The Herd with Colin Cowherd - 3 and Out - Not Buying Big Ben, Teddy Too Safe, Mac Momentum, Bad Urban Vibes, Mailbag

Episode Date: August 27, 2021

In this episode, John discusses why he's not sold on Ben Roethlisberger's health because of an impressive preseason, why the Broncos played it too safe by naming Teddy Bridgewater the starter, why Belichick should move on from Cam in favor of rookie Mac Jones, and why he has major questions about Urban Meyer's college type approach to his first NFL training camp. He also answers listener questions in the Middlekauff Mailbag. Follow John on Twitter and SUBSCRIBE now to get all the latest content!! Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Last week of the preseason, as I'm recording this, we are a week away. It's Thursday afternoon at about 4 o'clock in the afternoon. So literally, 14 days and about an hour and a half away from the kickoff of the NFL season. I think it'll be the biggest NFL season in the history of the league in terms of ratings, in terms of interest, obviously gambling fantasy. It's never been bigger. Can't wait. I'm clearly in the football business,

but I'm pretty bullish on where we're headed. And the sport for the near term, nothing stays on top. You know, even Rome, Phil. America, who knows, you know, keep our fingers crossed, but won't be on top forever. You could argue hell. I mean, that's a whole different conversation. But I'm very excited for the season.

Some stuff happened. Vic Fangio made a decision. I saw something Pete Priscoe reported about Urban Meyer that piqued my interest. Cam Newton and Mac and Cheese, also known as McCorkel, also known as Mac Jones. Some takes there. Maybe Ben Rothersberger's got a little Tiger Woods to him. Something I thought of watching some clips of him throw this preseason.

And then of course, the Middle Cough mailbag at John Middlecoff is the Instagram. You slide up in those DMs and we do the Middle Coff mailbag. And what we do in the Middle Coff mailbag is a little, we answer your questions. You guys know the drill. be some big news coming next week that's exciting. Not much is going to change. You'll find out. But we'll just keep on rocking and rolling, baby.

Of course, if you listen to Collins feed, subscribe to the three and out feed. If you could, leave a review. And leave a review a positive one. If you can't, if you hate me, leave a negative one. I don't care. But if you leave a review, it just helps with the boosting of this little show we got going.

One guy I think who's had a pretty, I'd say positive. month of August would be Rothesberger. You know, it turns out he wasn't actually on a vegan diet, still chubby. But, you know, he's always played chubby. His issue, and I had a couple of Steelers fans like, Middle God, you're so mean. That is not true.

Look at this guy. Like, yeah, he's a bigger guy. Like, listen, I'm chubby too. Nothing wrong with being chubby, you know? Most humans aren't skinny. You know, and Rathlisberger's never been Mr. Skinny. And definitely never been Mr. Healthy. Neither am I.

Like, I had cookies for lunch. You know, with a salad, but, you know, I had two chocolate chip cookies. I like eating dirty as much as the next guy. But Ruther's burger, to me, my question was health. And last year as the season went on, he looked like a different guy in the cold. And as a Tiger Woods lover, hopefully he's doing all right after the injury, which I don't know, probably never be back the same. Hell, his career might be over.

But one thing when Tiger Woods came back from the back injury, he was never the same in cold weather situations. It makes sense, right? You can't get warm. It's hard to play, especially like Pebble Beach or out here in the Bay Area. TPC Harding Park had the PGA Championship. It gets cold. There's like a mist and a fog. It's not warm.

He did not play well in any of the events where it was freezing cold. When he got to the summer, a couple years ago, the Masters, you're sweating, it's warm. He could loosen up and he could play well. So Rathesberger, my question is not, I bet he looks good in August. I mean, he has. I bet he looks good in September. he might look good in October. My question, and we will not know the answer

until it comes, what will he look like at 39 years old when the weather turns? And they play in clearly the coldest division in football, right? Because unlike even the NFC, what it would be, the NFC North, the Lions playing a dome, right? All the three, all four teams, Pittsburgh's cold, Baltimore's cold, Cincinnati and Cleveland.

They all have outdoor stadiums. Like, it's unavoidable. playing in colder weather. So what will he look like as the season goes on when the temperature drops? And having lived in Philadelphia, like, it's freaking cold.

