The Herd with Colin Cowherd - 3 and Out - Peyton's MNF Stiff Arm; Cam Deserved Better From Carolina; Rhule Red Flags; XXL Mailbag

Episode Date: March 27, 2020

In this episode, Middlekauff explains why Peyton Manning would have been a guaranteed superstar MNF analyst, why his passing on the gig looks like he wants to run a team, why he has questions Matt Rhule's NFL readiness in Carolina based on how they handled the release of Cam Newton and some other early decisions. He also answers listener questions in Middlekauff's Mailbag. Follow John on twitter @JohnMiddlekauff and go to theherdnow.com to find the latest content. Subscribe now! Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is an I-Heart podcast. Guaranteed Human. Last night, a blown call changed a game. This morning, the internet lost its mind. And nobody's telling you exactly what happened. That's where Sports Slice comes in. I'm Timbo. In every episode, we're cutting through the noise,

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

Time out. Quarterback on office blue with 42. Hey, Wreck, my mama want you to weigh better. What? Hey, Ms. Parker. Listen to the Clifford show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. What's up, fam? It's Isaiah Thomas.

And I'm C.J. Toledano. It's our favorite time of the year on our podcast point game, the playoffs. We're digging into the biggest surprises of the season, and I'm looking back on some of my greatest playoff moments. If we didn't talk ever again, I was hiring. you just understood. That's how personal it got. Wow.

Then after that game seven, Mark keep coming till he's like, you know I love you, dog. You know, it's all love. This was just playoffs. This was just basketball. So listen to Point Game on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Get right to the romance and find the way to wow this Valentine's with 1-800flowers.com. From classic roses and bouquets to decadent chocolate-covered berries, gourmet treats, and more. Surprise your Valentine with 1-800 flowers. dot com. Right now, get the 18 stem enchanted rose medley for $3999 or upgrade to 24 red roses for $10 more. Go to 1800flowers.com slash tune in. That's 1800flowers.com slash tune in. What is going on everybody, John Middletalcough, three and out podcast. That's me. That's the show.

Live from quarantine. A lot of quarantining and a lot of chilling. And I kind of cracked earlier this week. I can't watch another movie. I can't watch another television show. I started watching Super Bowls. And I watched the O2 Super Bowl. And it got me thinking about John Madden was calling the game. Peyton Manning turned down Monday Night Football.

And I have some thoughts there. The Panthers and this whole Cam Newton saga, them signing Teddy Bridgewater, I want to like Matt Rule. I mean, I do, based on his opening press conference and just how good he was in college. I got some questions. You know, I'm not sure I see what he's cooking up. And then we're going to have a long Middlecoff mailbag.

At John Middlecoff is my Instagram handle. DM's wide open, slide on in. You're welcome to ask any questions, how we interact here on the show, and just fire away. I got so many questions. Be a large segment today. and if you can, you know, I don't know where you are all over the country or hell, the world, you're quarantining, leave a little review on Apple or iTunes if you like the show under the Three and Out, under the Three and Out podcast, I would greatly appreciate that.

It's been a lot of hanging out, a lot of eating. I've been eating, you know, I naturally kind of work from home anyway, but I've lost a little bit of my discipline in these quarantine times. But I'm staying positive. Keep your head up. And we'll just keep on swinging, baby. Stay quarantined. Stay, uh, let's, let's stop this so we can get out of the coronavirus for the love of God and, uh, back to some semblance, you know, of reality. But until then, we'll just have to talk about football here on the podcast. Well, we'd do that anyway. And I, I was watching the O2 Super Bowl with John Madden against his former team that had actually just

traded him. I tweeted it. I tweeted it. I actually think the trade is one of the more underrated moves in sports history. It was only less than 20 years ago. A coach got traded for two first rounders, two second rounders, and eight million. It's insane. And I understand why John has a big ego. I mean, if I got traded for two first rounders, two second rounders, and eight million dollars, if you had inflation, it's probably like $15 million.

Diggs and Hopkins combined went for less than that. Think about that. So I get it. John Madden was on the call. And I'm watching this game, and I was just kind of drawn in. Skinny, Tan, Al Michaels, the game was at Qualcomm in San Diego. It was sweet. And Madden was incredible.

I mean, he's one of the great, true, if you think about it, TV stars in American history. I'm talking Seinfeld, Ted Dancing with Cheers, Gandalfini with sopranos. Like, John Madden is easily the most famous, famous. analyst in the history of sports, definitely the highest paid up until Tony Romo. I mean, he was making $8 million back in 92. The video game, he was a rock star. But when you watch it, you go, sometimes football fans on like Twitter, there's a reason like none of the analytical guys have massive media followings.

It's like to be a big television star talking about football, you got to kind of play to the person that doesn't know that much about football. When you get too nichey and you start talking about schemes and plays, it goes over people's head. Now, you got to dive into what you see, and Tony Romo is probably on the extreme end of that. But when you watch John Madden, you just went, this guy's awesome. He gave so much energy. He talked about whams and bams and hitting people in the mouth and shoving it down people's throats. It's like, yeah, this is football.

And then it would go to clips of John Madden, and he was so excited. He was actually a little older at this time. I mean, he's still going strong. I don't know, strong, but he's still around now in 2020. But on his television career, I think it was down the home stretch. Outlooks fantastic. But he was just a rock star. And really, there's only been two guys since that have even come close.

Obviously, John Gruden, I wouldn't say he was John Madden, but he was damn close. He was a made-for-TV just star. He was incredible. Mainly, like John Madden, played to the casual NFL fan. The extreme NFL fan like me or if you're listening, we're going to watch no matter what. Now we're going to get angry at guys like Booger, but we're still watching Monday night football.

The casual guy, definitely in Madden's time, was drawn in because of John Madden. John Gruden had a little bit of that to him. Tony Romo doesn't necessarily have that, I don't think. People aren't coming to the game for Tony Romo. He's calling the top game on Sunday, besides Sunday night football. It's Jim Nance.

It's the afternoon national game. game. Typically, over the last decade, it's been the Patriots, the Steelers, Mahomes. I mean, it's the best game of the day. But Romo's really good. And Romo, like Gruden and like Madden, have this quality of, you know what, I want to hang with that guy, or damn, I think that guy's pretty damn cool, or he's just really likable. And that's one of the things you have to be when you're on television, to be a star, is to be likable. Madden had that to the endth degree. Gruden wasn't far behind, and clearly Tony Romo has it. Now, can he maintain it?

He's only been doing it for a couple years. I think he can because he's naturally just a pretty likable human being. And I stumbled upon, again, I can't watch any more television shows. I can't watch any more movies. I just want to watch some freaking sports. So I'm flipping around the channels and I end up on Peyton's places. And I had never seen a lot of Peyton stuff that he's done with ESPN. But he did all these historical moments, I guess, for ESPN, these little like 15 men,

segments and they put it together in like an hour-long special. One of them was he got with like Terry Bredshaw and some dudes for the Raiders and Franco Harris and they reenacted the immaculate reception and then he got with Joe Montana and Bill Walsh's old office in the museum at Levi's and they talked about Walsh. And you just realize Peyton Manning is just a star and when the camera's on, he's just great. And we all think back to when he hosted Saturday Night Live how awesome it was when he did the scenes of throwing the footballs at the little kids. I mean, he's just great. He really is just fantastic. And he turned down Monday night football. I think it was like on Monday of this week.

