The Herd with Colin Cowherd - 3 & Out - Choking in sports, Trevor Lawrence's contract, Brandon Aiyuk's comments

Episode Date: June 18, 2024

Coming off of Rory choking at the US Open, John discusses a few different teams/QB's that need to step up in the playoffs and not choke when it comes to winning the Super Bowl. Later, John reacts to Trevor Lawrence's new contract and how that deal will have an impact on future QB contracts for Jordan Love, Dak, Tua, and Brock Prudy. Finally, he dives into the comments from Brandon Aiyuk to Jayden Daniels regarding the 49ers, and the latest with the In-Season Hard Knocks. Lastly, John answers your questions during this episode's mailbag segment. 8:07 - Choking in sports 20:45 - Trevor Lawrence's new contract 32:30 - Jordan Love's future contract 35:43 - Latest with Tua 37:13 - Will Brock get paid 40:18 - Brandon Aiyuk has words to Jayden Daniels 50:41 - Mailbag Follow John on Twitter, Instagram and YouTube for the latest. Check out Gametime - the fastest growing ticketing app in the US, and the official ticketing app of 3 & Out and GoLow -  for tickets to all of your favorite NFL, NBA, NHL, NCAA teams. Concert and comedy show tickets, too. Go to Gametime now to create an account, download the app and use code JOHN for $20 off your first purchase. #Volume #HerdSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Today we are going to do a little football. But I did want to stay on the theme of choking in sports and just devastating collapses because, let's face it, they're pretty interesting to watch. I have to dive into Trevor Lawrence and the contract because that was clearly a pretty big wow eye-opening moment last week. Didn't see that coming? I guess we knew that they were working on a contract. I think the numbers relative to other players was pretty eye-opening.

And we're just going to fly through. Did Jared Goff kind of get screwed? What this means for Dak Prescott? Jordan Love, should he kind of slow play this? Tua. and what this means for Brock Purdy next year. So a lot of ramifications of this contract. Hit on a couple other things.

Iyuk's comments today. In-season hard knocks. Some stuff that's on Netflix and the business behind that operation for the Christmas Day games. We'll do a little Middilkoff mailbag today. At John Middlecoff is the Instagram firing those DMs. Hit me up whenever you want. We'll do a much bigger mailbag probably later in the week. slow times.

It's mid-June. And we'll have a couple of guests on over the next couple weeks for sure and then probably taking the 4th of July week off. So there won't be any podcasts that week. But other than that, we will have shows the next couple weeks for sure. And you guys know the drill.

Subscribe to the podcast. All of our content on three and out podcast, golf content, all under the same feed. Also all under the umbrella of a YouTube page. Go subscribe to that as well. Well, just type in my name. All of our audio is put on video, so go check that out. And other than that, let's dive into some football.

But before we dive into some football talk, I got to tell you about my close personal friends and the official ticketing partner of this podcast, Game Time. I've been hammering this drum for a while. Middle Coff's like, do you need to read these game time ads every single pot? Yes, I do. Contractually obligated slash love these guys. used them for everything. From games, baseball, hockey, football, to concerts to comedy shows, get out, go do something fun with a loved one, with a friend.

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you name it, is fascinating to watch. It is riveting TV. For as great as it is to watch a guy with just a historic performance, you could argue there's nothing quite like a collapse. Now, if you're betting on someone or a huge fan of the team, it sucks. It is gut-wrenching. I'll never forget when I was a kid, I was a big Sacramento Kings fan, and they had the Lakers on the ropes, and then Robert Ory,

actually, Vladdy tipped it out to Robert Ory, and it hit a three, and then the mob got involved with Tim Donagy and the rest is history. and it sucked. But from an entertainment value, it didn't get much better. I was at game 7 of the 2016 NBA finals when the Warriors lost the Cavs. Now, I was rooting for the Warriors, but you were on the edge of your seat watching that game. And I think the powerful emotion that watching someone or a team fall apart, you could argue there's nothing quite like it in all.

of sports. I'm recording this before the basketball game the night, you know, the hockey game, the Oilers were dead to rights and somehow they won like 75 to 1 the other night. But if either one of those two teams were to come back, it just would be a historic collapse. And by the time you got to game six or seven, it'd be pretty riveting. And the thing you've seen in football is because forever like in golf, which, you're I like Tiger Woods as much as any athlete of all time. It felt like when he was in control, he was never going to lose. He was never going to choke.

And it felt like people fell apart around him. And I think you see that sometimes in football. And I think Patrick Mahomes and just the chiefs in general, because unlike golf, it's not an individual sport. Patrick Mahomes this year relied on his defense to be awesome and they were. But it does feel like when you're playing him, in a big game, other guys get tight. And you saw it this year with Lamar Jackson and their offensive coordinator,

got really tight and had an awful game. And they blew it. I was all in on the Ravens for that game. I had $5,000 on them, which is a large NFL bet for me. And even though I know Andy and Veach and I love those guys, I just thought like, how are the Ravens going to lose this game? And then by the end of the first half, you're like, this is a joke. What is going on?

and Josh Yowd and Lamar Jackson to me right now are the second and third best quarterback. Burroughs in his own little category. He's the one guy that slayed the dragon, but he's been injured. It's hard to know if he can sustain his season right now. He's got a big year coming up. Can he stay on the field? But we've seen him do it. Like, he got over the hump.

Hell, he was winning the Super Bowl with, I don't know how many minutes left, five, six minutes left against the L.A. Rams. He's like going to win the Super Bowl. Like, I've seen Joe Burrow not get tight, not play bad in big moments. And I think when you look at Lamar Jackson and you look at Josh Allen going against Mahomes, it's like they've kind of had different routes because the 13 second loss to the Kansas Chiefs when Buffalo Bills blew it, that was not on Josh Allen.

I looked at Josh Allen's playoff numbers today. He's been remarkable in the playoffs. He has 21 touchdowns and four interceptions. And if you would have told me like sounds about right because the eye test, he has been a baller in the playoffs. And you know what the Chiefs would tell you? We'd rather play Lamar Jackson than Josh Allen. I don't blame them.

I think if you put Josh Allen on this Ravens team, Chiefs don't win that game. You are dependent as a quarterback on your defense, on your coaching staff. It wasn't his fault. The defense, I don't know, had no clue what they were doing a couple years ago. And you look at Lamar Jackson,

his statistics in the playoffs have not been good. He's thrown six touchdowns and six interceptions. He's had some good rushing performances, but in the losses, they have not been good. Now, the rushing performance against the Chiefs, I don't put that all on him. That's on the offensive coordinator. I don't know.

