The Herd with Colin Cowherd - 3 & Out - Love isn't playing, Aaron Rodgers went to Egypt, Burrow cleared to play

Episode Date: July 23, 2024

John dives into the news that Jordan Love is at Packers training camp, but isn't practicing until he gets a new contract. Is Love making the right decision even though he's really only had one good season. Later, John reacts to Aaron Rodgers joining the "Pardon My Take" podcast and opened up about about skipping OTA's and how the media made a bigger deal about it than what it really was, and finally, Joe Burrow is cleared to play and what a healthy Burrow for the entire season would mean to the Bengals. Later, John answers your questions in this episode's mailbag segment. 6:57 - Jordan Love isn't practicing 19:10 - Aaron Rodgers joins PMT 21:05 - John Harbaugh on Lamar Jackson  25:22 - Burrow is cleared to play 34:05 - Teams training in LA 37:33 - 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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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 hungry. You just understood. That's how personal it got. Wow. Then after that game seven, Marquis come in to you, he's like, you know I love you, dog.

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Middlecock, this three and out podcast. We have, I woke up to some news on Jordan Love. Saw Rogers, had some comments with the part of my take. guys, John Harbaugh talking craziness, borough cleared, Keenan Allen, some thoughts, the Raiders and Los Angeles training camp. So we will hit on a lot of different stuff because football season, I wouldn't say it's officially here, but by the end of the week, all the veterans will be there, and by the end of next week everyone will be in pads. Probably even before that, by the middle of next week, the pads will come on. So, you know, I'm really excited. How could you not be? because it's football season.

Well, not quite football season, but you're starting to get that feel. It's right here. Summer breaks over. Not for me officially, because I'm still in Lake Tahoe. I got to go to this Vanderpump restaurant tonight that she's really wanted to go to

in the Harvey's casino on the other side of the lake. So we'll see how that food is from Lisa. Lisa Vanderpump, who I guess is into restaurants. I'd be lying if I know much about her. But other than that, We'll do a little mailbag here as well. At John Middlecoff.

At John Middlecoff is the Instagram. Fire into those DMs and get your question and answer here on the show. Rock and rolling, baby. So podcast yesterday, if you missed it on the Open and Zander winning and Scotty and just everything going on. And we'll have another podcast tomorrow, I'm sure. So you know where to find us. YouTube, if you haven't, go subscribe.

Obviously, this feed, three and out, make sure you subscribe to the podcast. if you listen on Collins feed and like I said Instagram is how you get in on the mailbag at John Middilkoff my name, two Fs, let's rock and roll but first, listen, if you're excited for some football and you want to go to a football game,

college or pro, God, I really want to go to an SEC game this fall. It's just hard with my work schedule but I might have to make it happen and if I did, I do it with my friends at GameTime, just download the GameTime app. These guys, my partners, my friends and the official ticketing app of this podcast. I cannot recommend them enough.

I've been a loyal GameTime user now for a while as well as concerts, comedy shows, you name it. Take the guest work out of buying tickets with GameTime, download the GameTime app, create an account, and use the code, John, off your first purchase. Terms apply. Again, create an account and redeem the code, J-O-H-N for $20 off. Download the GameTime app today. Last-minute tickets, lowest prices guaranteed. You know, like anyone on your homepage on Instagram, you get all sorts of crap. And today I saw this clip of Cuban with Howard Stern. It looked like when Cuban was a lot younger.

So maybe this was 10, 15 years ago. And Cuban told the story about how when I think he was acquired his company by Yahoo, and they gave him the stock options. And this was right before the dot-com crash of like 99. 2000 and what he essentially did is he put a forced sell on the stock if it hit a certain number not much higher from what he had and he hedged his bet that if it went lower the puts and the calls essentially that he couldn't lose that he might make a little less but under no circumstances was he going to get bent over and left holding nothing and a lot of people did and mark cuban

obviously made over two billion dollars and he said we had countless people I told everyone that was involved with our company to do it. Some people listened. We had just random employees that made $25, $30 million because of it. And we had people that made basically nothing. And when you have an astronomical amount of money on the line, I think you have to be very careful. And when the story broke this morning,

you didn't have that much information. And as time went on, and you read Goudicant's quotes, it's pretty clear. And they have talked about it since OTAs. They are working on a contract. right now. And it feels like it's coming down the home stretch. Part of what Goudicin said today with Jordan Love, we think he won't miss much time. Now, obviously, he's not missing any time

in the sense of he's at the building. He's at the facility. He's there during meetings. But I think it's fair, if I was going to take an educated guess, I would imagine this contract's closer to Trevor Lawrence than it is Kirk Cousins. So you're talking anywhere between $150 to $200 million is guaranteed. And I'm sorry, and the quarterbacks, you saw Patrick Mahomes showed up. It's like pitchers and catchers. They have to get there when the rookies get there. It's just not worth someone falling into your leg, you planning weird and tearing an ACL. There is just too much money on the line. I always support, listen, I'm a supporter of hold-ins more than hold-outs because this is not these other sports, especially baseball, where you know

this team can't pay you. In football, every team has the money. and when you're a high-end player, and we'll get into the question marks with Jordan Love, but clearly he showed enough that if he can maintain it, he's a high-end player, especially at his position teams are going to want you. Hold in, like, do it in good faith negotiation. Negotiating through the media, I'm sorry, is just kind of stupid. In 2024, it doesn't work. Nothing like scrubbing your Instagram account.