So this, I probably could have done this story on Tuesday, but we just had so much else going on. And it's a pretty big blow. You know, I think you never truly know till you get a guy on TV, but I think you know, right? Sometimes you think like, Rex Ryan's going to be really good on TV. I watch Rex Ryan on TV's terrible. And Tony Romo, I didn't know he'd be this good. I mean, I thought it was a pretty big stretch. Jason Whitten, hell got the Monday night game and was, it was like watching paint drive by the second game. John Gruden had it from day one.

I don't know if John Madden, quote, unquote, had it from day one. I was really young, but clearly he was made for the job. Watching Peyton Manning just on TV doing non-football stuff, even though it's related to football, just host a show, host different segments. He just has that special, you know what? Like he would have been absolutely incredible. And like Romo and like Madden and like Gruden, when he's in that star mode,

even though he's worth hundreds of millions of dollars, he's one of the greatest quarterbacks ever. People like me and you have little to nothing in common with the guy. He was born into a family whose dad played in the NFL and was really famous. He was like the top recruit, went to Tennessee, was the number one. He's the blue chipper of blue chipper. But there's this, he's able to do this despite being really famous and over his life, right,

when he branded forever. Colin always made fun of him because he picked these brands a little like Shaq's like Peyton. There's no way you're driving a Honda accord or Peyton. Come on, man. You're not eating hog and d'nodge, cookie and cream ice cream. Tom's much more picky, right, with the brands that he aligns with. Ugs, like Rolex or Net Jets. or it's just all super high-end brands.

I was listening to this podcast about Greg Norman, the golfer. No laying up. If you're into golf, they have a great podcast. They just did this oral history of Greg Norman. And the one thing they were talking about Greg Norman is he was a lot like Tom Brady. Where you see a lot of golfers, it's like NASCAR. And I don't know where I'd fall if I had the opportunity. People started writing big checks.

I probably would take it. But Greg Norman was very, very picky. It was all like Brady elite stuff. Rangerover, Land Rover, Rolex, his own brand that he vertically integrated into his Reebok contract and he kind of owns it like Jordan does the Jordan brand through Nike. Greg Norman did that. Where Peyton Manning was just more like, yeah, I'll do whatever. And it always worked.

You would see him pitching these ads, chicken parm with Brad Paisley. It's like, God, I could hang out with Peyton. I really could. I used to hear stories when I was scouting from some. buddies that work for the Broncos. I remember being like, what's it like? Peyton Manning in your building. They're like, oh my God, he is wearing everyone out.

He had to need special video coordinators. And I mean, wearing people out in a good way. Obviously, you're going to win. But he was intense. Like, he had things, he was like a coach. I mean, he had certain cutups that he needed on certain days. He was your typical player. Like, oh, yeah, give me, you tell me what I need.

Peyton knew what he needed. Payton's like Belichick of players. And it was really intense. So I started thinking, Why would he turn this job down? Because he's clearly, it would be an enormous deal. It would be probably the biggest name. He would be right there in line with Madden, Gruden, Manning.

Because whoever hired and made this, think about this. Whoever put Joe Tessator, Witten, and then Booger the Bougar Mobile, and then this year when Witten bounced because he realized, you can say whatever he wants. Listen, I like Jason Witten. I've heard him several interviews over the years. He is a super high-level guy. Honestly, his personality, he could be a senator, he could be a general manager of a team.

He is 50 times more high level than myself. I mean, when I listen to him, I'm jealous. I'm like, I wish I was more like that guy. Not everyone's made for media. You got to just have, I don't even know. I don't even know how to quantify it. You either got it or you don't. And Peyton has it.

I think Peyton would be a star because of how much he likes football. I wonder, in a couple theories I have why he turns it down. One is I don't think Peyton Manning, like I can do media guy. I can just watch a game, jot down some notes, and just let it flow. I don't know if Peyton Manning's wired like that. I think going into every game, he would spend so much time. I bet he's loving life right now. He's worth all this money.

He's able to focus his ideas on business. He's always at like the Denver Nuggets games with his kids. I think he has a pretty balanced life. And for probably 20 years, he had no balance in his life. It was football, football, football, and then the offseason was family. But it was football, football, for those six months during the season, there wasn't like 50-50 football and then hanging out with the kids. It was like 99 football and then that won kind of his kids.

Just because that's the way he operated. He had to. And I'm thinking watching him when he's recreating this video of trying to do the immatulate reception with Franco Harris, you realize, well, he wasn't a great athlete. He never had a great arm. Do you know really one of the points of difference of Peyton Manning? was his mind and his work ethic.

He outworked you and he out thought you because by no means was he the most physically gifted, rarely even relative to the other quarterback. Like Tom Brady has a much better arm than Peyton Manning. I mean, neither could move that well, but it was all upstairs. So I wonder if he's thinking, listen, if I do this and they're going to pay him $15, $16 million,

I can't imagine the feeling of someone being like, hey man, you want to do like 15 Monday night football games. you can pick whoever you want to do the play-by-play with. We'll pay you $15 million, so you do the math. You know, $15 million will sign you to a five-year contract. You know, what's that? $75 million. Pay it's like, no, no, you know, I'm good.

I like life. Imagine it turned down like $75. Hell, maybe they offered him 10-year contract. Tony Romo got a 10-year contract. Who knows? And just saying, no, I'm good. And I just wonder if he can't, half-ass is the wrong word,

but he's worried that he wouldn't be able to do it without kind of dedicating his life, to diving into both teams, diving into the schemes, approaching it like a player. And he knows he can't really turn it off. And that's really, Gruden never turned it off, right? He was notorious for even when he did Monday Night Football

for still going into that office at 4 in the morning, watching the tape. And he was able to kind of keep that lifestyle going in a media way, but still in a coaching way, when he's made this transition back. I mean, I know people on the Raider staff that say, you better believe he's still coming in at 4 in the morning. They will tell you I've never been around someone

that I think likes football that much. It makes you question as a football coach, do I like football enough? And I think Peyton Manning has some of that in him where I just, I think that holds him back. And I also, my other theory would just be, he really, really wants to be a GM, an Elway, you know, president,

maybe even a partial owner like a Michael Jordan, but also pick the players, and he's just keeping his eye on the prize. He's able to do his own research. He's able to keep making money with his business ventures, and he's able to be very flexible. And the one thing Monday Night Football would not allow him to be able to do is be really flexible. Like there is a set schedule.

