The Herd with Colin Cowherd - 3 and Out - Niners/Trey Lance OTA Observations; Idiot Fan Outbreak; NFL Rapid Fire; Mailbag

Episode Date: June 4, 2021

In this episode, John relays his observations from his trip to Niners OTA's, the reality of seeing Josh Rosen fighting for his NFL life and his first impressions of Trey Lance. He also looks at the recent media frenzy over bad fan behavior in other sports, attacks the top headlines with some NFL rapid fire, 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.

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This is a 3-and-out podcast. Thanks for coming. Thanks for potentially subscribing. Need you to subscribe. Go do that right now. If you listen on Collins' feed, go to 3-and-out. Subscribe to that page. Hope everyone's having had a good week.

I guess if you're listening this, Friday, Saturday, weeks over, having a good weekend, enjoying yourself. Summer's here, it's sunny outside, sweating a little. It's always good to get the endorphins going and doing whatever you people do. Big show today. Went to Niners, OTAs, have a couple thoughts on what I saw. There's just a growing topic about fan behavior, have some takes there. And then I'm going to do this little thing called just rapid fire.

I just wrote down about, you know, probably seven, eight topics that I've seen throughout the week. I'm just going to hit on them. Give an opinion from everything from Big Ben to Dan Campbell. And then, of course, the Middlecoff mailbag at John Middlecough is my Instagram to get on the show. Fire in those DMs. Running pretty low on DMs. I've answered a lot of DMs, obviously, over the years. Fire in there if you haven't.

Everything, I'm posting this all also on YouTube. John Middlecough is the YouTube channel. post all the different segments on YouTube. You can find the content there as well as obviously listening it to on the podcast. So we're just trying to be multi-dimensional, be on multi-platforms. It's like being a quarterback. It's like I can throw from the pocket. We can scramble.

We can run left and throw across our body. You've got to be able to do a lot of different things, as I think Trey Lance might be able to do. Okay, one of the perks of this little job that I have, I'm a streamer, podcaster. is I'm able to go to NFL practices. And it's cool. Like, I don't take it for granted to be able to go out there. Now, granted, it's part of my gig. You need to be able to talk about.

It's free marketing for them. So it's a win-win situation for everyone involved. But, you know, living in the Bay Area, I have access to an NFL team right down the road. Went tonight and practice the other day. And one thing that really jumped out to me at practice is just how difficult it is to make it in the league. You know, I've been doing this process.

professionally now for 13 years, whether it was working in college football, working in the NFL, and then talking about football for a living. And I'm out at practice, and Josh Rosen is competing to be the third-string quarterback. Josh Rosen was basically a blue-chip guy coming out of high school, went to UCLA, three and done, went 10th overall. And three or four years later, he's literally fighting for his livelihood. If Josh Rosen just got off the bus just next to Jimmy Garoppolo, he looked at it. better. Josh Rosen is big, and then when you watch him throw, he's got a bigger arm. And the craziest

part about quarterback, unlike probably most positions, like, if you watch most wide receivers, you can be like, God, that guy's really fast, or God, that guy's really big, or God, that guy can really jump with a quarterback. Like, you can see some guys that throw a great in practice, you can see other guys that throw it poorly in practice. It doesn't really matter. A little bit like we talked about earlier in the week with Adam Vinatari, Brad Seeley, the special team's coach, you know, it wasn't even a great practice player, but in the games, we had faith. Like, you don't really know with a quarterback until you get him in a game situation.

And I don't know all the details with how this guy's career has been derailed, but just watching him at practice. Now, he's not a great athlete, definitely relative to Trey Lance, or even Jimmy Garoppolo's pretty mobile, but just him standing there and in throwing the football is impressive.

And this guy's NFL career. NFL career was drafted 10th overall you know, this is going to be his fourth season. That is not very long ago. It is hanging on by a shoestring. And I think part of the reason we love the sport of football is things change so dramatically. There are no scholarships.

Think how often you just, I don't know if you noticed, but the Celtics yesterday, Danny Ains quits, Brad Stevens goes from being the coach to now the GM, just weird shit's going on. like Kimball Walker is on their team for this max contract. He's going nowhere. The equivalent in the NFL, Campbell Walker would be cut this offseason.

See ya. Adios. Thanks for your service. You know, it'd be done. And in football, that's what happens. So you're just constantly churning through guys. But we all, like, I don't care if you were the biggest Josh Rosen hater, you would not have thought that he would have been out of the league,

potentially by year four. That Josh Rosen's career wouldn't even be. half as long one day as like Matt Bartley, that's crazy talk. But that's what might happen. And just being out there was like, man, this is, sometimes it just puts it into perspective, this is really, really difficult.

Because if me, you, your buddies, just went out to the park and handed this guy a ball and watched him spin it, you'd be like, holy moly, this guy can sling the pill. And goes to Trey Lance. And I mentioned this, we talked a ton about him on my other podcast, Haberman Middlecalf, checked it out,

dove deep in. But just an overall take, just seeing him physically, and again, like to my Josh Rosen take, you can't take away much from quarterbacks in practice situations,

especially in June when they're not in pads. But you can tell physical attributes, right? What he looks like standing there, what he looks like throwing the ball, and it looks good.