I'm sorry, no general manager or head coach gives a shit about your Instagram account. so I give Jordan Love credit. Now, you could argue he's only a one-year starter. He's really only had half a really good season. Holding out would be a little extreme, but I definitely completely understand you have to take all the risk out of it. You can't tear an ACL at some walkthrough

because some overachiever, undrafted free agent is trying to be a hero and get noticed by the defensive line coach and takes your knee out. And I'm sorry, like there's a cut-throat world. That's the way the private sector in America works. And they would yank that bad boy quickly off the table. So this is the right to me move by his agent, by him. And it's also a good way to do it showing this isn't contentious.

We're just being smart about our money. Because there's just too much on the line. I say it all the time. When I won that bet on Bryson to win $18,000, it didn't give me that big of a high. Partly because I only had $150 on the line. but if I had had $10,000 to win $18,000, I would have sweated it a lot more. And the level in which the numbers were talking about with these quarterback contracts.

And like I said, my guess would be maybe it's a little under Trevor Lawrence, even though here's what I know. If you just look at these players like stocks, if I had to buy one, I would buy Jordan Love over Trevor Lawrence. And honestly, I wouldn't hesitate. I wouldn't even have to think. and if I was a GM, I wouldn't even have to hold a meeting. I would 100% take Jordan Love over Tua,

and we're talking about guys. One guy just signed a big contract, the other guy's talking contract negotiations. There's no debating. There is risk involved. Both those guys have been playing a lot more. We have a lot longer resume. And part of being a good player at the highest level in the NFL

is doing it over and over and over and over again. And it's hard. Like we've all watched the NFL long enough now to know, like, there's a reason the great players, really the only thing that slows them down is injury, but how difficult it is to maintain a pro-ball, all-pro level of play. Listen, we can nitpick Aaron Rogers, but the motherfucker was elite for 15 straight years. Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, like the only thing that slows those guys down are injuries. We've seen a lot of players, have good years, then come back to Earth,

Matt Ryan, Cam Newton, Philip Rivers, somewhat up and down, Eli Manning, Right? Most guys are not elite. And listen, this guy, you could not watch the Packers last year, and I go, you know, it kind of looks like Aaron Rogers. I mean, that's kind of the throw Aaron Rogers used to make. It's crazy to say that. Listen, I was wrong. I shorted the situation. I just played the odds. I'm like, wait, you're telling me you're going to go from Fav to Rogers. they literally went from Fav to a guy who's better than Farf. Now you're going to get another, even if he's not better than Rogers or Fav, another high-end guy. Early on the season, I felt pretty good about my stance by the end.

I'd thrown it out and like, I kind of like this player. I'm in. And I heard Colin saying this. Listen, part of investing in this situation is you've been around this guy for four straight years. You know how he interacts with his teammates. You know how he studies. You know how he prepares.

You have no question marks. that while it's short body of work, it couldn't have been much more impressive down the stretch. I mean, we saw him in a game against Dak Prescott. Dak Prescott just signed a four-year $160 million contract five years ago, and now he thinks he's going to get over $200 million. Who would you take? Again, it's not like there's no risk involved. I got news for you.

There's risk in everything. Every business, no matter what you do, has risk involved. Even the most quote-unquote, you know, recession-proof industries. Everything, there are tailwinds. here. But you could not tell me sitting here for the next five years if you had to bet on one. Dax the safer bet. If you want to stay in the slow lane, I'll go on the fast lane, I'll probably pass you. And that's what I think the Packers are looking at this. And that's probably why he just can't risk someone falling into his leg over the next. Again, based on the quotes I saw,

it feels like this deal's done within the next. At latest seven days, potentially in the next couple days. It's going to be a lot of money. But they have to feel pretty good about their stance. Here's the other thing. Gutikins and LaFleur, I mean, part of the thing with Aaron Rogers, when it got weird, was because of this, because of this guy. Now it feels like Aaron likes the guy. Obviously, you know, people are just, most quarterback should be well-liked.

