The Herd with Colin Cowherd - Best of The Herd: 05/08/2019

Episode Date: May 8, 2019

Colin says that the 76ers cannot build around Joel Embiid and they should ship him out of town soon while he still has value.  He goes through his QB pyramid and explains why Dak Prescott is in tier 3 which means you can't pay him tier 1 money.  Plus, FS1's Nick Wright comes on to rub it in Colin's face how right he was about the Bucks and Kyrie Irving.  Presented by Perky Jerky. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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This is the best of the herd. with Colin Cowher on Fox Sports Radio. Ah, here we go. This is The Herd. Wherever you may be and however you may be listening, we are live in Los Angeles, and IHeart Radio, Fox Sports Radio, and FS1. Joy Taylor is joining me.

I am so fired up for today's show. There is so much about today's show. I absolutely love. Joy, how are you? I'm great. Today would be a good day for Congress right, Colin was wrong, huh? It would be. Today would be a good day.

I don't like to, you know, when I was ultimately right on Westbrook, I said this is not the day to bring out the hammer, because I do think Russell Westbrook's a good human being. And I'm glad Joy brought that up. I'll start with that. Generally, there is one or maybe two stars in the NBA that the fans love, the media loves, and people think I pick on it. Carmelo Anthony's been this guy, Blake Griffin's been this guy,

John Wall, Russell Westbrook, Derek Rose, where I just don't like them like everybody else does. And so for two to three to four to five years, I get nothing but hate mail, nothing but vitriol about Derek Rose in Chicago. I kept saying it's not going to last. He's not going to last. He can't shoot. He's going to get hurt.

I said with Westbrook, he can't shoot, hyper-athletic, not going to age well, too rigid. I said about Blake Griffin. He's the best volleyball player, Spiker in the league. I'm not building around Blake Griffin. I've said this about Carmel O'Anne. He doesn't play defense, doesn't play well with others. And I get nothing but hate mail.

But I'm proven right eventually. I got league pass. I watched this league. I know basketball. I'm good. Doesn't mean I'm perfect on basketball. Doesn't mean I can pick every series. I thought Boston would beat Milwaukee.

But so when I go after a star that's really popular, it is just nothing but hate mail and hate tweets for years until I'm proven right. Westbrook's the last one where you all kind of went, Yeah, Colin got that one right. So my latest target, if you will, is a Joe L.M.B. I said last couple of weeks, I'm not building around him. I'm trading him. It was relentless. I've got some of the nastiest emails, tweets, whatever you get on social media from Philly fans. I said, I'm not riding that roller coaster.

Number one, he's beyond high maintenance. Number two, he's always hurt. And number three, he vaporizes Ben Simmons. game and Ben Simmons has to work or the legendary process is an abject failure. Simmons can't play with him because Simmons needs the lane wide open because he can't shoot and he scores at the rim. Well, this morning, I think Philadelphia, this time it only took joy a week. It didn't take four years of your hate mail. It took a week, Philadelphia.

You know this morning, I was right. You can't build around that. You can't build around that. Forget the six treatments to get him on the floor. He hurt you on the floor last night. Listen, 95% of the general managers in this league are petrified to trade a popular player. And that popular player, like Westbrook, is often your best player. And they don't like do it.

They're petrified. But two teams in this league have been willing. Two GMs in this league have guts. Darry of Houston doesn't give a rip what I say and doesn't give a rip. rip what you think. He'll just go for it. And the other, the guy's in Golden State. Because they moved off their best player, Monta Ellis, an all-star, hyper-athletic, fun to watch. And they moved off him. And they said, no, we're going to go with this kid from Davidson who has an ankle problem, Steph Curry. And do you remember the night that Rick Berry, a warrior legend, introduced Joe Lakeb, the new owner who had the guts

to move off the star. Remember how ugly that got? I do. Show a little bit of class. This is a man that I've spent some time talking to. He is going to change this franchise. Come on. You're doing yourself a disservice.

All of the wonderful accolades being said to you for you to treat this man who is spending his money to do the best that he can to turn this franchise around. And I know he's going to do it. So given the respect he deserves. It's hard. General managers don't like that stuff. Owners don't like that stuff.

But the Bulls should have moved off D-Rose sooner. You saw the injuries. OKC picked the wrong guy, Philadelphia. M. Bid still has value. It's time to move him. A week ago, you were saying, Colin, why would you trade any of these guys? And I said, because they don't work, because they're underachieving, because they have the second best talent in the league to the Golden State Warriors.

