The Herd with Colin Cowherd - Best of The Herd: 01/01/2020

Episode Date: January 1, 2020

Jason McIntyre, in for Colin Cowherd, talks about the nerd takeover in Cleveland and sheds some light on Baker Mayfield's latest antics. Jason gives the latest on the Cowboys and explains why the Miami Dolphins need to take Tua in this draft. Jason believes Clemson has a better shot to beat LSU than most would think. John Middlekauff of the 3 & Out Podcast has an interesting conspiracy theory on the NFL head coaching carousel involving Bill Belichick and Chan Gailey, and explains why it is possible that Tua may have not played his final game in Alabama. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is an I-Heart podcast. Guaranteed Human. Last night, a blown call changed a game. This morning, the internet lost its mind, and nobody's telling you exactly what happened. That's where Sports Slice comes in. I'm Timbo, and every episode, we're cutting through the noise,

breaking down the biggest moments in sports and giving you the real story behind the headline. And we're going straight to the source, the athletes themselves, their locker room stories, their reactions in the moment, and the stuff nobody gets to hear. Listen to Sports Slice on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more, follow Timbo Sliced Life 12 in the TikTok podcast network on TikTok.

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

Listen to humor me with Robert Smigel and Friends on the IHeart 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 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 iha radio app apple podcast or wherever you get your podcast what's up guys

this is clivert taylor the fourth and on my podcast the clivert show i'm bringing you conversations about all kinds of stuff like being an internet famous referee we're in the middle of a game this linebacker this linebacker walks up to me he goes a ref my mom wants you to wave at her what Time out. Quarterback on office blue with 42. Hey, Rhett, my mama want you to weigh better. What? Hey, Ms. Parker.

Listen to the Clifford show on the IHeartRadio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. Thanks for listening to the best of herd podcast. Be sure to catch us live every weekday. From 12 to 3 Eastern, 9 to noon Pacific on Fox Sports Radio and FS1. Find your local station for the herd at Fox Sports Radio.com or stream us live every day on the i heart radio app by searching herd this is the best of the herd with colin cowher on fox sports radio welcome to 2020 ladies and gentlemen and welcome to the colin cowherd show the herd here i am your host

jason mackintyre in for colin who i guess partied really hard last night he told me he would be listening this morning though hope everybody had a safe phenomenal new year's eve uh my Parents always love to joke that, Jason, New Year's Eve, amateur hour. You never want to go out on New Year's Eve. So what did I do? I started New Year's Eve by playing 18 holes of goals. Yes, something I had not done. Geez, probably eight or nine years.

It was a little taxing. My back is hurting this morning. But I always love to try new things. Ended the year with a bang. And today, oh boy, we got some fireworks, ladies and gentlemen. A couple bowl games. although I will rue the demise of New Year's Day college football. Remember when it mattered when there were like eight bowl games on New Year's Day

and you just sat there flipping the channel? That's no more. There's just four games today and they aren't even really good, which means you'll probably be listening to the show. So we got a lot today, a couple great guests to break down the chaos of the NFL coaching carousel. We all wait with bated breath on Jerry Jones to make a decision on Jason Garrett.

I play a lot of Texas Hold'em with my buddies, and I like to say poop or get off the pot. And Jerry Jones, come on, what are we waiting for? I can't imagine a scenario where Jones keeps Garrett. But again, folks, we're talking about a 77-year-old billionaire. You know, this is a guy who loves the attention, and there was no way he was going to fire Garrett or part ways with Garrett, whatever you want to call it. He was never going to do that on Black Monday. Jerry Jones needs his own special time for that. He needs the attention and all the focus on him.

I've got a mind-blowing NFL playoff stat that you have to listen to. It's coming up in about 11 or 12 minutes. I know the herd audience loves to gamble. This is the most important stat for Wild Card Weekend. I will give that to you shortly. And finally, I've got some great advice for Baker Mayfield. I recently signed my third grader up for Jiu-Jitsu. and I sit in on the classes.

I bring my computer and I watch and make sure, you know, he's having fun. And the jiu-jitsu teacher offered an amazing pearl of wisdom that's going to apply to Baker Mayfield. I know you guys saw the video from the Bengals game, so stick around for that. But I want to start the show here. You guys are aware of what happened in Cleveland this week, right? Obviously, Freddie Kitchens gets dusted. There's a parting of the ways with the general manager. but what the media is not telling you

is that the nerds are taking over football. And I'm not saying that in a bad way. That's not a derisive word. Nerd is cool. I love to nerd out now, okay? Whether it's college football, bowl games, NFL drafts, whatever it is. Being a nerd now is cool.

It means you're probably pretty smart, right? It means you're maybe rich or building some wealth. You know, there's a decent chance if you're a nerd, you're dating an Instagram model. because that's kind of how the internet works right now. Listen, I don't think I could have built a website, sold it, and then pivoted to radio and TV if I hadn't nerded out on sports. So there's nothing wrong with being a nerd.

But the nerds, folks, right now, are taking over football. And the football guys, they're kind of being shown the door. That's what happened in Cleveland. The story behind the story is, show me the analytics. And if you don't, I'm going to show you the door. And what went down in Cleveland? This is going to be a thing moving forward in the NFL. We've already seen the nerds take over baseball.

