The Herd with Colin Cowherd - 3 and Out - Rodgers GB ‘Ghosting’, Brady Raiders Rejection, Hopkins/Watson Reunion (?)

Episode Date: June 2, 2023

John discusses Aaron Rodgers clarifying he didn’t actually ghost the Packers, why Tom Brady isn’t going to the Raiders, what ex-Warriors GM Bob Myers has in common with today’s NFL GM’s, and i...f DeAndre Hopkins could reunite with former QB Deshaun Watson in Cleveland. Follow John onTwitter, Instagram and YouTube for the latest. Check out Gametime - the fastest growing ticketing app in the US, and the official ticketing app of 3 & Out and GoLow -  for tickets to all of your favorite NFL, NBA, NHL, NCAA teams. Concert and comedy show tickets, too. Go to Gametime now to create an account, download the app and use code JOHN for $20 off your first purchase. #Herd #VolumeSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Starting point is 00:00:57 Listen to look back at it on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. The volume. What is going on, everybody, John Middlecock, 3 and Out podcast, recording this on June 1st. Do we consider June the official start of summer if we do? Happy summer. So let's buckle up. Enjoy the sun, the water, the outside, get some vitamin D. So let's rock and roll.
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Starting point is 00:02:33 Just because it's summer doesn't mean We're not a teacher here We're not taking the summer off So rocking and rolling Hopefully everyone's doing well And yeah We got a couple more weeks of OTAs Some stories popping off around the league
Starting point is 00:02:46 We will dive into it all Aaron Rogers Tom Brady adamant I'm not coming back I'm done I think Tom's official word was I'm over it Which we'll talk about
Starting point is 00:02:59 And yeah So we'll dive into all that coming up today on the show And other than that Let's dive in but first, can I tell you about the official ticketing app of this podcast? Game Time. Here's what I need to do. I need to grab your smartphone, grab your smartphone, go to your app store. Download GameTime. It's the number one fastest growing ticket app, ticketing app in America right now. I've used them, you should too. And when you do, you can go to games, baseball games. You want to go to a football game this fall, college or pro concerts.
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Starting point is 00:04:11 So should you because they're awesome. Let's start with Aaron Rogers. And listen, this is a sometimes I think in this business, people play the hits, right? The Dallas Cowboys, Aaron Rogers, Tom Brady, the New York Yankees, right? LeBron James. And then there are just times when it's just a continuation of a story, right? Brady and Belichick, the moment they got. a divorce. Like, I'm sorry, that story amplified. And to me, and I think to a lot of people,
Starting point is 00:04:40 that story was fascinating, right? Belichick, what was he going to do, a quarterback? The Cam Newton debacle, they missed the playoffs. Tom Brady won the Super Bowl, the way it all played out that he drafted Mack Jones. Then Tom Brady was, you know, miserable with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. We thought Bruce Ariens, if he forced him to quit, like there were so many variables of that story, it just made it pretty interesting. And I think with the Aaron Rogers story, and there was a long article, and I read it on the athletic, a subscription-based service, if you haven't checked it out, they do good work. And a long article about kind of the breakup of Aaron Rogers. And I think anyone listening to this, I don't know if it happens for older people, but definitely, you know,
Starting point is 00:05:18 my generation when you're in your 20s, I would imagine a lot of people now in their 20s. When you are texting with someone, whether it be a current girlfriend or someone you're chasing, and they don't text you back, like, that's a pretty good sign. Like, it's a very good sign. Like, it's over. Move on. Go do something else. And in this day and age, with how often our phones are with us, listen, we can go to places where there's bad service. If someone does not contact you back after you have reached out, especially after a couple day period, like, just move on with your life. Or it's, you know, a sign to yourself that like, hey, that person is no longer interested. And I think this works not just in personal relationships, but professionally. Like, if you're trying to get a job
Starting point is 00:06:02 And listen, I'm all for being very, very persistent, being very, very aggressive, doing whatever it takes, email, texting, phone calls, guerrilla marketing of yourself to get whatever you want, whether it's a deal, whoever. Like, eventually if you don't hear back, like, there comes a point in time where it's probably not worth your time. And a big part of this Aaron Roger story was this texting back and forth between Gudecans and Rogers. And Rogers big thing was like, I don't have great service in my Malibu home over the water, over the Pacific Ocean. Aaron, I think is living pretty good. Not great service, I guess, in Malibu, California. But listen, we've all been places where the service isn't great, somewhat understandable for a moment in time.