Called double the amount of runs. But ultimately, watching those teams lose to the Chiefs is just a fascinating experience. And to overcome this, and this is a thing I've been saying about the Chiefs for a while, they feel a little bit like Tiger Woods right now. Who is going to bet against them this year in a playoff game? Whether it's on the road, whether it's at home,

if Mahomes is there and Andy Reid is there and Chris Jones and Travis Kelster are playing, there ain't a soul who's betting against them because you'd be crazy too. It doesn't mean that they're always going to win the game. But I grew up, people forget this because Peyton Dow is considered a top five quarterback. Up until he had the crazy comeback against Tom Brady, he was viewed as a choke artist. He really was. And that word sometimes can be strong, right? Some guys, sometimes you just play bad.

right, did Lamar choke against the Chiefs? Or did he get tight? Did he just play poorly? Was it bad play calling? Like, Roy choked. John Vandervel choked. Peyton Manning, I thought, and I was a huge Peyton Manning guy in high school and in college. Up until he won that Super Bowl, I was rooting for him.

I just root for the Colts because I loved watching him play. He got tight in the playoffs. Now, did he choke? Did he overthink it? Did he not play well? I don't know. But it was crazy to experience. and then once you win that championship, it kind of goes away.

And for Rory, for example, like he choked, but he already has four majors. So even if he never wins another major, which I disagree with, I think he's going to win one. Even Bryson said that. In the back of, like, in his resume, he goes, I'm a champion. And that's the one thing, and you could throw burrow in this too, until you do it in football. One, there's no guarantee it's really hard. And two, like, you always have that kind of pressure on your shoulder to get it done. you specifically and the team.

But you're very dependent on the coaching staff. You're very dependent on obviously if you're a quarterback, the defense, and whether you're playing on the road, whether you're playing at home. But I know this. And this is what makes football so awesome because we've had historic collapses. Anyone listening to me for a long time knows I thought Brandon Saley was a joke. But the moment that happened on the road against Jacksonville a couple years ago in the playoffs, how could anyone take him seriously?

I mean, that's one of, I think statistically, it's like the worst collapse in playoff history. Maybe the bills against the Oilers had a bigger comeback, but it had to be right up there. But it was the way it happened, right? Trevor Lawrence had thrown all the picks. They were cruising. And then it's like, I don't even know if they have enough possessions to come back. And then they found a way to do it. Like 28 to 3.

Now, part of it is because it was the Patriots, because it was Belichick and Brady. But let's face it, as big of a story as that is, for the Patriots, it's honestly bigger of a story for the Atlanta Falcons and the collapse they had. You just never shake that. But I don't know, man. It's going to be fascinating to watch if the Bills and the Ravens, whenever you have an elite quarterback in the peak of his powers, there's no guarantee that like, you know, we couldn't get it done in his prime, but when he was older, Mike Shanahan came and Elway won a couple and then he retired.

That is, you've got to take care of business now. and I just think both these two quarterbacks, obviously there's more pressure on Lamar because how poor his playoff resume is than Josh, because a lot would chalk it up, it's not really his fault. The defense and the coaching staff, like what the hell were they doing?

But either way, you either win a championship or you don't. You either get it done in these big moments or you don't. And both of them are losing to the same guy and the same team. So I'm riveted by just, disastrous joke jobs. Tell me that this is going to be an epic collapse and I'm sitting on the couch. And the reality is most of us are because you could argue that is more entertaining than anything in sports.

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And with the World Cup right around the corner, we'll be breaking down the biggest storylines ahead of the big tournament here in the USA. Listen to the 1021 podcast on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Okay, Trevor Lawrence. My first reaction was, holy shit. That is insanity. And several days later, I haven't changed my opinion that much.

And I think the conventional wisdom when it comes to these contracts is the price only goes up. It can only go up. That's actually not true. Stocks, for example, which players, I think, have a lot in comparison to, you're either ascending or you're descending. You're either going up or you're going down. you're not guaranteed to get better. Just because I buy something that's going up doesn't mean that it can't come down. Just because you buy something that's low doesn't mean it can't fly up.

We see it all the time in football. See it all the time in sports. You sign guys to low contracts and they far out seed and exceed those expectations of the money you're paying them. And we have a long list of guys, especially in football, that you pay a lot of money to and do not live up to the contract. I'll defend overpaying guys in free agency because typically they have a five, potentially a six year body of work.

You have seen what they have done. This is essentially buying that it's going to get dramatically better than what it's been. Now, unlike a lot of people I think on the internet, I don't just think Trevor Lawrence sucks. I don't like this guy overrated. It's not really the, debatable that he has not lived up to the hype.

Not even close. Andrew Luck, by year three, you knew the guy was a rocket ship. He literally was rattling off playoff victories with a pretty average roster, and let's face it, a joke of a head coach. Trevor Lawrence last year, and here's where I knew, like, at the Combine, all these coaches in the media kind of area where they do their press conferences are just kind of lingering around. You can bullshit with them.

And I've known Doug since I worked with him with the Eagles. And we were just shooting the shit talking about his kids. And I started asking about Trevor Lawrence. And he loves him. And it was not like he had no reason to lie to me. I mean, we were just kind of BSing. And it was clear, like, I don't think he's joking. He really likes him.

And clearly by the Jags, actions, they really like the guy. And I'm all four really liking the guy and really believing in the guy. But wouldn't you rather pay an extra 15% of what you're willing to pay right now, should just feel really good about this? You just guaranteed him almost $150 million the moment he signed his contract. The overall practical guarantees are $200 million.

Like, if I'm going to sign one of those contracts, I can't have any questions. Even if you're not Peyton Manning or Tom Brady or Aaron Rogers, I still got to feel pretty good about you. this is where I go to the Lions. Could Jared Goff today think that he kind of got screwed? Because there is no number on a contract if I'm Jared Goff that should be lower than what Trevor Lawrence signs for.

This is not about hype. This is not about what people projected me to be. And this notion, and listen, I like Albert Breer a lot, and I don't think he's wrong here, this contract represents what they think he's going to be. I think that's a crazy mindset to have. That's why you have drafted. I'm drafting this guy number one overall, number seven overall, number 15 overall,

because of what I think he's going to be in the next four or five years. When I sign a guy to a contract, obviously when you're a younger player under 25, 26 years old, there's still room for growth. But you've got to be a large percentage of what you're going to be. I've already had to experience. His best year was two years ago. You drew 25 touchdowns.

Last year was an utter disaster. And I think the Jags would say, he was banged up. Well, okay, can he play a season healthy and throw 35 touchdowns? Can he be clearly one of the best six, seven quarterbacks in the NFL? Not a guy that many would say, God, there are a lot of weeks where he's not even a top 20 guy. I never understand. Let's just see a little more when you have a lot of questions. All for Micah Parsons right now after year three. If the Cowboys want to give him an astronomical amount of money, get it. I have seen him play at a really high level for a long period of time right now. If he just maintains what he's been,

we're in good shape. Obviously, you want him to improve as you would with any young employee in any industry. But anytime you got to guess like, God, I hope this works out. That's crazy when you pay, I mean, just premium amounts of money. Now, Jared Goff did get double the amount of a signing bonus. Trevor Lawrence got $37 million a moment he signed a contract, which is a lot of money. to 99.99% of people. Jared Goff got $73 million. Anyone that's taking any, you know, business or economic classes, time value money, you'd rather have money up front.