They should be guys' guys. They should get along with a lot of people. And let's face it, based on the evidence we have, like Gutikins and LaFleur were right. They got rid of the older quarter. quarterback, and they went with the younger guy, who's got a chance to be, listen, he's got a long way to go to win four or five MVP's. I'm not saying he's going to be better than Aaron Rogers, but he showed signs of Aaron Rogers. Why? Huge arm, athlete, accurate, great deep ball. Obviously, they are a high-level organization. They draft well. They always have good pieces. I mean,

they've had good pieces on offense and Farvo's there. Think of Rogers' time, right? From Driver to Greg Jennings to Jordy Nelson to Devante Adams they always got running backs they always have a pretty solid offensive line defense is somewhat the question mark they got to figure that out but part of that to me is getting a good defensive coordinator

so listen I haven't picked my divisions yet it's only July 22nd but and the only reason I wouldn't pick the Packers because they're in the division with the Lions but I like the Packers a lot and I like this player a lot he blew me away so I

I understand betting on them. Because sometimes part of life is, you know, there's always risk involved. But you try to mitigate it. But I'm a huge believer in following your gut. And once your gut you have some evidence, I'm all about pushing your chips in the middle of the table. Like life's, if you want to get anywhere, successful, big, wherever you're trying to go, sometimes you've got to have the balls to put all the chips in the middle of the table. And that's what it feels like the Packers are about to do with Jordan Love.

and then let the cards fall out of they may. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what I'm saying. Yep, that's me, Clivert Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, the reactions, my journey from basketball to college football, or my career in sports media.

Well, somewhere along the way, this platform became bigger than I ever imagined. And now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfiltered conversations with some of your favorite athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. One week, I'll take you behind the scenes of the biggest moments in sports and entertainment,

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follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. 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 defying 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 basis 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 to flyin. He running up the court, licking his fingers, why he got the ball, like, You go through a training camp with that Isaiah, you figure it out real quick. 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. So you have an upcoming fantasy football draft? Well, then you need to check out the fantasy pros draft wizard. When you sink your fantasy football league with Draft Wizard, you'll get an instant report that shows you how the rest of your league drafts. You'll see who overdrafts rookies in early rounds, who's going to be the person to take that first QB off the board and which manager is going to always reach for that hometown player every single time.

And then you take those patterns directly into the draft simulator and make your mock draft feel like the real thing. When your real draft comes around, you're going to be ready. And the draft assistant will be there for you to give you live pick-by-pick insights and expert recommendations of who to draft and when to draft them. You can see all of this and more at fantasy pros.com slash volume today. Some other NFL topics around the league. I saw Rogers, part of my take guys, were in Tahoe for that American century.

I think it might be a good idea to do that next year. A lot of dudes there for sure. And they talked to Aaron Rogers. I don't know if Aaron Rogers come on this podcast, but overall, the mini-camp story, like the more and more I've thought about this and he laughed about it. It's one of the dumbest stories ever. these mini camps and OTAs are so dumb. It's why I have no sympathy when these guys get fined or whatever for not showing up.

Like he got fined, but he's not really complaining about it. But like, if you are there, just go. It's so easy. It's a country club environment. It's never been easier. I've been going to these practices for almost 15 plus years. And they're kind of a joke. And like Aaron said, like I was there the entire off season.

and I have this trip planned to Egypt. I don't know if he was doing Iow-Sk. I don't know what he was doing. I really don't care. But it became a big deal, partly because Robert Sala, who is a good guy, good coach, we're not sure,

clearly didn't handle that situation well. Now, I also understand if they don't find Rogers, they set the precedent, they were in a weird spot, but whether the Jets are good or bad this year will have absolutely nothing. to do with those two practices in early June.

So it was a topic partly because there wasn't much going on, partly because it's Aaron Rogers, and he's a polarizing figure. The media hates that he hated mask, and they wore him for three straight years. So I just think that, like, he's become so polarizing that anything he says, anything he does becomes an issue.

But I'll promise you, it does not matter. John Harbaugh had a quote, today. And listen, the Harbaughs can say some crazy things. Like, they have been doing it for years. And Jim, the moment he got the job with the Ravens said some stuff, right? He, or excuse me, the Chargers about Justin Herbert being like a super, he just, he talks in hyperbolic statements sometimes. I think it's fair to say.

And I'm okay with that. Part of the position they're in is hyping guys up. you had Harbaugh saying that he thinks Rashad Bateman should be one of the best wide receivers in the league. He has a career 34 catches. But today, like, Lamar Jackson's well established. He's one of the best quarterbacks in the league, and he's won multiple MVP's. He's a high-end elite player. No one would debate that.

And for John Harbaugh to say that we plan on Lamar Jackson being the greatest quarterback of all time, like that's where it's just, how does anyone take you seriously? Honestly, how about we just focus on playing good playoff games? Because he is never, as long as Patrick Mahomes is in the league, going to be the best quarterback in the NFL. Honestly, if Joe Burroughs healthy, I don't even think he's a top three guy. Now, he's won MVP, he has great regular season.

