The Herd with Colin Cowherd - 3 & Out - The Importance of Coaching, What's wrong with Trevor Lawrence, Kauff on Campus

Episode Date: September 25, 2024

John opens the podcast talking about the importance of coaching for NFL teams with young quarterbacks and why Jayden Daniels has a better shot at success with Dan Quinn than Caleb Williams may have wi...th Matt Eberflus. Next, John dives into a comment that Trevor Larence made about how he's not obsessed with football and how that could play a role into why he's been struggling in the league. Later, John has his latest installment of "Kauff on Campus." Finally, John answers your questions during this episode's mailbag segment. 6:32 - The importance of coaching 14:00 - Jerry Jones needs to stop talking 17:32 - What's wrong with Trevor Lawrence 28:38 - Kauff of Campus 42:34 - 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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Starting point is 00:00:39 I'm Sam J. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick a year, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it. With our friends, fellow comedians, and favorite authors. Like Mark Lamont Hill on the 80s. 84 was a wild year. It was a wild year. I don't think there's a more important year for black people.
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Starting point is 00:04:13 For additional terms and responsible gaming resources, see dkng.com slash FT Ball. NFL Plus premium offer available only to new and former NFL Plus subscribers. Additional NFL plus premium terms at NFL.com slash terms. What is happening, my people? How are we doing on this beautiful Wednesday? Got a podcast for you because that's what we do. We record podcasts. And got me thinking today talking to somebody at the gym about the difference between the bears and the commanders, who both took quarterbacks really high. But both teams look a little different right now when it comes to their offensive operation. Jerry Jones says, put it all on me.
Starting point is 00:05:05 guys. Got me thinking, it's got to be hard to overcome an owner who's also your GM that talks every single week multiple times to the public. And then something a scouting buddy sent me on a story that came out when Trevor was in the draft process about his lack of obsession with football and football not being everything. Kind of hit me last night. Pretty clear. And then of course, We do this every Wednesday, cough on campus. I want to hit some college football stuff really quick about comfort to re-alignment.
Starting point is 00:05:45 Kalin Dubour's first massive game at Alabama against Georgia and some quarterback changes going on in Oklahoma. And then, of course, the Middilkoff mailbag. Make sure you fire in there. At John Middlecoff is the Instagram. DM's wide open. You listen on Collins feed. Make sure you subscribe to the Three Now podcast.
Starting point is 00:06:05 YouTube page, Rocking and Rollin. subscribe to that as well. All the content up there right now. Before we discuss some football, you know I got to tell you about my friends, my partners, and the official ticketing app of this podcast, Game Time. Here's the thing. What do you want to do? You want to go to a concert? Do you want to go see your favorite artist? Do you want to go to a football game? NFL college? Baseball playoffs are about to start. Dodgers look pretty good. You live in Southern California. NBA right around the corner
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Starting point is 00:07:19 Just in general. I mean, just a little fat right now. More my diet than working out. But at the gym, the chiropractor, who is a big fan of the Bears, and he listens to Colin and I on Sunday nights. and he came up, I didn't even see him coming, and he just went on a rant about the Bears coaching staff. Like many Bears fans, they're not happy. And listen, you can't beat a dead horse. I said last year, that was the time to make a change.
Starting point is 00:07:51 Start fresh. They didn't do it. They're a cheap organization. Maybe polls believed in them. Maybe they just wanted to see what they had. Clearly, offensively, they looked terrible. And it got me thinking, because we spent a lot of, lot of time. And listen, as a former personnel guy, love talking players, love talking whose
Starting point is 00:08:10 roster is better than other rosters. But this is not baseball. GMs don't control the lineup. They don't run the sport. In basketball, Darry's in charge. The coach isn't. In football, the coach and specifically the coordinators control so much. Part of the reason I didn't like Washington as much as some people, because I was like, I don't think their roster is good enough. even if Jaden is like a rookie of the year. I'm just like, I don't know if their roster is good enough. And through two weeks, or like week two and week three, I didn't realize this until after I finished podcasting.
Starting point is 00:08:46 They have not punted. They have not punted since week one. Part of the reason last week they kicked so many field goals, because in the red zone, their offensive line kept jumping off sides before the snap against the Giants. Last night clearly wasn't a problem. They were much more potent, scored a bunch of times. touchdowns. But it got me thinking about Dan Quinn. Think about Iberflus, who has done a
Starting point is 00:09:09 complete kind of rebrand, grew out the beard, lengthened his hair, just tried to look cool. No one cares how you look in the NFL. Andy Reid's been overweight for 25 years. He's out-coached basically every guy in the league not named Belichick over that period of time. This is not college football. This is not college sports. Coach K's like 75 years old. He still got dark black hair. It's like Coach Kay, you're not recruiting anymore. You can let the gray come in. We don't need to use the just for men anymore. Sabin same thing.
Starting point is 00:09:41 Which, listen, as someone that doesn't have any hair, no judgment, but part of the reason they do that, I think is less about insecurity and more they want to look young for recruiting. And it matters and it works. No one cares how you look. No one cares where you're from in pro sports. Can you win? And I think when you look at Iber Fluse, it looks completely over his head. and when I started thinking about Dan Quinn,
Starting point is 00:10:05 who obviously had ended poorly in Atlanta, but was pretty successful. Took the Atlanta Falcons franchise that, let's face it, mostly has not been very successful for the majority of my life to the Super Bowl. And had a 283 lead, partly because he's good at two things. One, he's great with players.
Starting point is 00:10:29 Well, when he was the head coach for the Falcons, He had one of the highest price quarterbacks who, not Manning Brady-level star, but Matt Ryan was a pretty big NFL star. So he clearly can manage that guy, and he's pretty good at picking offensive coordinators. Think about the two guys he had for back-to-back, you know, four years, essentially, two with Kyle and two with Steve Sarkeesian. Two pretty good offensive minds. Well, Cliff Kingsbury was, people forget this, but it was like, he's the Raiders offensive coordinator. I thought it, you thought it, it was being reported online. Then all of a sudden was like, not so fast, he's in Washington.
Starting point is 00:11:06 And listen, maybe Cliff is destined to just be an OC. He's clearly pretty comfortable with that. He's not a head coach. Pretty good offensive coordinator. He's pretty good with athletic quarterbacks. He knows what he's doing. Like, kind of has a track record scoring a lot of points, college and the pros. So Dan Quinn, won, really good with the players, has been successful leading in operation,
Starting point is 00:11:29 and hires pretty good coordinators. specifically offense where he's going to have nothing to do with it besides just managing the personalities. And you look at Iberflus, who hires Shane Waldron, and now it feels like they're both kind of swimming. And this just speaks to, and I make this mistake a lot, you can have, obviously if you would just have an all-star team, it's going to be hard to fuck that up.