And again, being a nerds, cool, Saber Metrics. Hello, they made a movie called Moneyball, which was phenomenal. Okay? It flipped baseball on its head, and analytics have taken over baseball. Anybody who's playing baseball right now at a high level in the majors is winning because of Saber Metrics, analytics, really spread. Red sheet baseball. Now you can argue whether or not that's good for the sport. That's another discussion. But the nerds have won out. And then you look to the NBA right now. Folks, it's a three-pointer

or a layup. That's what the efficiency numbers say. That's what the robots and the computers are telling teams. Shoot threes. Shoot layups. Don't do the mid-range. We'll pull you out of a game if you shoot a mid-range jumper. I actually went to the Lakers Mavericks game Sunday night out here in LA. And, you know, you get to, if you get the media credential, you get to go on the court beforehand. And I'm there with a guy who works at a rival network. He's a big gambler. And we're court-side, and Jared Dudley and the Lakers are warming up. But I know Jared Dudley a little bit because he came through FS1 and I talked to him. And if you guys listen to my Saturday radio show on Fox Sports Radio, you know I'm a sponge when anybody, coach, player, GM, owner comes through the building.

So I got to be friendly with Jared Dudley and he comes over, daps me up on the baseline, and we're talking a little bit about the NBA and the holidays. And my buddy says to Jared Dudley, hey, I saw you working on your floater. Your floater game needs some work, say jokingly. And Jared Dudley, of the Lakers, says,

who cares about the floater? It's all threes and layups, baby. That's what analytics has done to the NBA. Again, we can discuss if that's good or bad, but hello, Golden State Warriors. Hello, Houston Rockets, not in the playoffs, but analytics has taken over baseball and the NBA. Football's kind of pushed back.

However, the Cleveland Brown's front office debacle this year, it all came down to analytics versus the football guy. Okay? Now, guess who survived in Cleveland? The analytics guy who just happens to be Paul de Podesta. If you saw Moneyball, which I referenced earlier, he was the guy that Jonah Hill played, very nerdy, very by the book. Okay? This is a guy who went to Yale.

He's a slave to numbers. He survived in Cleveland. The football guy. John Dorsey, lifelong football guy. He got dusted. Folks, if you're not on board with the analytics, if you're not on board with spreadsheet football and the, algorithms that make up all this stuff, you're in trouble.

Okay? John Dorsey was a football lifer. I looked him up just to get some background on John Dorsey, the Browns GM who got fired. And this guy was an alpha football player, okay? Played linebacker for four years, drafted by the Packers, okay? Get to a job as a college scout is in the Mike Holmgren tree or family, if you will. Mike Holman leaves for Seattle.

John Dorsey, he goes to Seattle with him. And then he comes back to Green Bay, ends up in Kansas City. But what happened in Kansas City to football guy, right? Was he was a bad communicator. There was a story that they ended up cutting Jeremy Macklin, a wide receiver. And John Dorsey did that by leaving him a voicemail. Great communication there, John Dorsey. Anyway, he comes to Cleveland and builds this amazing roster.

And this time last year, right, the Browns had finished at strong in the regular season. Baker Mayfield look good. Okay? And then they add Odell Beckham. And everybody says, this is one of the most talented rosters in the league. If you Google most talented rosters in the NFL in 2019, the Browns are top 10. Heading into the season. Built by a football guy.

So what happened this season? Well, the Browns did not do very well. Okay. They had a ton of talent, undeniable, but their coach was abysmal. Okay? and Baker Mayfield regressed. They lost a lot of games. So season comes to an end and the owner,

big money guy, he's got a decision to make. Do I stick with the football guy, John Dorsey, who built this awesome roster, or do I stick with the analytics guy who loves a good spreadsheet? And he was successful in baseball. Okay, if you've seen Moneyball, hey, Deepa Desta and the A's built something awesome.

Didn't win a World Series, but he did very well. Went to the Dodgers, turned them around, in like one year. They hadn't been to the playoffs, I think, in like 16 years, DiPodesta, 31-year-old GM. I'm not being mean, calling him a nerd. You guys nerdy.

And guess what? He wins instantly. So this guy's been crowned, and this is where we're headed in sports. Okay, if you guys follow me on Twitter, Instagram, and all this stuff, you know I'm big on gambling. The biggest thing I learned this year,

and I'm doing, you know, I'm the gambling guy at FS1. I do these videos for college and NFL picks all the time. I go and lock it in the gambling show. FS1's all in on gambling. And the biggest thing I learned in sports gambling in 2019 was, if you don't have an algorithm or a model, you're going to be in some trouble. I'm not saying you're throwing darts,

but unless you've got a machine behind you, because trust me, the Vegas sports books, they all do, you're going to be in some trouble. The analytics, the robots are taking over, folks. So the Cleveland Browns decide, well, do I go with the football guy or the analytics guy? And you know what made Brown's owner Jimmy Haslam's decision a lot easier? He looked in his division. And did you guys notice what happened in Baltimore?

