The Herd with Colin Cowherd - Best of The Herd: 10/23/2019

Episode Date: October 23, 2019

Colin warns people not to overthink the Lakers and the Clippers, the Clippers are better in almost every aspect from the front office to the bench. He explains why Tom Brady is ending his career the way LeBron wishes he could. FS1's Nick Wright comes on to argue with Colin about almost all of his opinions from the Wednesday's show. Plus, Colin explains why the NFL MVP discussion is dumb especially this early in the season. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Be sure to catch us live every weekday. From 12 to 3 Eastern, 9 to noon Pacific on Fox Sports Radio and FS1, find your local station for the herd at Fox SportsRadio.com or stream us live every day on the iHeartRartRour. radio app by searching herd. This is the best of the herd with Colin Cowher on Fox Sports Radio. Oh, here we go on what should be a fantastic Wednesday. What a great time of the year.

This live in Los Angeles is the herd. Wherever you may be, however you may be listening, we're on IHeart Radio, Fox Sports Radio, and FS1. Joy Taylor is joining me. What an opening Clippers, Lakers. sorts of intense and fun. All the basketball last night was fun. But yes, that was quite a show in L.A.

It was quite a show in Los Angeles last night. It had a playoff feel. You could sense very much. The Clippers wanted that game. They had scouted that game. That was an, I've never seen an NBA season opener in a city. And it felt like Alabama Auburn. It was very intense.

Very intense. We're setting the stakes. We want to make it feel like this is our town. not your town. They also, can you imagine if Alabama Auburn shared the same football stadium? So it was a real thing last night in L.A. for those who don't live here, it was very, very playoff feeling. Let me start with this.

Don't outthink the room. Owner, general manager, coach, scouting department, roster, clippers are better. Don't outthink the room. I'm not saying Kauai is better than LeBron. I'll get to that in a second. But the rosters aren't close. The rosters aren't close. The Clippers have a better defensive roster.

It's a perfect mix of young and old. They won 48 games last year without Kauai or Paul George. Now they insert two A players and one guy that may be the best in the league. The Lakers have two superstars, one young player. They're going to be, Danny Green was nice last night. They're going to be very reliant on LeBron James and Anthony Davis. I mean, last night for the Lakers, one of their stars, couldn't shoot. LeBron James, and that's why they lost. He didn't do anything in the second

half. Don't outthink the room on this. There are three stats from the box score. You always see basketball people after the game, they grabbed the box score. There's three things that jumped out to me last night. Number one, field goal percentage. The Clippers shot 52% from the floor. The Lakers didn't make them uncomfortable. They're not going to. Okay, they're not going to. This is not a very good defensive roster outside of AD. The second thing, steals. Younger, quicker people get steals. Clippers had twice as many.

Fast break points. Clippers 22, Lakers 5. Do you watch the game? Do you see how quick the clippers get out? It is a young, fast roster. And more than anything, what does that mean? The clippers are built. The clippers are built to be fresher in April, May, and June.

This is a roster that Kauai Leonard can take 20 games off. This is a roster Paul George on different nights could take 20 nights off. I got news for you. Kauai or Paul George could take as long as one of them plays.

They won 48 games without those guys last year. They'll win 62 if one of them takes the night off. If LeBron takes the night off, the Lakers are not only a number one seed. They're probably a seven or an eight. Okay, LeBron came to L.A.,

hoping things would get easier. He is now the point guard. Now, I think the Lakers will make a better movie poster. I think the Lakers will have better highlights, the LeBron Jam, LeBron's Block. I think there'll be a spurt team. The Lakers will have these 14 to 2 spurts that will make all the highlight shows. They'll be so much fun to watch. They're the way better movie poster.

There's no doubt about that. And I don't care if LeBron is better in his 17th year than Kauai, and it's certainly arguable, but here's two things Kauai is better at. I need a bucket now. I'll take Kauai. And I need to shut down their best player. I'll take Kauai. Kauai is right now, mid-range, the best go-to get-a-bucket guy in this league.

Better than LeBron, who did some bully ball in the first half that I didn't like and wore out in the second half. And the second thing is Kauai will shut down your best player. And then, you know, Kenny Smith talked about this last night. When you juxtapose, when you put stars together on the same field, remember how bad DAC looked when you put him on the same field with Aaron Rogers? You're like, oh, whoa, whoa, whoa, that's not the same kind of quarterback. Kenny Smith on Kauai and LeBron last night. Kauai Leonard made LeBron James look athletic.

