The Herd with Colin Cowherd - Best of The Herd: 07/31/2018

Episode Date: July 31, 2018

Colin discusses why Los Angeles Lakers F LeBron James will still dominate next season, why Oakland Raiders DE Khalil Mack isn't getting the contract he wants, and why he wouldn't give up everything to get Washington Nationals OF Byrce Harper before the trade deadline. Also New Orleans Saints QB Drew Brees stops by The Herd. Presented by Perky Jerky. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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

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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. What's up, guys? This is Clivert Taylor the Fourth. And on my podcast, The Cliverts Show, I'm bringing you conversations about all kinds of stuff. Like being an internet famous referee. We're in the middle of a game. This linebacker, this linebacker walks up to me. He goes, hey, ref, my mom wants you to wave at her.

What? Time out. Quarterback on office blue with 42. Hey, Wreck, my mama want you to weigh better. What? Hey, Ms. Parker. Listen to the Clifford Show on the Iheart radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast.

The story I told myself can then shape my behavior, and that can lead me to sabotage the possibility of connection. This Mental Health Awareness Month, tune into the podcast deeply well with Debbie Brown, If you've been searching for a soft place to land while doing the work to become whole, this podcast is for you to hear more. Listen to deeply well with Debbie Brown from the Black Effect Podcast Network on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast.

This is The Heard, wherever you may be and however you may be listening live in Los Angeles, IHeart Radio, Fox Sports Radio, and FS1, The Heard, sponsored by Firest, own complete auto care. Keep your car running newer, longer. And Joy Taylor is joining me today on a Tuesday, Drew Brees, joining us next hour. The football season is getting closer and closer and closer and closer. Good morning, Colin. Good morning, Joy. Very excited for it. Very excited for it. You can pot down that music officially. I'm tired of it. I'm not trying to rage this morning. So life's easier now. If you embrace technology, life's easier.

All technology is created to make our lives easier. That's what it's created for. Take my wife. My mom back in the 40s and 50s would go to a butcher to get the meat and then go to a baker to get the bread. And then, decade or two later, they created supermarkets where you could go and get everything at once. And now the supermarkets have a little coffee place in it. You got bakeries. You got the butcher.

They make sandwiches. is, oh, the supermarket. Now, my wife doesn't even have to go to the supermarket. Occasionally, she'll have groceries delivered to her. Oh, it's the best. It's the best. And by the way, now we can have meals delivered to us. Not like in the 70s and 80s pizza. Meals. Oh, no, no, we don't get the ingredients. I mean, they're done. We just heat it up for 10 minutes or microwave it. life is easier. My wife sometimes cooks at night because she's bored. She wants activity.

It's so much easier. Every generation life's easier as long as you pay attention. If you're going to be old, stick in the mud, rigid, build up walls, then life's not easier. It sucks. But if you're willing to embrace new stuff, life's much easier today. Planning a trip. I'm going on a trip in three weeks. It takes you 10 minutes.

I can get the hotel. I can get the car. get the restaurants, I can get reservations, just go to an app. It used to be an all-day sloid the book of vacation. Life is easier. So LeBron James opened up a new school yesterday. He was doing a bunch of talking yesterday. And I think everybody's freaking out about that guy, 16th year, the guy has shot. He was asked about his prime and here's what he had to say. I don't even look at it like that because I don't feel like this is one of the last years of my prime. I think that's another statistic number and I've always been a part of you know beating the odds in life so I don't

feel like this is even a rebuilding you know year for us we have an opportunity to do something that a lot of people don't think we can do and we love the we love the notion of it it's another rebuilding year and we don't have enough so you know that that will motivate the guys that we have okay so LeBron's basically telling you I'm not that old folks we have four guys in the NBA. They're going to be in their 40s this year. Four, Dirk Novitsky, Vince Carter, Manu Jolobli, and Jason Terry. In their 40s. And they're not, they're not LeBron James. Because here's what's happened in the NBA for big guys like Kevin Durant and LeBron James. Look at their efficiency numbers. They're going up, up, up, up, up as they get older because the game is easier. It's like cooking at home now.

If you're not rigid, if you watch analytics, learn to shoot the game is easier. Think about this. It used to be for a guy like Kevin Durant or LeBron that you had to score down low on the baseline and you'd have a big guy trying to block your shots and a 270-pound center leaning on you. And they'd have the forearms in your back and you'd score. And then you had to go all the way back down the court,

97 feet and you had defend the basket. You had to defend the guy that you scored on. And he would lean on you and he would bang on you. And he would... It's not a baseline-to-baseline league because of analytics. There is no reason to have centers on the floor if they can't shoot. There's no reason to have a tough guy on the floor if he can't shoot. So LeBron James doesn't have to go low.

