The Herd with Colin Cowherd - Best of The Herd: 02/15/2019

Episode Date: February 15, 2019

Colin says that people around the NBA aren't upset by tampering, they're upset that its the Lakers tampering.  He kinds a way to defend Matt Kuchar for barely tipping hid caddy.  Plus, LA Times Writer Bill Plaschke talks about how LeBron James has not fully bought in to being a Laker  Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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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. Life is full of hurdles. So how do you keep going? On Hurtle with Emily Abadi, we're talking with the most inspiring women in sports and wellness from professional athletes, coaches, and Olympic champions about the challenges that shape them and the mindset that keeps them moving forward. At our level, at this scale, being able to fail in front of the entire world. Like, I can do anything. I can do anything. Listen to Hurtle with Emily Abadi on the IHart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Presented by Capital One, founding partner of IHart Women's Sports. 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 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 IHard radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. Thanks for listening to the best of Heard 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 SportsRodio.com or stream us live every day on the IHeartRadio app by searching Heard. This is the best of the herd with Colin Cowher on Fox Sports Radio.

This story just broke. I believe the kids call this a wojbom. Adrian Wardenowski. New Orleans has parted ways with GM Dell Demps. You know what the NBA should do? They should have a new trade deadline. Announced today. Lakers, Pelicans, you got 48 hours.

Wrap this Anthony Davis thing up, would you? What a man. You know, it's funny because the coach of the Pelicans, Alvin Gentry, last night, his team beat Oklahoma City, Anthony Davis got hurt and the guys won. And he was talking about this entire Pelican situation with a star player wants out, all the rumors of a Laker trade, and he talked about it. To tell you the truth, you know, this whole thing has been a dumpster fire, you know, and it's just hard, you know, for guys, you know, we want guys to be professional and we want them to do this.

but it's hard for guys to go through what they've been through. It's not a dumpster fire. Since Dell Demp's just got fired, it's a dempster fire. Listen, the Lakers didn't want to get involved, and this is a golden rule. Be very careful about getting involved in unbalanced relationships. Okay, the Lakers are the golden brand of the NBA. The Pelicans are run by NFL people. Louisiana has two Fortune 500 companies.

City's not really capable of generating enough sweet revenue, TV, local radio to really make this puppy work. Players don't want to play there. You know, not enough big money in New Orleans to have a separate ownership group. But the Lakers had to. We're in baseball. Certain teams will say we're not going to deal with Scott Boris, the agent. In the NBA, sometimes you've got to deal with second and third tier agents. and the bottom of the barrel teams because players matter more.

Individual players matter more in the NBA. By the way, Woj continues on in regards to that Laker Pelican mess. Woj says, quote, ownership was livid with an injured Anthony Davis leaving the arena during Thursday night's game sources say. Gail Benson's telling associates, she wants an overhaul of the pelicans and a search for a GM to take command of the trade talks with Anthony Davis and reshape the team's future. But again, this is an organization, the Pelicans,

and just don't have the money, the gravitas, the history, or the personnel. Top scouts don't want to work for the Pelicans. Topps GMs don't want to work for the Pelicans. That's why leagues, you have to be very careful who you allow in the league. You got Frank McCourt, Dodgers, bad owner, did not have the money to own a major league baseball team. Frank McCourt did a lot of injury to the Dodger brand. He did not qualify and they slid him in.

Bud Seelig did. It was a massive mistake. You want rich guys who don't meddle, who have capital. Pelicans shouldn't be in this league. But one of the reasons I don't engage on Twitter with just regular people. There's no win for me.

Somebody's trying to get into a conversation to get me in trouble, get me all stoked up. It's the same thing with the Lakers. They didn't want to do business with the Pelicans and Del Demps, but they had to. And I feel bad. Nobody ended up looking good in this thing. Clutch sports look bad.

Lakers look bad. LeBron look bad. Magic look bad. Rob Polinka, Anthony Davis. Even the Celtics got hit by Shrapnel. And in baseball, we all know they should cut out about 60 games. In the NBA, they should cut out about five teams. I mean, New Orleans is in the West.

Figure that one out. The Pelicans use NFL employees. So it's just, and it's not over, by the way, this mess is not over. The Pelicans, you know, they felt like they got over on the Lakers. But the problem is, now your star, Anthony Davis hates you, A, and B, he just got hurt. So this has been one of these situations where this is a cautionary tale of where you put teams. You know, when you're at Jacksonville in the NFL, it's not an NFL city.

Top people don't want to work there. You know, I mean, it's just, you got to be careful every time these owners, these billionaire owners say, yeah, expansion, expansion. None of our leagues need expansion. And I'm not picking on New Orleans. They're a great NFL city. It is an unbelievable college football city. But I lived in Portland, Oregon.