I'm sure you guys are aware. Lamar Jackson and the Ravens, best team in the league, Super Bowl favorite now. But what's the story behind the story in Baltimore? Well, this year, John Harbaugh, the coach of the Ravens, who was on the hot seat last year, remember with Flacco struggling, he brought in a 25-year-old Yale graduate who majored in behavioral economics.

Okay? A 25-year-old Yale graduate to make all of the fourth-down decisions, all of them. How do you think that worked out? I'm just going to ask cash. How do you think it worked out on Fourth Down for the Baltimore Ravens and the 25-year-old Yale grad? Wow, look at that. The Baltimore Ravens were the best fourth down team in the NFL.

70% conversions, ladies and gentlemen. They hire a nerd from Yale. He bangs it out on the spreadsheet. What do the analytics say? Go here, don't go there. The Baltimore Ravens had the most fourth down conversions in the NFL this year. 17. They were 17 and 24.

70%. The robots are coming for the NFL. The robots are coming. They're winning. And it's not a negative that this is happening. I just want a lot of football guys to wake up out there. You've got to get on board with what's happening in the NFL. The analytics are coming.

And the Browns just decided I'm going to let the analytics guy build our roster going forward, not the football guy. Now, finally, I want to wrap up. I know you're thinking, Jason. There's a lot of Cleveland Browns to open the show. So it's not about the Browns as much it is about the big picture in the NFL. I just told you it happened in baseball. It happened in the NBA.

The NFL is the next frontier. Now, a quick word before we go to break on Baker Mayfield. Okay? You had a tough year. Great stat for you here. Guess who threw the most interceptions inside the 10-yard line this year? Not James Winston. Baker Mayfield.

three interceptions inside the 10. Of course, it just so happens that I bet them in two of those games. And, hey, you know, Baker Mayfield had a rough year. I know Colin beats up Baker Mayfield a lot, okay? And everybody thinks I don't like Baker Mayfield because of the cell phone comment I made during his rookie year on the herd. I just want to say this. If you've seen the video from Week 17, Brown's Bengals, they're in the tunnel, and, you know, a couple bozos, in the crowd are yelling at Baker Mayfield.

You're going to lose to a 1 and 14 team. Another fan calls him Johnny Mansell, I believe, if you listen to the video. And Baker Mayfield shouts back, come down here and tell it to my face. And then, you know, something else that's kind of inaudible. I do believe it has a bad word in it. Here's my piece of advice to Baker Mayfield.

And I'm not talking down to him. I'm just talking from experience. I'm older than Baker. I've been through a lot. I've dealt with a bunch of bozos and meatballs out there. So my son is in Jiu-Jitsu, as I said, third grader, signed him up. And the jiu-jitsu teacher tells this story. So this group of students from a karate class are walking down the street to the dojo.

And as they come up to the corner, there's a man with a horse, you know, walking a horse across the street. And they're stopped at the stop sign. So the horse is startled by the group of karate kids and involuntarily just kicks back because you don't run up on a horse, okay? So these guys walk up behind the horse, the horse kicks back. The star student of the karate class is at the front and he dodges the horse kick, right?

Wow, out of the way. Slick move. Shows off its reflexes. The entire class is like, oh my gosh, do you see what Sammy did? He's amazing. So they get to the dojo and they tell the sensei, Sensei, you missed Sammy dodge a horse kick. He really is the best student.

He's awesome. Oh, Sammy, we look up to him. And the sensei's upset. And the sensei says, if he was my star student, he would have been on the other side of the street. Everybody goes silent. The theme, of course, the lesson is to avoid conflict. Baker Mayfield, I know there's fans out there yelling all the time.

at players and athletes. You had that NBA guy yelling at Isaiah Thomas, and Isaiah Thomas went in the stands. Avoid conflict. Guys, every fan out there has a phone and is recording. I've never seen this happen to Russell Wilson, to Tom Brady after two decades. Lamar Jackson, Aaron Rogers, Baker,

avoid conflict. Okay? Go on the other. side of the street. Prove you're the best by avoiding it. You can do it, Baker. I'm rooting for you. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays in noon Eastern, 9 a.m. Pacific on

Fox Sports Radio, FS1, and the IHeart Radio app. 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 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.

Join me, Keir Gaines, as we have real conversations about healing, growth, fatherhood, pressure, and purpose on my new podcast, Learn the Hardway. Open your free iHeartRadio app. Search Learn the Hardway and listen now. Last night, a blown call changed a game. This morning, the internet lost its mind.

Highlights are trending, opinions are flying, and nobody's telling you exactly what happened. That's where Sports Slice comes in. I'm Timbo. Every episode, we're cutting through the noise. breaking down the plays, the controversies, and the stories behind the headlines. We go straight to the source, the athlete themselves, their locker room stories, their reactions,

the stuff nobody gets to hear. The laughs, the drama, the triumphs, the moments that never make the highlight real. From viral moments to historic games, from buzzer beaters to controversial calls, we break it down, give you context, and ask the questions everybody wants answered. Sports Slice brings you closer to the action with stories told by the people who live them. Listen to Sports Slice on the Iheart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more, follow Timbo Sliced Life 12 and the TikTok podcast network on TikTok. What's up, guys? This is Clivert Taylor the 4th.