He shoots a three. And then he no longer has to go all the way back down on defense and defend the post. He defends the three. It has gone from baseline to baseline to baseline to perimeter. to perimeter league. You score on the perimeter and you defend on the perimeter. Nobody's banging on you. How many steps?

How much weight do you save on your body per possession in the NBA? I'm not talking per game. I'm talking per possession. LeBron and Durant. LeBron about seven years ago started shooting threes because LeBron's smart. He figured it out. I don't have to go low to score and take a beating. I don't have to go on the defensive end.

and defend at the other baseline. It's no longer a baseline to baseline league for big guys. It's a shoot at the perimeter and defend on the perimeter league. How many steps, how much weight do you take off your shoulders per possession? Look at LeBron last year. Games played, career high, assists, career high, rebounds, career high, triple doubles, career high. Without the beating. It's not a 97 to 97 league.

It's a 37 feet to 30. 37 feet league. You score outside and you defend outside. So every generation, if you embrace analytics, it's an easier life, booking a trip, making dinner. As Joyce said, it used to be you had to go to a butcher, then a baker, then the supermarket. Now it comes to you. Meals now come to you. And for my daughter, it'll be easier than it is for my wife. There'll be some spaceship that'll drop it right into your kitchen. I don't know what'll happen, but it'll be something like that. Look at Kevin Durant's career. Look at his efficiency numbers every year. Field goal, three point, effective, plus minus. It's all going up, up, up. So when people say,

oh, LeBron James, he is 33, let me show you a play. Does this look like a guy who's been in the NBA 16 years? the reason LeBron can do that in year 16 last year, because he doesn't have to score at the rim very often. So when he does, he has that energy. All technology is created to make your life easier. That's what analytics do in sports. In baseball, they shift the players to a side so they don't have to move as much to catch the baseball that's hit.

In basketball, it ain't baseline to baseline. It's three-point scored, three-point defended. LeBron is really inches off his prime, not feet, not yards, not meters. He is just inches off his prime. And with that, let me shift to how the analytics are changing of football. So I saw a story again, John Gruden yesterday talking about Khalil Mack and the reports are they're not close to signing Khalil Mack. Calil Mack's the best pass rusher in football. Arguably,

John Gruden said yesterday, our defense wasn't good last year, even with Kalilak. Aaron Donald's, the best defensive player in the National Football League. Rams have given extensions to wide receivers, a massive contract to a running back and corners. Aaron Donald can't get a contract. By the way, Earl Thomas in Seattle redefined the safety position. Seattle's not that interesting. maybe Dallas will be. Three players who are probably the best at their position

cannot get contract extensions. Teams don't even appear to be, frankly, in a couple of those cases, even interested. Yet Stefan Diggs, a receiver for Minnesota this morning, got an extension, $40 million guaranteed. He's never had a thousand-yard season. Running backs, wide receivers, Jarvis, Landry, slot guys, huge money. Brandon Cook's, third team, three-year-old. years, massive extension. Why? Well, because analytics are the enemy of defensive players and the

friend of offensive players. Analytics are telling you who can stop anybody. Think about last year in the NFL. The Jacksonville Jaguars. You know you're a good defense when you get a nickname Saxonville. Saxonville. Man, they were tough. Really? Big Ben played him. And in the games he played him, he had a 64% completion percentage, threw for 470 yards and a passer rating over 110. Tom Brady ate him alive, and so did Jimmy Garoppolo. They did, the Jaggs did beat up on Jacoby Bruchette and Tom Savage and Tyrod Taylor and Andy Dalton and T.J. Yates and Deshaun Kaiser.

There were a lot of injuries last year. So the Jags defense looked really good against bad quarterbacks and replacement quarterbacks. But they were such a good defense. We gave them a name. Saxonville. Garoppolo, Big Ben in the playoffs, and Tom Brady ate them for lunch. By the way, the best quarterback in their division that was healthy last year, Marcus Marriota went 2 and 0 against him. And ate him up one of the games.

Saxonville. By the way, the Minnesota Vikings defense, unbelievable. That's funny, I watched them in the playoffs. Drew Brees and Nick Foles ate them alive. Seven of the eight quarters against Green Bay, Minnesota didn't play Aaron Rogers. Big Ben also had a passer rating of 105 against Minnesota's defense. You know who the Jags and the Vikings carved up? Go look at a lot of the Vikings wins. No Aaron Rogers, Brett Hunley twice, Mitch Tribisky twice.

