The Herd with Colin Cowherd - 3 and Out - SF/K.C. Lack of Ego; Chiefs GM Brett Veach Talks Niners, Reid Relationship; Picking Mahomes; 24-0 Texans Comeback

Episode Date: January 31, 2020

In this episode, Middlekauff is in Miami and sits down with Kansas City Chiefs GM Brett Veach. They discuss his relationship with Andy Reid, GM pressure, his thoughts after falling behind 24-0 to the ...Texans, the impact of the Honey Badger on the defense, when he was sold on Mahomes, what he sees with San Francisco, and why he's impressed by Jimmy Garoppolo. 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.

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Starting point is 00:00:00 This is an IHeart 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, and every episode, we're cutting through the noise,
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Starting point is 00:00:39 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 acapella band with their between songs banter. Where does your group perform? We do some retirement homes. Those people are starving for banter.
Starting point is 00:01:03 Listen to humor me with Robert Smigel and Friends on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, what's good, y'all? You're listening to Learn the Hard Way with your favorite therapist and host Kear Games. This space is about black men's experiences, having honest conversations that it's really not safe to have anywhere, but you're having them with a licensed professional who knows what he's doing. How many men carry a suit or armor? It signals to the world that you not to be played. with and just because you have the capability that does not mean that you need to listen to learn the hard way on the iha radio app apple podcast or wherever you get your podcast what's up guys
Starting point is 00:01:41 this is clivert taylor the fourth and on my podcast the clivert 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 a ref my mom wants you to wave at her what Time out. Quarterback on office blue with 42. Hey, Rhett, my mama want you to weigh better. What? Hey, Miss Parker.
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Starting point is 00:03:09 I'm in my mid-30s. 35, feel like I'm going on 60. You know, I can't quite run the streets like I used to, but I've mentally battled through and got a big show today. Went to the Chief's Hotel this morning, talked to my man, Brett Veach, Chief's general manager. Once famously said Patrick Mahomes was the best player he'd ever scouted. Looks like a genius. We talk about that. And just spent some time around the Chiefs and hung out the team hotel for a couple hours.
Starting point is 00:03:36 It's good to see some friends. and they got a good thing going. They got a really, really good thing going. And we'll dive into that off the top, and then the interview is about 30 minutes. Vichua was awesome. I apologize if on the Greg Papa interview, I was probably jumping them.
Starting point is 00:03:54 Sometimes when you interview someone you're really close to and you talk to a lot, you just have a conversation, but when you're interviewing, you know, I'm not exactly Howard Stern of an interview. I can get a lot better, and I might have cut them off and interrupted them. It's my fault. But we'll get into the interview, and then, of course, Middlecoff mailback at John Middlecoff.
Starting point is 00:04:12 Follow me on Instagram. I'm going to go back to Radio Row. I've been given some insight views of Colin's studio, of Radio Row, of just Miami in general, and try to give you a good feel for what's going on around here. But my main takeaway is we head to this game. One reason I think these teams are here, and this is going to sound corny, and this is going to sound like non-football stuff, but these two teams have something in common that I really felt today being around the Chiefs
Starting point is 00:04:43 because I know the Niners really well. Not that I know the Chiefs guys personally probably better than the Niners, but I'm just not around them in that setting that often. And their lack of ego in both franchises right now is stunning. And someone, you know, my dad was a farmer growing up. I didn't grow up knowing famous people. You know, someone asked me today like, how do you know Colin Coward? Man, that's cool.
Starting point is 00:05:06 I'm like, yeah, it is freaking cool. It's really, I met him through Twitter and he's, he's become a friend and has me do this podcast for him. It doesn't get lost on me. But one thing I've seen, I've been around him earlier this year in L.A. And then was around him yesterday, yeah, Wednesday, is how low ego Colin is and how well he treats Goulet and Tui and just the other guys around him, the producers of the show. and that's listen I can't speak from experience that I know a lot of famous people like Colin how they treat
Starting point is 00:05:41 people but you hear the stories it's not all sunshines and rainbows people can have huge egos and be dicks and the one thing that just it's Colin couldn't be any cooler and couldn't be any more normal for a guy that's really freaking famous and my only experience working around a famous guy and I spent more time around
Starting point is 00:05:59 Coach Reed than I necessarily do on Colin even though we interact on social media and text or whatever is Andy was a very low ego guy. And now seeing the 49ers, John Lynch is a very low ego guy. And they just treat people well. And you're around these organizations.
Starting point is 00:06:14 They're in the Super Bowl. And it was very, very low-key. It was really, really impressive. In a league full of high ego, kind of bad guys, you know, this is a league full of backstabbing, you know, sneaky scumbags all around the league. Now, luckily, I am, for the most,
Starting point is 00:06:34 part, everyone I worked around, pretty high character, and their resumes are on full display, and they're pretty nice guys, you know, pretty normal. But I've heard horror stories about the way people treat people. Obviously, in the NFL, I mean, you read it all around, you know, in different industries that are, that are public, and these organizations are just kind of doing it the right way. They're not consumed by social media or Twitter or what people are saying about me, or do we need more influx to analytics, or do we need this, or who tweeted that? And it's just pretty low-key. They're just pretty confident in each other. And, you know, the 49ers are a little new to this. Obviously, the Chiefs have been really good for a while. But Kyle, the way he's acted the last couple
Starting point is 00:07:15 years, even as they've been getting their ass kicked, and two years ago they drafted ninth, last year they drafted second, handled himself like a pro, was just nice to people. It was good to his players, operated like an adult, and it's pretty impressive. And this may sound kind of stupid, but I'm a big believer the older I get and I need to be more cognizant of myself of just being kind to people who can't really help you. Now, it's probably a little different in the NFL when you're nice to a media guy. Technically, they can't help you or not help you by writing stuff or saying stuff. But a lot of coaches don't even care. They're just kind of assholes, right? They legitimately are. And Coach Reed definitely is nice, probably a nice
Starting point is 00:07:55 guy in the league. And Kyle, for all the, what we all thought he was going to be, you know, He could be prickly, and I'm sure he could in his younger days. He's getting kind of glowing reviews. And the 49er just the way they operate. It's really, really impressive. And I do think it starts with the character of the locker room that you put in. Because I think I saw a quote, I might have been misquoting him a little bit, but Kyle was like, you know what culture really is is assembling a lot of good people.