And on my podcast, The Cliverts Show, I'm bringing you conversations about all kinds of stuff. Like being an internet famous referee. We're in the middle of a game. This linebacker, this linebacker walks up to me, he goes, hey, ref, my mom wants you to wave at her. What? Time out. quarterback on office blue with 42. Hey, Wreck, my mama want you to weigh better.

What? Where's she at? Hey, Miss Parker. Listen to the Clifford show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. What's up, Fam? It's Isaiah Thomas. And I'm C.J. Toledano, and our podcast Point Game is about defining the odds.

Like LeBron heading into the playoffs without Luca and Austin Reed. And finding ways to win no matter what. He's the smartest player to ever play the game. His IQ is at a level that we've never seen before. And he knows without Luca and Austin Reeves, I got to manipulate the game. We get a player's perspective on the challenges of the playoffs. I think Joker's going to be exhausted this series

because when they don't have Rudy in the lineup, he has to really guard guys like Nas Reid. He has to guard Julius Randall. And then he has to give us everything he gives us on the night-to-night basis on offense. And when IT's friends stop by like Quentin Richardson, we dive into some playoff history too. Steve Nash will get that thing.

That man, hell get the flying. He running up the court, licking his fingers why he got the ball. Like, you go through a training camp with that, Isaiah, you figure it out real quick. Get your ass up and down the court, and you're going to get the ball. So listen to Point Game on the IHeart Radio app,

Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. I can't get over what Albert Beer just told me about. There are people on the staff in Dallas who think, Maybe as Jerry drags his feet, Jason Garrett survives. And I let that marinate over the break. And I'm like, all right. Is there any scenario? And again, I think Jason Garrett's done a very poor job this year.

As an in-game coach, I didn't think he was great. But again, he's like family, so it's tough for Jerry to part ways with him. Let me, again, Jason Garrett, nine years in Dallas. Two playoff wins. He's basically alternated really good year. fallback or average. Really good average, like the last six years. But there, oh boy. Listen, I don't want you to take this the wrong way.

Don't come and fill up my Twitter mentions or my Instagram DM. Don't come in there and say, you're defending Jason Garrett. But there is something to the idea of compound interest and gradual growth over time. You guys know how compound interest works. You took Econ 101 in high school or college. And you put $1,000 in the bank. You don't touch it. Minimal interest right now, interest rates are garbage.

But you don't touch it. You leave it there. And it just grows every year. That interest just compounds on itself. And 10 years later, you got more money. 20 years, you got a lot more money. And the idea in the NFL, like the Cleveland Browns have, where in a decade, they've had six different coaches,

there's no compound interest there. It is just a revolving door of crap. And I am not saying the coaches were crap, but, you know, the idea that you're going to change a coach every year, every other year, that's not going to get you anywhere. You got new systems, new players, new ideas, new ethos in the building. Like, you want to build on something. And having Jason Garrett there for nine years, there is the idea of continuity and growth. Now, growth isn't always, you know, visible. It's often invisible.

Nine years is a lot for Jason Garrett, but think about, you know, if you got fruit growing on a tree in the backyard. It doesn't, you don't go out there on Tuesday after putting the tree up Sunday and expect to see, you know, big apples on your trees. That just doesn't happen. Okay? You need to be patient. Growth is gradual. It's often mysterious because you can't really see it. We've got to be patient.

Again, nine years. If this was five years of ineptitude, I could see the argument of let it bake. These college football coaches who come in, Jim Harbaugh, you know, the fans in Ann Arbor, they want him gone. This idea that Jim Harbaugh hasn't won a title. Guys, you see how many 10-win seasons he has? More than the last two coaches combined. Okay? And again, I'm not defending Jim Harbaugh.

Listen, in the big spots, he's been bad. but there is this idea that you really growth is mysterious and I wonder if Jerry, somebody's in his ear saying, listen, on the alternating theory year, Jason's due to bounce back next year. Maybe next year's the year. And I know you've been saying this for five years

or you could argue two decades. And then there's a whole puppet angle of Jerry Jones. He wants somebody he can control so he can continue to have the spotlight I really do think there is something to continuity, compound interest, and growth. And I don't know after nine years if, I mean, like, again, I've been banging on the drum. Jason Gary, you've got to get him out of there. He's terrible.

But then you, you know, you pull back a little bit. You don't be irrational. And you're looking and you're like, huh, maybe there's a case to think about keeping him. But elsewhere in the NFL, I will say this. I saw this move and I just, you know, I don't understand it. So the Miami Dolphins, they actually had a pretty good year. They started off awful. They were a laughing stock on their way to maybe being one of the worst teams all time.

Brian Flores, new coach. He starts to clean out the toxic guys in the locker room. And, of course, Ryan Fitzpatrick, the Harvard quarterback, really has a good year. And they finished strong that big win over the Patriots. So what did the dolphins do? this week? They went out and hired Chan Galey, a 67-year-old guy who has worked with Fitzpatrick twice to some success. But he's been out of football for two years. You're telling me, you got the, I think they have the fourth pick or the fifth pick in the draft. I don't know. The dolphins are

picking high. Tua Tungoviloa is going to be there for them. It makes all the sense in the world. you're telling me you want to get a 67-year-old GM who's been out of the league for two years who likes and works well with Ryan Fitzpatrick and you're bringing him in. Is that signaling to you that the dolphins want Ryan Fitzpatrick? I think he's 30-37.