Starting point is 00:11:53 Like, I could coach Ohio State, I could coach Texas, and it'd be impossible for us to go six and six. probably wouldn't win the national championship, but we're going to win a lot of games on talent alone. In the NFL, the margins are really small. And everyone's going to have some weaknesses, and everyone's going to battle injuries. So when you're playing a team, regardless where they rank, like worst defense, best defense, you can win the game. It happens every single Sunday. Hell, so far this season, a lot of underdogs have been winning.
Starting point is 00:12:23 But when your coach is over his head, I don't care how much talent you're really. quarterback has, how much talent your general manager has accumulated, you're dud. You have no shot. And to me, a big difference so far in the number one overall pick, and then I'm two overall pick, is one went to an organization with some people that know what they're doing. And the other one, like, I've said this over and over. I believe in Ryan Poles. He's proven to be a good personnel guy. But as a GM, you're only as strong as your head coach. And you're only as strong as the coordinators he hires. Because in baseball, Billy Bean, I can set the lineup every single day. I can tell you exactly when to yank guys and when to put guys in. And that happens all over baseball.
Starting point is 00:13:08 That's why the GMs are in control. It's why managers, a lot of them don't even make a million dollars in the big leagues. But in football, coordinators make three and four million dollars for a reason. They're really, really important. And on game day, every GM will say this. I do nothing. I just sit there and watch. It's why most times when you see, see the GM during the game, what are they doing? Most of them sit with the owner and are drinking a Diet Coke, eating some popcorn. Honestly, not that much different than me and you during a game. So you are so dependent on the guys running your organization, i.e. the coaches.
Starting point is 00:13:44 And if you have the wrong one or you don't have a good enough one, unless you have Peyton Manning in his prime, you got no shot. So I think this is going to be a really, really rocky year for the Bears. not because they don't have good players, not because Caleb doesn't have a chance to be a really good player, but because their coaching staff sucks. In Washington, like, Dan Quinn's solid. And who knows?
Starting point is 00:14:08 Maybe if Jaden hits could, like, resurrect his career, and we could be talking about, like, Dan Quinn one day, like we do Dan Campbell or Mike Tomlin or the Harbaugh brothers. Like, he's clearly a really good leader who's really good with players. Iber Fluse doesn't feel like any of those. especially just watching the hard knocks. He just seems like I'd have a beer with him or whatever, but what I want that guy coaching my team?
Starting point is 00:14:35 No chance. You know what's hard about the Cowboys is like during the season, like a GM will go on a podcast or, you know, do a radio interview or go on with McAfee or whatever. But that is few and far between. That is not a weekly occurrence. The moment the season starts, the coach and really the quarterback slash players are the voice of your team and the coordinators.
Starting point is 00:15:01 The GMs do not talk weekly, let alone some don't talk at all. And the majority of teams, we don't hear a peep from their owner. The message comes from the coach. And I find Jerry extremely entertaining. He has been a big, big reason, the NFL, you know, the way he looks at it, the ideas he has, the popularity of it becoming a TV show and treats the Cowboys like that and the business right now in Dallas and the NFL is booming
Starting point is 00:15:32 but for some reason the Cowboys which I don't want to say it's must win week three when you're one and two at the Giants but you are a big favorite but I look at their schedule after the Giants at Steelers Lions at Niners at Falcons Philly Houston Like, that's, I mean, if you don't win this game, like, I might have to change my tune and be like, this team's not going to be a playoff team. But I do wonder, Mike McCarthy's not exactly Bill Walsh, but he clearly knows what he's doing.
Starting point is 00:16:11 And Jerry, I understand, like, I cut the checks. I want to pick the players. And it's not like Jerry's banging out all the film. He is relying on other people. But he is obsessed with getting their credit. He is obsessed with being in the limelight. And I almost wonder if we've crossed the line of diminishing returns. Like they had some moments these last couple years.
Starting point is 00:16:33 They weren't able to get it done. And now it feels like kind of over. And Jerry's 81 years old. And they have a head coach that does not have a contract that, let's face it, I don't think you'd get fired in the middle of the season, but this season could go off the rails really, really quickly. I wonder if it's impossible to win like this. because we have now 25 years of evidence
Starting point is 00:16:54 when your owner slash GM slash just patriarch of everything that happens never shuts up which is great if you're in the business I'm in if you're a radio host in Dallas like he talks after every single game and then he does a weekly radio show it's clearly not necessary
Starting point is 00:17:16 and I think it's pretty tangible now that it's counterproductive It really is. Now, I'm not saying you have to go to the extreme. Belichick wouldn't let his coordinators talk. He never really even name guys coordinators. Right? He would just let them call plays, but he would kind of circumvent that.
Starting point is 00:17:34 Like, he was the only voice in New England. You could say that's a little overkill. Other teams that are successful, let their OC, their DC, and their special teams coach talk. Hell, even let position coaches talk throughout the week. But having your owner speak multiple times a week, all season long. I don't think it's random that Dallas just hasn't been able to get over the hump.
Starting point is 00:17:59 Obviously, there are specific instances DAC playing bad, defense letting them down. It is hard to overcome. Just kind of the weird environment that is the Dallas Cowboys. I had a scouting buddy shoot me the screenshot of an article
Starting point is 00:18:15 a couple years ago when Trevor Lawrence was coming out of college. and Trevor told Sports Illustrated I'm not obsessed with football and it kind of went away we don't talk about it that much anymore but after watching him play on Monday night in Buffalo
Starting point is 00:18:32 he played like a guy that's not obsessed with football and it got me thinking most good players well hell two huge contracts that were signed this summer that I don't agree with I would not have done and I think we're insane
Starting point is 00:18:51 were Tua and Trevor Lawrence. But let's use Tua as an example. When I think about Tua, since following his career at Alabama and, hell, even coming out of high school, new people at the Alabama program, I would never say that all of his chips aren't in the middle of the table. Hell, you could argue like, hey, take some of those off. Take a deep breath. Take a step back.