There's not many guys that can contain him in key moments the way he did. or get his game off on LeBron in moments when he had, I don't know if there's a So you're trying to say that he took away his athleticism from time. Because we saw it last year, but there was no LeBron in the playoffs. Right. So I was like, oh, well, you're doing it, but you're not doing against the guy who is the best at it. Right. Tonight he did it against the guy who's the best at it.

Don't outthink the room. Every single clipper off the bench had a plus minus. every single Laker off the bench had a negative. All the Clipper guys had a positive plus minus. All the Clipper bench guys. All of them. All the Laker bench guys had a negative plus minus. What does that mean?

They're going to need LeBron to play 77 games to give them 27 a night, to be the point guard, to occasionally have to shut down a wing player. He came to L.A. hoping it would get easier. It's not getting easier. The Lakers are a very exciting movie poster, but they are old. LeBron has to carry him. I think he and AD will be fine together, but we know with big sometimes it can be clunky to start. But my takeaway last night is don't outthink the room.

If I told you, owner, GM, scouting department, coach, roster, it's all clippers. I'm not overreacting. It's all clippers. And I thought last night, LeBron wore down by the end of the game. Let me shift to this, and it has a little LeBron feel to it. But Tom Brady, and this is a topic I refuse to get involved with, I told Joy this, you this before the season.

I'm not going to speculate on when Brady's going to retire, because I don't know. I have no sources. I don't have any insight on this. and guess what? I don't know because Tom Brady doesn't know. And he talked about it yesterday. The rumors that he's selling his house,

he may not stay in New England. Here we go. That's the great part for me is I don't know. And I think that's in a unique situation that I've been in because I think when you commit to a team for a certain amount of years, you kind of feel like your responsibilities to always fulfill the contract. It's been good because I'm just taking a day by day and I'm joining. and what I have, and I don't know what the future holds.

And the great part is, you know, for me, football at this point is all borrowed time. You know, one day I'll wake up and I feel like, okay, that'll be enough. And when that day comes, that day comes. And I don't know what it will be after this year. You know, I don't know what it will be five years from now. But I don't have to determine those things right now either. He's being totally honest on this. I have talked to multiple athletes, 38, 39, 40, Brady's now 42.

It is totally day-to-day. Tom Brady takes a big shot and has to rehab. He's out. He's done. He's got the rings, money. No thanks. Tom Brady loses Josh McDaniel. He goes somewhere else. They can't find the right OC. Brady's out. Kurt Warner was a highly talented, productive player. Last year in the NFL, completed 66% of his throws, was 10 and 5. Passer rating was in the mid-90s.

Playoff guy took a hundred. huge shot and said, Seacrest out, I'm done. Tom Brady gets a big concussion. Tom may think driving home. I got kids. I don't want to do this. Tom Brady doesn't know, and it's why I won't speculate. I have no idea.

Now, I will tell you, there is one thing that I think could possibly extend it, and I'm just guessing here, but athletes want it to get easier. Once you've got $500 million, once you got the money, the fame, and the rings and the trophies. You want to go to work and have fun. Like Aaron Rogers now has help. He's having fun, right? And not just tolerating, he's having fun, is that this defense is so good for New England and so deep, and it will be for the next couple of years because of their cap space. And the AFC East has all these young quarterbacks. Miami's going to draft one, Buffalo Young, Jets young. Winning's getting easier for Tom Brady, at least in his division. And I'll give you an example.

LeBron came to L.A. hoping it would get a little easier, right? It's L.A. people will want to play here. But it actually is for Tom Brady. Think about this. Tom Brady, the AFC East, I can argue, has never been weaker at quarterback. LeBron James, the Western Conference, I could argue, has never been better. Tom Brady, because of New England's running back game,

deepest running backs in the league in their defense, winning is easier. Because the Lakers have no bench or point guard in the West, for LeBron, winning will be harder. Here's another one. When Tom Brady's on the bench, his defense often scores. When LeBron's on the bench, he'll watch his lead evaporate. LeBron came to L.A., hoping rings, fame, titles, business. People would funnel here.

They'd want to be here. But the reality is, Kauai calculated, went to the Clippers, Lakers' front office ownership. It's going to be harder. Brady is how guys want their career to end. Brady is living the life LeBron wanted to. I can throw 23 times. The division's weak at quarterback. Our defense keeps the score very, very low.

I can hand it off, make a few big throws, one or two, enjoy coming to practice, best coach in the game, unbelievable depth. Brady's career is ending how the great ones want it to end. I can be the man, you know, twice a Sunday I make a big play. LeBron's going to have to be the man in every big quarter in every big game this season. He's a point guard now. Lakers don't have a point guard.