Starting point is 00:08:23 I saw with Kansas City today, just the honey badger walking around. You hear what Veach will say about him. The way Mahomes just walks around like it's just normal being a superstar. Their players are just pretty humble. I've seen the Niners. I interact with several of them through Twitter and DMs and talk with them a lot. They're pretty normal guys for being really famous. And I think as we see this league, as I'm recording this right now,
Starting point is 00:08:50 Baker Mayfield is coming to Super Bowl Week. I don't know what he's going to say tomorrow. By the time you're listening, I'm sure stuff will have gone viral. why in the hell is Baker Mayfield coming to Super Bowl Week? He has been, he's at the lowest point of his career. Everyone's ripping him. Just, you do not, and a lot of these players, when you see him on NFL network or whatever, you know, they're making like anywhere between $25,000 and $75,000 current players
Starting point is 00:09:16 with advertising deals and marketing deals. Baker does not need the money. He's a multimillionaire. His contract alone is huge. But to me, it's just have a little self-awareness. You don't need to be here. Do you just love the limelight that much? Like you wonder why the Brown's culture is so bad.
Starting point is 00:09:33 We blame Haslam. We blame all these people. How about, what about Baker? Now, was Baker a product of that a little bit? Probably sure. But he can control some of this stuff. I see Patrick Mahomes just, hey, how you doing? Just acting pretty nice and normal to everyone around him.
Starting point is 00:09:47 Teammates, media, the random camera guy, his own employees or the employees of the team. And I'm not talking like Brett Veach or Andy. I'm just talking the low-level equipment guy. obviously the 49er. Jimmy Garoppolo, you talk to everyone in that organization. Say what you want about is ups and down sometimes as a player. And let's be honest, a lot more ups than downs. I know Twitter thinks he sucks? You know who doesn't think he sucks?
Starting point is 00:10:10 Andy Reid. Brett Veach. Everyone I texts in the league thinks he's good. No one's saying he's like a top two quarterback, but he sure ain't the scrub like social media makes you think. But you know what he does? He acts pretty normal for a guy that's pretty famous. And now leading a team to the Super Bowl. He ain't acting like Baker.
Starting point is 00:10:26 So the culture, the way you conduct yourself, the way these teams, kind of the ethos of them. And with the Chiefs, it clearly starts with Coach Reed and bleeds its way down. With the Niners, it's a combination of it all. I think John Lynch plays a huge role as Kyle Shannon. They call him Captain in America. I've interviewed him once for my other podcast on Haberman and Middilkoff, and he couldn't have been any cooler. He acted like he'd known us for 20 years.
Starting point is 00:10:49 It's like the dude's a borderline Hall of Famer. By the time this weekend's over, he might be in. you know, he's famous, he's rich, he acted like he just knew me, like we were neighbors. And there's something to that. For as cheesy as maybe you might thought this little segment is, it matters.
Starting point is 00:11:05 And I'm having a front row seat with the Niners this year, knowing everyone with the Chiefs, I don't think it's ever mattered more because the social media, the way people like me talk about football, there's never been more of me's out there, shows, debate shows, websites, just because of the way the landscape of everything has changed,
Starting point is 00:11:28 you have to have mature pretty good head on your shoulder guys, coaches, executives, players. Now, your team's not going to be perfect. You might have a couple of knuckleheads, but your knuckleheads better be under-control knuckleheads, not criminals or just egotistical nut jobs or you're screwed. In both these two teams, I don't see it anywhere on either of them. and no wonder these two teams are in the Super Bowl. It shouldn't be shocking.
Starting point is 00:11:55 Now, yeah, they got a lot of talent, but they also got just a lot of high-level, impressive guys. From the players to the head coaches, to the GMs, to just the way all these people on the teams involved with the squads conduct themselves. And when your team stinks,
Starting point is 00:12:12 I'm sure many of you listening, I know you're fans of a lot of bad teams, and we know there's some good ones too. And just because you act well doesn't mean you're going to win. but you got to get the right type people in your organization. Say what you want about Belichick, and he can be prickly. They have...
Starting point is 00:12:29 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,
Starting point is 00:12:44 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.
Starting point is 00:13:11 Listen to Sports Slice on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more, follow Timbo SlicLife 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 of the thing, we get so wrapped up in the chase that we don't
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Starting point is 00:14:16 Open your free, our heart radio 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.
Starting point is 00:14:32 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. A rep, my mama want you to wave at her. What? Hey, miss.
Starting point is 00:14:52 Parker. Listen to the Clippers show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, 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. For higher consciousness, emotional well-being, and the practices that help you find clarity, peace, and self-mastery in a world that can feel overwhelming.
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Starting point is 00:16:07 even though i know he got arrested for jumping on a car but just the offensive lineman they'd had maybe julian edwin's a bad example but gronk really high level guy matt slater the mccordy you write high tower they just will fork for a long period of time it's That stuff really matters in the NFL if you want to win big, especially if you want to sustain winning. Let's get into Brett Veach. If you love to be remembered as the person who gives the best birthday gifts, I'm here to tell you that 1800 Flowers.com is your ultimate birthday gifting destination.
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Starting point is 00:18:32 Okay, live from the J.W. Turnberry, I have a very special guest here, known him for a long, long time. When I interviewed for the Eagles, I went into this guy's office, and he eyed me and made sure I wasn't a scumb bag, and ultimately got the job, worked with him for years, been friends with him for a long time. long time now. General manager, general manager of the Kansas City Chiefs. Brett Veach. What what's up, man? John, how you doing, man? I'm excited to be here. And you're absolutely correct. We had some good times in Philly and had fun working with you and alongside of you. And it's kind of crazy now we're here in different roles, but it's a lot of fun. Who would have thought, I guess you probably would have thought one day back then to be the general manager just in the NFL? I mean, that's
Starting point is 00:19:17 something anyone, I guess, as a scout aspires to be. And then to do it with someone that, you know, I mean, family member, basically, Coach Reed, it's got to be really special this, not just this week, but the last several years. Yeah, I mean, I would say that I certainly thought about it. Did I know it was actually going to happen? You never know and how this league works. But as you mentioned, I think people that work for Coach Reed know how special of a guy he is. He's a guy that's going to teach you to do things the right way. And, you know, if you come in and you work hard.
Starting point is 00:19:52 He will certainly be loyal to you, and so I've tried my best to kind of steer clear and just crank out the tape and come up with some decent ideas and work hard, and now here we are. You know, it's funny people always ask me about the relationship, knowing that I know you guys. And they just speak the same language. You know, they just think about football the same way. You know, obviously you're here and the team you've built the last couple years. You've been a part of even before you became the GM. How did you develop speaking the same language? which was just being around him every day.