Starting point is 00:19:14 Being obsessed with football and giving 100% of your entire being to the sport has not been Tua's problem. his downfall, obviously now is the concussions, and it's just not talented enough. But all the best players at the quarterback position in recent memory, I would consider football junkies. Obviously, the two best of the last 25 years, Peyton and Tom, lived, breeze, slept, I mean, it was their life. It kind of still is. I mean, Tom's calling games now.
Starting point is 00:19:48 Peyton Manning, football, he just walked out with Morgan Wallin in a, full uni in Tennessee, put on a helmet. Those guys like football as much as they do their family. And this always happens during the draft. And this is such a big pet peeve of mine when the media pushes back. There aren't many jobs in this world that pay premiums like professional sports. And there aren't many positions in all of team sports that require as much effort
Starting point is 00:20:25 mentally and physically as quarterback like in basketball you're not studying 24-7 show up to shoot around and you play in football you play once a week six days a week is practice film study doing studying on your own lifting
Starting point is 00:20:42 working on your body it's like a 24-7 job for six months a year and it's not like now in the offseason it's the 70s where you're just drinking beer and eating hot dogs all these guys train. I would say at most they take a couple weeks off total. They are doing something for the majority of the year non-season, let alone once the season starts. And as a quarterback, every player gets an off day Tuesday.
Starting point is 00:21:10 Most quarterbacks are doing some football-related activity, probably film study, game planning on Tuesday. Trevor Lawrence told you who he was. You know, a lot of times guys get in trouble a lot And you go like he's telling you who he is Now sometimes with guys you're immature Depending on what the issue was He can mature and grow above it I say it all the time
Starting point is 00:21:34 Tyrone Matthew was kicked out of school Kicked out of LSU He's literally been a team captain On every team he's ever been on So it's like guys change Right So I'm very hesitant with immaturity stuff but when you tell me like football's not everything
Starting point is 00:21:53 under no circumstances could I pay you $200 million. Look at Josh Allen. Josh Allen begged for a football scholarship coming out of high school. People laughed at him. He went to junior college and then begged Fresno State to give him a scholarship. Tim Derruder would not. Had to go to Wyoming to play college football. Joe Burrell obviously was pretty good out in high school.
Starting point is 00:22:20 school, Urban Myers says, you're never going to play here. I don't care. You ain't it. Had to transfer to LSU. Just look around the history of the position, all the best players. Even the flawed ones. I saw Fav today has Parkinson's. He was a flawed player. Would make some terrible decisions. The number one thing you would say to describe Brett Fav is I don't think you could have liked playing the game of football anymore. I would say no player in my life felt like he loved playing the game more. Tom took it the, Tom and Peyton took it the most seriously, but there was a joy to Farr that I don't think any player has matched. Mahomes did early on in his career, but I think that was something special. And if you're not obsessed with football as the quarterback, I don't care how much talent you have.
Starting point is 00:23:22 I will short your career. I've gone into these buildings every day for years. I worked in the Eagles facility, Andy Reid, two years. My third year I did college scouting. The amount of time, effort, and energy it takes to even have a chance to be competitive is insane. I say it all the time. Football is Wall Street on grass. Like he told us years ago.
Starting point is 00:23:52 So I'm kind of done talking about this In terms of the letdown With this player I think it's poor management because they were the one I don't blame him for signing the contract If someone gave me $200 million, I would sign it too But like This is on the Jags
Starting point is 00:24:11 As much as it's on Trevor Lawrence He told everybody years ago But he was so talented And let's face it, these Clemson quarterbacks have been pretty underwhelming In terms of a lot of different elements So I just think that Sometimes when this football stuff
Starting point is 00:24:27 During the draft I mean there are certain comments that should hold a little more weight than others Like no one could argue Do you think Travis Hunter likes football He plays 98% of the snaps in a game There is no way You would go both ways in Division I college If you weren't obsessed with the sport
Starting point is 00:24:49 Obsessed So it's like I don't know Man Hearing some of these stories About these guys Getting huge amount of NIL money And it's like yeah
Starting point is 00:25:01 You go into the program They're like he's still the first guy here His work ethic I've heard some stories about Will Johnson At Michigan It's like How is this guy so serious You know
Starting point is 00:25:11 Making all this money in college And it's like I'd bet the farm on those type guys Like if you see the effort In which these guys are playing Knowing they're making this much money in college football, I feel pretty good about their love once it comes to the NFL. Look at all the top quarterbacks in the NFL.
Starting point is 00:25:29 You don't question any of their love of the sport. Mahomes, Alan, Lamar, I mean, Herbert's out there limping around against the best defense in the league. So it's just C.J. Stroud, and you ever hear him talk about football? Dude's a junkie. The best athletes of my life have been addicted to the competition. Tiger, Jordan, Brady. LeBron's still grinding his ass off at 40 years old with a billion dollars in the bank.
Starting point is 00:26:00 This stuff's too hard. So if you ain't all in, and listen, let's face it, this speaks for most industries. There are some jobs you can get away with it at and still make a lot of money. I saw the dude that Starbucks hired as their CEO from Chipotle, kind of went viral. He gave the speech about his daily routine.
Starting point is 00:26:19 It's like, get up. work out, take my kids at school, do some meetings, lunch, a couple more meetings, and I'm home every day at five. And Starbucks gave him like $100 million, $25 million signing bonus in a private jet, and he got to move his office to his home in Newport. I'd say he's an outlier. I mean, he may be just so talented, it doesn't matter. But most people are just, it takes a lot of energy and effort. And the only way you can consistently give the energy and effort, whether it's business, whether it's football, whether it's whatever you're doing, music, you got to be obsessed. And when you're not obsessed, it's going to weed you out because you're going to be going up against people that are.
Starting point is 00:27:12 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.
Starting point is 00:27:36 Listen to Superhuman on the I-Hard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what I'm saying. Yep, that's me, Cliver Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, the reactions, my journey from basketball to college football, or my career in sports media. Well, somewhere along the way, this platform became bigger than I ever imagined. And now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show.