I don't really give a shit. Like, after a while, once you become the high-end top three or four guy, you're completely judged in January. Like, I expect you throw a lot of touchdowns. I expect you to win a lot of regular season games. Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, Aaron Rogers, all the top players in my life have dominated the regular season. Whether you win MVP's or not.

Doesn't Aaron Rogers have more MVP than Tom Brady? Pretty sure that Peyton Manning has more MVP than Tom Brady. Like, you're judged on January. How you play? And no one in my lifetime has been better in January than Tom. Just like the modern day version of Patrick Mahomes, like no one's more dialed than that guy. And I'm sorry Lamar Jackson.

And listen, I'm not blaming Lamar because he didn't say this and he's at home sick or whatever. They sent him home from training camp. It's like, John, let's just say, listen, we're going to do everything possible to make Lamar Jackson the best quarterback in the league. He's already competed to do that. And then when it's mattered the most, he hasn't played that well. He just hasn't. I don't think there's a general manager in the league. Obviously, Mahomes, if we did the draft, would go one.

I don't think there's one in the league that wouldn't take Josh Allen second. Maybe there would be some because of the injury factor with Joe Burrow and Lamar Jackson, but there would definitely be some people in the NFL that would take Joe Burrow over Lamar Jackson. So, like, part of this, when you start making those comments, like, I can't take you seriously. And listen, I'm someone that bet on them this year. And like the Ravens, I was fucking humbled by the Kansas Chiefs. and one of the greatest players I've ever seen in Patrick Mahomes. Humbolded.

So let's just pump the breaks. Let's just focus on doing everything possible to play two good playoff games in a row. And the reality is he didn't, because Lamar wasn't even good in the first half against the Houston Texans, and just because the Ravens were so much better than the Texans, it wasn't really a fair fight in the second half. And then they played the Chiefs at home,

and let's face it, got embarrassed. That was one of the most embarrassing playoff performances I can ever remember. Because they were on paper the better team. The Chief's offense was pretty average the majority of the season. And they were averaging that game. Did not score a point in the second half. So if you can't beat a team,

it'd be one thing that didn't score a point in the second half and they scored 35 in the first half. They finished with 17 points. You're at home, big favorite, can't win the game. I'm sorry, like, the hyperbole, no one wants to hear it. No one takes you seriously when you say stuff like that after that performance. Let's just focus on like what do we need to do when a playoff game comes to beat that guy. Hell, Joe Burrow beat that guy.

I saw it. We all did. In Kansas City, remember in the AFC championship game? And the Bengals went to the Super Bowl. And then Burl played pretty good and they had the lead late in the game. Speaking of Joe Burrow, he's fully cleared. And to me, they're one of the biggest kind of just curve balls from last season that like, if he's fully healthy and he plays 17 games, they're a major problem.

Period, point blank, end of story. Now, I'm a little unsure. I'm not a doctor. Didn't go to medical school. I was there for more than four years, but it was because I was screwing around. But you read about that injury. You just never know.

We'll have to see if he has any inflammation during training camp. If he's fully healthy, if Joe Burrell can play 17 games fully healthy, they're going to be good. That's where they're at as a franchise. right? Like, if you get that guy, boom, it's like in the NBA. If you give me one of the top five or six guys, I'm, boom, 50 wins, you know, in his prime. Like, you're in the playoffs. That's the way it works. And to me, Joe Burrell has proven when he's healthy, they can dominate on offense. And they have a good

coaching staff, right? So I think him during training camp, to me, is one of the bigger question marks of just like, does he ever have to miss a practice? Is it one of those like three on, one off? I mean, technically that's how these training camp practices are anyway, because there's no double days. But in terms of like an actual practice and they give it to them off because of the injury, right? And because they're just like, listen, we're not trying to push too hard. It's just something to monitor.

I'm rooting for him to play because, I mean, obviously. And I'm rooting for him. You know, I want to see the guy that we saw last year against the 49ers. The league is better when all the. their players are humming at the highest level. And the league is lucky right now. Mahomes, peak of his powers, all-time great. Josh Allen, one of the most talented guys we've ever seen.