I got four guys who can play. Three potential stars. Choices. Life's all about choices. Make the right ones. Ben Simmons a great player. Doesn't work with M. Bede. Jimmy Butler's a great player. I'd keep him. Not a lot of Jimmy Butler's.

Tobias Harris, numbers right. Big can shoot. I'd keep him. J.J. Reddick, I'm not letting go of a shooter. M. Bede's got value, but man, high maintenance, can't stay healthy, and doesn't work with Simmons. I'm not saying. that Embed isn't better than Simmons today. Westbrook was better than hardened in Oklahoma City.

But the difference between the haves and the have-nots, the winners and the losers, the rich and the poor in sports is mostly two things. A, and the patriots are masters of this, the ability to move off talented, popular players who are either a pain in the butt or aging poorly. The second thing that separates the rich, from the poor in sports. The haves and the have-nots, the winners and losers. The ability to

spot talent in coaching, free agency, and players before everybody else does. Warriors knew Curry before he was Curry. The late Steve Jobs knew you needed the iPhone before there was the iPhone. He knew you would be staring at it all day. That's what separates. Millionaires from billionaires, the ability to move off things that have served their purpose, and the ability to spot things that will serve their purpose, but nobody but you can see it. Philadelphia choices. Oklahoma said he made the wrong ones. You got four dudes.

You're going to be able to keep about two of them, and Bean and Simmons don't work. Here was Charles and Shaq afterwards. Mark Jackson said, Joe and Bea, you're one of the greatest big mess. So can you step up to the challenge? He's not doing it there. I don't want to hear no excuse. If you step on the court, your dog meat, your barbecue chicken alert. I don't care about no respiratory.

I don't care about no boiler. I don't care about none of that. You want to get to the championship. If you want people to remember the process forever, you've got to step up. Five points is unacceptable. During the regular season, he's averaging 28. He's now averaging 18. He's not stepping up to the challenge.

They showed him walking into the game today. He's walking by himself like he's got, like he's on his deathbed. as a star player you can never show weakness you got to keep the other guys involved in the game that's what he does he complains so much about being sick he drains the energy out the room

I got some icey hot cough drops for you man up and you know those guys are funny guys so they say that stuff and we don't think it's mean often when I went after Wall Rose Blake Mello Westbrook but you got to

be you got to be able to see things before other people can, Warriors, Montaella, Steph, and you got to be able to move off popular players. The Patriots have done this. The Warriors did that. You just have to. I mean, remember the old game, Operation? Remember the old game as a kid you played Operation? M. B.

has had a stress fracture in his back, a broken right foot, a broken right foot again, a torn meniscus, a right-hand injury, a broken eye socket, a sore left knee, a stomach flu, upper respiratory infection. Folks, it's a lot of stuff. and I like him. And I know you're saying, Colin, you're brutal. He can play. Somebody will take him.

But you've got to make choices. And again, the separator in sports, can you move off popular players when you see trouble ahead and can you spot talent before everybody else does? The knuckleheads think Simmons can't play. The have-nots think Simmons can't play.

Ben Simmons is unbelievably talented. He just can't play with Embed. So you're going to have to make a choice. make the right one. By the way, there's a reporter who's very respected. I like him and know him and have talked to him recently. His name is Wojj, Adrian Orgynowski. When he drops stories, he usually beats his competition.

They call him Woj bombs. I always believe them. Although this one, I'm not so sure. Woe says Kauai Leonard seriously considering re-signing with the Raptors over LA teams. with all due respect to by a very respected NBA writer, Kauai doesn't talk. How do I know that? Wasn't San Antonio the perfect fit?

Tim Duncan hid in San Antonio for 20 years. They had a system. Popovich was loud, talked a lot, takes away all the glamour from the franchise. I thought San Antonio was perfect. And actually, couldn't I, argue you can hide in Toronto? The most northernmost franchise in another country?