He's it. In his 17th year, he's off, the offense is off. 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,

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with so many incredible guests. I'm talking. Tripp Fontaine, Ryan Clark. Sometimes when we're in the pursuit of the thing, we get so wrapped up in the chase that we don't realize that we are in possession of the thing and we're still chasing it and we don't know when we've done enough

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Hey, everyone. It's Ryder Strong and Will Ferdell from PodMeets World. And now the Pod Meets Twirled podcast. We're two men who were completely clueless to reality TV, who now have covered Dancing with the Stars, traitors, and we're gearing up for the season finale of Survivor. So yeah, now we're experts. I know we annoyed a lot of our listeners by our severe lack of survivor knowledge.

That is the point of the show. I'm just going to remind you. I have watched some Survivor. I obviously haven't watched enough. Did people not like it? Yeah. Just because we? Yeah.

We'll be recapping the big conclusion in the 50th season from the final attempts at gameplay to the desperate pleas of finalists to a bunch of ha who. Again, we are experts. So make sure to tune into Pod Meets Twirled for all our Survivor 50 takes. Listen to Pod Meets Twirled on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. I love when businesses make sneaky moves. I love it. And it makes your product better.

the NFL did this a couple years ago, they moved their trading deadline from week six to week eight. Now, that doesn't sound like a big deal, right? But it was very smart. Because if a team was off to a two and four start, you'd be like, well, if we win this week, we're three and four. We're still in it. But if a team is two and six, like Denver's bad and Atlanta's bad now, move expensive guys and get draft picks and start over. So yesterday, the two best, the only undefeated teams in the NFL, New England added a player with the trade deadline from a crappy team Atlanta. They got Mohamed Sanu, and San Francisco's undefeated. They added a player, Emmanuel Sanders, good veteran receiver from a crappy team, Denver.

So this was what baseball used to be. Remember the trading deadline in baseball? The good teams would get better. You know, like this year, Houston goes out and they add like a Zach Grinky. A good team becomes unbeatable, right? At least you think that. So, I mean, San Francisco's defense is unbelievable. Their offense is very young at wide receiver, and they're banged up, so they go get a veteran receiver.

And similarly, you got Josh Gordon's all beat up for the Patriots. And so let's get Mohamed Sanu. Now it's Edelman, Mohamed Sanu. And if Josh Gordon gets hurt, it's okay. Great running game, best coach, great defense, and we got two legitimate receivers. It's a very sneaky thing the NFL did, and this is what the NFL has done better than any league in my life. they're constantly playing with the calendar. I can't figure out why baseball doesn't end in August, six weeks of playoffs before the football season starts.

I've never understood it. The NFL is constantly moving, trading deadline, free agency period, just to get two more weeks, six more stories that guys like me give them free coverage. So the best teams in the NFL, New England, San Francisco. I mean, last year is a prime example of this. Think about the trade deadline last year. Oakland gets off to a bad start. Dallas is struggling, but Dallas likes their talent. So they go out, call the Raiders.

They give up a first round pick and they get Amari Cooper. They end up going seven and one in the regular season with Amari Cooper. I think they're like 10 and two now or something like that since they added Amari Cooper. And it was a great story. It really, you know, it amplified the cowboy offense. So I think this is going to help San Francisco. I think it makes New England with that defense unbeatable in the AFC. I think the AFC is over.

You know, Kansas City can't get Jacoby Brissette off the field. I'm sorry, it's over. That doesn't mean Kansas City can't get to the AFC championship. But if you're talking about special teams, quarterback, running game, weapons, defensive front, sacks, secondary, New England's playing on a different surface than everybody else is in the AFC. 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.

I said to start the show, don't outthink the room on this. I don't really care if LeBron and Kauai, who's better, but if you said, I need a bucket and I need a stop, I take Kauai over LeBron. I think LeBron's the Swiss Army knife, better ball handler, better passer, can do a million things, bigger body, we'll play more games. But I also think, don't outthink the room. I think the Clippers owner, GM, scouting department, roster, and coach are better. And I think that generally means you win more games. Let's go via the Coward Global Satellite Network to my buddy, Nick Wright. Now, Nick, today was very rough for you, Nick, because I know you have great admiration for

LeBron, but I would say this. In fairness to LeBron, he hasn't played in a while. He looked a little gassed late. Was it anything more than LeBron was a little tired in game one? I think there was a little more to that. LeBron didn't play well, but I do think it's always a good idea to make sweeping generalizations after one game of an NBA season, which is the equivalent of deciding who's going to win the Super Bowl three minutes into the first quarter of the first game.