Lamar Jackson, you know, probably the best running quarterback ever. Steve Young, by the time he won a Super Bowl was much more of a pocket quarterback. But he's, you know, he's already got two MVPs. Obviously, Burrow, Herbert now with Harbaugh. I mean, we are to transition, Rogers has a year or two. left, but to go from Manning, Brady, and Rogers to now have this crew, Leaks should feel pretty good because these guys are showstoppers. They're Courtney Cronin who has covered NFL teams. She covers the Bears now. I think she used to cover the Vikings. I think she's originally

from the Bay. I've followed her forever on social media. Had this tweet the other day. And it was from Keenan Allen. I think it was at his press conference, and he talked about staying at the same hotel with Caleb Williams during minicamp, because in making sure that he spent a lot of time with him, basically because he doesn't learn from just going back to his room and studying the playbook. He said, I won't pick it up that way. That's not the way I learned. So we spent constant time him drilling me and going over plays and me going back, and that's how. I am able to take in the information. And it struck me, and it has for a long time,

that no one in the NFL sustains a high level of play on Sundays randomly. Your God-given gifts, which all these guys have, can get you by early on in your career. Definitely can get you by in college. And maybe for a year or two in the NFL. But to sustain it for five, eight, a decade,

the level of focus, the level of work ethic, and the level of attention to detail of your craft, I was on the golf course last week, I was telling them about my time in Philly and just the level of hours in which you spend at the facility as a scout, obviously as a coach, but even as a player. And I think I've always said it's,

the NFL is Wall Street on grass. I mean, you're just, you're talking 15, 18-hour work days, long, long falls, it's a grind. And you better buckle the you know what up because it is, it's mentally taxing. And for players, it's mentally and physically taxing. You could argue for coaches as well because, you know, the lack of sleep, the thrown off workout schedules, you're just, you're out of it. You better have a lot of cold brew, maybe an Adderall prescription, and just figure

out a way to get by because it's hard. and that's why we always talk about with players why you have to love it. You have to be addicted to it because there's no way to spend the amount of time that it takes without really liking what you do. It's my number one level or advice to any younger person. And listen, I'm not alone on this. I can just speak from my own experience that if I did something for a living that I did not like to do, I could not spend the time in which I spend on that thing.

It wouldn't be possible. I would not care. I would mail it in constantly. When you find what you like to do, like truly passion, deep in your soul, it's easier to work because you can work long days and it doesn't feel like you're working. And Keenan Allen, like,

there was a reason he went in the third round. He's not very fast. Guess what? He's slower now than he was back then. but when you think Keenan Allen you go, God, he's one of the smartest players in the league, knows how to get open. Obviously he's tough and obviously skilled. But it's because of the mental work ethic that it takes to play at a high level.

And I think, listen, there are countless players all over the NFL that grind. And you're just not going to be good. I mean, look at some of the best players in recent memory that have retired. you go, does that guy love football if you had to do one to ten? 10 being the most and one being basically doesn't like it. Like Aaron Donald, what number would you choose? Jason Kelsey, what number would you choose? Tom Brady, what number would you choose?

Let's be real. The three guys I just listed, 10 out of 10 would feel low. Tom's like 50 out of 10. Donald's like 45 out of 10. Kelsey's right there too. And that's what it takes. That's what it takes. It's why during the draft that these uncomfortable conversations, the media is like,

that's not fair. They deserve to have a balanced life. Well, yeah. Sure, you, as a guy making $100,000 can have a balanced life. And that is fair. Your expectations are different. When you get paid $10 million, $20 million, $30 million, I don't care what you do. If Google's paying you $25 million, what do you think their expectations are going to be for you?

If Goldman Sachs is paying you $13 million, You think it's like, oh, yeah, just 9 to 5 and three-day weekends, whenever you want. That's not the way the world works. So, yeah, it's very serious. And that's what a lot of the great players, they give it right back. It's why when these guys retire, the way these coaches and these general managers talk about these players, like that's the sad part about Keenan Allen with Harbaugh just financially didn't add up. And they chose the defensive lineman.

Jim Harbaugh would love Keenan Allen. He would love Keenan Allen. and the bears are lucky. Even if he's only there for a year, no-brainer trade. And last but not least, I saw this story that I thought was kind of fascinating.

There's got to be like 17 teams down in L.A. during training camp. The Rams, the Chargers, the Cowboys, and now the Raiders. But I guess there's this rule that because it's another team's territory, I'm not quite sure how the Cowboys get away with this, and maybe they don't.

They're just so big that you naturally see people down there. The Raiders went to Southern California for this training camp. Obviously, it's 175 degrees in Vegas. But part of it is they're not able to promote that they're in Los Angeles. The way that Mike Floreo wrote it is they're not even able to have fans. And that seems a little crazy to me. But I understand going, and I saw some quotes from Antonio Pierce.

Listen, a lot of teams, my only experience in the NFL was going away to training camp. We went to Lehigh. The Eagles no longer do that. They now practice at their facility. Andy, when he went to Kansas City, they still go away to training camp. I'm a believer in going away to training camp, even though sometimes when you're there, player, coach, scout, whatever, it can suck a little bit. but there is something special about that bonding period as just kind of a group.

