The Herd with Colin Cowherd - 3 & Out - What are the Vikings doing, Sweat gets a DWI, Coach Cal and college sports

Episode Date: April 9, 2024

John dives into the pre-draft chatter and if we should believe the rumblings that we're hearing out of Minnesota and the interest that the Vikings have for JJ McCarthy, how Former Texas defensive lineman T'Vondre Sweat got a DWI and if this mistake will or should have an impact on his draft status, and the latest "Tangent Tuesday". Lastly, John reads your questions for this episode's mailbag segment. 6:03 - The Vikings and the draft 13:33 - Sweat gets a DWI 22:22 - What Coach Cal means to college sports 28:46 - Tangent Tuesday 35:25 - 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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How are we doing? Here's the plan. Today we're going to do a little football talk. Some thoughts on the draft, because we do that every single day leading up to the draft. We had a star player get a DUI. And I think it's kind of representative of just why picking players is so difficult. Caitlin Clark,

a lot of controversy over the last couple days. A lot of haters, I would say. I wanted to react to some of the reaction because it's just, it's so stupid to me. We will do a little Middlecoff mailbag as well. At John Middlecop is the Instagram, fire in those DMs. Here's the plan this week. I'm going to go football pod today.

I'm talking on Tuesday to Hunter Mahan, longtime PJ Tour player won several times on tour. Played in the Masters a bunch. I think he has several top tens in the Masters I think he, I got to look this up before I talk to him I think he even finished top five once So talk to him about playing in the tournament What's it like? What to look for from a gambling perspective?

How I should approach it? So we will have a Masters preview with Mahan on Wednesday And then I'm not quite sure how the rest of the week will play out Obviously, I'm going to watch a lot of Masters Thursday Friday But we'll probably have another football pod as well So pedal to the medal appreciate everyone listening sharing the pod you guys know the drill subscribe to three and out you guys we got a YouTube page as well all of our content is up there we're coming down

the home stretch the draft is right around the corner most of these NFL teams start meetings this week really set that draft board and some of these crazy plans come to fruition so buckle up and we're just really two and a half weeks away we got this week next week and then that following week with the drafts on Thursday so very, very exciting time. This is a great week. I'm recording this before the National Championship, the Masters, the draft.

I gotta love April. You really do. But before we dive into, obviously, some football, you know I gotta tell you about my friends, my close personal partners and the official ticketing app of this podcast, Game Time.

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No big deal. I don't even need to thank you. Just download that game. time at promo code John do something fun and do it with our discount appreciate everyone that's using it keep hammering that promo code one thing around the draft that i am always very leery of and throw a big red flag over is when someone goes 100% it's one thing if you're the first or second drafting team right so-and-so team is going to take caleb williams at number two they're going to take nick bosa's like okay i totally my mom can figure that out

When you start getting farther down the draft and you go, this team will do whatever it takes to get this player, I go two things. One, you have a very leaky front office, and that is not a way to run a draft room. Or two, you're throwing out a lot of bullshit to throw people off the scent. And I think Minnesota, you've got to look at all their moves, right? They had Kurt Cousins, who, I think a lot of people go,

they let him walk. He did tear his Achilles, and he wanted a lot of money. Now, they had been thinking about it last year when they had offered the 49ers and the 49ers didn't want the trade because they trusted that Brock Purdy could come back, but they clearly were moving, were open to moving on from Cousins a year before.

So it had been on top of mind, probably an easy decision once he tears his Achilles even though they went back and forth with his agent. But everybody and their mother just goes, the Minnesota Vikings want J.J.M. McCarthy. I even saw Rick Spielman, who was on this podcast, said, I don't know where he said it,

but he basically said that I expect them to do a dramatic overpay to get J.J. McCarthy. If you told me right now that Adam Peters in Washington, Colin believes they're going to take Jaden Daniels, I was told Drake May, I don't know, I'm expecting them to take one of those two guys. I honestly don't really give a shit. I just hope whoever they draft is good and the team's entertaining. I don't really have a dog, you know, a horse in this race. I don't care that much in terms of like,

I don't have a strong opinion on either guys. I'd be nervous drafting either. But you've got to pick one or the other, and they're eventually going to pick one or the other. But they're also drafting two. So beside Caleb Williams, they have the pick of the litter. Minnesota currently is 11. So if they want to dive into the big-time quarterback market,

they've got to trade up really, really high. Why would you want all these other teams that could theoretically also like J.J. McCarthy to know you love them? What if it's trying to throw everybody off the scent of the guy that they actually like? I'm not saying that's what they're doing, but it would be terrible business when it is dramatically out of your control. One, you need teams not only willing to trade, but willing to accept your offer for a trade and willing to move down a lot. Even the Cardinals are a good example.

Monty Osseford, when he gave his press conference a couple weeks ago before the owner's meetings, We are open for business. Come trade. There's a difference when we're open for business and we're willing to move back a ton of spots. What if I go from four to six? Get the player I wanted all along at four and add a second round pick.

