The Herd with Colin Cowherd - 3 and Out - XXL Middlekauff Mailbag

Episode Date: June 29, 2021

John dedicates the entire pod to answering listener questions in a deluxe sized Middlekauff Mailbag on a variety of football and non-football topics! Follow John on Twitter and SUBSCRIBE now to get all the latest content!! Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is an I-Heart podcast. Guaranteed Human. Another podcast from some SNL, late-night comedy guy, not quite. Unhumor me with Robert Smygel and friends. Me and hilarious guests from Bob Odenkirk to David Letterman help make you funnier. This week, my guest, SNL's Mikey Day and head writer, Streeter Seidel, help an a cappella band with their between songs banter.

Where does your group perform? We do some retirement homes. Those people are starving for banter. Listen to humor me with Robert Smigel and friends on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal, but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque.

Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast's Superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the IHard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is a win. A win is a win.

I don't care what I'm saying. Yep, that's me, Clifford Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, my basketball and college football journey, or my career in sports media. Well, now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfilled conversations with athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. So let's get to it. Listen to the Clifford show on the I Heart Radio app,

Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok's podcast network on TikTok. On the Look Back at it podcast. From 1979, that was a big moment for me. 84's big to me. I'm Sam J. And I'm Alex English.

Each episode, we pick a year, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it. With our friends, fellow comedians, and favorite authors. Like Mark Lamont Hill on the 80s. 84 was a wild year. I don't think there's a more important year for black people. Listen to look back at it on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

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he doesn't worry about data caps or equipment fees. Come on, man, the door's open for a reason. And best yet, he also doesn't stress about a price increase at 12 months because with the amazing gagillionaire lifestyle comes an exquisite sense of tranquility. Most of the time. Live like a gagillionaire. Get straightforward pricing with AT&T fiber,

internet that upgrades everything. No data caps, no equipment fees, and no price increase at 12 months. Limited availability in select areas. Visit ATT.com slash hypergick for details. What is up my people? I'm John Middlecombe. This is a three and out podcast. How are we doing? This is going to be a little bit different of a podcast. As I told you last week, we're going to do Middlekoff mailbag only today. And then there won't be another podcast for a couple weeks. I think July, like, Maybe 13th is the date. So this will be the last podcast this week. No podcast next week.

Unless something crazy happens. Maybe put one out on Friday. Probably not. And then we'll start rocking and rolling, getting ready for, I guess, for the football season, but we'll still be a couple weeks away. This is when the football community, they go to sunny places.

They play golf and they drink alcohol. That's where I'm at it. Even though, you know, am I in the football community anymore? I don't know. I'm a hybrid. I just talk now. But there's nothing going on. So I thought,

Adios! But I won't be gone for too long. Appreciate everyone who slid in the DMs. You guys know the drill. Also, if you listen on Collins feed, subscribe to the podcast separately. That would greatly help. It just helps everything.

Subscribe to the Three and Out podcast. Also, for those of you that have, I appreciate it, leave a review. Most positive reviews, there's some negative ones, but I heard someone say this one time. They don't read any reviews because what's the point?

You know, the positive stuff is all going to be positive and the negative stuff's just going to piss you off. So just avoid it. That's kind of the tactic I take. But, you know, I'd be lying. If I don't like the, I like the positive ones. But the negative ones, like, what are you going to do? Change your guys' opinion?

He doesn't like you, whatever. Leave a review. Greatly appreciate it. And let's rock and roll. Okay, let's get to your questions. And like I said, last podcast for a couple weeks. Start with Michael. Love the biz and sports take on the pot.

I grew up going to Cardinal Games in the hot Arizona Sun at ASU Stadium before I moved to Portland. Portland and 14. That had to be some pretty hot September games. I kind of forget that they used to play there. I actually don't remember that really at all. I'm curious with your potential move to Arizona if you will have an in with the Cardinals

like you do with the 49ers. Well, I do not have, I don't know anyone there. I've been very, very critical of the head coach. Again, I am not anti-Cliff the guy. Everyone I know that knows him, loves him. Every time I've heard him talk, he sounds like a great guy. I just fundamentally look at football completely different than him. We do not have the same football philosophies at all.

I'm really kind of anti-everything he does. I think it's ultimately very soft, and it leads to soft defense, which has kind of been the M.O. since he's been there. Now, listen, I'm not trying to say he should or shouldn't be. I don't really care, but I think when they miss the playoffs this year,

everyone in that building will be fired. So maybe I'll know the next group of people that come in, but right now, I mean, I don't necessarily have any ends. Hopefully one of my friends gets the job, though. I'm not going to, I wouldn't root against that. I'll promise you that. But I do think the Cardinals, you know, you have the number one overall pick.