You're flying in every Saturday or Friday, start meeting with the coaches. Clearly his film prep would start, and he wouldn't have the ability maybe to make his investments to try to grow his portfolio so he can come in, as one of those kind of quote-unquote part-time or minority owners. I guess it wouldn't be part-time. It would be less than, obviously no one's going to give him a majority stake in a team,

and he probably doesn't have the money, but just give him 5, 10 percent and make him the president of the team. And that would be my guess because he's now turned down Monday Night Football basically a couple times. And if he's not going to do it now, is he going to do it when he's in five, six years? And this, again, I would love 400,000. to do it. I think he would be, I think he was made for it. He would be a superstar. It really speaks to his talents, right? He's a great quarterback. I think he could easily run a team, own a team.

I think he'd immediately be one of the great broadcasters of all time. And it leaves us with ESPN with where do they go? You know, they went Drew Brees, Philip Rivers. Those guys are playing. I think, I think Monday Night Football is kind of screwed. This was, this wasn't just their Hail Mary. This was their only shot of being kind of fed. felt like they were legitimate. Right now, they're just going to band-aid it year to year until they hopefully they can get one of these guys. And the hard thing is, even with Rivers and Breeze,

you know, they're not going to need the money. These guys have accumulated hundreds of millions of dollars. When you factor in endorsements, too, especially with Drew Breeze, you know, it's going to be really different. Last night, a blown call changed a game. This morning, the internet lost its mind. Highlights are trending, opinions are flying, and nobody's telling you exactly what happened.

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

give you context, and ask the questions everybody wants answered. Sports slice brings you closer to the action. with stories told by the people who live them. Listen to SportsSlice on the Iheart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more, follow Timbo Slic Life 12 in the TikTok podcast network on TikTok. Welcome to my new podcast, Learn the Hardway with me, your host, and your favorite therapist, Kear Games. And in recognition of mental health awareness month, I'm bringing over a decade of my own experience in the mental health field and conversations with so many incredible guests. I'm talking, Tripp Fontaine, Ryan Clark.

Sometimes when we're in the pursuit. suit 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. Kier Gains is we have real conversations about healing, growth, fatherhood, pressure, and purpose on my new podcast, Learn the Hardway.

Open your free iHeartRadio app. Search Learn the Hardway and listen now. What's up, guys? This is Clifford Taylor the Fourth. And on my podcast, The Cliverts Show, I'm bringing you conversations about all kinds of stuff. Like being an internet famous referee. We're in the middle of a game. This linebacker, this linebacker walks up to me. He goes, hey, ref, my mom wants you to wave at her. What? Time out. Quarterback on office blue with 42. Hey, Brett. My mama want you to weigh better.

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

storylines ahead of the big tournament here in the USA. Listen to the 1021 podcast on the IHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. And even Drew Breeze, I don't know how good Drew Breese would be. I mean, he's a great guy. He just gave him and his wife gave $5 million to the Saints. Just a fantastic human being. I mean, a 10 out of 10 as a human. That doesn't necessarily make you a great media guy. Rivers, I think, would be pretty damn good.

But I just wonder if he would just jump right in to do TV, especially if he plays a couple more years for the Colts. So it's just one of those what could have been, because I think Peyton Manning would have immediately been an all-timer. Becoming a magician takes thousands of hours, right, Ashley? Oh, I'm not a magician. I'm a design specialist at the container store. you transform closets and pantries.

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brought to you by the United States Forest Service and the ad council let's dive into the Panthers and they've had a week in my opinion that has made me go what the hell are they doing I've never been the biggest Cam Newton guy, though I've always respected his elite talent. He's a physical freak.

He's had some moments in the league. His MVP year, he was fantastic. And when he's on, he can go to battle with any top quarterback in any team. He's elite when he's on. Now, he's also off. You know, ball sail on him, these last couple years, shoulder, foot,

major injury questions. But I will. say this. He's accomplished a lot in the NFL, from being the number one pick to the MVP to being the starting quarterback for a team that made the playoffs countless times. He's on a he was on a really cheap

contract. If you're Matt Ruhl and listen, when Matt Ruhl was hired, I watched his press conference and it was like Nick Sabin meets a church sermon. It was really impressive. It made you go, damn, I want to play for that guy. But then you take a step back and you go, you know,

this guy doesn't have any NFL experienced beside one year. Are we sure he knows what he's doing? Because he gets rid of all these older players, which are still functional players. If I was him, I just want to keep Cam Newton this year. If he's terrible and gets injured again, then I'll cut him after this year and we're bad and we go get Trevor Lawrence. What I would not do is sign Teddy Bridgewater, because Teddy Bridgewater is good enough where you're going to win five to seven games. You are not going to be drafted in the top five, but he's not good enough given your team to take you to the playoffs. Now, I get it from a culture standpoint.

Teddy's a super high-level guy. He's a really impressive individual. People love Teddy Bridgewater. He also has experience in the division as a backup. And when you're the backup, you're used to doing a lot of different things. With scout team, with the coaching staff, you're a big part of the game plan. You're working hand-in-hand with Drew and Sean Payton. But you already have that in Cam Newton.

He's been in this division for a decade. And I get Cam, can wear you out. He can be a diva sometimes. but I actually think this was an easy one. When Chip Kelly got the job in Philadelphia, he kept Mike Vic for a season. You know, why? Because you're like, why not?

Because you might actually have something if he has gotten himself healthy. Now, you can tell me, well, the Panthers are going to know more about Cam's health than anyone. And I'd say that's true. But we've seen some videos. He was working out on Instagram with a shirt off. He looks fantastic.

I mean, hell, Cam Newton. I saw Cam Newton working harder in one video on Instagram than I've seen Baker Mayfield in two years on social media. media. So he's got him beat. But that rule is trying, one thing I thought they were going to do is kind of blow it up and then start over kind of next year. And that's not exactly what they're doing, especially with Teddy Bridgewater. I also thought the way they handled this Cam Newton situation, if you are going to kick him to the curb, which is essentially what they did. Just cut the guy. He had no trade market. They should have known that. They'd been trying to trade them all offseason.

No one's going to trade for him. Because the unknown. of the injuries with the corona, it makes it impossible. Because if Cam had a full bill of health, I do think someone would have traded a six-round pick for him. He doesn't make very much money relative to a starting quarterback. Plus, he's basically on a year-to-year contract. You can cut him whatever you want for nothing. It would have been an easy one.

But at this point in time, no one was going to trade for him. Yet they dragged it out all week. Cam Newton, the Carolina Panthers, the majority of my life have been irrelevant. They had the 0-2 or 0-3 season when they made the Super Bowl. For the majority of it, they just haven't really mattered. And Cam Newton is by far.

