The Herd with Colin Cowherd - 3 and Out - Jameis Comeback SZN, Urban Incoming L's, Mahomes Tone, Start Fields, Ja'Marr Chase Crisis; Headlines, Mailbag

Episode Date: August 24, 2021

In this episode, John discusses why Jameis Winston could be in for a huge comeback season in New Orleans, why Urban Meyer will be tested with more losing than he's ever experienced, how Patrick Mahomes' approach to the preseason is reminiscent of one Hall of Fame QB, why people need to pump the brakes on drooling over preseason QB performances, why the calls to start Justin Fields in Chicago are only going to increase, and why Bengals rookie wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase could snowball into a major problem. He also gives his takes on the top NFL headlines and answers listener questions in the Middlekauff Mailbag. Follow John on Twitter and SUBSCRIBE now to get all the latest content!! Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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

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

Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast's Superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the IHard 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. Hey, what's good, y'all? You're listening to Learn the Hardway with your favorite therapist and host Kear Games. This space is about black men's experiences, having honest conversations that it's really not safe to have anywhere, but you're having them with a licensed professional who knows what he's doing. How many men carry a suit or armor.

It signals to the world that you're not to be played with. And just because you have the capability that doesn't. not mean that you need to. Listen to learn the hard way on the AHA radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. Get right to the romance and find the way to wow this Valentine's with 1,800flowers.com. From classic roses and bouquets to decadent chocolate-covered berries,

gourmet treats, and more. Surprise your Valentine with 1,800flowers.com. Right now, get the 18-stem enchanted rose medley for 399 or upgrade to 24 red rose. roses for $10 more. Go to 1-800flowers.com slash tune-in. That's 1-800flowers.com slash tune-in.

What is up my people? Three and out podcasts. That'd be this show. I'm John Middellcock. And we're going to talk a little football. It's halftime in the Monday night game. Have some thoughts on Famous James and Urban, I Look, Miserable Meyer,

then a lot of other stuff. What to make of the pre-seats? Some thoughts on Mahomes and Kyler. Watch that game on Friday night. Justin Fields feels like he's coming. Carson Wentz. Carson Wentz somehow was going to be out like three months. He came back two weeks later.

I don't know. Medical Miracle? How do you pull that off? But somehow he's back. Jamar Chase, yet to catch a ball. I mean, everything they throw at him hits the ground and he's not really that open. So Cincinnati might have a little problem on their hands.

They've got to get figured out here before the season starts. Of course, Middlecoff Mailbag, at John Middlecoff is the Instagram. Fire in those DMs. Get your question right here on the show. If you listen on Collins' feed, you can subscribe separately to my feed. Would appreciate that. Leave a review. You're awesome if you've already left one.

If you haven't, please do it. It helps with everything we're doing up here in the podcast streets. If you've listened to my advice, ADA Cordano, a little cryptocurrency. You know, I dabble in the crypto. That thing's ripping. No big deal. Shooting to the moon. I think it's about $3 right now.

You know, it's just probably up about 250% in about a week. Also, a lot of people hit me up about the over-under win totals. All you guys are in agreement. Terrible bet. Fun bet. A lot of people say they bet on their own team just for the fun of it. I can get that. But time value money, you know, it doesn't add up.

But we'll talk some gambling on Friday's podcast. Maybe I'll pick some of my favorite over-unders. Definitely before we get to the season, and some divisional bets, Super Bowl odds. A lot of good bets to be made. A lot of good bets. But let's start with the Monday night football game.

I think, you know, what the Saints have accomplished since Drew Brees and Sean Payton got there is remarkable. They took a franchise that was irrelevant and broke and made them legitimate. And Drew Brees is headed right to the Hall of Fame. Sean Payton, depending on how much longer he coaches, who knows, he might have a pretty good resume.

they were a dynamic duo. But these last couple years, let's face it, Drew's a fantastic human being and an elite player. But he wasn't the same the last couple years. A little Rivers-ish. Like, he just could not throw the ball down the field. It was not an option. Well, the rules right now in the sport of football

are conducive to throwing the ball down the field. The safeties can't hit you and the corners can't mug you. It is a huge advantage to take, advantage of defenses. They have no recourse. They're screwed. I feel bad for defensive coaches. But when Drew Breeze can only throw wheel routes and quick outs, it was very, very difficult for them to not like scoring drives took a while unless Kamara broke a huge run. So having James, who less face it, flawed dude, had some major question marks in his life on and off the field. Like if you get in trouble for doing something to an Uber driver, I read Fly.

you. He screamed once upon a time in the quad at Florida State, something I won't repeat, and we are a rated-ar podcast. So, James, his decision-making has been questionable. Sean Payton didn't have to deal with any of that. He already went through the worst. He got James Winston as like a reclamation human being, as a guy that just wanted to change his life, change his career. So last year, he got to follow around Drew Brees like a puppy dog, soak it all in, learn the offense, and clearly he's the more. talented player than Taysam Hill. I think Greasy mentioned it,

that Hill lost 10 pounds because he wanted to be a little slimmer if he's going to play quarterback. Here's what Sean Payton and Mickey Loomish should do tomorrow. Listen, Taysam, you look fantastic. Your body fat's about 3%. Let's pack, you know, eat some potatoes, power a couple of protein bars and some protein drinks. We might move you a little back around

on the offensive side of the ball, playing tight end slash fullback, whatever the hell your position is. But we're going to go with James. James is going to be their starting quarterback. And there have been a long list of guys like James who went to a place. And when you get drafted really high,

like James was a legitimate number one overall pick. Was a blue chip guy from a program that he won a national championship. He has a big arm. He's a big guy. I mean, he has got big size. He's got a big arm. Now he's got question make when it comes to decision.

making. He can be reckless just in life, let alone on the field. But the guy that I think Sean Payton has might be a different dude. Because you just age, you mature, you realize, I mean, the team basically cuts you in Tampa Bay, so your career kind of flashes in front of you a little bit. You have to take like one million dollars from the Saints to be the backup. Like, just a little bit of humble pie can be healthy for all of us, let alone a failed top pick. And now Sean Payton gets a guy that he's seen in his division that he's coached up against and I think he I think there's a chance that he turns james into a pretty solid quarterback because he has some easy in that offense the the stuff to the

running backs in the in the short game that they'll do that all day long Sean Payton can get you five-yard completions with his eyes closed what he hasn't been able to do is call go routes and post routes and push the ball down the field that's really what james wants to do really you know most of the time. It's his skill set. Push the ball down the field. So if he can coach him up to play less recklessly and take care of the football, they might have something. We've seen

a lot less talented players than James Winston resurrect their career with the top coach. And then across the field. I don't know how you looked at Urban Meyer and didn't see a miserable individual. You could feel it on his face. Some people wear their emotions on their body and on their face.