Starting point is 00:20:22 Like you said, you were the lowest guy in the totem pole. We've all been there once upon a time, and did that really kind of establish? Well, I would say that coach allows you the platform, and that's the unique thing about Coach Reed. I think when you first start working for him, and, you know, as a young kid coming out of college, you're kind of looking at his resume, and you're in awe, almost of the guy, and you really don't want to say anything for lack of comparing your knowledge to his. But I think what you quickly realize, and this is what makes Andy,
Starting point is 00:20:50 so special is, you know, Andy has no ego and it doesn't matter if you have a question or if you have a viewpoint. It doesn't matter if you're a GM. It doesn't matter if you're, you know, offensive coordinator, defensive coordinator, or if you're two weeks on the job as a, as an intern or coaching assistant. If you have an idea, Andy will listen. So I think, you know, just being around him and studying from him, I think that, quickly turns into him giving you the confidence to trust in yourself and trust in your ability. So over time, again, just him allowing me a platform, help develop what I do today and help and sell that confidence that I have.
Starting point is 00:21:35 I think everyone that watches football dreams, either they can't coach, they're going to be a general manager. And now you're a general manager. What's it like being a general manager? Well, I mean, listen, it's, it is, I'm not going to lie. It's amazing and it's a lifelong dream. It's a lot of work, though, as you know, and, you know, there's a lot of sleepless nights. I think the crazy thing is, you know, you look at the football calendar, and you know how this works, John.
Starting point is 00:22:02 It's an all-year deal. So you're at training camp, you're in the season, and when the season ends, you're just starting your season, which is the free agency period in the draft. I've quickly come, you know, to realize that even when the draft is over and the OTAs are over, the phones never stop, and the calls come right through June and July. So, you know, it's truly a 12-month job, and there's a lot of work that needs to be done throughout the calendar year. And that's why you have to have a great staff. And I'm certainly blessed and fortunate to have a group of guys that I work with that are extremely talented.
Starting point is 00:22:36 What's the hardest thing? You know, I would say that it would be just very consistent with, you know, the rest of the issues that players, coaches, other staff members would have. But, you know, the family stuff, you know, that's the hardest thing. I think sometimes is, you know, you have to miss out on some stuff or you're late to things. So that's why being detailed and organized. Again, another coach read special is so important just to make sure that, you know, you find times during the week and your weekends to make sure that you're at as many events as possible. What's the easiest thing?
Starting point is 00:23:09 Well, the easiest thing is just going in there with your personnel staff and watching football. I mean, it doesn't get any more pure than that. I mean, it's a, you know, you go into your office every morning and you're surrounded by guys that end up being your best friends because you spend so much time with them. So when you take a step back and think about it, I mean, you're going into a film room with, you know, 12, 14 of your best friends watching football. I mean, that's just fun. What's game day like for you? You know, game day, it's kind of an evolution where my first year, pins and needles, pins and needles because, you know, it's your first year. It's GM and, you know, how to take it all in.
Starting point is 00:23:46 But by your third year, I think you realize that you got to do the work in the offseason with your frequency, with your draft. And during that waiver-wire cut-down period, you have to build the deepest roster as possible. So really, game day, you just put your faith in the work that you did in the months prior because Hayes in the barn and you are what you are. Okay, let's rewind a couple weeks. 24-0. I'm on my couch kind of freaking. your press box or whatever, what are you thinking? I know Mahomes said he was feeling good,
Starting point is 00:24:20 but we're all human. Just checking the numbers. It's kind of crazy. A lot of family members asked me after the game, like, what were you thinking? What was it like? I mean, certainly the build-up for this season and then the build-up for the playoffs,
Starting point is 00:24:32 and then all of a sudden, before you blink, you're down 24-0. I would say that, and just being honest, it could happen so fast. I don't even know if I had time to get nervous because, I mean, literally, before you blink, you're down 24-0-0. and once you scored the touchdown, then, you start to think, well, hey, listen, if we can just keep this close by halftime.
Starting point is 00:24:51 Start doing the math. You start doing the math, right. And, okay, we have a lot of time. There's a whole second quarter to play. If we can just get on the board and keep this thing close, if we're within 10 points at halftime, like, we're getting the ball at half, we're going to be okay. And then before you blink the next time, I mean, you have a lead going in a halftime. So I think everything happens so fast. I don't even think I had time to, you know, comprehend what was going on or get nervous.
Starting point is 00:25:15 What about the next week? What was it, 10-0? Yeah, that was 10-0. Yeah, Tennessee came out of the gates and punched one in and then got a field goal. You know, that one was a little bit, I would probably say even though it was a smaller deficit just by the way they play. Certainly great offense line, ball control, great running back, tough defense. There was a little bit more like slow it down, like, oh, this could be weird. Everyone talked before the game, like if Tennessee can manage the clock. if Tennessee can keep their offense off the field. And, you know, that was the thought process that they had. And it was like they followed that blueprint to the T. I mean, they were moving the chains.
Starting point is 00:25:58 They were converting on third downs, scoring in the red zone early on. So the Eustin game was just kind of a bunch of just craziness, where the Tennessee game was a game that you knew what their game plan was, and you saw them execute that perfectly, you know, the first quarter. But again, I think once you put the first points on the board, you feel good just because, you know, the defense is playing. Our defense is starting to play some pretty good football. And we have so many offensive weapons that if they're healthy and pack it's time, you feel really good about, you know, the direction the game will go in. Then you win the AFC first time, 50 years.
Starting point is 00:26:35 It never happened, I guess, officially, because the NFL didn't exist. You guys are a creature or habit. You're used to go into the senior bowl. Did you go to the senior ball? No, you know, it's crazy because that was one thing I really wanted to do. And when I looked at my itinerary on Monday, we had like meetings, organizational meetings throughout the day. And so Monday when my staff left, I was certainly extremely disappointed. I didn't get to go down.
Starting point is 00:27:00 And then by the time they got down on Thursday, I told the guys, you know, that was the right call. Hopefully this is a blueprint, so we know what to do. But it's like, you know, it's your first time. So, I mean, the hotel's your off a little, right? The hotels, the tickets, the families, and then your staff, your setup, where you're going to meet when you get here and how you're going to do things. I mean, there's like so many things that, you know, you don't even think of. And Mitch Reynolds, our football officer, I just did an amazing job of organizing all that. But, you know, you had to go through all day of meeting security stuff, all that kind of stuff, and who, when, where.