I think it's really the way to do it. Listen, if LeBron plays like that the rest of the year, like a fringe All-Star instead of like a fringe MVP candidate, then the Lakers are sunk, then they're done, then the plan will not work. I don't think LeBron's going to average 18 a game on less than 40% shooting, but we'll see. What you said a moment ago is very interesting. If you needed one bucket, you'd go to Kauai. Yeah.

That feels awful prisoner of the momenty to me, but I guess we'll wait and see. However, you are comparing Kauai, clearly the best player on the Lakers, to LeBron, who it sounds like you think is not the best. player on the Lakers. Quai, the best one of the Clippers, pardon me. Like Anthony Davis versus Kauai would be the comparison there. You mentioned better front office, better GM, better owner. I don't know how that matters for the math of this season when both teams sent all their assets out the door to assemble these specific teams. Aside from Andre Aguadala coming to one of these teams. No reinforcements are coming. Clippers look great last night, 60 to 19 bench scoring edge.

Kauai was the best player on the court for an evening. But I'm not anointing them the new kings of L.A. just yet. I think the Lakers have not only the best player in L.A., actually the two best players in L.A., and I think that will play out over the course of the season. But it is interesting. I said this. The way, you know, once you get piles of money and championships, You wanted to get easier. This is why Aaron Rogers has never smiled more. He wants to be the man, not the only man. Running game can win, defense can win.

He can be a magician twice, right? A game. Brady now, this is the way it's ending for Brady. It's running game's great, defense is great, coaching is great. We just added Muhammad Sunu, and my division stinks mostly. Here's what I worry about LeBron. He's now the point guard. The bench is at times not good or old.

and AD has a history of injuries. Could I not argue that they are asking a lot of LeBron in year 17 and more than he probably envisioned when he came here? Yeah, it's not terribly dissimilar to FS1 and you. How are we doing? Listen, you're not too shorten the tooth, my friend. I still see you doing three hours monologuing, and we're doing just fine. When you've got the goat, you use him as such.

LeBron does not believe that he is at the finish line. I don't know if he will make it to his finish line, but his finish line is playing in a game against or with his son. The only way that is possible, first of all, Bronny's got to do a ton, but the only way it's possible is if the dad plays this season and four or five more. So the idea that LeBron is now going to start coasting or going to start wanting to play at a different level,

that doesn't fit the timeline of him playing until 20, 24 at the earliest. So, no, I think we are maybe overreacting to a bad shooting night because that's what it was. Now, he was sloppy with the ball, and that did look like rust. I didn't like how careless he was with the basketball. and Frank Vogel's got to figure out the rotations. That's something that Doc Rivers had seriously to his advantage last night, and Doc Rivers is obviously a better coach.

But this was last year's Clippers team. You just added the finals MVP. The Lakers right now, LeBron is the third most tenured member of the team. All the Laker fans were like, hey, LeBron's not going to come here and run things. Yeah, he is. It's LeBron KCP and people LeBron brought in with him. So like there's going to be some things. to work out, I think you are drastically overreacting to a game that was 85 apiece at the end

of three quarters. Let me throw this at you before I get to the Muhammad Sanoo trade, which I think wraps up the AFC. Let me get to this. I believe the NBA. So it's a winter league. And you're in that airplane. And you're in that tube with your seven, eight guys that really play every night.

So chemistry matters. Last year, the Clippers were a great example. Toronto was a great example. The players liked each other. It matters. In Houston, the owner's furious with the GM, won't say it publicly, he is. The GM doesn't love the coach. The coach doesn't love his current staff.

And I don't think Harden in Westbrook by the All-Star break, they'll want to strangle each other because there's two point guards and one ball. I think Houston is going to wear each other out. I don't love the chemistry of this organization. I think it's tense. I think it's uptight. And I think they miss the playoffs. I know you're going to go crazy on that. You said you think they missed the playoffs.

Yeah, I don't think they make the playoffs. Colin. Come on. No, seriously. Colin. Listen, I know that you're not a big gambler, but if I could entice you to wager, I don't know, one of your many estates on this, please do, because I could use one. Like, my God, I would bet my soul and career earnings against anything you want that they make the playoffs.

I think they're going to potentially have the best record in the entire country. conference. But, okay, here's the other issue here. And I, you and I are hearing very different things it would appear on who likes who and what's going on. From what I understand, the GM is very, very, what's the word, relieved and grateful that the owner has had his back the way it has. From what I understand, the GM absolutely wants Mike D'Antoony as the coach. And from what I understand, Harden and Westbrook are thrilled to be playing with each other. So that, we will see how that plays out. And I'm not trying to undercut what you're hearing. We're just hearing, I think different things from different people. I think the Rockets are going to be awesome.