Portland, Oregon's got a great NBA franchise and a great MLS franchise. You can't give them a baseball. They're not big enough. They don't have the corporate support for 162 game. You need 37,000 season ticket holders and 40 suites being sold to corporations. Outside of, you know, you got Nike, you got, you know, techronics or a couple of, you know, tech companies. They don't have money. So Pelican thing was a mess.

Del Dempster fire is out. And I swear to God, they should just open that trading deadline up. for 48 more hours and get that puppy done. By the way, great to be with you today. Rick Buecker, Sam Munson, who runs a site called Pro Football Focus, lead NFL analysts for them,

will come on today. Can't wait for that, too. I follow Pro Football Focus like crazy. They grade every player. It's great. So Magic Johnson is a celebrity in America. I told the story last week that I was at a Laker game

late last year. And I'm sitting, you know, 30 rows up around midcourt. You know, good seats. Got some freebies. Took a buddy. And the sections started rising one after another. And I thought there was a fight. You don't see fights in NBA crowds very much.

You see them in football upper deck, you know, Buffalo Bills, Cleveland upper deck late, snowballs, fights, fist fights, whatever. You don't see NBA fights much. So all of a sudden, all the different sections started rising. and I look to my right and I'm like, what's going on? And like three different sections rise. And it's just Magic Johnson in the tunnel. Magic's a celebrity.

And don't blame Magic for being a celebrity. When you're a celebrity, there are different rules. Donald Trump is a celebrity. Ran for president? He didn't have to knock door for door. He didn't have to knock door to door. Didn't have to. He could go on Saturday Night Live.

He could go on radio shows, TV shows. Rules are different. By the way, Barack Obama ran for president. about the last six months, Oprah and some huge American iconic celebrities were like, vote for that guy. Obama didn't have to play by the same rules. He became a celebrity. You get the benefit of the discussion.

Everybody wants to talk to you. And, you know, in politics, they always want to keep it even. You appear, then they appear. Democrat, Republican. There is no balance anymore. Once celebrities run for president or politicians become celebrities, all rules change. You can't punish Obama.

You can't punish Magic. So Magic Johnson yesterday was asked about a player. Play some audio. Here's what he said. I have to ask you about Kimball Walker. You know, I can't answer any questions about no players because every time I do it, I get fine. But anybody else do it, they don't get fine.

So I'm going to stay away from that. Thank you. You know, Magic Johnson's right. if clutch sports had no relationship to LeBron and Magic Johnson and the Lakers weren't involved, nobody would care about this AD thing. If Anthony Davis was going to Charlotte, nobody would give a rip.

Well, that's Michael Jordan. If Anthony Davis was going to Milwaukee, nobody would give a rip. I mean, the L.A. Clippers have sent somebody to every single Kauai Leonard game in Toronto this year. Nobody cares. It's the Clippers. The reality is the NBA's punishing magic for being magic, that players want to talk to him.

People in Los Angeles where he's been forever still rise to see him in a business suit walk out of a tunnel. What is tampering? The Warriors recruited Kevin Durant for months. Nobody cared. The Warriors had been awful for 50 years since the Rick Berry days. They had a brief year or two with Monte Alice. They weren't seen as a huge threat. They were just young and fun and they'd want a title. But, but, They were still LeBron, still had big brands. And they recruited KD. And everybody's like, they were recruiting him during the year.

The Lakers are essentially the rich guy getting a tax break and nobody likes it. Because the NBA's most powerful team is the Lakers and the most powerful players, LeBron. And the most beloved popular CEO is magic. And everybody's freaking out. But like Obama at the end of his presidential run, when big iconic stars embraced him, like Trump. like magic, don't punish the celebrity for becoming in a celebrity obsessed culture. Don't blame them for becoming a celebrity. I mean, this tampering issue, to me, feels like an anti-Laker issue.

The rest of the league is just too sensitive with LeBron Magic and the Lakers brand. I'm going to give you an example. You know, July 1st is the NBA free agency signing day. So at midnight, 1201, you can announce or start. quote unquote working on free agents. You ever notice guys sign one minute after midnight? You ever notice that? Meaning they've been working on it for months.

They've been tampering for months. Nobody has any problem with it. Those free agents sign a minute after 1201. You really think this is how it goes. Ring, ring. Hi, it's Anthony Davis. Hi, it's the Lakers. Would you like to play for us?

Sure. Call Woj. No. They've been working on that puppy for 60 days. and it's understood. And nobody has a problem with it. Those deals are discussed for months, recruited for months.