Starting point is 00:27:36 So, no, I didn't. But like I said, God willing, and if we continue to, you know, bring in. good enough players and stay healthy, I think anytime you get here again, once you've been there once, you kind of know exactly what's needed, and then you're able to kind of do things. That's why I guess, you know, the Patriots can probably do what they want over the years because they have it down. It was weird seeing a picture of Belichick at the Senior Bowl. He probably hadn't been there in a decade. That's the first thing Mike Berganzi, my director of player personnel said when he got down there on Monday. He said the first guy I ran into was Coach Belichick, and it was like, I didn't know how to take it because I've
Starting point is 00:28:11 never seen him here. And I said, well, obviously, because he's always went in. Okay, let's talk about the team. Let's start on defense. You signed a safety last year who, you know, coming out of college, Honey Badger got kicked off the team. Basically, I would imagine a lot of teams in the league had him off the board. Now we fast forward eight years later. He's been a team captain of three teams. Larry Fitzgerald once called in the heart and soul of their team. That's Larry Fitzgerald. Team captain last year of the Texans, obviously now what he means to you guys. What was the evaluation process like him, like on him as a player, and then being around him now for a year, what's he been like? Yeah, well, we were in the market. You know,
Starting point is 00:28:51 last year we had a bunch of injuries there at free safety. And as you know, we kind of took a big swing at this defense and made some wholesale changes, one to start the safety position. It was a good free agency class. I mean, there was a lot of guys, I think. 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 athletes themselves, their locker room stories, their reactions, the stuff
Starting point is 00:29:29 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 Slic 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, Kier Games.
Starting point is 00:30:03 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
Starting point is 00:30:22 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?
Starting point is 00:30:37 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 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 walks up to me, he goes, hey, ref, my mom wants you to wave at her.
Starting point is 00:31:15 What? Time out. Quarterback on office blue with 42. Hey, rec, my mama want you to wave at her. What? Hey, Miss Parker. Listen to the Clippers show on the Iheart radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. If you're watching the latest season of the Real Housewives of Atlanta, you already know.
Starting point is 00:31:42 that's a lot to break down. Georgia accusing Kelly of sleeping with a merry man. They holding Kay Michelle back from fighting Drew. Pinky has financial issues. I like the bougie style of Housewives show. I think it looks like it's going to be interesting. On the podcast, Reality with the King, I, Carlos King, recap the biggest moments
Starting point is 00:32:02 from your favorite reality shows, including the Real Housewives franchise, the drama, the alliances, and the team everybody's talking about. As an executive producer in reality, television, I'm not just watching it. I understand the game. As somebody who creates shows, I'll even say this. At the end
Starting point is 00:32:20 of the day, when people are at home, they want entertainment. To hear this and more, listen to Reality with the King on the IHard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. The Landon, Lennon Collins and Haha Dix and Tyron Matthew,
Starting point is 00:32:36 I mean, Earl Thomas, there were a lot of safety. Yeah, they were. Going through the tape, so just starting off with just the pure film evaluation. I think when you watch him, he is, you know, what you would call a Swiss Army knife. I mean, the guy can play Slot Corner. He can play down in the box. He can blitz. He can play on the back end. He's got range. He's got instincts. He got ball skills. He'll tackle. You can just utilize him in every way. And it was a cool process where we got through the safeties. We knew that we were going to be aggressive at that position. We spent, you know, weeks watching all these guys
Starting point is 00:33:09 ended up with Tyron as the guy that we felt would be the guy that would make the most sense. But again, we're bringing in a new staff. And Coach Spaggs obviously knows what he's doing on defense. But you remember, too, he's a secondary guy. I mean, that's kind of his calling card. So wanted to keep the evaluation pure. And what I told Steve, I said, here are the guys that we looked at and not going to say, you know, what we thought. I just want your evaluation and don't want to throw in any two cents.
Starting point is 00:33:37 And I just want to hear, you know, your. your thoughts after you watch him. So Steve spent a little over a week, maybe a week and a half, watching all these guys. And Steve came in and he was like, you know, this Tyrant Matthew is really interesting. And I was like, Steve, man, say no more. That's the guy.
Starting point is 00:33:51 And then, you know, then you quickly hear about the stuff. So on top of just being a great player, Steve had mentioned about the people that were around him. It said he was a special person and all that kind of stuff. And this would be good because he's a good player. And plus, you know, the people in Houston are saying all these great things. but as you mentioned John the people in Arizona
Starting point is 00:34:11 raved about what he brought to the locker room and then the people in Houston raved about what he brought to the locker room so we knew we were getting a good player and a guy that was going to change the locker room having been around him for a year all those things that people said about him in Houston
Starting point is 00:34:24 and all those things that people said about him in Arizona I would say don't do him enough justice because he's one of those guys where you can say he's a great guy and you can say he's a game changer culture changer but unless you are around him, you just don't realize just how much. I mean, he's a guy that it doesn't matter, you know, what role you have in the organization.
Starting point is 00:34:46 When you see him in the building, you're going to smile. He's going to put a smile on your face. He's always upbeat. He's a guy that I think the best way to describe it, you feel him. Like he's a type of guy that, you know, when he's around, his presence has felt. So again, all those things you hear are true. But when you're actually around him, you realize it's that and much more. Get right to the romance and find the way to wow.
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Starting point is 00:35:58 at Discovertheforest.org. Brought to you by the United States Forest Service 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.
Starting point is 00:36:15 Because when we disconnect from this and connect with this, we reconnect with each other. The forest is closer than you think. Find a forest near you and start exploring at Discovertheforest.org. Brought to you by the United States Forest Service and the Ad Council.
Starting point is 00:36:36 What about Frank Clark? it's an aggressive move anytime you trade a first round pick. Was it first round and a second round pick? Yeah. Second round this year. Yeah. It was one and two and then we flop three, so we moved up a little in third. So it's aggressive.
Starting point is 00:36:48 Now you do have the nine or second round pick from D. Ford, but that was, what was the thought process in trading, you know, a haul like that. And then what he's been, especially these last, this kind of stretch run when your defense has flipped a switch. It seems like he's been dominant. Yeah. I mean, Frank's one of the best defensive ends in the National Football League. And we felt that for a long time just, you know, doing our evaluations on teams. and players. And when we start the process back in November, December, watching Free Agents, you know, there was a lot of guys. You know, we had a couple on our team and then the
Starting point is 00:37:14 clownies and then the Frank Clarks. But he's one of those guys that when you put on tape, you don't, you don't have to fast forward to find him, you know, making a play or you don't have to fast forward to when he's going to chase down the ball because he is all out every single play, relentless motor. And, you know, once we transition to the 4-3, and, you know, we knew, you know, the situation we'd be in with Justin and D. Well, obviously, you know, and we kind of share the same thought process, like quarterback and then O-line D-line.