Starting point is 00:06:51 But eventually you leave. Like, eventually the text messages and the emails come through. You got the internet. Do you connect to Wi-Fi? you know, so if the guy calls you or shoot you a text, it comes through if you're connected to the Wi-Fi. So to me, it's a little bullshit. But I also think it represents like, there's nothing wrong with both sides, cool with moving on. It doesn't mean one side is more right than the other or one side is eventually going to be validated more than the other.
Starting point is 00:07:18 Like, let's face it, Tom Brady won the argument, right? Went to Tampa, took a joke franchise, Super Bowl, playoffs, playoffs. Now, we could debate this year's playoffs. Pretty questionable. But overall, his success, relative to Belichick's success without him, even though I actually think Belichick with Mack Jones, who I'm not that high on, has been pretty impressive through two years since he got him and pivoted off cam.
Starting point is 00:07:40 But still, like, Tom won the argument. Not that, like, to me, Belichick is some scrub coach. I still think, I still believe the 20 years that I watch him out schematic his opponent with moves, with plays, with decisions is easily one of, if not the best coach I've ever seen any sport. But like Tom Brady won the Super Bowl and took Tampa back to the playoffs, hosting the Rams in the second round the following year. You know, Belichick's getting curb stomped against the Buffalo Bills.
Starting point is 00:08:15 And how this plays out, I don't know. I am pretty bullish on the New York Jets. I think they're going to be pretty damn good. But they got some question marks. Nate Hackett, Robert Salas, a head coach, just the organization in general. I haven't been to the playoffs. Longest time for any professional team. The Packers.
Starting point is 00:08:30 Like, in theory, they might not be that bad. A ton of high picks over the years. A lot of speed on offense. A consistent running game. Some young skill guys that showed out as the season went on last year. But their quarterback, like, I'm sorry. Like, I've seen LaFleur with a really good quarterback. They can win games.
Starting point is 00:08:47 Give me Jordan Love. Not even they can feel very confident. the contract they gave them. But this story about the breakup, like, it was just time. I feel like I've been hammering this home for a long period of time, but articles keep coming out that try to justify one side or the other side, like Goudicans and the floor and the Packers in general were over Aaron Rogers. Aaron Rogers was kind of over them. Sometimes once you've been, you know, in a relationship professionally for that long, like it's okay to go your separate ways. Now, it's going to be fascinating. It's going to be a massive, massive, massive.
Starting point is 00:09:22 massive topic. Like the Dallas Cowboys, the LA Lakers, you know, the New York Yankees, I will defend anyone that says like, why are you talking about them when they suck or when they're not some, you know, Super Bowl, World Series NBA Finals contenders when they're an under 500 team. That is fair. And the reason anyone does it in this business is because it's a quantity game and they got more fans than any other team. And when you talk about the Yankees or the Cowboys, it works. When you talk about certain other teams in any sport, just because they're good, it's not guaranteed. I'm recording this before the Denver Nuggets play the Miami Heat in the NBA finals. I got news for you, not many people are going to watch this NBA finals relative to some
Starting point is 00:10:07 previous NBA finals. It doesn't mean there aren't great players, great coaches, and it could be very, very entertaining. But it's just a numbers game. And I think when you factor in Aaron Rogers, who's one of the most polarizing players, the Green Bay Packers, who were easily one of the biggest brands in American sports. And the New York Jets, while they've sucked forever,
Starting point is 00:10:24 they are in New York, they have a large fan base. I am fascinated by this story. I'm on record. I think the Jets are going to be good. I'm not, I don't know if I'm going to pick them. We've still got a ways to go,
Starting point is 00:10:35 whether I'm going to pick them to win the division, but I'm definitely picking them to make the playoffs. And I am intrigued by the Packers. Do I think they're going to be good? I don't. Just because history would tell me
Starting point is 00:10:45 to bet against Jordan Love. And I'm not going to practice. I don't know anyone on the staff who's banging the table to me that like this guy's going to be the next star. And like I said, just the number, the chances that you get three straight, really just two straight Hall of Fame quarterbacks and then just a good one. Like when I was a kid, I didn't really grow up on Joe Montana like I was born in 1984.