I mean, Canada or Hollywood? What's a better place to hide? Halifax or Hollywood? Aliens could land in 88% of Canada and nobody would spot it. Lindsay Lohan pokes her head out of her condo and TMZ's there in 15 minutes. I love Wojh, but how can anybody know what Kauai Leonard says? thinking. He doesn't talk. By the way, you could stay in Toronto and you'd be the second most popular player or the second most well-known person in the arena to Drake. I thought San Antonio was perfect. I can make a very, very compelling argument for Toronto. I can make, if I ran the Toronto

raptors, I can make an unbelievably compelling argument. My first argument is, We win. We're a good organization. We're stable. And, oh, by the way, you're only here three and a half months a year. People forget. The first day you show up is late September for pictures. The last day is mid-May.

But four months is the off-season. Three months, you're actually not in the city during the regular season. You get a week off for the All-Star break and one more month of pre-and-post or not in Toronto. You're actually only in your NBA city for three months. and a half months. Toronto, by the way, is wildly diverse and sophisticated. It'd be the third biggest city in America. It's not Sacramento. Sacramento's a hard pull. That's a hard marketing push. Come for the taxes without any of the beach or glamour. That's Sacramento. That's a hard sales pitch. Really. California's taxes without the perks. That's a tough one. Toronto's

beautiful. Toronto's smart. Toronto's diverse. Toronto wins. Toronto is well run. you're only there for three and a half months. I got to be honest, as much as I love all these NBA reporters, I don't think anybody knows about Kauai Leonard. I mean, he basically doesn't even have a powerful agent. He's got like a relative. I think we're all guessing on Kauai Leonard. Also, throw this out.

Wojh mentions this. Toronto can pay more than anybody else. He's already got a house. in California. Toronto can pay more. You can hide there. They win. They're stable. The GM's smart. Seems to be a likable team. The Eastern Conference is generally weaker than the Western Conference. By the way, it's not like their taxes are that much worse than California. You're not going to the Dallas Mavericks or the Houston Rockets or the San Antonio Spurs where there are no state taxes. California and Canada, pretty darn close. The only difference is

in America you can write off your house. You count in Canada, but you can only write off 700,000 of that, so it doesn't matter because Kauai owns a $13 million house in California. So I will say as much as I respect all the NBA writers, woes and all of you, I don't know how anybody can figure out Kauai Leonard. He doesn't really communicate. As a player, he doesn't really pass.

He doesn't really talk. He's got big hands in an interesting laugh. I thought San Antonio was perfect. Tim Duncan hid there for two decades. Cahey Leonard laughing at all of us who think we know what Coi Leonard's thinking. I don't have any idea what he's going to do. I think it's L.A., but I've never been less sure in my life. I don't even know what team in L.A.

They tell me he doesn't like LeBron. All right. Then I keep reading stories. Maybe he likes him a little. Seriously. That's Coi laughing at all of us suggesting he's made up his mind. I don't know. I think he's, I, I, every.

Sports always has that guy that you just can't quite, we can never figure out Jay Cutler. Was he really that permanently grumpy? Was Jay Cutler, was Jay Cutler? Was Jay Cutler? I could never quite figure out Jay Cutler. And there's been NBA stars like that. There's been baseball stars.

The great Steve Carlton didn't talk to anybody. He only used one catcher, Tim McCarver. He didn't like anybody. There's always been like the athlete. We can't quite figure out. They're private. They're covert. I got no idea on Kauai.

And I'd be the first to tell you. I got no idea. My sources don't even know his sources. My people don't even know his people. 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. 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, you get your podcast. And for more, follow Timbo Slical Life 12 in the TikTok podcast network on TikTok. 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 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 Aihar Radio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcast. Welcome 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.

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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 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 Ledecky. 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 IHart Women's Sports. Last week was one of my favorite spots ever with Nick Wright. He had to acknowledge I was right on Westbrook. If you didn't see it, it was a glorious segment.

It was some of the best TV I've ever seen, and that includes Gunsmoke. an American Idol. This week it's not so great for me. Let's go to the Cary Global Satellite Network. I'm going to have to acknowledge the Celtic thing is not going to work with Kyrie. Milwaukee's really good. Hi, Nick. We can brush past that quickly.

Go ahead. Hey, buddy. Yeah, whatever. Well, I mean, if you'd like to, I mean, I would rather not. I'd rather sit here and marinate it in it like a good stew for a moment. I mean, there's the Milwaukee part of things, which is this team's a juggernaut. I don't know when people want to acknowledge it. They have 51 wins by double digits. Every team that has ever reached a number like that wins the title. Top three offense,

number one defense, and oh yeah, the best player currently playing basketball in Janice and Gumpo. I know that you're big on Kevin Rand's the best player in the world, but you're also big on Kevin Rand and Kyrie, though, couldn't win a title. Well, why if Kevin Rand's the best player in the world? I'm so confused because Janus is about to make the NBA finals. And then there's Kyrie. And you love the smart GM. You love the transaction. You love Danny Ains fleecing the Brooklyn Nets.