They should have made the playoffs last year, and they crumbled down the stretch. Their first round linebacker got arrested, I think, last week or two weeks ago. You know, they've had several arrests. They're a general manager who I actually think is pretty good. Like, I'm not anti-Steve Kime, but. You don't get four head coaches. So if this fails this year, which the division is stacked, who are they beaten? You know, I mean, come on.

Let's be real here. That I think that, uh, I think it's bye-bye. Everyone in there. And then they're kind of starting from scratch. I want to say, I've been listening for a long time. You inspired me. Sorry, my fat fingers hit send before you inspired me to make my own podcast, the Sports Lounge Experience.

Check it out. We have 80 some episodes. Second, I know you've been in scouting, but I'm young aspiring coach. Do you have any suggestions on how you get into coaching at the college or pro level? I think it's probably easier to get an in in college than it would be in the pros. And in college, they have these camps, right? They're going on right now, where USC, wherever you live, Texas, Oklahoma, Clemson, Alabama, have these summer camps.

And they open them up to all these college and high schools. school coaches that can go work. Well, what happens when you're working the camp? You get to introduce yourself to offensive coordinators and head coaches. I hate the term networking because it feels very hollow. I like meeting people that I'm interested in. Not because like I want to get something out of. Now, if it leads to something great, but that word networking to me is always kind of cringe, to be honest with you. But I do think there is something to be said about working with other interacting with other people, developing relationships with other people. Who knows?

When you're open-minded that way and you introduce yourself to other people in your profession, you're going to gravitate towards certain individuals and just become friends. And that's usually how the world works, right? People hire people they know, people they trust. And the only way to gain trust, you've got to meet people. And it's hard to like just call up the phone to call Nick Sabin. But what about his wide receiver coach? His wide receiver coach, more than likely he's going to be a head coach one day.

or an offensive coordinator one day. So you get to know that guy in the coaching profession is just it grows so fast because the guy can go from a nobody to somebody in the blink of an eye. Think about like three or four years ago, Joe Brady's cutting film for Sean Payton. I bet a lot of people in there didn't realize three years later to be an offensive coordinator in the league.

That's coaching. Like if you're an insurance salesman or you're a real estate broker, you're probably not going to go 30 years old one year, right? and three years later you're 33 and you're fucking on top of the world it's not really the way most industries work it just takes some time but in coaching probably more than anything

I guess it could happen in like tech but for every Snapchat there's a million things that fail a coach can go from like who's this guy to damn he's interviewing to be a head coach in less than five years we see it all the time

two years ago Robert Solop might have gotten fired from the 49ers next year, go to the Super Bowl. Next year he's interviewing for every job in the league. Boom, just like that. I've thought about this for a while now. Why don't we see backup quarterbacks getting more shots to start when they found success?

Taylor Heineckee comes to mind. He played very well against the bucks in the playoffs. We talked about it for a week, and then boom, he's back to the bench. I understand if the starter is great like Brady Rogers, ETC. but when your quarterback is fifths, what's the harm in giving the kid a shot? You never know. Well, here's the thing with Taylor Heineke.

I'm not going to pull up his career game log. It's not very long. So no one, including Washington, even if they love the guy, is going to bank on him being a starter because he had a moment. Right now, I know he had a couple moments down the stretch of the season, but that's a pretty big risk.

There is a lot of missing information. And I think more often than not, when backup quarterbacks get their shot, they fail. It's a pretty consistent theme in league history, right? Like even, and I would say not every backup is equal. When I talk about backups, I talk about fifth, sixth, seventh round guy, undrafted free agents, right? For every Tony Romo, there are a lot of guys that you would not put into the game if your life depended on it. And then there are guys that I'm reading, reading would be strong, listening to the Steve Young book. I mean, Steve Young was like the number one overall pick in the USFL and in the NFL.

Like that guy, they was getting paid like $5 million as a backup in 1989. Even James Winston, who was the backup last year, kind of a unique backup, right? Was the number one overall pick then became a starter. Now, if Marcus Marriota, like that guy becomes a backup, okay. But a lot of times starters just stay starters and backups stay backups. The occasional guy can rotate, maybe a James and a Mary. but like I said, I think those type guys are pretty unique cases. We've seen a lot of Heinekees.