As their next quarterback? Is that possible? Now, the last time Galey and Fitzpatrick were together and I know this because I'm a Jets fan, 2015. Fitzpatrick was great. It was his best season of his career. But you know what happened at the end. Week 17, they need to beat the Buffalo Bills to get in the playoffs. And I won't forget this because I'm a Jets fan and I remember all the garbage. Okay, from the fake spike touchdown from Dan Marino to that gutting Pittsburgh Steelers lost in the AFC title game.

Fitzpatrick had a great year in 2015. Chan Galey was his offensive coordinator. And what happened in week 17? Fitzpatrick turned into a pumpkin and failed miserably. One score game, final jets drives, interception at the Buffalo 8, interception at the Buffalo 34, and an interception to end the game. I can't believe the dolphins are thinking of making Fitzpatrick their starter next year. I'm floored. Tua is out there.

You got to get Tua. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays in noon Eastern, 9 a.m. Pacific. to my new podcast, Learn the Hardway with me, your host, and your favorite therapist, Keer 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. 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? 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. 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. Last night, a blown call changed a game. This morning, the internet lost its mind. Highlights are trending, opinions are flying, and nobody's telling you exactly what happened. That's where Sports Slice comes in. I'm Timbo. Every episode, we're cutting through the noise, breaking down the plays, the controversies, and the stories behind the headlines. We go straight to the source, the athlete themselves, their locker room stories, their reactions, the stuff nobody gets to hear.

The laughs, the drama, the triumphs, the moments that never make the highlight real. From viral moments to historic games, from buzzer beaters to controversial calls, we break it down, give you context and ask the questions everybody wants answered. SportsSlice brings you closer to the action with stories told by the people who live them. Listen to Sports Slice on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more, follow Timbo Sliced Life 12 and the TikTok podcast network on TikTok. What's up, guys? This is CliverTaylor the 4th. And on my podcast, The Cliverts Show, I'm bringing you conversations about all kinds of stuff. being an internet famous referee.

We're in the middle of a game. This linebacker walks up to me, he goes, hey, ref, my mom wants you to wave at her. What? Quarterback on office blue 42. Hey, rec, my mama want you to wave at her. What? Hey, Ms. Parker.

Listen to the Clippers show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. What's up, Famous? Isaiah Thomas. And I'm C.J. Toledano, and our podcast Point Game is about defining the odds. Like LeBron heading into the playoffs without Luca and Austin Reed. And finding ways to win no matter what. He's the smartest player to ever play the game. His IQ is at a level that we've never seen before. And he knows without Luca and Austin Reeves, I got to manipulate the game. We get a player's perspective on the challenges of the playoffs.

I think Joker's going to be exhausted this series because when they don't have Rudy in the lineup, he has to guard guys like Nas Reid. He has to guard Julius Randall. And then he has to give us everything he gives us on the night-to-night basis on offense. And when IT's friends stop by, like Quentin Richardson, we dive into some playoff history too. Steve Nass would get that thing. That man, hell get the flying. He running up the court licking his fingers while he got the ball.

Like, you go through a training camp with that, Isaiah. You figure it out real quick. Get your ass up and down the court, and you're going to get the ball. So listen to Point Game on the IHeart Radio. Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. I do want to quickly talk about Clemson, LSU in the national title game. Because folks, oh my gosh. How on earth is LSU favored?

Yeah, I'm going there. The line on this game is crazy. So right now it's at about four, no, I'm sorry, it's five, five and a half. When LSU beat Oklahoma, or should I say, Chokelahoma last week, and Clemson survived Ohio State. The line hit six, six and a half. There was even a juiced seven out there. And I know that because I got it.

How is LSU favored by this much against Clemson when a month ago, one month ago, when Vegas does their hypothetical lines if this team faced this team in the playoff? Clemson was favored over LSU a month ago. And now Clemson, defending national champs, is an underdog against LSU? This is mind-boggling. I'm stunned. I took Clemson at 4, 5, and 7. It blew through 6 so quick.

I didn't even get it. I don't understand how anybody's taking LSU here. So in a month, Clemson, which was favored over LSU, Clemson has beat every team at his face and covered the spread, except for Wofford, which was an FCS match. up, they sit their starters the entire second half, whatever. And now the line has moved by about a touchdown? This is such an overreaction to what we just saw on Saturday night.

I'm telling you, folks, the only side in this game has to be Clemson. And everybody's saying, whoa, did you see what else you did to Oklahoma? Folks, Oklahoma had no business being here. Remember, they weren't even going to be in the playoff unless something happened, namely Utah losing and Utah got destroyed. Don't tell me about the Utah Texas game last night. It's totally a different subject from Utah being in the playoff. You guys know if you lose your final game of the season and then go into a bowl game,

you don't care. Utah was looking at being in the playoff. Okay? Instead, they lose to Oregon. They have to go to Texas to play the Texas Longhorns. They had no motivation to be there. One of their own players last night gave out a quote saying, we were looking at it as a trip to San Antonio, as if anybody goes there for fun.