I'm just curious, when Kyrie walks out the door and the Celtics have nothing to show for it, and we then look at the Nets and the Celtics, Boston and Brooklyn moving forward, who's in the better position? The Nets with DeAngelo Russell and probably a Max free agent this summer, or the Celtics building around the core of Jason Tatum, who took all of Kobe. Bryant's worst traits with none of Kobe Bryant's best traits and turned himself into an incredibly inefficient basketball player. Sixty four million dollars wrapped up in Gordon Hayward, like,

and Jalen Brown, a homeless man's Kauai Leonard. I'm just, I'm just curious who's in a better position moving forward and what the process really was for Boston, because the best year they ever had involved the little Isaiah Thomas, not the actual Kyrie Irving. And that's kind of tough for Celtics fans to swallow, but not if they've been listening to me, who's been telling them this was going to happen for six months. But that's all. We don't have to say anything. No, I mean, it's, you know, I was wrong on this one.

I'd like to move to the next topic, but I thought it was certainly well smartly articulated by you. I do think it doesn't feel great this morning, and Kyrie's leaving, and that's guaranteed, and I don't know exactly what they are, and I think you're right. All right, let's go to something I really like. It is hard to move off popular players. Warriors did it with Monta Ellis, decided we're going to go with this kit from Davidson with bad ankles, and it paid off. The Patriots have mastered the art of moving off popular players.

It is hard. Oklahoma City failed. Joel Embed, Nick, you know how I feel. He's popular and great and cool and fun and social. I can't build around that. He vaporizes Ben Simmons game. What do you make of Embed? I mean, what are you going forward with this team?

Let me ask you something real quick, because I'm curious because I listened to the Open. I thought it was really interesting. You clearly have the opinion, Joel and Ben Simmons. You got to pick one of them. I'm just curious, and there's no judgment here, legitimate question. Why are you saying trade Embedd rather than trade Simmons? Because Embed is going to be expensive and play 58 games a year, and back-to-back years in the playoffs, he's not healthy.

Simmons is uniquely large for his position, only magic this size, great court vision. Don't worry about his injury. Can't shoot, but his top three in the league getting ball two shooters. You trade Mb to get a guy who can shoot. I think going forward, you know, listen, there was Hardin and Westbrook. OKC chose the wrong guy, even though Westbrook was better in the moment. That's my takeaway. All right. So I think it's actually not a crazy take. I think people will react to it like it's a crazy take. I understand where you're coming from. To me, right now Simmons and Impefell. B, both have one massive weakness.

Because you and I were both the captains of the Ben Simmons hype train last year. And I think we both assumed that this summer he'd be in the gym instead of in the club with the Kardashian and would come out with a nine-foot jump shot, a 10-foot jump shot. His shot is so bad that the great writer from the ringer, Kevin O'Connor, he's been postulating for three years. He is literally shooting with the wrong hand. I don't know that he's going to get better at that because I don't know if he's going to work to get better at that. If he doesn't get better at that, he has a defined ceiling as a player.

Embed's issues totally different. Embed, fully healthy and fully functional, plays like an MVP. Because the league has gone so small, there's no one in the league to match up with him. He's a bad matchup for everyone. But you're not allowed to miss playoff games, man. This is just a rule. Like, if you're injured all year and you miss a season, so be it. But if you play through the season, the only reason you're supposed to miss playoff

games is a season-ending injury if you're a superstar. I didn't make the rules, but I know what the rules are. And for Embed to, I thought this was, whoever made this in the great Fs 1 graphics part, but this is beautiful, operation, great game, a little buzzer, the whole thing. But it's real. Yeah. And it's a concern. And now we don't just have to worry about structural injuries. A man. Colin, how long did you go when you first be? became Colin Coward, everyone knew. How long you go without a sick day? Oh, my first year at the other place, I didn't take one for a year and a half. I wanted to prove to people I'd be there every day. And I, exactly right. And guess how many, since you've known me, you know how many sick days I've taken?