I mean, it looks really good. I think it's fair to say that if he had not come out and had gone back to North Dakota State, which I guess would have been his redshirt junior season, if he had a good year, more than likely he'd been the number one pick in the draft. Like he's that type physical talent. Now, we know playing quarterback is more than physical talent, but it's pretty eye-opening

when you just watch the guy stand there. Now, Jimmy is not the biggest quarterback. You know, Jimmy's on the, I would have said low end, but now we got Kyler's 5-9, showed up a practice, by the way. We got Baker, who's 5-11. Russell's 5-11. We got short guys. I guess Baker might be six feet,

but it's probably the shortest era of quarterbacks in the history of the league. Jimmy, 10, 15, 20 years ago would have been on the lower end, you know, barely 6-2, right? Anyone that's ever been by Philip Rivers, the Mannings, Flackos, Big Ben, I mean, quarterback Carson Wentz,

even Jared Goff. I remember going to a Warriors playoff game. It was game seven. It was game seven the year. LeBron won this title in Cleveland and I was walking up to Oracle with this girl kind of dating at the time but she had tickets

she took me it was really cool I mean I'm glad I went if I could take one thing back I would have got less intoxicated during the game and been pretty sober the whole time but whatever it was fun I remember walking up to the game game 7 it was massive that was the 73 win Warriors team I walked by

two guys first was Nadamak and Sue it was like I might have played a little guard wing T style Davis high school early 2000s awful football player but walking by that guy went oh my god that guy is massive and then probably 15 feet later Jared Goff and some of his high school buddies that look like maybe college buddies he's also really tall and Jimmy's just not that big but Jimmy clearly like one takeaway I had from practice underrated part about Jimmy and he's a polarizing guy and I think it's a lot of people naturally kind of shit on him do you know how good you

have to be to be Jimmy Garapolo, wasn't recruited really at a high school, right? Goes to Northern Illinois, Eastern Illinois, whatever the Romo school is with Sean Payton, goes there, has a really good career. Then to be that good to get drafted in the second round, like, remember, Tony Romo wasn't getting drafted in the second round. Tony Romo was an undrafted free agent. Then Jimmy goes in the second round, and obviously to have the career that he's just had, again, polarizing a lot of it's because of the money, but is really impressive. So my overall takeaway is it's really hard to play quarterback. You know, like the outliers that are the Brady's, the Mahomes,

the Russell Wilson's that are so elite and sustain it for a long period of time, that's not normal. You know, I mean, every team is just, the Niners are hoping and praying, and they have to feel pretty good about having Trey Lance. But, man, you don't really know and you won't really know until he starts playing games, right? Because he looks sweet, which I'm sure Trevor Lawrence does,

which I know talking to people with the Bears, Justin Fields does. Zach Wilson, I'm sure, slinging that pill around. Right, Mac, you know, we've heard some differencing of reports, but Mac Jones is not going to look good in an OTA setting.

Not a great athlete, not very tall, doesn't have a great arm. I mean, he's just, part of the reason Jimmy looks good, he gets rid of the ball fast, he knows the offense. I bet Jimmy, I remember maybe hearing something

like a year ago that Jimmy's, I almost said freshman year, but rookie year with the Patriots was pretty ugly. Right? It's some guys that take some time. Now the pressure, the eyeballs, the podcast.

A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what you're saying. Yep, that's me, Clifford Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, the reactions, my journey from basketball to college football, or my career in sports media. Well, somewhere along the way, this platform became bigger than I ever imagined. And now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show.

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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. 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 a little Kim? Well, you can find out on the Look Back at it podcast. I'm Sam Jett. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick a here, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it. including a recent episode with Mark Lamont Hill waxing all about crack in the 80s. To be clear, 84 is big to me, not just because of crack.

I'm down to talk about crack all 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... Thank you 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 Hardway with me, your host, and your favorite therapist, Kear Games. And in recognition of Mental Health Awareness Month, I'm bringing over a decade of my own experience

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Football Americano, as they call it in Mexico. 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. Okay, so we have the car payment, the rent, utilities, and the repair bill. What should we do? I know. I'm going to cashnetUSA.com. I can apply a minute, get an instant decision,

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Brought to you by the ad council And we're live here outside the Perez family home Just waiting for the... And there they go. Almost on time this morning. Mom is coming out the front door strong With a double-armed kid carry. Looks like dad has the bags.

Daughter is bringing up the rear. Oh, but the diaper bag wasn't Closed. Typhers 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 fam favorite.