I'm not even saying the Giants are willing to make that trade, but I'm open to everything if I'm the Cardinal guy. Right? So when I see that they're in love with J.J. McCarthy, I just hesitate to truly believe that. You know, I said this all along with Matt. Jones and the 49ers. I believe Kyle Shanahan liked Mac Jones, but anyone with a brain had to be in his ear like, you can't take a guy with this limited of a skill set at number three overall. Now, they ultimately drafted a guy who's even worse than Mac Jones, but totally understand why they took a huge swing. Right? Mac Jones, you draft a guy like Mac Jones or Kenny Pickett in the top five. You are completely fucked if it doesn't work out. They're great examples.

Both of them. Not on the team. A couple years later. I just think, what if Minnesota really likes another player? And honestly, if you're them, Albert Brewer wrote today that Michael Penix is a guy, and he said this, he kind of was careful the way he worded this, is moving up draft boards. Because you don't, at this time, move up draft boards. You don't go from like a third rounder to a first rounder over the last month.

but if you're a guy that people view is like yeah we could see you in the first round then i see it at your pro day i take you at dinner i have you invite you on a 30 visit we spend all day with you and we go holy shit that guy is really really impressive because these guys have been making the rounds and when you're a quarterback the standard is so high for when you make a team's visit right you're meeting not just with the head coach the coordinators, the general managers, the executives, with the owner. You kind of need universal sign-off when you make that visit. Now, historically, tends to be a little, you know, pretty high-level group of people

playing that position. But what if you're in Minnesota? Would you rather just sit at 11, take pennix, and then use that other pick? I don't know, on a player? or would you take 11, 23, and next year's one to try to move up into the top five? To get a guy who's kind of, let's face it, his ceiling is a stronger-armed Alex Smith.

So I just, I hesitate to write in Sharpie, Minnesota is going to mortgage the farm for this specific player. Because if that is true, I'd argue even if they pull it off, it was pretty reckless to kind of let everyone know. And maybe it's just as simple as everyone put, you know, the pieces to the puzzle together. But you don't, you can't put the pieces of the puzzle together without some of those pieces leaking out of the operation.

Even Kyle Shanahan had admitted, yeah, I really like Mac Jones. And obviously that was being leaked out before that draft. That's why a lot of people had mocked and said that Mac Jones was going to be his pick. Because you couldn't keep your mouth shut. And I think any time around this year, you've got to be very careful. about telling people what you are inclined to do. Like, it's not hard to go, yeah, the Chargers probably could use a wide receiver, right?

That's probably a position that if they get stuck at five, not crazy to think who they should draft. But I think it's healthy that, I don't know, out of the three guys, let's say all three of them are on the board, and I tell you right now, 100% lock, the Chargers are going to pick a wide receiver. It's not crazy if they picked one of the three. Like, if I told you they picked Romadunze,

whoa but ultimately it's not that nuts obviously they picked one of the other two guys neighbors or Marvin harrison totally you know we can envision that but i shouldn't have an idea of like they love this guy and if you do at least through the media always question that because around this time of year you want teams to try to make moves believing you're doing something when you're actually never going to do that so i just i have minnesota as just like i struggle to just assume everything we're reading and hearing is the way it's going to go. One, they have like a Wall Street guy running their operation, and this should kind of be his cup of tea, right?

Working the media, leaking things out. So just keep an eye on that group trying to keep people off the scent. Someone who didn't keep anyone off the scent was Texas star defensive tackle. Devandre Sweat, who is 6'4, 366 pounds, Lance Zerlein, who's father coached in the NFL forever. You've probably seen him on Collins Show, follow him on social media, writes all these player profiles for NFL.com.

He compared sweat to Vita Vaya and Sam Adams. So basically a championship level, 360-pound defensive tackle. This guy, I don't want to call him an elite prospect, but he's a high-end prospect. Well, on Sunday, at around 2 p.m., he got a Dewey. And listen, Florio can write some off-the-wall shit on pro football talk, but he's not crazy in the sense of, one, to get a DUI when you're over 21 to register above a 0.08,

depends on how big you are to register that, right? Me at 185 pounds is probably a different amount of alcohol than a guy weighing 366 pounds. And Colin and I talked about this, the challenge. of these draft meetings and trying to figure out who's who. To me, the biggest question mark is you were drunk in the middle of the day on a Sunday when the draft is a couple weeks away?

Like, not an ideal thing. I'm not expecting you to be in the gym or to be in the sauna or out running wind sprints on a fucking mountain, but, like, you just slamming booze on Sunday and then getting behind a car or behind the wheel. Probably not the smartest thing.

And I know I have to question your judgment. can I draft you in the top 40? Because I was thinking about this today. It's like, well, maybe this guy falls out of the first round. So if I'm a team, instead of drafting him at 22, now I'm cool, would draft them at 38, right? Obviously, there is less financial investment when you draft a guy in the second round than when you draft a guy in the first round.

But you're still inheriting the human being. So just because you get a guy at 19, that he fell because he got a DUI at 40, doesn't change the person. Now, we've seen guys get DUIs before the draft. Happened to a very famous quarterback, whose name is Dakota Prescott of the Dallas Cowboys. And I would say universally, we might disagree on the play. How good he is?