Maybe he's not the best player. That might be Luke Keekely, might be Julius Peppers, might be Cam, whatever. He's easily their most famous player. And he's easily the most important player in franchise history. He put that franchise on the map in a big, big way, made him nationally relevant. Because what he is at the end of the day,

I don't know if he still is this guy, but he's a superstar. To me, the way you treat that guy on the way out is not start tweeting last week, that you're thinking about trading them and you've given him the opportunity to reach out to other teams, either trade him or not and cut him. But don't do the dog and pony show

where you end up cutting him a week later. It's just kind of low level. And this is what happens when you got Matt Ruhle's from college, who guess what happens in college? You can't cut anybody. Your team's your team. You got Dave Teper, which is probably worried about the market tanking

and his new coach. It doesn't quite understand this. And I think David Teper and Matt Ruhl in a vacuum are really high-level guys. But there's a situation dealing with a, you know, it's kind of a sensitive subject. When you're cutting a franchise quarterback, someone who's taking you to places that, and made you relevant to a level that you haven't typically been. Like, he does, he was owed to me.

And again, you're listening to someone that is not a huge Cam Newton individual. Like, Cam Newton ain't a middle cost favorite player. He deserved way better than the way they treated him on the way out. It wasn't that difficult. Just keep it under wraps. If you can't trade him, cut him. Like you did Greg Olson. He probably should have been cut before the free agency open.

Now I get it. It is a business, and they were hoping to trade him, but you should have had to feel he was going to be untradable with his injuries. And if you're trying to trade him, you're basically acknowledging you're healthy, and this is back to why didn't you just roll with him this year? You're going with Teddy Bridgewater. You're signing Robbie Anderson. It's like they're getting the whole Temple University alum.

It's a little bit higher level with a signed PGF. Walker, the other guy from Temple that was in the XFL, it has a little bit of a Chip Kelly feel to it. It's like, are you just signing these guys because you know them? Aren't you the culture guy? Aren't you Spoltz to send the tempo? Cam's been around Ron Rivera

for nine years, who's an old school hard ass. They got a long fine. They figured it out. They had no issues. Again, if you think Cam is going to disrupt your locker room, I don't think that's really been his issue. Now, can he act like a diva sometimes on game day? Sure.

But the one thing that never came out with Ron Rivera is, you know, this guy is a pain in my ass. That's not really how he felt, right? Now, they tried to be smarter about the way they ran him. They tried to change their offense to protect him a little more football things. But when you think culture, like, did they overvalue culture? Teddy Bridgewater is $60 million? Teddy Bridgewater is a good backup. Great kid.

If he's your starting quarterback for 16 games or three straight years, you're in no man's land. And I mean no man's land. So is right off the bat. Last night, a blown call changed a game. This morning, the internet lost its mind. Highlights are trending. Opinions are flying. And nobody's telling you exactly what happened.

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

give you context, and ask the questions everybody wants answered. Sports Slice brings you closer to the action with stories told by the people who live them. Listen to Sports Slice on the Iheart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more, follow Timbo Slices Life 12 and the TikTok podcast network on TikTok. Welcome to my new podcast. Learn the hard way with me, your host, and your favorite therapist, Kear Games. And in recognition of Mental Health Awareness Month,

I'm bringing over a decade of my own experience in the mental health field and conversations with so many incredible guests. I'm talking. Tripp Fontaine, Ryan 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. What's up, guys? This is Clever Taylor the 4th. And on my podcast, The Cliverts Show, I'm bringing you conversations about all kinds of stuff. Like being an internet famous referee. We're in the middle of a game.

This linebacker walks up to me. He goes, hey, ref, my mom wants you to wave at her. What? Time out. Quarterback on office blue 42. A rep. My mama want you to wave at her. What?

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

And with the World Cup right around the corner, we'll be. breaking down the biggest storylines ahead of the big tournament here in the USA. Listen to the 1021 podcast on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Is Matt Rul valuing character

and people that he knows more than just talent? And talent, when I say, like you can sign talented players that you don't know. Coaches do it all over the league, all the time. Kyle Shanahan didn't know D. Ford. They traded for.

and their starting defensive end. To be a good coach in this league, you have to be somewhat uncomfortable being around guys that you don't know that much about. Obviously, you have done research, you have reports on them coming out of college, but in free agency, I don't really get it. And I don't think there really is a plan.

Because now I think they're probably thinking maybe we can be kind of good. Well, you're not going to be kind of good. Because the Saints are really good. Tampa is going to be better than you. And even the Falcons, now that they pulled the coach's names out of a hat and start playing well at the end of the season are just better than you too.

You're going to be the worst team in that division. So if you're going to be the worst team in that division, you might as well just be really shitty and be in position to draft one of these top two quarterbacks. And not in a way where you're actively trying to tank right now, but it makes no sense. I can't wrap my head around giving $60 million. I Google that I never saw the official guaranteed number,

but it doesn't matter. I mean, they're paying Teddy Bridgewater $20 million a year, and they're at least tied to them this season. and you might as well if you were going to get rid of camp I would have just rolled like Kyle Allen and signed Case Keenham Teddy Britt

I just I don't get it and I think sometimes with Chip Kelly these high level guys they get into this level that they're not used to they're not comfortable with and they can be overwhelmed

and they can do stupid things and they can put themselves they can actually take a step back before they ever take a step forward and sometimes if you take several steps back you're never able to make up for it. And Matt Rule, I get he got up six, seven-year contract. But I don't know, man.

I don't have a full-on red flag, but I'm just, I'm watching that a little differently than I would have when he was originally hired. If you love to be remembered as the person who gives the best birthday gifts, I'm here to tell you that 1-800flowers.com is your ultimate birthday gifting destination. 1-800 flowers has thoughtful and artfully created options that are guaranteed to deliver the best birthday surprise. Shop thousands of unique gifts at

1-800flowers.com for exclusive offers and great values. To order today, visit 1-800flowers.com slash tune-in. That's 1-800flowers.com slash tune-in. 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-arm kid carry. Looks like dad. has the bag's daughter is bringing up the rear. Oh, but the diaper bag wasn't closed. Diapers and toys are everywhere. Ooh, but Mom has just nailed the perfect car seat buckle for the toddler. And now the eldest daughter, who looks to be about nine or ten, has secured herself in the booster seat. Dad zips the bag closed and they're off. Ah, but looks like Mom doesn't realize

her coffee cup is still on the roof of the car, and there it goes. Oh, thank you. Thank you. That's a shame. That mug was a fam favorite. Don't sweat the small stuff. Just nail the big stuff. Like making sure your kids are buckled correctly in the right seat for their age and size. Learn more at nhtsa.gov slash the right seat. Visit nhtsa.gov slash the right seat. Brought to you by Nitsa and the Ad Council. Look through your children's eyes to see the true magic of a forest.

It's a storybook world for them. You look and see a tree. They see the wrinkled face of a wizard with arms outstretched. to the sky. They see treasure and 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 discoverthe forest.org. Brought to you by the United States Forest Service and the ad council. Okay, let's dive into the Middle Coff mailbag. First, I just want to read this tweet by Adam Schaefter.

It's just fantastic. Roger Goodell said out of memo tonight. I'm recording this. It's like 6 o'clock Thursday night. The memo basically said the draft is happening. The date is not being changed. So just proceed as normal, given the circumstances. In Roger Goodell's memo, this is what you have to wrote,

that the draft, he served a warning to those around the league that criticizes the league's stance. Gadel wrote, Public discussion of issues relating to the draft serves no useful purpose and is grounds for disciplinary action. I love that. That to me reminds me a lot of David Stern. Listen, we can all be critical of Roger Goodell over the years. He's done some stupid things.