Don't sweat the small stuff. Just nail the big stuff. 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 nitsa and the ad council i wanted to spend just a couple minutes on fan behavior i think the reaction has been pretty ridiculous when you combine young people with alcohol dumb things happen we have been watching sporting events for years, especially since camera phones and videos going viral of people fighting. What do you think is a common denominator of people fighting? I would imagine the blood alcohol level on both individuals tends to be really, really high. Here's the other thing. Fights

happen all the time at bars and clubs. What does that usually entail? Younger people, alcohol. The difference though at a game is there is a winner. and there is a loser and there is an opponent so most people in an arena are rooting against the other team and then you're going to have a segment of the people who are going to be younger

and really really intoxicated that is going to add up to problems but when I saw the reaction about just fan behavior is outrageous I laughed when they're at Boston Garden or whatever whatever it's called and one dude throws a water bottle

and it's like oh my God fans. I just did the math. One divided by 18,000 people doesn't even sniff half a percent. The segment, one person, if I tell you 18,000 people attend something and there's going to be a ton of alcohol and who all, the majority of those 18,000 people, what they go to see, the opposite is going to happen. The other team is going to win. What they go to see, it's a disaster. It's usually going to be problems. And one thing that I, I, lost touch with when I, definitely when I worked in radio, I used to always go on media passes at games and I would sit with the media. I mean, honestly, now you couldn't pay me to do that. For the last

three or four years since going into business for myself, like I needed to just get a better feel for the fan. Like I just lost touch because working in the league, I obviously sat in boxes. And then working in the media, I just sat in the box. I never spent any time in the stands. Here's the thing about sitting in the stands One, you got to pay for a ticket So when I pay for a ticket Typically, I want something in return, right? These tickets at NFL games

Now, NFL doesn't have the same problem as the NBA Just because where the fans are Are separated from the players, right? Just the way the sport is, the way the field set up, The way even you have to have a buffer Where the sideline is, no one's really on top of them. So there is a built-in separation.

We're in the NBA, they're kind of right on top of them. But when I go to a game, there's a reason people get really pissed off when their team lays an egg. Not just because they're mad, their team laid an egg. They paid to see that. They paid their hard-earned dollars.

One thing that's been eye-opening to me since paying to go to games these last several years, it is not cheap. It is really, really expensive. NFL tickets to sit in the second deck costs a lot to go to a good game. NBA tickets are outrageous.

The thing with the, at least in the NFL, if I go to watch the Chiefs Chargers, I know I'm getting Herbert Mahomes unless one of them has been hurt leading up to the game. And I go, well, Herbert might not play, but I know Mahomes is going to play. In the NBA, which has their fan and, you know,

team player relations right now has never been worse. there is a major disconnect and I think it's only going to grow in animosity because people pay to go to these games and then throughout the season people just don't play it's basically like the team is looking back at the fan with a middle finger and saying F you

we do not care what you think pay that ticket sit down and shut up in the NFL the only reason you really get mad is if your team sucks and like Lays an A you know though for 99% of the time if a guy is like not in the game, he's injured. In the NBA, they just feel like hanging out.

They're like, screw you. We just don't want to play this week. And I'll never forget this, though. And I haven't since I've been doing what I do now and gone into business for myself, is that the fans pay all the bills. And I think the way that they get generalized is kind of embarrassing,

especially by the media elites, as I consider them. Because most people in the media, if you've been working the media for 20 years, you have not paid one penny to go to a game. You go to every game for free. And they feed you at the game. You're actually paid to go to the game, but that's your job. But you never pay to go to these games.

You lose touch with the paying customer. Yet without that paying customer, you're irrelevant. Right? You need, the fans pay all the players bills, all the owner's bills, all the media bills. You're like, what do you mean, John, the CBS and Fox? Why do you think they're paying? Because of the audience. And really now, your time is more valuable than actually going to these games.

but when you do go to a game, it basically becomes a bar. So when I see one fan, and we do this in the NFL a lot, these fights go viral in the crowds, you can't have it both ways. You can't go like, look at those two idiots fighting. And it's like, I can't believe one of those idiots throw a water bottle at a guy's face. Well, you can't have it both ways.

If you're going to have alcohol, which they're always going to have, it's too powerful of a business, it's too enjoyable to go and have some pops at the game. but when you factor in young people, when you factor in tensions are running hot, there's going to be a winner and a loser. Fights happen at bars and clubs all the time for people bumping into each other.

Let alone you go to a game, you pay a premium to sit there, your team sucks, they get beat, like it's understandable. Listen, I can't relate. I don't really, every football game I've been to the last decade, I don't drink, I'm usually working. But sitting in the stands, like you see,

like God, I feel a little uncomfortable, something might happen. You know what you're getting into. So this reaction of like The NBA's out of control with fans One guy in 18,000 people Do the math It's like a fifth of a percent of a percent of a percent

It's like 0.0.0.5 That's a pretty good percentage Go to any other scenario in society With that many people The majority of them drinking Especially the young people What do you think is going to happen? Everyone just holds hands and sings kumbaya

Are we that out of touch? Of course this is going on And to me though When you factor in the price of admission to go to these games. The irony, like I said, it's more valuable for you for these leagues for you to sit on the couch. They want your attention.