sometimes I know I do and some people don't right some people can be stewing and they can smile Urban Meyer's clearly not one of those guys and my issue with Urban Meyer always at Ohio State and definitely at Florida was like you know he talked about life lessons and morality

and he had dudes like selling cocaine and killing people it's like Urban you're just you're trying to win which you should be but let's not act like you're this Messiah as a human being you come to the NFL you don't have to be a Messiah anymore it's all about winning Here's the problem. At Ohio State and at Florida, all you do is win. In the NFL, when you come to a team like the Jags check their history, you lose a lot. And listen, Irvin Meyer is an elite college football coach. He's never coached a day in the pros. Not this is, I mean, these six months is the first time ever on the job running a pro team. That is a dramatic change. But the biggest difference to me is a down year at Ohio State or Florida, he was.

still going like 10 and 2. You just watch the Jacksonville Jags. Their defense is going to be bad. He's also, he's not a scheme guy. He's not the offensive coordinator. He's not the defensive coordinator. He's a culture guy. So, okay, John Harbaugh and Mike Tomlin are culture guys that have had a lot of success. Well, when John Harbaugh got

hired for the Ravens, they had culture guys on the team. Ray Lewis, Ed Reed, ever heard of him? Terrell Suggs, who last time I was in Scottsdale, I swam by him in a lazy river. He still looked like he could play. Hello, Dianada. They had a good group of core guys. When Mike Tomlin got the Pittsburgh Steeler job, Google that roster.

Pretty good high-level guys. That is not the case here. His best player, at least his most talented player, is a rookie quarterback who's also never lost. It is going to be an experience of losing for these individuals. Now, players, you just battle through it and keep playing. A coach, the last time shit got really hard for him in Florida, he quit and he left the building basically on fire.

It was a disaster. Like, you don't need to be some, you know, psychologist to just look at his face and go, God, the guy doesn't look right. Like, Urban, this is not middle of November. This is August, the games don't count. Peter King wrote about it today in his morning quarterback. It's called like Football Morning in America or whatever.

And he wrote that the starting center for the Jags walked by Urban in the hallway, like the day after the first preseason game. It might have been the second preseason game. And Urban looked miserable. And he grabbed him and he smiled and he kind of shook him like, it's okay, coach. It's the preseason. And Urban gave some quotes to Peter like, I'm not used to losing.

Well, get used to it, bro, because you're going to lose. Even if you do resurrect this team, like, I've listened to Jimmy Johnson talk. Those first couple years were not easy. and when you have the capability, like, is he really tied to the Jags? Honestly, this is maybe why he took the Jags job. Because if you took a Cowboys job, or you took a USC job, or you took Texas,

you know, there'd be a little more scrutiny if you just bounced after year one. Let's face it. If Urban after year one is like, this sucks, I'm out, is anyone really going to care? No one gives a shit about the Jacksonville Jaguars. No one cares. not a soul

so honestly almost like I had the thought today maybe he took the job knowing his parachute is always well they're the Jags you even blame him

because you couldn't do that to the cowboys couldn't do that to the giants you get destroyed you would never be able look at you the same but the Jags be like whatever who even blames him

like if I had to put $1,000 Does Urban coach this team for over under two years? So does he make it to year three? I would probably take the under. Just look at the guy. I mean, he looks like he's ready to jump. It's like, this sucks.

The season has not even started yet. Good luck, buddy. Hope that, at least the direct deposits are big. Okay, I sat down on Friday night. Maybe with a beverage in hand and, you know, an edible in my stomach. and I was going to just relax and watch Monday night football. But it was Friday, but it was the Monday night football crew, and it was Chiefs Cardinals.

And I watched like the first quarter, and I just had a bunch of notes. I'm like, there's some pretty interesting things that I just saw. First and foremost, Patrick Mahomes is the modern day Brett Farth. And when I say that, I don't mean, I'm not talking physical talents, though they have some similar physical talents. I'm talking about when I was a kid,

kid and I grew up in the Aikman Farr of Young era, right? Born in the mid-80s, grew up in the 90s, Fox NFL football, John Madden calling Cowboys, Packers, and the 49ers. And if you've ever done any research, there have been articles written, those three franchises really helped change the way the NFL was put on television because the power of Fox and they've obviously never looked back. I hated Brett Farf. Not because I didn't like the player, but because, you know, I was a Niner guy growing up, wanted them to beat the Packers. And they kind of always, became rivals. But he was box office. He was by far

he was a hero-like figure. Everyone, every kid in America admired the guy. Every parent enjoyed watching them with their kids. He was fun. There's an element that now was Steph Curry. It is hard to not watch Steph Curry, even if you don't like basketball that much,

and not be entertained. At the end of the day, sometimes we lose sight of this. The reason this exists now on television is because a lot of of people are willing to watch it on TV from their couch. That's where all the money comes from, the fans. It's an entertainment product. And Fav is an all-time entertainer. And Patrick Mahomes, from an entertainment standpoint, is the most fun player in the league. I don't even think there's a close second. And there are some very, very fun players in the league. He is box office.

But one thing stood out to me in the game. And they were kind of doing this deep dive on the Arizona Cardinals don't, like Kyler Murray told the broadcasters, he doesn't like the preseason. And Brian Greasy kind of laughed. Obviously, Brian Greasy, his dad, Bob Greasy, played in a lot.

I mean, they're football guys. He said, if we talked to Patrick Mahomes, and he's like, why wouldn't I play? It's just what we do. And I'll never forget when I had a radio show in the Bay Area. We talked a lot of baseball. Baseball's really big in the Bay Area.

The Giants are a massive franchise just in America, but around here, They are a cash cow. And also the Oakland A's with Billy Bean make the playoffs all the time. We have a very, very big base of people that consume baseball. So when I was on the radio show, a large part of the show, we talked basically baseball and football.

And we would have baseball-centric shows where you'd bring in guests into studio and just do like an hour of baseball talk. And Kevin Eucliss came in. He's actually married to Tom Brady's sister with Eric Burns, who played for the A's and then the Diamondbacks. And we had like a baseball hour. And it was really, really cool. And I had someone who, I rooted for those Red Sox teams in the early 2000s.

I love Big Poppy. I love Mani Ramirez. Euclis. I thought was really cool. And Euclis said something that I'll never forget. He's like, do you know what really separated our great Red Sox teams? He said, we had a bunch of yes men. And I think sometimes you hear the word yes men, you think people that just say yes to

like people they're working for, right? No one ever wants to be like ruffle feathers. That's not what he meant. he said when you asked anybody on that team to do anything, hey, we need you to play in right field today instead of left. First answer was always yes. Hey, instead of bat in second today, you're going to bat eight. Yes.