Now, will it work in the postseason? I don't know. But Russell Westbrook has not been on a team with shooting and spacing, um, ever. He hasn't been on a team with a good coach, um, ever. And James Hardin hasn't had a player who can give him a break on offense since he was playing with Russell Westbrook. I think the Rockets are in the regular season going to be tremendous. I think their season ends in the conference finals to the Lakers, who I assume you have getting bounced in the first round by Utah or something. Okay, finally.

Listen, I think Patrick Mahomes is going to win a couple of Super Bowls. I don't doubt that over 12 years. But we know this league is about attrition and about health. And, you know, Tony Romo said this on the air. You want to find the greatest quarterbacks ever? They all had good defenses. Aaron Rogers, by the way, has a good defense once. He wins a Super Bowl.

He has a good defense now. He may win the Super Bowl. I look at Patrick Mahomes, and I think he'll not play at 100%. He will play in the playoffs. And frankly, that defense couldn't get Patrick, couldn't get Jacoby Brousett off the field. I do feel like for this next four months, it is still absolutely New England's conference.

Kansas City has to rebuild the defense in the offseason. It's over. New England's win in the AFC. What say you? Well, listen, I do like that unlike the NBA in the West that you're ending after one game, at least in the AFC, you waited six, seven weeks. I appreciate the patience there. So listen, this is what I want to say about New England v. Kansas City.

New England has, statistically speaking, the greatest defense through seven weeks we've ever seen. It's not close. bears, 2,000 Ravens, 02 bucks. No one can touch them. They've allowed one passing touchdown to 18 interceptions. They're allowing a quarterback rating of 35. You get a 39 for spiking it. So through seven weeks opposing quarterbacks would have been better off just throwing the ball into the ground, which it looked like your guy, Sam Darnold, would have loved to be doing during that football game rather than actually go against them. But do you know why Bill Belichick drafts a receiver in the first round for the first time since a guy, I think Derek Anderson, or I might have the name

wrong, but a player in Cleveland 25 years ago, and then spends a second round pick for the third best receiver on a 1-and-6 team because he knows that offense is limited. All of the smart stats say this is a middle-of-the-pack offense, and that's despite the defense, giving them 22 extra possessions. Your guy, Tom Brady, the best he has looked was in that skit on the Paul show that he then tried to pretend he wasn't in. The defense is all time. Belichick is the best I've ever seen coaching the defense. They only have one super-duper star on defense, Stefan Gilmore, and they're doing this.

But they are now finally going to have to actually enter for six weeks, the real NFL. For the first seven weeks of the season, they got to play, and for the final three weeks the season, they'll get to play. And they only got to win two games all year, because God knows in the divisional round, They'll be rested at home playing either the bills, the Texans, or the Colts. And then in the conference championship game, they're going to have to play the Chiefs. And if they win that game, they're going to have to play an NFC team that's far better than them. I think the Chiefs are going to be the only team in the conference that scares the Patriots.

I agree with you, the Chief's defense is bad. But right now is the Chief's defense that much worse than the Patriots offense? We'll see and we'll see which wide receiver they bring. in off the street next to try to give Brady a viable weapon. It's great seeing him, even though he was very critical of all my opinions. I still love him dearly. Nick Wright. Listen, man, these damn, when you told me to move out to New York, it'll change your life,

change your career. You didn't tell me LeBron was going to go to L.A. These damn games were going to end up 1.30 in the morning. I was going to be on 90 minutes sleep. Then I was going to sleep on an air mattress in my office so you could heckle me for 12 minutes. That wasn't part of our agreement three years ago. I'm just a step ahead of you, partner. That's all it is.

Yeah. First things first. No doubt. Talk to you later, my friend. What's up, everybody? John Middilcock from the Three and Out podcast. That's me. That's the show.

Go subscribe if you like football, because that's all I talk. Football, football and more football. Coming up on this show, Brady Belichick running circles around the league, Cowboys Eagles, the Saints. Are they really the league's best team? Lamar Jackson is what he's doing, sustainable, and Mitch Tribiskey. Is he officially a problem now? three and out podcast. John Middlecock, go subscribe.

Story out there started leaking a couple of days ago. Harbaugh's struggle, Jim Harbaugh, according to Zach Barnett, don't know I'm a football scoop. Harbaugh's representatives are reaching out to NFL teams to gauge interest. Now Harbaugh very quickly, because recruiting is huge in college football, went and had an informal letter. I'll read it. Dear parents, I'm reaching out to let you know the recent claims that I'm pursuing. an exit strategy or total crap. It's an annual strategy driven by our enemies to cause disruption. I don't even have an agent or representative, by the way.