But yet, LeBron, Magic, and the Lakers talk about AD. This is outrageous. This is tampering. By the way, NBA All-Star weekend, this weekend, right? So all the stars are going to be in the locker room together and eating dinner and drinking wine all weekend. They can't talk. They can't discuss business.

They can't slide into somebody else's DMs? What? You ever notice tampering didn't become a problem until LeBron started going to see Zion Williamson and LeBron talked about Anthony Davis. It was a LeBron issue. It wasn't a tampering issue. Just nonsense.

What is tampering? Rick Buechers joining us. I tamper all the time. Seriously. I wake up in the morning, roll out of bed tamper. I'm constantly texting guys. You come over here. She worked for Fox. Amazing. You skip Bayless just showed up.

Tampering for months. Broussard. Chris Carter. I was on the phone with those guys for months. I'm like Bristol, L.A. What do you think? Free scones over here at Fox. Everybody over here. I gave my company like a list of 15 guys that was tampering every second. 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. 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 Slices Life 12 in the TikTok podcast network on TikTok. Welcome to my new podcast, Learn the Hardway with me, your host, and your favorite therapist, Kear Games. And in recognition of Mental Health Awareness Month, I'm bringing over a decade of my own experience

in the mental health field and conversations with so many incredible guests. I'm talking, Tript 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, our heart radio app. Search learn the hard way and listen now. Life throws hurdles big and small. The question is, how do you conquer them? On hurdle with Emily Abadi, we sit down with the most inspiring women in sports and wellness, professional athletes, coaches, and Olympic champions to talk about the challenges that shaped them

and the mindset that keeps them going. From the WNBA standout Kate Martin and rising hockey star Lela Edwards. If a boy can do it, I don't see why a girl can't. Like, I've never understood that. Like, it didn't make sense in my brain. It's hard to be in spaces that no one looks like you, but don't ever feel like you don't feel on. Don't let that be the reason you don't do it. An Olympic champs Gabby Thomas and Katie Ladeki.

The ability to show gold medal to someone and have their face light up and smile, that means the world to me. And that's what motivates me to win more gold medals. At our level, at this scale, like being able to fail in front of the entire world. Like, I can do anything. I can do anything. Because resilience isn't just about winning. It's about showing up, even when it's hard. Listen to Hurtle with Emily Abadi on the Iheart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Presented by Capital One, founding partner of IHart Women's Sports. Jacob Kingston grew up in an isolated polygamous sect. We were God's chosen kingdom on earth. He felt destined for greatness. So when a swaggering Armenian businessman catapults Jacob into an extraordinary world, he doesn't look back. Ferraris and Lamborghinis, private jets, meeting the president of Turkey. I'm Michelle McPhee, and this is one of the most shocking criminal conspiracies I've ever come across. When Jacob met Levant this plant to a billion dollar fraud.

But with two kings from entirely different worlds, just how long can their empire survive? The largest tax investigation in American history. You need to tell me what you know. Is somebody coming after me? told Levan, you're ruining my life. Listen to Kingdom of Fraud on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Rick Buker's in Charlotte for the All-Star Game, Bleacher Report, Senior Writer. You know, I was saying this is that nobody came out of that whole AD, LeBron, Laker, Clutch Sports thing looking good. It's a mess.

It's a mess. Nobody looks good. Do you believe now, Rick, that basically the waters were poisoned by Dell Demps, just to make the Lakers look bad, to make Clutch Sports look bad, that they really, because this is what I'm hearing now, but I don't have it sourced, but you hear things that the Pelicans just wanted, they were so pissed at Clutch Sports and AD, they just said, we're going to throw every name out, make the Lakers look horrible. Do you believe that's what happened and how all the names got out? It's not normally the way I would expect a guy like Dell Demp's to operate. So when we say the Pelicans in terms of who put it out there where it came from, but I do know that those that are involved do believe that the names came from the Pelicans now. It was originally thought by the Lakers that Rich Paul and Clutch Agency were the ones who put those names out there.

But there's been a meeting of the minds between the Lakers and Clutch, and the feeling is now, as you said, that, that the Pelicans were the ones that put those names out there. And yes, the enmity toward the Pelicans at this stage, whether it's the Pelicans or just about any other team in the league, is, you know, screw them. They think they can do whatever they want. They can break any rule that they want, that they're entitled. If we're going to approach it this way, then you know what?