That is worth billions of dollars of these leagues. Adam Silver would sell his left arm right now to get the 50% of his precipitous audience that dropped off, you know, just out of nowhere the last four or five years to come back. The NFL does not have that problem. They have a massive audience, right? that consumes football on their couch. Obviously they do in the games too. They get the best of both worlds.

Sold out seats, people watching. That's where they make their money, the fans. But we can't be shocked when people act like idiots. We see it all over. Most people like you get on social media lately? Like everyone's an idiot. Everyone's acting like idiots. Should we be shocked?

What's this reaction? What are you supposed to do? Like, don't serve alcohol then. Make everyone sober. I bet it's less likely to happen. That's never going to happen. So you can't have your cake and eat it too. This has been going on forever.

Ask anyone in sports in the 70s and 80s what it was like attending road games. It was vicious. Mean things are said. Things are thrown at you sometimes. It sucks. I'm not saying it's right, but what are we talking about?

And I think the majority of fans, just like the majority of people, are acting fine. Yet they get painted with this broad brush. It's like, hey guys, they're paying all your bills. You might not want to shit on these people. people for one village idiot throwing a water bottle or popcorn or whatever in football it's a little

more difficult they end up just fighting themselves but again nothing goes viral like a good football fight in the in the 300s right we love that and then we freak out when someone does something in an like you cannot have it both ways if you're gonna have alcohol and it's always going to be there like that ain't ever leaving you got to expect some craziness it's part of the deal I'm gonna go a little NFL rapid fire just hit stories go Go fast. Just keep it moving, baby. We're going to start with a guy named Big Benjamin Ruffisberger.

And he talked. Anytime he talks, you haven't heard from him, you get some singers. One, unprovoked, he just let everyone know two years ago. His elbow blew up. Like, yeah, Ben, we know. You got Tommy John. No one was questioning your elbow injury. And he's like, no excuses.

Well, Ben, like, just, we get it, bro. You blew up your elbow. You're old. We understand. It's understandable. No one was questioning, you know, you just like tapped out and you could have played. We understand. But he also mentioned, and this was funny, that he voluntarily, that he went to the Steelers to take a pay cut.

Gonna call BS on that one. And listen, I've been saying forever that I think the media does a poor job when players take a little less. If you take a little less for the bigger picture, like, do you know how much money Tom Brady is made by taking quote unquote a little less and becoming the greatest quarterback of all time? he's going to make dramatically more money when his career's over. His brand grew exponentially by winning. Taking a little less, I know in my business, I undercut right now, I have a pending deal on our other podcast with a big brand. It would be badass.

That, you know, it's a relatively high number. It's the, you know, quote unquote, the going rate. But if they wanted to come down, I probably will. You know, is that quote unquote a pay cut or is it just kind of meeting in the middle? Is it meaning like I want to be a part of this? Ben, you want to be a part of the Steelers. We ain't paying you $30 million. Because last year, you're 38, 39 years old,

a lot of tread on the tires. But I don't believe for a second that you voluntarily took a pay cut. Because in the NFL, that never is the case unless you know they're going to cut you. And if you know you got cut, like, who's paying you the money? So did you take, like, maybe you agreed, maybe the actual story is like,

you understood that if you didn't take a pay cut, that they would have released you and no one was going to pay you. anywhere near what the Steelers will pay you next year, which is smart business on your end. But it's always good to shape the narrative with the guy like Rothesberger to make him look like a good guy. Read a couple people right.

I think New Orleans.com might be a paper that the Saints are going to have a true quarterback competition. That James is not the entrenched starter, that him and Tassum are going to have, I don't know, equal reps, but going to training camp to battle it out for the starting quarterback. I don't think there will be. If it's an open competition, James Winston is going to be the starter.

James Winston is just a better quarterback than Tassum. Also, making Taysam the quarterback, diminishes your offense. Because if James is on the field, like when Drew Brees was on the field, having Tasem do some of your trick plays, having them just on the field to play is a benefit for your offense. To go with Michael Thomas, to go with the offensive line, to go with Kamara. it's, to me, you can already see the way it's shaping up. I will be stunned if James Winston week one doesn't walk out the tunnel and take the first

nap as the starting quarterback for the Saints. I also think bigger picture. And listen, Drew Breeze clearly has been trending the wrong way. That's why he retired. I think he knows. Usually the player knows even faster than we know, even if they're not, you know, naive's the wrong word, but in denial about it. Like part of being in denial about it is you know something's going on.

you just don't want to, you refuse to think about it. Sometimes being in denial is kind of healthy, you know? I just, you don't want to live in reality because sometimes reality sucks. Drew Brees didn't necessarily want to retire, especially when he sees a contemporary playing until he's 44. I bet a couple years ago, Drew Brees like, maybe I can play to a 42, 43, and then he realized, no, this is, I'm trending poorly. I don't want to walk up the field like Peyton did his last season.

And really, Peyton didn't even know, he just went into that season and all of a sudden he had fallen off a clip. But it'll be interesting because the last couple years I thought the Saints had one of the best rosters in the league. They clearly underachieved in the playoffs. You know, you could argue they got screwed the one year to the Rams. The Minnesota Miracle happened to them. Kirk Cousins beat them.