Hey, instead of playing today, you're going to be on the bench. We might use you to pitch hit. No problem. Yes. That was the attitude, he said, of the whole organization. The first response was yes. And he said in his experience, playing in the big leagues, the teams that leaned their first always answer was yes, not no.

hey, we need you to do this. Hey, you have to do this. Hey, can you do this? And your first answer isn't always no. You can have a healthy and successful operation. And you see the Cardinals who have never won anything with this group. Cliff Kingsbury is a lifetime loser as a football coach, not as a guy, good guy, like the guy,

question his football coaching ability. And then Kyler Murray, who is a very, very talented player. Physical attributes elite, right, beside his size. he's small, but his speed, top notch. His arm strength, unbelievable. But I'm watching them, and it's a preseason game. Now, granted, the Chiefs are playing a lot of starters, and he's skipping balls, he's overthrowing guys, and I start thinking to myself, this guy is telling everyone he shouldn't play in any preseason games. Mahomes has a huge smile on his face. Him and Andy are having the time of their life, multiple drives trying to score touchdowns, getting ready,

I don't know, he's accomplished everything humanly possible in football, right? He's an MVP, he's a Super Bowl champ, and he got the biggest contract in the history of the sport, $450 million. There is literally nothing left for him to accomplish except doing more of it, right, to continue to win. His attitude is like, this is what we do. What time's kickoff? I'm ready.

Kyler, meanwhile, is like, no, you know, I don't want to do that. So he's out there because he's kind of being forced. He doesn't necessarily want to do it. And then I'm watching him playing going, as someone who admires his physical attributes, I start thinking to myself, is he a good quarterback? He's a big-time talent. He's an extremely gifted player. But is he a really good quarterback?

And through two years, you would say it's up for debate. It really is. And I was texting with a couple people. Here's what I know. If Kyler Murray does not improve, if he stays status quo or even comes back to Earth anymore, Cardinals are done. Isaiah Simmons still hasn't made a play.

J.J. Watt, it makes sense. on the pregame show, Steve Young said he talked to a veteran player that Kyler needs to mature a little bit on and off the field. Steve Young just didn't throw that out there. And I think it gets back to Patrick Mahom set the tone for the entire organization for years now. And Kyler Murray, who was drafted number one, who everyone, me included was like, oh, this guy went ninth in the baseball draft,

now he's the number one quarterback, get rid of Josh Rosen, still has yet to accomplish anything. Besides being a starting quarterback, like that's an accomplishment but the point of this is to win and they don't do a lot of winning in Arizona beside when Bruce Ariens was there I despise their

offensive scheme there's a softness to their franchise and I just kind of had the takeaway as like yeah I'm kind of out on on Kyler Murray not that I was ever truly in because I'm always uncomfortable with super small quarterbacks

like Russell Wilson is such an outlier to just think there are going to be a ton of guys 5-9 just dominating the league. I'm going to push back on that. Look at the guys that have come in and had success. Like Lamar is not small. Josh Allen is massive. So, Trey Lance is huge, right?

I mean, Justin Fields is a big athlete. Trevor Lawrence. Like, this is a big boy league. Now, Kyler, because of his athleticism, is so elite, he can, hey. Michael Vic, who was a bigger version of Kyler, same thing. You can get away with it.

But eventually you've got to make plays in big games when it really matters. And they kind of carry themselves It's like they've accomplished a lot more than they have, just that attitude within the franchise, and then they're showing J.J. Watt talking on the sideline. They had to overpay J.J. Rot Watt because they needed as a leader.

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, 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 which I'll say. 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 brain. brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfiltered conversations with some of your favorite athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated.

One week, I'll take you behind the scenes of the biggest moments in sports and entertainment, and the next we'll talk about life, mental health, purpose, and even music. The Clifford Show isn't just a podcast, it's a space for honest conversations, stories that don't always get told, and for people who are chasing something bigger. So, if you've ever supported me, or you're just chasing down a dream. this is right where you need to be. Listen to the Clifford show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast.

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

I'm Sam Jek. And I'm Alex English. 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 AIDS. To be clear, 84 is big to me, not just because of crack. I'm down to talk about crack on day, but just so y'all know. I mean, at this point, Mark, this is the second episode where we've discussed crack, so I'm starting to see that there's a through line.

We also have AIDS on the table right now, so. They're finishing that sentence. Yes. I don't think there's a more important year for black people. Really? Yeah. For me, it's one of the most important years for black people in American history. Listen to look back at it on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Welcome to my new podcast, Learn the Hard Way with me, your host, and your favorite therapist, Kear Games. And in recognition of mental health awareness month, I'm bringing over a decade of my own experience in the mental health field and conversations with so many incredible guests. I'm talking, Tripp Fontaine, Ryan, Ryan, Sometimes when we're in the pursuit of the thing, we get so wrapped up in the chase that we don't realize that we are in possession of the thing. And we're still chasing it. And we don't know when we've done enough. Because people scoreboard watch. Life becomes about wins and losses.

Steve Burns, Dustin Ross, because you find it important to be a good person while you hear on earth. Are you a good person because you're afraid? Because that's two different intentions, bro. Absolutely. And that's two different levels of trust. I want you to just really be a good person. Join me, Kear Gaines, as we have real conversations about healing,

growth, fatherhood, pressure, and purpose on my new podcast, Learn the Hardway. Open your free iHeartRadio app, search Learn the Hardway, and listen now. Because that's not what Kyler provides. The problem, though, is J.J. Watt might be hurt by the wild card game in baseball. And when you're on the sideline

and you have no equity of the franchise, you can't be a leader. So it all gets back to it, falls on Kyler and he's going to have to do it. And I'm just, I'm hesitant to see it happening. Fox Sports Radio has the best sports talk lineup in the nation. Catch all of our shows at Fox SportsRadio.com. And within the IHeartRadio app, search FSR to listen live.

Get right to the romance and find the way to wow this Valentine's with 1800flowers.com. From classic roses and bouquets to decadent chocolate-covered berries, gourmet treats, and more. Surprise your Valentine. with 1,800flowers.com. Right now, get the 18-stem enchanted rose medley for $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.

What grows in the forest? Trees? Sure. Know what else grows in the forest? Our imagination, our sense of wonder, and our family bonds grow, too. Because when we disconnect from this, and connect with this. We reconnect with each other.

The forest is closer than you think. Find a forest near you and start exploring at Discovertheforest.org. Brought to you by the United States Forest Service and the Ad Council. Look through your children's eyes to see the true magic of a forest. It's a storybook world for them. You look and see a tree. They see the wrinkled face of a wizard with arms outstretched to the sky. They see treasure and peasant.

They see a windy path that could lead to adventure. 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, let's talk about the preseason. Because I've been trying to wrap my head around just when I watch a preseason game. What do I make of it?