Starting point is 00:28:03 This is a place for raw, unfiltered conversations with some of your favorite athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. One week, I'll take you behind the scenes of the biggest moments in sports and entertainment, and the next we'll talk about life, mental health, purpose, and even music. The Clifford Show isn't just a podcast. It's a space for honest conversations, stories that don't always get told, and for people who are chasing something bigger. So, if you've ever supported me or you're just chasing down a dream, this is right where you
Starting point is 00:28:33 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. Hey, this is Robert from the Stuff to Blow Your Mind podcast. Joe and I are both lifelong Star Wars fan, so we're celebrating May the 4th with a brand new week of fun, thought-provoking Star Wars related episodes. Join us as we tackle science and culture topics from a galaxy far, far away, such as the biology of tauntons and wampas on the ice planet hot, or the practicality and corporate business sense of the Sith rule of two. Listen to stuff to blow your mind on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Do you remember when Diana
Starting point is 00:29:16 Ross double-tapped Little Kim's boobs at the VMAs? Or when Kanye said that George Bush didn't like black people. I know what you're thinking. What the hell does George Bush got to do a little Kim? Well, you can find out on the Look Back at it podcast. I'm Sam Jay. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick it here, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it. Including a recent episode with Mark Lamont Hill waxing all about crack in the 80s. To be clear, 84 was big to me, not just because of crack. I'm down to talk about crack on day, but just so you all know. I mean, at this point, Mark, this is the second episode where we discussed correct. So I'm starting to see that there's a through line. We also have AIDS on the
Starting point is 00:29:55 table right now. So, you're finishing that sentence. Yes. I don't think there's a more important year for black people. Really? Yeah. For me, it's one of the most important years for black people in American history. Listen to look back at it on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Welcome to my new podcast, Learn the Hard Way with me, your host, and your favorite therapist, Kear Games. And in recognition of mental health awareness month, I'm bringing over a decade of my own experience in the mental health field and conversations with so many incredible guests. I'm talking, Tripp Fontaine, Ryan Clark. Sometimes when we're in the pursuit of the thing, we get so wrapped up in the chase that we don't realize that we are in possession of the thing.
Starting point is 00:30:40 And we're still chasing it. And we don't know when we've done enough. Because people scoreboard watch. Life becomes about wins and losses. Steve Burns, Dustin Ross, because you find it important to be a good person while you hear on earth, or are you a good person because you're afraid? Because that's two different intentions, bro. Absolutely. And that's two different levels of trust. I want you to just really be a good person.
Starting point is 00:31:02 Join me, Keir Gaines, as we have real conversations about healing, growth, fatherhood, pressure, and purpose on my new podcast, learn the hard way. Open your free, our heart radio app. Search Learn the Hardway and listen now. Okay, let's do a little cough on campus. God, I love college football. I saw that the Michigan USC game did the highest rating on a CBS Day game in 10 years. I think well over 6 million people watched it. This is 1230 Pacific Standard Time.
Starting point is 00:31:41 I mentioned this to Colin the other day, and it's not even arguable. Conferenceary alignment, we can get mad at it. If you're of a certain age, it sucks. I mean, there are elements of it that suck, but there's no disputing this is better. These teams used to play each other occasionally, but now that this is a conference game, USC versus Michigan, and it just felt bigger. Like conference realignment, you got Tennessee going to Oklahoma. How do you beat that? Texas is going to be playing Georgia?
Starting point is 00:32:20 Oregon is going to be playing Ohio State, these matchups just would not have happened. And now they're not only, they're happening every single year. So, conference re-alignment piss a lot of people off, especially us on the West Coast, but it's the right thing. Obviously, the TV networks played,
Starting point is 00:32:41 had a heavy hand in this because they benefit the most. Ultimately, like, Ohio State's going to make a ton of money no matter what, but you do this. Everyone's making more money. And this is America. We like making more money. And we'll do whatever we have to do to make more money. And that's how college football happened or the realignment happened.
Starting point is 00:33:01 And that's the new era of college football. But it's working. And to me, the success that it's going to have over the next couple of years is only going to lead to more consolidation. And that's like the Pact 12 discussion that I see constantly is so dumb. I'm a Fresno State guy. I love Fresno State. I love Tim Skipper, who is quote-unquote the interim coach,
Starting point is 00:33:27 and if he wins this week at UNLV, if that AD does not give him a contract, I'm going to start tweeting. Be pissed off because Tim Skipper deserves a four-year deal today. But this Pack 12 discussion adding these teams, and I got people in Fresno, like, this is going to mean a lot. They're already playing each other. Like, where's the,
Starting point is 00:33:50 inventory, the PAC 12 died. The moment USC and UCLA and then Oregon and Utah and Colorado and the Arizona schools went their separate way, Washington State against San Diego State is not a valuable television property.
Starting point is 00:34:06 It just is not. You can call it the PAC 12. You could call it Nike. You could call it my feet. It does not matter. It's still that game. Versus C and Michigan. or Texas and Georgia
Starting point is 00:34:20 or Utah versus Oklahoma State it ain't the same and I just this conversation won't die because Oregon State and Washington State they own the right to the PAC 12 to me it's completely irrelevant
Starting point is 00:34:35 you can call the conference whatever you want I've said this forever and this is no shot at these programs because in fairness they care like I don't believe UCLA cares about football I'm not saying the players and coaches. I'm talking about the school.
Starting point is 00:34:52 I know for a fact, the school, Cal, does not give a shit about football, let alone sports. Again, I'm not talking Wilcox and the players. I'm talking the university. Oregon State and Washington State care. They do. But their little towns that they play in and their markets are irrelevant. They do not matter. They belong playing Fresno State and Boise State and San Diego State.
Starting point is 00:35:14 And those programs, if they're lucky, once every five, years might get a seat at the dance. But for the most, on just your average year, the door will not be open to them. And you know what? Doesn't deserve to be open to them. It's just the reality of this business
Starting point is 00:35:34 and of college football. Because playing New Mexico and San Diego State and Utah State on a weekly basis is simply not the same as playing Texas A&M even the bad SEC teams. It's a different world. But at the end of the day, this all comes back to television.
Starting point is 00:35:55 And television does not care about Washington State and Oregon State. So you can call it to Pact 12. You could have just gone to the Mountain West. However the finances work, I don't believe they're a valuable property. Because the schools are still the schools. I do think, you know, you know, You know, the crazy part about NIL, I was wrong about Jackson Arnold. I thought Jackson Arnold was going to be a really good player.
Starting point is 00:36:24 Well, he not only got benched during the Tennessee game, Venables announced yesterday that Michael Hawkins, Jr., who's like a smaller, you know, he's like 6'1, but he's like an athletic runaround guy, is going to be their starting quarterback. And my first reaction during the game, and listen, Oklahoma's defense caused two turnovers. in the first half. And then immediately Jackson Arnold turned the ball over again. One he fumbled and one he threw backwards. So he was a disaster. And their defense is clearly good. I think maybe I was just like, this is kind of crazy.