Starting point is 00:11:07 But when I really came into my own as a sports fan, Steve Young was the quarterback. And Steve Young won multiple MVP's. The 49ers were awesome, won a Super Bowl. And then when he got K-Oed, you know, his career ended with a concussion, they transitioned to Jeff Garcia, who obviously isn't a Hall of Fame player, but was making Pro Bowls was really good. Like, they kept making the playoffs because of them. The chances that Jordan Love is Jeff Garcia, history would say,
Starting point is 00:11:35 slim the none. Like, that's not going to happen. But I'm fascinated to watch it. And listen, I know some Packer fans that are excited for this whole, I don't want to call it an experiment, but it kind of is. They've made this decision before, and they got Aaron Rogers. We'll see what happens with Jordan Love. But this is a story that just is going to just keep giving.
Starting point is 00:11:56 And I'm cool with it. I am pretty fascinating. Now, if the Packers and the Jets both suck, I'm not just going to talk about it and talk about it. Another story that just is not going to die, at least until this guy kind of attempted to make it die today. We talked about Jimmy Garoppolo earlier in this week, that how insane. sane it was for the Las Vegas Raiders, a team pretty desperate, a team that moved on for a stalwart at quarterback. While he was an inconsistent player, he was very, very durable and you knew what you were going to get. Now, he didn't mess with the head coach. So they trade Derek Carr,
Starting point is 00:12:32 or they cut Derrick Carr, and then he goes, I guess they couldn't trade him. So they cut him. He's with the Saints now. For them to hits their wagon to Jimmy Garoppolo, who literally can't pass a physical for the second year in a row during this period of time, to me is insane. And Josh McDaniel said today that he's comfortable and he's confident that Jimmy's going to be healthy. No one can say that. Not Jimmy's mom, not Jimmy's dad, not Jimmy Garoppolo, not Don Yee, Jimmy's agent. Because Jimmy's always injured. And the likelihood that Jimmy is going to stay healthy is very, very slim.
Starting point is 00:13:06 History would show us that. But Tom Brady, who I think a lot of people, probably I'm guilty of this as well, I've said like, keep an eye on this until Tom Brady, we go a season. without Tom playing, he's not working for Fox this year. He's taking the year off. Now, I wouldn't say I listen or read gossip stuff, but there's enough buzz. I keep an eye on the internet, the internet streets, the interweb. And there's some buzz, like obviously they're splitting custody between the kids and base in
Starting point is 00:13:33 Florida. You know, is Tom going to move to Vegas just because he is a part-time owner? If I had to take an educated guest, the league is cool. they want a guy like him to be involved. And based on the money, it's not like Tom just bought 25% of the Las Vegas Raiders, right? He might have just bought $50 million, which gets you, who knows, a percentage point, two percentage points. And when you're a minority owner in pro sports, but I know this specifically in the NFL, you have a zero juice. You have no pull on players.
Starting point is 00:14:08 You have no pull on whether the coach taser goes. Now, this is a unique situation. I think this looks good for Mark Davis. Obviously, Tom Brady is very, very close with Josh McDaniels. But he was adamant today. I'm not coming back. I'm over it. We talked about Aaron Rogers and Brian Gutikins.
Starting point is 00:14:28 The organization and the player were kind of over each other. It was time. Sometimes you just get overdoing something. Even if you love football, as much as Tom Brady love football. And I don't think you can love it anymore. but at his age, not wanting to get hit. Like, I think it made sense. I said it all season long.
Starting point is 00:14:48 Combrides' arms still look good. He never could, was that mobile. It's not like he ran around, so his athleticism didn't really diminish. It was that he didn't want to get hit in the pocket. And I don't blame him. He'd been hit in the pocket for multiple decades. He's super rich, super accomplished. Like, what was he doing it for?
Starting point is 00:15:07 as Ricky Waters once famously said, for who, for what? And that's to me how Tom played a little bit. And to think that Tom Brady would come back to the Raiders just because Josh McDaniels was there, their offensive line is atrocious. Their defense isn't very good. Their team, just in general, beside a couple players, Devante Adams, Max Crosby, is not very talented. Tom Brady's not coming back just to come back.
Starting point is 00:15:35 And think of some of his peers, right? Peyton Manning, who was really his peer. Now, Peyton Manning, when it ended for him, and I went to a game that last season when he played the Raiders. And it was right in the middle of like, is, is, is this over? Like, what is going on with Peyton Manning's arm? It can't be that bad. Remember?