The Jags got a nickname, and we perceived the Vikings to be unbelievable. No, we had a lot of injuries last year. There was a lot of garbage quarterback play, especially Thanksgiving on, and the Jags ate it up. But Garoppolo, Rothlisberger, Big Ben, Breeze, Nick Foles, didn't have any problem with the Jags, didn't have any problem with the Vikings. By the way, in the Super Bowl last year, New England and Philadelphia had top five defenses, each with two weeks to prepare for one another. They combined for 800 yards passing, 74 points. There was one sack and one combined punt.

And the completion percentage on third down was over 60%. and the Eagles have a great defense, and New England's scoring defense was top five in the league. Nobody could stop anybody. Saxonville couldn't stop the good quarterbacks. Minnesota's great defense got carved up in the playoffs, and the Super Bowl was a video game between two top five defenses with excellent coaching staffs that had two weeks to prepare. Analytics have become the enemy of defense.

J.J. Watt, pay them what you want. Texas aren't any better with him than without him. But when Deshawn Watson arrived, oh my God, Houston could win the Super Bowl. Remember, 1998, two quarterbacks threw for over 4,000 yards. In the last two years, it's happened 21 times with a handful of different quarterbacks. Analytics in basketball have made it easier for the LeBron and the Kevin Durant. The big man ain't playing baseline to baseline. So don't look at him and go, he's 15 years in.

Nah, he's about 11 years in. That's what his body is. It's 11 years in. He doesn't have to guard Biggs. He doesn't have to lean on Biggs, and Biggs don't lean on him. It is a 37-foot game, not baseline to baseline, 3-3, scoring and defending. And in the NFL, analytics are the enemy of defensive players. Earl Thomas, no offers.

Aaron Donald, what's going on? Kaleo Mack, not close. and Stefan Diggs and Brandon Cooks are getting massive contract extensions. You can't stop anybody these days in the NFL. Don't fall for Saxonville. Don't fall for you can't score on Minnesota. Aaron Rogers will move the ball both times he faces the Vikings this year. Both times.

Last year, Brett Hunley in seven quarters couldn't. That doesn't make you a great defense. By the way, is this last year, Denver was third in total defense last year? They gave up 51 points to the Eagles and 41 to the Patriots. That was a great defense last year. With Von Miller in that pass rush and that secondary. Denver, 51 of the Eagles, 41 of the Patriots. You know why?

I love analytics, too, because they take out the dumb guy argument. You know, the guy at the bar, I'll tell you, this guy's the best. Analytics are like, no, actually, does Carmelo Anthony, is actually not nearly as good you think. The drunk guy in the bar was always irritating. Now you can just go to your phone and go, no, actually, Carmelo is not a good basketball player because the analytics tell you he's not. It takes out dumb guy thinking. All you have to do, all I have to do is just embrace them. It's right there in front of you. Here's the data. Just put your arms around it and embrace it. Life's much easier for my wife than it was for my mom and it'll be even easier for my sister.

Hi, everybody. It's Colin. You know I love perky jerky. So much so I invested in it. different crazy good flavors. Jammin, Jamaican, sweet and snappy, original. Why do you have to choose? There's no fun in that. The new variety pack is a jerky lover's dream. Fans need choices too. Otherwise, life and sports gets boring real fast.

Try a different flavor every game, special offer, 40% off all multi-packs. Please use the code heard. It's the best tasting jerky on earth guarantee. Get it at perkyjurkey.com code heard. One of the things, and I've talked about this for years and years, I haven't talked about this lately, Joy, but I'm a big believer in that you rent or lease things that are depreciating and you buy things that accelerate. I buy houses because I know I can have a house. It can double or triple in value, and I get a great usage rate out of my house.

I live in it, I sleep in it, I eat in it, I socialize in it, I watch TV in it, I'm in my house all day long. I lease my car. It's a depreciating asset. I rent boats for the summer. They don't appreciate it. Okay, so I'm a big believer in, now, I like boats and I go out on boats in the summer, but I rent them. Why? Because the usage rate's terrible.

You have to put it away in most states for nine months a year. You don't use it very often. They don't accelerate in value. If you own a boat 10 years, it's not worth double what it was. There's never been a TV show called Flip This Boat. There's a lot of TV shows called Flip This House. You can make that a career. houses, appreciating asset, buy, cars, boats, depreciating assets, rent.

Buy a horse, they can be worth more. Horses, yeah, I mean, the guys that, the people that buy horses, the horse business, oh, I get that. Oh, I know guys who have made money in horses, the smart ones. But again, they can appreciate. In baseball, Bryce Harper is going to be massive free agent. Oh, he's going to be on the market. He's a boat.

Baseball free agents are boats. Rent them. Do what the Dodgers did. Here, have a couple of prospects. We'll rent Mani Machado for a couple of months. Boats are fun and they create great memories. I can remember going on a boat as a kid. My dad was a water skier. You can remember going on with your mom and dad in a boat.