So, like, I'm all for it. I just think these rules are kind of crazy that you have to basically not say anything. But a lot of teams are Southern California. I mean, listen, it's hard to beat that weather because it's pretty hot otherwise. And I think part of it, too, is, you know, the Cardinals in Scottsdale, I mean, they're technically, I think, south of Phoenix. but the Vegas Raider, it is so hot that even in the morning, you got to practice indoors. It's one thing, like even at Lehigh, a couple times it would rain. We had to practice indoors.

Like weird weather in the South. But I think ideally in training camp, you want to practice outside on the grass. You got 90 guys. You got stations all over the place. So I get why the Raiders go. I just think that's kind of a crazy rule that clearly the Chargers, and the Rams are not exactly waving. They're like, oh, yeah, it's cool, man.

You can wait. You're allowed to promote. No, they're like, no, they're like, no, not allowed. Even Mark Davis, like, it is what it is. We're coming to LA. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what I'm saying.

Yep, that's me, Clifford Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, the reactions, my journey from basketball to college football, or my career in sports media. Well, somewhere along the way, this platform became bigger than I ever imagined. And now I'm bringing all of that

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

So, if you've ever supported me or you're just trying to be. chasing down a dream, this is right where you need to be. Listen to the Clifford show on the IHeart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. 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 IHeart 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 defying 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 Reed. He has to guard Julius Randall. And then he has to give us everything he gives us on the night-to-night basis 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 to flyin. He running up the court, licking his fingers why he got the ball.

Like, you go through a training camp with that, Isaiah, you figure it out real quick. 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. Okay, let's dive into the mailbag. At John Middlecough. At John Middlecough is the Instagram. And DM's wide open. So just fire in.

get your question answered here on the show, and that's what we do. So, Brendan, there are clearly different approaches that front office takes to structuring contracts when they're a contender. The Bills and Cowboys did massive backloaded contracts and are now having to cut good players. What do you think is the right balance between going all in with backloaded contracts to contend now versus keeping a long-term view? I'm a Lions fan and curious how you would handle having the amount of studs on the roster Detroit does with massive contracts looming. I got news for you. The only way to do it is that.

And the only reason we notice is because when you're good for a long time, you don't get rid of those players. Most crappy teams are constantly trading, cutting, and churning their roster. so even when they sign players, those guys don't last long and no one really pays attention. Well, the bills have won the division, what, four straight years? And that core group of guys was on the team the whole time. And when you have a quarterback, same with the Cowboys, making a lot of money, if you have three or four Pro Bowl players, it adds up quick. So I don't think they do anything different than anyone else.

I really don't. Look at how the Eagle Structure contracts, or the 40s, Niners. Everything is backloaded. Nothing is like a three-year contract, and you put the salary cap space. Now, the way you actually, here's what's complicated about the NFL. If I give you a three-year $70 million contract, so what's that? $23 million a year, just for the way we're going to put this conversation together.

So you're making $23 million a year. It adds up to $69 million, but let's just $6,000. you know, 23, you guys get it. And I pay you a $50 million signing bonus. So I give you a three-year, $70 million, and I give you $50 million guaranteed, and I give it all up front in the signing bonus. So even though you get the cash,

basically within the couple weeks of signing the contract, I would never in a million years, unless I was a terrible team with just no good players on it, not put that money back, you know, if I signed it this off-season, in 2006, a large percentage of it. And that's how all these contracts work. So I don't think the bills or cowboys are alone.

I think both of them had the same scenario happen. They kept a lot of guys, and then over a three or four year period, they kind of had to purge. One reason the chiefs were able to kind of circumvent that because they would have been in the same exact scenario, what happened? They sent Tyreek packing. Do you know how much money that saved them? A lot.

And that allowed them to kind of keep their group of players together while infusing some youth. I don't know if it's true or not, but Instagram's saying that Tyree Hill has a lot of children. Like a lot of children. I just don't think any team structures, contracts any differently than any. Now, you could argue that Cowboys wait the longest. I don't follow the bills contracts close enough. Clearly the Cowboys go up until the line.

Where a lot of teams, think about the team in their division, the Eagles always try to be proactive. Hopefully it saves them $5, $10 million a player. Where the Cowboys just write it out. It seems like the Giants are prime for and are likely in the midst of a 30-year run of futility like the Lions before Campbell arrived. I was hoping things would turn around

after Mara hired Shane instead of one of his old cronies, such as Gettelman, Hard Knocks is showing that Mara clearly is trying to influence front office decisions regarding supposed quote-unquote fan favorite. One thing on the word fan favorite,

he's their best player. So it's like, and their offense is anemic beside him. So I think fan favorite gets taken out of context. I think he's just trying to say like, this is one of the best, most popular players we've had, and we've had a lot of them.