Have a moment. Now, he was good. Look at Walford, the dude that started for Sean McVeigh in the playoff game, who got knocked out. I think if you ask Sean McVe over drinks, he'd sing the guy's praises. He likes the player. If he started 16 games, would you like the Rams? Probably not. Now, you could also argue, John, you were always preaching like just an opportunity, a shot, you never know.

that's true. But when you look at the history of the league, I think those guys are really more outliers of just even when they have their little moment than guys that could be really good starters. A mailbag question for you. Every year my buddies and I take a boys football trip to a new city. Really, it's a chance for us to party for four or five days.

Damn, that's a long-ass trip. And check out a new city culminating in a football game. We have had some fun ones, Miami, New Orleans, Nashville, and Scottsdale this year. Know you're a big Scottsdale guy. What are some under the radar cities we may not be thinking of? Also, open to any Scottsdale recommendations. We will be golfing at TPC Stadium, badass, and maybe Greyhawk. I'm playing this week.

Love the show, keep it up. Scottsdale's a sweet one. I would say, that's a great question. That really is. I've never been to a New England Patriots game, and I just think the whole Boston, I think that would be pretty sweet. Now, depending on the time of the year,

it could be really cold. Philadelphia, I mean, I lived there for a while. It's a fun atmosphere. Now, I don't know how good their team's going to be. You know, L.A. and Vegas, I think seeing both those two stadiums would not suck. I don't know. You could go stay in like Newport B,

place doesn't suck right by the water Manhattan Beach hang out get wasted for a couple days play some golf then go to the game you can do the same obviously Vegas I think Vegas would have to be up there and under the radar if you're going more for the life experience than like I don't know if Green Bay Wisconsin or Pittsburgh Steeler game works but for a football standpoint that would be high I also had someone also had someone email me this or DM me this a while back. And they said they live in Europe. And I think they look at it like we would, like what soccer game do we want to go to? Right? If we were going to like Spain or Italy and they say what stadiums?

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

I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the I-Hard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care which I'll say it. 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. One week, I'll take you behind the scenes of the biggest moments in sports and entertainment.

And the next, we'll talk about life, mental health, purpose, and even music. The Clifford Show isn't just a podcast. It's a space for honest conversations, stories that don't always get told, and for people who are chasing something bigger. So if you've ever supported me or you're just chasing down a dream, this is right where you need to be. Listen to the Clifford show on the IHeart Radio app,

Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. Do you remember when Diana Ross double-tap Little Kim's boobs at the VMAs? Or when Kanye said that George Bush didn't like black people. I know what you're thinking. What the hell does George Bush got to do with Little Kim?

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

I mean, at this point, Mark, this is the second episode where we've discussed crack. So I'm starting to see that there's a through line. We also have AIDS on the table right now. Thank you finishing that sentence. Yes. I don't think there's a more important year for black people. Really? Yeah.

For me, it's one of the most important years for black people in American history. Listen to look back at it on the IHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Welcome to my new podcast, Learn the Hardway with me, your host, and your favorite therapist, Kear Games. And in recognition of mental health awareness month, I'm bringing over a decade of my own experience in the mental health field and comments. conversations with so many incredible guests. I'm talking. Tripp Fontaine, Ryan Clark. Sometimes when we're in the pursuit of the thing,

we get so wrapped up in the chase that we don't realize that we are in possession of the thing. And we're still chasing it. And we don't know when we've done enough. Because people scoreboard watch. Life becomes about wins and losses. Steve Burns, Dustin Ross. Because you find it important to be a good person

while you hear on earth? Or are you a good person because you're afraid? Because that's two different intentions. bro. Absolutely. And that's two different levels of trust. I want you to just really be a good person. Join me, Keer Gaines, is 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 Hardway and listen now. Should I come to for the, for an atmosphere? And I said, honestly, I wouldn't sleep on college football. Like, can you go to Austin and party for a couple? couple days and go to a Texas game or go to Tuscaloosa or Baton Rouge or Athens, Georgia,

or Gainesville, Florida. Like, I think that would be pretty badass. As someone who hasn't been to any SEC football games, that would be something I would think about doing. You go in like Thursday, party Thursday, party Friday, go to the game Saturday. Hell, screw around Sunday. I believe that the college atmosphere is better than the NFL. So I would lean being open-minded to that.