If you're a parent, boats are fun as hell and they're great memories for your kids. Great memories. I can remember my late times as a kid. We never owned a boat. Why would you own a boat? Baseball free agents. I'll rent Manny Machado. And if I win a World Series, you'll remember the Manny Machado Dodgers.

I don't want to pay him. The Cubs rented Eraldus Chapman, and they won a World Series. He was funny and he got great memories. The Yankees bought him. He's still good, but he's not worth what he was when you paid for him. He's not. Go look at these four great baseball players. These are franchise changing baseball players.

Mike Trout, Manny Machado, Bryce Harper, G. John Carlos Stanton. 31 years in the biggest combined, seven playoff appearances, one series win. 31 years, one series win. Kevin Durant and LeBron go to your basketball team. Changes your franchise because an NBA free agent is buying a house. He's worth double halfway through the contract what you paid for it. The equity of the franchise grows, the valuations of everything grows.

Halfway through his contract, I could sell him off and get 10 different players. All the businesses around the stadium grow. Usage rate. He plays 40 minutes a night. He gives me 29 points a night. He touches the ball every possession. He can defend the ball every possession. I can market him.

A baseball player is up four times a night. He may sit out in center field and have one can of corn hit to him in three and a half hours. Baseball free agents, rent them. They're boats. They're boats. Name me a contract. It's a nine-year deal and halfway through it, the team's like, wow, we really got our money's worth there. Albert Pooleholz?

What an albatross that was. Josh Hamilton. Robinson Cano is not playing now. By the way, I'd love to have Bryce Harper. I'd love to have him for two months. Fun, great memories. Who would forget the Bryce Harper summer? And you can win some games.

I don't want to buy him. And I love Bryce Harper. I live in California. I've seen Mike Trout play five times live. I watch Mike Trout. I don't want to own him. I don't want to pay $42 million. year for a baseball player, can't win a playoff series?

So in the free agency, I see free agency boat to house, same as assets. I would absolutely pay for an NBA free agent. For a star, my usage rate, it's worth the money, everything grows around it, it's easy to market, he's constantly on the floor, I get him every night offense and defense. Baseball players, you're better off renting. Rent Eraldus Chapman. Let the Yankees pay for him. why would you want to buy Bryce Harper and buy Mike Trout and buy Manny Machado?

Give him a couple of minor league guys. You're not going to miss that outfielder in Syracuse, that middle reliever in Pawtucket. Here's what you're going to miss, $150 million. And you're not going to be able to build a pitching staff if you pay Mani Machado that. So when I look at Bryce Harper, as much as I love him, I would love to rent him. But I have no interest getting in those sweepstakes. That is not an appreciating asset. That is a depreciating asset.

And I love Bryce Harper. Met his dad. Love him as a player. But I'm not getting involved in that. I'm not paying somebody $350 million. Halfway through that contract, you're going to be like, good God, with defensive shifts now, power hitters? They're hitting 225. All three hours of the herd are always streaming on the herd channel on the IHeart radio app.

All three hours of the herd are always streaming on the Heard. channel on the I Heart Radio app. An interesting day yesterday. LeBron opened a school in Akron, Ohio. And, you know, Michael Jordan was great, and Michael Jordan sold shoes. LeBron, to me, tends to be bigger. He's trying to change the world. He's into politics.

I think he'll continue to be, if not in politics, political. He's about educating young people in a community. I think LeBron's style of basketball is very much like LeBron's off-the-court mission. It's about other people beyond himself. Michael's always been about Michael. Michael was about scoring. Michael was not about passing. Michael's about building his empire.

Michael's about Michael. His friends have never been great players. Michael doesn't talk now to Charles Barkley. Michael doesn't have LeBron as a friend. Michael's about people looking up to him. Michael's about his net worth. Michael's about Michael and scoring and taking. LeBron's more of a giver.

He does it as a player. He does it as a teammate. He does it as a philanthropic guy. LeBron's a giver. Michael's more of a taker. They're both all-time great. But it is interesting. I do think sometimes LeBron gave the NBA something this year.

Not only did he give a creative school yesterday, which is amazing. LeBron gave the NBA something. And I don't even think he, I doubt even thought of it. Maybe he did I doubt it. But let's go back to 1995-96. When the NBA was at its peak, Michael had just won his fourth title. You had seven teams in the NBA. This was the golden age of the NBA.

The ratings were through the roof. Michael had won his fourth title. You had 70, excuse me, you had 7 50 win teams. And that, if you look at the NBA in its heyday, Chicago, the Sonics, Orlando, the Spurs, Utah, Lakers, Indiana were 50 win teams. So you had a dynasty, but you had seven, a quarter of the league were excellent, formidable teams. And we were satiated by that. We were okay with that.

