The Herd with Colin Cowherd - 3 & Out - Best of The Week: Joe Flacco is NOT a mentor, Scottie wins again, Lions LOSE a key piece

Episode Date: June 8, 2025

This week on the podcast John talks about Joe Flacco's comments about how he doesn't want to be looked at as a mentor, another big win for Scottie on the PGA Tour, and a key loss for the Lions to thei...r offense. All that and more! Follow John on Twitter, Instagram and YouTube for the latest.  #Volume #HerdSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Starting point is 00:00:00 This is an IHeart podcast. Guaranteed Human. Hey guys, it's us. The Jonas Brothers. I'm Joe. I'm Kevin. And I'm Nick. And guess what? We created our own podcast called, Hey Jonas.
Starting point is 00:00:12 We invented a podcast? Well, we didn't invent it. We just contributed to it. We're the first people to do podcasts. We get to ask other people questions because we're sick and tired of being asked questions. Well, sick and tired is a strong way to put it. But, you know, tired and sick. Listen to Hey Jonas on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you.
Starting point is 00:00:30 you get your podcast. Just listen. We don't care where you hear it. 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 ice. Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Starting point is 00:01:04 The story I've told myself 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. If you've been searching for a soft place to land while doing the work to become whole, this podcast is for you to hear more. Listen to Deeply Well with Debbie Brown from the Black Effect Podcast Network on the I Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. I'm Joey Dardano, and on my new podcast, Hope from a Hypocrite, I'll be changing lives,
Starting point is 00:01:40 helping people in need with thoughtful solutions. 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 me. This is Help from a Hypocrite, the worst advice from the dumbest people you know. Listen to Help from Hippocrite Wednesdays on the IHart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. The volume.
Starting point is 00:02:20 What is going on, everybody? How are we doing? John Milkoff, they're in our podcast. Hopefully everyone's doing well. Listen, if you like this show and you're a listener of this show, you've got to make sure you subscribe to the three and out podcast feed and the YouTube channel. Last week we had John SpyTech, the general manager of the Raiders on. and if you listen through Collins feed, you can miss stuff like that. We have another GM lined up for next week.
Starting point is 00:02:48 So make sure you subscribe to the podcast. Today's a little best of of last week. If you missed anything, Joe Flacco said he's not a mentor. And to be honest with you, totally agree with his sentiment on that. Scotty Sheffler finds a way to win again. And the Lions lose another pro-ball high-end player to retirement before he hits 30. Now this time their franchise is good But not ideal when you lose a really really good player before 30
Starting point is 00:03:14 So we will dive into all that again Subscribe either to the podcast feed or to the YouTube channel And we will have you covered But let's dive into some football You know I got to tell you about my friends My partners in the official ticketing app Of this podcast game time Best in the business
Starting point is 00:03:33 I usually I'm not a big FOMO guy Like it takes a lot for me to feel like I'm missing out on something. And obviously this sphere, this concert venue in Vegas, has kind of taken music goers by storm. And we have James who works. I don't even know if he's still around, because he's with Jada Kiss and Fat Joe.
Starting point is 00:03:56 But he's been there. He said it's incredible. I got a buddy here, Bill Picota, who played the big leagues for like a decade and has seen the Eagles at the sphere multiple times. And he's like, bro, I cannot recommend the experience enough. Kenny Chesney now has a residence in Vegas.
Starting point is 00:04:14 And I love Kenny Chesney. I've seen him probably four or five times in my life. It's just a chill, awesome concert. And he's rocking and rolling there. And I've seen so many people post on Instagram. I'm like, I feel a little left out. I was searching today. I'm like, God, actually not that crazy expensive in 2025.
Starting point is 00:04:32 Seems like a pretty good deal. Seems like it'd be a lot of fun. Hell, I could drive there for where I'm sitting right now. So if you ever want to go to Vegas to go to the sphere, I'm not just saying this. They are not paying me to hype up the sphere. But every single person I've talked to about this, probably around 10 that has been to this event, they like can't explain it hard enough how incredible the experience and how moving it all is. How they've never seen anything like it.
Starting point is 00:04:57 And I'm seeing the same thing on social media when it comes to the Kenyon-Chesney experience. They're like, this is awesome. Hell, even my girl, Cindy Crawford. She was there with her family taking a picture with them. So if you ever want to get a chance to go to this fear and see whoever, whoever's playing there, just use game time, easy to scroll. Obviously you want to be a little higher to kind of take it all in. I don't think you want to be too low because you're looking up.