But I think Vegas would be up there pretty high. Fox Sports Radio has the best sports talk lineup in the nation. Catch all of our shows at Fox SportsRadio.com. And within the IHeard Radio app, search FSR to listen live. Get right to the romance and find the way to wow this Valentine's with 1-800 Flowers.com. From classic roses and bouquets to decadent chocolate-covered berries, gourmet treats and more. Surprise your Valentine with 1800flowers.com. Right now, get the 18-stem enchanted rose medley for $39.99 or upgrade to 24 red roses for $10 more. Go to 1-800flowers.com

slash tune-in. That's 1-800flowers.com slash tune in. What grows in the forest? Trees? Sure. Know what else grows in the forest? Our imagination, our sense of wonder, and our family bonds grow. too, because when we disconnect from this and connect with this, we reconnect with each other. The forest is closer than you think. Find a forest near you and start exploring

at Discovertheforest.org. Brought to you by the United States Forest Service and the Ad Council. And we're live here outside the Perez family home just waiting for the... And there they go. Almost on time this morning. Mom is coming out the front door strong

with a double-armed kid care. Looks like Dad has the bags, daughter is bringing up the rear. Oh, but the diaper bag wasn't closed. Diapers and toys are everywhere. Ooh, but Mom has just nailed the perfect car seat buckle for the toddler. And now the eldest daughter, who looks to be about 9 or 10, has secured herself in the booster seat. Dad zips the bag closed and they're off.

Ah, but looks like Mom doesn't realize her coffee cup is still on the roof of the car, and there it goes! Oh, that's a shame. That mug was a fam favorite. Don't sweat the small stuff. Just nail the big stuff. Like making sure your kids are buckled correctly in the right seat for their age and size. Learn more at NHTSA.gov slash the right seat.

Visit NHTSA.com. Slash the right seat. Brought to you by NHTSA and the Ad Council. I'm a Fresno State alumni, and I both hate and respect the Boise State football program. Besides talent, what would coach Pat Hill, attribute their continued success. Love the podcast. Well, that's a good question.

In my experience, when we were at Fresno, they were unreal. They had Chris Peterson, who was an elite coach. So I would say they went from Dan Hawkins, who then got a job in the Big Ten to Chris Peterson, who was even better. So their coaching was top-notch. They have very, very strict from what I was told, recruiting practices. They have things in terms of your background,

your character that they don't really flinch on. They clearly get a guy who checks a couple boxes. Very tough, very smart. And who might never be like, you know, some five-star recruit, but they get guys with upside. And then I just think they're well-coached. I think football matters a lot there. There's a standard.

There's a culture that everyone kind of falls in line with. When I was at Fresno State, we had higher-level recruits than them. I even think that we had, you know, as much talent as them. They just, I don't know, were more buttoned up, I think, consistently. And they had a great quarterback. I mean, Kellyn Moore was an elite college player. Not a good NFL player, obviously, but an elite college player.

They've had good quarterbacks. They're always good on defense, in my experience. Like, Fresno, we struggled. We just weren't very good at defense. I think Nevada over the years can be hit or miss on defense. We could score points. Nevada could score points. Boise, when they're good, their defense is legit. If you have a legit defense, you know, in the non-power-five, you're going to win 10 games.

And also, when you get a culture of like, we can play with anybody, we can beat anyone, when you play Oregon or, you know, whoever, Texas A&M, or I'm just throwing out teams, I mean, Chris Peterson beat them all. They believe they can win. And they do a lot. So I think it comes to intelligence. They've had unreal coaches. Their recruiting is fantastic.

And they keep it within the family. That's another thing. And there's a balance at this, right? You always, to me, want to hire the best person possible. But in something like football, when you've had a lot of success, you want to hire within the family. It's why when Nick Saban leaves,

do you know who they probably will hire, especially if he has some success? Lane Kiffin. They will want to keep the Nick Saven program rolling with people that think like Nick Saban. They're not going to go outside the box

and hire some random coach, even if he's really good. They're not going to hire Matt Campbell. Now, would they hire Dabo Sweeney? Of course. But Dabo does it a lot different than Nick. To me, the guy, if Nick leaves, they're hiring Lane.

Dan Hawkins left. They hired Chris Peterson. My question is about paying college football players. Why is it the same colleges that produce people who are flying drones on the moon can't figure out a way to pay players that does not ruin college sports. Why not something simple as

if you graduate, if you graduate, we pay your student loans and allow them to receive endorsements with a cap on the amount. The bigger school, the lower the cap. Am I taking crazy pills? Well, if you're on the football team, you do not have student loans.

Your school is paid for. The elephant in the room is Title IX. and the women, there's equality in college sports that would not exist in any of our business world. We would not, and this works, and it's not just the girls, every sport beside basketball and football, but mainly football, depending on the school basketball as well, doesn't produce any revenue.