We applauded the NBA front of that. This team's got balanced. Some of those were east. Some of those were west. When LeBron chose the Lakers, here's what we now have in the NBA. If you look at the odds to win the NBA title, Golden State, Boston, Houston, Spurs, Sixers, Toronto, Lakers, I would say are seven teams that are at least in the 50-win category. Golden State, Boston, Houston, Lakers, Philly, Toronto.

I think you can put Spurs in there because I still think they have a great coach. a couple of really good players, Lamarckis, Allreds, DeMarge, Demar de Rosen. So in the heyday of the league, you had seven. This year you have six to seven really good teams. But think about this. What if LeBron, and by the way, the seven in the NBA this year, four are West, Golden State, Houston, Lakers, three or East. Toronto would, Kauai Leonard's going to be better than last year when they were the number one seat. Boston, Philadelphia.

Four West, three east. Very healthy. Very, very healthy. If LeBron goes to Houston, we have a three-team NBA, Golden State, Houston, Boston. That's it. I mean, that's going to be it. Nothing against Philadelphia, but they won't have enough players. If LeBron had gone to Houston, we would have a three-team league.

It's not good for the league. It's too top-heavy. If he had gone to Philadelphia, it is now a four-team league, Boston, Philly, Golden State, and Houston. Because Toronto could no longer compete. San Antonio would not be in the ballgame. and when LeBron chose the Lakers by not choosing a star-studded team, we are very much in the 1995-96 tunnel. Seven teams that can win a Super Bowl.

I would say this in the NFL. We've only got seven teams that can win a Super Bowl this year. Patriots, Steelers, Eagles, Packers, Falcon, Saints, Rams should be heavy favorites. I like the Chargers. I like Kansas City. I call the Giants and Dark Horse Super Bowl team. Minnesota is going to be very good. I don't think they're going to be a Super Bowl fan.

with a new quarterback and a new coordinator. So LeBron probably inadvertently yesterday was giving a gift back, and I think that's who he is. He did the NBA a big favor. He did the NBA a huge favor. He gave them the gift of parity. Had he gone to Houston, we'd have a three to a four team league. If he went to Philadelphia, we'd have a three to a four team league. Right now, seven teams, viable playoff teams, same as it was in Jordan's era.

This is the herd podcast. Drew Breeze is around the corner. Think about the impact Drew Breeze is had on football. So Drew Breeze wanted to be a Miami Dolphin. And Nick Saban wanted Drew Breeze to be the quarterback. But the Dolphins' doctors would not okay Drew Breeze's shoulder. Yes. Okay.

That was a bad experience for McCon. Because of that, Saban goes to Alabama. Yep. if the doctors approve Drew Breeze in Miami, we have no Alabama dynasty. The Saints don't win a Super Bowl. Tom Brady no longer dominates the AFC East because Saban and Breeze are with the Dolphins.

You wouldn't have 42 coaches fired in the South. Peyton Manning would have three Super Bowls. Brett Farve could have had a Super Bowl with Minnesota. And Russell Wilson and Baker Mayfield have largely been drafted because of Drew Breeze's success. The impact, you know, what is your, I've said this before about Steph Curry. LeBron's better than Steph Curry. But the big four in my life in the NBA and far as impact, magic and bird saved the NBA.

It was a hurting league financially. Michael made it global with his shoes. And then LeBron's made it mobile as players now go team to team. If there's one more guy I'd include. It would be Steph Curry. Like Breeze, maybe not the goat, but his impact on three-point shootings, getting rid of centers, revolutionizing the sport is kind of hard to quantify. You would not have an Alabama dynasty because Nick Saban would have stayed in Miami.

So is Drew responsible for 42 SEC coaches being fired? You should run down that list with him. Here's the impact. We wouldn't have the greatest dynasty in the history of college football because Sabin, would have stayed in Miami with Drew Breeze, and Drew's is joining us now. He is entering his 18th NFL season. You know, I said this a couple days ago. I said, you know, everybody talks about how long Brady's lasted.

I thought you were as good last year, Drew, as I had ever seen you. I never seen you that good. Did you feel like audibles, shape, fluidity, coaching, do you feel as good as you ever been? No, I do. There's a lot to be said for experience. experience, old age and treasurer. You know, I feel like I'm at that point in my career where I'm very in tune with my training, you know, my body, my mechanics, my fundamentals.