Starting point is 00:05:18 I saw Portnoy say that even Kenny told him it's a weird experience as a performer because you're used to everyone staring at you, but instead they're staring way above you. But I got to go. I got to go sometime and I want to go see someone. Like I'm not a big deadhead. But, I mean, everyone hyped it up. so I think Kenny's probably more my speed and I was like I need to go
Starting point is 00:05:39 so take the guesswork out of buying tickets with game time download the game time app create an account and use the code John for $20 off for his purchase terms apply again create an account and redeem the code J OHN for $20 off down the game time app today last minute tickets lowest price is guaranteed uh Joe Flacko made some comments
Starting point is 00:05:55 I probably could play them but the gist of it essentially was like I'm not here to mentor guys because he was asked like do you view yourself as a mentor and he gave a really, really good answer, I thought. Right? Like, he's like, I could go either way, right? I could come out and say, I'm going to be a great mentor,
Starting point is 00:06:13 and then you guys can crush me. I'm not focused enough on winning. I could say I'm not going to be a great mentor, and you guys could look at me like I'm an asshole. And the reality is I'm here to try to win games. And in fairness to Joe Flacco, Joe Flacco knows this, Kevin Stefansky knows this,
Starting point is 00:06:31 because he surely told him when Joe Flackos came there, and signed. The entire team knows this because a couple years ago, Joe Flacco led them to the playoffs. And I don't know how long this is going to go on. I don't know if their team's going to be that good. But when it comes to week one, if he's healthy, Joe Flacco's going to be the starter. Like I saw Colin go on this thing that Shador should be the starter right now. Like, yeah, listen, for an entertainment standpoint and content standpoint, I'm all for it. This is not going to happen. Joe Flacco is the starting quarterback for the Cleveland Brown's week one. You can put that thing and fucking Sharpie.
Starting point is 00:07:05 And if I'm signed to be the starter, my job is not to mentor the guy. My job, especially in the off-season and in August training camp and going into week one, is to try to help my team win. Now, if Joe Flacko had said this as the backup quarterback
Starting point is 00:07:21 for Josh Allen, or that's a bad example because he's been in the league for a while, let's say the Bears had signed him to back up Caleb Williams, or the Patriots had signed him to back up Drake May. And he had said this.
Starting point is 00:07:32 And it was clear like, Joe, you're not the starter. I would have been like, that's the wrong signing for that team. Because when the Kansas Chiefs signed Chad Henney, the year they got rid of Alex Smith for Patrick Mahomes, the reason they signed Chad Henney, obviously he had a bunch of experience. He was married and mature. But was just to help Patrick Mahomes to be like an older voice in the room
Starting point is 00:07:55 on how to prepare and be a pro, aka be a mentor. That was his role. That is not Joe Flacko's role. On June 1st, 2025, his job is to be the starting quarterback for the Cleveland Browns. So I've seen a million different thoughts and people with different takes on this. Like, guys, it's not that complicated. He's the starting quarterback.