Obviously with how much shit cost and inflation, I mean, the dollars lost, what, 20% of its value in like three-year span. So, big win for Jared Goff. But when it comes to overall guarantees, there's a pretty wide gap there. So if I'm Jared Goff, I'm probably not losing much sleep over this, but it's kind of crazy. I also don't quite understand if I'm the Jags, the moment Jared Goff signs his contract, whose resume is dramatically better, who's been doing it for a much longer period of time, also a number one pick.

Also a number one pick who has several seasons at a really high level that has led his team and put his team in the position to win a Super Bowl. Wouldn't you like to see just one season like, hey, coming off a rough year, let's bounce back, see if you can win. win us 10, 11 games, have us back in the playoffs, then we'll feel very comfortable doing this. Because we bought into the hype when we drafted you. We obviously really like the person, which matters at quarterback, the character, the work ethic, all that stuff, is a part that's hard for us to quantify on the outside, which obviously they like, which I understand.

But this is a production-based business. You have to produce on the field. Like, I don't know. If you're one of the great prospects of all time and have all this talent, he's like, well, we don't have the receivers. I don't know. You should be able to throw 30 touchdowns in 17 games in the way this game is officiated in 2024. So I'm not trying to act like I wouldn't want this guy on my team,

but I don't ever understand the rush to sign guys. I would understand if he was going into his franchise tag year, or he was a true free agent. You're like, got it. He had our back against the wall. What were we going to do? Okay, I get it. It was a weird position.

You were kind of stuck. You're not stuck at all. Pick up his fifth year option, plays his fourth year, and let's evaluate another season. Like this number, this notion that it's only going to go up. Well, what if he has another season just like he just had? Would you feel comfortable doing that again? Because if he has a season just like he just had,

this contract's going to feel awful. It's going to feel terrible. And you did not have to do it. So I guess my overall reaction, was, like most people, this feels insane. This feels overly aggressive. This feels overly aggressive for what?

Like, what race are you running here? Are you afraid to get laughed to pay an extra $2 million per year next season? If things go great, well, great. Then we're all feeling good about it. But right now, I'd say universally around football, like, good luck to you guys. That seems pretty bold.

And that's where the lions, like got to feel really, really good about the contract they signed. Obviously, they gave him a big signing bonus, but they know they can win with the guy. They've seen him a couple years ago, win on the road in the cold in Green Bay, which is a huge question with Jared Gop. But he's never going to be a great outdoors quarterback,

but they're a don't team. And their team's really good. And they know for the next several years, they can win with this guy. You cannot with a straight face say that with the Jags. You really can't. Because if it wasn't for one of the greatest playoff collapses we've ever seen, led by a guy that will never be a head coach ever again,

they wouldn't have a playoff victory. They shouldn't have that playoff victory, but they do. And listen, Lawrence played really well in the second half. He showed a lot of mental toughness. But man, that first half also happened, and that's really what he's hanging his hat on, like that game. Turns the ball over at just rapid rates, the picks. Here's the thing with Trevor Lawrence.

And Andrew Luck was somewhat like this. Like he doesn't have a howitzer. I would not say that he has a top 6-7 arm in the NFL. So his game at the NFL level is predicated on timing, rhythm. You know, he's got to play much closer to like Peyton Manning and Philip Rivers and those guys. And when you watch him play, that's not really how he plays. The fumbles were atrocious. I don't know, man.

We always got to be early. Do you? I mean, do you? Couldn't you just take a deep? breath and see where this goes. That's where I think the biggest winner in this whole thing is Dakota Prescott. Now, I could not, if I was the Cowboys, sign him to this contract. Couldn't do it.

I have to see how this season goes. Can you win some playoff games? Can you play better in January? Because if I'm signing you to this contract, and if anything, Dak would go, this contract, I'm way better than this guy. And he's not wrong. He's been better than Trevor Lawrence Freight, a long period of time. not even debatable.

Under no measure could you make the argument that Trevor Lawrence is better than Dak Prescott. And obviously, Dak's been in the league playing at a high level for a much longer period of time than this guy. But I could not do it if I was the Cowboys. If I have to pay quote unquote next year a premium after he wins three playoff games and we lose in the Super Bowl, great. That would be a historic moment for the Cowboys,

given that they haven't made the NFC championship game since the mid-90s. But I just don't know how to do. you pay this money to Dak Prescott, because essentially you tie yourself to him for three, four years and you're basically just cool with doing what you've been doing. At least the Jags have the opportunity what could be, even though what could be, there's a decent chance that never materializes in anything. Like, you do know what Dak is. You're just kind of hoping that he can have a hot stretch in the playoffs, which I've said for a

while, it's definitely possible. We have seen guys who aren't as good as Dak have incredible stretches. the playoffs. I mean, that flacko stretch is one of the craziest things we've ever seen. The Eli Manning stretches multiple times, it was an outlier toward his career. But when you do that, even if I got to pay you probably more than I'm comfortable with playing, as Brian Winhorst says, you never apologize for championships. And it's true. Like, ultimately, that flacco contract didn't age well after he won the ring, but he won the freaking ring. The Cowboys can't even get to the last weekend of the conference championship.

I just think they're kind of in a weird position now. I can't imagine that had to be a jolting contract when it came out for the Cowboys Brass. And I don't blame them, this notion of like, oh, they wait too long. Yeah, you can make that argument for, you know, position players. But with Dak, at this point in time, like, I think it's worth waiting. Another guy who I think is in a weird spot is Jordan Love. You know, he hasn't made any money in his story. career relative to quarterbacks, right?

He was a late first round pick. Instead of getting his fifth year option, I give the Packers credit, they kind of offered him this extension that was way lower in the fifth year option, which was more than justified he had never played a snap. So it was like two years, I think $11 or $12 million, which was a smart contingency plan for them.

But then Jordan Love's last eight games look unlike anything we've seen out of Trevor Lawrence. Trevor Lawrence has never had a stretch like that. one physically he does not possess the arm that Jordan Love does. Jordan Love's eight game stretch while a small sample size did look like Aaron Rogers. I mean, that's what it looked like. And then he went in to Dallas on the road and eviscerated those guys. But if I'm Jordan Love, because if I, I, I play this out.

because if I have another year, like the last eight games, and I'm a Pro Bowl level guy in the NFC, I'm $180, $200 million guy. And if I'm the Packers based on even, I'm sure I love the guy, I feel very confident in the guy, I drafted the guy, Goudicens in the floor. What he showed last year was incredible. I still would like a little more before I cut that check.