I love my, I love the locker room. You know, I love the guys that we've assembled here both in a couple of these past draft classes and through free agency. And so I just feel like we're entering this window of time where we're going to have tremendous opportunity. And I'm having as much fun playing football right now as I ever have. And I think last year, obviously, we had three pretty tough years prior to last year. And man, those were hard. Those were hard to deal with, hard to go. From prior to last season, I kind of made a point to myself, you know, listen, I was going into year 17. I knew I was closer to the end of my career than I, than I am to the beginning. And I told myself, you know,

just enjoy every moment a little bit more. know, like, enjoy the locker room a little bit more. Enjoy the plane rides back from a big win a little bit more. You know, just take time to just kind of soak that up. Because I know that's really what you miss when you leave this game, you know, from all the guys that former players that I talk with. And I know those are the things that you miss. So, man, just stay in the moment.

Stay in the moment and enjoy every second of it. Because when it's over, it's over. And I want to be able to look back and say, man, I gave it everything I could. But, you know, I had as much fun playing football last year as I ever had. and I really love our team and love the direction that we're headed right now. Drew Breeze, who I think is, I said yesterday, the eight greatest quarterbacks in my lifetime that I've seen. And I go back to Terry Bradshaw, Drew Breeze is one of those, and some of you push back. I think analytics has helped guys like LeBron extend his career because the big man now can shoot threes.

The big man doesn't have to have a big man leaning on him. I think analytics is helping Drew Breeze. And the reason I say that is, it is a bubble screen league. It is no huddle. So your brain is now so valuable to this league. I almost feel like you're playing chess. And Carson Wentz is great, but it's closer to checkers until about three more years. Take me to the academic side.

When you walk to the line, does anybody throw anything at you that surprises you? About everything, you know, I think the key, obviously the key to our position is, your ability to anticipate, right? To anticipate what's going to be a problem solver. You know, I mean, there's plenty of things that break down on any given play. And your job as a quarterback is to get the best out of whatever that situation or circumstance might be. You know, make sure nothing bad happens. Get on to the next play.

Take advantage of the opportunities when they do present themselves. And then that's the thing, you know, that you look back on a game and they're always decided on just a few plays here and there. And if you were in a position to take advantage of those opportunities, most cases you win those games. And so there is such a huge, I think, mental element to playing our position. You know, obviously there's a ton of traits that go into being a great quarterback. Certainly you have to have a certain amount of physical ability, but the mental side of the game and, you know, your ability to lead and to instill confidence in the guys in the huddle, those are huge parts of playing this position.

You know, Drew, a lot of the great players in the NFL have a chip on their shoulder. They were overlooked. Half this league is undrafted players. You were a guy that was a Texas high school phenom, but you end up in Purdue because you probably didn't have three inches and nine pounds or whatever for the longhorns. But I get the chip on the shoulder. But once you're great, and money's not an issue, and legacy is formed, when you drive to work today Drew

what drives you to give me last year what drives you to look at film for another nine hours today well I've I've been I've been blessed with a pretty incredible opportunity right to play to be a professional athlete to play professional football I mean this is something you dream about as a kid right so many so many kids have that same dream and yet I'm I'm the one that's able to live it out and so why me you know I just don't ever want to take that for granted

I appreciate every bit of this. I value the relationships that I've formed with coaches and teammates and people along the way. And I know that this only lasts for so long. I mean, I'm ancient in football years, but I'm still such a young person. So I still have my whole life left ahead of me, you know, and so many things to look forward to so many next chapters, you know, in my life. life to look forward to. But, man, you can only play this game for so long. It's just this finite amount of time. And like I said, I know I'm closer to the end than I am to the beginning. I don't know how many years left I'm going to play. But I just want to, I want to make the most of

every second of it. You know, because when I look back, I want to be able to say, man, I did everything I could, you know, to be the best player that I could be, to be the best leader that I could be to just value and treasure those moments. Do you even remember your first training camp? I do. I was with the Mike Riley coached San Diego Chargers. Oh, good Lord. 2001 at UCSD in San Diego.

That's where we had our camp. You know, that was, listen, I've got a lot of great memories from that time because, you know, I was on a team with LaDadian Tomlinson and Lorenzo Neal and Rodney Harrow. I mean, there were some names on that team. You know, legends of this game, Bazett had a big influence on me were great mentors for me. You know, Doug Flutie, I couldn't have imagined coming in the league with a better mentor at the quarterback position than Doug Flutty.

You know, he was a guy that I watched and looked up to because of all the things that you just mentioned. Like, you talk about a chip on your shoulder, you know, and a guy who was constantly overlooked. And yet still, to this day, in my opinion, I think he's one of the greatest quarterbacks to ever play the game at any level. because he played at a high level at every level. USFL, NFL, NFL, CFL, you know, obviously Heism Trophy winner.