For multiple years when I first got to the league, I made my living off, evaluating players in preseason games during the preseason and then all season long evaluating everyone on the practice squad and all you have to go out off of is a preseason game and honestly it has some parallels to college football not all games in college football are equal

and you have to put and I learned this from Lewis Riddick was big on this and I still carry it with me in life now is you got to put everything into context like when you see some famous person that has to pay their ex-wife a hundred 100 grand a month. To me or you or most 99% of Americans when they see your jaw drops, your weight. Because to maintain their lifestyle, it's why when recently there was a dude,

not Carrie Underwood, but Kelly Clarkson and her husband was going to get like 80 grand a month. I took joy because you always see it one side. You never see the guy getting big payments. I didn't see though they went back to court and they're fighting over it. But you just see what these famous people, these, Just outrageous amounts of money per month to just maintain their lifestyle when they get divorced. But it's all relative. If you make $5 million a month paying someone $100,000 in alimony, isn't that nuts? Right?

But if you make $100,000 a year, you know, paying $10,000 a month would be outrageous. So you got to, everything is relative. You got to put everything into context. And when you see a guy in college football, a wide receiver go for three touchdowns. in the game. It's impressive. It's an athletic feat that the overwhelming majority of human beings could not do. But relative to the pros, you go, well, who is he doing it against? Who was the competition? Who was the corner? Who was the defensive coordinator?

If you go for three touchdowns against the number one collegiate defense in its Ohio State or Alabama or Georgia or whatever, that's impressive. If you're a defensive coordinator and you go up against Oklahoma and Ohio State, in back-to-back weeks and you shut them out, you go, that guy can coach. But if you go up against Vanderbilt and, you know, freaking Mississippi State and light him up, you don't get as much credit. It's no different as in the preseason. I was at Victor Cruz's first preseason game.

Remember, he scored three touchdowns. Undrafted Free Agent from UMass. Never heard of the guy. I had never heard of them. Most humans had never heard of the guy. First preseason game, Jets Giants, I think it's always the first preseason, he had three touchdowns. So immediately he goes on the radar and two of them were pretty cool. Now, he ended up having a really good career, but right away he was on the map.

But that one game didn't define him, he was going to eventually have to do it, I don't know, against better competition. So now, more than ever in these preseason games, a decade ago, joint practices didn't exist. Well, if all week long I've been going up a team against a team in practice I get confidence going up against that team I know the one corner I know what he doesn't like I know what he likes

It's why in training camp after a couple weeks All the players when you see Oh this guy's getting smoked or this guy's getting beat Well yeah His opponent, aka his teammate, Knows his strengths and weaknesses It's why when you do an advanced scouting report You know or a game plan

You isolate players in some schemes and you find what they do well and what they do poorly. What they do well, you try to avoid and what they do poorly, you try to exploit. Just basic rules of life, right? It's the easiest way it's like the art of war. Find the strengths, avoid those, find the weaknesses, go all in on those. And as an opponent, when I get to practice up against you multiple weeks, or excuse me, multiple days, I'm going to feel a lot more confident when I go up against you in the games. But then when some of these guys, you know, go up against the, teams in the games, most of these teams now aren't playing a soul. So I am playing backups.

And then if you're a good backup, I'm not going to leave you in the game that much. By you get to the second quarter, you're third string guys. Now, some of those guys are going to be on practice squads, but they're not going to be playing on Sundays. So it's very, very difficult when you see, you know, Tua played really well this weekend. Zach Wilson played really well. The way I look at it, I don't view production. I view them like a college prospect. will those athletic attributes translate. Zach Wilson, he's an athletic guy.

He's got a good arm. He has physical attributes that can translate. Now, can he read when they, you know, Blitz 6, when they bring a corner cat, when they throw different coverages? I don't know. You won't know that until the season starts. What's going to happen like can Tua,

when not everyone's wide open? Can he zip the ball in? I don't think his arm's strong enough. I watch him and think he has kind of a piece shooter arm. and if you're a Dolphins fan, you're like, Middlecloth, you're just a hater. Yeah, we'll see. Like, he's putting up these good numbers. They practice all week against their opponent.

And it doesn't mean that much to me. Because I'm just viewing them strictly as like a draft prospect in the preseason. Because I don't know how you evaluate like they're just running basic plays. And they've already like gone up against this team now for a couple days. Like the Niners in the Charger game. Well, every day in practice, Derwin James and. Bosa are in practice, right? Kittles going up against D'Rwin James. McGlinchy is going up against Bosa, and then the game starts

and Bosa and D'Rwin James are his street close. So if you make a throw and a guy wide open, well, fucking Derwin James isn't even in the game. I'm not trying to like, you know, poo-poo any accomplishment by any guy in a preseason game, but we have more and more evidence. Preseason historically has never mattered that much. I'd argue it is never matter less in terms of evaluating whether a guy is going to be good or bad you can see some physical talent

but you don't know how it's going to translate to the actual game now if you're doing well that to me is just the price of admission if you're struggling that makes me a little nervous like I watch Andy Dalton I go I don't see it I watch Kyler Murray and I go God's a little off right

I'm not expecting you know two dries 14 points but you should pass the eye test and that to me It can only be negative It's hard for me to think like Oh that's he's he's he's figured it out It's gonna be all smooth sailing now for so and so

You know unless you have a long resume of doing that I don't look at the preseason that way Well let's talk about what's going on right now In the city of Chicago There is a movement And it is strong and it's only gaining momentum and that's with the fans and sometimes

like we've seen movements you see a lot in politics right you saw it once upon a time actually started in Chicago with Obama you saw it four years ago or five years ago now with Donald like it happens a lot in politics now and ultimately like we have something going on

right now in California the governor's getting recalled like there is a movement to boot his ass out and get a new governor in and you can control it a lot I guess in theory right you vote, like you have power. As a fan of a team, you don't get a vote.

Like, they don't throw out a ballot to every registered Bears fan and be like, who do you think we should start a quarterback? Andy Dalton or Justin Fields. Because if they did that, like if however many Bears fans there are, millions, let's just pick an even number. Five million Bears fans in America.

That might be way off. Could be way more. I don't know. I have to think about that. There are probably a lot. It's a major city, big franchise. historic franchise, they got a lot of fans. If we did a poll

who they should vote for to be the starting quarterback, what do you think it would be, Fields to Andy Dalton? 99 to 1%. I mean, it wouldn't even be close. And it's hard once fans get in their mind, what's right or wrong. Even if it's not right or wrong. Now, I stand with the fans on this one.

I would start Justin Fields. but the momentum anti-Andy Dalton is only going to grow. He's got a couple things working against him. His offensive line is not very good. And he used to be a pretty good athlete at this point in time. He's not a great athlete. He cannot move around. And then he doesn't have a great arm,

so if he does have to move, he can't make very good, like he's not going to make great throws on the run. And a big part of this offense, he's going to have to add lib because the blocking is not going to be there. So there is not a soul on their couch that's going to watch the Bears play week one and going to be cool with Andy Dalton. And I watched his press conference last week and he's like, you know, I hope I can turn them around. Once we start throwing touchdowns, they will have my back.