Is he a top 10 guy? Is he the 15th guy? Is he overpaid? Is he underpaid? Whatever with Dak, no one disputes one of the highest character guys in the league for a long time. So you can get a DUI. It'd be disingenuous of us all to go,

there are times in our lives when we could have got dewees. So I'm not here to pass judgment like this guy's a complete scumbag or this is a one-off. I have no clue. All I know as a GM, though, I have to now question this guy. And this is what makes this time of year so difficult. You are not dealing with just an Excel spreadsheet. I'm buying said business that generates $13 million a year and projects over the next five years to go up 20% based on the previous three years. Right?

And based on the improvement of technology could jump up 50%. It's very black and white. Anytime you deal with human beings, anytime you deal with young men, you have fucking major wildcards. And now when you factor in stuff like this, an incident that let's face it

is not an ideal situation before, I don't know, one of the biggest days of your professional life, the NFL draft, if you're a prospect, it just leaves a lot more questions than answers. Because as Florio wrote, now you just ask questions like, can I trust you?

how do I know you won't do this again? I got a drinking problem. This is a guy a bad decision maker. Because one thing texting around a little bit about Rishi Rice is like, yeah, not a bad guy, just hangs out. I had an executive tell me one of our college guys rode up, hangs out with a lot of dipshits. Can you imagine, like, hey, we're going to draft this guy high. We don't really love his crew, right?

Not a terrible guy. Means well, the crew around bunch of losers. Which, let's face it, we all know. people that hang out with some losers. It's another thing when you're a highly drafted player in the NFL. Clearly, like Rishie Rice wasn't racing himself, I'm not trying to absolve

him of any responsibility. Clearly he admitted to driving the car, left the scene, I think we all can guess, you leave the scene. One, you might be freaking out, and two, might be intoxicated. Can't get a DUI if you're not there to fucking register on the BAC. Or you're high out of your mind, which they found like

a shitload of weed in the car. But you question that these are the conversations that are happening, the decision making, who he's hanging around with, who's influencing him. Like, you can't, at the end of the day, you can try to help a guy out, but it's ultimately on him who he wants to be around, who he wants to spend time with, especially in the off season. Right? I don't care. Think about Rishi Rice can't have a better infrastructure than you have with Kansas City. Elite coach, guy that cares about you, elite high-level teammates, people that do the right thing, conduct their lives the right way, and Mahomes and Kelsey in terms of staying out of trouble,

working hard. Then the off-season hits. Hell, this guy is getting ready for the draft. Probably had a couple days off, kicking it with his boys, having a few pops, right? And who am I to judge? I was pretty blitzed on Saturday. Now, you could argue Saturday is a little different than Sunday, especially if he's got serious things to do on Monday, but this is what makes it so difficult. I don't have an answer for you.

Does this guy fall in the draft? I would assume a little, but ask yourself this. If you won't take him at 25, but you'd be cool with taking him at 35, why wouldn't you just take him at 25? Because you ultimately think that it's not that big a deal. To me, it's either like, I wouldn't touch him now for several rounds. Because if you're willing to take him high in the next round, then I really don't think he's going to drop that much.

And listen, I don't have his character write up, but this was not a great day for the prospect. That's for damn sure. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal, but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast's Superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds.

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

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

this is right where you need to be. Listen to The Clifford show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. Do you remember when Diana Ross double-tap Little Kim's boobs at the VMAs? Or when Kanye said that George Bush didn't like black people.

I know what you're thinking. What the hell does George Bush got to do with Little Kim? Well, you can find out on the Look Back at it podcast. I'm Sam Jek. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick it here, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it. Including a recent episode with Mark Lamont Hill waxing all about crack in the 80s. To be clear, 84 is big to me, not just because of crack.

I'm down to talk about crack all day, but just so y'all know. I mean, at this point, Mark, this is the second episode where we've discussed crack. So I'm starting to see that there's a through line. We also have AIDS on the table right now. Thank you for finishing that sentence. 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. As I was on with Colin last night, it was reported that John Calipari is going to the University of Arkansas. It's not official yet anywhere I've seen it, but it's pretty clear that Calipari is going to be the next head coach. of the Razorbacks. And I've said for a long time that

obviously America, when it comes to sports, is a lot flatter than it was when I was in junior high or high school in the late 90s, early 2000s. We can literally watch every game of every sport every single day. There is not a game.

If I want to watch it, I can't figure out a way to consume it. Some I might have to pay for. but I have access to it all. When I was a kid in Davis, California, our local broadcast for the NBA was the Sacramento Kings. We did not have cable in my house

probably did like eighth or ninth grade, which would have been like 98-99. So we had five channels essentially. ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox, and this kind of local channel 31. And the local channel 31 would play the Kings games. But not every year. game. I think we got like a 30, 40% of them. Obviously things are dramatically different.

And I think college football under Nick Sabin, the SEC became a national product. It became very, very cool. I've said many times, I know multiple kids through family friends, people my brother works with in Northern California. I know people in the Fresno area whose kids have gone to the SEC. Ole Miss, Florida, Tennessee. Now, there might be a lot of different factors. One, easier to get into school there than some of these California schools. And two, they're more inclined and interested to make a move like that.