You know, and obviously the Midwest, anyone listening to this knows, it's just, it's a different element. It's a different animal. It's harder to stay loose. And I do think it'll be difficult. As Carson Palmer told me years ago, so when I first tore my ACL and I was younger,

it was easy to come back. Easier. It gets much more difficult the older you are. because your body doesn't respond to the injuries. I remember Kobe at what 33, 33, 34, 35 years old, whenever he tore his Achilles. He just never came back.

He was never the same. And he was in his mid-30s. Now he had a lot of wear and terror because he'd come out of, you know, obviously played right out of high school. But I do think there's a wear and terror element. This guy's been in the league since 2005. Think about his contemporaries in that class. Eli Dunn.

He's like, you know, he's like a salesman for the New York Giants. Philip Rivers, high school football coach. When we talk about that draft, it was three guys. One guy's a high school football coach. The other guy is like a fundraiser. And one guy's holding on for dear life. And listen, I'm not going to be surprised if he looks good early on. You add Najee Harris, their wide receivers always play well, they win.

Their franchise is a high level operation. But as we saw last year, and they're probably not going to start 10 and 0 or whatever, but it wouldn't shock me if they start 8 and 3 or something. What does it look like in mid to late November and then all of December and then going to the playoffs? Because he clearly wasn't the same. But I think it's understandable. And if somehow they can overcome it, it would be an incredible accomplishment. I just know personally, I'm going to be leery and I'll probably bet against him until he proves me wrong.

Okay, let's start with a decision that was made by a head coach this week that I just couldn't disagree with anymore. And it's the guy I like. I think he's the best defensive coordinator in the league. His name is Vic Fangio. He is now the head coach, though, of the Denver Broncos. And a major difference between being a coordinator and a head coach is you're the boss of everyone. You don't get to just focus on half the team, right? There's a big difference between like being middle management or even like the CFO,

then the CEO where the entire company, you're at the top of the organizational food chart. Right? you are the hierarchy, you're at the top of the pyramid. Your decisions are really important. And sometimes you got to make ballsy decisions. The people I admire most in life, and I try to emulate are people in business, and this includes pro sports,

that have stones that are not afraid to take big swings and be wrong. Because any time that you make the tough decision, you might be wrong. And it's easy for everyone to call you an idiot after the fact. But I would say most of the best decisions consistently in business come with a little bit of pushback. Like, I don't know if I'd do that. I don't know if that's a good idea.

It's usually how it works, right? You can hold on to the middle of the tree just fine. All the fruit is on the side of the branches. You got to crawl out there and get it. It's risky. And if you're not willing to take risks, you were going to cap your, yourself in whatever profession you work in. Vic Fangio took the easy route here.

And here's the problem with taking the easy route. It is a passing leak. That are where the rules allow you to have the most success, throwing the ball deep down the field. The Denver Broncos have some legit speed demon weapons. Yet they took a quarterback and listen, this is not anti-Teddie Bridgewater. I respect the hell out of Teddy Bridgewater.

the person. I once saw him at a Raider game when he was a quarterback for the Minnesota Vikings, and I think they were a playoff team that year, do something with a little kid that was just really impressive. Like the kid screamed at him, like was a fan, clearly had a jersey on. Teddy had to warm up and then came back and found him and handed him his gloves. And from what I heard, that's just Teddy. Like he is a high level, high character guy. Him overcoming that leg injury is incredible. he is in my opinion the best backup in the league when you have the best backup in the league and you have to start him though week one that's a problem now I'm not some huge Drewlock

apologist defender think he's the next John Elway but he clearly has a much higher ceiling than Teddy Bridgewater he clearly can make throws that Teddy Bridgewater can't do and the best part about having Teddy Bridgewater someone who now has been a consistent backup for several years, he knows how to come out of the bullpen. He is not Max Scherzer. He's not Clayton Kershaw.

He's not Garrett Cole. You don't need to name him the starter. He is ready whenever called upon to execute and do a good job. He did it a couple years ago for the Saints. When they won three or four games, when he had to come in when Drew Brees hurt his thumb. But to me not be willing to go with Drew Locke and see what you have because his higher end is higher.

is just an unwillingness to have some balls. And Vic Fangio took the conservative route, and I don't always think the conservative route is the wrong thing to do. I don't think just go for it to go for it. I'm not a big fan of just always going for two. Depends who you're playing. Depends what the situation is. But in this situation, to me, was pretty black and white,

especially what I had seen just in the preseason. Now, I'm not at every practice, but pretty clearly from reports, if anything, it was even, but to me, you should have just leaned with the talent. because worst case scenario, you just go to the bullpen with Teddy Bridgewater. You have no chance if Teddy Bridgewater is to start all your games to be a playoff team. And Vic Fangio is fighting for his professional life.