Starting point is 00:37:04 Texting around the day, it was like, no-brainer. We didn't have a choice. Has to do it. And like the NIL, I think the pressure, once you start cutting guys' checks, if you do not perform, like whatever, see you later, go to the transfer portal at the end of the year, we don't care. It's actually an easy way to be like, we don't even want this guy on the team anymore.
Starting point is 00:37:28 And I'm not necessarily saying, like, Venables hasn't said that. But like you make a move like this, it's pretty clear the light at the end of the tunnel in the situation. Like, if you're betting the day, with Jackson Arnold, the guy that started the season at quarterback for Oklahoma, the guy that Venables and the staff basically told Dylan Gabriel, Bureau, you're not going to start here next year. We're going with Jackson Arnold.
Starting point is 00:37:53 Four weeks into his Oklahoma's starting career, it's already over. And we all know where this is headed. He'll be playing next year like Syracuse or Wake Forest or like Utah. I mean, that's just, that's inevitable. And I kind of like that. I really do. And that's what makes, I think, college football, a lot of the transfer portal with some of the random positions, their hit or miss.
Starting point is 00:38:18 I do think the college football quarterback movement has made the sport much more interesting. Now, sometimes like, who's the dude? Riley Leonard, the quarterback at Notre Dame. I was texting with a couple scouting buddies that have gone through there. They're like, he's just worse this year than he was last year at Duke. They're like, I don't think it's crazy that they paid him a bunch of money.
Starting point is 00:38:41 Like, he gets seven figures. It's not like he's making a hundred grand. I mean, this is like a millionaire to be their starting quarterback, and he can barely throw. Like, I'm not necessarily a Notre Dame hater. I am a hater relative to the hype that they get, because then you watch them and you never quite see the hype match what you see on the field.
Starting point is 00:39:06 But they went all in on the quarterback, and he's just not good enough. They will lose again. I don't think it's inconceivable that they lose twice. But if they go 10 and 2, and one of their losses in Northern Illinois, and let's say they lose the USC, their schedule's not very good. They don't play in a conference. You're not getting into the playoffs. You don't deserve to be in the playoffs. No one wants to see you in the playoffs.
Starting point is 00:39:33 Kalin Dubourg has a pretty big moment this weekend. Look at the guy's career record. He has won a lot. Now, a lot of these wins are at Sioux Falls, Fresno State. obviously the last two years of Washington really kind of validated his career. Once you go, it's like, you know, Brian Kelly, did he get that much credit for winning in like one double A or Division 2 in Michigan early on in his career? A little bit.
Starting point is 00:40:00 Then he went, I think, to Central or Western Michigan. He got a little more credit. But then he went to Cincinnati, and they were in a BCS game. You're like, this guy's good. Then he goes to Notre Dame and he wins a lot. It's like, okay, this guy's winning everywhere. If Cahlin DuBore wins this game, I think we, have to talk about this guy is the best coach in college football.
Starting point is 00:40:19 Obviously, he doesn't have the best resume. Kirby's won Natty's. Dabble's won Natty's. But, like, currently, Harbaugh's gone. I'm not putting Ryan Day up there. You win this game. First year at Alabama, you beat Georgia? I think he immediately has to be in the discussion. He loses this game. Like, listen, he's just top five, six coach,
Starting point is 00:40:43 and we'll see what happens the rest of the season, how he looks in the playoffs. But you win this thing? This is, this feels like an NFL game. I am really, really excited to watch. Because let's face it, Georgia looked terrible against Kentucky. Now they get a bye week, so they get to come in rested. You know, Alabama has played South Florida weird two years in a row. I mean, they almost lost two years ago when Sabin was a coach.
Starting point is 00:41:09 But I don't know. You know, this is, I guess I would bet on Georgia. one thing I've learned is Kaelin Dubor is much better than you think. And every time you think, oh, this is, he's going to lose to Oregon, nine point underdog. Beat the shit out of him in the Pac-12 championship.
Starting point is 00:41:29 Oh, Sark. Texas favored. See how that goes. Obviously, Michigan overwhelmed them, but he has an equal team. Or close to an equal. Like, that Michigan-Washington game was not equal when it came to talent. The gap here, even if Georgia's slagerness,
Starting point is 00:41:46 better is still pretty small. Like he's got NFL guys basically at most positions. And I'm interested to watch Kalin Dubour and you know, this is obviously the national championship games, the biggest game he's ever coached. But this has got to be right
Starting point is 00:42:02 up there near the second biggest game he's ever coached. 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 Superhuman documented it all,
Starting point is 00:42:25 embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the I-Hard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what I'm saying.
Starting point is 00:42:45 Yep, that's me. Clever 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,
Starting point is 00:43:07 creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. One week, I'll take you behind the scenes of the biggest moments in sports and entertainment, and the next we'll talk about life, mental health, purpose, and even music. The Clifford Show isn't just a podcast. It's a space for honest conversations, stories that don't always get told, and for people who are chasing something bigger. So, if you've ever supported me or you're just chasing down a dream, this is right where you need to be.
Starting point is 00:43:33 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. Hey, this is Robert from the Stuff to Blow Your Mind podcast. Joe and I are both lifelong Star Wars fan, so we're celebrating May the 4th with a brand, new week of fun, thought-provoking Star Wars-related episodes. Join us as we tackle science and culture topics from a galaxy far, far away, such as the biology of taun-tons and wampas on the ice planet hot, or the practicality and corporate business sense of the Sith rule of two. Listen to Stuff to Blow Your Mind on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your
Starting point is 00:44:13 podcasts. Do you remember when Diana Ross double-tap Little Kim's boobs at the VMAs? Or when Kanye said that George Bush didn't like black people. I know what you're thinking. What the hell does George Bush got to do a little kill? Well, you can find out on the Look Back at it podcast. I'm Sam J. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick it here, unpack what went down,
Starting point is 00:44:34 and try to make sense of how we survived it. Including a recent episode with Mark Lamont Hill, waxing all about crack in the 80s. To be clear, 84 was big to me, not just because of crack. I'm down to talk about crack on day, but just so y'all know. I mean, at this point, Mark, this is the second episode where we've discussed correct. So I'm starting to see that there's a through line.
Starting point is 00:44:53 We also have AIDS on the table right now. Thank you for finishing that sentence. Yes. I don't think there's a more important year for black people. Really? Yeah. For me, it's one of the most important years for black people in American history.