They just could never, I thought they had a Super Bowl roster, and they just couldn't get it done. Their roster is still really good, but is their quarterback play going to come back to Earth? That to me is just a fascinating thing to watch. I don't know. I mean, maybe James is going to be really good for him. I actually think the offense sets up pretty well for him.

The problem in Bruce Ariens' offense is down-the-field offense. Well, James is going to throw a lot of picks if he's pushing the ball down the field. If you're just running slants and outs to Michael Thomas, you're dumping it off to Alvin Kamara. It might, you know, limit his ability to turn the ball over. I'm fascinated to watch James with Sean Payton as a full-time starter. Zach Ertz, Red Zach Ertz, teams are still very interested. Some of these teams right now cannot even sign their rookies.

I don't think the Eagles are one of them because I saw Devante Smith signed his $20 million contract. but it does feel like there's a lot of smoke with Zach Hertz that he'll eventually not be on the team. Now clearly the Eagles are, they're not going to try to lose this season. So they're not going to give him away for like a fourth or fifth round pick. I mean, he's still a valuable player. Could they get a third round pick for him?

That was my last draft. What was he like the fourth or fifth pick in the second round? He's been fantastic. Helped you win a Super Bowl. Helped you be a really good team for a couple years. If I was a good team, if I was a Colts, a Bills, any of these, the Packers, I would be all over this guy.

I would, this guy can help your offense. Peter King wrote that most observers, maybe scuttle butt within the league office, believe there will be an 18-game season? Of course they will. Within three or four years, there are going to be two pre-season games and 18 regular season games.

That is a 100% lock. And they'll make dramatically more, money because every week added on of regular season games equals chiching in the league just like every business some just pretend to lie about it are addicted to profits are addicted to revenue and the way the NFL generates the most revenue is buy games so this year they're going to have more revenue why they have an added week it's why they added playoff teams they got two extra playoff games instead of four playoff games on Wildcar weekend, they got six.

Win chicken dinner. I guess it's winner, winner chicken dinner. But yeah, it's inevitable. Might be sooner than even, maybe it happens in less than two or three years. Dan Campbell. I love Dan Campbell. I would love to have him on this podcast.

Anyone with the Detroit Lions organization listening, hit me up with an email. I would love to talk to Dan Campbell. I know Collins is down on him. I'm high on him. I really am. I think he's just a great character for the league. Part of the reason the NFL is king

and it's just surpassed for various reasons. But when I was a kid, basketball, football, and baseball coaches, baseball you call it a manager, were all really famous, right? Nowadays, baseball managers, some of them make like 700 gur. I mean, they're irrelevant. They are middle management. The GMs run it.

The Tommy Lasordas, Bruce Bochis, those guys don't. exist. The league is full of Gabe Kaplers that are paid $850,000 and do exactly what they're told. The days of guys, Tony Larusa, when he was having the whole spat with his team about hitting a home run, 3-0, up 10 runs in the eighth inning or whatever, Lance Lynn had said something like he thinks Tony Larusa needs to pipe down, and Tony Larusa had a quote that said, there's a reason he has a locker and I have an office. I'm the boss. Gabe Kapler, Dave Roberts, and I like Dave Roberts, just all the younger managers that are not making,

wouldn't say words like that in a million years. In the NFL? Even in the NFL. Like, our coaches are really famous, but is Sean McVey or Kyle Shanahan really going to talk a lot of shit? Probably not. So you need your coaches to be just big personalities. They help sell your sport.

This is all a television product and they're big characters. I think Dan Campbell's a big character. Picture that went viral of him with a helmet. I think Ford Motor Speedway, NASCAR race maybe. Not a big race guy, so not exactly sure. But I laughed. I did. I'm week one.

Niners Lions. Can't wait. Tim Tebow. Read this. Diana Rossini works for Espin. Also goes by ESPN. So the Tim Tebow could be used in a Taysom Hill rule. I said, hold up.

pump does breaks tasem hill runs like a 4-4 now I don't know what Tebow is running at 34 years old but I'll promise you this and I don't know if you saw the picture of him come out of Jaguars they tweeted it I saw it on Instagram

I posted it on my Instagram story Kim Tebow looks like you know I'm not saying he's doing anything but you know it's a lot of protein going into that body there ain't a chance on God's Greener Earth I'd say Tim Tebow could break 475.

A huge part of Taysam Hills attribute, like his best attribute, his speed is elite. And his arm, Tebow's arm stinks. If I was a defensive coordinator, I'd go, hey, Urban, make him throw the ball. Take Trevor Lords off the field.

I'd be screaming that from the other sideline. I think it's 52 yards and a half. That's what I'd be screaming from 52 yards away. I would love for Tebow to throw the ball. He has one of the worst throwing motions we've ever seen in NFL history. And his arm is not good. Taysam, I don't know if he's a great thrower,

like if you want him to be a full-time quarterback, but he does have a power. He can throw it. To compare that is laughable. That's a joke. He will not play a Taysam Hill role. It's just not possible. ESPN, this is a bright side for the Green Bay Packers,

because Rogers with Miles Teller in Hawaii, Capulua, hanging out, drinking mitis at Monkey Pod. maybe Rogers wasn't at Monkey Pod because Myos Teller got beat up there but if you've ever been to Monkey Pod on Capulua, it's awesome. The Mai Ties, I'm not a foofy guy drink. Like I usually just drink tequila sodas or vodka sodas.