Because when I was in high school, I didn't know a soul that left like the West Coast, unless you got like the smartest kid at the school went to an Ivy League school. But the far that someone would go would be like Oregon, Arizona, occasional athlete in Northern California. DJ Williams, if you remember, from Dela Salle, went to Miami, you know, Tom Brady went to Michigan, very few and far between. Now it is much easier. And I think this is the flattening of our country with television, social media.

It just doesn't feel it's crazy. But what Nick Sabin did for the SEC is like what Michael Jordan did for basketball or what Peyton and Brady in kind of over the last 20 years, the NFL, those guys did for the NFL. it made the sport not just cool, but a massive, massive cash cow. Now, obviously, in that region, it's always been huge. Alabama football always been big in Alabama. LSU football has always been big in Louisiana and the South, Georgia, Florida. I'm not trying to diminish the power in the South.

I'm talking about the power nationally. And the money that has come because of football has bled through the rest of the sports. I fall golf pretty closely. If you're going to pull professional golf, you've got to keep an eye on amateur golf, and I know people in the golfing industry. And the one thing you've consistently heard is, like, the SEC programs, they fly private. Google the top 25 in baseball. It's littered with the SEC teams.

All these college basketball programs in the SEC, NATO makes like $7 million. Alabama had never even been to the elite eight before this year. The money has all filtered in because, of football. Now, Arkansas and some of these programs have big money boosters. Walmart, Tyson Foods, Jerry Jones. But next year, all these football programs in the SEC,

whether you're the worst program or whether you're Alabama or Georgia, are going to generate over $70 million per program. What do you think that number is going to be in four or five years? You think football's going to become more or less popular? So when I see Arkansas hire John Calipari, one, it's a lot easier to throw money around now because of the money that you know is guaranteed to come in

because of your football program. And let's face it, Arkansas football hasn't even been good for a while. But I just think that we are going to see the expansion and the separation. I mean, we've already seen it, but Texas and Oklahoma are in the SEC. Oregon, Washington, USC, and UCLA are in the Big Ten. it's hard for me to take seriously these other two conferences. And the other two conferences, like,

Dionne Sanders is going to be a big deal, especially if Colorado is better this year. Florida State is a powerhouse program. So is Clemson. It's going to feel a little minor league, though, when they're playing these random fucking teams. Every week in the Big Ten, it's going to be Oregon, Wisconsin,

Washington, Michigan, Ohio State, USC. Even if UCLA is average, the brand is pretty big. and obviously the SEC, it's like, oh, LSU Texas this week, Oklahoma, Florida, you know,

Ole Miss Alabama. So we've seen the rating skyrocket. Women's basketball rating skyrocketed simply because you had to watch. It was a really big deal. Whether you'd ever watch women's basketball before, let's face it, most of us had not,

or whether you're a diehard, people tuned in because, it was a big event. And that is what these two conferences, but the SEC has really become this over the last decade, and Texas and Oklahoma is only going to add to this. Oregon, Washington, USC is only going to add to that with the Big Ten. So the separation has only started. And I've been saying for a while, and I don't even have a problem with it, if you don't

think, and they're going to keep rewriting these rules for the playoffs, that nine teams are going to be from these two conferences, you're out of your mind. So John Calipari, one of the great salesmen and bullshit artists we've ever seen. I'll defend them in the sense that college basketball is a little weird, right? You can have an excellent season. You can go 26 and 6, and then you just play like shit in the first round. And some dude from Oakland hits 10-3s. Now, should you lose Oakland, of course not. If this was the NBA and they played a seven-game series, I would have imagine Kentucky wins in five games 99% of the time. So, like, that's part of March Madness. Guys get bounced. We've seen Virginia got bounced to the number one seat. Purdue got bounced.

Kansas has been bounced. Like, it should happen. Now, you can argue it's been happening a lot with them. But I've always, and I told this to Colin the other day, if you hang your hat on saying, well, my guys have accumulated $3.5 billion worth of NBA salaries. It's like, bro, John Wall, Demarkas, Cousins, Anthony Davis, they were going to make so much money, whether they ever met John Calipari or they had played for John Middilkoff. It did not matter.

So, like, if that's what you're hanging your hat on, like, come on, man. Let's get a different line. But if I'm an Arkansas fan, I'm pretty excited. Let's end with a little tangent Tuesday. I try to stay away from reacting to the reaction, though sometimes it's impossible not to. And obviously, if you're on social media, you saw all these famous former collegiate women's basketball players.

It felt like kind of talking shit about Caitlin Clark. And let's face it, it felt a lot like jealousy. And I think a big reason why is because, like, Diana Tu Rossi or whoever that chick is that claims that none of us had ever heard of that Caitlin Clark doesn't actually own the scoring record because she played with. there's no three point line. Like I got news free and none of us give a shit. None of us care. I think what really bothers them is none of them could get me to watch. And when I say me, I mean you.