I'm committed to your sons. Go blue Jim Harbaugh. Okay. By the way, I love that he did that. Let me give you some facts. I'm going to give you three facts. Fact number one. Jim Harbaugh is intense and wears on people.

He's not a life or anywhere. I said that when he went to Michigan. Seven years, sign up for it. Fact. He's always been a ladder climber. I have two. I've moved around. Guys like us, it's not a destination.

It's a journey. Now I'm old now, so I'm done moving. Okay? But he's been a ladder climber. Jim likes money. Money matters. He's climbed the ladder, and he's done it his whole life.

Here's the third thing. This is what great coaches do in big programs when they get heat from boosters. Nick Saban lost to Auburn a few years ago. Suddenly the Texas job. See his wife in Austin, Texas. this. Brian Kelly a couple years ago. Some boosters giving him heat, an ugly loss, quarterback situation amass. Suddenly the Brian Kelly rumors come out. He's put his name out for NFL jobs.

Jim Harbaugh is getting heat. Big heat, lose to Penn State, get crushed by Wisconsin. This is not sinister. This is protocol in his business that your name gets floated out. You call an agent or a rep. By the way, whether Jim Harbaugh has a agent or representative, it doesn't mean. anything because the bottom line, Jimmy Sexton the biggest agent in college football, he'd call him in one second and he'd represent him if he wanted him. You put your name out there. Just in case, a crazy booster wants you run you out. I don't think anything less of hardball. It happens all the time. So fact, he's not a lifer. It's not his personality. He's a ladder climber. So am I. So is Nick Sabin. I don't have a problem with it. And number three,

this is what you do when you lose games and people in college football start banging on you. They're called boosters. Now, here's the other. thing, though. And this happens a lot, is that the brand becomes bigger than reality. Last 20 years, the Cowboys brand has been way bigger than the reality of what they've done in the football games. Michigan, let's take the three best coaches in Michigan football history, right? Bo Schembeckler averaged 10 wins a year, but once he snuck out of his conference to play other elite teams in bowl games, he was awful, 5 and 12. That's your legend. Lloyd Carr, he averaged 9.9 a half 10 wins and the big 10 was awful. And oh, by the way, bowl games under 500. Now here's

Jim Harbaugh in the best the big 10, the deepest the big 10's ever been. He's averaging nine wins and he has a sub 500 bowl record. I'm not even going to go to Rich Rod. I'm not even going to go to Brady Hoek. I'm not going to the guys that were a disaster. Because Michigan has an A-plus fight song and an A-plus stadium. And A-plus uniforms and is part of the greatest rivalry, in my opinion, in college sports with Ohio State. A plus uniform, A plus this, A plus that, A plus rivalry, A plus. Their brand is A plus. The reality is Ohio States in A plus college football program.

Michigan's always been an A minus to a B plus. But when you got the fight song and the stadium and the branding and the unies and the biggest rivalry, If you win nine to ten games at Michigan and win every other bowl game, that's what you are. Folks, last 70 years, Michigan has one national title and it's shared. That's who they are. Every college football program, Ohio State is an A-plus program. Alabama's an A-plus program. Oklahoma's an A-plus program.

USC, when they get the right coach, is an A-plus program. They dominate recruiting in California, the third best recruiting state. Then there's a bunch of A minuses, Texas, Michigan. Right now, Notre Dame, because they're private, and it's cold weather, and it's isolated, and you can't get all the players you want into school. Michigan's brand is Ohio State and Michigan. No, no, no, no, no, no, no. Ohio State is a better football program than Michigan and has been my entire life.

I liked as a kid in Michigan more. I like Michigan's unies. I like Michigan Stadium better. I thought it was cooler in the big house. I like their uniforms better. And Michigan played a lot of out-of-conference games as a kid against my favorite team, the Washington Huskies. I liked Michigan more. But I'm not going to lie here, most Michigan coaches have struggled against Ohio State.

A lot of Ohio State coaches have crushed Michigan. So, you know, Schembeckler, Lloyd Carr, Harbaugh, they're all about nine, ten wins with losing. bowl wreckers. I'm not defending Harbaugh. His offenses have underachieved and he deserves massive criticism. You're a quarterback. Get the quarterback position right. You've whiffed on it. Get it right. But Michigan's brand's A-plus.

The reality is they're A-M-minus. I'm beating Clemson, not beating Ohio State. They're not beating Alabama. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays in noon Eastern 9 a.m. Pacific. So I want to talk about something. So Darren Rogers was talking about yesterday how much fun he's having with Matt Lafleur and he's having a bunch of fun. I saw a story this morning.