So the football program literally pays for your women's and men soccer coach, your softball coach, your baseball coach, your golf coach, your track and field coach, and all their scholarships. It produces all the money to subsidize all these programs. Now, is there money to pay these guys, of course. But they go to the Supreme Court over Title IX.

Like, you cannot pay the star quarterback with athletic funds and not pay the women's striker on the soccer team. That's not the way it works. When you give shoes to the men's basketball team, you have to give it to the women's basketball team and the women's lacrosse team as well. So it's a complicated business model. To me, it's simple.

just make your name, image, and likeness legal. Because everyone's like, oh my God, the inequality in college sports, these people are all going to get paid on the internet. That's where they're going to get paid on the internet. They're going to monetize YouTube channels. They're going to get paid on Instagram. They're not going to be doing car dealerships for fucking people watching television locally.

Like, that's not the way the world works. They're going to get paid on their social media following. It'll be fine. Honestly, there have been articles that women will actually benefit. some of the star women's basketball players and gymnasts have enormous Instagram followings, Snapchat, whatever. They're going to get paid that way. But I do think it's complicated.

It's easy for every, you know, radical media member to be like, oh, you got to pay the right guard. Well, then are you going to pay the backup shooting guard for the women's team? Because she has, you understand the way the sports set up? That's the way it works. I'm not anti-paying people. I also think it's very naive and ignorant to think, people ain't getting paid. Newsflash. The top guys, I mean in basketball we know for a fact.

So I like Jay Billis, but Jay Billis gets on his high horse like Jay, all the top basketball players have been getting paid since like the 60s. What the fuck are we talking about? Stop acting like no one's getting paid. They're getting paid a premium. Now, are the six figure checks going to the parents? Yeah, I mean, they should go to the kids as well, but the kids are getting paid. The shoe deals. And in football, listen, I got news for you. The dirty little secret. Money changes hands. Now, should it be more, possibly, but would I rather get $10,000 in cash, than get $15,000, you know, that the IRS knows about?

Listen, I would, but I'm not a big tax guy. You know, because everything I do is legal. I get taxed on it. These cash payments that get taken care of at the collegiate level, there's no tax, there's no trail. So, yeah, it's kind of shady, to be honest with you. But that's the world they live in. And that's not going to stop.

Just pay them through their Instagram followings, which is eventually going to happen. From San Clemente. How is it that within the last 30 years, between Favre and Rogers, the Packers of two Super Bowls and three appearances? It's a crime. We have two Hall of Fame quarterbacks

and not many rings to show for it. It's very rare for teams to transition from one great to another. I completely agree with the latter. They fell into football heaven. They went for Brett Favre, who was one of the more beloved. I don't know, he's not a top five quarterback,

but he's definitely one of the most popular quarterbacks and just popular athletes in the history of sports. I don't think any of us would debate that. And then they go to Aaron Rogers, who's even better? That's incredible. I also think the standard and the bar on like they failed is held a little high. Because they didn't.

Tom Brady and Joe Montana, what they did are outliers. How many NFC championships have they been to? Rogers been to five, right? Five. That's a lot. Farr definitely went to one because he lost to Eli, so he'd been to several. Like, they've had a lot of success. They win every year.

They produce a ton of money for the franchise. Like, it has been very, very successful. Right? At a 1 to 10 scale, 10 being the Patriots, they've been like an 8, an 8 and a half. Like, there are no nines. Right? You can say the same about Peyton Manning. Peyton Manning might be probably a 9 out of 10.

if Brady, and really, let's face it, out of a 10, Brady's like a 12 out of 10. But they're better than everyone else. Like, they've had more success. Once's the last time Seattle's been to an NFC championship game? When's the last time the Steelers been to an AFC championship game? Like, Mahomes, they might go to two Super Bowls in seven years. They are having a lot of success.

So I think sometimes we talk about failures, like getting the NFC or AFC championship game is a failure. That is not true. Sometimes you've got to look at this like the NCAA tournament Getting into the Final Four is a big deal A big deal There's only one champion And Brady accounted for seven of them over 20 years

And Peyton went to another what I know they were in different conferences But you get my point like Peyton won two It's just hard to win them Longtime listener first time sliding into the DMs I'm a diehard Browns fan And wondering your take on the team And more specifically the defense