If this fails this year, he's never going to be a head coach again. Now, he's such a good defensive coordinator. They pay him like $3 million a year to be a coordinator. So it's not about money. But like this was his one shot and it came later in life. Think about the two guys that got their shot later in life. I'd say about them both, like, especially the offensive guy, he's got pretty big stones.

Mike Zimmer, Bruce Ariens. Like, I watch those guys, got some balls. And Zimmer, you know, is much probably more conservative than Ariens, but this is your shot. What are you doing? Why would you take the easy route with Teddy Bridgewater? Like, I can't feel bad for you now when this fails. 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 huge. potential. Either way, the podcast, Superhuman, documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the I-Hard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what you're saying. Yep, that's me, Clipper Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, the reactions, my job.

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.

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It's not possible with Teddy Bridgewater, and it pains me to say this, but probably the beginning of the end for Vic Fanches, the head coach of the Denver Broncos. Fox Sports Radio has the best sports talk lineup in the nation. Catch all of our shows at Fox SportsRadio.com. And within the IHeard Radio app, search FSR, to listen live.

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Learn how at belonging begins with us.org Brought to you by the ad council You know what's funny is last week after I watched, actually before, I had this take. I was going to bring to the table that I wonder if there's a chance that Bill Belichick, who does things, I would say more consistently out of the blue over several decades, that trades a Logan Mankins

or a Richard Seymour when no one sees it coming, Randy Moss, who has done it time and time again that what if he cuts Cam Newton at the end of training camp, names Mack Jones the starter and Brian Hoyer the backup. Then, before I recorded the podcast, Cam was really good. And I was like, you know, Cam still has a lot of value. Short yardage plays, right? He's an incredible running back, basically.

And clearly, I think we all have to admit, like, the team likes him. He's fit in well in their culture. It seems like Bill kind of likes him. You know, he's cheap. They don't necessarily get any financial relief by cutting him. Why wouldn't you just keep him? you can do whatever you want with him and Mac Jones. And then this week, Cam leaves to get a test.

He's obviously unvaccinated, falls under the protocols, misses a bunch of practice. And Mac Jones, also known as Mac and Cheese, you know, dominates all week. And the one thing, I'll never forget, Doc Rivers said this. He's like the moment you become a bigger pain in the ass, like your problems outweigh your ability. We get rid of you in pro sports.

And Cam is no longer a really good quarterback, right? his best attribute right now is his size and his legs. But one thing with him, and listen, I've said over and over, I got the vaccine for business reasons. And I had a couple people DM me like, that's not, you shouldn't say that. You should have doing it for the health of everyone around you. Well, yeah, I'm not like most normal people. I don't want anyone to get sick. My mom's already got her booster shot.

I mean, like I have the vaccine, right? But I can't pretend. I'm not a moral high horse guy. I'm not going to get up here because truly, I'm, I'm, just being completely honest, I don't give a shit what other people do. I can't control that. So I can't, he can do whatever the hell he wants. But I just know this.

If I was Bill Belichick, and I'm just thinking, like, do I want to deal with this? Because last week, he missed some, or last year he missed some games when he tests positive. And as we've seen, for the last couple years, these tests, sometimes you can test positive a couple weeks and not even have it. It happened last year of the 49ers. Trent Williams, Brandon Ayuk, they all miss a Thursday night game. Completely asymptomatic. Two days later is false positive.

but the thing with the vaccinated players is like they can bounce back and play immediately in theory. Again, who knows? I think this year could get weird fast, but I do think the Cam Newton's status within the New England Patriots has probably changed over the last week and a half.

And I would say that I would not put it past Belichick to just get rid of them and just go full on with Mac Jones as the starter and then Brian Hoyer is the backup. Now the one thing keeping Cam Newton alive, if he was not a running quarterback, quarterback, he'd have no chance to make the team. But his one attribute as a short yardage player is still very valuable to Belichick.