I don't know if we're on Ryan in San Antonio, no disrespect. Remember the Alamo. But Oklahoma gets obliterated by Joe Burrow and LSU. And now LSU's favored over Clemson? Remember, Clemson beat Ohio State. The short memories people have around here is just hilarious. And around here, I mean, in the United States. any sports fan, social media.

If I open the phone lines, Ryan, we're not going to do this, but if I open the phone lines, I guarantee you we'd have people saying, oh, LSU is a better team. They're so much better. They're going to kill them. Do you guys remember a week ago?

A week ago, the topic was, oh, is this the best team in Big Ten history? That was a real storyline. Is this one of the best teams in Big Ten history? Ohio State was dominant. Before the Big Ten title game, Ohio State, ladies and gentlemen, Ohio State was headed toward the number one seed. They would have killed Oklahoma, too.

So Clemson beat the better team. And I actually thought, and again, I said this to Albert Breer last hour. Like, I thought Ohio State was the better team against Clemson. They just made three mistakes, really. two brutal penalties that resulted in touchdowns, and then the unfortunate Justin Fields' miscommunication with the receiver that was an interception in the end zone to wrap up the game. I mean, Ohio State is really, really good.

Oklahoma stinks. So this line is so confusing to me. Remember, there's an extra week off this year. I guess college football doesn't want to go up against, you know, the NFL. So somehow they pushed this game back two weeks, which is obscene, right? That is huge for Clemson. Huge. Both their receivers who are potential first round picks.

Ross and Higgins. I think it's Justin Ross and T. Higgins. Two great receivers. They both got hurt. One of them missed the entire first half of the Ohio State game. Ohio State was just hit and hard. and they get now two weeks to get healthy for LSU. And I know LSU playing at home basically.

It's probably going to be 80% LSU fans. But I just want to ask you this. Before you run to the window or your local guy and you say, oh, give me LSU, give me LSU. When was the last time LSU trailed in the second half of a football game? You have to look way back. They did not trail in the second half against Alabama. you got to go back to the Auburn game

where LSU trail for about six minutes at home 13 to 10. And I was digging into that game last night. You can watch some of these games if you look hard enough on YouTube. And LSU just made a bunch of mental mistakes. They had a turnover on down to the Auburn 1, that fumbled punt that resulted in a quick Auburn touchdown.

Burrow, who was amazing, he got picked off. And it was just one of those not crisp performance from the LSU offense, but they had Alabama the next week. So LSU hasn't faced adversity in, I don't know, nine weeks? Well, we just saw what Clemson went through. They were down, I think it was 13-0-0-0-6-0. I thought they were dead. I did live bet them in the middle of the game, though, because it's Clemson.

I think they've won 28 or 29 straight games. Trevor Lawrence. I mean, how good is Trevor Lawrence? The other hot take I had from that college football playoff, there's two games, I thought Trevor Lawrence's performance was more impressive than Joe Burrow. Joe Burrow had seven touchdown passes, but Trevor Lawrence was just a straight-up warrior.

I was so in awe of that guy. I think I tweeted out, even though I'm a Jets fan, whoever gets Trevor Lawrence, they're going to be my second favorite team. He is so easy to root for. You know, he's got the hair flip like sunshine from Remember the Titans. I mean, and he's just, I mean, he rushed for 100 yards. He got hit so many times in that game.

And folks, that's 67-yard touchdown run. Against a defense full of future NFL players was one of the most amazing quarterback runs I've seen since, I don't know. I mean, some of the Lamar Jackson, Mike Vick, Even the Steve Young touchdown run, if you guys remember that stumbling, bumbling into the end zone. Like that Trevor Lawrence, I've watched that replay probably 50 times. I put it up. I don't do a lot of highlights on my Instagram page because like Jerry Jones, I'm a narcissist.

I just want photos of me and, you know, take some mine and gambling stuff and whatever. I posted that video because it's just that run. I can keep watching it. It was just how did this guy do this? Just amazing. So really interesting college football bowl stuff. I love the championship. And as we get set to go to break, guess what happened in Alabama, Michigan?

I think it was a first offensive play for Alabama. Okay? I don't know why their receivers are starting. Jerry Judy just caught an 85-yard touchdown pass on the first offensive play for Alabama. Michigan got the ball back. Michigan got the ball to open the game. The guy ran the kickback 50 yards. I couldn't do anything.

Alabama, first play, I think. Jerry Judy, who is, for my money, the best receiver in college football. He will be, probably the first or second receiver off the board, the NFL draft. You can't get Jerry Judy one-on-one with a cornerback from Michigan. Judy roasts him. 85 yards house call. Alabama with their backup quarterback. 7. Michigan, nothing.

Now, I didn't actually bet a side in this game. I took the over just because you don't know how long Alabama's going to play their guys. But not really an interesting game unless Jim Harbaugh gets destroyed and then everybody will call for his head again. One more herd? The herd streams 24 hours a day, seven days a week within the IHeart radio app. Search Herd to listen live or on demand whenever you'd like. We have a great guest joining us. He's in the Hurd podcast. network. He's been a scout. He knows NFL teams as well as anybody. John Middlkoff joining the show. John, good morning and happy New Year. How are you?