That's never happening. The avalanche of momentum for Justin Fields is already halfway down the mountain. And it's only going to grow because the fans don't want to like the guy. Even though Andy Dalton, high character guy, I know everyone that's played with him. always enjoyed him. He's a good guy. He just at this point in time isn't that great at football, and they have the young savior on their team. Now, is he going to be the young savior? Who knows? He's going to have to actually do it. But if I was a Bears fan right now, every single snap that Andy Dalton gets in a regular season game would make me want to puke. And that would not change.

And that's how they all feel. So the one thing Matt Nagy, and I understand in coaches, they get obsessed with things that no one on the outside cares about. Like how you enunciate the play call to your teammates. How well you execute stuff in practice. You know why no one cares? We don't see that. So you can say all day long, this guy is so good in the meeting room.

It's like, yeah, man, I don't care. I watch him on the field and he gets chased down and he throws interceptions. So you have to say all these things that actually don't, you know, really resonate with the people that disagree with. with you. It'd be one thing if he goes out, he's like, listen, he's a five-time all-pro, he's won a Super Bowl, trust us, and be like, you know, he's got a point. Like, what are we going to say?

The dude's a champion. The dude's, you know, one of the best quarterbacks in the league for a decade. But that's not the case. And the last couple years, he just hasn't been that good. And then the football gods gifted this franchise Justin Fields, who still to this day, I mean, I think about it way too much. How did Justin Fields end up at 11? It's insane. but it is what it is. I just know if your offensive line stinks and you can't block anybody, you're best off giving a guy with the athletic ability

an opportunity because he can overcome, in theory, all the miss blocks and all the plays where the quarterback is going to have to, you know, improvise outside of the construct of the offense. Because when you have a terrible offensive line, it's hard to run the ball, meaning it's hard to then implement play action, which are usually easy passes for the quarterback. And then when you can't run the ball,

you find yourself, as I was watching some of the preseason game, it felt like Andy Dalton was in third nine, every single series. And when you're in third nine, what do you think all the defensive linemen think? Time to rush the passer. So they get to just tee off. Well, in third and nine, we don't have a good offensive line.

What does that mean? Well, they got to block defensive linemen that they can't do. So the quarterback is going to be kind of a sitting duck. and this momentum is, it's organic, right? Because no one expected Justin Fields to be on the Bears before the draft. And then it happened. And then they got really excited. And then like any human being, you're like, well, just make him the starter.

And then you realize they paid $10 million for Andy Dalton, which I just, Ryan Pace, in what world could Andy Dalton just do some basic math? Last year, Andy Dalton coming off a bad season, made $3 million. Then he goes to the Cowboys where he wasn't that good. I'm pretty sure he got banged up, and then you gave him 10? What type, where are we getting this math from? In what world was he a $10 million player if he was just making three for the Cowboys? So I do feel they feel, and I would imagine Ryan Pace feels,

some pressure were paying this guy some money, that's not the way I would think. I wouldn't even hesitate. Justin Fields would be my starting quarterback. And that way I get built-in belief, from the fans, which they turn on you, they're going to want everyone fired. And if this guy just shows promise and hope,

even if you go eight and nine, they go, okay, they got this guy in. They believed in them from the jump. It's easier to think big picture for the owner. Yeah, let's give this guy another shot with Justin Fields. But if you bring Justin Fields in halfway through the season and the season's already lost and then he really struggles, you don't get any credit.

You just won't. And the momentum of negativity around... Justin Fields has already had to come out and say in press conferences, be nicer to the guy. Stop chanting my name when he's on the field. He's already had to say that. You think that's going to stop? I think it's only going to grow.

Wait till these regular season games. Do you know how much a regular season ticket to NFL games cost? These people pay a lot of money. You only get eight shots of it a year. And then I got to watch Andy Dalton. Well, three of my eight home games, I got to watch the red BB gun. We got a problem. You know, especially with Fields is sitting there on the bench.

It'd be understandable if you don't have any other options, but that's not the case here. So the longer they put them in, it's only going to make this situation worse. I would get Fields in. I mean, he would be my week one starter. We have a story brewing in Cincinnati, and it's about the young star, wide receiver, Jamar Chase, who they famously chose over Penae Soule. They went wide receiver and not tackle. And it's been a disastrous training camp in preseason for the for the rookie. He just had a game this weekend had like five drops. I saw clips at practice dropping the

ball left and right. All reports is that he's not been good all preseason. And I think when you grow up when you hear people say how powerful confidence is, you don't really know it. Some kids have it, some kids don't, some kids develop it. I do think once you get older, at least for me, I guess I can just speak from my own personal experience. I didn't necessarily think about confidence and not having confidence until I got to my 20s. I obviously looking back probably had it and didn't have it at other times. But it's something I think you cognitively think about, the older you get. And I experienced it twice professionally once my second year in the NFL and then toward the end of my radio career where I lost it. And a lot had to do with like, you know, dealing with a certain boss and dealing

in situations. But when you lose your confidence in anything, even if you're really, really good at what you do, it can be pretty devastating. I heard Paul Asing or something, you're, you're, you're, say this. Within the last year, I was watching a golf tournament, a PJ golf tournament. He's a broadcaster for CBS or NBC. And I thought he put it pretty eloquently. He's like, you know,

confidence is funny. When you have it, you never think it'll go away. And when you lose it, you never think you can get it back. And I think when you're a younger person, it's harder to just be in control of your emotions. And I think

mentally things can snowball on you. just immaturity, just life experience, right? You don't have as much. And looking at Jamar Chase and his struggles in Cincinnati, it's kind of understandable, right? He was at the peak of the mountain two years ago at LSU, best player arguably in the country, absolutely dominates. Then he takes a year off where he's not doing anything but training.