I'm probably offering more of the Cousins deal. Like, hey, man, we'll give you like $40, $45 million, but it's, we're talking 100 guaranteed. We ain't sniffing the 200 number. If I'm drawing love and I'm confident in myself. Now listen, football's risky. Guys get injured all the time. Things change quickly.

I go, well, the infrastructure here is pretty awesome. My offensive weaponry is pretty badass. It's like the youngest unit in the league, wide receivers, tight end. Now we add Josh Jacobs. I'm feeling pretty good about my chances. Let's see how the first eight games go. Then maybe we can talk contract extension in the middle of the season. Because I would not sign a quote-unquote team-friendly deal.

And listen, even if he signed him to a Kirk Cousin's contract, if that eight games turned out to be just like an outlier of his career, that'd be a disaster and that'd be a disaster fast. But if I'm drawing in love, I'm probably feeling pretty confident that I can replicate what I just did and become one of the best quarterbacks in the NFC. Because look at his competition. That's the other thing.

And the AFC is difficult. You got Mahomes. You got Josh Allen. You got Lamar Jackson. You got Joe Burrell. You got Justin Herbert. You got studs everywhere. In the NFC, it's like, Brock Purdy,

really good player, good team, Jared Gough. McVeigh once kicked him to the curb. Dakota Prescott? Because back to Dak, like, if I'm the Cowboys, let's play this out. Just see how it goes.

And if we lose in the round one of the playoffs, maybe it's just time for us to pivot. And you can go to the Raiders, which I'm sure would be gladly pay you a lot of money because they would die to go to the playoffs. I'm Jordan Love, like, I'm taking a deep breath. To a, what's even to be said at this point? How could any human being,

including Mike McDaniel, including Stephen Ross, including any dolphin fan, be remotely comfortable discussing these types of numbers for this player. Based on the information we have. We've seen two straight years. He was banged up two years ago, which is a concern.

It's not his fault he's getting concussions, but he got him. And last year just fell apart. Crumbled like a cookie. How could you even entertain discussing any of these numbers? I couldn't. I'm not acting like he's some scrub. I'm not acting like the guy should be a backup. But not everyone should get these amounts of money.

We've seen it in the NBA for years. It's like, wait, DeRosen and Zach Levine make the same amount as Anthony Davis and Steph Curry. It's like, yeah, not all contracts are equal, even if the money is. Because some guys have a dramatically bigger impact than others. And when you pay Patrick Mahomes or Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson a lot of money, those guys are ass kickers. When you pay too a lot of money,

that's just limit your cap space to have to surround him with talent because he can't do it by himself. Hell, we don't even know if he can do it when he has help in the biggest moments when it gets cold. So I don't even know what the discussion is there. To me, it's a no-brainer. We're playing this thing out.

And last but not least, like, Brock Purdy has been objectively better than Trevor Lawrence. The only difference in the two guys is one guy was the most hyped guy since Andrew Luck and the other guy was a seventh round, Mr. Irrelevant. But on the field, Brock Purdy's been a way better player. David Lombardi, who covers the 49ers,

tweeted out some statistics, and his agent retweeted it. I think the 49ers probably can't be happy with this number either, because now if Brock Purdy has another season like he did last year, Niners are one of the best teams, he throws 30 plus touchdowns, they win a couple of playoff games. I mean, we're talking 210, $215 million a year. That's the price.

I mean, that's the going rate. And the difference of, like, Tua is like, this guy's proving it in big games. You're winning with this guy. And we can argue is pretty good enough? We still got to see more. I like him. I think he's been really good. But, like, I've seen him play well in big games.

I've seen him come through in big moments. Can't say that about a lot of these other guys. Definitely Tua talking about Lola. Same with Dak Prescott. That guy falls apart in the playoffs. It's going to be awfully interesting. And I'm on phase by like This money's all relative

It's not like 55 sounds so big No, this is the new number But just because it's the new number Doesn't mean everyone should get that number Doesn't mean every team should sign these Long-term contracts And we've seen in recent memory Some of these Russell Wilson

It's been an utter disaster It's one of the worst contracts in NFL history The guy didn't even make it through two years They cut them, they're eating $85 million in dead cap space I've defended DAC He got a lot of money, but at least he's giving you 12 wins a season and giving you a couple of home playoff games. Now, you're losing them, but at least you're hosting them. Man, NFL contracts got crazy and they got crazy fast.

Business is booming. No dispute in that. A couple other things. Ayuk went on TikTok and said the 49ers don't want me anymore. I guess he's vlogging his free agent. He's not even a free agent. His offseason, he's vlogging his. contract negotiations.

Jaden Daniels was a freshman at Arizona State when Iyuk was there and they're still buddies. Here's a thing, man. There have been a lot of different reports about a lot of different numbers. The Niners came in like 25, 26. He wants over 30. My stance has been pretty clear. I'd be uncomfortable breaking the bank even for a really good winning player when my offense doesn't really operate like that. Obviously, if the 49ers can choose and all things were equal,

would get rid of Debo Samuel and keep Brandon Ayyuk, but it's not that simple. They already paid Debo Samuel. His contract impacts their salary cap. Brandon Ayuk is, you know, all these guys are getting paid. He wants his money. I do think this is a complicated negotiation. Now, is Brandon Ayuk worth it to them to pay $28, $29 million? I'd make the argument no.

Now, if Debo Samuel did not exist, I would probably change my argument. but he does. And his contract happened. And you could argue the way that they've played since they got Christian McCaffrey. Brandon Ayuk's a fantastic player. And he's a productive player. And he can play on the outside and get open down the field, unlike Debo Samuel. But Debo Samuel exists. Like, they did that contract, which I think they kind of regretted it because the last two years has not gone perfectly for that player.

But I think there's a complicated spot. here's the problem. Like the 49ers aren't just getting rid of you. This is not the NBA where it's like, they don't want me, I'm out. No, you just play $14 million. What are you going to do? Not play well.

Hurt your value? Do I think ideally the 49ers would like to get this done? I do. Do I think they would love to pay them $25 million? I do. Do I think Iyuk would want $30 million? Of course he does. But I don't see this getting done anytime soon.

Because one thing with the 49ers, they drove a hard bargain would not. Nick Bosa, who plays the second most important position in the league and is just a way better player than Brandon. You can evacuate you. So, I don't know. I think this is going to get ugly in training camp. And I'm not as fazed by like putting stuff out on media, unfollowing people, TikTok and an Instagram. I don't really give a shit.