And I mean all of us. Because the majority of people that have been paying attention to Caitlin Clark these last two years don't watch women's college basketball. Have never tuned into this tournament. She got us to for whatever reason. And the reason is, start them. The reason is because it felt like you had to watch. It's not that deep. When I see some of these shows going on, these deep societal rants, it's like, yeah, I'm just

watching because she's cool, because she's sweet, because she's fun. Same reason I watched Steph Curry at Davidson. Same reason I paid attention to Tiger Woods in 1997. This is fucking sports. It's not that complicated. When you're fun, when it feels like a lot of people are about it, you want to check it out. Why do a lot of us check out shows? Because your buddy told you about it. Because you talked to a couple people at work about it. Because a couple people at school told you about it. Like, fuck, check this out. Well, three people told me about it. I'm going to check it out. Well, it's no different in sports, right? Especially something that not a lot of people pay attention to. Colin and I talked about UFC the other day. I wouldn't call myself some big UFC

guy, but I remember when it really caught on fire, Chuck Lydell was one of those people that kind of transcended and got casual people to tune it on. A lot like Connor McGregor, just like in boxing once upon a time, Mike Tyson. A lot of people that watch Mike Tyson don't watch, you know, Max Kellerman and Chris Mannix break down Friday night fights all the time, right?

But when it gets big enough, we kind of, okay, we'll change the channel too. it. And that's what she was. And then when you watched her, it didn't disappoint. I mean, she's making passes like fucking Pistol Pete Marevich hitting fade away threes like she's Steph Curry. It was fun. It was enjoyable. I almost put a lot of money on her to win the national championship. Thank God I did not. Because it was pretty clear South Carolina's a better team. But she was the story. She was the reason we all paid attention. And that obviously bothers some people in the industry. And I thought Frank Isola on Twitter said it pretty well.

Like all these people are morons. She's the golden goose and a rising tide lifts all boats. Whether you like her, whether you don't like her, whether you think she's overrated, who cares? If you are in the industry

and you're a women's basketball player or women's fucking coach, you should be celebrating her because she's bringing people like me and you to the product. Then it's on you to keep us. You got us there. Isn't that half a business?

Get the guy in the door. Well, if you own a restaurant and I get seven of my buddies to go there, you better make good food. I got them in the door for you. You know, you better not overcook that steak. Because if they like it, guess what? They'll come back. And then they'll tell their friends.

And that's what Caitlin Clark was. My neighbor, a week ago, was like, how incredible is this story? I didn't know if she liked Women's College basketball. Driving around yesterday, I saw multiple people, men and women, wearing Iowa T-shirts. Maybe those people would have watched women's college basketball no matter what. I guess probably not. And I just, I think it's really, I have no clue if she's going to be some great WNBA player.

Honestly, I don't even care. But I'll tell you this, at least the first year, I'll pay attention. I'll keep an eye. How many points she averaging? When's she playing? Oh, she's on TV? I might watch a quarter. I would never have done that for anyone else.

There's a chance I might never do that again for anyone else. But I will for her. So if you're in the business of women's college basketball, not only should you embrace her, you should double the fuck down on her. Because people like her in any industry are what creates progress and what creates money,

what creates interest. So what an incredible story. And props to Caitlin Clark for dragging a team that, let's face it, probably not that great, pretty damn far. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal, but encouraged. It's the enhanced games.

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

A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what you're saying. Yep, that's me, Cliver Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, the reactions, my journey from basketball to college football, or my career in sports media. Well, somewhere along the way, this platform became bigger than I ever imagined. And now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfiltered conversations with some of your favorite athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated.

One week, I'll take you behind the scenes of the biggest moments in sports and entertainment. and the next we'll talk about life, mental health, purpose, and even music. The Clifford Show isn't just a podcast, it's a space for honest conversations, stories that don't always get told, and for people who are chasing something bigger. So if you've ever supported me or you're just chasing down a dream, this is right where you need to be. Listen to the Clifford show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. Do you remember when Diana Ross double-tapped Little Kim's boobs at the VMAs? Or when Kanye said that George Bush didn't like black people.

I know what you're thinking. What the hell does George Bush got to do with Little Kim? Well, you can find out on the Look Back at it podcast. I'm Sam J. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick a here, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it. Including a recent episode with Mark Lamont Hill, waxing all about crack in the 80s. To be clear, 84 is big to me, not just because.

of crack. I'm down to talk about crack on day, but just so you all know. I mean, at this point, Mark, this is the second episode where we've discussed crack. So I'm starting to see that there's a through line. We also have AIDS on the table right now. Thank you 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. Listen to look back at it on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your Okay, Middlecoff mailback. You guys know the drill. Hop in to the DMs at John Middlekoff. At John Middlecoff is the Instagram DMs wide open.