Then he goes to a team, which is an absolute just embarrassment. They have a coach who it feels like is over their head. Their star quarterback's coming back for a major injury. They cut all their famous veteran guys, Gino Atkins, A.J. Green. Like, who's there for Jamar Chase to lean on? What's he going to ask is coach, who's never accomplished anything,

to get him through this? Burroughs just trying to get his own confidence on his shattered knee to get straight. It's difficult. And this is the element to me that sometimes gets overlooked in pro sports. And I just mentioned it. They brought in J.J. Watt to Arizona

more than just for rushing the pastor. They brought him in for mature. for leadership. Now, you have to play well to be a leader, but that's why they overpaid them. 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. to Superhuman on the IHard Radio app,

Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what I'm saying. Yep, that's me, Clifford Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, 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 Clivert Show isn't just a podcast, it's a space for honest conversations,

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Well, you can find out on the Look Back at it podcast. I'm Sam Jette. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick a here. unpack what went down and try to make sense of how we survived it. Including a recent episode with Mark Lamont Hill waxing all about crack in the 80s. To be clear, 84 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. Then you're finishing that sentence. Yes. I don't think there's a more important year for blood. 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, Keer Games. And in recognition of Mental Health Awareness Month, I'm bringing over a decade of my own experience in the mental health field and conversations with so many incredible guests. I'm talking, Tripp Fontaine, Ryan Clark. Sometimes when we're in the pursuit of the thing, We get so wrapped up in the chase that we don't realize that we are in possession of the thing and we're still chasing it and we don't know when we've done enough

because people scoreboard watch. Life becomes about wins and losses. Steve Burns, Dustin Ross, because you find it important to be a good person while you hear on earth or are you a good person because you're afraid? Because that's two different intentions, bro. Absolutely.

And that's two different levels of trust. I want you to just really be a good person. Join me, Keer Gang. 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. Because they dramatically overpaid him. I thought he was like a $5 million player.

He got $15 million, $25 guaranteed or whatever. And the Bengals kind of did the opposite, which is okay. But Sam Hinky did this once upon a time with the Sixers. When you do that, you have to realize, like, your confidence of your young players can just get destroyed. Who is there to sit down AJ Green right now and help him? Put their arm over his shoulder and be like, bro, we will get through this. Bro, I've been there before.

Man, this happens. I bet he feels in his entire career, from high school to LSU to this situation right now, it's got to be a pretty crappy feeling where there's no one to help him out. And when you're watching this guy that caught everything in college, Now, I knew a couple of people in the NFL that were skeptics of Jamar Chase. They said he made a lot of contested catches. They just made a lot of great plays physically.

But when you watched his play speed, they didn't think it quite translated to the film. We'll see. Because separation has been a problem. But you can't play wide receiver if you can't catch the football. And the moment you lose confidence at a position where it takes a lot of confidence to catch balls in traffic, right? It's something that we all know, if you've watched football,

all long enough, drops can snowball on each other, right? Because confidence is, the more it goes, it just starts dripping away from you. Then all of a sudden, in your tank, you've got nothing. So every ball that's coming at you, you're almost, you know, in Little League, when you suck, you think, God, I hope they do not hit the ball to me. Or junior high or high school baseball, when you're not good at defense, you're like, I hope they do not hit the ball to me. Because you don't have any confidence that you can make the play. I've been there, right? It happens to everybody. And the Bengals better figure this out fast because they are going to really suck.

And you cannot afford an asset that you just drafted number five overall. It's a major problem for them right now. Gorgeous gaming, stunning streams, unbelievable bandwidth. It's another Lifestyles of Gagillionaires. Meet the AT&T fiber customers winning at life with hyper gig speeds. Meet Gagillionaire Terry. Well, his love of streaming horror movies has him constantly. on the edge of his seat, his internet bill won't give him a scare.

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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. Okay, let's fire on some NFL stories. We'll just go rapid fire, some things that are going on. And I'll give a quick take. So about Carson Wentz.

I had his injury red flagged. You never hear of an injury timeline. five to 12 weeks, right? Three to four weeks, eight to 12, a year, right? Five to 12? Five would basically be a month and a week, and 12 is a quarter. So, I mean, that's a long time. Somehow, like two weeks later, he's just back.

The Colts tweeted out a highlight package. He looks fantastic. He's running around, throwing balls, wide receivers, like he looks great. Frank was like he looks good. I don't know how it's possible. But somehow, he overcame a broken foot. or something weird to his foot in rapid speed

and now he's back now I just knock on wood can the guy stay healthy Kyle Shanahan wants to name Trey Lance Lance a starting quarterback that much is pretty simple at this point in time because Jimmy was a starting quarterback

going into training camp Jimmy hasn't played that great in practices because he's just a okay guy Trey Lance is a project but he has infinitely more talent than Jimmy and they traded three first round picks for the guy. So I saw Steve Young say on Friday night before the Chiefs Cardinal game, like, what are you waiting for? Just, it's an easy landing spot for him. I think there is a decent

chance that Kyle Shanahan names Trey Lance starting quarterback before week one, because he was asked after the second preseason game, it was a BP fastball, and he refused to name Jimmy Garoppel the quarterback. So that thing is a brewing, and look for Trey Lance to come in sooner and later. Cam Newton I don't know the exact details but because he's not vaccinated you can't leave a certain area like you can't go to different cities he clearly left

now he's on the COVID protocol for the next basically at minimum four days so Mac Jones is going to get all the first team reps I think it's probably like Trey Lance probably a decent and this might have happened before that Mac Jones is going to be the starter and then Cam will run packages

like Taysam Hill That to me makes the most sense. Mack Jones, starting quarterback, Mack Jones was the one guy in the draft who was ready for week one. Now, I don't know what's going to look a lot different in three, four years, but he was by far the most ready. He did not have the talent of the other guys, but Trey Lance Field, some of those guys are going to need some work.

Mac Jones was ready-made. He can read defenses, he can go through his progressions. Talent's kind of average, but he knows how to play quarterback, and he can, you know, if your team's good enough, probably help you win games. that's probably why he's going to end up be the starter. Jordan Love, who played his first NFL game

ever two weeks ago, got hurt at the end of the half, missed this last preseason game, two guys you've never heard of, played quarterback for the Packers because Matt LaFleur plays nobody. Now it looks like Jordan Love is going to be back this week. It's big. He needs to get these reps in the games.

They need to get good tape out there because eventually they would probably like to trade him assuming they can work it out with Aaron Rogers a little Jimmy Garoppolo Tom Brady style. Like ultimately Belichick got a second. round pick for Jimmy Garoppel. And they drafted him at the end of the second round. So I think the Packers would feel pretty good if they get a top 40 pick for Jordan Love.

But they need him to play. And they need him to put good tape on, you know, this last preseason game. I would play him the whole thing. I'd try to, you know, pad the stats, get them like four touchdown passes. I saw a study suggested that every hot dog you eat 35 minutes off your life. I am majorly screwed if this is a true study because I have eaten. a lot of hot dogs in my day. I am a sucker for a good hot dog.

When I worked to Cal Poly, or when I went to Cal Poly, one of my side jobs was the baseball team, like the baseball stadium. We played the Big West. It was like Long Beach State, Cal State, Fullerton, Santa Barbara. It was a really good baseball conference. In the home games, I was the bouncer for this area called Cruco's Corner.

And Mike Kruco is the announcer for the Giants, played in the big leagues, went to Cal Poly, lives in San Luis, donated to the baseball program. And inside this area down the third baseline, they did two things. You got free hot dogs and you got free beer. And you had to go through me. So all my buddies in college were always coming in there and getting wasted. Literally free beer.