I feel like the national media is driving the hype train and I am trying to get too high on expectations. The D was awful last year, but with the additions of Clowny, I forgot Clownies on the Browns. John Johnson, Hill, and the rookies, the guys we are getting back from injury, it's hard not to be excited. Is there a recent example of a team

that added this much talent on defense, mesh well year one? Well, if you remember the 49ers, the Super Bowl year, it just kind of hit and they had the best defense in the league, and they had added Nick Bosa, they had added D. Ford. They had added I guess Richard Sherman the year before,

but he didn't play really because he was injured. So yeah, I mean, it happens. But to me, you don't need a top five defense. If your defense is like 10 to 15 and your offense is really good, the Browns are winning 11 and 12 games as long as Baker's not a train wreck. Like, your expectations in Cleveland

1 million percent playoffs are bust. I don't think at this point you can say division or bust, though I do think you can look at it, we can win the division, and that's true. But time to go to the playoffs again, back to back years. That's hard, right? Because I think if I ask every Browns fan,

they're super excited, and they should be. They're fired up for the season. There has to be a little bit of you, though, that's a little worried. Is this too good to be true? Because you know who doesn't think too good to be true? Winning teams, right? Seattle, Kansas City, Pittsburgh, New England forever. They just, Green Bay.

Just know you're going to the playoffs. I don't think, you know, one playoff birth in, what, 18 years or whatever, I don't think you think that. Even though you know your roster is legit, legit. Your coach is good too. I actually emailed Stafansky. I just got some emails, some different guys. I emailed them to come on the podcast.

He emailed me right back. He's like, actually, I'm going to decline. I'm going to decline. I appreciate that. I'm going to decline. I might use that more when people ask me to do something. stuff if I don't have time. You know, I would love to, but I have to decline. I'm over here in Manchester, England. Just wondering what your take is on the Saints this year. There doesn't

seem to be any talk from the media regarding them. Seems strange considering how important this year is with Breeze retiring. Well, I think the biggest question mark is the quarterback. Is James Winston going to be their quarterback? Which I all think we assume he's going to be. Is James going to be good? Because it wouldn't shock me if he is. I actually think the offense is Taylor made for him. Part of Drew Breeze, he got in trouble with Ariens when he was throwing the ball down the field. He threw

all the interceptions. What are they doing with the Saints? They throw slant and out routes to Michael Thomas and they throw screens and wheel routes to Alvin Kamara. They didn't ask Drew Breeze to throw like Patrick Mahomes. He can't. James can, but you got to be careful because he'll throw it to the other team. I actually think

this offense and Sean Payton is Taylor made for them. They try to keep everything within like 15 yards of the line of scrimmage. Now, maybe they change a little bit with Famous James. But I'm really excited. I think they're going to be good. I think they're going to compete for a wild card for sure. My question is, what is your overall opinion on the college football ball games

and how different they will be in the future with 12-team playoff? Why don't think we've confirmed the 12-team playoff, though it seems like we're going there? I mean, things change. They've been less relevant the last four or five since the 14th playoff. We still watch. You know why? We gamble on it. Football still gets more eyeballs than any other sport.

So did they ever mean anything? Like what did a random bowl game mean in 2002? I went to a couple. I went to the New Mexico Bowl when I was at Fresno State. We went back to back years. What did those games mean? Newsflash. They meant nothing.

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

I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the I-Hard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what you're saying. Yep, that's me, Cliver Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, the reactions, my journey from basketball to college football, or my career in sports media. Well, somewhere along the way, this platform became bigger than I ever imagined.

And now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfiltered conversations with some of your favorite athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. One week I'll take you behind the scenes of the biggest moments in sports and entertainment. And the next we'll talk about life, mental health, purpose, and even music. The Clifford Show isn't just a podcast. It's a space for honest conversations, stories that don't always get told, and for people who are chasing something bigger.

So if you've ever supported me or you're just chasing down a dream, this is right where you need to be. Listen to the Clifford Show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok podcast network on TikTok. Do you remember when Diana Ross double-tapped Little Kim's boobs at the VMAs? Or when Kanye said that George Bush didn't like black people.

I know what you're thinking. What the hell does George Bush got to do with Little Kim? Well, you can find out on the Look Back at It podcast. I'm Sam Jett. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick a here, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it. Including a recent episode with Mark Lamont Hill, waxing all about crack in the 80s.

To be clear, 84 is big to me, not just because of crack. I'm down to talk about crack all day, but just so y'all know. I mean, at this point, Mark, this is the second episode where we've discussed crack. So I'm starting to see that there's a through line. We also have AIDS on the table right now. Thank you for finishing that sentence. I don't think there's a more important year for black people. Really?