We'll play dirty. But as far as Demp's being the one that leaked them, that's just not his style. You know, July 1st is the NBA free agency period. It begins. And one minute after midnight, all the deals get made, illustrating what appears to be clear that everybody's tampering for months and everybody knows it. Could I not make the argument that this is a LeBron, Magic, Lakers. The Clippers are at every Kauai Leonard game in Toronto.

nobody cares. If Anthony Davis was going to Denver, nobody would care. This is an anti-Lebron. You know, it's fear-based. It's like giving the rich guy a tax cut. Nobody likes the Lakers that part of this is like anti-Laker bias. Well, I would temper that with this, but you're right. The truth of the matter is, I've talked to GMs. The business of the NBA would not function if there weren't tampering. It simply, it wouldn't work. The timing of everything, the ability to vet things, it would be on an entirely different time scale if there weren't tampering. What ticks people off in the league about the Lakers, because this tampering happens everywhere,

and there is, there are discussions. The difference is, the Lakers are arrogant about it. The Lakers advertise it. Magic Johnson is on late-night TV doing the, wink, wink, yeah, are we interested in Paul George making a joke of it? LeBron is being interviewed and saying it's incredible that, you know, it would be amazing for me to play with Anthony Davis. And then reports are leaked that he's having dinner with AD. It's more that it's not that these conversations are going on. It's that the Lakers and LeBron in particular, and you have like the two

biggest culprits in doing it advertised that they're doing it and that's what ticks everybody off. Rick Buecker, Bleacher Report, Senior Writers. So, rebuilding, if there was a rebuilding for dummies, the Celtics would be on the cover. They didn't tank.

They got the right coach. They didn't whip on any draft. Well, they drafted well. They land Gordon Hayward. They get Kyrie. Their rebuild, comparatively to others, has been the gold standard of rebuilds, but.

But in the last couple of months, Gordon Hayward isn't a perfect fit right now. Kyrie's heard again. Anthony Davis, I'm told a week ago, is not going to be a Celtic. And Jason Tatum, according to Brian Winhorst or somebody on a podcast, would entertain the Pelicans.

From the outside, is it fair to say that this rebuild, as they become, as now they're getting into business with stars, that the Butler, the Butler head coach Brad Stevens, it's getting a little rocky. Yeah, you know what, it's a great, it's a great point. Now, I'm not going to say that what they have and what they've done somehow that they've screwed this up because they still have an embarrassment of riches.

Yes. And I, at the beginning of the, they can still end up very easily winning it all this year. And I do believe that the NBA champion is going to come out of the east one way or another this season. That said, I think that this is a referendum on maybe we anointed Brad Stevens a little too soon. Because for me, it's not the X's and O's, and I think a lot of people lose this. When you are a coach in the NBA, it is about managing egos. and the great coaches have to manage huge egos. If you're going to have the talent to play for a championship,

you are going to have an array of egos that you have to make work together. And that's what Brad Stevens is facing right now. Last year when you have Kyrie and Gordon Hayward Hurt, you have a bunch of young guys that have been discounted, they stepped up to the four and said, you know what, we're not ready to pack it in this year. Now you have to combine Kyrie and Gordon Hayward

with these guys who made a name for themselves last year and find a way to integrate all that. And I'll be honest. You know, I just, I look at the rotations. I looked at the handling of it. This is not something a guy from Butler ever had to deal with. That's right. And by the way. Not to say that he can't, he can't do it.

But this is the, you know, when you talk about the Phil Jackson's and the Greg Popovich's, yeah, their great, their great ability was to manage monstrous egos and make them, work together. And that's what Brad Stevens is facing right now. Listen, listen, in baseball, if you manage the Cincinnati Reds, it's about X's and O's and analytics. If you manage the Yankees like Joe Torrey, it's dealing with egos. You know, in Kentucky basketball and Duke basketball, it's not the same as it is Xavier. And if you go, you know, like the Michigan coach that everybody loves in college basketball, he gets three-star recruits. But if you put him in the NBA, you know, So I agree with you.

I think Phil Jackson's greatest gift to me was Joe Tories. In a room, he could sense the temperature of Kobe that morning and shack that night. And even though it broke up, so we agree. I want one more thing. Jeannie Buss says Luke Walton is safe. And I think it's way too late in a season to start over. Is your gut feeling this morning? is Luke Walton a top 10 coach?

I never thought. Okay, who do you like? Give me some guys. We know Spolstra, Carlisle, Pop, Kerr. We know that. But in your sources, people think Luke is still not a top third coach in the league. No, he's a developing. And keep in mind, I mean, look, he's a developing coach.

Does he have the capability? Does he have the IQ? Sure. Does he have the experience? He was hired for a rebuilding job. And when they got LeBron James, that suddenly changed everything. And I don't blame him for what has gone on with this team this year, but because it's such a mixed bag, you've got it's a half, one foot in, one foot out with LeBron and a bunch of young guys.