They had multiple kegs. You have unlimited beers and unlimited hot dogs. I think they cut it off in like the eighth inning. I probably, in that job alone for a couple years, probably ate a thousand hot dogs. easily. And enjoyed every single one of them. I love a good hot dog. Okay, let's go Middle Coff mailbag.

At John Middlecoff is this thing we call Instagram. Owned by Zuckerberg. And a pretty good purchase. I think he bought Instagram for like a billion dollars. I can say you could flip that bad boy for a lot. Been listening to your podcast for a few months now, getting my off-season football fix.

And I've been loving your stuff. Appreciate that. me and my buddy had this argument. My friend thinks that having a shutdown cover corner is more beneficial than having an elite cover safety. I disagreed and argued for safety since I feel like a safety can have a bigger impact across the entire field.

What is your opinion are you taking the shutdown corner or the elite cover safety on my defense? Probably depends who my defensive coordinator is and what kind of deep. defense he's going to run. Now, if you have Dion Sanders, you never have to throw at Dion Sanders, but you can cheat everything to the one side. So if I have Dion Sanders, and he's going to go with every number one corner, or every number one wide receiver, Devonte, Hopkins, whoever I'm

playing, DK, I just put that guy, Dion, on him. And then I can basically kind of load up on all the other guys. Now, I do think you could make the argument if you have an elite cover safety, like, you know, fucking Ronnie Lott or Ed Reed or something. In 2021, most teams have big time tight ends and running backs. Well, can that guy check that player? Because if like, if every week, I got George Kittle, I got Travis Kelsey, I got Darren Waller coming in, Fant, Hawkinson, all these teams now have big tight ends who can run. I would lean the corner, but as the game changes and becomes tight-end-centric, I don't think it's crazy.

I'm very bullish on your Niners this season, so I'll bet the over 10, because I know the public will be on them and could make their week-to-week spread over-value. I don't have to worry about a spread, sharp money, or public money, and I'm very interested in the market, so having money tied up for a few months doesn't really bother me. keep up the good work. Oh, this was his take. I remember you asking about the over-unders. I'm bullish on the Niners,

so I'll bet the over because I know the public will be on them and I could make their week-to-week spread overvalued. I see what you're doing there. Couldn't you just do both? Middle cop, get off my jags, man. Very surprising to see that they have more playoff wins

in the Bills or the Washington football team. You know what I hate. And listen, your fans, I have a love-hate relationship with them. I mess with them a little bit. One thing that they do a poor job of is, and it's not even their fault because their team has been so shitty for 20 years.

They hold on to the past. They love talking about the tuck rule. It's like, guys, I was in sophomore year in high school when the tuck rule happened. I'm 36, going on 37, and bald now. And you guys still talk about the tuck rule all the time. Like, we got to move on.

Like, I'm a Giants fan. I don't talk about 2010, 2012, 2012, 2014. Like, yeah, they happen. That's a long time ago. It's 2021. You know that guy who's like 40s? God, I wish I could go back to high school.

It's like, we got to move on. Like, what are you doing now? If you're a Jags fan, you just drafted number one overall. Now, I get it. A lot of fans, it's easy for, you know, shit, a Laker fan, whoever.

a guy that has just experienced a lot of winning to just always act like that. But as a fan, the thing I recommend the fans, I got no problem reminiscing talking about cool times. But if you're number one talking about point for your team is always the past, like, you've met a Steeler fan now? He ain't bringing up like, remember when we made the Super Bowl in the mid-90s? Like, no, no one talks about that. You know what Steeler fan would talk about?

Last year, we started 11 and 0 what the hell happened. Are we going to be good this year? Belich... What did you think the last time Belichick thought about the tuck rule was? I'll tell you, 2001. It's been 20 years. You got to look forward. We got to look out in the front, not live in the past.

Honestly, like, listen, I just know a lot of Niners fans. The Super Bowl doesn't come up that often. That happened two years ago. It's all about this year, right now. Just live in the present. Be where your feet are. You know how coaches love saying that? There is some truth to that.

Have the Eagles become a toxic meddling front office? Coward used to rate them as one of the best ownerships, but three years out, they've lost in the Super Bowl, winning quarterbacks, and a coach, the situation smells bad, we all remember the drama at the end of last year. I personally think Howie drafts poorly overall. I know you're familiar with the organization,

so wondering if you can give an honest assessment. I think that they had just a toxic relationship with the quarterback, and I'm not putting that necessarily on anybody, but the situation just, it's an all-time unique spot, right? He got injured, they won the Super Bowl with the backup. The following year, he gets injured again,

and they went a playoff game on the road. So he had this elephant in the room of, like, can I do it, but I'm making all this money, and then guys resented him. Like, the Carson situation was somewhat unavoidable. Now, I can't speak to the exact dynamic last year with Doug and Carson. They were just at training camp together in Indy. I think they had to get rid of them.

I think that was 100% the right move. I actually think the Eagles right now are going to be a little better than you think. They have good lines. They're defensive lines fantastic. Their offensive line of healthy is going to be really good. They have a lot of talent at wide receiver. They have good tight ends and they have a good running back. I think Howie's really good at his job.

and Siriani just talking to people there, they're high on him. Now, he has not coached the game. Listen, Doug out-coach Belichick in a Super Bowl. So more than likely, they're going to downgrade at coach. But if he can just be a solid

offensive play caller and they can keep adding talent, like they have to draft better. Well, I think this draft is going to be way better in their last draft. Because they didn't screw around. They got high character,

Blue Chip guys. Devante Smith, Landon Dickerson. The defensive linemen that they drafted, I heard is pretty good, that Tom Dono was mad about the clip that went viral. I think the Eagles just kind of needed to hit the reset button. And probably more than Doug, it was Carson.

Once they got Carson over there, they could just take a deep breath and reassess everything. They got potentially, if Carson plays a lot this year, they're going to have three first round picks. I do not think it's crazy. for them to pivot. Remember when they fired Chip how big of, you know, just an uphill battle they had with their cap situation? Howie made some moves, all of a sudden, boom. They drafted Carson West. They got to number two overall.

How he can wheel and deal, man. I can't speak to the owner. In my experience with Jeffrey Lurie, he was not a meddlesome owner. Now, maybe things changed after they won the Super Bowl. I don't know. But in my experience, he was not. My question is about college football. With a probable alliance between the Big Ten, Pac-12, and the ACC coming in the next few weeks to combat the SEC's power and deregulation of the NCAA oversight of college football, which puts more power into the conference's hands themselves. Is it feasible we just have two college football leagues in the future?

There seems to be a growing rivalry hatred between the SEC and everyone else. Two national champions every year, an SEC champion, and this new alliance champion? Yeah, I think we're headed to an NFL-style college football. AFC, NFC, huge playoffs, but the same 15 teams competing.