I think that's what he was saying more than like just selling jerseys. Now, some people might want to disagree, but that's, owners don't talk like GMs. Players such as Sequin and Dan Jones, even if it may be in the best interest of the organization, they should move on. He comes off like a trust fund child

who needs to be put in his place by the adults. It's not a stretch to think that Mara pushed for a Jones extension last year. Shane acquiesced, as it was his first real offseason as a GM. But gave himself an out after year two. Kind of. I mean, it's still going to cost them some money. It's not, they gave them $92 million guaranteed.

All I hear is everyone's, like a two-year contract. Look at the contract. This year's big, but next year is not zero. It seems Shane was determined to do what he thought was right, notwithstanding external pressure from ownership, I feel like successful teams. I hear what you're saying. I don't know, man. I think part of being a good owner in football is just hiring the right guys. And hiring the right guys is really hard? Like, is Robert Krapp some fucking genius when it comes to first. football ownership. He's obviously, was an excellent businessman. And he hired Bill Belichick, who then drafted Tom Brady, and it changed their lives. Is Jeffrey Lurie, like, he invests

all the money, but he kind of has gone, went all in on Howie Roseman. And it was a smart move. When you hire the wrong people, you could argue in any industry, but more so in football than you could argue Wall Street, construction, you name it, because The dude hiring knows, like a lot of guys, if I own a construction company, right, there's a decent chance. I'm not saying I know everything, every trade, but I bet if we just went construction owner by construction owner in your town, in your city, like they would have a background in the business, right, and have an understanding of certain things that go on a day-to-day basis of their projects. I'm not saying be masters at it. football owners don't know a football play

like literally wouldn't know one play in the playbook it's not like they're scouts they would have some understanding of the money stuff but in terms of building it they know nothing about it there can't be many industries like that right you go to wall street like Steve Cohen knows a lot about stocks right Warren Buffett has a pretty good idea about the market

doesn't mean he knows everything but like one of his employees he can have a conversation in that employee. John Mara or Jed York or, hell, Jerry is one of the rare guys. He played college football. Most of these guys are just rich kids. I mean, really, the majority of owners now in the NFL are rich kids. It doesn't mean they're not high-level guys. I think John Mara is a pretty high-level guy.

He has just made mistake after mistake, and it looks like this is going to be a mistake as well. I would say the hires than which he made in Joe Shane and Brian Dayball made a lot more sense than his previous hires. But I say it's all the time with coordinator. Just because you're a great coordinator does not mean you're going to be the next McVeyer-Shannahan. More than likely, you're going to suck. History would show us that. Most GMs are going to be over their head. It doesn't mean they don't know football. It doesn't mean they don't work hard.

It just means like it's a really, really difficult job. You have to balance a lot. and I just think this thing's going to go down in flames. And I don't think it's John Morris' fault. Because even though he said fan favorite, he didn't mandate that they resigned him. I think the bigger issue is they hired what looked like two successful guys. The assistant GM from the Bills and the offensive coordinator

who had coached Josh Allen's first four years. How could you argue those two hires? Me and you might have made those hires. But once you make those hires, just kind of keep your fingers crossed. sometimes you just hire like Andy Reid who's like a tight end coach

run game coordinator for the Packers in 98 you hope and then he becomes Andy Reed but I bet there were other coaches hired that coaching cycle that all of a sudden it's like but this guy was working for Bill Parcells

so you just never know and I you obviously take the most educated guess you can take of like, listen, these guys got a long resume, he's been a lot of different places, this guy helped draft these five players, this coordinator was excellent working with these two quarterbacks, but you never know.

Because the job, you just, it's so different. It's so different. Even as a coordinator, right? Like I say it all the time, you don't have to worry about the other side of the ball. You don't have to manage the defensive coaches. Sometimes you don't even have to manage the own coaches on your side of the ball because the head coach is doing that. What's up? Big fan here from Mexie Cali.

Baja, California. A question for your mailbag. If you had to bet the Chargers are going to win a ring in 10 years with Hardball, you take yes or no? Bonus question. In and out or five guys? I never understand the hate on In and Out. I would consider myself a cheeseburger connoisseur.

And I think In and Out's elite. I think it's elite. Now, if you want to quibble with the fries, I get it. Fries leave a little something to be desired, though I don't mind them. And I got fat because all I've been doing is drinking and eating for the last two weeks. My only workouts have been walks and swimming in the beach. But when I'm trying to be healthy, I try to avoid the French fries. The other thing that in and out, I think, does such a great job of that really know where else does is they don't outthink the room.

They're just so simple. You've got three or four options. Honestly, like their curveball is a protein burger or animal-style fries. But it's one of, it's not the biggest business because of like Google and Facebook and Apple or headquarters in California. For how long, who knows? But in and out's easily one of the best run businesses on the West Coast. And I don't think these other places can say that. So five guys is good.