Starting point is 00:45:08 Listen to look back at it on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Welcome to my new podcast, Learn the Hardway with me, your host, and your favorite therapist, Kear Games. And in recognition of mental health awareness month, I'm bringing over a decade of my own experience in the mental health field and conversations with so many incredible guests.
Starting point is 00:45:28 I'm talking. Tripp Fontaine, Ryan Clark. Sometimes when we're in the pursuit of the thing, we get so wrapped up in the chase that we don't realize that we are in possession of the thing. And we're still chasing it, and we don't know when we've done enough. Because people scoreboard watch.
Starting point is 00:45:45 Life becomes about wins and losses. Steve Burns, Dustin Ross, you find it important to be a good person while you hear on earth? Are you a good person because you're afraid? Because that's two different intentions, bro. Absolutely. And that's two different levels of trust. I want you to just really be a good person.
Starting point is 00:46:02 Join me, Kear Gaines, as we have real conversations about healing, growth, fatherhood, pressure, and purpose on my new podcast, learn the hard way. Open your free iHeartRadio app. Search Learn the hard way and listen now. Kmail back time. Add John Middlecoff. Instagram, fire in those DMs.
Starting point is 00:46:22 get your question answered here on the show. Start with Taylor. With your experience inside the building, how big of an impact does the media coverage of players influence the team's decision making? Personally, I feel the media fawning over every quarterback each year and labeling everyone, dot, dot, dot, dot, the next is having a negative impact on the league.
Starting point is 00:46:48 teams don't feel like they're building a complimentary roster, just searching for a savior. I mean, I think everyone's been looking for quarterbacks forever. At the end of the day, I would say most quote-unquote narratives, obviously the hype machine in the off-season is real. I think media coverage and mock drafts and that type stuff have a bigger impact in the off-season than they do in the regular season.
Starting point is 00:47:16 like Bryce Young got benched because he was playing terrible. Not because people were, you know, writing articles or podcasting about him, right? The season speaks for itself because the eye in the sky doesn't lie. But I do think in the off season it can have a bigger impact. Like you say, the media creation of who you need to sign, who you shouldn't sign. But I would say the good teams are completely unfazed by that. Love the pod, big time Bangles fan
Starting point is 00:47:49 How is an organization Can a team turn around scouting, improved draft selection, engaged performance of your scouts? I look at the Bengals draft classes since Burrow entered the league. Outside of the obvious choice in 21 with Chase, he wasn't the obvious choice they could have taken
Starting point is 00:48:05 Penae Sewell, but I know what you mean. Whoever they picked there was going to be good. You can't find a single player that is high level. Aenemic pass rush. An O-line and D-line entirely built through free agency. And a secondary that can't even cover an O-Lineman streaking out as a wide receiver.
Starting point is 00:48:26 How do teams decide who screwed up the draft process? The GM gets fired, the scouts rotate like mercenaries, do other teams? That's the hard part about this business is it's much more do I like you or do I not like you based on how well you are as an evaluator. clearly like in any industry certain people are much better than others but their owner plays such a huge role during the draft
Starting point is 00:48:54 so if he likes an individual scout he's not going to fire that guy and you might have a guy who's good at his job that the owner likes or doesn't like and he gets fired so how good you are
Starting point is 00:49:11 as a scout is not like as a coach or definitely as a player where if you play well you're not going to get, they're not going to get rid of you. And if they do, someone else will be willing to pay you. If you're a coach and you do a good job with your unit, it's going to be clear.
Starting point is 00:49:27 Obviously, as a coordinator, if you're doing a good job, it speaks for itself. It's hard to quantify the scouts. It really is. And that's where I would say scouting is much more like corporate America. Do they like you? Do they want you around?
Starting point is 00:49:42 your performance isn't as important, as long as you're trying and you're decent. But like most industries, I mean, there are a ton of scouts who probably aren't that good. And there are a ton that are probably pretty good that maybe their personalities don't mesh. They don't get elevated. So I don't know what to tell you,
Starting point is 00:50:04 besides your owner play such a big role that there's not much, like he's in control. You know, he's just a less, I would say outspoken Jerry Jones in terms of his role with building your team. Been watching the show for a couple years quickly become a fan.
Starting point is 00:50:23 I do have one gripe. I think everyone needs to slow down on Anthony Richardson. He's 22, with only seven NFL starts. Though he looked way more polished at the start of last year, he's now coming off shoulder surgery
Starting point is 00:50:41 on his throwing arm. Coach Steichen is also leaving the playbook open, and I love that because he needs to learn how to navigate through some adversity. He's making the first reads, aside from the end zone pick against the bears, and in time, I think he will be fine. I want to go into way more detail, but I have to keep it somewhat short. No one's arguing that he's not a really good kid. Like you said, he's young, his physical attributes jump off the television screen and it's fair to say the shoulder injury is something to monitor. Now, the shoulder injury, different point in time in their career,
Starting point is 00:51:23 happened to Cam Newton and he never threw the same. Now his arm strength was never the same. That's clearly not an issue with AR. I do just think it's fair. Like when you watch him play through these first three weeks, beside a couple throws, it's been mostly really, really bad. That doesn't mean his career's over. It doesn't mean he's going to get benched.
Starting point is 00:51:44 But I think two things can be true. You're obviously going to keep working with him. Like, this guy's getting a couple years. To them, just work through it. But history would say most of those guys don't work. First off, I never miss an episode. So as a Colts fan, I've argued that you can teach accuracy. Richardson makes the right read and his pocket presence is there.
Starting point is 00:52:05 There are traits I think that are, those are traits I think are unteachable. here's the thing. He ain't scared and he doesn't, you're right, he's not like fluttery in the pocket in terms of he doesn't feel scared. It's just the ball when it leaves his hands
Starting point is 00:52:24 is not getting remotely close. Josh Allen's first season was 12 games, 10 touchdowns, 12 interceptions. So based on that, AR is fixable considering what we've seen this before. I do think whenever you compare yourself to the best case scenario, you're letting yourself
Starting point is 00:52:49 you're giving yourself the opportunity to be let down. I think trying to make him the next Josh Allen, we might not see another Josh Allen for years. To me, like, can you just become Cam Newton? Who was never very accurate, but was obviously a really good player. If he becomes Cam Newton with Shane Seichen, you'd be in good shape.