Starting point is 00:37:45 So you're moving on from, you know, two defensive ends outside backers, and, you know, you really have to find, you know, cornerstone at defensive end. And, you know, once we talked to Spags and we committed to the 4-3, we knew right away that this was the guy. Because he can really play in any scheme, but he was the guy that we also knew, though, that listen, they're not going to let this guy walk.
Starting point is 00:38:10 I mean, this guy's way too good. They're going to tag this guy. So our plan the entire time was we have to figure out a way to get enough equity. And you look at, you know, the Cleo Mac trade. I think he went for two ones and a two. So, I mean, people can put Cleo Mac up there at the top of the pedestal and, you know, rightfully, so he's a great guy. But even if you didn't have to give up two ones and a two, I mean,
Starting point is 00:38:30 you're going to have to give up a one plus. Yeah. But then you come into that issue well, and every team does it. you know, well, you know, if you give us a one plus, say a one to three, your three is at the end of the draft. So it's really like a four, and that's not enough value for a guy like this. So you end up saying to yourself, all right, you're either in or you're out. And that's why we're aggressive. And we're like, all right, if it's going to take a one or two to get this guy, we believe in him and we believe in the type of player he is and what he'll do to our team.
Starting point is 00:38:55 And, you know, we stuck to that. But the whole time, like, when we trade it, D4 to the Niners, once we identified what we wanted it, you know, which was a two, it was basically part in our mind of the Frank Clark trade. We knew when we were trading him that that pick was going to go to Frank Clark. Yeah. And now this game's kind of whoever wins, right, gets that extra little bump, but you're going to, you get them both no matter what, right, at the end of the second round. Yeah.
Starting point is 00:39:22 Or you don't have your second round pick? No, so we have, we had an extra two. So remember, we traded it. So we traded. Veaches is willing and dealing. I can't keep that with your moves. No, so we traded, we traded for San Francisco with two. So basically before the Frank Clark trade, we had a one and two twos.
Starting point is 00:39:40 Gotcha. We traded last year's one. And one of this year's twos. So this year we'll be whole in the first five rounds. We have a one, two, three, four, five. Obviously, you've been part of the draft process for a long time. But when you're the guy pulling the trigger right there with Andy, we're going to do this. How nervous does that make you just any time you're giving up a lot of capital?
Starting point is 00:40:02 even though, like you said, this is the price of doing business, and you're getting an elite player, but you're still, you're paying a lot. It's like buying a really expensive house. It still does it, does it does it, does it, does it. You know, that's where, you know, this process, free agency and the draft, they're really, they go hand in hand. So when you commit to a move like that, you're looking at every single option and, okay, what's your best option? So sitting, you know, from, you know, in my chair, all right, we have a new defensive scheme. and, you know, Justin Houston is on a different team
Starting point is 00:40:34 and D. Ford's on a different team. Okay. Well, now you're sitting there in the first round and you're at the bottom of one. Are you going to be able to find a pass rusher? You know, what's going to be left? And, you know, you also have some other needs. You know, what corners are going to be left?
Starting point is 00:40:44 What pass rush are going to be left? You have a team to fill. Right. You have a team to fill. Okay. So with this first round pick, would, you know, the contract and, you know, the picks. Because it's a double whammy.
Starting point is 00:40:56 You trade the high pick and you got to pay them. Yeah. But, you know, the contract and the contract and the picks, is that going to completely override what you would take at, you know, maybe a role player at one the first year? I mean, obviously when you draft again in the first round, you want to be a starter, but where you're picking is almost like a second round pick. So the impact those guys will have. And again, you're talking about a premium position, defensive end, pass rusher, an elite player, and a guy who's only 25 years old. So when we started kind of doing all the math,
Starting point is 00:41:25 I think you quickly realized, like, this is the move we got to make because this guy will be a game change her at a premium position. What about the quarterback? There have been a lot of articles written the last couple weeks. I mean, I've known about it for a long time. You once famously said at the Combine, you know, he's the best player. You ever scouted. And you kind of, people made fun of you a little bit, just because it's a bold thing to
Starting point is 00:41:45 say. Obviously, everyone shut up the last couple years, just because, you know, he gets compared a lot to Steph Curry in the sense that he's just really fun. And everyone, beside the talent, people just love watching him play. Yeah, it's kind of funny. back before he was a starter, I made that comments. You know, people kind of questioned me and kind of poke fun making the comment. Now you get here, and after he's won an MVP and he's playing Super Bowl,
Starting point is 00:42:08 now it's like, oh, he didn't say that or he, you know, that he's saying it now. Exactly. You know, it's funny, but no, listen, I mean, you know, from top down, from Clark Hunt to Andy Reid to myself, I mean, we've been very blessed and fortunate to have him in the building and to see him every day. And we got a special player. and he's a, listen, he's a generational talent, and, you know, I'm biased, but I mean, I would say that most of the people in the league would agree with me. He's the best player in the NFL, and the sky's the limit for him.
Starting point is 00:42:37 When was the moment that you went, this is my guy. Was it a couple games? I know you went to a specific game. I remember when they were getting blown out. Yeah, I went to a couple, well, the one game, too. You went to multiple games that season? Yeah, I went to a couple. And one the year before, you know, the Iowa State game.
Starting point is 00:42:55 I had mentioned on a couple different deals. It was unique because it was the last game of the year, and Texas Tech was 4 and 7, and this was a guy that was by that time projected to come out for the draft. So he wasn't playing for, you know, to get his team into a bowl game. I think they were 4 and 6 or 4 and 7. They weren't going to a bowl game. And I think the score, I drove up to Ames, and it was freezing cold.
Starting point is 00:43:19 I mean, it was in the teens, I believe. And it was 45 to 7 and halftime, and Pat left the game, didn't play the whole game. whole second quarter, I think, with a separated its shoulder. And I told the story before, you know, I'm packing up, getting ready to leave. And I'm like, I see him come back on the field, and he's warming up. Now, again, it's a meaningless game. It's 45 to 7.
Starting point is 00:43:36 They're not going to a bowl game. There's like, there's like 8,000 people in the stands. But that's like, that speaks to his character. And then when you fast forward to, you know, the Denver game this year, and he gets hurt. And our medical staff did a great job of putting that knee back in place. And he gets in the locker room, and he wants to go out and play. And that's him not saying, well, I want to be. play because it's a national TV game and I want people to see me. No, I remember the day I was
Starting point is 00:43:59 at Iowa State and there's nobody in the stands. No one was covering the game. There's 8,000 people there and he played with separated shoulder. On ESPN 7. Yeah, exactly. I mean, that's just who he is. I mean, he's just a competitor and he loves to play. He loves to compete and he always puts his team, you know, first and the guy has gotten so many awards and so many accolades. It has not gotten to his head. He just, he loves being one of the guys. And, you know, again, very much like Coach Reedy. You guys got zero ego. I know you're a busy man, so I don't want to keep you too much longer. I got to ask you about the Niners.