I mean, but he was the ultimate competitor is what he was. And so each and every day, you know, I just, I learned so much from him. So, you know, those are the things I look back on throughout my career. And it's, man, having the chance to be around guys like that and hear the stories and watch them work and watch their approach and just, man, I just learned so much from those guys. Yeah. You know, untucket.com is a brand I've been wearing for three years. 2011, it was established, one of the fastest growing brands, retail brands in the United States. And if you like to wear your shirts untucked, you live down in New Orleans. You can't tuck shirts in down there, Drew. It's too hot.

No. Way too hot. So untucket.com, give them a plug. Yeah. Listen, I've been a fan of the brand for a long time now and had the chance to invest in the company this off season and really become a big spokesperson and ambassador and face of the brand. And, you know, it fits every aspect of my lifestyle. And that's what I love about it. And really my family's lifestyle, because Untucket is not just a men's brand, but they have a women's line and a kid's line. And so it's so awesome when I get to go to church and my kids are wearing

the same shirts as dad, you know, I mean, that's a thrill for them. That's a thrill for the whole family. But it's basically fits every aspect of my life, whether it's a road trip with a team, a business trip, date night with my wife, you know, playing around with my kids. On fuck, it fits every aspect of my lifestyle. It's what's so unique about the brand is they've got, you know, 50 different sizing options, you know, to really fit people of all shapes and sizes. And it's really an unbelievable brand. 11-time Pro Boulder, a Super Bowl, a 30-second pick in the draft, played for the chip on his

shoulder, and he has rewarded us with last year, I thought, as sharp. as shrewd, as elevated a season as he's ever had. Drew, I love when you come on the show. Thanks for joining us. This is the herd podcast. I was defending Jim Harbaugh earlier today. He came out with a crazy quote about chicken, and you shouldn't eat chicken.

It's a nervous animal. And I've said it's just people are so hyperbolic. The media, political media, mainstream media, sports media, nobody offers any nuance. If you look at Jim Harbaugh took over a program that was a mess. They had been blown out seven times in two years. They were six and ten in the Big Ten. He's gone 28 and 11, 18 and eight in conference.

The Big Ten's never been better. Now you look at the Ohio State Michigan State record, you say he's one and five. He's 12 seconds from three and three. Two plays. His first year he goes 10 and three. This play, that year, last play of the game, guy takes a knee, it's over. Or they're 11 and 2 his first year.

From Brady Hoax mess to 11 and 2. That play. So really, he can't coach now. That fumble by a kicker. Nothing you can do in coaching. The guy catches it, punts it. Jim Harbaugh's 11 and 2 from the disaster he took over. The next year, he's 10 and 1.

He would have been 11 and 1 and gotten into the college football playoff, But in overtime, he lost on this play to Ohio State on a ballmark. And a marking that was widely disputed. If he gets an inch from the officials here, they win it, go 11 and 1, and they get into the playoff. And that was a widely disputed multiple day talking point in our show. And now he can't coach. Those two plays. A punter drops the ball.

Nothing Jim can do about it. an official doesn't give him a good mark. And if he gets those two, he takes Brady-Hokes mess and goes 11-2, and the following year, he's 11-1 heading into the playoff. And you don't think he can coach. A refs spot and a dropped snap. And with that, we go best for last. After almost three hours, Colin apparently hasn't gotten to the point yet.

Quit holding out on us, cowherd. It's the best for last. Now, he is a little quirky. According to Bleacher report, former Michigan quarterback Wilton Spate says that Harbaugh once warned him about the dangers of eating chicken. Early in his Michigan tenure, Harbaugh pulled Spade aside and told him not to eat chicken, a protein that is considered fairly safe by nutritionists. Spate asked why.

Harbaugh said, because it's a nervous bird. Okay, that's kooky. But he may be right. There's a lot of things we know about nutrition today that we would have rolled our eyes 10 years ago at. So my staff said, you know, it's not the weirdest thing he's ever said. And I'm like that the chicken's a nervous bird. And he goes, oh, no, no, no, no.

Harbaugh's got like 10 different wacko sayings. And I'm like, well, he's kind of a quirky personality. But I like quirky personalities. I like quirky people. And so we're going to play a game called Harbaugh or Harbull. which of these did Jim Harbaugh say and which of these are just made up quotes from somebody else. Here we go.

It's time to play the game that's so fresh and new. We literally just made it up during the last commercial break. Harbaugh or Harbao. Okay, here we go. All right. The start of spring, it's like coming out of the mother's womb, you are out into the chaos. The start of spring, it's like coming out of the mother's womb.

you are out into the chaos. That feels very Harbaugh to me. Correct. That is Jim Harbaugh. He said that the start of spring practice at Michigan in his first year there. Okay. I'm one for one. Never give a sword to a man who can't dance.