I mean, this team isn't built for a LeBron James. It simply isn't. And he's had to find a way to manage it. But just being around when he was coaching the Warriors and they went on their great run, that was a function of what they already had in place, as opposed to Luke, you know, working some incredible magic. So I just feel as if he's under a new regime that did not hire him, the landscape has changed in terms of what this team is trying to do.

Now, is he safe? Is he safe for this year? Yeah, because I don't know that there's anything that's going to change markedly for this season. Do I expect Luke Walton to be the coach of the team starting next season? I don't see any way that he will. Yeah. Buecker and Friends podcast. Rick Buecher Report, Senior Writer.

It is a pleasure to talk to you, have fun at the All-Star game. Thanks, we'll do. Rick Bueker, good stuff. Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd. in noon Eastern 9 a.m. Pacific. 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 reel. 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 Slic Life 12 and the TikTok podcast network on TikTok.

Welcome to my new podcast, Learn the Hardway with me, your host, and your favorite therapist, Kear Games. 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 in 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 Hardway and listen now. Life throws hurdles big and small. The question is, how do you conquer them? On hurdle with Emily Abadi, we sit down with the most inspiring women in sports and wellness, professional athletes, coaches, and Olympic champions to talk about the challenges that shaped them and the mindset that keeps them going. From the WNBA standout Kate Martin and rising hockey star Layla Edwards.

If a boy can do it, I don't see why a girl can't. Like, I've never understood that. Like, it didn't make sense in my brain. It's hard to be in spaces that no one looks like you, but don't ever feel like you don't belong. Don't let that be the reason you don't do it. An Olympic champs Gabby Thomas and Katie Ladecki. The ability to show a gold medal to someone and have their face light up and smile, that means the world to me. And that's what motivates me to win more gold medals.

At our level, at this scale, like being able to fail in front of the entire world. Like, I can do anything. I can do anything. Because resilience isn't just about winning. It's about showing up, even when it's hard. Listen to Hurtle with Emily Abadi on the IHeartRadio app, Apple Podcast. Podcasts for wherever you get your podcasts. Presented by Capital One, founding partner of I Heart Women's Sports.

Jacob Kingston grew up in an isolated polygamous sect. We were God's chosen kingdom on earth. He felt destined for greatness. So when a swaggering Armenian businessman catapults Jacob into an extraordinary world, he doesn't look back. Ferraris and Lamborghinis, private jets, meeting the president of Turkey. I'm Michelle McPhee, and this. This is one of the most shocking criminal conspiracies I've ever come across.

When Jacob met Levan this went to a billion dollar fraud. But with two kings from entirely different worlds, just how long can their empire survive? The largest tax investigation in American history. You need to tell me what you know. Is somebody coming after me? Jacob told Levan, you're ruining my life. Listen to Kingdom of Fraud on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Matt Coocher's a golfer. He's a good golfer.

He's a good golfer. He won 15 events. Apparently last fall he won a golf classic, but I didn't watch and haven't heard of. And his caddy, not as regular to caddy, but his caddy at the time recently said, that guy took advantage of me. Matt Coocher said, we had a deal. $4,000 if I got in the top 10. Coocher won it, gave him an extra 1,000. Gravy on top.

Coocher said, making 5,000 is a great week. People are upset that Matt Coocher won $1.3 million, and Matt Coocher only gave him $5,000. So let's talk about that. Matt Coocher in this caddy, that was not his normal caddy. He was outsourced. They had an agreed upon rate. $1,000 to the caddy if he missed the cut. 2000 made the cut, 3,000 top 20, 4,000 top 10.

He actually won it, and he gave an extra 1,000. So the caddy agreed to the terms. By the way, if $5,000 to carry clubs for three days is outrageous, my staff is asking to work for Matt Coucher. Matt Coocher's excellent. The hardest league in the world to make is the PGA. Literally, you have a bad week. You don't get paid.

You have a bad hole. don't get paid. They can eliminate you from the tour if you don't win enough. I mean, the Pelicans, they can't even get a trade pulled off. They don't lose their franchise. So Matt Coocher has 15 tournament wins. He's won with several caddies. So the question now, not the answer, is, what's the value of a caddy? Now, this was not bones to Phil Mickelson. A longtime caddy, no longer but a long time caddy that Phil Mickelson absolutely trusted and relied on. This was not Jordan Speeth's caddy.

I mean, he's in that guy's ear every shot. This was an outsourced caddy who Matt Coocher was not going to rely on nearly as much as somebody he lives, breeze travels with. It's not Bones with Mickelson. So if you have an outsourced caddy, And I'm struggling with the value of, for instance, if John took the day off and I had an outsourced producer who I would not rely on as heavily, then he is worth the terms you agree to. Colin, but Coutcher won. Deck Prescott's won the NFC East two of the last three years.