Starting point is 00:08:15 We all know that's going to play out. Now, if by week seven and they are two and five and he gets benched and Dylan Gabriel or Shador is thrown in the mix, then yeah, his job then pivots to help that guy out, which he has surely done before. but like you can only do so much you really can't like look at last year I would imagine he tried to help Anthony Richardson out
Starting point is 00:08:40 but there's a chance to some of these young guys because this is the nature of you know a young I don't want to say no at all but I think young successful people probably think they know more than they actually do they're probably not asking him unlimited questions and the other thing he alluded to
Starting point is 00:08:59 like ideally I hope our relationship's good like that's just the organic nature of being a good teammate and being around each other and being like-minded people but there's no guarantee it's like yeah welcome to life you can work with people if you don't have the same values and morals and kind of standards uh if one guy's lazy and you and you don't buy into it or that guy if you're lazy and the guy that's a grinder you're not going to get along it's not going to happen it's not going to go well we have all been in different scenarios in our professional life once you get to a certain age. If you've worked in the workforce, I would say for over a decade, you have worked with someone
Starting point is 00:09:40 you do not like. I think that's borderline impossible. Now, depending on your personality, that number could be higher or lower. But we have all worked with people. Again, not a boss that kind of rubs you the wrong way or piss you off. I'm saying someone you legitimately can't stand. Someone you view as like a piece of shit. low character loser
Starting point is 00:09:59 and that happens I'm sure in every locker room there are a couple people that can't stand each other and you hope that's not the case and you definitely hope it's not in the quarterback room but it is not Joe Flacco's job
Starting point is 00:10:12 to hold you know everyone's going to say Shador and here's the thing with Shador the coaching staff and the GM drafted Dillon Gabriel first so we can all want Shadour to play from an entertainment standpoint who do you think Kevin Stafansky
Starting point is 00:10:27 and Andrew Barry are going to put out first. Because they do control a lot of this. I've said forever the moment you get drafted, a GM in a front office can like the player, but they don't control the practice script. They don't control who goes in when at practice. Now, obviously some GMs have more juice than others, but the coach has the majority of the poll,
Starting point is 00:10:49 especially once a practice starts, he can do whatever he wants to do. So it's going to be on those two guys who are going to be taking reps with back. backups, and who knows, maybe because Flacco is old and has so much experience that they just don't even give him that many reps. I have a hard time seeing that in training camp, at least, because you do need to have everyone on your team, at least think that you have the belief that winning is possible,
Starting point is 00:11:18 right? You can flip the script pretty easily once you've lost a couple games, but in training camp, what's the point of grinding if we're just going to mail in the season? That's why tanking doesn't exist in the NFL. because no one has that mentality. No one just fucking mails it in. Now, maybe they do some sort of, you know, like they did last year with Drake May and Jacoby Verset.
Starting point is 00:11:37 Jacobi was going to start week one. But in training camp, they were splitting the reps, unlike most teams would normally do. And maybe they do that with the young players in Gabriel and Chador when it comes to training camp reps with Joe Flacco because you go he doesn't need as many reps. But I don't blame him for thinking that at all. The NBA finals are here, and this is your last chance to bet on the NBA until next season.
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Starting point is 00:14:42 Hey, it's us, the Jonas Brothers, and guess what? We have some big news. What's the news, name? Huge news. We created our own podcast called, Hey Jonas. We invented a podcast?
Starting point is 00:14:52 Well, we didn't invent it. We just contributed to it. We're the first people to do podcasts. Pretty, yeah, pretty wide range of podcasts throughout there. But this one's extra special. So how do we, how do we, actually come up with a name Hey Jonas guys I honestly don't remember
Starting point is 00:15:05 I think it was on a call about what we should call it and well we were thinking I'm originally calling it one of the early names of our band before Jonas Brothers was this is how you guys remember it going down yes I have a very different memory of this we were talking about a thing a bit for the podcast
Starting point is 00:15:24 for people could call in and say hey Jonas and then I wrote down on my little notepad hey Jonas and offered it up as a potential title for the podcast But thanks for remembering that, guys. Listen to Hey Jonas on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Just listen. We don't care where you hear it.
Starting point is 00:15:42 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?
Starting point is 00:16:02 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. The French Open is one of the toughest tests in tennis. And I know firsthand because I competed there myself. I'm Renee Stubbs. And on the Renee Stubbs tennis podcast, I'm breaking down everything happening at Roland Garris. Every match, every upset, and what it really takes to win on clay.
Starting point is 00:16:30 Genschen win. I mean, she went down in three to Rabakina, but I'm delighted. She's an outsider to win the French for me. And she likes Clay. Listen, Lernerabakina is arguably the best player in the world right now. And I actually can win on any surface. Because if she's serving, well, good luck. Consider this your court side seat to the French Open.
Starting point is 00:16:51 Listen to the Renee Stubbs tennis podcast on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Presented by Capital One, founding partner of IHeart Women's Sports. 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.