Zero. You know how many times I've been sick? Plenty. But I don't treat myself that well. But you got to show up, man. I don't, I don't, I don't want to hear about an upper respiratory infection and I think Chuck and Shaq nailed it. Even if you know you're compromised, you can't exude the, oh, man, because energy is infectious in a good and bad way. Yes, it is. It can be infectious positively or negatively. So I would be hesitant to trade and bead because if he stays healthy, he is so transcendent,

but I get the point that you're making and I don't think it's crazy. A minute left, Kauai Leonard. Give me your best guess where he goes. It's a guess, but what's your guess? Los Angeles, and I don't know which team, but I do not buy for one second the idea that he's anti-Lebron. If you notice this, a lot of these anonymously sourced reports about Kauai, about clay, about coaches, all of them seem to have one slant. Everybody hates LeBron James.

That's what it turns out. I mean, to ignore all those guys showing up on his TV show or the people that have teamed with clutch sports, Everyone hates LeBron. I think if the Raptors make the finals, I think they've got a real shot at keeping him. Otherwise, I think Kauai is going to Los Angeles. And if I made your note on Clay Thompson, I think you nailed it. Clay, if the Warriors give him five years $200 million on the first minute of free agency, he will stay.

If not, he might go to Los Angeles. And he actually would be the perfect teammate for LeBron. Yeah, no, he would be. And I think the Warriors, by the way, know that he would be the perfect teammate. I've argued this for years. Outside LeBron, he may fit on every roster in the league. A two-way player, not much ego.

He may be the perfect fit for virtually every team in the NBA. And I know we're late just quickly. I think what Clay's concern is, and the reason this is out there, is no one expects Durant to make his decision hour one of free agency. Right. And if the Warriors screw around and wait. to make Clay's offer until Durant officially makes his decision, they could lose him. The Warriors need to make, lock Clay up the first moment they can. You know Durant's leaving anyway. Don't

fool yourself into thinking, maybe we keep Durant. You don't need Clay. You can't disrespect one of the original Splash Brothers like that. By the way, Nick Wright crushed me today. He's been on this Celtic thing in Milwaukee thing all year. Not a great day for me. So we're one-one. That's right. One-one. Absolutely. We'll talk more later about when we have the tiebreaker. Good to see you, brother. 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 beaders 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 Slicalife 12 in the TikTok podcast network on TikTok. 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 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 I-Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast.

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, 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. 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 Leila 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 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 IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Presented by Capital One, founding partner of IHeart Women's Sports. So there's a story out in Dak Prescott and the Dallas Cowboys, and that they're going to have to pay him now $30 million. And Amari Cooper wants over $16 million, $46 million for two guys. I like Amari Cooper, but he's not Antonio Brown, Julio Jones, O'Dell Beckham Special.

he's really good. So I'd much rather pay him 14 than I would 16, but if you got to overpay a little. Dak Prescott is, he's the line of demarcation. Right below him on the best quarterbacks in the league is Mariotta, who I'm out on, Winston, pretty much out on Case Keenham, Andy Dalton, you're going to have to overpay for him. And it was funny, I was saying today, if I could have my ideal pyramid, what ideally I would pay quarterbacks. my ideal pyramid.

The top of the pyramid would only be five guys. I would pay them what the market bears, 28 to 30 million. Aaron Rogers, Andrew Luck, Patrick Mahomes, Russell Wilson, Tom Brady. I'm just going to pay them what I have to pay them. I'm not going to have to love it. Aaron's a little brittle.

Andrew Luck's been hurt. Russell's a little small. Patrick Mahomes a little young. Brady a little old. They're not perfect, but I'd pay them with the market bears. Then the guys I'd push back on a little. and I'd pay about 23 million a year tops are guys like Philip Rivers, Drew Breeze, Matt Ryan, Big Ben, Carson, Wenson, Watson. Now, Carson Wenton, Watson have been, there's some injury concerns here, but I think they're transformative talents.

I think Wentz is better than Watson. Watson's doing it behind an awful offensive line. Those guys also have flaws. Many of you think, why not Drew Breeze Tier 1? Because at the end of last year, I thought Drew Breeze looked tired. I thought his arm, he doesn't throw the ball vertically down the field anymore. those are the guys I'd pay in my ideal pyramid. They're tier two, $23 million. The third tier, I'd try to pay somewhere in the $18 to $20 million zone. That is, you know, that's guys that are grown-ups.