You get a tip for it? Russell Wilson won a Super Bowl. Do you get a tip for it? The people supporting the candy can't even come up with a satisfactory amount. I listened the last two days. Hosts, callers, golf pros, experts, 50,000 minimum. Next caller. At least 100.

Golf pro calls a radio show. 10, 15%. That's standard. So the experts, the callers, the hosts, you can't even come to terms. You're not even close. So when you outsource somebody and there is a discrepancy in the considered value of said outsourced employee, you go to the value, the agreement, the handshake, the terms of the agreement.

I'm listening to everybody tell me what coocher should have paid him. And by the way, everybody's always got an opinion on everybody else's money. Michael Jordan donated a couple million dollars a few years ago for some natural disasters. Everybody's like, ah, he's cheap. It's his money. Two million bucks is two million bucks. Doesn't matter what he makes. I don't go to a restaurant.

You don't get a better tip because I have more money than the guy sitting next to me. My money. I'm going to tip you on service, not on my income. But Matt Coocher's agent offered the caddy 15 grand. The caddy turned it down and went public. This was not a typical caddy. This is an outsourced. This is what corporate America does.

And so there's always questions on the value of any employee that is not a full-time employee. That is not a long-time trusted relied upon employee. When it comes to the outsourcing thing, what are the terms? Let's agree to them. And in this instance, the caddy did a bad job figuring out what his value was. I know that's not a popular take. I know nobody agrees listening to me. But there's a difference between, let's say I had a driver that drove me around Los Angeles.

I don't, but let's say I did. The tip would be much different than the Uber driver, who I have no relationship with, who doesn't make the trip as comfortable, as seamless, and as trustable, even if he gets me to the restaurant I'm going to. So once you have an outsourced employee, that's based on terms. It's not the same relationship as Mickelson and Bones. And I know that's not popular. But listening to everybody, inform me and educate me on what you should pay him,

was so random and arbitrary had he tipped him $25,000, you'd have still ripped him. Most of the callers thought at minimum $50,000. to carry clubs? Hell of a weekend. So it's five grand, actually. 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. 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 athletes 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.

Welcome to my new podcast, Learn the Hardway with me, your host, and your favorite therapist, Kear Games. And in recognition of mental health awareness month, I'm bringing over a decade of my own experience in the mental health field and conversations with so many incredible guests. I'm talking, Tripp Fontaine, Ryan Clark. Sometimes when we're in the pursuit of the thing, we get so rapidly. 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, is we have real conversations about All healing, growth, fatherhood, pressure, and purpose on my new podcast, Learn the Hard Way. Open your free iHeartRadio app. Search Learn the Hardway and listen now. Life throws hurdles big and small.

The question is, how do you conquer them? On Hurtle with Emily Abadi, we sit down with the most inspiring women in sports and wellness, professional athletes, coaches, and Olympic champions to talk about the challenges that shaped them and the mindset that keeps them going. from the WNBA standout Kate Martin and rising hockey star Layla Edwards. If a boy can do it, I don't see why a girl can't. Like, I've never understood that.

Like, it didn't make sense in my brain. It's hard to be in spaces that no one looks like you, but don't ever feel like you don't feel like you don't feel on. Don't let that be the reason you don't do it. An Olympic champs, Gabby Thomas and Katie Ladeki. The ability to show a gold medal to someone and have their face light up and smile, that means the world to me.

And that's what motivates me to win more gold medals. at our level at this scale, like being able to fail in front of the entire world. Like, I can do anything. I can do anything. Because resilience isn't just about winning. It's about showing up, even when it's hard. Listen to Hurtle with Emily Abadi on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Presented by Capital One, founding partner of IHeart Women's Sports.

Jacob Kingston grew up in an isolated polygamous sect. We were God's chosen kingdom on earth. He felt destined for greatness. So when a swaggering Armenian businessman catapults Jacob into an extraordinary world, he doesn't look back. Ferraris and Lamborghinis, private jets, meeting the president of Turkey. I'm Michelle McPhee, and this is one of the most shocking criminal conspiracies I've ever come across. When Jacob met Levant this plant to a billion-dollar fraud. But with two kings from entirely different worlds,

Just how long can their empire survive? The largest tax investigation in American history. You need to tell me what you know. Is somebody coming after me? Jacob told Levan, you're ruining my life. Listen to Kingdom of Fraud on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Bill Plashky is a long time award-winning columnist. What's an award?