Starting point is 00:17:18 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. Gotti Sheffler wins again. I guess we shouldn't be shocked. Kind of kicking myself. Liked him at the PGA Championship,
Starting point is 00:17:50 but really liked him the last couple weeks. And Ben Griffin wins at the Colonial a couple weeks ago, but Scotty wins Memorial. He goes back to back for the first guy to do that at Jack's tournament since Tiger Woods. He has three wins in his last four starts, and he has combined to win those tournaments by eight shots, five shots, that would be 13, and then 4, 17 shots. Safe to say, I thought it was a little hyperbolic last year. I know he was having a tiger-like season, but I think sometimes when you compare people to Tiger Woods, to Tom Brady, to, as a hitter, if like comparing you to Tony Gwyn, you make these lofty,
Starting point is 00:18:37 comparisons. Typically, they're unfair because like the best of the best, they do it over a course. You know, Tiger for a decade kicked everyone's ass. Tom Brady did it for 15, 20 years, right? Some of these guys, they have such long careers of dominance. And, you know, Scotty's really been doing it coming into this year for like a year and a half at the highest level, which is incredible, which is very, very hard to do with the sport. And if you look historically, a lot of Hall of Fame golfers just that have had great long careers take advantage of like 24 months and if you look at some major stretches
Starting point is 00:19:14 like guys that have won three or two majors they usually do it over like two calendar years and you just never know golf's really hard I mean at one point in time you would have thought Rory back in 2014 would have won 10 majors you would have said the same thing for Jordan Speeth I'm watching Jordan Speath yesterday watching the final round at Memorial
Starting point is 00:19:34 I mean the guy is got to be the most entertaining golfer of all time. I mean, on any given moment, he can hit someone in the head with a golf ball or have a put for like a seven foot or for eagle. You have no clue what's coming at any moment. It is the ultimate roller coaster ride. And Scotty Sheffler currently is the complete opposite. You know exactly what you're getting.
Starting point is 00:19:55 He's not only the heavy favorite to win next week at Oakmont. I think I speak for everybody. It would be shocking if he doesn't win. It really would. He's plus 280. And all we ever say about this sport currently is it's never been deeper. There's never been more talent. We say the same thing about the NBA.
Starting point is 00:20:15 And while I'd probably agree in terms of basketball, there probably has never been more individual talent and more skilled guys in the sport. It's not an individual sport. It's a team game. And now with the mercenary kind of element of basketball, you've got guys jumping all over the place. So there's no cohesion with teams. I'd argue, like, top to bottom, there have never been more, I don't know, worse teams, but just more chaotic situations.
Starting point is 00:20:43 Even talented teams aren't as good because they haven't played together for long. When I grew up on the NBA, for example, it was like baseball and basketball, you had core groups that played together for a long time. And you got to build cohesion. Or in golf, it doesn't really matter. It's just yourself. You're just playing yourself. And the thing about team sports, like, let's use the basketball analogy. Oklahoma City.
Starting point is 00:21:05 They're clearly really good. So when they have one guy has an off night, when you're an elite team, you got other guys to pick you up. We've seen it in college sports forever. Like it's really easy to go on a run when you have a roster like 2019 LSU football or those couple years of Georgia football
Starting point is 00:21:23 with all the NFL players they had. Or Jim Harbaugh's team two years ago at Michigan or the decade worth of Nick Savants teams. They were dramatically better than everyone else. and there was maybe a game or two throughout the season where the competition was going to be close to equal. We've seen in college basketball for a long time. Hell, this year, with Duke.
Starting point is 00:21:43 They don't win at all, but it was clear every game they played except maybe two or three, they were clearly better than the other team. So even if some random shit happens, the margin for error, because we got five guys on the court or 11 guys on the field in football, is going to be on my side.
Starting point is 00:22:00 In golf, there's a huge randomness to the sport. right? What if you're just feeling shitty that day? I was thinking this yesterday when I was recording a podcast on Sunday. I'm like, I don't think my brain's working. Like, was this podcast the worst podcast I've ever done in my entire life? But like, it's whatever. We have five, six days a week doing podcasts every single week all year long, year after year. It's like, okay, you just keep on swinging.
Starting point is 00:22:24 In golf, like you play in these tournaments, as Scotty's doing, you got four days. What if just one day you're just feeling like crap? What if one day the bounces don't go your way? Instead of like hitting two yards farther and bouncing five feet away from the hole, it kicks back and you get plugged in the bunker. And instead of getting a birdie, you get a double bogey and that's the reason
Starting point is 00:22:43 maybe you don't make the cut. That's just not happening to Scottie Schaeffler at all. It's what was so amazing about Tiger Woods, which people said forever his most amazing accomplishment of his career was his consecutive cut streak. He never missed the cut. Why? Because like, obviously he was the best player
Starting point is 00:23:01 but to me that spoke it didn't mean he won every week because he didn't I mean if you're an all-time golfer and you're even getting close to winning like 10% of the time that's an incredible clip yet Tigers give a shit factor was really
Starting point is 00:23:15 really high he took everything really really seriously and I would say the same thing about Scottie Schephler which early in the year he gave him a little bit and benefited out because he had the injury to his hand and everything was just a little off you're like it's golf cut his hand kind of a freaked deal And then right around the Masters, it felt like, is this going to be Rory's year?