That's really what I've been drinking now for the last decade. I've changed mainly tequila sodas but I will drink vodka sodas too. I'll do with it either. Every once in a while, you'll just be in the mood. You'll see like a cocktail like a peanut colotte or whatever at a bar with some friends. And I don't do this very often, but I get the itch.

You know, and then you have it. You're like, this is terrible. Because all you got to go is to Hawaii once, like, every decade. They're my time. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what 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 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. 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.

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 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 is big to me not just because of crack. I'm down to talk about crack on day,

but just so y'all know. I mean, at this point, Mark, this is the second episode where we've discussed crack. So I'm starting to see that there's a through line. We also have AIDS on the table right now. Thank you for finishing that sentence. 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. Trip Fontaine,

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

wins and losses. Steve Burns, Dustin Ross, because you find it important to be a good person while you hear on earth? Or are you a good person because you're afraid? Because that's two different intentions, bro. Absolutely. And that's two different levels of trust.

I want you to just really be a good person. Join me, Kear Gaines, as we have real conversations about healing, growth, fatherhood, pressure, and purpose on my new podcast, learn the hard way. Open your free iHeartRadio app. Search, learn the hard way,

and listen now. Guys, their peanut clotted, melt in your mouth. They use real fruit. They don't use fruit juice. Their ice is fantastic. It's just elite. You know, I understand why Rogers is there sucking down my time.

avoid and Goudicans. But they said that Jordan Love is showing signs of progress. The one benefit of Rogers disappearing is that Jordan Love gets to take all the reps. Now, I haven't seen the update if the receivers ever showed up or not, but just giving Jordan Love every single rep humanly possible at Packers practice is ultimately a big picture win for them, whether they end up trading him because he improves or whether they end up trading Rogers and they're able to transition to love as their full-time quarterback. right if the most powerful thing you can have on your team is multiple quarterbacks if one guy's

good you can flip him jimmy garropalo had played a game and a half and belichick actually took a discount because he loved jimmy so much he just wanted to give him to kyle if he really wanted to get a bidding war someone would have given him a first round pick jimmy had played a game and a half might have been less because remember he hurt his shoulder in the second game so if jordan love ever gets good you can either keep them or get rid of Rogers. We're a long way away from that, but I'm just saying, best case scenario, it's not a bad thing to have.

The last thing I saw, and this has to just irk the Rogers and the Russell's, and this is, I give the Buck's credit. Bruce Ariens is no dummy. He had Tom Brady evaluate rookie wide receivers coming out in the draft. Just make the guy feel a part of it. He already gave you a discount.

He's playing for $25 million a year. Dak Prescott is playing. is playing for $40 million a year. Never done anything in the league but throwing up some good stats. I'm not trying to talk shit about Dak Prescott. I like the guy. But Tom Brady gladly plays for $25 million

because he knows I'm going to make money for the rest of my life. I'm just going to keep winning championships. I'm just going to keep winning. And he gets to that. They let them evaluate players. Not that, I mean, do they even factor that in? Who knows?

But why not? It's such an easy. It's a BP fastball, as we call it. Just make it. Tom feel included. That's all he's ever wanted. Hell, Belichick evaluate you can't even evaluate wide receivers to save his life as an evaluator by himself.

Maybe he should have let Tom help him out with that position. Now, listen, we all have a weakness. I'm not a very good DB evaluator, but I'd make Tom a part of my scouting department also. Big team camaraderie guy makes him feel included and makes them want to take another discount if you win another Super Bowl. Get right to the romance and find the way to

Wow, this Valentine's with 1800 Flowers.com. From classic roses and bouquets to decadent chocolate-covered berries, gourmetters, 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. Adoption of teens from foster care is a topic not enough people know about and we're here to change that. I'm April Dinnwity host of the new podcast, Navigating Adoption, presented by Adopt U.S. Kids.

Each episode brings you compelling real-life adoption stories told by the families that live them with commentary from experts. Visit Adoptuskids.org slash podcast or subscribe to navigating adoption presented by Adopt U.S. Kids. Brought to you by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Children and Families and the ad count. 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. Okay, let's go Middlecoff mailbag At John Middlough

Instagram I'm sure many of you guys know the deal by now Fire in those DMs And get your questions answered here Start with Maddie Fan of the pod Got turned on by a buddy Love word of mouth

I'd appreciate every single person And I know a lot of you do They tell your friends I appreciate the grassroots nature of the business Just wanted to reach out and say how helpful your podcast have been to my outlook on life, more than anything else, particularly when it comes to finding value, looking long term, having vision and instincts. Yeah, I mean, it's easier said than done. I'm not perfect. You know, I've been keeping an eye on the Scottsdale real estate market, which is blowing up right now.