Aaron Rogers back in the MVP race for the first time in three years. I'm happy for Aaron. He's more joyful. He's got help. He's got a real defense. He's got a running game. He's got a coach he connects with. Let's listen to Aaron Rogers. I don't have a lot of fun. I really enjoy this group. I mean, it's a fun group of guys. I think back to, I don't know, maybe, you know, earlier in my career and I just don't think there was this much fun being had on the field. I'm having a lot of fun of Matt. He's been a blast to work with and to grow in our relationship as we get used to each other in game situations, you know, not having played really in the preseason.

It's been a lot of fun to go through the week's preparation together and talk about scheme and ideas and then to see it kind of all come to fruition on Sundays. I still feel like he's trying to kind of poke Mike McCarthy in the ribs, but be that as it may, I don't talk about MVP race as much on this show because it's the NFL's a week-to-week league. To give you an example, why I'm not going to suddenly start talking about Aaron Rogers as MVP. Just think, we've gone through eight weeks of the NFL. Think about this. Here's the weekly MVP wheel.

The narrative has changed eight time and eight weeks. The first week, spin the wheel, it was Lamar Jackson. He had that ridiculous game. They spot a 50 burger on Miami. He throws for, I think, a perfect passer rating. We watched Lamar Jackson, and everybody agrees, oh, my God, it's going to work. nobody's going to be able to stop him. We didn't know Miami was this bad.

And everybody's like, oh, my guys, unbelievable. Lamar Jackson MVP dog. And let's spin the wheel again, because by week two, we were talking about Patrick Mahomes. Remember the 28 point second quarter against Oakland? No matter how good your defense is, Patrick Mahomes can do what nobody else can do. We can have a 28 point quarter.

This is unbelievable. 24 touchdowns in one quarter. Patrick Mahomes is the MVP. And then we spin the wheel. And by week three, I'm not joking, it was Dak Prescott. Oh, look at him. This guy can't lose with Amari Cooper. He beats Miami. Dax never looked better.

The old line, the defense. Jason Garrett has a new coordinator. Oh, my Lord, you got to put DAC in the MVP. conversation. Dallas is rowing people. And then in week four, oh, wait a minute, it was Christian McCaffrey who had 170 some yards against what we perceived to be a better Houston team and they couldn't tackle him. And he got into the Ed zone and he's now the best receiving running back we've ever had. And Clinton, Christian McCaffrey is now the MVP. We're finally going to give an MVP to a running back. But wait, week five.

Russell Wilson is now the MVP. Thursday night game against the Rams. Are you kidding me? He makes that throw to lock it in the corner. People calling it the best throw of the year. He still doesn't have an interception. We've never seen anything like this. Once again, Russell Wilson is Michael Vick but better

and Patrick Mahomes but sturdier. And oh my God, week five. And then we go back to the weekly MVP. wheel week six. It changed to Deshawn Watson. Oh, he won in Kansas City. He beat Patrick Mahomes. If you don't give this guy the MVP,

what do you smoke? He has a bad offensive line. Bill O'Brien's a mediocre coach, and this guy is a playmaker, and there's nobody like him, and he is the MVP until we go to week seven, and now it's Aaron Rogers, who throws for a million yards,

It's perfect passer rating against the Raiders, and now I'm supposed to say that Aaron Rogers is the MVP of the league. Do you see how ridiculous MVP talk is? We've had seven MVP discussions as we head to week eight, and let me throw the next guy who I perceive to be joining the conversation, Jimmy Garoppola. At home, undefeated, just got Emmanuel Sanders. They came off a crappy offensive game, so Kyle Shanahan. was hiding the playbook. They could go 7 and 0, and by Monday, we'll be saying, this Scaropolo guy, we give all the credit to the defense.

It's the Scoropolo guy. He's got Matt Breedah, got Kittal, the Tide End. He's got Emmanuel Sanders. He's got the guy, O'Shanahan, he's got the... This is why I don't talk MVP. It just wears me out. 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 love. Last night, a blown call changed a game. This morning, the internet lost its mind. Highlights are trending, opinions are flying, and nobody's telling you exactly what happened. That's where Sports Slice comes in. I'm Timbo. Every episode, we're cutting through the noise, breaking down the plays, the controversies, and the stories behind the headlines.