This, kind of a Fugazi Friday, but it's, he listed it as that, but it's an NFL, really a statement. Owners of NFL teams need to foot more of the bill when it comes to stadium builds or renovations. speaking about Clark Hunt. We've all read the chiefs are in a dispute stemming from a vote that the Jackson County voters vetoed. I agree wholeheartedly with their decision to vote that way,

especially when you have a little backstory on the team. Lamar bought the team for $25,000. His son now owns the franchise worth $4.3 billion. That's a whopping like 17% high. Their current leases for 1.1 million per year

and had 540 in revenue for the 22 season. There's a lot. Listen, my ultimate take, and I think we talked about it last time, was I have no problem when it comes to a team trying to get the taxpayer

to pay for their stuff. And it's on the individuals to vote how they feel. And if they vote no, then vote no. I don't feel bad that they voted no just like I don't feel bad or I don't even care that much when these teams

try to use the tax bill to help fund their stuff because every human being in business would rather have someone else pay for it than themselves. Now it's easier to get shit done when you're not cheap. I saw Joe Lacob

accomplished one of the greatest feats in American business history. He got a stadium built in fucking San Francisco which is absolutely, impossible to get anything done there. But he self-financed it. He never would have got it done anywhere else.

That also puts an abnormal amount of pressure on him to keep the team good and make a lot of money. And let's face it, Clark's a little cheap. So of course he was going to try to go that route. But in 2024, historic inflation, the average guy, and let's face it, it is chief's diehard country, isn't, and I don't know the details of the tax,

but is not going to be cool like doing that. Not in these economic times of when everything's really expensive. So got no problem, people vetoing it. And it's on them to figure it out. But like, I don't think he's going to stop trying to utilize taxpayer money. And I think I talked about this last week. Isn't like they don't own the stadium. So the city also benefits from it.

That's where I think it can kind of become convoluted. if I use taxpayer money to pay for my stadium and then I get to own the stadium free and clear, like something's kind of fucked up there. But if I use taxpayer money and then we split the revenues, we're kind of partners in the venture, right? That's how I think Vegas is operating. I know that's how the 49ers operate. Now it gets more complicated when you're in business with these politicians. But if the city or the county benefits, I think you've got to do it.

And again, I don't know all the finances in terms of like if Taylor Swift comes to Kansas City, who keeps the gate. Heard some NBA season layout chat and wanted to give my two cents on how to fix their problems. Play every team three times. 87 games forget the preseason. Players don't even play. Reduce playoff teams from 14 to the top 14 teams. Three games played should make easy math. Forget conferences.

They were just made for sports leagues when all they could afford were bus and teams worth 3,000 miles apart. Make the top two seeds receive a buy and the first round is like a wild card best of three. There is no urgency in the NBA and urgency drives ratings. No one is going to watch a game if they feel like the outcome bears no weight and that's the NBA problem. Nobody cares. The in-season tournament was good idea, but they did it wrong. It should not count for your regular season record and should have a larger financial reward allowing teams in the subsidiary league like the G league participate. I think the number one key to sports in the times we're living in is things have to feel important.

We just have too many options. I could find a television show on eight different streaming platforms. If you bore me, I will change the channel. It's why, like, Caitlin Clark, it's not that complicated of a formula why she worked. There was a lot in the line. Her games mattered. The NCAA tournament with men's, I'm recording this before the national championship. I might even dabble on Purdue at like plus 250 underdog.

But like, the March Madness feels big, right? The Masters is this week. Why are people going to watch? Because it's the fucking Masters. Nobody watched last week. Why? Because it's the Valspar. You know, things have to matter.

It's what football is running circles around baseball and basketball because all their games feel important. Even though when you take a step back, not every game is super important, but it feels that way. And that's a huge part of society. We are spread thin because of our options. And we've never had more of them. So if you don't make your inventory matter, we're not going to watch. We're simply not going to watch. And the consumer is telling you, they're not watching.

And that's a problem. And I don't expect Adam Silver to fix it because I think he's one of the most clueless commissioners we've ever seen. I'm a 25-year-old and I live in Indy. I'm very lucky to have the Colts right down the street for me, even though I'm a Steeler fan. Recently I found a passion and wanted to work in the NFL. The problem is I have no college degree, no connections, and no money whatsoever. What advice would you give to someone with my specific situation wanting to work in the league? is a degree really necessary.

I don't have one, but I'll do anything to even put my foot in the door. If a team told me to sit in a room and watch paint dry all day, I would. Well, you're 25 years old. I mean, I would recommend probably trying to go to school. It is going to be hard to get your foot in the door because usually, obviously, non-football-wise, the way to get your foot in the door would be ticket sales, would be marketing, and they're just not hiring a guy without a degree. Whether that's right or not, and I'm not one to act like a degree of some separating factor

in terms of being intelligent or being capable, but it does matter in terms of hiring. And none of these teams are hiring people just to get their foot in the door. It's very, very difficult. And so I would just recommend big picture just for your life, just because it's probably going to be hard to get to break your foot in the door in the NFL. would be to go to school, it'll open your options. It just, I mean, statistics show. And I am not some diehard academia man here. Hey man, been following for two years.

Fugazi is way funnier because you're mispronouncing the word to call someone a fake. It's ironic and a fantastic inside joke. Fugazi Fugazi. Diggs of the Texans isn't going to hurt the bills. He lost his speed and the ability to separate. We have the Twin Towers. Kincaid and Knox. Shakir is a monster.

Love that guy, Boise State. And waiting for targets and Cook is ready to roll as the running back slot hybrid. If we add a wide receiver or two in the draft, we won't even remember the sideline drop against KC. What is your take? I'm picking the bills to win the division. And I'm picking the bills to be good again. Yeah, I mean, I don't think anything changed.