I've never won one of those. He must have a house full with plaques. At the L.A. Times, today is Columns of Jeannie Bus reminding everybody this week that she runs the Lakers, not LeBron and Bill is joining us. I'm actually, I think, in the group, the quieter chorus, the smaller group to not fire Luke Walton with 30 games left. I'm on Team Jeannie Bus. Where do you land on this, Bill? Yeah, I agree with you completely, Colin. We just don't know what Luke can do with a full season with this team.

Now, I don't think if they don't make a playoff, he's not getting past the final game of the season. I mean, he's done then. I'm certain of that. But I think he needs to deserve a chance to be. I mean, this is a guy who is, you know, they're committed to growing their young players, yet suddenly they're not committed to growing their young coach.

And, you know, the guy who is this year he had these young guys, plus then he had, I call him he had the kids and he had the cooks. And they added all the cooks in the summer, plus LeBron, he's got to coach all this mess and try to figure it out, and LeBron missed 18 games with the groin. Yeah, so he hasn't had a fair run. And I think this is really impressive to me

that Jeannie Buss, just as she rested control of the organization from her brothers, she put her foot down and said, you know what, LeBron, we'll give your Lance Stevenson, we'll give him Michael Beasley. You're not getting Luke Walton, not now, not on my watch. And I thought that was really important symbolically to let everyone know she's still.

runs this team. By the way, Clutch Sports has tried to in the last couple of weeks, distance themselves from LeBron. We all know there's a real alignment with Rich Paul and Clutch Sports. How much power does LeBron have inside the Lakers? How much does he want? How much is he in Magic or Rob's ear? He wants it all. I mean, he's trying to run the team. From what I understand, he's trying to, you know, micromanaging behind the scenes with Rich Paul trying to pick the coach, pick the players, design the future of the Lakers. And it's not, you know, and again, this Anthony Davis thing failed so spectacularly. And then plus, I think he's lost.

So he's, he hasn't totally in Magic's here. Magic's following his lead, all that. And then, but it's not working out so well because A, LeBron got hurt and B, he's not connecting with his team on the court. He's so disconnected out there that, you know, if you ask me, he's the biggest problem with the Lakers right now is that he is not, you know, lived up to expectations out here. either physically or mentally. And then he comes out with a quote, which, again, he's trying to, you know, run the Lakers.

And he says, well, it's only icing on the cake. A championship is only icing on the cake. Laker fans don't want to hear that. Laker fans think Lakers are the cake. You know, they want him to be here to win a championship, not to come out here and live out of Hollywood days. It's been a disappointment. It's been a big disappointment so far with him.

And I think he's got, you know, 25 more games to try to figure it out and try to salvage this first year. Jackie McMullen, a widely respected longtime NBA reporter, said about a month ago, there is real tension inside the building. Do you sense that as well? Oh, absolutely. I mean, he's brought, you know, Kevin Durant, I criticized Kevin Durant for not wanting to play with LeBron. But Kevin, Katie, was right about everything LeBron brings with him.

And he brings this, maybe it's creative tension. Some of it is, you know, a jealous tension, but it's a lot of tension, and a lot of, do we have to operate around this guy? Is this guy in our orbit? You know, a lot, yes, a lot of tension. And again, I think this works out if he's on the court and he's invested and he's bought it and they're winning, but when he's injured and they separate himself from his team, and then his team doesn't trust, you know, the young guys don't trust him anymore.

Because they think he's one of them traded, which is very likely. So he's having a hard time connecting with everybody. And now the trade deadlines over with, you know, we'll see what happens. they're all on even ground. We'll see if moving forward, they can figure it out. But yes, he has brought, and you know, we heard stories about this, Colin out here in L.A. about how LeBron works and how his planet orbits, you know, eclipses your planet. We're finding it out out here, we're seeing exactly what that's like. And it's a whole big ball of wax. It's a whole big thing.

Yeah, there's a definite urgency, trade everything to get good now. Do you think they land Anthony Davis by seasons end? Do you think he's their number one target? Do you think it's already inevitably done? I don't think they get him at all. I don't mean, now, and this Dell Demp thing may change it. We'll see who's running the Pelicans. But I don't think, no, I don't think that their package as constituted, their package wouldn't match Boston's package.

And so I don't, I think they're out of the anti-Divian, in a lot of people's opinions, they're out of the Anthony Davis-Swee stakes. They've got to go out and get a free agent. They've already blown that. And that's the next question is now seeing all the issues out here with LeBron and wondering still, why? as LeBron here, and if you really here to chase the championship, will that make it harder to them to get a free agent to come play with him?