That's what it is now, right? I mean, for the most part in the NFL, look at the final eight teams the last decade. For the most part, it was similar teams. Big time coaches, big time quarterbacks. College football every year, the top two or three teams in the SEC, Clemson, right?

Florida State or Miami, if they're a power. Ohio State. and maybe, you know, an Oregon or Oklahoma. It's really, this isn't that complicated. So who they play every week, like, yeah, that'll sort itself out. The money will eventually create everyone to gravitate toward each other, the top dogs. But, you know, the final four, the final eight, or the final 12, or whatever they go to, will have similar teams.

Like, you're not going to have the Boise States and the Cincinnati's in these. situations. Loving the crypto and football content. I've got a couple questions for you. Not sure how long you've been around the crypto space, but what's your opinion on Richard Hart? I don't know who Richard Hart is. I wouldn't consider myself around the crypto space.

I just own about 18,000 coins of Cardano. That's it. That's my crypto exposure. And that bad boy is shooting toward the moon. So I don't know any crypto people. I'm not like, I would not consider myself Mr. Crypto. Since you're a Bears fan, people that ask, I'm a Niner fan, a Bears fan, an Eagles fan. I was thinking about this.

I went on a walk slash run. My fan days truly ended. I root for people I know or people that are good for my business. The 49ers are really good for my business. I know some people with the organization. I root for them. Right? I mean, I know people with the Eagles, no people with the bears, no people.

I just root for the people I know. Isn't that kind of how way life is as you get older? You root for your friends? I'm just rooting for people I know and then I can text and then I have personal relationships with I want to see them succeed. I get joy out of that. The NFL, I'm going to have enough content

to put together a show two or three times a week here. And the better the 49ers are from my other podcast, more money I can make. And the more entertained I am. I don't want to watch crappy football. Watching bad football sucks. But my days is like a guy wearing jerseys and wearing a hat. They ended a long time ago

But I'm still a big fan of the sport In the league and of my people And of other people I don't know Sean McVeigh, big Sean McVey fan I don't know, I've never met Mike Tomlin Huge fan Why do some media overhype young players so much I thought Justin played very well in his first game

But it was far from what the media is claiming Well I think right now when you say the media I think if you go on social media It's a huge hype machine Social media is a massive hype machine social media is a massive hype machine or a massive negative machine like the best part about football season

is it just quiets everyone with all their other takes but it's where miserable people congregate Twitter at least I find Instagram to be a happier place Twitter is where miserable people hang out and find companionship so and it's also when something good happens fans are on there and they hype it up

rightfully so I'm guilty I did it with Trey Lance and it's a lot, but it's hard. Like, just because you ball in practice or make a cool throw in a game in the preseason doesn't mean you, it doesn't actually mean anything. You have to do it.

And then once you do it, you have to sustain it. It's very, very difficult. I would say the media now with social media is probably more hype than ever before. It's just part of the deal. But what does hype even mean? You eventually have to back it up.

So I'd argue with just, who can't, Like, Justin Fields is really talented. There's a lot to work with there. We all want to see it. Like, if you just want my non-hyped common sense, like the dude's a freak talent, throw him in there and let's see what he has.

Is he going to struggle? Will he make some dumb-ass plays? Of course he will. I mean, Tom Brady threw pick six last year in week one. It happens. But is the talent so great that you can mold that thing like a piece of clay and create a great player if you're a coach.

I don't know how you could look at it any other way if you were a head coach. I want to work with this guy and I want to get him in the game immediately. There's no ceiling to Andy Dalton. He peaked three years ago. I feel like I might be getting preseason hype mind-fucked. Mac look really good

and when you look back to pre-draft everybody named him the most pro-ready. It seems to add up. They're a line and running backs look good. They are a little light at wide receiver but I think they will go heavy ground attack, rotating three or four running backs. I haven't mentioned Cam yet because, though he might start,

Mack is going to take over sooner and later. But that doesn't stop me from believing they will use him in goal line situations. Just another tool at their disposal for $1 million. Defense is reloaded from COVID, and I think Bill wants to flex his dick this year. Vegas win total is 8.5, which I think is an easy over. Yeah, my guess would be 10 and 7. I think 10 and 7.

They're just going to be too good on defense. too good on special teams. Their running backs are good. They have two good tight ends. Bill is going to be out to prove everyone. Major FU after last year. So yeah, I mean, I like the over there as well. Who you got is your top five wide receivers this year.

Also, do you think Julio Jones will actually do well in Tennessee? I saw he's hurt. Julio gets banged up a lot. I would say my top five wide receivers would be Devante Adams. Keenan Allen. You know, Mike Evans, when healthy, is a boost. This is a good question. Stefan Diggs last year was a baller.

He's banged up. That's a good question. I mean, there are a lot of names. I mean, obviously, Julio, you could throw in there. You could, you know, D.Ks an up-and-comer. Justin Jefferson had an unreal rookie season. Amari Cooper was actually really good. I don't think he's top five, but he might be a fringe top 10 guy.

Michael Thomas is just, I don't know, quit or hurt, don't know what his deal is. DeAndre Hopkins, right in the mix. It's a lot of, I don't know if there's like a Calvin Johnson or Randy Moss in the sport right now, but there are just a lot of really, like, Devante Adams and Keenan Allen are just ballers. Hopkins, baller. Are they like all-time greats? Probably not, but they are really, really good.

So I would probably go, Devante, Keenan, Hopkins, I'm a sucker for Mike Evans Maybe the stats last year Don't pack it up He was heard a little too And You know Let's go

Let's go with the rookie Justin Jefferson That'll do it That's bold See that's hype I mean he's played one year I was just poo pooed hype And then I put Justin Jefferson But step let's go Diggs

Let's go Diggs over him Diggs had a better year Appreciate everyone listening share it, tell your friends about the podcast. Have a great night. And yeah, see you later this week. Adios. As a while,

we're doing the future, we're in case so can't in this time in the end upturned now we have to ensure them more safe good tool. We're doing the most important thing is just for the kids get on COVID-19. E-mial, it's been determined

to the month-year-old-old-old-old. Lansing your kids'e's or visit your time with my turn. To c a dog up to check to your future of the California Department of Public Health

take to 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 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 I Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

On the Look Back at it podcast. From 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 hear, 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. Hey, what's good, y'all? You're listening to Learn the Hard Way with your favorite therapist and host, Kear Games.

This space is about black men's experiences, having honest conversations that it's really not safe to have anywhere, but you're having them with a licensed professional who knows what he's doing. How many men carry a suit or armor? It signals to the world that you're not to be played with. And just because you have the capability that does not mean that you need to. Listen and learn the hard way on the IHard radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. This is an IHart podcast. Guaranteed human.