I personally prefer shake shack over five guys But the problem with shake shack for us You know if you're watching your weight It's just hard to go shake shack not get a milk shake with your cheeseburger And that's just a fat move as the older you get It's one thing you know when you're young but the older you get and you know the metabolism slows That's a gut bomb waiting to happen Your question on the chargers

I think that I guess I would just bet yes I guess I would just bet yes If Pete Carroll can win a national championship and a Super Bowl Jim Harbaugh can't as well And I think the Chargers I think 9-10 wins this year

I guess by the time we get there We'll have to see how injuries happen During training camp But I think I'm probably going to pick them To be the 6th or 7th Wildcar team Just because I bet on Jim Harbaugh And one thing I've learned This is doing this podcast

With takes and predictions it's hard to go wrong betting on high-end coaches. Where you get burned is betting on question marks at the coach. It truly is. Like last year, bet on Dennis Allen and the Saints. And I got burned. I've bet on the Chargers over the years

with like Anthony Lynn and Mike McCoy and Branis Daley. Just because their roster I thought was so good. And then you get burned. So when you bet on the Harbaugh brothers, Kyle, McVeigh, Ann Campbell. That's why if you want to bet on Sean Payton, I wouldn't argue with you. You're usually proven right more than wrong.

And I'm not talking on betting on an individual game. I'm just talking over the course of a season. It's a long season. And the cream usually rises, right? The cream usually rises. So that's what I would expect. I mean, look at the NFC playoff teams last year. Kyle Sheehanhan.

We can make fun of Mike McCarthy all we want. And he deserves some criticism. Google his resume. I mean, we talk about Mike McCarthy a little different than his resume looks. Like, he's pretty good. Obviously, his playoff resume in Dallas leaves a little to be desired, but he's a pretty good coach. LaFleur, right? You just go, Dan Campbell.

Like, you just start going through Todd Bowles, who I'm not sure how good he is, but that's a well-run operation with Jason Light. Siriani, who's coached for his job probably. again a little like the the bucks the eagles just well run and seriani now he gets better assistant coaches maybe it goes a little bit better question for the bag it's election season here we go if any athlete in the past 50 years decided to run for president who do you think would have the best chance of winning the white house and why okay i'll pick a republican and I'll pick a Democrat. If I had to pick a Republican, I would go Peyton Manning.

I would say, now, here, listen, he is well liked in the media. Once you pick that side, 98% of them are going to hate you, try to crush you. But I would say he is one of the more presidential, just operators over the last 25 years. He can balance very, very well. being a man of the people, and also running with the elites, so he could campaign well. He'd campaign really well. I think he works like on the west coast, in the south, the Midwest, I think, obviously, Indianapolis. I think he would just, he would dominate the debates.

I just think he's well-spoken. He's got a personality. I think Peyton Manning as a Republican, and I think if you had to go on the other side of the aisle, I think you could have to go like Steph Curry, Democrat smiles a lot, people just like them, just gets along with everybody.

I think he'd be one of those guys that would get along with a lot of people on the other side of the aisle. Same thing with Peyton Manning. Just good at rubbing elbows. Obviously, you would have the media behind him being on that side. And, yeah, I mean, I think those two guys come to mind pretty quickly.

You know, you'd choose Peyton Manning over Brady. I think Brady would be a little more polarizing. There's just people that just wouldn't want to like him. I also think the work he got done, you know, he does look just, he's got a lot of work done. You know, Peyton looks a little more natural. Whenever you see him at one of these Tennessee Titans, or not Tennessee Titans games,

but like Tennessee volunteer, like baseball, college world series, he's got a little gut going. See him at the Nuggets game. He just kind of looks like a normal dude. Even though he doesn't, he's huge, like he's really tall. But I'm just saying, you know, Tom's got abs and he's got fake hair. Payton just looks like a guy who's, like, eating a cheeseburger at night for dinner, even though he's probably got like a chef.

I mean, so does curry. The hard part is it'd probably be those two. And maybe that's, you know, recency biased. But those would probably be the two I'd go to. 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, S&L'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 Tollad. Donno, 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 hungry. You just understood. That's how personal it got.

Wow. Then after that game seven, Mark keep coming to you. 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. Will Ferrell's Big Money Players and IHart Podcast presents soccer moms.

So I'm Leanne. Yeah. This is my best friend, Janet. Hey. And we have been joined at the hips since high school. Absolutely. A redacted amount of years later, we're still joined at the hip. Just a little bit bigger hips.

This is a podcast. We're recording it as we tailgate our youth soccer games in the back of my Honda Odyssey. With all the snacks and drinks. Why did you get hard seltzer instead of beer? They had a bogo. Well, then you got it. Listen to soccer moms on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast. or wherever you get your podcasts.

This is an IHeart podcast. Guaranteed Human.