I mean, think about last year, everyone wrote them off. They were six and six. Ended up winning whatever, five straight games and win the division. who are you betting on in that division? I think a huge way I look at the bills, and I still think we have a lot to learn, but you have the second best player in the league in Josh Allen, who unlike Lamar is proven to be a good player in the playoffs,

you have ownership over the division. The division is, like, you can make fun of Belichick all you want. Going from Belichick to Gerard Mayo, I got news for you. It's just a downgrade. There's no way. way around it because it's not like drudmanel why some young offensive play caller no he's a former linebacker i mean so it's like who's learned everything from bill so writing off the patriots

i mean the jets are one of the biggest patter kegs in league history i mean if that thing just turns a little south that thing could implode and the dolphins i'm sorry i have just i'm not buying it never have never will as long as tuatunga vile is your quarterback i'm not betting on you so if I was a Bill's fan, I would be pretty confident. Now, once you get to the playoffs, is your team good enough to beat the Ravens, to beat the Chiefs? That's, you know, we'll have to learn that over the course of the season

because you're going to have some guys that we're not as familiar with as starters, younger players, and just need Josh to continue being an MVP type player. In this vein, wondering if teams have backup draft plans when a big swing like this goes, awry and what typically it might look like. A trade down, Stan Pat. I've always liked this part of the NFL the most as a builder mentally in my job's past and present. I love thinking or trying to think like a GM. I think what the question is asking is basically like what if your plans don't go as

planned when the draft comes. Well, if you listen to the pot I did with Veach, one thing all these teams do is your GM, your head coach, your main decision makers, maybe an owner. maybe your assistant GM, go over like 10 scenarios, whether you're drafting at 5 or whether you're drafting at 25. So you basically go over every scenario.

And then you're just kind of hoping to be prepared for everything. Well, these five guys, we would draft one of these five guys. If they're all gone, what do we do? If three of the five guys are there, what do we do? What do we do if one of the guys

that we really like falls 10 spots and we can trade from 30 to 18. Would we do that? You go through all these scenarios. It's just like a test. You practice and practice for the test, and you hope,

now I didn't study that much for tests in school, but in theory, that's what you're supposed to do. Study, just read whatever you're supposed to read, go over all the different work that was given out throughout that time, and hopefully when the test comes, you're prepared. But like most tests, there are going to be some curveballs. You've got to think on your feet.

You've got to take an educated guess. And I think that's a huge part of the draft. If you're drafting in the top 10, only so much crazy shit can happen. If you're like the chiefs or the Niners, like you've got to be prepared for a lot of stuff. So it does become more challenging the farther you fall in terms of the draft pick.

I'm starting my sports journalism career in college and was interested in writing a story on the mystery of Jeff George. I understand he did not attain sustained success in the NFL, but from what I see, he is one of the most physically talented quarterbacks in NFL history. Nobody seems to talk about him. What do you make of that?

I'd have to look up the last year Jeff George played in the NFL. I mean, part of being on people's radar as, I don't want to call Jeff George a random player, but his last year legitimately in the NFL was 2004. So you're talking about a guy that is 56 years old that has been out of the league for 20 years. Now, he was the number one overall pick in 1990. Obviously, it didn't go well

because he only lasted three years on the Colts. I don't remember watching Jeff George that much as a kid beside the way I would describe him would be like a less mobile Jay Cutler, huge arm, kind of prickly didn't feel like you got along with everybody we talk about this a lot in the draft right

at the quarterback position your character all the guys that we're talking about about going pretty high are talented clearly Caleb but Jaden, Drake May J.J. McCarthy, Penn X, all these guys have physical skills. They all can throw the ball

but football IQ football willingness to be a good teammate willingness to learn, willingness to be coached, willingness to be pushed, willingness to push yourself, your desire to be great. That's separate a lot of guys over the years. Some guys don't have the physical capability. Some guys are just inaccurate.

Nothing you can do about it, right? And then some guys just are missing something. And it does feel that he was just missing something, intangibly. Love your pod. I prefer football over basketball nowadays easy, but I'm interested on your view on basketball

and the NBA. The NBA is three times as many Instagram followers as the NFL. I'm sure similar on other platforms too have not checked. For kids,

basketball is much easier sport to pick up, be good at, and learn, similar to soccer in that way. But it's still perils and viewership to the American football, which is obviously more of a niche sport that can't be properly played unless you're on the field 11 on 11. So why isn't basketball closer to what soccer is globally? Why couldn't it be? Does it all come down to poor marketing and the NBA missing an opportunity? Well, the NBA was dramatically more popular in this country

a decade ago. The number speak for themselves. The NBA had two things I think that really worked against them. Tanking and load management. There are some other variables, people bring in politics or whatever, but I just think specifically, teams did not try consistently, and it wasn't just one.

A ton of teams tanked, and the NBA literally changed the rules to try to take it out of the game a little bit. And load management is still a major problem in the NBA. So if the talent doesn't care, why should the consumer? And this is what football has. No one takes off a game if they can play, partly because you only get so many of them.