I wonder if him and McDaniels are going to have a long talk over the next two or three days. How truly valuable is that? Because the one thing you just saw they traded Sony and Michelle, they have really good running backs. They're going to be able to run the ball. Couldn't Mac just hand it to the running backs? So short yard situations, just go goal line heavy situations hand to them. I would say as I'm recording this on August 26th

and this last week with Belichick you know in the leak a place that never leaks anything immediately the Patriots are down and mad at him and just are, it's kind of getting tired of this whole situation. You know why? They don't want to deal with it. One of their assistant offensive line coaches was a Fresno State guy when I was there, Cole Popovich.

Belichick said, well if you're not getting it, you're not here. And they parted ways because he didn't get the vaccine. That's what he did with the coach. Now obviously at a assistant offensive line coach is not the same value as a quarterback, but it just shows you like, we know this guy's cold-blooded, cold-hearted. Belichick does not give a shit,

and he does not want to deal, avoid any possible distractions if he can't. And when I say distraction, I just mean like he doesn't want to find out that, you know, he's game plan for these plays. And all of a sudden Friday, the guy is not going to be eligible for the next three games. And he's just,

or I mean the next three days and then miss the game, or maybe two weeks and miss a couple games. Like he's not going to want to deal with that. I would say Cam Newton's job status and roster spot has to be in question right now. Okay, let's discuss a coach

and a story that I saw today that I would imagine your response when you hear my take will be like, Middle Cough, you have a personal agenda. You don't like this guy personally. And let me just get this out candidly.

I not only don't know this guy, never made. met him, never had an interaction. I don't even think I've ever known anyone who worked for Urban Meyer. So there is zero personal vendettas. I truly don't care. And I'm not just trying to be, because my take was, didn't believe when he was hired.

I've just always kind of red flagged him. Like, I don't care about being right or wrong. Right? I know Collins always used the quote for years. Like, I'm not in the credit business. That's, you know, for Chase or Wells Fargo. I'm not in the right or wrong business. I used to be when I worked in the NFL.

I'm here to entertain you guys. Whether I'm right, unless I gamble on the game, who cares? If you find what I'm saying interesting, great. But I truly, I guess maybe sometimes I have a bias in a positive note with some of the guys I know. But when I'm speaking negatively on somebody, because I don't think they're as good at their job, I truly feel that way. And, you know, when it comes to Urban Meyer, like, there's some weird stuff going on in Jacksonville. And Pete Priscoe, who covered the Jags Forever, who works for CBS, I think he said it on a podcast, had some interesting quotes, and I found them enlightening.

He said, I've heard some players aren't thrilled with him either. Including, he has a microphone on the field. One of his assistants has a boom mic telling everyone to hydrate and hustle to get to the next period. Now, listen, when you are a college head coach, you can be somewhat of a dictator. You're making $9, $10 million. You're the boss. You're one of the most powerful guys in the university. In the pros, you have several guys on your team making what you make.

You have several guys who have kids. I was listening to Pardon My Take, the interview they had with Ryan Fitzpatrick. It was really good. Fitzpatrick was saying he has seven children. One of his kids is going into high school. When you were around guys like, Ryan Fitzpatrick. And listen, every team has them. He does not need to be told, you know, which way, you know, anything. He's a pro. He can handle it. Now, he needs an itinerary

of like, what times the meeting, what times practice. But you don't need to tell him like every single thing to do. You don't need to hold his hand through life. I'll never forget when Chip Kelly got hired by the 49ers. And his thing was smoothies, right? You always had drink smoothies. Well, what if Joe Staley, who had been a several-time pro bowler or Navarro Bowman, same thing, didn't want a smoothie because that wasn't their regiment. Let them do what they're going to do. You can't control everything in a professional environment. Let the guy be a pro. Some of these people are grown-ups. I don't blame Urban Meyer for having the microphone and basically screaming at everyone what to do. Because in college, when he was at Ohio State in Florida,

even though he was on multiple programs where the majority of the team were guys that were going to go to the NFL, that's how he operated and that's how he had a lot of success. It's why when I see the story about Joe Judge constantly doing like old school things, like I'm kind of old school as a 36 year old guy. I have some old school tendencies. But I also try to balance it with being open-minded and understanding as the world changes in any walk of life. And I think, listen, toughness in football.

will always work. Right? I will take, if they're equal talents, I will take the tough guy over the pussy. Every single human listening would as well.

And I would do it in a business setting. I would do it in any walk of life. If all other things are equal, right? If character, good guy, all that stuff, I'll always lean with the tough guy.

Mentally and physically. But I do think some of like the Junction Boys routine, like part of they have that hill in New England that Bill makes them run, it's one thing when Bill Belichick tells you to run the hill. He has six rings.