Starting point is 00:15:56 The announcers used to be like, oh, he's just saving it. He's good. Just takes him a little longer to get warmed up. For now he couldn't throw. His arm did not work. right did not work he could barely throw it 20 yards i remember going to the game against the raiders and the big story was that charles woodson had never intercepted peyton manning and charles was on his last leg his shoulder was like you know i had a harness keeping it together
Starting point is 00:16:23 Peyton was clearly on his last leg in that game if my memory serves me correct charles watson intercepted him twice now the broncos still won the game i think derrick threw a pick six to chris Harris. But it was like, God, Peyton is, he's fucked. It is over. And so Peyton didn't have a choice. Like, would Peyton have walked away? He would have been like Tom. He would have stayed into his early 40s if he could have. The league left him, which happens to 99.9% of good players, let alone any player, right? Most people are not John Elway that say, see ya, I'm walking out on top. Most people, hell, are like, Peyton Manning. Tiger Woods, holding on for dear life, even as the body does not cooperate.
Starting point is 00:17:09 Could Tom Brady have come back? 100%. Tom Brady could be a starting quarterback in the NFL. He's no longer a top three or four starting quarterback, but he easily could be better than half the league. And if he truly wanted to get hit, he could easily be a top 10 quarterback. But the moment you don't want to get hit, it's why some players, like Derek Carr, Derek Carr is very, very talented.
Starting point is 00:17:30 If Derek Carr was willing to stand in there, like some of the top guys in the league, Mahomes, I would put Josh Allen, you know, Aaron Rogers for a large percentage of his prime, he would be a top 10 quarterback. But he's not really willing to stand in there. And I'm not acting like some tough guy like I'd be willing to stand in there. We're just talking about the best quarterbacks in the league and consistently in the league. You have to be willing to stay in the pocket and deliver strikes. if you're not some mobile guy like Lamar Jackson, right? Or even Trevor Lawrence, a lot of these quarterbacks are very, very mobile. Tom's never been.
Starting point is 00:18:05 So the moment he won't stand in there to the last second and deliver the ball, his skill level and his ability to produce at the highest level is just going to be diminished. And I think he recognizes that. Like, it's not worth it for me anymore, regardless separate from my family situation. And it'd be one thing if the Raiders were like, got this team with Tom Brady, they win 13, 14 games easily. But he knows.
Starting point is 00:18:29 He's not that dumb. And I keep getting back to all the chips in the middle of the table of Josh McDaniel's head coaching career is on Jimmy Garaplo. And that is proven. And I've had a front row seat. I've gone to so many of these 49er training camp practices. I know a lot of people with the organization. It is just a very, very risky proposition to bet on that individual who just struggles to stay on the field. Before we dive into what's next, do you know that Angie's list is now Angie,
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Starting point is 00:20:30 A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what I'm saying. Yep, that's me, Clifford Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, the reactions, my journey from basketball to college football, or my career in sports media. Well, somewhere along the way, this platform became bigger than I ever imagined. And now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfiltered conversations with some of your favorite athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated.
Starting point is 00:21:00 One week, I'll take you behind the scenes of the biggest moments in sports and entertainment, and the next we'll talk about life, mental health, purpose, and even music. The Clifford Show isn't just a podcast. It's a space for honest conversations, stories that don't always get told, and for people who are chasing something bigger. So, if you've ever supported me or you're just chasing down a dream, this is right where you need. to be. Listen to the Clifford show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. One thing that happened this week, this wasn't a football story, but it was just a sports story, is Bob Myers, the Golden State Warriors general manager, who has been one of the lead recruiters
Starting point is 00:21:48 in getting Kevin Durant, is best friends with Draymond Green and Steph Curry, and has proven to be one of the best GMs, not just in the NBA, but in all of sports, basically said, I'm out. I don't want to do this anymore. And I don't necessarily want to talk about the reasoning behind that, but I do think that Bob represents, and the NBA and the NFL are different in terms of, you know, the way that even non-superstar players, you just kind of have to kiss the ass of the players. But a lot of NBA GMs are very, very close with their players. And forever, and even when I got in the NFL, you know, 12 years ago, growing up through football, there was like a clear line of delineation between management and players.