Hey, happy New Year to do. To you, how's it going? Excellent. John, we're having a fun little show on New Year's day. I'm watching the bowl games here. Let's start with the Bull Games. Has anything yet jumped out at you? I'm surprised Jerry Judy. He already has a TD catch, is even playing. Minnesota moving the football well. But any future NFL guys jump out to you today watching the bowl games. Yeah, I say a couple things have jumped out. Last night, Zach Moss played in that game, the running back for Utah, and Jonathan Taylor is going to play today in the game for the Rose Bowl.

Now, obviously, the Rose Bowl is bigger than the Alamo Bowl. But both those guys, I mean, Jonathan Taylor's, you know, probably a fringe late first round or ends up going in the second, and Zach Moss, probably second, third round. These bowl games that don't have, you know, playoff implications are really risky for these guys at running back, just because, as we know, right, they only have so much tread on those tires as a runner. So I understand wanting to play with your guys and your teammates. And trust me, I get it.

But, man, it's really risky. And then the bus that's kind of coming out of this Alabama game. And I think we've been hearing right for a little while for maybe a couple weeks, the two of might come back. And that would be, yeah, I mean, that would be nuts. That would be stupid. I do think if you look at it from two-th perspective, you know, if he's not going to be healthy or by the draft time and he would fall, let's say, you know, between 20 and 30. I think last year the 20th pick and down started at like $11 million and down.

Well, this year, if he was fully healthy, right, he'd be a lock to go right behind Burrow. And who knows? Once the draft process starts, maybe he'd go ahead of Burrow. Probably not. But he would go, you know, top five, which is, you know, around $30 million. I think the last year the top three picks got $30 million. So it is like a $20 million difference. But he's also a guy if he does return.

Now, trust, I mean, we know, it's not like, it's not act like Alabama's not taking care of their guys. That he's had other injuries, even beside the hip. So it would be a major risk. But these Bama guys, man, it's a little different. Who knows? Yeah, I would say 0.0% chance to a, I mean, if anybody smarts talking to him, the more tape they get on you, John, you follow this stuff, the more they expose you, right?

Justin Herbert stuck around Oregon, thinking, oh, enhance my draft stock. Well, I mean, Joe Burrow flew past him here in like two months, and Joe Burrow is now probably going to go number one overall. Justin Herbert falls. We know Lawrence is going number one next year. Who knows what other quarterback could emerge? Yeah, to me, the main variable is just the hip injury and, you know, would it terrify teams? Does he know stuff? But again, like that wouldn't necessarily go away in a year.

It is just, you know, the hip injury without it, he's clearly coming out and going, it would probably be one-two, right? Burrow-Tua. I just think sometimes these injuries just kind of derail your thought process and get you in a weird place. That's, I'm with you. Otherwise, I'd say, yeah, zero percent chance. The guy would never return. Because, you know, Linerd's done it right.

Tebow came back, but he wasn't that level of player. we rarely see it with a guy that's a locked high five pick, but his hip did get dislocated. And he's clearly still limping around. So it's kind of a weird situation. Very weird. We're talking with John Middlough here on the herd. Jason McIntyre in for Colin.

All right, let me ask you this. Did you see the news, John, that Chan Galey is coming out of basically retirement at 67 years old to be the offensive coordinator of the Miami Dolphins. Now, why does that matter? Well, the Miami Dolphins are picking fifth. and I did a mock draft for Fox, and I had Tua going fifth to Miami. I got to ask it, what do you do in hiring a 67-year-old Chan Galey who has worked with Fitzpatrick twice in Buffalo and New York? I don't understand what's going on in Miami. Any idea, John?

Well, it makes no sense that if you watch them, you know, down the stretch, they went five and four of their last nine games, I think. Fitzpatrick was making place. The offensive coordinator they fired Chad O'Shea was with Brian Fulner. for years in New England. So they had been working together for a long, long period of time. My spidey senses and conspiracy theories go off and say, well, maybe Bill forced him to fire him because he wants them back because he knows Josh is going to leave. But that's a little too inside mob football-like. But I don't understand it.

It really just on the surface, just them firing the offensive coordinator, to me makes no sense. They traded away all their players. they were good. I mean, Devante Parker resurrected his career. Fitzpatrick making plays left and right. I think the average football fan would be like, yeah, I thought the Dolphins coaching staff did a really good job. It wasn't just Florida's the offensive coaches.