I mean, that's going to be the next step. So I think there's a lot of uncertainty. A lot of people are worried, oh, my gosh, it's just like the Dwight Howard Steve Nash era was going to be so great, and it turns out to be a complete failure. I think there's a lot of unknowns going forward and a lot more than what most people thought. Magic Johnson took a real hit on the Anthony Davis situation. people said it was disorganized. I will defend magic two ways. One, I think the Pelicans poisoned the water by leaking stuff. There's nothing magic could do. Secondly, I do think there's sort of a, you know, I said this. Obama became a celebrity last three or four months of running for president. Trump was as he ran. You can't blame a celebrity for being a celebrity. You do play by different rules. People want to be around you. TV and radio stations want to talk to you and ask you questions. Play. players want to play with you. So part of it is I support Magic on this tampering stuff,

because I do think part of it is if Magic has an opinion, it's much bigger than if, you know, the Charlotte GM had an opinion. But do you think Magic's done a good job? Is Polinka running the show, or do you think Magic was exposed with all the Anthony Davis stuff? Well, I think I agree with you about Magic. I think he's done, I've criticized him in the past for several things, but I think he's done, he did what he had to do with his Anthony Davis thing. Rich Paul got the whole thing started. Never should have gone public with all this. Put his client in a tough position.

Put the Laker in the opposition. And Magic was forced to go out there and try to get him. And I wrote Magic had to try to get Davis. And he did everything he could to try to get him. I think Magic's doing his job. I think we'll see Magic. We can't really evaluate him. Even with LeBron James.

LeBron James, it turns out, was probably coming to L.A. No matter who was running this show. Right, right. So we have to see what he can do this summer. He'll be judged by championship of Tifold. like everyone else, but no, he's got, he's not around the, as you know, Colin. He's not around the offices as much as Rob Polika. He's not there every day like Rob Polika is, but Magic clearly has Jeannie's ear.

I mean, Magic is still the one calling all the shots and having the final say on everything. So we'll see. I think the jury is out on him, but I don't blame him, is Anthony Davis thing. I mean, I don't blame him for trying to do what he could do. He was stuck. Once Anthony Davis, once he said he wanted to be traded, he wanted to come to Lakers, by goodness, you know, Magic had to do whatever he could have to try to get him. blaming for that. I do think New Orleans

poisoned the well and kind of got back at him for that. It's funny with LeBron the other night against Atlanta. I watched that game and he had really good. He had really good numbers, but he did look disengaged at times. He really did. He looked. It was the most evacuous triple-double

I think I've ever seen. He was just, he wasn't helping down the court, those sides, those winces. Laker fans are getting sick of that. I mean, buy in, man. This is your team. You came here. you know, don't come here to go on vacation or to build your brand. Come here to win championship. Buy into Luke Wall and buy in.

To me, he has not bought in. No, no, no, no. I said this the other day. I said Park City, Utah is in Utah. It's not of Utah. Austin, Texas is in Texas, but it's not of Texas. LeBron's a Laker, but he's not all in. He's not of the, he doesn't feel like it. You is not you exactly right.

He's disconnected. You can ask anybody with an organization. It's like he's his own company, his own brand, his own element. He's his own planet. And he's orbiting around the Lakers, but he's not landed and connected with the Lakers at all. And they feel it. And the players are, you know what the team leader is? Rajan Rondo.

He's their leader. They love him. The kids love him. You saw how about he celebrating when he came back and beat Boston with that shot. That was real. He's mentoring them. He's helping them. He's leading them.

What's LeBron doing? not right now you know putting up some good numbers and you know and playing but not not as engaged and as invested as he should be in any of this great talking to you bill i don't see i only see about once a year now even though we live in the same town you know you can take me out to lunch oh you know the l.a times i can't afford i can't afford to go where you go college the l.a times buildings right next to my house but you sports writers you don't you don't go in the building do you just do your stuff no no because those are so far away we never go in the office No, you'll find me a staple center, Colin.

Come by and see me some past. All right, good talking to you, Bill. See you, man. 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. 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 Smygel and friends.

Me and hilarious guests from Bob Odenkirk to David Letterman help make you fun. This week, my guest, S&L's Mikey Day and headwriter, 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 I-Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Life is full of hurdles. So how do you keep going? On Hurtle with Emily Abadi, we're talking with the most inspiring women in sports and wellness from professional athletes, coaches, and Olympic champions. about the challenges that shape them and the mindset that keeps them moving forward. At our level, at this scale, being able to fail in front of the entire world.

Like, I can do anything. I can do anything. Listen to Hurtle with Emily Abadi on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Presented by Capital One, founding partner of IHart Women's Sports. Hey, what's good, y'all?

You're listening to Learn the Hard Way with your favorite therapist and host, Kier Games. This space is about black men's experiences, having honest conversations that'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 IHard radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. This is an IHart podcast, Guaranteed Human.