Starting point is 00:22:38 Because in football, more than especially basketball and baseball, with the contracts not being guaranteed, you could get rid of a guy at any moment. The moment he stopped producing, the moment you just upgraded in the draft, you would cut a guy, you would trade a guy. You had to be pretty ruthless, right? It was like a lot of other industries in America. You just, why a lot of the best businessmen, I think, are considered like, yeah, he's kind of an asshole, kind of a dick, you know, not the greatest guy. Well, it's he not the greatest guy? Or is he just really good at business. And sometimes business is going to piss people off. And to be a great businessman in football, historically, it's kind of
Starting point is 00:23:15 been Bill Parcells. Bill Walsh is most famously known for, besides the Super Bowls, not getting rid of a player one year too early than instead of a year too late. He got rid of them all. He traded Joe Montana. So this notion that GMs and front office people could be friends with players was just kind of frowned upon and not something that successful people do. Why I think Bob Myers retiring, and he represents the NBA people, but like Bob Myers is very good buddies with John Lynch. And I actually think the new age NFL GM is a little closer than NBA. than we ever talk about. Think about the best GMs in the league.
Starting point is 00:23:55 Pretty close with their players. They're star players. Pretty close with that group. They are very agent-friendly. I remember being a kid, you would see some of the great rants by their coach or GM would be like talking shit about agents.
Starting point is 00:24:12 Hell, I remember what year would this event? I mean, I would have been like a sophomore in college when the moment happened with Terrell Owens, Drew Rosenhouse, and the Philadelphia Eagles. Look at Andy Reid. I would say he is one of the most universally approved head coaches
Starting point is 00:24:27 when it comes to people that played for him in league history. And they had a pretty knockdown dragout with T.O. and Drew Rosenhaus. And I think those days are kind of done. Like when you listen to Patrick Mahomes or Travis Kelsey or anyone with the chiefs talk about, you know, management, they love Brett Veach. Think of how the players on the Eagles talk about Howie Roseman. I've seen it firsthand with John Lynch. John Lynch has this kind of weird hybrid role
Starting point is 00:24:56 because he was a really famous Hall of Fame level player. And honestly, his role, the most important thing he has to do is like calm down Kyle. There was an instance, I guess the other day at 49er practice, where Dwayne Allen,
Starting point is 00:25:12 former tight end in the NFL now works for the NFLPA. And he was at practice just like a lot of NFL union representatives go to football practices throughout the offseason to just like take notes and make sure that you're not, you know, doing things you're not supposed to do, press coverage, tackle, physicality levels. And I don't know the exact story. I mean, there are some different versions out there. One version I heard is he made a comment. One thing he was 100% like in the huddle very close to the players. Some people say that he made a comment like, That's a violation. I can't confirm nor deny that. The one thing I can't confirm,
Starting point is 00:25:55 Kyle Shanahan basically stopped practice and went nuts on Dwayne Allen in the middle of practice. And I'm on team Shanahan on this one. If you're a union representative, one, the guy running the practice, you have to let know that you're there. Kyle did not know who he was. So he just thought this random guy was at practice. And then he was like in the huddle with guys or close to the huddle. That's never going to fly. but my point with this is ultimately the guy that mediated that was John Lynch as a practice went on and went talk to him calm the whole situation down and that's one of John's main roles and one thing these modern day GMs have to do is like you are paying random players 10 15 million dollars
Starting point is 00:26:37 you're playing your star D-Linman O lineman wide receivers 20 to 25 to upward to 30 million dollars and obviously if you have a star quarterback you're easily spending over $40 million a year. So it behooves you when your team and the team that you're in charge of is invested so heavily into these guys, I wouldn't say to be their friend,
Starting point is 00:27:02 but have a legit working relationship. Think how many people you work with that you wouldn't call your best friend or someone you hang out with all the time, but like if you go to a happy hour, that if you're on a work trip, you can easily hang out. And you have
Starting point is 00:27:18 more than a cordial relationship. Like, you consider the person your friend. You don't maybe go out of your way to hang out with the guy. But you definitely, when you spend time with them, you like them and you talk to them a lot. And it's just a relationship that, you know, even relative to some of your friends outside of work, sometimes the people you work with, you end up spending more time with. So I think this modern day GM of Howie, I think John Snyder is now playing this role in Seattle. I've seen it with John Lynch playing the role for sure.