Oh, and he also has two others. You know, when he coached for Bill Parcells and he was his defensive coordinator and coached LT. He has a long resume. When I got Joe Judge screaming at me to run laps, like, I'm sorry, like you can only go to that well so many times. Eventually, some of the guys on the team should just be self-motivated, you know, because it's the pros.

Now, I get the Jacksonville Jaguars are a big joke. They have a lot of players that in theory we should go, well, why do we care if they're not thrilled? Because some of them, and I think the majority of the guys in the NFL, pretty high character and pretty high level guys, and we'll do what they're told to do. So if you do tell them the run, they'll run, but they're thinking, what the hell's going on here?

Like, I'm trying my best. Tell me the play, and I'll do it. And you got Urban Meyer acting like, you know, a general out there, which is his prerogative, is his right, but I do think that's not going to work. One, their team's not talented enough. And two, I just don't think that really plays. Now, you have to be true to yourself.

I think the faster you try to be something you're not, it will not work. So, like, this is who Urban Meyer is. He's being true to himself. Same with Joe Judge. Like, I don't think Joe Judge is trying to be a fake tough guy. I think that's what he believes it. Just like once upon a time, Mangini and Patricia did the same shit. and it failed miserably.

Because I think it's very, very difficult to take that stance when you're not a true badass Alzheimer. If you're Bill Parcells, you can pull it off. If you're Nick Saban in college, you can pull it off. Nick Saban tried it in the pros. It wasn't working that well. Not as bad as people say it did,

but it, you know, it might have been difficult. I don't know if Urban Myel or this style is really going to work. Right? You could be a hard ass if you're Bruce Aaron. and 68 years old. I think it's difficult, one, when you're a younger guy like Joe Judge or two, Urban Meyer, when you've never coached in this league.

So at the end of the day, if I'm a fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh year veteran, I go, coach, I've been in the NFL a lot longer than you. And I think this is moronic. Like, you don't need to scream at me to hydrate. You know why? I hydrate. I care. This is my job.

This is my profession. This is how I feed my two children. One of them is seven years old. I'm 33. Like, you don't need to yell at me. And some guys need to be yelled at. I like getting yelled at sometimes. I got motivated pretty easily when I got yelled at.

It woke me up. Some people don't. Now, sometimes I went and do like, it pissed me off too, but it didn't bother me as much. But not everyone needs to be coached like that. And I just wonder if this thing, like, it's just already kind of weird.

Now, and they had bad luck. ETN shatters his foot or whatever. whatever, Liz Frank. Like, it's bad luck. But I'd go, why was even on your team in the first place? Like, he was the third running back.

What the hell were you doing, picking him? Now, I know that had nothing to do with him getting injured, but it just does feel like some weird vibes out of Jacksonville. I don't even think that's debatable. And it starts with a head man

who, it just, you know, I don't know for a guy that's really tense, not Mr. just, he never relaxes. I just, I'm out. Okay, let's go Middlecough mailbag

at John Middlecop is the Instagram and yeah, start in my DMs, you slide up in there and you get answered here on the show. This is basically just a compliment. Started listening to a podcast three months ago. Learned a lot about football,

so thank you, appreciate the entertainment and your knowledge. Looks like this Joshua is a doctor. We like, It's impressive, Joshua. I don't think I would have lasted long in medical school. Colts fan here, big fan of the pod. I'm a junior at Ball State.

Raining Mac Champs. I feel you, little Macian. I have a couple buddies on the team, and yesterday one of them told me a scout from the Ravens came to practice. As a former scout, I was wondering, what did you look for in a player when you went to watch college practice, and what does that day at practice, slash on campus look like for scouts.

What are you trying to learn, find? Well, if you go to a place like Ball State, you have a list so you know the draftable players on their team. And a place like Ball State may only have a couple. So you go there, right, if you go to Oklahoma or Alabama, they're going to have 15, 20 draftable guys in theory, right? And potentially five, six guys that are top 50 picks. So when you go to a place like this,

it's much more intense, right? You've got to be locked into all the top guys, body type, practice habits. Obviously, when you go to school, when I went, iPads were getting bigger. So you had to watch film at campus, which I still think, obviously last year with Corona it didn't happen, but that's still a part of the day. But I can imagine the film watching has changed a lot. typically you use the day for forever in scouting up until the last four or five years to watch film at campus. And then you met with a pro liaison. So Ball State has a pro liaison. It could be a football administrative guy or it could be like a coach or a strength coach.