Starting point is 00:23:34 He wins at Pebble, he wins the players, and then he finally wins the Masters. You're like, is Rory about to have like five or six wins this season in a couple majors and kind of steal the throne back from Scotty? And Scotty, to quote Lee Corso said, not so fast, my friend. Pump the fucking breaks. Then he goes to the CJ Cup in a field that, let's face it, not very good. And you're like, listen, this is a warm up for the PGA championship. He'll probably win.
Starting point is 00:23:59 even if he doesn't, as long as he gets some good momentum, finishes in the top five. Not only does he win, he wins by eight shots. Then he goes to the PGA, where he wins by five shots. So in two straight weeks, he wins tournaments by a combined 13 shots. And then he goes to last two weeks ago with the Colonial. Ben Griffin wins. But it's not like Scotty just mailed it in.
Starting point is 00:24:20 The craziest part about this guy is like, he never just has a random week where he finishes like 35th. He finished fourth that week. Then comes into this week defending champ. no big deal all win easily and as jack nicholas said is like yeah you know ben griffin sep straka nick taylor nice players but let's be honest they're not in scottie's league sepstrakka won this year ben griffin literally just won last week and he just dismissed them and so does scotty kicked his ass even though i actually think ben griffin wasn't terrible a couple
Starting point is 00:24:53 wayward shots or he's right there uh but what he's doing right now in an individual sport where you have no one to bail you out. Like if you're just feeling like shit, if you didn't sleep well, if I don't know, we've all played golf, you just don't have it. I heard Scott Van Pelt say this I think a couple weeks ago on his podcast.
Starting point is 00:25:12 He's like, the most impressive thing always was about Tiger is like he didn't have it every week. But there were some rounds where most guys would have ended up shooting 74 or 75 and essentially lost the tournament on like a Thursday or Friday because either
Starting point is 00:25:28 they missed the cut or where they've been too far back. And Tiger was always able to find like, you know what, I'm not shooting 74 today. I'm going to end up shooting 70. I'm not shooting 76 today. I'm shooting 72. And you just keep kind of your head above water. And Scotty right now has, I mean, Rory at any moment, if you tell me, like on an individual week, mails it in, finishes 35th, like totally believable.
Starting point is 00:25:52 Zander, I'm giving him a little benefit of the doubt this year because of the rib injury. Like, it's kind of a tough injury to play. through. He was incredible last year. He's been one of the better players in the world. Clearly not quite himself this year. And it's hard, you know, with Bryson and Rom, not playing with these guys every single week. But what Scottie's doing, like, I thought we were obviously witnessing an all-time great player, but like the Tiger comparisons, the Jack, like, this is, if he goes to win at Oakmont to have these back-to-back years of winning at this clip and just kicking the shit out of everybody.
Starting point is 00:26:28 I understand Rory wasn't there last week, but every player other than Rory was trying to beat this guy. And he's just curb stomping the Justin Thomas's, the Xanders, like, it's not even close. The Patrick Cantlays, these guys are all going to be like on the Ryder Cup team with him. And they're just, so Jack's taking this line of the Ben Griffins, the Seps Strakhas aren't in his league. Like, nobody's in his league.
Starting point is 00:26:55 Rory turns out not in his league like none of these guys are so the guys that are right behind them on the Ryder Cup list the Xanders the Justin Thomas is like it's not even close it's not a fair fight in a sport that like there's just some randomness
Starting point is 00:27:12 that even if you get hot you kind of come back to earth it's pretty crazy to witness I mean I'm watching yesterday kicking myself like why didn't you put an astronomical amount of money on this guy and every time I talk myself out of it just like, ah, this is going to be the week, and then he goes and wins. I always think when a player retires, quote-unquote, randomly,
Starting point is 00:27:32 especially when there is, you know, the car situation had gotten, let's say, toxic between the new coaching staff, mainly the new head coach, him, they weren't on the same page. It clearly got weird. And I do think that I would imagine we'll see when quotes come out, when Dan Campbell finally gets in front of a mic or Brad Holmes, the GM. that they would have been in communication over the offseason with Frank Ragnow. Their starting center, and let's face it, one of the better interior offensive linemen in the NFL. It's always a little jarring when you see a guy just choosing to quit at 29 years old.