Starting point is 00:27:52 You know, Jason Light did it once he got Tom Brady is kind of straddling the line, straddling the fence of, you know, you kind of got to get close to these people, you know, especially generations change. You know, people like when they feel liked, you know, back in the day, it was cutthroat, you just kind of dealt with that. Those things are probably over. You know, wouldn't it behoove you if you're going to pay some D-Linmen or your quarterback or whoever, 100 plus million dollars guaranteed.
Starting point is 00:28:22 Like, be all in with the guy to really like the guy and to work on having a strong relationship with the human separate from the player. And I think that's just a fact. Like the days of Bill Parcells, Bill Walsh, even Bill Belichick, even though I think a lot of players over the years has defended Belichick, he's much easier to deal with in person than he is the way the media seems. but in terms of the way he deals with you on his team, like he never went to dinner with Tom Brady.
Starting point is 00:28:53 Like that just wasn't their relationship. Those days are kind of over. And I think we're only going to see that, you know, come to fruition around the league moving much more forward. And if I was an owner, like, that's kind of what I want on in my gym. I want a guy that these agents are the gatekeeper to the most important people in the league, the players. So getting in with the agents is very, very important.
Starting point is 00:29:15 When I was a kid, like GMs, agents. Now they're not even, they're more than a necessary evil. Like they're part of the business. And if you can't deal with them, if you can't be friends with them, if you can't have very, very good relationships with them, it's probably not going to work. One story that won't die, it's going to be interesting how this plays out. Albert Breer reported that DeAndre Hopkins, his market is tepid at best. And I think a huge reason. If DeAndre Hopkins was cool with playing for $5 million, there'd be 15 teams lined up to pay them or, you know, attempt to sign them, make him a starter, get them on their offense with their offensive coordinator and their quarterback immediately.
Starting point is 00:29:55 But he wants a lot of money. And I think sometimes, you know, with a guy like this, and we talked about it earlier in the week, he saw Odell Beckham get 15. He knows he's better than Oddo Beckham. And he's not wrong. But just because someone else signs a terrible deal, Deshawn Watson doesn't mean that quarterbacks that are more deserving, better players, better people are going to get that contract.
Starting point is 00:30:19 And that's kind of, you know, played out, right? Jalen Hertz, Lamar Jackson, I would rather have both those guys than Deshaun Watson. Yet neither of them sniffed the $230 million guaranteed. And DeAndre Hopkins still available. And I saw that Deshaun Watson talked about, you know, he still talks to DeAndre all the time. I think he's pounding the table trying to get him in. It did make me think that there are a lot of pressure teams. I mean, it's the NFL. So the overwhelming majority of the league coaches, star quarterbacks, highly paid players are under a lot of pressure to perform. But last year,
Starting point is 00:30:58 Deshaun Watson really got a pass, right? They were only paying him a million dollars. He was suspended the majority of the season. No one thought they were going to be that good with him missing the whole time. They turned out not to be. And when he got back, he was really shitty. And people like, well, he hadn't played in forever. I think there's a ton of pressure on everyone involved. Now, if they suck, you can't fire Deshaun Watson, right? His contract basically puts him on scholarship. But Stefansky's clearly in a make or break season.
Starting point is 00:31:25 And if he's really bad, here's the thing. If he's really bad, how could they get a coach? Like the one thing Denver had going for him, when their owner was willing to pay a coach $18 million. And maybe Jimmy Haslam would too. But ultimately, Russell had nine plus years. years of being like a Hall of Fame elite player, and especially the last five or six years. So you go, listen, even if he is washed, if I can get a couple years close to what he once was,
Starting point is 00:31:52 we're big time, right? Deshaun had like a season and a half. You know, and the one season that was clearly his breakout season, the team was god-awful, what they won four games. So I think there are a lot more question marks than answers with Deshaun Watson in general. I think the Browns, you know, historically bad teams and poor organizations don't overcome adversity and question marks easily. Right, like ultimately the Steelers, like there's some question marks. By the end of the season, like, yeah, they're pretty good. You wouldn't want to play them in the playoffs.