You sit down with that guy. You go over the list of every guy that's a draftable player. And when I say go over, you go over their character stuff, their background. Where's he from? What's his parents like? Where's his brothers and sisters? How was he recruited? What's he been like since he's been here?

Nick Sabin went on a rant the other day about this is not a democracy. He's like every day these scouts come, they are watching you. And they're watching like, are you half asses in practice? Are you screwing around? Are you the front of the line?

When I meet with your assistant coach, does he say, yeah, he's the most attentive guy in the meeting? Or, you know, I don't even think he likes football that much. So you're trying to acquire all this information because at practice, you're not going to make like a football evaluation because that comes off the tape. Now, what does matter is his size, what he looks like. Hey, this guy looks like an NFL player, especially at a smaller school like Ball State,

even though I know they're Mac champs. Like in Alabama, if you're starting wide receiver, it's like, I know you're good enough, right? But at Ball State, you might be like a little slot receiver. But we think you might be draftable. What's his body type? Is he skinny? Is he ripped up? Does he have a big ass?

You know, if he's an offensive lineman, these are type things that you do. And you just pick the brain of people at practice. You're just always trying to acquire information. I was, I've rewatched the wire the last couple weeks. I do think there are a lot of parallels in being a good scout, especially a college scout, as being a detective. Now, there's more on the line being a detective when you're, you know,

trying to figure out who murdered somebody. So as a scout, I'm not acting like the same level of importance in society, but the same mindset. Following leads, uncovering things, always looking for more information, being very inquisitive, being naturally pretty curious, being able to put the puzzle together, just always trying to find out information. So yeah, I mean, I think if they got a scout there, more than likely, the Ravens have a draftable player, you know, on their,

team or like, you know, in their system. As a Lions fan, I have heavy concerns with Jeff Okuda after watching the two preseason games. He recently got burned by Big Ben on the 43-yard punt in which he trailed five to four yards in... 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 president. Podcasts Superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the I-Hard radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is a win. A win is a win.

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

This is a place for raw, unfiltered conversations with some of your favorite athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. One week, I'll take you behind the scenes of the biggest moments in sports and entertainment, and the next we'll talk about life, mental health, purpose, and even music. The Clifford Show isn't just a podcast.

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

and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. Do you remember when Diana Ross double-tap Little Kim's boobs at the VMAs? Or when Kanye said that George Bush didn't like black people. I know what you're thinking. What the hell does George Bush got to do a little kill? Well, you can find out on the Look Back at it podcast. I'm Sam Jay. 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 you 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 day. decade of my own experience in the middle 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. 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. Coverage and gave up another big play to the bills. There has been a ton of press in Detroit talking about how he has improved in camp, but given how bad the Lions receivers are, I'm not buying it. Given he was chosen third overall, the Quintreca era, how patient should Dan Campbell and Brad Holmes be with him?

He was rated the worst corner by PFF last year. P.S., coming from someone who has watched every throw Stafford made in his career, the way the ball came out of his hands versus Goff is night and day. Sheese. Looks like Goff is throwing pillows. that's funny well i i mean

matt stafford is like you know i mean it'd be the equivalent i'm just think of a baseball pitcher that throws like 99 and then jared golf's a guy that throws 88 so yeah i mean it's just watching the ball come out of their hands it's dramatically different i'll never forget leaving fresno state and derrick car had not even started playing yet he was a redshirt freshman actually he was like he played his freshman year but it didn't and then he redshirted

a second year but I remember going from Derek in practice to Kevin Cobb. Like, you can either spin it at a high level or you can't and thinking like, God, Derek Carr is a much better arm than this guy. It's just, it's wild to tell. And once you've seen a high level guy throw, it's pretty glaring. The Okuda thing, you just got to ride out, right? That was last year.

So he's going into a second year. To me, he's got two more years, right? You just, after his third year, you just might not pick up a fifth-year option. it's not your fault. But what else are you going to do? He was drafted third overall. To me, if I was Dan Campbell and Aaron Glenn, the defensive back coach who comes from the Saints,

I'm just trying to figure out how to improve this player. Worst case scenario, he doesn't fit your scheme. Maybe you can trade him, but the problem is, are you trading a third overall pick after this season for like a fourth round pick? Maybe not. I just be patient.