Starting point is 00:53:15 Trying to become Josh Allen, who's just, I mean, like four or five straight years now, of just dominating. And listen, I know Cam Newton won an MVP that year was clearly an outlier, but we're Josh Allen, you can just chalk every year. We're going to the playoffs. We're going on the playoffs. The difference is if he becomes Cam Newton, think how much better Cam Newton would have been with Shane Steik
Starting point is 00:53:37 than he was with Ron Rivera, who was a defensive head coach. I'm getting a lot of Anthony Richardson's. someone asked, I don't know if I'm going to be able to find it, but if Travis Hunter, the question was, is it going to be possible for Travis Hunter to play both ways in the NFL, like he's doing in college? And I think two things can be true. One, he is capable of playing both positions.
Starting point is 00:54:07 He could be an NFL wide receiver or he could be an NFL DB. That's why he's going to go in the top five picks of the draft. no scout, no coach, no one's arguing that. He could play either position. Then the next question is, can he do it both? And I think it's kind of physically impossible. Because if we use Otani as an example, you only have to pitch every five days. So it's not like you do it all the time.
Starting point is 00:54:36 Or when you play corner and wide receiver, you just never come off the field every single game. and you're getting tackled as a wide receiver slash blocking, so there's a lot of wear and tear on you. And then the tackling that is asked of you at the NFL level, powerful running backs, tight ends, offensive linemen pulling out there, I just think it's too much on your body. Now, if he plays DB,
Starting point is 00:55:05 could he play some wide receiver throughout the year? 100%. Could he play wide receiver? And then if you had some injuries, help you out as DB, for sure. I don't think it's realistic to go both ways in the NFL. 17 games, Hunter plays a game. I just think it's borderline impossible.
Starting point is 00:55:25 To keep a guy healthy. To keep a guy healthy. Lifelong cheese fan. We know Andy is under contract through 2029. Hypothetically, if Andy were to hang it up earlier than 20209, and you were Clark Hunt, would you stay in-house to hire the replacement or look external?
Starting point is 00:55:51 If in-house, would you prefer Nagy or Spaggs? It's a good question on Nagy and Spags. If I was Clark Hunt, here's what I would do. Brett Veach, part of the best part about being an owner and a good franchise, you're making so much money and you're paying Andy and Veech, Veach, you know, let's say Andy makes 20 plus million, Vich makes 4 or 5.
Starting point is 00:56:18 That's the easiest employees you'll ever pay in your entire life. Think how much money those two individuals with Mahomes are making you. So at this point in time, Veach has earned a ton of equity with the fan base, with the owner, with the players. Brett, do whatever you want to do. And you, I trust. So if Andy retires, if I'm Clark Hunt, I let Brett Veach hire whoever he wants to hire. Now remember this. Brett Veach played wide receiver in college at a little school called Delaware.
Starting point is 00:56:59 His quarterback was a man named Matt Nagy. So I would imagine Matt Nagy would be their head coach. I also think if Andy were to retire, let's just say in the next couple years, they would hire in-house. Is that the right move? Depends what your options are. But I think Brett Veach has earned the right
Starting point is 00:57:26 to be the guy pulling the trigger. Oh, here was the question. Could Travis Hunter play both ways? I think, realistically, it's just too much. Look how gassed like some wide receivers are after a couple routes.
Starting point is 00:57:41 when they're kind of tapping their head and they need to go out. They just need a blow. Obviously, as a corner, you don't rotate. You never come out. And now with teams running the ball so much, like, they've got to tackle. I just don't think it's realistic to keep the guy healthy. Could he do it? He definitely could do it in individual games.
Starting point is 00:58:02 Could he play 10 years of being a wide receiver in a corner every single play in every single game? I think it's physically impossible to avoid injury. I just, I don't think it's possible. I think he's going to have to pick a position. And then he'll obviously still have the talents to do the other position if he ever, you know, they need him to do stuff. I would recommend playing corner. But obviously the money wide receivers are making, which could we see a slowdown at that? Like Brandon and I, you just got $30 million a year.
Starting point is 00:58:39 Clearly is not worth that. I was saying that forever. It's like he's worth like $24 million. It's like the market. It's like, yeah, if you pay Brandon and I, you're going to be let down. I think Justin Jefferson's a very rare player. As a Cowboys fan, should we trade Micah at the deadline and get picks? We need a running back and a wide receiver too bad.
Starting point is 00:59:04 We resemble the Devante Adams Las Vegas situation, except we are a defensive version with Micah. In the last three home games, we have given up 10 touchdowns on 11 drives. and the first half in the first half of those games. No quarterback or offense can overcome that. Why not spend all your resources into getting a badass offense for DAC and going into shootouts with other teams if we have to? Because our defense is not capable of playing with teams
Starting point is 00:59:32 who will go 21 personnel and pound the rock. It's not a perfect team building strategy, but it's much less flawed than what we've got right now. like from a team building standpoint, if you could get two ones and a two, or two ones and two twos for Micah Parsons. Does that make sense? Yes. From overall philosophical standpoint, the entire point of drafting is to try to find a Micah Parsons. Right?
Starting point is 01:00:10 So you get rid of them, you're just going to try to draft another one. Now, like you said, well, this is our team. now. And having Micah Parsons on this team that cannot stop the run is kind of irrelevant. Because we're going to get down. They're going to control the clock. And it's going to neutralize his talents. So they won't. I don't see a snowball's chance in hell that Jerry would trade him. But I think you're kind of talking some sense. Because the team is not just flawed right now. It doesn't even make sense if they can't stop the run, because that's all any team is going to do. I know when the Giants game happens, I'd put like Malik neighbors at running back.
Starting point is 01:00:56 Like, hey, Malik, you're going to play running back this game. I've been a Bengals fan my entire life. I'm 25 years old. It's been a rough ride. And it seems like there was finally hope for our franchise. We drafted a top quarterback, top wide receiver. However, it seems like our coaching staff in front office are holding us back. Taylor seems to be carried by the talent,
Starting point is 01:01:15 especially in our Super Bowl run. His play calling is very bad at times. What are your thoughts on the Bengals coaching and ownership and what you think will happen with the franchise this year and going forward? Well, Mike Brown is never going to pay top money for a coach. So if you were to fire Zach Taylor, let's just say at the end of this year, you would hire another Zach Taylor.