Starting point is 00:28:13 Now, I think what makes pro sports in 2025 so much different than I would say the previous, We could even go the last 10 years, but anything before that is the money is so outrageous. It really is. Frank Ragnos is 29 years old and he's already made $57 million. So even if you factor in after taxes, he's taken in net probably, I don't know, well over $30 million. And he lives in a place that, you know, no shade to Detroit. And obviously they have some high-end places, but isn't Manhattan or Newport Beach.
Starting point is 00:28:50 so his money's going a little bit farther. And I do think that makes or gives guys the opportunity when they're in a lot of pain. Because the one thing with football is we've all been critical and I'm guilty as anybody is being like, this is not the NFL I know. This is not the sport that I grew up loving. This was not the sport.
Starting point is 00:29:13 When I was in high school, it was suspicious. You could take out of anybody. The Ronnie Lotz, the John Lynch, the Troy Paul Mollos, the Ray Lewis's, that's my NFL. It was a much more violent game in the open field. That is true. Can't touch the quarterback anymore. That's a fact.
Starting point is 00:29:31 Which I do understand from a business perspective, but when you're watching a game, when it's your team, when you're betting on a game, and they throw a roughing the passer penalty on a quarterback hit that is like hitting him with a pillow, it makes you want to puke. I mean, it really does. But the one area where you can still be really violent and an area in which more and more elite players have come in the league over the past decade at defensive tackle, let alone defensive end, is the line of scrimmage.
Starting point is 00:30:06 And the speed, the power, the size of these humans is, it's crazy whenever the combine comes around and you see the measurables on the defensive linemen in the league. and Frank Ragnow said, like, I've tried to talk myself that I'm not into a lot of pain, and at the end of the day, I just do not feel right. And if you look at his injury history, he's had a bunch of injuries over the course of his career, and you do not become a pro bowl level player, a high-end player, a first-round pick, a guy that is just, you know, one of the better players at your position at offensive line, if you are not a tough son of a bitch. Like, no one can question your toughness when you play center or guard,
Starting point is 00:30:48 and you are a high-end player at that position. So I'm going to take him at his word that the pain and the worry about, like, this might not work moving forward, right? Jason Kelsey talked about this when he retired. Like, could I keep playing? Of course. Now, he was much older than Ragnow, but I'm in so much pain when I get out of bed every morning,
Starting point is 00:31:08 not even counting the season. I'm talking about the off-season. And I do think it makes it easier to make life decisions when you have a lot of money in the bank. and your family is secured, and you're not going to have to worry about anything. Is it unlimited money? Is it enough where you couldn't blow it if you did some stupid things? Of course not.
Starting point is 00:31:29 But is it more money? Are you immediately in the top 1% of the 1% with having millions upon millions upon millions of dollars in the bank? You can look at things a little bit differently. And it has to be difficult to make this decision. I think if you're the Lions, I've said this before and I still believe this today. Now, it is more difficult in this spread offense version of college football, this transfer portal world we live in. I always thought that guards and centers are the most replaceable.
Starting point is 00:32:01 Now, when you get pro bowl guys, it is hard to find another pro bowl guy. But the drop off of just finding another center who can function is much smaller than if Penae Soule retired. It's like, what do I do at tackle? It's like, yeah, you can be screwed. I see it with the 49ers all the time when Trent Williams gets injured. It's like, what do we do? And the answer is there's nothing you can do. Because your swing tackle can never just step in.
Starting point is 00:32:29 You know, the lions over the last couple of years have actually had a pretty good swing tackle. But it's why their offensive line has been awesome. But for the most part, like there's a massive drop off with your third tackle than given a guy that your starter, especially when that starter is a high-end guy. But I think we've seen like, you know, Derek Carr 30 years ago, is still playing football, right? But he's made over $200 million. And it's like, you know what?