So Adam Silver to me is not the guy to fix the problem. He was a big reason for creating the problem. Now, it wasn't his idea to tank or load management, but he's not a disciplinary. He's the opposite of David Stern, who easily is one of the great sport leaders of my lifetime. In the 90s, the NBA was arguably the biggest sport in America, led by Michael Jordan. And a big reason, because David Stern, the way he marketed.

Now, he drove a hard line. Like, there was not, he would never have allowed this shit. And the media loves Adam Silver. Why? Nice guy. Text them all back. Very, like, it feels like pro player. It's weird.

Like, the media is, like, very pro player because it feels like, you know, anti-management, anti-ownership, which, again, you're talking, the average, salary in the NBA is $8 million. You're not rooting for like the local 303 plumber here. Right. I mean, you got Bradley Beal making $250 million. He's average at best. So I think the NBA has a financial problem. Way too many guys get paid that are not good enough. Like I can't be paying you $40 million a year if you're not a top 10 player. It does not add up or you're not with another top 10 player. There are so many guys in the NBA making an astronaut. of money that you would send a limo to the hotel to pick them up if the game mattered.

And that's another problem. The games just don't matter. So they used to feel big. I grew up watching the NBA. I just turn on some random games. They don't feel that important anymore. And I don't know how you get that back. But globally, it's the NBA by far is the best league for basketball in the world.

I mean, all the top European players play here and make a shitload of money here. Yokish, Luca, Janus. So from a global standpoint, financially, this is where, and the players, like, if you're a player, your salaries are, once you sign that contract, whether the television ratings are high or low, like, if you're, they don't even care. Now, it could have dramatic ramifications in the future.

And like the NFL players, whether the television ratings are high or low, do I think they talk about it a lot? No. I mean, You're just trying to make as much money possible and win. So, like, it's when you're in it, the conversations we have on the outside are a lot different than,

I wouldn't blame Bradley Beal for going, God, this is the best league, most popular league of all time. He's made $450 million. Hasn't won a meaningful game in eight years. Vikings fan here. And it was wondering your thoughts on which quarterback they should get. If we trade up to three and get J.J. McCarthy, I might lose my mind. Thanks and keep killing it.

I guess when you say lose your mind, you mean like not be happy. One thing I said earlier is maybe you just stay at 11 and draft penics. And then you just pick 23 on just another really good player. What if you do that? What if you don't trade 11, 23 next year's one to get J.J. McCarthy? And like I said, any time that you keep hitting me over the head with this is who the team is going to drive, And that team is not drafting super high. I just, you got to be, you got to be,

you got to throw up a red flag. Because historically that would say they're trying to throw you off the scent. They're trying to lead you down the wrong path. Almost like a, just like set you up. Right. So, you know, you think everything's cool. Then all of a sudden it's the Joe Pesci meme where the mobsters are right behind them. They're killing them.

Right little sneak attack. so anytime things are so obvious just your shit detector should go up and mine definitely is I love your take so not only sports but business and life I'm a full-time chef

but also have a second job as a travel agent because I love to travel helping people and the secondary income is helpful in our household you have mentioned possibly going to Costa Rica with your girlfriend and I wanted to see if I could plan and book your vacation

My expert travel planning and booking services are 100% fee-free. I will work hard to provide you the best vacation possible. I'm at your service. I'll just shoot you a follow-up email. I was watching your mailbag pot on YouTube and heard you mention wanting to watch the British Open in St. Andrews. I'm a student here at the University of St. Andrews and we hosted the Open just before I arrived the first year in the summer of 2022. I remember that. A guy named Cameron Smith, one.

I couldn't find anything online. about the next open will be hosted by the St. Andrews, but I recommend coming to play the golf course and the old course, if when you get a chance. I've always been a fan of golf and it's a really magical experience playing the old course. I think typically they go to St. Andrews every five years. And it got pushed back because of, obviously, 2020, it got canceled,

and then it got pushed back a year. So it should be either, I think maybe they'll just keep it, but the even year might be 2030, but it's, it usually rotates every five years. It's why when you look at previous champions, like 2000,

2005, 2010, 2010, 2015, that's when they play, which is smart. I mean, it's, I've watched a lot of YouTube's

like Bob does sports and guys like that play, it just looks, it looks pretty cool. Now, I was playing golf last week in like 40-mile-an-hour winds. Playing golf in super windy conditions

is not that fun. But if you are going to play golf in super windy conditions, you might as well be, you know, at the old, course, drinking a pie to Guinness and having a good time. The volume.

Another podcast from some SNL, late-night comedy guy, not quite. Unhumor me with Robert Smygel and Friends. Me and hilarious guests from Bob Odenkirk to David Letterman help make you funnier. This week, my guest, SNL's Mikey Day and head writer Streeter Seidel help an a cappella band with their between songs banter. Where does your group perform? We do some retirement homes. Those people are starving for banter.

Listen to humor me with Robert Smigel and friends. on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. 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. 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, having 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. How many men carry a suit or armor it?

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 and learn the hard way on the IHard radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. This is an IHart podcast. Guaranteed human.