Starting point is 00:32:26 Right? Even Belichick is like, yeah, Mac Jones, Bill O'Brien, how's going to work out? Like, yeah, they're probably not going to be great, but don't win nine games, right? The Browns, you convince me they win six. you can convince me if Deshawn Watson's a pro bowl level player, they win 11. But I got no clue. I wouldn't put my cold, you know, my cash on it. I have no faith, especially in them being good.
Starting point is 00:32:47 I would bet on them being bad just because that's what history says. And I just think any time you put a microscope on a team that doesn't really know how to win, a lot of players that don't necessarily know how to win, things go bad quick. That's why I say about the lions. Like, I'm bullish on the lions. I think the lions are going to be pretty good. But even Lion fans would have to admit, like, it's going to be a little different, everyone looking at us like,
Starting point is 00:33:10 oh, yeah, they're going to win 10 games this year. Right? They're a lot to make the playoffs. That's usually not how that franchise carries itself. A coach who's never proven to be a playoff coach, a lot of players that have obviously never played in the playoffs. So it's just, it's going to be fascinating to me to watch just this Cleveland Brown, Deshaun Watson contract situation kind of play it out.
Starting point is 00:33:31 And last but not least, the college football year. We're just a year away from a lot of the movement of USC, UCLA, Oklahoma, Texas, I think goes to the SEC in 2024. I think a lot of people on the West Coast, I know a lot of Oregon fans kind of wonder, like, is the Pac-12 going to survive?
Starting point is 00:33:52 Or Oregon, Washington, eventually going to get an invite to the dance. The ACC recently came out with they're going to give tiered revenue, which is the right move, right? Clemson, Clemson football, North Carolina basketball, Florida State football, they're carrying the conference.
Starting point is 00:34:13 Why do they have to split with Boston College? Right? We're not all equals in the conference. And this college football season, I think, is going to be awesome. I can't wait to watch these quarterbacks. I think sometimes we get quarterbacks that are overhyped. Caleb Williams is not overhyped.
Starting point is 00:34:31 and from what I've been told, Drake May's not overhyped either. Now, part of being a great player is doing it over and over and over again. So the moment you dip, people start questioning you, even if you still play well, the way that we question top players,
Starting point is 00:34:46 part of the deal. I mean, look at what we did to the guys in the draft this year. You rip them all apart. Hell, we were ripping Trevor Lawrence a couple years apart. Part of the deal, man. But I am very, very excited to watch, you know, LSU of Brian Kelly, Lincoln Riley has got a bunch of SEC guys in the transfer portal.
Starting point is 00:35:06 My favorite guy, Steve Sarkesian, you know, Arch Manning, who's technically not even the starting quarterback, but kind of pressure on that program. Oklahoma, I mean, is their coach going to be basically a Venables, a two and done guy? I mean, that's a program that anything less than nine wins is a disaster. And honestly, nine and three doesn't feel that great at Oklahoma. It's usually double-digit wins every season to just, you know, Harbaugh, Ohio State. I'm really, really excited for college football. And this is truly one of the last years, college football has been changing in college athletics in general. But it's one of the last years that we get some purities the wrong way to say it, but just some old school matchups.
Starting point is 00:35:50 Like USC is not going to play Oregon, unless Oregon goes to the Big Ten, like consistently anymore. Like they're going to play Iowa. and they're going to play Wisconsin. Like Oklahoma playing K-State or Iowa State, like those days are about to end, which I'm going to miss. I'm not, I wouldn't say I'm like super old school
Starting point is 00:36:10 where I'm like, this could never change. But I'm also not exactly coward where I'm pounding the table, glad this is happening. You know, born and raised in California, like I like watching USC and UCLA
Starting point is 00:36:21 in basketball and football play the West Coast schools. But I'm also not ignorant, naive, or don't have the business understanding of why this is happening. So I'm just really going to try to soak in this fall and enjoy some of these matchups that I grew up on that are just going to die and they're going to die very, very soon. The volume. Another podcast from some SNL late-night comedy guy,
Starting point is 00:37:11 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.
Starting point is 00:37:26 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. A win is a win. A win is a win.
Starting point is 00:37:40 I don't care which I'll say. Yep, that's me. Clifford Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, my basketball and college football journey, or my career in sports media. Well, now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show.
Starting point is 00:37:55 This is a place for raw, unfilled of conversations with athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. So let's get to it. Listen to The Clifford Show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok podcast network on TikTok. This is an IHeart podcast, guaranteed human.

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