Yeah. For me, it's one of the most important years for black people in American history. Listen to look back at it on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. Welcome to my new podcast, Learn the Hard Way with me, your host, and your favorite therapist, Keer Games. And in recognition of Mental Health Awareness Month, I'm bringing over a decade of my own experience in the mental health field and conversations with so many incredible guests.

I'm talking, Tripp Fontaine, Ryan Clark. Sometimes when we're in the pursuit of the thing, we get so wrapped up in the chase that we don't realize that we are in possession of the thing. and we're still chasing it and we don't know when we've done enough because people scoreboard watch. Life becomes about wins and losses. Steve Burns, Dustin Ross,

because you find it important to be a good person while you hear on earth, or are you a good person because you're afraid? Because that's two different intentions, bro. Absolutely. And that's two different levels of trust. I want you to just really be a good person. Join me, Kear Gaines,

is we have real conversations about healing, growth, fatherhood, pressure, and purpose on my new podcast. Learn the hard way. Open your free iHeartRadio app. Search Learn the hard way and listen now. People gamble on them. They've never met anything.

The only games that have really ever mattered were like the Rose Bowl and the National Championship. Maybe the Sugar Bowl or whatever, you know, depending on some of the main BCS bowls. BCS bowls have always felt more important than the other bowls. And that won't change. But I still think like you're not going to watch if Texas doesn't go to the, you know, the, you know, the,

make it to the playoffs and Michigan doesn't make it to the playoffs and it's Texas, Michigan. You know, on like, day after Christmas, I'm watching, you're watching, it's on TV. We're watching. I think it's just a television product. With all the additions made by the Cardinals,

what do you think Kingsbury's seat should be a little warmer coming into the season? Yeah, I mean, I hit it on it earlier. If they miss the playoffs, I think everyone there is getting fired. They have the number one overall picket quarterback. They have a ton. They just traded for DeAndre Hopkins last year. They have J.J. Watt on their team now.

They have back-to-back top. I guess Collins wasn't a top-10 pick. But he's a guy that I know my friends in the NFL thinks a stud. Now, you better avoid trouble. The last two years, you've had a JJ Watt, Collins, the middle linebacker. You add Isaiah Simmons. Like, it's time.

Kind of time to shit or get off the pot. Here's the main problem. Their division is loaded. Cow Shanahan beat their ass with C.J. Bethard last year. In a game they had to win, kicked his butt, worked them. They got kicked out of their county. They were literally living in Arizona. Played him in Arizona and kicked his butt.

So I'm just not into that scheme. It's just I'm anti the scheme. I do not think it translates to winning. Seems like a few GMs have figured it out. How does the NFL keep teams honest, with the salary cap? Do they have some sort of internal NFL IRS that audits teams? Could owners pay players

under the table or a portion of their salary through one of their many businesses to stay under the cap and keep an awesome player? By the way, my wife might hate you, pretty sure my three-year-old learned the F word from you. Well, let's face it, he's going to learn it sooner or later. That's a good question. I don't,

I'd have to, I could text someone and find the answer. The league signs off on everything. They clearly have an internal, accountant or, you know, a system with the league office. You cannot circumvent the salary cap. It's impossible, right? In terms of you can't go over the salary cap. It's illegal.

Every team follows that. Technically, yes, you could pay people under the table. You could 100% do that. If you got caught, let's say paying a player $10 million, you know, on your salary cap and then paying them another $15 million, you would get in big trouble. They would take away first round picks. So I don't think anyone necessarily risk that. Though you would be naive to think that that hasn't gone on before.

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

Their fearless guide is this fascinating world. Find a forest near you and start exploring at Discovertheforest.org. Brought to you by the United States Forest Service and the ad council. Adoption of teens from foster care is a topic not enough people know about and we're here to change that. I'm April Dinnwity host of the new podcast, Navigating Adoption, presented by Adopt U.S. Kids. Each episode brings you compelling real-life adoption stories told by the families that live them with commentary from experts. Visit Adoptuskids.org slash podcast or subscribe to navigating adoption presented by Adopt U.S. Kids. Brought to you by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Children and Families and the Ad Council.

So much attention this offseason has been on the Rogers drama, but let's assume he is the Packers quarterback week one. Have the Packers done anything this off season to get closer to getting over the NFC championship game, hump? Well, they hosted the game last year. They re-sign Aaron Jones. DeVante is a dominant. player. They bring back most of their guys on defense. I mean, to me, them in Tampa would be the clear favorites. I'd have them above above the Rams. I like Stafford, but I've seen the Packers kick Stafford's ass for years.