They can run a team. Garoppelo, Cousin, Stafford, Gough, DAC, Cam. I'd even put Andy Dalton in there and Kirk Cousins in there. They're grown-ups, I can trust them. That's only 18 quarterbacks. So that tells you, I'm out on Marietta, who isn't healthy enough or good enough, and I'm out on Winston who's not grown up enough and available enough because he gets suspended.

I didn't count the Bakers, the Sam's, the Joshes, the Lamar's, Trubisky, I need more. The only young, by the way, I would put Jared Goff in tier three. The only young quarterbacks I would put in any of these tiers, Mahomes in Tier 1, I think he's an absolute transformative talent. Deshawn Watson in, you know, in Wentz in Tier 2. Again, I think they're different. Now, there's a little injury concern, but I like them both. And then in Tier 3, I'd put Goff because I think he works perfectly with Sean McVeigh's system.

He's a grown-up. He's coachable. He literally is the opposite of our Kardashian. I never see him in Los Angeles. Quarterback of the Rams, I've never seen him here. But this is the ideal pyramid. Now, again, I'm nothing against Baker. I'm not counting any of the young guys yet.

The only young guys I'd make an exception for, Mahomes is absurd. Goff's a real grown-up. I've got multiple years now. And I think Watch and Deshaun have. have shown me, it just don't make a lot of guys like that. They don't make a lot of Carson Wences. I mean, Deshawn Watson's doing it with maybe the worst offensive line in the NFL in years. And the kid's still running around and making plays. Give him a decent old line. I think he takes a 30% step up. He's still making the playoffs. And he played all the 16 games last year,

I believe. I don't think he missed a game, even though he's getting, you know, his kidney almost exploded during the season, but he played. So, yeah, he played through a punctured long. I mean, there you go. So this is the ideal pyramid. Dak wants more than I would pay for Rogers, Luck, in the Holmes, Wilson, Brady. Now I say more than I'd pay. I'd pay whatever the top of the market is. But there's only about 18 guys in the league right now.

Again, not counting the young guys. That tells you there's a lot of franchises out there. Like this whole Nick Foles thing, you do get he's going to go 6 and 10 this year. You've been fooled into believing because the Eagles have a great owner, a great GM, a very good coach, unbelievable offensive line. I mean, defensive line, you've been fooled into thinking fools, watch him go six and ten. There's not a lot of guys I want to pay big money for. They're just not. And if I'm paying you $30 million like Dak, then I shouldn't have to pay $16 million for a wide receiver and eventually $24 million for a running back and be petrified if there's an injury on the offensive line.

If I'm paying you 30, listen, Aaron Rogers got to a Super Bowl and won it, and he's never had a great defense. Andrew Luckwin, 11, 11, 11, and 5, 11, and 5, 11, and 5 with no O-Liner running game. Russell Wilson, I mean, honestly, offensive line, running backs receivers, how many stars has he had? Tom Brady? Edelman's his go-to guy? Patrick Mal Holmes is a baby. So there's, there's, Dax getting into a territory where I think, I think Dax's a, a, a,

Tier 3 guy and he wants to be paid tier one money, that's trouble. That's not a great ending. That could be a franchise sinking deal. And as a joy said earlier, I think you're trapped. Because if I'm Dax agent, I'm like, you think I'm taking a haircut? You think I'm taking a pay cut? I saved your franchise. I watched the year that Tony Romo was hurt.

I watched your backups. You're the biggest brand in the NFL. I made you $150 million the last three years in merchandise in tickets sales. in relevance. I mean, the Tony Romo Cowboys, even networks didn't want the Cowboys on that year. I mean, Dax kept them on television for three years. He's going to get it.

He is going to get a tier one contract. Watch out. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd. Weekdays in noon Eastern, 9 a.m. Pacific. Joy, you have said you believe in conspiracies more than I do. I tend to be, I have a battle within my brain all the time. I want to be somebody that evolves. I've been an investor in the market for years.

I'm always looking for the new company, the Amazon, the next Netflix, the next Uber. But I also think 99% of the next great idea is a bunch of hooey. I didn't buy into the Atkins diet. It made no sense to me. People that are overweight suddenly lecturing all of us who are in shape to eat T-bone steaks for breakfast. Now, I'm going to go with fruit. I don't think grain bread is evil.