But that's what the commissioner needs to say. Corona sucks for everybody. We're not changing the draft. Shut up about it and figure it out. Meanwhile, every five minutes, Adam Silver is leaking something to woge. Manfred always screws up. Say what you want about Roger Goodell. The NFL, I mean, it's not all, I mean, he doesn't deserve, you know, full credit.

But he's drawing a hard line in the sand. He's been a part of the greatest economic growth in league history. Football is now America's pastime, and he's led the pro league. So, like, the other two commissioners would die to be Roger Goodell right now. His league's the one that prints cash. The other ones, the NFL's taken on water by the day. I call it one of our great economic bubbles right now. in any industry.

The NBA, if they don't play the rest of the season, I mean, you're going to see the league having to give out loans to some of their franchises. Even some of their bigger franchises, like the Houston Rockets, they're in shambles because their owner is deep in, one, he borrowed money against the team. He doesn't have any outside help because he privately owns everything. He's also in the casino business. They're all shut down. He's screwed.

Then you have all the small markets that are in major trouble. So, listen, we've all talked a lot of shit about Roger Goodell over the years. some of it was justified but you got to give them credit these last several years and that saying just shut your mouth the draft is happening we're doing it and you know what the draft's going to do when they hosted on the 23rd 24th and 25th it'll be the highest rated draft in NFL history it'll be it might be one of the highest rated sports events in a long long time just given how think about this it's March 26 we're about a month away from the draft no sports till then none we don't have anything we're just they're all canceled for the foreseeable future nothing

We're just watching Netflix and HBO and I'm losing my I got food network on in the background I can only watch so much news hear about the corona so many times I just I just want a game I can't wait for the draft we're obviously going to talk a lot about the draft over the next month thank God for the draft okay was wondering your thoughts on the Colts off season moves thus far obviously on paper they are better than last season but is what they have done really the best plan for winning a Super Bowl as soon as possible I just don't feel a geriatric Philip Rivers, Buckner, and whatever other free agent or rookie they acquire this offseason

is going to be near enough to make the Super Bowl. Are they delusional with this win-now strategy, or do you honestly think they have a shot at making the ship? To me, it seems like they will be the same mediocre fringe playoff position they are always in. Well, I think if Jacoby Brissette stays healthy last year, they are competitive to get the last wild car spot. When you look at their division,

you go, the Houston Texans, which feel like they win it all the time if the Colts don't win it, they got worse. They got rid of their best player traded. Clowny's long gone, Watts a year older, Watson seems unhappy, and they have no draft picks. So if it wasn't for the second rounder that came with David Johnson, they would really have nothing. Now, if David Johnson is good, it would help them out. But still, they're receiving threat. Hopkins is averaged, I think, like, he had 114.

catch us two years ago and I think 104 last year. And he's just a dominant blue chip player. So they are worse. The Jaguars stink. I mean, they are awful. So if I'm the Colts, I go, the Texans, they still got Bill O'Brien, Deshawn Watson, they'll be feisty, but I don't view them as a playoff team.

And then I got the Titans who are really good. So can we beat the Titans? And Steve McNeer and Eddie George ain't walking through the door. Well, maybe Eddie George is in Derek Henry. But we'll see on Ryan Tanny Hill. Solid player, good player. I like Brayble. I love John.

on Robinson. Like that team's solid, but I think them and the Colts are like the same thing. If Rivers is good and he should be inside the dome, then you guys got a chance to be pretty good. Really that's simple. If the quarterback plays high level and he can elevate people, now the weapons, I'd have to pull up the roster, but Ty Y's got to stay healthy. You know, they're going to have to draft a wide receiver. Clearly the 13th pick, the 49ers are going to use that on a receiver.

The Colts are going to have to hit on a second or third round wide receiver. and even sometimes when he draft a guy that, you know, in the second round, think about like Devante Adams, who's, you know, top 7-8 wide receiver in the league, top 6-7, whatever. It took him a couple years, and he was a second-round pick. Now, Juju's another example of a second-round pick that was good right away, but it was a little easier he had Antonio Brown, so he got to kind of ease into it, even though he was productive from the jump. Michael Thomas, like for every second-round picked it's sweet, some guys aren't as sweet,

but they're going to need immediate like Debo, D.K. Metcalf with whoever they take in the second round. They're going to be on that guy to... God, some of these questions are just so long. They're going to need that guy to produce. Why doesn't CINC sign Cam and trade back for extra picks

and take Tua? Tua Cam and a few extra high round linemen sounds like a better deal to me than just getting Burrow. Next year they can move off Cam, handed to Tua sort of like Casey moved off Alex Smith. Think if you were Cincinnati and you picked up the phone and you called Miami. and you said, we will take, we'll give you one, we want five, we want 18,

and we want a second round pick this year and a second round pick next year. And like you said, Cam and Tua. Not a crazy idea at all. They're not going to do that. Mike Brown doesn't think like that, but I can get behind that. I actually think a flyer on Cam just given, you know, what if he is healthy? It's a big if, but what if he is healthy? I would not just write him off for his career being over.

He's a physical freak. He's had a lot of time off. He only played in two games. Again, the Instagram video of him working out, he looks shredded. I'm thinking about when I finish recording, going to get some ice cream or something. Again, social distancing. I'd go into 7-Eleven, make sure not touch anybody.

But I'm kind of feaning something. Quarantine's got me eating kind of bad, but Clint Cam Newton looks good. I don't hate that idea at all. But the problem is the Cincinnati Bengals are just never doing that. I listen to your three-in-out podcast all the time.

It's my first favorite podcast. I'm an Eagles fan. Eagles have interest in Yonick and Dockway, and he seems to be interested in them. He definitely wants out of Jacksonville. Eagles still need help but receiver. What do you think is the monster trade? Eagles trade Derek Barnett and their first round pick

this year and next year in exchange for Yonick and Jacksonville's number nine overall pick this year. Yeah, that's not happening. This allows the Eagles to get Yonick plus C.D. Lamb or Jerry Judy. Yeah, I mean, that's just, that's not, that's Derek Barnett. this is not, this deal is already kind of off whack. I don't think the Eagles and Howie are in a position to mortgage like multiple first round

picks for Yonik, even though he's a really good player. I think he clearly wants enormous money. If you're the Eagles, I think you just use your pick and you draft a wide receiver. You know, Howie's been in on these guys, but the one thing he consistently does is he doesn't overpay. And when he got, instead of getting Byron Jones and giving him 40, million through two years. He got Darius Lay for basically $30 million, so $10 million cheaper, a guy that's had more success, and he didn't have to trade that much. He traded a third and a fifth

round pick. They need their first round pick, they need their second round pick. They need the assets because they need to get younger. So I don't think Howie and the Eagles are in a position to do a deal like that. Now next year, if Yannick becomes a free agent, I think they'd be all over signing him, and he'd be a perfect scheme fit. But I think you've seen, like, Howie's good at putting a price tag. We will do this, but we won't go. This is the most I'm going to pay. In fairness, I don't know if I ever became a GM,

if I would have stayed on that path, which who knows how long I would have taken me if ever. I'm not that good at that, because when I want something, I want something. And I think the best business deals a lot of times come with patience and knowing when to walk away. And it's one thing in business.