If Rogers is their quarterback, to me, it's a coin flip between them and the bucks. Again, they hosted the game. Now, the bucks a year in, they could be better this year, but I think Green Bay would be right there. What are your thoughts? and the Niners, Trey will be implemented into the game this year, not including injuries for Jimmy G.

Well, to me it depends. If Jimmy G's playing well, he's going to keep starting. If they're winning games and he's playing well, he's going to start. If Jimmy struggles and they think Trey's ready, it could happen week two. It could be happen in week eight. Like Kyle benched Jimmy all the time last year, he will not hesitate.

They are trying desperately to make the playoffs. that they're all in on making the playoffs. So it'll just come down to, like if you said, not factoring in injuries. If Jimmy sucks, if they have a game and they lose and he's not good, the talk will be 100% as Trayland starting next week. And it'll feel valid. And Kyle will do it.

So it could happen quickly. If Jimmy is slow out the gate, it could happen midseason. But if Jimmy's good and they're winning, then it might not happen for a minute. With the addition of the seventh playoff team and a 17th regular season game, it seems logical the next step will be expansion. Do you see the NFL eventually making it to 34 or 36 teams?

I don't. They don't have enough quarterbacks. That to me is the key. You have to have good quarterbacks. If you don't have good quarterbacks, the product sucks. There aren't 32 good quarterbacks. They don't need to expand. They just signed $110 billion television deal.

They're on top of the world. What major cities are we not in? Now, could you expand internationally, but that's a pain in the ass? I think they're in the long haul with this, with the group they have and the quarterbacks, just being limited. Now, if more quarterbacks become, like, if the league has, where you have like five Steve Young's as backups,

which I don't think is ever going to happen, then we could talk. But as of right now, I would say no. Listen to the pod. My question for you, is the NFL teams offer a guarantee signing bonus for max players and a minimum salary to go against the salary cap. That way teams can pay these big stars,

yet minimal impact on the cap. That's what happens now. So when you see a contract signed for $150 million, they give them $70, $60 million up front. The first couple years typically on the cap are small because they amortize it and push it down. The Saints did this for years. Kick the can down the road.

The big cap, like there's a really, reason Drew Brees, Des Bryant, Tony Romo, all the rich teams, they push the money back. They give the upfront money because then they can put it on their books for three or four years. Kind of like a credit card. But eventually the credit card comes due. And that's the problem. So you can do that, but it's still eventually going to hit your books. If I give you $100 million signing bonus and you have $120 million contract,

depending on if it's four or five years, I have to put all that money on my books at some point in time. So I can put $50 million on the books in four years, but that's eventually going to hit my books, right? And that's just the nature of accounting, which is why the good teams are really good at accounting, right? And some teams, you can't even avoid it because you'll always, you know, go all in on the present to worry about the future later if your team's good.

That is the right move. Appreciate everyone listening. Have a great next couple weeks. I'll be on Instagram. I'll be Instagramming a lot. So you can follow me there at John Middlecough the next week and a half. And yeah, have a great 4th of July

and let's get ready for football season, baby. Adios! If you love to be remembered as the person who gives the best birthday gifts, I'm here to tell you that 1-800flowers.com is your ultimate birthday gifting destination. 1-800 flowers has thoughtful and artfully created options that are guaranteed to deliver the best birthday surprise.

Shop thousands of unique gifts at 1-800flowers.com for exclusive offers and great values. To order today, visit 1-800flowers.com slash tune-in. That's 1-800flowers.com slash tune-in. 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 the Acapella band with their between songs banter.

Where does your group perform? We do some retirement homes. Those people are starving for banter. Listen to humor me with Robert Smigel and friends on the I-Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential.

Either way, the podcast's Superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and we the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the I-Hard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is a win. A win is a win.

I don't care what I'm saying. Yep, that's me, Clifford Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, my basketball and college football journey, or my career in sports media. Well, now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast. The Clifford Show.

This is a place for raw, unfilled conversations with athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. So let's get to it. Listen to The Clifford Show on the IHeard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast.

And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok podcast network on TikTok. On the Look Back at it podcast. From 1979, that was a big moment for me. 84's big to me. I'm Sam J. And I'm Alex English.

Each episode, we pick you here, unpack what we. went down and tried to make sense of how we survived it with our friends, fellow comedians, and favorite authors. Like Mark Lamont Hill on the 80s. 84 was a wild year. It was a wild year. I don't think there's a more important year for black people.

Listen to look back at it on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. This is an IHeart podcast. Guaranteed human.