Starting point is 00:44:31 When you look at their team, what jumps out to you? Well, I think everyone would probably have the same consensus just that defense line. I mean, you have to have great quarterback play. And once you get a great quarterback, when you're building a roster, you've got to figure out a way to put pressure on that quarterback. And, you know, the Niners, they just come at you with a deep bullpen of defensive of alignment that, you know, can be disruptive, can shut down the run, can affect the quarterback, allow you to just rush for them, playing coverage.
Starting point is 00:44:59 So that will certainly be a daunting task, and John's done a great job putting that roster together. Him and Kyle obviously have a great rapport, much like, you know, I think Andy and I do. So, you know, and then some of the things they've done on offense, they've gotten a lot of skill players, whether the trade for Sanders or, you know, we love Debo Saniel coming out. Yeah. We thought he was a fantastic player. So they have a badass. Yeah.
Starting point is 00:45:20 And then they got a tight end is decent, right? No, they got it obviously first small pro tied in. They got a bunch of speed at wide out. So they're going to be a handful, and we're going to have to come ready to play, and it should be a great game. Let's talk about Kittle from a scouting perspective. Why does a guy like that, I'm sure you evaluate him, how does a guy that's that good now, clearly, you know,
Starting point is 00:45:43 one of the best non-quarterbacks in the league, end up to the fifth round? How does that happen? Yeah, and you see it now and then. I mean, sometimes the injuries pile up in college and you have some stuff and, you know, you're missing some time. And maybe you're not, you know, tight ends nowadays are just like wide outs. Maybe you're not going to a prolific passing offense where you're getting featured. And, you know, I was run the ball a little bit more. And then you have the, you know, you throw in some injuries here and there.
Starting point is 00:46:09 But I do remember this, though. He put on a performance at his combine. He could fly. Yeah, he could fly and run and jump. And I know the whole league was doing a second take on the kid about, you know. you know, him and because I think athletically, you know, and that's, you know, the value of these combines, people always say, well, you know, you get too cut up in the combine, just numbers, well, what it does.
Starting point is 00:46:28 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.
Starting point is 00:46:48 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 Slic Life 12 and the TikTok podcast. network on TikTok.
Starting point is 00:47:20 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.
Starting point is 00:47:34 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.
Starting point is 00:47:53 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.
Starting point is 00:48:07 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, our heart radio app. Search learn the hard way and listen now. What's up, guys? This is Clever Taylor the 4th.
Starting point is 00:48:23 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.
Starting point is 00:48:41 Quarterback on office blue with 42. Hey, ref, my mama want you to wave at her. What? Hey, Miss Parker. Listen to The Cliverts show on the I Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Hey, I'm Jared Adano. You might know me as that loud guy who yells out, help on the internet. Help!
Starting point is 00:49:06 Somebody! Please! But there's so much more to me than me. I'm an actor. I'm a comedian. And recently, I've become quite the helper myself. And on my new podcast, Hope from a Hypocrite, I'll be changing lives, helping people in need with my sage. advice and thoughtful solutions.
Starting point is 00:49:24 Sike! I'm a comedian! I'm not qualified to give good advice! Join me and my comedian friends as we riff, rant, recommend some of the most legally dubious advice known to man. If I'm calling you, even if you're on your phone, let it ring twice. One ring is too scary. Oh, cream a chicken suit. Hey, cream a chicken suit. This is help from a hypocrite, the worst advice from the dumbest people you know.
Starting point is 00:49:50 Listen to Help from Hypocrite as part of the Mike Coultera podcast network available on the IHartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. When you have guys like that. Whose production's not great. Yeah. Yeah. It forces you to ask the questions why, because athletically, I mean, let's go back and look at, you know, this guy's running in, you know, the mid-fours and jumping 40 and doing this and playing out a big-time program. It's a great final cross-check for things. But, yeah, there's always a reason, you know, why guys fall is probably a combination of, you know, just not playing in a, and I wouldn't say, obviously, Iowa doesn't feature tight ends because they're known as a school that can continuously produces tight ends.
Starting point is 00:50:32 But some injury stuff, and, you know, listen, you're not going to chuck the ball, you know, a ton like that. But he was a good player. Kelsey told me at OTAs that both those two guys owe him a million dollars each. Yeah. Because he helped them go up. Now, they were good players, and he's like they were more productive than me. Yeah. There's no chance without my dominance the last couple of years.
Starting point is 00:50:51 Those guys fly that high. Both of them going the top 20? Yeah. You want to go on record say you had a second round pick, or second round grade on Kittle, but you just couldn't take them because of Kelsey? No, no, I'm not going to. I'm not taking credit for San Francisco's hard work. They nailed that one.
Starting point is 00:51:06 What about the quarterback, Jimmy? You know, Andy's been singing his praises. He's kind of been a controversial player. I'm a big fan of them. I think the last couple weeks, if you can run the ball like that, why wouldn't you do that? what do you think at Garoppolo and just when you watch him play and just over the years coming out to where he's at now? I mean, the bottom line is the guy wins. He wins games and like you said, I know certainly the last playoff game they didn't have to.
Starting point is 00:51:29 But as you mentioned, why would you throw the wall if you can, you know, listen, Pat Mahomes is the best quarterback in the NFL. But if we would start off the game, you know, popping off 30, 40, 50, or run, you know, Pat may not throw the ball 40 times a game. I mean, so, you know, obviously, like, that game was a little bit of an outlier, but, you know, in crucial situations when he's had to move the ball and create plays, he's done that and go back and look at that Saints game. I mean, he just put on a great display and just was able to make place throughout the field. I mean, he's a really good football player, and that's why San Francisco was aggressive, and that's why they gave up, I guess, second round picked for him.
Starting point is 00:52:04 But he's good, he's talented, and he, again, talking about all pro tied in, talking about Sanders and Debo and these guys, and then, you know, the, the arsenal they have it running back. They just have speed on speed back there. So, I mean, they are good offense, and he's a very, very good quarterback. Are you nervous? Like how you feel, the buss? Yeah, I think you'll feel it's Sunday.