Sometimes in football, you know, it's not like you're looking, it at it like a balance sheet. You're looking at it like, I really just want that player. So while I didn't love the Rams, I thought they gave too much for Jalen Ramsey, I do get it. This is the best corner

in the league, we get them in our scheme, and him and Aaron Donald will dominate. Who knows? Hell, me and you might have done that deal, but how he won't. If all the OTAs are canceled, do you think this might be the best preseason? Would you think coaches would play starters and get

more reps on offensive defense and work things out that they've done in OTAs? That's a hell of a question. I haven't thought that far. The problem will be if there's no OTAs, there is going to be a huge premium on

guys discipline. You're going to have to work out on your own. And one problem is, a lot of gyms these guys go to, even in the off-season, are closed right now. Now, let's face it, when you're rich and famous, you can get access to stuff. but I still think it's going to be difficult.

So the typical regimen, and these guys are used to working out with other players. Like if you're an NFL player, you're going to work out with other NFL players. I'm not even talking about the workouts that you do once the off-season activities happen. I'm talking about right now, the month leading up to phase one. And then in the summer, these guys don't just go, Baker might, but most of the league doesn't just go sit on a beach and drink margaritas. They maintain that fitness, so when they get back to training camp, they're ready to hit the ground running.

I think it's going to be a challenge. You might need to spend the first couple weeks just working on personal fitness. You can't put guys in position if they haven't been able to work out. Now, we're a long ways away from knowing what's going to happen in the summer. But that's a great question. I think we're just in such uncharted territory. I think everything would be on the table. But seeing guys play a ton in preseason, if guys aren't in shape,

I don't think they're starters. I don't think coaches would risk putting their better players in harm's way. It doesn't make sense, especially if you hadn't played football basically all year long, right? If the off-season is wiped out, that means all these guys at max are just working one-on-one with a trainer. And who knows, like, that's not your typical workout that these guys are doing. Because most of these off-season activities, the first month is just weightlifting. And usually, whoever your fellow team, you usually read it, you're like, they got 99 participation percentage.

Like most teams, every guy shows up. That's why when Odell doesn't show up or Tom Brady hasn't showed up, it's story. Because most teams, every player shows up. Why wouldn't you? You're going to give me a, I'm going to get an incentive bonus anyway for working out. I'm going to lift no matter what. I say it all the time. Players that skip OTAs, like I get, you got, and Tom Brady gets a little more latitude,

but it's like you get like a $200,000 bonus, and you're working out with your teammates anyway. This is a team sport. This isn't golf. This isn't tennis. Was a big Bucks fan growing up? Do you think that Trent Dilfer or Brad Johnson are good comparisons for Kirk Cousins? Both won Super Bowls because they had elite defenses and they both, to my memory, were not super talented.

I can't speak on Trent Dilfer. I'm not old enough to kind of remember how talented he was coming in the league. I mean, I'm a Fresno State guy. He clearly was a freak talent, big arm. He's talked about this on other podcasts. I don't know if he was mature enough, went to the wrong situation. by the time he started playing for the Buccaneers, he wasn't that talented. Brad Johnson watching that Super Bowl, I think Kirk Cousins at this point in time,

is better than either one of those two guys in their peak. I think that's fair. Now, if you put Kurt Cousins on the 02 bucks or the 01 Ravens, you could win a Super Bowl for sure. So, yeah, but is he the right comparison for that? I don't think he is. I think the right comparison for him is like a Trent Green. Remember when he was with Kansas City,

when Dick Vermeal got there and they were scoring all those points, the physical characteristics might be a little different. I just mean a guy that puts up a lot of stats, but it's not going to beat anyone in the playoffs. You could argue Trent Green is probably a better player. Kirk cousin is going to make a lot of money, though. Crocun is going to make a boatload of money for probably two career playoff wins.

Does it make a make? Emmanuel Sanders going to the Saints make perfect sense for both sides. Seeing what Sean Payton has done with Taysam Hill this past year makes me go crazy with what can be done with Sanders added to the mix. Yeah, he's, Amanda Sanders is a good player. I mean, the 49ers, I know for a fact, wanted him back, they just had a price point. They just can't afford.

And then once they trade to Forrest Buckner for the 13th pick, they're just going to use that pick on a receiver. So Emmanuel Sanders is a legitimate starter on a Super Bowl team. He came to the Niners and had a huge impact. The 49ers did not make of the Super Bowl last year or would not have if Emmanuel doesn't show up. Now, he is an older player. He doesn't really have an injury history.

He just has one major injury in the Achilles. But I thought with the Niners, he looked fantastic. So you put him with Jared Cook, with Kamara, with Taysam Hill, with Michael Thomas, who I think some people forget, had like 195 catches last year. Like, seriously, he had 148 catches. He's a monster.

So you put him with him. Cook and Breeze. Yeah, they should, and he's really, the other thing about Emmanuel is he's really smart, football smart. So the transition with no offseason, I don't think it'll be that difficult. Who do you see the Niners taking at 13? If they stay at 13, I think they go a couple routes. I think receiver is the thing that makes the most sense.

It would be Rugs, Judy. I don't think C.D. Lamb makes that much sense for them because they already have Dibo. Now, you could argue just get Dibo, C.bo, C.D. Lamb, and just, Start rocking and roll with Kittle. But I also think defensive line, you can never have enough defensive linemen. They just traded Buckner. If a sweet defensive lineman's there, I wouldn't complain about drafting one, especially when you also have pick 31 and you can take a wide receiver there.

So as the 49er show last year, they traded, or they took Debo Samuel in the second round, he was one of their best players this year. The good thing with the draft when you have depth at a position and you have multiple picks high in the first or second round, you can wait. You don't need to force a need if you have a better player on your board, you know, rated. The Niners need a corner. Richard's 31, 32 years old, and he's going into his last year of his contract.

The opposite corner is Emmanuel Mosley, who's an undrafted free agent. So I don't know enough about this corner draft. I'm going to have to text around. But if there's a corner that justifies the 13th overall pick, I think that 49ers could easily do that. Big fan of the podcast. I'm a die-hard Browns fan, and I'm curious about. their ineptitude.

Their failures go back to the learner family, like a dozen different regimes. Were they all just bad groups, or is it really easy as that bad of an owner, or is it really just as easy as they have had a bad ownership? I remember Phil Savage telling me, who's with the Jets now, who was the GM there, with the learners, the learners were just never around.