Starting point is 00:32:53 I'm just kind of over this. Not dealing with the politics of this business. And Frank is like, you know what? 30 years ago, when, again, NFL players were still making a lot of money in the 90s, they weren't making life-changing, generational changing money when you were the center in 1987. You keep playing. Because Frank, hell, he could make $10 million this upcoming season. Hell, he could hold out because he has no guaranteed money left on his contract and surely get a raise.
Starting point is 00:33:24 I mean, he's scheduled to make like $9.5 million in actual cash. I bet he could get that number easily up to $15 plus million. But you're like, you know, it's not even worth it to me. I don't even want to deal with this. And who knows? He's young enough that maybe in a year, maybe he's feeling better that he gets the itch. And trust me, there would be either the Lions or other teams willing to scratch that itch. but I think a huge element of these decisions, even going back to Calvin Johnson, you know, I think
Starting point is 00:33:52 Barry Sanders' decision was strictly based on this franchise fucking sucks. This is not fun. This is a miserable experience running around and never winning. I do think the guys that we've seen in recent memory have factored in pain and I'm super rich. It's just not worth it. Patrick Willis had the feet. I think Calvin Johnson had the feet as well.
Starting point is 00:34:15 you know, Derek Carr has this messed up shoulder. Those are just ones that come to mind. It's like, you know what? I don't need the money anymore. Aaron Donald. I mean, Aaron Donald's still kicking ass and taking names. He's like, I already banked $100 million. I'm good, dog.
Starting point is 00:34:29 I'm out. I've already accomplished everything I've set out to accomplish. I still feel good. I see some of these clips. I saw an Instagram reel of Aaron Donald lifting. It's like, Jesus, guy looks fantastic. He looks like he could, you'd make it all pro this season if he came back.
Starting point is 00:34:44 I would actually bend on it. But it's like, you know what, it's not worth it to me. Because football, more than these other sports, like baseball, you just play every single night. You don't practice. Take a little BP and you play. Basketball, if you're on a good team by like Christmas, you don't even, you don't practice at all either.
Starting point is 00:35:01 I don't think LeBron James teams have practices in like a decade. So, like, football's the one sport where you practice and mentally practice with meetings and rehab and working on your body, and lifting way more than you get to play. I say this all the time because I think it's one of the great quotes of all time. Ray Lewis saying you pay me Monday through Saturday. Sundays are for free.
Starting point is 00:35:26 Because playing football at any level, if you played in high school, if you played pee-wees, if you good enough to play in college, the games are the fun part, right? It's everything else that sucks. And I think it's made these decisions for some of these guys that could I battle through a couple more years of this pain
Starting point is 00:35:43 for another $20 million, which most humans would do, well, it's easy to go, yeah, it's not quite worth it when you've already made millions of dollars. And I think that's really the number one factor here. The volume. Hey, guys, it's us, the Jonas Brothers. I'm Joe. I'm Kevin.
Starting point is 00:36:06 And I'm Nick. And guess what? We created our own podcast called, Hey, Jonas. We invented a podcast? Well, we didn't invent it. We just contributed to it. We get to ask other people to do podcasts.
Starting point is 00:36:17 We get to ask other people questions because we're sick and tired of being asked questions. Well, sick and tired is a strong way to put it, but, you know, tired and sick. Tired and sick. Listen to Hey Jonas on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Just listen. We don't care where you hear it.
Starting point is 00:36:32 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, 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.
Starting point is 00:36:56 Listen to humor me with Robert Smigel and friends on the I-heart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. I'm Joey Dardano. And on my new podcast, Hope from a Hypocrite, I'll be changing lives, helping people in need with thoughtful solutions. Sike, I'm a comedian.
Starting point is 00:37:12 I'm not qualified to give good advice. Join me and my comedian friends as we riff, rant, and recommend some of the most legally dubious advice known to me. This is Help from a Hypocrite, the worst advice from the dumbest people you know. Listen to Help from a Hypocrite Wednesdays on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, it's Edwin Castro, also known as Castro 1021.
Starting point is 00:37:37 And I'm Conky, his best friend and business manager. And we've got a new show called The 1021 Podcast. I'm taking you behind the scenes on how I became, one of Twitch's most popular streamers. We also love sports. And with the World Cup right around the corner, we'll be breaking down the biggest storylines ahead of the big tournament here in the USA.
Starting point is 00:37:59 Listen to the 1021 podcast on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. This is an IHeart podcast. Guaranteed human.

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