Starting point is 00:52:24 There's so much going on right now where you don't have time, you know. Families here. Yeah, I mean, so, you know, you have media, you have practice, and then you just have a bunch of stuff going on, which, you know, on one end, it kind of wears you out a little. But on the other end, it just, you know, it keeps you from just thinking about just the game. Now, I guess it's different for the players because they're going to ask about, you know, game type questions.
Starting point is 00:52:45 Me personally, it's more of just relationship with coach and personnel stuff. So. How you built the team? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, exactly. But, um, but no, listen, you know, the family start rolling in here Friday and there'll be less and less of this stuff.
Starting point is 00:52:58 And I think once Saturday gets here and you're doing the team pitcher stuff and you're getting ready, I think it'll start to kick in. Have you let your mind wander to post game if you were to win what that would feel like? I mean, there's short list of general managers that have won championships. Yeah, no. Listen, I, like, and you'd appreciate this because you've been around Coach Reed. I don't want to peek too soon, right? I don't want to peek too soon.
Starting point is 00:53:19 And we got a heck of a challenge in front of us, and we're going to have to have, you know, our guys come out and be razor sharp on both sides of the football to beat this crew. They're very good. But, you know, we're very good, too. So now I don't want to get ahead of myself and looking at Sunday and looking forward to just getting this thing started. Well, I'm a Bay Area guy. My friends and family all-nighter fans, but I'll be honest. I have a very, very hard time.
Starting point is 00:53:43 I'm not rooting for you guys, man. Very happy for your guys' success. And you and Coach Reed have been awesome watching you, man. Well, I appreciate it, man. And glad to see you're doing well. And look forward to hopefully doing one of these maybe after we win. Yeah, I'll see you at the Combine, and maybe we can do Super Bowl champ, Brett Veach.
Starting point is 00:54:00 That would be fantastic. Thanks, Brett. Yep, you got. 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. 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
Starting point is 00:54:23 through this fascinating world. Find a forest near you and start exploring at discovertheforest.org. Brought to you by the United States Forest Service and the ad council. If I could be you. And you could be me for just one hour. If you could find a way to get inside. Each other's mind. Walk a mile in my shoes. Walk a mile in my shoes. Walk a mile in my shoes. We've all felt left out.
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Starting point is 00:55:11 They see the wrinkled face of a wood. 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. Okay, let's get into the Middilkoff mailbag. I feel like my voice is about to go. So I'm going to answer a couple questions that I got. I'm running low. So if you guys got Middilcoff mailbag questions, fire them in to at John Middilkoff. Once the Super Bowl ends, we're going to need some juice.
Starting point is 00:55:50 So you got to shoot me your questions. I'm going to need you. At John Middlecoff, my Instagram handle saves my Twitter handle, so fire them in. John, the Jets had a disappointing season, even though they finished 6 and 2 down the stretch. The team needs to improve in many critical areas. O-line, edge rusher, wide receiver corner, etc. Obviously addressing all these needs in one-off season extremely difficult. Can you see Joe Douglas improving this team to the bills like the,
Starting point is 00:56:12 bills did last season making offensive line and wide receiver a priority. Well, they have some pieces on defense. They spent money on C.J. Bosley. They got Jamal Adams. They drafted a defensive lineman in the first round last year, who should be a good player. He was really good at Alabama. He was banged up last year. I'm a big Quentin Williams fan. I think the key is to surround Sam Donald with talent. Protect him and give him weapons. They have levy on bell. They need to add offensive linemen clearly to block for the guy. And they got to get him. They got to get him talent. At explosive of playmakers because when he was at
Starting point is 00:56:44 SC, he had playmakers. You've got to do whatever you can when you have a young quarterback to surround him with players. It's the guy's best chance to have, you know, to succeed because without him succeeding, you know, without surrounding him with the
Starting point is 00:57:00 talent, it's hard to judge him. You know, he's 23 years old, 22 years, it's hard to carry a team in the NFL at that age without help. It just is. Listen to your podcast a lot. Give me your thoughts on Kobe and what you meant and what you meant to you in sports, what he meant to you in sports.
Starting point is 00:57:19 I know you're more of a football guy, so I'm just, actually, basketball was always been my favorite sport growing up. When someone is iconic as Kobe gone so suddenly is really traumatic. It's one of the greatest tragedies probably of my lifetime when you factor in, like all we keep talking about is Kobe. I look at it as three little girls died. Three little girls died. That to me is, obviously Kobe's the most famous.
Starting point is 00:57:42 person in the helicopter by a mile. But I can't stop wrapping my heads around the three little girls. And, you know, I had a different relationship with Kobe. I grew up a Kings fan. Kobe used to kick our ass, so I didn't like him. You know, I didn't like him at all. I think over these last four or five years, he's really, really grown on me because he's such a high-level thinker, really smart.
Starting point is 00:58:07 I always respected the living hell out of him for a couple things, even when I hated him. His work ethic was second to none. His toughness was second to none. He played through so many injuries. I love the NBA. Unlike most of America. Have you seen the television ratings? They're in the tank.
Starting point is 00:58:24 I can't stand load management. I can't stand the effort of many of the guys in the league making 20 plus million. It's embarrassing. The one thing that kind of ticked me off, all these players tweeting, hashtag Mamba mentality. Yet Kobe had the Mamba mentality.
Starting point is 00:58:42 he played hard. He played defense. He didn't take games off. The league is full of guys to take, hey guys, don't tweet Mamba mentality unless you're a two-way player, unless you try. If you load Mamba, I don't want to hear it. Now you can give me your thoughts on Kobe
Starting point is 00:58:59 like what he meant to you, but the Mamba mentality, the NBA ain't living Mamba mentality. They're just not. You can't respect him enough and then just how happy he looked. You know, I think that's just heartbreaking with his daughter, you know, the one who passed away with him, Gigi, that was a lot like him, clearly, because she loved basketball. And I'm not a parent, and I know he had four other or three other girls, but I imagine your one child that likes doing what you like doing the most. And Kobe Bryant was a basketball addict.
Starting point is 00:59:34 I know he had other passions, and he started getting into other stuff. Basketball, it wasn't just his first love. It was like his true love. It was beyond his passion. It was his life's work. And it was clear that Gigi, his daughter, almost copied him. And she was good.
Starting point is 00:59:56 And just I can't even... I'm honestly can't take much more of it, like the pictures and stuff. It hurts your heart too much. And I'm not one of those guys that can't handle, like, real and what's really going on. But there are some stuff. I don't do well with little kids dying.
Starting point is 01:00:12 especially multiple girls. It's just gut-wrenching. It really is. And I wish more players that tweet Mamba mentality would actually play hard for the love of God. Because I do love the NBA. But I don't like... The product right now is awful.