Never give a sword to a man who can't dance. I'm trying to think how that would play in football. Never get a sword to a man who can't dance. I'll say he said that too. Incorrect. That is Harbaul. The internet attributes that quote to Confucius, but that is unconfirmed. Okay.

I don't take vacations. I don't get sick. I don't observe major holidays. I'm a jackhammer. I don't take vacations. I don't get sick. I don't observe major holidays. I'm a jackhammer.

I don't think he would say I'm a jackhammer. Joey, I don't buy that. He said that. I don't know. That sounds suspiciously like a movie quote. All right. What? That is incorrect.

It is Harbaugh. He said that. coaching at Stanford. I'm a jackhammer. Okay. All right. Okay. If worms had machine guns, birds

wouldn't be scared of them. What? What? Hard bar or hard bull? Yep. I'm going with hardball on that one. Okay, I'll go harb on that one. Correct. He did say that.

It also makes no sense. Yeah. We took it a little out of context. He was saying how he didn't like hypotheticals, and that was his example of a hypotheticals. Oh, okay. But birds eat worms. Very weird with it.

All right, if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid. I think by even Harbaugh standards, that's too random. Yeah, I'm going to go no. I'm going to go Harbaugh. Harbaul. That is correct. It is not Jim Harbaugh.

Albert Einstein, apparently that quote is attributed to him, although our researcher found several places that said he didn't say that. But Harbaugh didn't say it. So that's the whole point. All right, we have two left. The football gods have provided us heat and sun to shape the body and carve the mind. That's either Aristotle or Jim Harbaugh. I'm going Harbaugh on that one.

Yeah, that feels Harbaughian. Correct. That was Jim Harbaugh. He said that 2015 before the Citrus Bowl in Florida. I love that quote. Finally. I love people. I'm a people person.

I think that's a strength of mine. I love being around people. I mean, that doesn't even sound that strange. I don't think that's him, though, is it? I'm going to go Harbaugh. I'm going to go not Harbaugh. Joy is correct. Jim Harbaugh did say that in an interview with Bleacher Report

in his last year with the 49ers. Really? He seems a little bit like a loner to me. Maybe he's just, he's a people person, but he's a little alone when he's with people. Because he's in his own mind. He's in his own head with stuff. Jim Harbaugh or Harbaugh. He's a big believer in the red meats. Yes, he loves red meats.

He doesn't like chicken. It's a nervous bird. My wife went vegan several months ago, so it's changed everything. Not all for the good. The other day, she was cooking just a little chicken for me. And she was like this. She was like, it's just gross.

I can't look at it. And I'm like, you ate it your whole life. Like six months ago, now you can't look at chicken? Well, once you break the habit of it, I could understand. Yeah, I'm okay with vegan, except when it comes to chili, add meat. because if you do chili, vegan chili, it's just salsa. It's really disappointing. It's just nothing but corn.

That is a good point. Yeah, it's bad. Now, the Harbaugh thing, it cracks me up. Can he, listen, anybody in life that's successful for 25 years, I give him the benefit of the doubt. Okay, he won at San Diego. He wanted Stanford. He won in the 49ers.

He's winning here. Like, you think he got stupid? Like, I'd never understand the Internet. Like, if somebody's successful for 20 years, I've been doing this for 20 years. I'm pretty good at it. You're just going to have to come to terms if you're, you don't like me. I'm pretty good at it. You do something for 20 years. You're a dentist for 20 years, and you have a good business. You're a pretty good dentist. You're a landscaper for 20 years.

You can withstand the economy, good economy, bad economy, landscaping business doing well. You're a pretty good landscaper. Harbaugh's been good at this for 20 years. That doesn't mean he can't have a bad game, but I'll go back to it. A dropped punt his first year and a bad mark by an official his second year is the difference between this is the difference his first year from 11. and two, the punter. That's the game. They're 11 and 2 from Brady Hoax mess that went 6 and 10

and 7 lowouts. That and he can't coach because of that. Then the following year, they go to the playoff. They got a bad and again, whether it was a good mark or a bad mark against Ohio State, I watched the game. This play, they stopped him. And by the way, they stopped

them. It was in Ohio State. At Ann Arbor, they get the mark. in Columbus, they don't get the mark. That gets him 11 and 1. Come on, this guy went into the PAC 12 when Pete Carroll was running college football, went in as a 40-point underdog to the Coliseum and beat Pete Carroll. Pete Carroll, by the time Harbaugh left the Pack 12, Pete Carroll confronted Harbaugh after a game because he felt Harbaugh poured it on.

The guy can coach. Stop arguing. That's another Harbaugh quote. If you take the meat out of the chili, it's just. Salta. All right. We're back tomorrow. Later today, speak for yourself.

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