It's really expensive. I mean, relative to what it was a couple years ago. And you just, you know, you've got to live. There's a balance. I guess buying homes is a little different than probably investing in like the stock market for prices. But it's all relative, I guess. I try to practice what I preach. I've had a good week on the stock market, by the way. If I have to ask a football question, it's who will start a real NFL game first? Trey Lance or our boy McCorkle.

I'd love to get your thoughts in your timeline. you would expect. I'd expect Mac Jones started a game before Trey Lance. It wouldn't shock me if Mac Jones started week one. I don't think it's out of the wrong possibility. And he's definitely probably going to play more because you don't bring Mac Jones in. He's a quarterback. Like, Trey, you could bring in for packages if Jimmy's starting. Max's just a starter. And then Cam would come in. So I would guess, I would guess that Mac Jones starts first. Do you think Justin Herbert will improve on last season this next year. Lombardi is an asset, but Brandon Staley doesn't exactly resemble Shanahan McVease in the NFL because he's a defensive guy. Does Herbert call

the plays this year? Thoughts? I would guess 100% he does not call plays. I saw Lombardi, the OC, say something about Mike Williams going to have a big year. It's like, yeah, Lombardi. Mike Williams has a good year every, if he's on the field, he produces. Mike Williams is a good player. He just gets hurt. Their offense, Keenan Allen, Mike Williams, like, they'll be good. Justin Herbert's not going to call plays, but their offense should be good. I was born in Cupertino. I'm going to go to Cal Poly next fall. Love it.

The study mechanical engineering. Shit, you are a smart individual. I am not. I could never, ever have gotten into Cal Poly mechanical engineering. And if I did, I would never survived. I'm soon to be a bald guy. Hashtag, fuck yeah. when I heard your pod, it was almost meant to be. L.O.L. Bald guy from Cal Poly.

Now, here's why I will push back. I was not bald at Cal Poly. It is, though, when I started noticing hair, I'll never forget being in a class and looking down and seeing hair fall. I was like, I am in trouble. I appreciate that, Ryan. Have fun at Cal Poly.

It doesn't suck. It's also not real life. You just go there, you go to class, you get wasted, you hang out, you go to the pool, you get a little lift on, you play some pickup hoops, and you do it all again every week. It's absolutely incredible. It is, I enjoy, I've always been a big believer that to live a fulfilled life, you should get better. Like, life should get better, right? Like my life was awesome growing up. I had loving parents, had good friends, and then I went to college, it was good, and then it got better in the 20s. I mean, it's different, but then my life

has been better in my 30s. Like, it should get better. But, so I hate people that are like, if I could go back to college, like, I wouldn't want to necessarily go back to college. I didn't have any money. But I did appreciate just not having a worry in the world. Not having to worry like,

can I increase my revenue in quarter three? We're like, can't I afford to keep my condo and buy another house? All you cared about is like, where's the cake? Can we order some pizza? What time are we going drinking? What time is the game on? Life was great.

that is very carefree. Life gets hard, though, after. You already know, because you're going to be studying a lot because you're a mechanical engineer. How does Aaron Rogers not play and affect the Packer's salary cap if he doesn't show up and doesn't get paid? I guess they would just have, you know, whatever available. But I don't think it really matters

because it's not like they're going to fill his slot. They're not going to trade for somebody and fill that money. I would imagine if he just doesn't show up and just takes the year off, then yeah, you just wouldn't have to pay anyone $37 million. So you'd have $37 million extra money. Right? But again, it would just be blank.

It would just save them money. It wouldn't actually do anything for them. Do you think the NFL will ever bring some games to Australia? There is a similar following in Australia to England, and there are several stadiums in Australia that could host an event. Matching the experience of games in London. Where would you like to see the NFL played if you could pick a country outside of the states.

The problem with Australia, having been to New Zealand once, it is far away. So I just, I remember maybe six or seven years ago, the A's played a game in Australia opening weekend. I think they played the Mariners. They did opening weekend like a week before the season. Because if they played like Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and gave them Sunday trap, they wouldn't make it back.

To like, it would just throw your time clock off. So I think it is a lot. little bit of a logistical challenge. If I had to choose a place to play a game and distance didn't matter, that's a good question. I was, last week when I went to Arizona, I went with a good buddy I grew up with Brian, who played baseball at St. Mary's, and his buddy, Kyle Jensen, who was played in the Biggs and played with him at St. Mary's, played in Japan for a year. and Brian showed me these pictures of Japanese baseball. It's where, you know, Diceke, Shohayutani, like they produce,

when Japan cares about something, baseball, they produce Ichiro, they produce elite guys. Golf, care about, Hadeki, wins the masters. I have nothing but admiration for the Japanese culture. They're very disciplined, and they take shit seriously, and their elite guys are elite at athletics. They played this game with like 40,000, people watching. Obviously, baseball is a really big deal in Japan. And like every inning,

there's something, a chant. One inning, they give everyone balloons and people just, like, ungrab the balloon and all the balloons go up to the top of the dome at the same time. Now, I'm pretty sure the NFL has played a game in Japan before. I actually think they're scheduled to play a game in Japan relatively soon. So I would go Japan. Now, again, Japan might be just as far as Australia, so maybe I'm an idiot. Didn't you didn't get to listen to the podcast much pre-draft, so maybe you covered this, and I missed it. I could be wrong, but I can't think of a successful NFL quarterback who has a hitch in his throwing motion like Trey Lance does. Why do analysts ignore this as if it won't be a problem?