Starting point is 01:00:31 Horrendous. Like that's a great part about the NFL. Now part of it is just the way the sports set up. You only play once a week. You might watch some like ass kickings and maybe teams lay an egg a couple times a year. but even bad teams play really hard. You watch the Bengals late in the season?
Starting point is 01:00:45 They try. Guys try. The NBA guys don't try during the regular season. Your business model's in trouble, Adam Silver. You might want to draw a line in the sand. For the first time, the salary cap's going down. You can blame Darry all you want for fighting for democracy. The bigger issue is America, basketball doesn't resonate right now.
Starting point is 01:01:07 Because you know what doesn't resonate with the common guy? Someone making $30 million, doesn't even try at their job or just half asses it, you know, 50% of the time. We can't relate to that. Most of us, even if you don't try, once you start making that type money, there is an expectation, especially when the greatest players in the history of the sport earned your respect through their effort. Kobe busted his ass.
Starting point is 01:01:31 Michael Jordan busted his ass. You know, that's why I like the Warriors guys so much. Not this year they're tanking, but they're injured. is that Steph Clay and Draymond try. I mean, God, is that too much to ask just to try? Where do you see Phillip Rivers going? Is there any chance the Chargers trade up to the top five to take two of Herbert? Are the Jags a possible landing spot for free agent quarterbacks?
Starting point is 01:01:55 The Foles experiment failed miserably. I think I already answered this question. I don't know where River's going to go. I've been asking around. No one has a good feel for it. It sure feels like it's over in San Diego or L.A. or wherever the hell the charges are. Rams fan here. Love the podcast. What offseason moves do you expect to see from L.A.?
Starting point is 01:02:13 With the salary cap issues, do they draft a running back and give Gurley more breaks? Didn't they just draft a running back last year? They have five players that account for about 50% of the salary cap. That's a problem. They're going to need to nail fifth, sixth, seventh, and undrafted free agents. Because they're in a pinch financially. And they're going to need Jergauff to be better. And I don't really know if he can be because he's not mobile.
Starting point is 01:02:37 So their running game has to be better. They still have a lot of weapons on offense. Woods, Cooks, Young Tide Ends, Everett, and Higby, they just need a more consistent running attack. Because when you can run the ball, it balances everything out for your passing attack. And that's key.
Starting point is 01:02:55 Because Aaron Donald, Jalen Ramsey, and there's going to be a lot of pressure in this new defensive coordinator. I mean, I get Sean McVeigh fired Wade Phillips, but the chances of this random guy is better let's be honest, slim to none. Considering how little he has actually played quarterback since entering the league, what exactly Taysam Hill done to prove the Saints that he's worthy of consideration for taking over for Drew Brees?
Starting point is 01:03:20 If Drew Brees does retire, hasn't Teddy Bridgewater shown that he's more incapable of taking over until a true franchise quarterback? Who says that Taysam Hill is going to take over a quarterback, though? I haven't read or seen that anywhere. Now, I'm a little out of the loop, just being in Miami with some Saints coverage. But if Taseom, if they thought Tassum Hill, I was telling someone this yet, yesterday was starting quarterback material. When Drew Breeze heard his thumb, he would have started those games. Teddy Bridgewater started those games.
Starting point is 01:03:44 They didn't lose any. So I was telling someone this last night. If they believed in Teddy Bridgewater, Taysam Hill would have been the backup quarterback this season. Now, and then that guy countered, well, they used them on all this other stuff. Okay, I'll agree with you there. Let's say I do. Well, this year when Breeze actually goes down,
Starting point is 01:04:04 why wouldn't you give Taysam Hill a game at quarterback? I think they know what he is. He's an incredible gadget player. He's not a full-time quarterback. And there's nothing wrong with that. He's like a Kyle Ushcheck meets like, meets like, I'm trying to think of a quarterback. I don't even know.
Starting point is 01:04:24 He's like a quarterback version of Kyle Ustich. That's how I would describe. I appreciate everyone listening. Hope you guys like the V-T interview pretty timely as he's the general manager of the team playing the Super Bowl. I really thank him for coming on with me and I can't wait. I can't wait.
Starting point is 01:04:43 One, to be home. I just want to sleep my own bed. And two, to watch this Super Bowl. I know many of you will be at parties. This is one of those Super Bowls. I'm probably, I might be watching solo. This is the most excited I've been for a Super Bowl and maybe ever.
Starting point is 01:05:00 Can't wait. God, I love the NFL. I'm sure many of you do listening as well because it's a fun league to consume. Have a great weekend. Have a great Super Bowl Sunday. See you next week. Peace.
Starting point is 01:05:35 Thunderstruck, adjective. Shocked and amazed by the power of fun on Carnival. Riding Bolt, the world's first roller coaster at sea. Brian got Funderstruck so hard, his 93-year-old grandmother felt it 3,000 miles away in Nebraska, and immediately booked a cruise. Hooray! Get Funderstruck starting at 289.
Starting point is 01:05:55 Carnival Shoes fun Cruiser in U.S. dollars per person double occupancy taxes fees and port expenses additional restrictions of plightful details on carnival.com, ships, Redstreet, Bahamas, Panama. Last night, a blown call changed a game. This morning, the internet lost its mind
Starting point is 01:06:10 and nobody's telling you exactly what happened. That's where sports slice 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 headlines. 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 SportsSlice on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast.
Starting point is 01:06:36 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 Smigel 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. Street or Seidel, help an a cappella band with their between songs banter. Where does your group perform? We do some retirement homes.
Starting point is 01:07:02 Those people are starving for banter. Listen to humor me with Robert Smigel and friends on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, what's good, y'all? You're listening to Learn the Hardway with your favorite therapist and host Kear Games. This space is about black men's experiences, having honest conversations that it's really not safe to have anywhere, but you're having them with a licensed professional. who knows what he's doing.
Starting point is 01:07:26 How many men carry a suit or armor. It signals to the world that you not to be played with. And just because you have the capability that does not mean that you need to, listen to learn the hard way on the AHA radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. What's up, guys? This is Cliver Taylor the 4th. And on my podcast, The Cliverts Show,
Starting point is 01:07:46 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. This linebacker walks up to me, he goes, Hey, ref, my mom wants you to wave at her. What? Time out.
Starting point is 01:08:02 Quarterback on office blue with 42. Hey, rep, my mama wants you to wave at her. What? Where's she at? Hey, Ms. Parker. Listen to the Cliverts show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. This is an IHeart podcast.
Starting point is 01:08:23 Guaranteed Human.

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