Maybe it's just in my older age, like, it doesn't mean anything to me because money talks shit walks. Nothing else matters. And Brandon Ayuk does not control any of this situation. If he doesn't show up to training camp, he gets fined. He just got fined $100,000, not showing up to minicamp, which here's the other thing I'd say. The 49ers have handled these pretty simply. Nick Bosa, wanted a new contract. He showed up and just stood there.

I guess Nick Bosa this last year when he held out. But Debo is a better example. He did the hold in. He showed up and just stood there on the side. I went to those praxis. and he ended up getting paid. But like Iyuk's not Nick Bosa. So like taking that tack,

I'm always a proponent of hold-ins. Show up, be around, be your smiley self, and just don't practice. Because holding out creates such a big firestorm, and it doesn't really do anything. Ultimately, you're not going to be any more likely to pay the guy.

Here's the 49ers drafted a wide receiver in the first round. I don't think that was just random. Now, it's not simply because of Iyuk, it's also because of Debo, and they need better outside weapons. Guys can get open down the field because they could not get open against the Canadian Cs

you could the other guys couldn't be interesting how this plays out a couple other things in season hard knocks is going to do an entire division they're going to do the AFC North which is actually pretty fascinating

those are teams that I'd definitely be interested in watching you got Tomlin the Steelers get the DeShon & Watson situation you got burrow in the bangles and the Ravens. So I, Hard knocks, I've said for a while, is it necessarily for me? I dabbled a little in-season hard knocks.

Was it last year or two years ago with the Miami Dolphins? Wasn't too terrible. Had definitely had some moments. It's kind of cooler to see because the ebb and flow of a season. To me, it's better than the training camp one. But I like this idea. I'll definitely pay attention if there's some fun clips. Maybe I'm more inclined to hit playoff.

some episodes. Belichick has a 24-year-old girlfriend that was making the rounds. I don't know what anyone expects. A 72-year-old guy worth probably hundreds of millions of dollars, who do you think he's going to date? 68-year-old?

What do you think the guy's going to do? So props to Bill for chasing younger women and having a good time. Live your own life. Don't let judgment creep in. Clearly Bill doesn't give a shit. He's single and he's ready to mingle.

and $5 million per ad for Netflix on Christmas Day. They paid $150 million. They paid $75 million per game, which on its surface, like, geez, a lot of money per game. Well, I don't know how many ads are in a given game, but just think there are a lot of breaks. And one ad, how many ads are typically in a break? Two or three, minimum? Are they going to make this money back pretty seamlessly? Now, maybe they don't get $5 million per ad for every single slot,

but they're definitely getting millions because one thing we know is those Christmas games, if I had to guess 15 plus million people are going to watch, the games are just going to be on at every single person's house. Some of you guys are a little more serious than others in terms of the no TV rule. I think that was probably more of a thing in like the 70s, 80s, 90s. Maybe we've become a little more laxed society. And listen, my family always lean. TV on, sports on, even Christmas going on in the background.

Not saying we were dialed into the game as we were eating, but TV was on. I would imagine that number of families has grown dramatically to just have the television on during Christmas throughout the festivities. And definitely eating. It's just on now. And the one thing that's easier to justify than some is football. She has had the football game on in the background. Who's really complaining? I don't think anybody.

So Netflix, when it's all said and done, what if they double their investment? Yeah, we spent 150, but we made 300. I don't think it's inconceivable. And then that number moving forward probably only goes up for the NFL because this was somewhat of a one-off. And I've said forever, this is only the beginning for Netflix.

Like, in 15, 20 years to think that we're just going to turn on NBC, Fox, and CBS, you would have to be pretty naive to the way everything has changed in the last five years. all this stuff's going to be streamed. NBC is holding on for dear life. There's a reason that they push Peacock so hard because Peacock has to succeed for their business to succeed. Well, Netflix is just an independent streaming service that literally everybody has.

I think the number in America is well over 100 million people are Netflix subscribers. I personally don't know one human being in my life. Now, granted, I'm not hanging out with many 60 and 70-year-olds, but my mother who's in her mid-70s watches Netflix every single night granted on my account but still she loves it but no one my age

or younger does not use Netflix I would say daily basis like every night you get in bed maybe the first thing you click is anything new on Netflix I would say the average for someone under 50 a family

I'd be shocked if it's not minimum five times a week that someone in the house doesn't go to Netflix and click what's on and we know how they did with the Brady Roast, which was the most extreme thing they've ever done, this is going to work. This is going to work really well.

It sucks. Mike Tyson got injured. Who would have thought a 55-year-old guy, you know, would have some question marks getting ready for a fight. But that fight would have been massive, him and Jake Paul. It would have been huge.

My guess is 50 million people would have watched because they would have promoted the living hell out of it because they control it all. they control every time you go to the screen. It's why whenever I see the top 10 things trending, the top 10 movies, the top 10 shows, top 10 docket series, maybe they are, or maybe those are the ones Netflix wants to promote. I don't know.

They can really say whatever they want. They can do whatever they want. And one thing we know is when you spend $150 million on two games, you're going to promote the living hell out of that thing. It's going to work. And get ready because I would guess whenever the next thing comes up When they negotiate the television deal, Netflix is going to be a major player. 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. What's up, fam? It's Isaiah Thomas.

And I'm C.J. Toledano, and our podcast, Point Game is about defining the odds. Like LeBron heading into the playoffs without Luca and Austin Reed. And finding ways to win no matter what. He's the smartest player to ever play the game. His IQ is at a level that we've never seen before. And he knows. Without Luca and Austin Reeves, I got to manipulate the game. We get a player's perspective.

on the challenges of the playoffs. I think Joker's going to be exhausted this series because when they don't have Rudy in the lineup, he has to really guard guys like Nas Reid. He has to guard Julius Randall. And then he has to give us everything he gives us on the night-to-night bases on offense. And when IT's friends stop by, like Quentin Richardson,

we dive into some playoff history too. Steve Nass would get that thing. That man, hell get the flying. He running up the court, licking his fingers while he got the ball. Like, you go through a training camp with that, Iza? You figure it out real quick. Oh, yeah.

Get your ass up and down the court, and you're going to get the ball. So listen to Point Game on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, I'm Jared Adano. You might know me as that loud guy who yells out, help on the internet. Help! 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. 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. Cream a chicken suit. A cream. Cream a chicken suit. This is help from a hypocrite. The worst advice from the dumbest people you know.

Listen to Help from Hypocrite as part of the Mike Cultura Podcast Network available on the IHart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. The story I've told myself about love or relationships can then shape my behavior and that can lead me to sabotage the possibility of connection. This Mental Health Awareness Month, tune into the podcast deeply well with Debbie Brown and explore the journey of healing, self-discovery, and returning to yourself. We explore higher consciousness, emotional well-being, and the practices that help you find clarity, peace, and self-mastery in a world that can feel overwhelming.