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That's 1-800flowers.com slash tune in. Look through your children's eyes to see the true magic of a forest. It's a storybook world for them. You look and see a tree. They see the wrinkled face of a wizard with arms outstretched to the sky. They see treasure and pebbles. They see a windy path that could lead to adventure. And they see you.

Their fearless guide is this fascinating world. Find a forest near you and start exploring at Discovertheforest.org. Brought to you by the United States Forest Service and the adjudgment. Council. 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 Council. Question. Harry Kane mentioned in an interview. He wants to become an NFL field goal kicker with his soccer career when a soccer career is over. Is he required to enter the NFL draft? Or could he sign anywhere? I'm pretty sure he could enter, you could just, you know, sign as a free agent.

Right? It happens with, you know, track guys when they bring them into camp as like an, you know, as a free agent type. I'd have to ask someone in the league, but I'm pretty sure he could just, he would not have to go in the draft. Will you remember Gronk as a Patriot or a Buccaneer? Patriot. As a lifelong Packers fan, do you think Rogers will play for Green Bay next season?

I would say, I would lean, yes, he's on the Packers next season, not somewhere else. Now, see how this season goes. If they lose, if he's pissed off, every time I watch him, He seems really happy. His best friends are all on the team. Backtiari's under contract. If they re-signed Devante Adams, they're loaded. The lions are a complete rebuild.

The Vikings are just not as good as them. And the bears are in a transitional period. Why would he leave? Now, the Denver Broncos would be pretty loaded with them. If you put them on the Denver Broncos, they'd be legit. But are they going to fire Fangio? Who's their head coach? I know, and he knows, we all know,

if he's on the Packers, they're legit. So why would he risk that? Hello, John, from Mexico. Here's a question. We close every February, often with the same lesson, about how important intangibles are, even over stats, talent, flashes, momentum, ETC. On an extremely early and limited assessment,

who do you think has the best intangibles from the rookie quarterback class and who has the worst? that's hard for me to I think this class was a pretty high and tangible class Trevor Lawrence was perfect off the field right Zach Wilson was probably the question mark of the group

because early on in his career at BYU there were question marks about him as a teammate him as a leader it wasn't all good Trey Lance had zero like Trevor Lawrence checked every box Justin Fields Orlowski said the one thing

I couldn't. The worst thing I ever heard about Justin Fields is, you know, early on in his career, he was a five-star guy and acted a little too cool for school. But then at Ohio State, that was not the case. So it's like Justin Fields and the people of Chicago, they love the guy. And Mack Jones, perfect character. But you got a DUI's first year in college. But, you know, I'd be, you know, I could have got a DUI in high school. I got pulled over in front of my house and parents were up and I got lucky. So it's like, I'd be, it'd be like, oh my God. he should, he can't be a good guy. I know a lot of people that have had a lot of success. I got a DUI. I'm not pro drinking and driving, but like I don't know what to say. He got a DUI and he's been perfect ever since.

Like, it's happened to a lot of humans. So I would, I'd put them all pretty high up in the group. I would say Zach Wilson based on his, you know, college career, if you were rating, would be last of the group. But the four main guys,

now, I think Zach Wilson was good last year. And I think in, I haven't heard anything bad yet. so pretty high level class. Broncos fan and love the show. We often hear stories about veteran players being able to tell if a rookie can play in the league

within two practices. Is it similar to head coaches? Can players tell if a coach is good or bad that quickly? You know, I've only been around on a daily basis when I was allowed inside Pat Hill and Andy Reed. And I know this as someone from the outside who didn't know either one of them until I was around them. You were around them both for a day or two

or a week, you're like, goddamn. That's what head coach looks like. I mean, Coach Hill just had this like kind of swag and toughness to him. And Andy was just so good with players and still is. I don't know. I mean, I'm jaded. Like, I've only seen it too. And now I've seen it from the media standpoint.

Like, I saw Dennis Allen. I'm like, yeah, this isn't going to work. I saw Tom Sula. This isn't going to work. But I saw Harbaugh. I saw Harbaugh. I was like, yeah, this. I thought Del Rio is pretty solid.

Ran a pretty high-level practice. Same with Kyle Shanahan. I never got to see it, Grewdon practice. It wasn't allowed into the facility by then. But, I mean, from the outside, I think it's easier to judge. Inside, I don't know. I've only worked for two coaches that are good. We're good.