They just didn't really care about football. So I just think you had much more pressure on the GM. I mean, Phil will tell you, he just hired the wrong. coach. He hired Romeo Cornell. You can't win Romeo Cornell. If you hire the right coach, maybe they win. This new ownership in Jimmy Haslam, I think he's just too

big of a micromanager. You know, you've had the opposite ends of the spectrum. The learners just didn't give a shit at all. It had nothing to do with anything. And then you have Jimmy Haslam that just has his hands in like the practice squad. There's got to be a balance. And I think the best

organizations, you know, last night, a blown call changed this morning, the internet lost its mind. Highlights are trending, opinions are flying, and nobody's telling you exactly what happened. That's where Sports Slice comes in. I'm Timbo. Every episode, we're cutting through the noise, breaking down the plays, the controversies, and the stories behind the headlines. We go straight to the source, the athletes themselves, their locker room stories, their reactions, the stuff nobody gets to hear. The laughs, the drama, the triumphs, the moments that never make the highlight real. From viral moments to historic games, from buzzer beaters

to controversial calls, we break it down, give you context, and ask the questions everybody wants answered. Sports Slice brings you closer to the action with stories told by the people who live them. Listen to Sports Slice on the IHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more, follow Timbo Slice Life 12

and the TikTok podcast network on TikTok. Welcome to my new podcast, Learn the Hardway with me, your host, and your favorite therapist, 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? Are you a good person because you're afraid Because that's two different intentions, bro. Absolutely. And that's two different levels of trust.

I want you to just really be a good person. Join me, Kear Gaines, is we have real conversations about healing, growth, fatherhood, pressure, and purpose on my new podcast, Learn the Hardway. Open your free iHeartRadio app. Search Learn the Hardway and listen now. What's up, guys? This is Cliver Taylor the Fourth. And on my podcast, The Cliverts Show, I'm bringing you conversations about all kinds of stuff. Like being an internet famous referee.

We're in the middle of a game. This linebacker, this linebacker walks up to me. He goes, hey, ref, my mom wants you to wave at her. What? Come out. Quarterback on office blue with 42. Hey, rec, my mama want you to wave at her. What?

Hey, Ms. Parker. Listen to the Clippers show on the Iheart radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. The story I've told myself about love or relationships can then shape my behavior and that can lead me to sabotage the possibility of connection. This mental health awareness month, tune into the podcast deeply well with Debbie Brown and explore the journey of healing, self-discovery, and returning to yourself. We explore higher consciousness, emotional well-being, and the practices that help you find clarity, peace, and self-mastery in a world that can feel overwhelming. The world is becoming alone.

We're not becoming more social and connected. We're becoming more individualized, but we actually need people in connection. If you've been searching for a soft place to land while doing the work to become whole, this podcast is for you to hear more. Listen to deeply well with Debbie Brown from the Black Effect Podcast Network on the Iheart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. The one I have that I've worked for, the Eagles, I think Jeffrey Lurie is a great. balance. He knows what's going on in the draft, but he's not telling you who to draft. He knows what's going on in free agency, but he's not telling you who to sign. And I see it here with the Niners like, listen, Jed, the debacle of Jim Harbaugh, that was bad, and that was really

ugly. But I defend Jed in the sense of he just kind of stays out of their way. But whatever they need, he gives them. And I think that's good owners have that all around the league. Look at the teams that consistently win. I think Robert Kraft is a good balance. I think the dude in Minnesota does a good job. I think, you know, Jerry's kind of unique. Clearly, Paul Allen was Seattle. Whatever they needed with Pete Carroll, with John Snyder, he's around, or he was, I mean, before he passed away, but he's not, you can't have an owner telling you who to sign.

And I think some of these owners do that, the Steelers. I mean, actually, most of the ownership in the NFL is pretty high level. Big Falcons fan. With all the attention Tampa is getting and is justified, but everyone, was saying it's a two-team race between them and the Saints. My question, do you think the Falcons can make it a three-team race or even with Carolina, the NFC South could be far deeper? Yeah, I don't think Carolina is going to be very good.

My question on the Falcons is, let's see, they, I'm trying to think of some of their moves. So they let Austin Hooper walk and they get Hayden Hurst. So maybe that becomes a wash. I mean, Austin Hooper is probably a better player. They still got Julio, they still got Calvin Ridley, they got Maddie Ice, They signed Todd Gurley, which, who knows. Their defense was much better in the second half, and for the most part, last year they scored points early in the season.

It was they couldn't stop anybody because their defense was atrocious. They do have talent on the team. Just thinking on their roster, they don't have a great pass rusher. They do have team speed in their secondary. Didn't they release Desmond Troufant? The middle linebacker they've had for a while, Dion Jones is a good player. Yeah, I mean, I would say Tampa. I have more faith.

I think Brouserian is a better coach than Dan Quinn. That to me is a huge element. Let's even say Maddie Ice and Tom Brady in 2020 are the same player. I just, I have more faith in Bruce Arias than I do Dan Quinn. That being said, like Dan Quinn's had successful teams, had playoff teams. So, yeah, I don't think we can just discount the Falcons as being some, you know, slap team next year, like a 6-7 win team. I think if it all goes right, they can win 9, 10 games.

Obviously, you need a good draft. I've been listening to your podcast since the first time it showed up on the herd feed. I wish you were the talent that replaced his coward when he was on vacation. Back a few months ago, I remember you mentioned you growing up and followed the teams you could watch. I was born in Puerto Rico. I started to follow sports in the late 70s.

The game of the week always was the Yankees and cable TV, the Boston feed. So I became a Yankees, Boston Celtics and the San Francisco 49ers fans. Those were my teams. So now on TV, all I had is the New York market. Funny, now I'm a Yankees, Nixon, New York Giants fan. To finish, I agree with you that kids follow players.

and not teams. So this was just a nice little note. Appreciate it. Yeah, I do think it depends where you live. If you live in certain, if you grow up in New York, you're going to grow up for the New York teams. If you grew up in the Bay Area or L.A., you're going to be a Dodger Laker fan or a Niner warrior fan.

To me, if you grew up in certain areas like North Dakota, you might just gravitate to who's winning. You know, kids, basketball, I think, is a little more national. I mean, I grew up, I was born in 84. A lot of people were getting on me because they sell Parcells, one with the same quarterback twice. People like, Jeff Hosteller, he, he, Phil Sims got hurt. It's like, okay, guys, I'm sorry, some of my 80s history is a little hit or miss. I feel confident talking anything 90s forward.

So I, you know, I try to expand. I'm not Belichick historian here, but you're right. He won with two quarterbacks, you know, I'm 35, not 60. My bad. I got a lot of people on me. Bettle cough. Parcell's one with two different quarterbacks. Your theory's wrong.

Like, okay, I get it. 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 Ad 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 Ad Council. What grows in the forest? Trees? Sure.

Know what else grows in the forest? Our imagination, our sense of wonder, and our family bonds grow too. Because when we disconnect from this and connect with this, we reconnect with each other. The forest is closer than you think. Find a forest near you and start exploring at Discovertheforest. brought to you by the United States Forest Service and the Ad Council. Big fan, Cal Poly alum, I like it. Sacramento guy, Rockland.