And then, like you said, to come with a curveball of a guy that's old and been out of the league, did you say, I think I saw him the ticker, like 15 or 16, like he's been out of the league for years. Yeah, I think 17 was his last year, like 67 years old. I mean, I don't know. It's just something's going on. there. It's weird. I got that one red flag, too. I don't know any inside information, but that one is very, very bizarre. Yeah, all right, we'll talk with John Middlough here on the herd on New Year's

Day. All right, John, let me ask you this. I kind of opened the show joking that the analytics nerds have won out, especially in Cleveland. Football guy, John Dorsey, he's been dusted, and Paul DiPodesta, the analytics nerdy guy, Jonah Hill portrayed him obviously. a money ball. You know, Deepa Dest is going to stick around. I don't know. Is this bad news for Baker Mayfield in Cleveland? The guy who hired him or who drafted him,

John Dorsey's gone. His coach, kitchens, gone. Your thoughts? Well, I'd say any time you work in any business, let alone a business that's paying you a lot of money, and your number one supporter is no longer hand-in-hand with you in that business and it's fired. You know, it's one thing if the guy leaves

and there's a transition when he's fired. And obviously the coach, Freddie Kitchens, was another big Baker-Mayfield guy. That's a problem. Now, when you draft a guy number one overall and you pay him all that money, he's playing this year no matter what.

But there is tangible pressure in 2020 on Baker-Mayfield to not be a debacle on the field. And that's what he was this year. I mean, it was one of the worst quarterbacks, starting quarterbacks. You could argue the worst. I wouldn't go that far, definitely a bottom five starting quarterback, the majority of this season.

So if that happens again, this could be his last season in Cleveland. Now, the one thing you'd say is he wouldn't be like teetering on a Jamarcus Russell type just out of the league bus because he was so good out of college. Any college football fan knows he was really good. I was a big fan. He does not look like that player anymore. So there would be a ton of teams with huge draft raids on him that would want them. Now, the curveball is this immaturity stuff that.

Colin was leading the charge on. He was dead right. Right. Every time we turn a corner, we see Baker Mayfield just doing something that not even, we're not even comparing him to act like Brady or Breeze. Just act like a normal quarterback. Just kind of lay low and he can't really do it. And then when you when you kind of double down of playing bad on the field with that, it's going to turn off a lot of people around the league that did like them. Remember there was a story that like the Patriots really loved Baker Mayfield last year, whenever he was coming out and they were going to trade up for him. Well, how would Bill Belichick be a huge fan of him right now?

You know, it just, it doesn't really add up. Now, where Belichick and guys like that would be, can I get Baker Mayfield off another bad year for like a six-round pick? Yeah. They'll circle the waters like that. Yeah. But his value of being a highly thought-after player right now is at an all-time low and he's going to need to battle back.

I also think the analytic stuff in football is a little overblown. Like, we've been taught, what do you think the combine is? The 40 times, the splits, the weights, the just the production. I mean, it's been analytics the whole time. It's different because you can't, it's harder to isolate stuff for, like in baseball, it's a bunch of individuals playing a team sport. In football, the analytic guy doesn't know the play call or doesn't know all the responsibilities unless you're working hand in hand with the coaches.

And I think sometimes that's where it gets difficult is when the coaches won't work with you. But Paul D. Podesta is also the person that went on record saying Carson Wentz couldn't play. And it was leading a charge with Sashi Brown when they traded back, remember, and didn't take Deshaun Watson. So let's not act like he's, you know, Bill Walsh with an Excel spreadsheet. Good stuff. All right, let me get you out of here with this. If I'm the Browns, I definitely, definitely try to unload Odell Beckham from whatever I can get. Your thoughts on Odell Beckham. Where will he be playing next year? Well, to me, it depends on the coach.

Like if they get, let's say they get a guy with some pelts on the wall, like a Mike McCarthy, you know, or Ron Rivera signed, but a guy like that, you know, that's done it before. And he wants them. Then I'd go, well, that guy can handle him. But to me, if, like, they somehow get Josh McDaniels, it wouldn't feel like a Josh McDaniels-type player. He would be gone. I think it's very dependent on the coach.

Because if you are Mike McCarthy, I think you'd want him, right? Wouldn't you want a really good team? I'm like, you'd want to win right. I don't like it. But do you want that headache? I mean, he's the highest paid player on the team. The production isn't there. Entire offseason, he's missing the OTAs, and people were like, oh, who cares?

There was no continuity with him in that offense. You have to just think he doesn't want to be there, right? Yeah, see, that's the kicker. Does he want to be there? Of course not. I mean, anyone saying that is just, it's clueless. He didn't pick them. They picked him.

Yeah. Yeah, but to me, if you get him, if you get a McCarthy, if I'm him, I'm trying to convince him to like want to be. Then if he's like, trust me, I don't want to be here, kind of like an NBA type conversation, then I would trade them. My problem would be if I was them when they, what they had to trade for him, a first round pick to get them. And it wasn't, it's not like it was a top 10 pick. It was like pick 17. But is anyone giving up a first round pick right now? Maybe, you know, like a Chiefs or a 49ers at the end of the first round.

not getting the same value. Now, could you argue you just kind of eat the cost? You know, if he's saying, I have to leave, then maybe you do. So, yeah, I'd say, I'd say it's very dependent on the coach, and more than likely, if you look at their history, they're going to hire a guy that's never been a head coach, and that guy would probably want him out. So I would lean he won't be on the team next year. All right, John Middlcoff, former NFL Scout, host of the Three and Out podcast on the Hurd podcast network. Follow him on Twitter at John Middellcoff. Great stuff, John, and happy new year. Yeah, happy New Year, Jason's beer.

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