You know, one of them still probably, you know, might have the best team in the league. And Pat Hill was a stud. Pat Hill, ironically, actually recruited Andy Reid. He told me the story one time Andy did when Pat recruited him. Andy, I think, was playing at a junior college and shattered his leg in a game. And Pat showed up at the, he was coaching for Utah, showed up at the hospital to try to recruit Andy. Andy ended up going to BYU.

But that was my connection when I, Pat Hill called Andy Reed and got me the interview and then I interviewed with Howie. That was kind of the connection there. Hi, John. My goal is to be in life is to become an NFL scout like you were. I'm a senior at Tulane and have recently sat down. down with the director of player personnel for Tulane to discuss me working for him. We agreed that I come in twice a week once the program is allowed to talk to the next class of recruits to help them with the process of doing things like entering info into the

system. I'm very pumped. That's badass. Congrats. I've also been an NFL draft college football scout for the network covering the NFL. Would love to get in touch with you and hear about your journey. give you my email. Listen, a lot of people have asked me how to get into football,

and my experience is very similar to what you're going to try to do. If you can get in with a college football program, that is the easiest way in. Because all college football programs, especially Division I programs, will have NFL talent on their team. And with NFL talent on their team, scouts will come in and you'll be able to meet guys.

so you're already, you're in good shape. Work with them. Do whatever you can do. Be available. Go, you know, be over the top. Give your time. Say when do you need me. Hell, I'd even shoot them,

hey, any help with recruiting you need during the season. That's what I, that's my recommendation. It's not as glamorous though as it looks on TV. Take that much. As a Chiefs fan, I haven't heard many people talk about Duran Reet this offseason. I've heard great things, but have never seen them play. and don't know how much of an impact he could have on a D-line.

What can the Chiefs expect from him this season? Honestly, I can't answer that. I kind of liked him coming out of college, and clearly you got drafted. I think, what was he first? No, he's a second round pick. From Alabama guy, 22 career sacks. Yeah, I mean, not bad dad.

depth. I mean, you guys will go as, I mean, Chris Jones, your star, Frank Clark, not in trouble yet, you know, from the Lamborghini machine gun deal. So if he can just be a solid role player, it's pretty good, pretty solid find. Love your take on betting team totals. It makes no sense someone would gamble one unit on a team total. If you think the team will go over, most likely you've locked, looked at their schedule, and pick games they'll win. Why not just bet one unit every week you think that team will win. And if you're right on the total, you'll come out much further ahead. This is what I'm talking about. This is my logic. I love this. See, this is why we talk it through. If you believe in a team total, if your unit is $100, like for example, $100

is like a unit for me, I would have to bet probably $1,000 to make it even interesting for me. But I wouldn't want to just be out of $1,000 for four months with only the return of making a thousand dollars back. At least if I invest a thousand dollars in the stock market, that might turn into two or three on top of the one. So I'm with you. As a football fan that doesn't really have a favorite

team, these bets give you a reason to root for a team total. And I agree. If you are emotionally tied to a team or want to hate watch a team, I will never poo poo a fan that wants to bet against a team. So if you want to hate a team and bet they're

under, that would probably be pretty fun. So I would not hate on that strategy. Have a great weekend. Football is almost here. I think we got a couple of college football games this weekend. Let's just enjoy life. Let's rock and roll. And I'll see you guys next week.

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crispy bacon, melted sharp cheddar cheese, and drizzled with creamy peppercorn ranch. And it's only at Firehouse Subs. Click the banner now to start your pickup or delivery order. Another podcast from some SNL late-night comedy guy, not quite. Unhumor me with Robert Smygel and friends. Me and hilarious guests from Bob Odenkirk to David Letterman

help make you funnier. This week, my guest, SNL's Mikey Day and head writer Streeter Seidel help an a cappella band with their between songs banter. Where does your group perform? We do some retirement homes. Those people are starving for banter. Listen to humor me with Robert Smigel and friends on the I-Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts,

or wherever you get your podcasts. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast's Superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds.

I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the I-Hard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care which I'm saying. Yep, that's me, Clifford Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits,

my basketball and college football journey, or my career in sports media. Well, now I'm bringing all of that experience. excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw unfilled conversations with athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. So let's get to it. Listen to The Clifford Show on the IHeard 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. 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 IHard radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. This is an IHart podcast. Guaranteed Human.