I'm not eating bacon and cheese all day. I didn't buy into the Atkins diet. I didn't buy into Bitcoin. Really, no centralized bank in the world accepted Bitcoin. Bitcoin. That's not really the kind of currency I trust. Never bought into the Segway. Oh, we were all going to ride Segways to work.

Now I just go to YouTube and there's loops of people falling off them, riding around their house. I never bought into the wildcats. offense? Really? Let's not hike the ball to quarterbacks. Hike it to a halfback. I didn't buy it. I don't buy into a lot of new stuff. Self-driving cars is the new one. Oh, really? I'm going to be on the interstate in Los Angeles. Look over and I'm the only guy in his car. Really? We have self-driving cars. They're called Uber. Somebody drives me around town. I mean, I think that's coming. Well, not in the world in which I live. I'm not leaving my house if the world is nobody's in a car.

I'm never, I'm never leaving my house. Okay. And this is why I never bought into the triangle offense in the NBA with Phil Jackson. Why? Because nobody copied it. Everybody copies everything. I mean, football, the NFL, we call it the copycat league. In television, which I work, American Idol and the Survivor have spawned 400 shows.

Networks. I mean, everybody's copying everybody. Silicon Valley, everybody's copying everybody. If something's successful, everybody's copying it. Nobody copied the triangle offense. It was Kobe and MJ. And without him, it's known as the inverted triangle offense that doesn't make the playoffs. Let me tell you about the process in Philadelphia.

It's a bunch of hooey. You're basically giving up your franchise for half a decade. Oh, by the way, still charging your fans $800 to sit in the 18th row. So the fans get hosed on the process, which is just take and then just get great draft picks. Oh, by the way, Sam Hinky was the GM of that. he's been fired since. Oh, somebody else hired him because, yeah, they did. He's a consultant for an NFL team of Denver Broncos.

Why isn't he getting gobbled up for the brilliance? Yeah, by the way, Darryl Morey, he didn't completely tank. He actually went to the Clippers and took their best player. This league is about veterans who can score, not about kids. None of these kids are winning in this league now. It's about veteran guys. Al Horford. Janus is no kid, by the way.

What is he in his fifth year? You know, he's considered a kid. He's not a kid. He's been developing his game forever. He's now in his fifth year. Kauai Leonard, not a kid. Fifth, sixth year. Took him about four to be able to play.

So this whole Philadelphia thing, I never bought into the process. I don't believe any brilliant architectural plan whiffs on four top picks. Michael Carter Williams, Jalea Ocalfour, Markelds, Nirlens, Noel. was that part of the process? Bombing on picks? By the way, Ben Simmons and Embed, that's part of the process. It's also part of, I don't know, occasionally hitting on a draft pick. You don't have to be called anything to occasionally hit on a draft pick.

The Blazers hit on Damian Lillard and C.J. McCulloch. Is that need a nickname? I mean, the Warriors hit on Clay Thompson and Steph. Does it need a nickname? I don't buy in tanking. The Phoenix Sun is the only team that have copied that. How's that working out? What are they on their 14th coach in seven months?

I mean, I just am a, and I battle it because I don't want to be an old guy that doesn't buy into anything new. Like I am a believer. I'm always looking for the next thing. My entire career has been built off. Okay, I did local TV. Okay, that's not as popular. Let's go to radio and then syndicated radio.

And I'm a mover. I'll move around trying to avoid, you know, the sheriff. Well, you believe in the process. but not a fad. So the idea behind the process is this is something innovative that we're doing that's going to take time except for no one else is doing it

and it requires the complete demolition of our team for, like you said, half of a decade. Minimum half a decade while you're charging fans $1,600 for a nice couple in Philadelphia to go get a stake and watch a game, it's $1,600 and the team loses by $48. Right. Things that truly revolutionize a sport or society or technology develop over time.

It might burst on the scene, but that was 10, 20 years in the making. It didn't just become a thing and then everyone copies it and then it disappears. It's a process behind that thing. It's saying, oh, you know, this is an overnight star. No, that overnight star has been going to auditions for the last 20 years.

They finally just hit. Tom Hanks was not an overnight success. Yeah, that's not how it works. So I just, nothing against Philadelphia because I love talent, but I've always, you know, everybody's always like, well, no, the process got them all these great draft picks. Yeah, it got them Simmons and Embed. Embed, I'm ready to move off of.