Starting point is 01:01:41 Now, maybe that guy's good, right? Maybe you hire Clint Kubiak or Bobby Sloick. assuming they would take the job, which would be hard not to if you got Jamar Chase and Joe Burrell. The problem with the Bengals is, is their owner, we just talked about this, is a lot like Jerry Jones, except he has way less money
Starting point is 01:02:01 and is very, very involved with picking players. So it's not an easy job. But when you got a quarterback who's that good, it's pretty intriguing. I think I just saw a clip earlier today that after the game, I guess they got asked about this in the press conference, did Burrow and Zach Taylor,
Starting point is 01:02:21 instead of going to the locker room, went right to Zach Taylor's, like, game day office, and they talked before they went in the locker room? What could they be talking about? What's going on there? I don't know. I mean, Burrow, you, I don't blame you.
Starting point is 01:02:41 But, like, you're not going anywhere. So maybe this is like, if Joe stops believing in Zach Taylor Zach's done like it's over he will be fired immediately so to me the biggest question mark now is
Starting point is 01:02:58 does the quarterback believe in the coach because if he doesn't then the Bengals will be open at the end of the year here's a good question for the pod is it against league rules to have radio communication in every player's helmets rather than just the quarterback or the middle linebacker.
Starting point is 01:03:18 I was thinking, and especially on defense, it could allow cornerbacks to be communicated when the ball is in the air. Or if there's a play fake, players can be told from up top leading to much faster play recognition. I was thinking,
Starting point is 01:03:34 this would be Jim Harbaugh-style tactic. If you're not cheating, you're not trying. Well, if this was available, every team in the league would be doing this. You are allowed to green dots. Obviously, one on defense, which is typically your middle linebacker and your quarterback. And so you get only one person, you know, when your team is out there on the field, has
Starting point is 01:04:01 communication. And that communication gets cut off with 15 seconds left in the play clock. So once the play's going on, there is no communication. But I like your ideas there. You're an idea guy. Big Cowboy fan, is the defense or is it the players? Or is it the defensive coordinator? I think it's fair to say, if you can't stop the run, that's a player issue. Your defensive tackles and your linebacker play is not good. It's pretty simple.
Starting point is 01:04:39 And you're, you know, Mike is not a great run player. He's a pass rusher. Who's an excellent pass rusher. Who's a great athlete. but if you just have a good tackle, they can block them. So your defensive tackle suck. Your best defensive player is not a big point of attack run stuffer. And your linebacking play is not very good.
Starting point is 01:05:03 I mean, look at Zimmer. He's had good defenses. They played well against the run. It's a personnel thing, which is a Jerry thing and a front office thing. It's also hard to change. Like, what are you supposed to do in October? find two defensive tackles at home on the couch and just add them to your team? It's not realistic.
Starting point is 01:05:31 Question for the pod. Monday night had two games and chose the Bengals and the Bills both at home. Hamblin is having a great season. Any chance the NFL planned this duo of home games to push the Damar Hamlin story to get some easy, positive publicity since he was carted off in Cincinnati. Great planning if so. Just curious if the NFL really is thinking about that when planning out the season. Well, I would never say never with the NFL.
Starting point is 01:06:02 They're always into that, you know. But do they, what positive publicity do they need? It wasn't their fault that he almost died on the field. And if anything, they got a lot of credit for their teams, their team personnel, the doctors, like everyone handled it as well as humanly possible. Now the starting, when the schedule came out, they don't know he's starting. So when they make the schedule in the offseason, Damar Hamlin is not anointed a starter.
Starting point is 01:06:34 Bill's fans, you can correct me on this, but pretty sure didn't he just win the job during training camp? Obviously, he would have had a chance to start once they let the two safeties go, but he wasn't like, it's not like Josh Allen, right? you know, he's not Tyron Matthew where he's like, you know he's going to be a starting safety. So I hear what you're saying. Not a crazy theory,
Starting point is 01:06:58 but I don't get the logic behind a Monday night football doubleheader because you just put one Monday night game on. I would understand a little bit more if they just said, hey, one game kicks off at three and the other one kicks off at 5.30. Or whatever. You know, so it's just they're going independent of each other. Like, we're going to go two games on Monday night. Hell, one game starts at three, and the other game starts at six.
Starting point is 01:07:24 So, you know, Eastern time, one game starts at six, and the other one starts at nine. One's more of an East Coast game, the other game's a West Coast game. Listen, I think it's kind of crazy, but I get it. I don't understand starting one at 430 Pacific and the other one at 515. So they're both going on simultaneously. Obviously, there's something there. that there's some advantage
Starting point is 01:07:52 that they view big picture financially to do that. I don't see it. I don't like it. But I don't think they're just random. They're clearly not randomly doing it.
Starting point is 01:08:06 I think it's less about the matchup. Like, I don't think the Bengals and the Bills Hamlin thing, my guess has had nothing to do with it. But I do think there's something that they see that clearly has not.
Starting point is 01:08:18 not gone public yet for the reason for doing this, which maybe we'll find out one day, maybe we won't. But it's hard for me to comprehend the benefit of having two games going on at the same time on Monday night football. But clearly, Raj and his crew see some benefit there. The volume. Another podcast from some SNL late night comedy guy, not quite. Unhumor me with Robert Smygel and friends.
Starting point is 01:08:51 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
Starting point is 01:09:08 banter. Listen to humor me with Robert Smigel and friends on the I-Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. On the Look Back at it podcast. In 1979, that was a big moment for me. Eighty-four is big to me. I'm Sam J. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick
Starting point is 01:09:24 here, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it, with our friends, fellow comedians, and favorite authors. Like Mark Lamont Hill on the 80s. It was a wild year. I don't think there's a more important year for black people. Listen to look back at it on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal, but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unlox. Others say it's leashing human potential. Either way, the podcast, Superhuman, documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes
Starting point is 01:10:01 for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds, I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the I-Hard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, what's good, y'all? You're listening to Learn the Hard Way with your favorite therapist and host, Kear Games. This space is about black men's experiences. and honest conversations that it's really not safe to have anywhere, but you're having them with a licensed professional who knows what he's doing.
Starting point is 01:10:30 How many men carry a suit or armor. It signals to the world that you're not to be played with. And just because you have the capability that does not mean that you need to. Listen to learn the hard way on the AHA radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. Hey, this is Robert from the Stuff to Blow Your Mind podcast. Joe and I are both lifelong Star Wars fan, so we're celebrating May the 4th with a brand week of fun, thought-provoking Star Wars-related episodes. Join us as we tackle science and culture topics
Starting point is 01:11:00 from a galaxy far, far away, such as the biology of taun tons and wampas on the ice planet hot, or the practicality and corporate business sense of the Sith rule of two. Listen to Stuff to Bole Your Mind on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. This is an IHeart podcast. Guaranteed Human.

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