The world is becoming lonelier. We're not becoming more social and connected. We're becoming more individualized, but we actually meet people in connection. If you've been searching for a soft place to land while doing the work to become whole. This podcast is for you to hear more. Listen to deeply well with Debbie Brown from the Black Effect Podcast Network on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Hey, it's Edwin Castro, also known as Castro 1021. And I'm Conky, his best friend and business manager. And we've got a new show called The 1021 podcast. I'm taking you behind the scenes on how I

became one of Twitch's most popular streamers. We also love sports, and with the World Cup right around the corner, we'll be breaking down the biggest storylines ahead of the big tournament here in the USA. Listen to the 1021 podcast on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Okay, let's do a little Middlekopf mailbag. We're going to do a big one later this week, so probably do three or four questions here. The way you get in the mailbag is very easy.

At John Middlecough, my Instagram, firing those DMs, get your question answer on show. Tristan. My question is once again about the Falcons draft debacle. Apparently, the bears were willing to trade a fourth rounder to move up and secure Rome Madunze. The Falcons refused. If you know you have a tampering case going on and a draft pick is most likely going to be taken away from the team, trying to trade with you literally just drafted their quarterback at number one, why on earth would you not move back one spot to pick up compensation and still be able to get the player you wanted? If you were that locked in on Pennix to begin with, who is the second oldest quarterback ever to be drafted in the first round? Once again, why pay a 35-year-old coming off in Achilles?

Does the Falcons front office ever have a fucking clue what's going on? It seems like every year. They make the most puzzling moves. And as a Bucks fan, I'm all for it. But their strategy, year in and year out, is puzzling. I don't understand how you fall in love with a player the last month when your job as a front office is literally to monitor these guys year round. And the answer is simply the coaches in Atlanta,

because coaches get involved after the combine and after free agency. They got more involved. And so it's pretty clear that the GEOC, ain't the guy driving the bus. The head coach and the offensive coordinator to me had their hands all over this. I also think this when it comes to a draft day trade, it never does not make sense to trade back one spot and get a free draft pick when you know you're going to get the player.

I think who the Jets trade with, Minnesota? and in the video that they put out inside their draft room, Sala looks at Joe Douglas and he's just like free money, because that's what it is. We would have taken this guy at pick eight. Now we just take them at pick nine. We pay them a little less because contracts are slotted. And we just get a free four fifths, third, whatever the pick is.

It's a no-brainer. Now, if you were trading, you know, the Raiders or Miner, Minnesota or Denver wanted that pick, and you're dead set on taking the quarterback, then yeah, totally understand turning it down because you think, well, they might take the player. But like you said, when the Bears call you, you know unequivocally they are not going to take Michael Pennings. Even if they go, hey, we can't tell you who we're going to take. Fine. You can check the quarterback position off that box. So I've said what I've said about it.

Still can't quite get over it. Kind of sucks for penics, but if you were going to select a head coach for your franchise, would you prefer to go the route of hiring a coordinator from a good team, or would you rather hire a college head coach? It seems like most of the college head coaches have been failing recently and the coordinator seemed to be doing better, but that's just my opinion.

I think the key to the NFL, when you're hiring a head coach, it is in the modern day game, in 2024, it is very risky to hire a guy with zero NFL experience. Urban Meyer, it's undisputed, or it's undisputable,

how awesome of a college coach is. He is. I think he's always been kind of a D-bag and kind of a fraud, but when he's your head coach, he is going to kick some serious ass. What happened in Jacksonville was an all-time embarrassment. I mean, it really was.

Urban Meyer never worked at the NFL, ever. He had not spent one day in the NFL. So like when people would sniff around on Nick Sabin, Nick Saban worked for Belichick for years as a defensive coordinator. Now, obviously it's a lot different in 1992 and 1993 than it is in 2018, or whenever these teams probably were interested. But still, he had been around and coached pro players and worked for Belichick. So you go, listen, this guy has been in a pro building.

Right? I think Lincoln Riley was a guy that a lot of people had been interested in. A lot like Chip Kelly. It's like, guys, he has no NFL experience. None. So when you do, when you make moves like that, it's pretty risky. Then you get some of these hybrid guys like Bill O'Brien's been back and forth. You know, he's a guy that's coached in college, coaching the pros.

So you know that he understands both games. And I'm not talking about calling a play or designing a scheme for an offense or defense. I'm talking about on a daily basis dealing with finding players, cutting players, just handling situations in the NFL that are just different than college. You don't deal with a provost or a booster or a president or an AD or the soft football coach or any of that bullshit. You deal with two people, really. The owner and the GM.

And then your team. So, you know, Kirby smart. I don't have his resume up, but I think he worked for Nick Sabin for a couple years in Miami. He's seen the pro game. But, like, would he be a good NFL coach? I don't know.

I don't know. I think it'd be pretty risky. Is he an excellent college coach? 100%. He's elite. You know, Dan Hurley is a good example. Dan Hurley was coached in high school like 10 years ago. Would he have worked in the pros?

I don't know. He is an elite college coach. I mean, he's the best in the business, back-to-back national championships. Would it have gone well with the Lakers? I don't know. You've seen it before with college coaches, like it doesn't really work out in the NBA.

Because, now, the NBA and the NFL dynamics are a little bit different, but still, like, you're dealing with a lot more people that make a lot more money than you. So I would just be very hesitant. Like when you look around college, think who the best coaches are. You know, obviously Kirby, Nick's now retired, Lane Kiffin, Harbaugh is a good example. He was a hybrid. He had coached both and he had played.

So like, he played in the NFL for 15 years. And then his career started with the Raiders at Al Davis. So when he got back to the 49ers, yeah, he had been coached in college with San Diego and Stanford for a while. but like he had played in the league for 15 years. And his brother was an NFL coach. So he was pretty dialed in to the league. And it's why he goes back to Michigan. Now he comes back to the charges like he's going to be successful.

Now it also goes both ways. Like could Andy Reed or Mike Tomlin or one of those guys handle college? I don't know. Like they would have to deal with a lot of stuff they're not used to dealing with. 80s, conferences. Like, I don't know. It's probably a pain in the ass. I just like when you know.

know someone knows what they're doing. Matt Rule, think about him. Matt Rule had a ton of success in college, at Baylor, at Temple. And then David Teper gave him all this money. He had coached for one season in the pros as the assistant offensive line coach for the Giants. Like, that's pretty risky. If a guy has a resume of several years in the pros, position coach, coordinator, I would feel better about hiring a college coach.

But if a guy either has zero experience or one year, I mean, Chip Kelly got eaten up and spitting out in the pros after a couple years. Couldn't deal with people. Couldn't deal with players. That's a huge part of being successful in the NFL. Of like, do your players respect you and like you? Think about the way these guys talk about Andy Reid, Mike Tomlin, Kyle and McVeigh, all the guys in Green Bay clearly love LaFleur.