And Simmons, half of Philadelphia is ready to move off of. Because you hit in a couple of picks, mostly hit. That doesn't make it anything special. I don't buy into tanking. The Celtics didn't tank. The Spurs never tank. The Clippers, by the way, look how good they are after losing their guys. They didn't tank.

I'm not into this tanking thing. Unless you're going to give fans free tickets. I don't buy into tanking. And I don't think getting a bunch of young guys matters because the NBA has always been a veteran's league. Can't win with 20-year-old guys. I mean, Jason Tatum's a great young player. He disappeared for most of this series against Milwaukee.

So I saw this. Not self-driving cars. I'm off the freeway if that happens. I'll tell you right now. It's so much safer. With literally nobody in the car. No, I mean, we're in the car. But if all the cars communicated with each other,

oh, great. It'd be like I robot. They're going to, like dolphins? Imagine how much more you'd get done. What do you mean they're communicating with each other? We have a Tesla and it has the cameras all around the car. Yeah, but you and Earl or in it. Well, yeah, but I mean, if all the other cars were doing the same thing, it'd be much safer.

All right. You're going to feel good about a freeway when you look over and you're the only person in a car. A bunch of robots driving around. No, there's no robots. The car drives itself. Not comfortable at all with that. Also, to all the robot people, I did not say that. That was Colin Cowherd.

So when you take over the world, I am very pro-robot. I'm not. I'm anti-robot. I am not into robots. So Russell, Westbrook and Paul George have undergone off-season surgeries. Westbrook, torn ligament left hand, plays 100 miles an hour, plays hard, and he had a surgically repaired right knee. It was a minor procedure. There are certain things, and we know this in life that don't go well together, like no exercise and bad diet.

you'll die sooner than me. Statistically, no exercise, bad diet. You don't last as long. On the NBA, two things that make sure you don't age well. Hyper athleticism and can't shoot. It means you're going to have to go to the basket and score, get knocked down, go into the trees. It shortens careers.

Derek Rose, John Wall, Westbrook. They're not aging well. Hyper athletic, super fast, get by people. But that means you go into the forest with, 6 foot 8, 6 foot 9, 300-pound guys. Here's what age is well, and I'm not anti-Westbrook. Here's what ages well in the NBA. Now, I told you, hyper-athleticism and can't shoot doesn't age well.

Bad diet, don't exercise, doesn't age well. Here are the two things that age well in the NBA. Shooters and self-awareness. Vince Carter used to dunk. Now he just shoots threes. Kobe scored at the rim. last five years jumpers

Ray Allen came into this league as a dynamic athlete last nine years I'll stay out of here I'll shoot jumpers Jamal Crawford shooter 20 years Reggie Miller 18 years Dirk Nevitzky 21 years Kobe 20 years what ages well in the NBA

and I think if I ran a franchise I'd really pay attention to this fine guys who can shoot obvious but the underrated thing is self-awareness the guys in this league who age, Vince Carter, Kobe, Jason Terry, Jamal Crawford, Dirk, they have this understanding. I don't want to get, I don't want to bang around the rim.

I don't want to get knocked down. So you see it as this gift, this hyper-athleticism. But Rose John Wall and Westbrook, now Westbrook's the best of those three, I think, easily. But they're not aging well. is I've always thought Russell needs a little more self-awareness. Dude, I'm not interested in you scoring at the rim as much. I'm not interested in you getting rebounds. I want you half court.

Let the bigs get the rebounds. They get the ball to you. You don't have to grab the rebound, go 96 feet. Russell needs to alter his game. I want to see more jumpers. I don't want to see you near the glass. I want you getting outlet passes. self-awareness has always been massively undervalued in this league.

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, in 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 SportsSlice on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast.

And for more, follow Timbo Slicalife Life 12 in the TikTok podcast network on TikTok. I'm Michelle McPhee, and I've been unraveling the strangest criminal alliance I've ever reported on. A Mormon polygamist and an Armenian businessman. Multi-million dollar house, Ferraris and Lamborghinis, private jets, a billion dollar fraud. But how long can this alliance last? Tell me what you know. Is somebody coming after me? Listen to Kingdom of Fraud 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 IHeart Women's Sports. 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, 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. This is an IHeart podcast.

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