Also a huge Eagles fan. I love the interview with Howie. I was curious, if you think realistically going to take in the first round of the draft, I know the most early mocks have the Eagles taking Henry Ruggs, but after his 40 at the Combine, I'm sure he won't be available. I got a quick hot take. Henry Ruggs goes in the top 10. Do you think the Eagles will take the next best wide receiver,

Justin Jefferson, or best player available? Most mocks are showing Jefferson, but a situation reminds me a lot of taking Nelson Aguilar late in the first. Yes, I think Jefferson is a better player than Nelson, but I don't like the idea of taking a fourth best wide receiver that early when the draft is so deep at wide receiver. Maybe they can get a middle linebacker, O line D line. What are your thoughts? Yeah, I think you can never with them. Linebacker has to be an option. Maybe Kenneth Murray from Oklahoma.

They need more team speed of linebacker. They have a million defensive line, right? Malik Jackson's coming back. They just signed the guy from Pittsburgh. Fletcher's still there. They have Derek Barnett. Their offensive line, they drafted the kid from Washington State last year

who was taken over for Jason Peters. I don't necessarily agree with taking the fourth best wide receiver in a draft, even if it's a deep wide receiver draft. Because if it's a good wide receiver draft, think about the draft. It was Mike Evans' draft. It was like Mike Evans,

Brandon Cooks, Odell Beckham Jr., I think DeAndre Hopkins, that might have been the year before. but they were like four or five really good wide receivers in that draft and the fourth guy like it's fine like if the fourth guy is good the fourth guy's good and sometimes on your board the fourth wide receiver off the board is the second guy off your board but i would i would say historically the eagles have never taken a middle line back or that high uh defensive line offensive line they always believe in that and wide receiver they've had jeremy macklin nelson didn't was not that great deshawn was an early second round pick. I just, and you ask also, do you think there's any chance for Yonik? I don't really think that's an option.

We've got a lot of questions here. Geez, Louise. Okay, this might be the last one. We're almost at 50 minutes. Love the pod and perfectly timed F-bombs. Keeping me sane while being stuck in the firehouse. With the Niners being so close to winning at all, why not just keep Buckner and tag and trade him next year?

I know they got great value for him and would probably get less next year, but with all the injuries we had, we're eight minutes away from number six why not just let it roll short window we do have especially with the projected cap going up also what are your thoughts on the Niners bringing in Sue solid against the run well Sue some of these are old

Sue obviously re-signed with Tampa I think the thing is anytime you get a player on any one of your teams and I think Belichick had a good example of this and you get to a position you're like and Brandon Cook's probably a bad example because he traded him for a first round pick but you get a guy,

Buster was beloved, and he's a really, really good player. To me, he's like a B-plus, a-minus player. He's not an A-A-A-plus. If Killeleel Mack and Aaron Donald are A-pluses, if, like, Fletcher Cox is in A, in his peak, maybe Fletcher's not anymore.

He's not on that level. Chris Jones, probably an A-a-a-minus. He's a tick below Chris Jones. But if you go, you know, I don't feel comfortable giving this guy huge money, and someone offers you pick 13. I'm with you if the best option you could have got was like pick 28 because you're like, well, I'm not going to get a player as good as DeForest Buckner with 28.

But if I can get pick 13 in a draft that's freaking loaded and three quarterbacks are going to go in the top 10, meaning if I'm at 13, I'm going to get the 10th best non-quarterback. And if Jordan Love somehow goes in that area, I might get the ninth best non-quarterback. Also, you can always trade back off 13 to like 20 to gain like multiple second round picks. It gives you so many options. They didn't have any picks. And one thing the 49ers are going to need is some cheap labor.

Because next year they're going to have to pay Fred Warner, probably extend Richard Sherman. They just paid Eric Armstead. They got to pay George Kittle. They're going to need to buy a couple players in free agency. They already don't have that much cap space. I think it was as simple as they just sometimes what did Don Corleone say once upon, or Vito Corleone say once a time. I'm going to make him an offer.

He can't refuse. You get offered the 13th pick. like how many non-quarterbacks would you not trade for the 13th pick? Kittle, Michael Thomas, Aaron Donald, Khalil Mack, you start going around the league, non-quarterbacks, it's a short list. You know, if you told me,

trying to think of a good player and a good team, let's think of a team in the AFC championship. Who's the Titans best player? You trade Derek Henry in a heartbeat from pick 13. The Chiefs, obviously wouldn't non-quarterback. They trade Kelsey for the 13th pick

at this point in time and Kelsey's 28 years old. You can turn that now maybe just because they're in this window to try to win some Super Bowls. The Packers, would they trade Devante

for the 13th pick? Probably not. Any other player, Zadarius, gone for the 13th pick. And I love Zadarius Smith. But it just, the 13th pick is a very,

very powerful pick. And I think it would just make any team in the league for basically any one of their non-quarterbacks besides maybe 15, 20 players in the league that would make you think about it. Appreciate everyone listening. Stay safe.

Stay inside. Stay quarantined. Flatten the curve. So we can get back to life. And keep your head up. Enjoy life. Enjoy the weekend. And stay safe.

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Go to 1-800flowers.com slash tune-in. That's 1-800flowers.com slash tune-in. Last night, a blown call changed a game. This morning, the Internet lost its mind, and nobody's telling you exactly what happened. That's where SportsSlyce comes in. I'm Timbo, and every episode, we're cutting through the noise, breaking down the biggest moments in sports and giving you the real story behind the headline.

And we're going straight to the source, the athletes themselves, their locker room stories, their reactions in the moment, and the stuff nobody gets to hear. Listen to Sports Slice on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more, follow Timbo Sliced Life 12 in the TikTok podcast network on TikTok. Another podcast from some SNL late-night comedy guy, not quite. Unhumor me with Robert Smygel and Friends. Me and hilarious guests from Bob Odenkirk to David Letterman help make you funnier. This week, my guest, 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 podcast. What's up, guys? This is Clever Taylor the 4th.

And on my podcast, The Cliverts Show, I'm bringing you conversations about all kinds of stuff. Like being an internet famous referee. We're in the middle of a game. This linebacker, this linebacker walks up to me. He goes, hey, ref, my mom wants you to wave at her. What? Time out.

Quarterback on office blue 42. Hey, rep, my mama want you to wave at her. What? Where's she at? Hey, Miss Palm. Listen to the Clifford Show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. What's up, fam? It's Isaiah Thomas.

And I'm C.J. Toledano. It's our favorite time of the year on our podcast point game, the playoffs. We're digging into the biggest surprises of the season. And I'm looking back on some of my greatest playoff moments. If we didn't talk ever again, I was harmed. You just understood. That's how personal it got. Wow.

Then after that game seven, Marquis keep coming to him. He's like, you know I love you, dog. You know, it's all love. This was just playoffs. This was just basketball. So listen to Point Game on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. This is an IHeart podcast. Guaranteed human.