Well, being there at practice yesterday, I didn't see it. So it looked like a normal throwing motion. To me, dramatic hitches stand out, and he just looked like he had a normal throwing motion. Why is there a wide variation when first round pick signed their rookie deals? With the contracts already collectively bargained, wouldn't the rookies want to sign as soon as they can to collect the signing bonus? That is an incredible question.

I don't quite know the answer to that. But if I could get Howie or Parag or one of those guys on the phone, that's a great question. I don't... I think sometimes you naturally are arguing over semantics of a deal because that's just... The agent has to justify as 5% or 3%, right? because if I was a player,

what the fuck am I paying my agent for my rookie contract? Why am I giving you 2% whatever? Maybe just like a base fee, like here's $50,000. But I saw Devante Smith sign today. Why would Devante Smith a $20 million contract?

Why would I owe whatever the going rate is for an agent fee? My contract was determined the moment they drafted me. What am I paying you for? Dot and T's or crossing T's and dot and ice? That is where I do have admiration for these guys to go negotiate their own...

Get a high-level lawyer. Get a dude from a law firm. They'll charge you a flat rate. Even if it's 100 grand, it's better than giving someone 300 grand. I don't get it. I'm with you. I think the agents try to justify their job in that situation.

Recently on the pod, you discussed how coaching matters more than in any other sport in football. I agree. Could you ever see the league implementing a salary cap for coaches increasing the current salary cap but including coaches in it. The NFL has the most parity of any sport

and coaching is one of the few ways to overcome forced parity of the salary cap. Intrigued to hear your thoughts. Well, they don't need to. Think about the richest team in the league, the team that just has more money, the Cowboys. Think of who their coaches have been. They'll ask like Jason Garrett, Wade Phillips. Jerry Jones could, in theory, hire any coach you wanted. He'd give Lincoln Riley $200 million. he doesn't so what would change that right like i don't think it matters

stan cronkey has all this money i mean three or four years ago he hired a 31 year old coach now sean's become an unreal high-level NFL coach but that's who they hired he had unlimited cash the shanah the jed they tried to hire josh mcdaniels mcdaniels told him no and that's how they ended up with shanahan so i i don't even think it matters there's a huge element unlike, kind of like players. You don't really, it's a pretty big guessing game. Now, Washington hires Ron Rivera, Chiefs hire Andy Reid,

some of the, you know, quote-unquote, those guys aren't retreads, those are just guys looking for another job. You know what you're getting. But for the most part, coordinators, is Brandon Staley going to be any good? When Brian Dable gets a coach job, is he going to be any good?

You just never know. People thought Doug Peterson sucked, then he won a Super Bowl. I just don't think you need to do this. that because you can give me the coach with the sweetest resume. Like Urban Meyer, an all-time great college coach might suck in the pros. He might stink. Like there is a chance that it's an epic failure.

And I bet the Jags are paying him $10 million a year. He's getting paid. It wouldn't shock me they're paying him $12. It wouldn't shock me they're paying him a million dollars a month. They might not make the playoffs for three straight years and he'll get fired. Think about that. I just, it's one of those things. It's a good question.

I just don't think they need to do it. The Giants have all this money. Look at the coaches they always end up with. McAdoe, Shermer. They can't figure it out. Every once in a while, they get a Parcells or a Cofflin and then they run through all these average coaches.

Joe Judge, maybe he's good. Maybe he's not. I don't know. Everyone acted like he's sweet. He won five games last year. So time will tell. Time will tell. Have a great weekend.

Enjoy yourself. See you next. week. Peace. Get right to the romance and find the way to wow this valentines with 1-800flowers.com. From classic roses and bouquets to decadent chocolate-covered berries, gourmet treats, and more. Surprise your valentine with 1-800flowers.com. Right now, get the 18-stem enchanted rose medley for $3999, or upgrade to 24 red roses for $10 more.

Go to 1-800flowers.com slash tune in. That's 1-800flowers.com. slash tune in. 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 Podcast, 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 Jay. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick a year, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it with our friends, fellow comedians, and favorite authors.

Like Mark Lamont Hill on the 80s. 84 was a wild year. It was a wild year. I don't think there's a more important year for black people. Listen to Look Back at it on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcasts. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal but encouraged.

It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast's Superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the I-Hard radio app,

Apple Podcasts, or wherever you. 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 does not mean that you need to. Listen to learn the hard way

on the iHeart radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. This is an IHeart podcast, Guaranteed Human.