on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what you're saying. Yep, that's me. Clifford Taylor the 4th. have seen the skits, my basketball and college football journey, or my career in sports media.

Well, now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfilled conversations with athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. So let's get to it. Listen to The Clifford show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok podcast network on TikTok. This is an IHeart podcast. Guaranteed human.