I mean, hell, Aaron Rogers love LaFleur. I think college coaches, it's hard. It's just a different human dynamic. when you're dealing with a 19 year old and you're dealing with a 32 year old with two kids, a 70 million in the bank, and as serious as you.

I remember, you know, in LaShawn and Deshawn talked about this, but the nine are to the same thing. Like, you can't ask Joe Staley to have a shake every night. Like, he doesn't want a protein shake. He does it his own way. He's been in the league a decade.

Let him figure it out. You can't tell Jason Peters what to eat. He's a grown man. He'll figure it out. Now, Kirby Smart and guys like that might not be doing that, but I think it's just a slippery slope of just dealing with a different wiring of human. Now, rookies in the pros, you'd have a pretty good feel for those guys. But it's a lot different in like deal with Cam Hayward or Trent Williams.

Like, Trent Williams doesn't want to work out today. Are you going to get really mad at him, try to find them, make them run or something? Or just like, yeah, he's 35-year-old Hall of Famer. You do what you do, Trent. We're good. See you on Sundays. Mailback question. Which trade is the bigger heist in your opinion?

Watson to the Browns or Wilson to the Broncos. Houston in return for Watson got Pierce, Anderson, Kenyon Green, Tank Dell, and a corner in this year's draft. Broncos in return got Cross, Witherspoon, Fant, Lod, and a few more. Recently started my full-time job working at a plumbing company. Podcasts makes the day go by quicker. I actually got a couple of plumbing issues right now. One of my bathroom sinks smelling a little weird.

I would say you have to factor in more than just the draft picks. Because ultimately Houston, by trading them, bottomed out and sucked. And that essentially led to CJ Stroud. And that changed their franchise. So you have to factor in getting rid of the guy, do you bottom out and suck? Which Houston was trying to do. Seattle was trying to kind of maintain and sustain it. But two years later, Pete Carroll got fired.

Now, both of them were big wins. Watson, the massage therapist, the drama, just get out of here. Russell, the prima donna, not listen to anybody thinking you're more important than the operation. Both of them had to clearly look back, made the job. right decision. But in 2024, who's in the better spot?

Not really debatable. It's Houston. Because they have C.J. Stroud. Now, Seattle won. They got rid of Russell. They got a bunch of really good players. Tackle,

DB, cap space. But they still don't have their quarterback. So I would say Houston. Because indirectly, that trade did lead to C.J. Stroud.

Now, you had to go through a couple of coaching debacles to get there, but you got there. What does Bryson's win do for Liv? Nothing. I'm not a Liv hater, but I don't consume it. And neither does anybody. I don't think anyone is more likely to turn on the CW

and watch guys play 54 holes. Part of what makes Bryson special, you saw at the PGA and you saw at the U.S. Open, is competing over the weekend. In a four-round tournament. Like, Liv doesn't have that. They will never have that. And maybe by the time you're listening to this, they're supposed to be an agreement.

Who knows? The merge, getting back together. But I don't think he does nothing. Like, I don't think anyone is more inclined to watch Live now. I mean, they've had him the whole time. I mean, he has been a big draw for them and no one watches. We are not going to consume that. Why?

Because it doesn't kind of boring. And it doesn't matter. There's nothing on the line. Besides money. Part of the reason we watch sports is like, and Celtics finally win the NBA finals? Is there any chance the Oilers can come storming back and McDavid win the Stanley Cup?

Because we know how important those moments are. We know what a big deal it is to win the U.S. Open. It's like, why did we get so into, you know, I'm not the biggest tennis guy, but Federer, Dahl, Yokevich, obviously when I was a kid Agassi, Sampris, because you knew what was on the line with the grand slamps. You know, I guess the documentaries

coming out about Lance Armstrong who, listen, I used to wear the yellow bracelet. I've seen enough documentaries. I mean, the way he treated people, I think, like, you don't just go from piece of shit and like, now I'm rehabilitated. But the reason he became such a big deal because everyone knows you win the tour to France,

like it kind of matters. Turns out he was juiced up like he was Barry Bonds or something. but there has to be history to the events we're watching. They have to mean something. You can't just start something from scratch, especially in 2024, and expect anyone to care.

That's why I think the in-season tournament is so stupid. Like Adam, and I understand you're doing it for television purposes, and I get it, it's a business move. But you can't pretend that any of us care, that any of us think it's a big deal, because it's literally not. It will never be a big deal. Maybe in 100 years,

when we're all dead and gone, but right now this does not matter. We all know it. And that's the thing with Liv. None of their tournaments matter at all. They don't mean anything. And listen, some PJ Tour tournaments don't mean anything either.

But a lot of them do. Like winning a tournament where Tiger Woods or Jack Nicholas or whoever has won that tournament like mean something. So I don't think it does anything. I think it actually helps Bryce's YouTube channel. It helps Bryson's business.

It does not help Liv's business. I saw it today, Bryson said he told Scott Van Pelt on Sunday night when he did a sports center hit. You know, I got to do a YouTube video on Tuesday. I'm watching. That thing's going to get millions of views. I would imagine Tuesday's YouTube video whenever he puts it out will be his most viewed video to date. So I think it helps his brand as it should, but I don't think Liv does anything for. Let's face it, whenever they merge, cancel Liv.

and just figure out a way to play 15 tournaments and four majors together. Lives irrelevant. It does not matter. And it never will. It has no chance to matter, ever. And this is just a consumer. And I love golf. I'm not like bound to the PGA tour.

It's just more interesting. Why? Because there's history like, ah, you won at Rive. Well, so did all these guys. Got a lot of people replying to, uh, I don't know, some call it. Well, it's definitely the best part of lay I've ever heard.

it in my entire life. I had $150 on Bryson to win, and I also included Fleetwood and Hadecki to top 20. $150 paid $18,000, which is, that's like a Navidio return. Pretty incredible. Never probably doing that again. Not that I won't make bets like that again, but I, you just, that's a once, that's a once every couple years. I mean, I bet enough that it's not a once in a lifetime. That felt good.

Not going to lie, it felt pretty good. Weird thing when you gamble. A lot of people ask me, like, were you on the edge of your seat when Rory missed the put? I have much more, like $150 means nothing to me. I always say this about hedging a bet. If you bet $10,000 and you're going to win $20,000 and you can hedge where you still make $5,000, and that's a lot of money to you, like hedge. But I never hedge on a big parlay.

like if you have a parley and it's the Super Bowl and you're turning $100 into $30,000, like let it ride. You have nothing to lose beside the $100. I get a lot of anxiety like any gambler when I bet four figures on people to win, whether it be a football game, like when I took the Ravens or the Niners in the Super Bowl, like that was a lot of anxiety. Because if I lost those games, as I did both of them, in a two-week span, I lost 10 grand. if Bryson had ended up losing in a playoff or whatever, it would have sucked. But I wasn't that like, it was cool once I hit it and the $18,000 was in my account and now it's in my Wolfs Fargo account. But I didn't get the same juices when I have $3,000 or $5,000 on a game or on a golfer.

Not even close, to be honest with you. And don't get me wrong. It's very cool to win the money. But a huge part of like my rush from gambling is the amount. I put down. Like, to me, parlay's, you're just, it's just kind of lucky. And I got lucky. I didn't get lucky with Bryson really.

I guess a little bit, but I think Bryson would have beat Rory. I got lucky Tommy Fleetwood, who was well out of the top 20 and came storming back. But I've lost a lot of bets, and I've won some bets of betting, you know, usually if I'm going to bet big, I bet like $3,000 to $5,000. I get a rush off that. My juices get going. Unlike anything in life. Make good money to do it.

in this podcast, money getting, it doesn't do anything for me. Because like, of course, I'm running a business here. But like, when I gamble, like, no different than I'm in the casino, playing blackjack or whatever, it gets the blood going. It's like one of the rare things in my life, competitive-wise, that still gets me up and gets me going. But that parlay, I didn't really, I didn't have the same feels. I was more into the tournament.

I was honestly kind of gutted when Rory missed the putt because I wanted to pull. playoff. That being said, I'm very happy to win the $18,000. Not going to lie. Okay, last thing. We've seen the recent rule changes in both college and the NFL have favored the offensive player, and we are seeing that the NFL teams with offensive head coaches have been increasingly more successful. McVeigh, Andy, Kyle, but why do you think in college defensive head coaches continue to dominate? Nick, Kirby, and Jim, I mean, Jim's a form of quarterback, but I hear what you're saying. Then he says, Jim is a former quarterback, but he acts more like a defensive guy.

I think I saw a quote one time. Jim's the only quarterback I know that wishes he was a linebacker. I think because college, and you use Nick and Kirby, and even Jim, who's former quarterback who thinks he's a linebacker, recruiting and building your team matters so much. In football, you're only going to have access to so many sweet players. It is much more of my brain versus your brain, me coaching up the guys on a daily basis, me getting a seventh rounder to become a really good starter.

In college, if I'm at Michigan, if I'm at Alabama, if I'm at Georgia, if I'm at LSU, if I'm at Texas, I'm not taking many seventh rounders. I'm not, I basically have, and I remember when I was at Fresno State, Pat Hill, it was the peak of USC. he said, you know, listen, Pete's a great coach, but it's not that hard to build your team when you're getting,

if it was the equivalent of the NFL, 20 first rounders every year in your recruiting class. And that's what all the big dogs are getting. So you're getting by far the best players. Now, where scheme does matter is when you're playing the other great teams in these playoff games, like Alabama versus Michigan, right? Or when LSU and Alabama play, or Ohio State Michigan. But other than that, like, how much?

How many teams during the season does Ohio State have to out scheme? Michigan, now Oregon? Like, do they really lose that much sleep playing Minnesota, in Iowa, and Rutgers? And I'm not talking shit, I'm just, that's part of college football. We're in the NFL, like, the difference between playing Houston and Kansas City and playing the Saints. Like, if you screw up, if you have a bad game plan, like, you will lose. You will lose. sometimes the shittiest teams in the NFL have three wins.

Well, they got to beat somebody. I mean, a lot of times, like, they're beating a random playoff team throughout the year. That's pretty rare in college football. Like, Florida State ain't losing to Boston College. You know, it's just probably not going to happen. So the advantage you have in recruiting, and as a defensive guy, think about the guys you listen.

One thing, now, Sabin is a great scheme guy, But, like, why has Alabama's roster been so good? He's elite recruiter. Like, he's got a lot of, he's got a lot of panache, as the, you know, people would say. He's got a lot of Genesee Qua. He's got a lot of, he can turn on the charm. And obviously, they've paid money. Kirby Smart has a lot of personality.

You know, Jim Harbaugh is a pretty cool figure to walk into your house. When I think about some of the great coaches in my life, Like, they kind of just had some swag when they went into a room. Pete Carroll in his heyday. Bobby Bowden back in the day. Mac Brown and his heyday at Texas. You know, I think Sark has some of that. I think there's just something to be said.

You know, listen, James is clearly not, their offense is abysmal, but he's an elite recruiter at Penn State. So you get the best team. So like Penn State, their offense stinks. But their roster is so good that they're still going. and 10 and 3 every year. Potentially 11 and 2, I guess. If you lose Ohio State and Michigan, they beat everyone else.

So you really just have to, like, be on your AA game coaching. Obviously, there are going to be some weeks when your team just kind of mails it in, so you got to, like, make sure you win that game. But you kind of got to be dialed every single week in the NFL. You simply do not in college. Now, I'm not saying Nick Sabin or Kirby is not dialed, but their team isn't always. And they mail in some games.

And it doesn't matter. So I think the big reason is just simply recruiting. The NFL is not about recruiting. You only have, some years you might have three or four draft picks and $20 million in cap space. So you got to figure out a way to get random. Like, why were the Rams so good last year? Because they had all these dudes in the third, fourth, fifth, sixth round

become impact players for their team. When does Alabama ever rely on some random recruit? That never happens. The best of the cream of the crop. Their team is full of Aeron-Donnells. Same with Georgia. Same with Ohio State. Same with Michigan these last couple years.

Now, you've got to recruit the right guys, but they're not messing with any scrubs. The volume. 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. What's up, fam, it's Isaiah Thomas. And I'm CJ Toledano. It's our favorite time of the year on our podcast, Point Game. the playoffs. We're digging into the biggest surprises of the season, and I'm looking back on some of

my greatest playoff moments. If we didn't talk ever again, I was calling it. You just understood. That's how personal it got. Wow. Then after that game seven, Mark keep coming to, he's like, you know I love you, dog. You know, it's all love. This was just playoffs. This was just basketball. So listen to Point Game on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Your husband is not who you think he is. Your body is not what you thought it was. Your identity formed by a secret history. I'm Danny Shapiro, and these are just a few of the stunning stories

I'll be exploring on the 14th season of Family Secrets. He kind of shoved me out of the way and said, move. And he went out the front door, and he jumped in a car and drove off, and that was the last time I saw him. Listen to Season 14 of Family Secrets on the IHeart 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. Psych! 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 a Hypocrite Wednesdays on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. This is Saigon, the story of my family and of the country, that shaped us. From IHeart Podcasts, Saigon. You don't think I'm serious about a free Vietnam? One city, a divided country, and the war that tore America apart. This is for Vietnam.

They're pouring patril all over here. Freedom for Vietnam! There's a fire coming to this country and it's going to burn out everything. Listen to Saigon on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. This is an IHeart podcast. Guaranteed Human.