We go straight to the source, the athlete themselves. Their locker room stories, their reactions, the stuff nobody gets to hear. The laughs, the drama, the triumphs, the moments that never make the highlight real. From viral moments to historic games, from buzzer beaters to controversial calls, we break it down, give you context and ask the questions everybody wants answered. SportsSlice brings you closer to the action with stories told by the people who live them. Listen to SportsSlice on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more, follow Timbo Sliced Life 12 in the TikTok podcast network on TikTok. Welcome to my new podcast, Learn the Hardway with me, your host, and your favorite therapist, Kear Games.

And in recognition of mental health awareness month, I'm bringing over a decade of my own experience in the mental health field and conversations with so many incredible guests. I'm talking. Tripp Fontaine, Ryan Clark. Sometimes when we're in the pursuit of the thing, we get so wrapped up in the chase

that we don't realize that we are in possession of the thing. And we're still chasing it. And we don't know when we've done enough because people scoreboard watch. Life becomes about wins and losses. Steve Burns, Dustin Ross. you find it important to be a good person while you hear on earth? Or are you a good person because you're afraid?

Because that's two different intentions, bro. Absolutely. And that's two different levels of trust. I want you to just really be a good person. Join me, Keir Gaines, is we have real conversations about healing, growth, fatherhood, pressure, and purpose on my new podcast, Learn the Hard Way. Open your free iHeartRadio app. Search Learn the Hardway and listen now.

Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal, but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast's Superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth.

Listen to Superhuman on the I-Hard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, everyone, it's Ryder Strong, and Will Ferdell from PodMeets World. And now the Pod Meets Twirled podcast. We're two men who were completely clueless to reality TV, who now have covered Dancing with the Stars, traitors, and we're gearing up for the season finale of Survivor.

So yeah, now we're experts. I know we annoyed a lot of our listeners by our severe lack of survivor knowledge. That is the point of the show. I'm just going to remind you. I have watched some Survivor. I obviously haven't watched enough. Did people not like it?

Like, what was just because we? Yeah. We'll be recapping the big conclusion in the 50th season, from the final attempts at gameplay, to the desperate pleas of finalists to a bunch of ha, ooh, ha, ooh, ha, ooh, again, we are experts. So make sure to tune into Pod Meets Twirled for all our Survivor 50 takes. Listen to PodMeets Twirled on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Well, we call it the three-word game. We invented it. It's ours. We do it every Monday during the show during the NFL season because we did it years ago.

I did it for about 10 years on opening night of the NBA. I'd say you can really describe every NBA team in three words. And then we started doing it. People liked it. We started doing it every Monday. It does very well for us. We get a lot of feedback on it. So I thought since last night was the opening of the NBA, we would describe.

Now, not all the teams. If your team's not included, that's because we're not going to include them on our show this year mostly. They're boring. And not every team gets on the show. We know that, Joey. I don't talk about every college football. team. But these are the teams that even when bad are fascinating, and here we go. Denver Nuggets, regular season champs. They finished with the number two seed last year. They had the best

home record. They've got the Joker, Jamal Murray. They're young and getting better, and I think they're excellently coached. I think they'll end up as the number one seed in the West. Oklahoma City Thunder. Where'd everyone go? Westbrook's in Houston. Paul George is now a clipper. We know Durant's story. Oladipo's gone. They have trouble keeping people. They did get Chris Paul. Portland Trailblazers.

About Dame time. Damian Lillard, as good a closer as the NBA has, and that includes Kauai Leonard, LeBron, James, and Steph Curry. Remember, last two years, they've been a number three seat, and they've got three bigs. Zach Collins, Nurkich, and Whiteside. They will move the Whiteside contract, my prediction at the All-Star break to elevate their wing spot.

Utah Jazz could win the East. I think they would be the best team in the East. I think in the West there's just going to be too many roadblocks. They added dependable point guard Mike Conley. I love Mike Conley. He's a Teddy Bridgewater of this sport. Couple of baskets, couple of big throws. Very coachable.

Always depend on him. Bosom Bogdanovich has been added. This was a team that needed a shooter and a point guard. they added both. Dallas Mavericks. Cool hand Luca. Luca Donzich is going to be a 25 point a game guy or more for the rest of his career. They have a healthy Christops Porzingis from the Knicks. I don't know if they can stop anybody, but they'll be fun to watch. Houston Rockets, only one ball. You have the two number one usage rate guys in the league with Hardin and Westbrook, so you've got to kind of just watch and see how it works out.

I don't know. I don't think it's going to be perfect. I don't think Westbrook's a shooter. So sticking him over in the corner to shoot threes, I just don't think that's working in the NBA. I don't think that's what Russell Westbrook does well. How about the Pelicans in New Orleans? Waiting on Zion.

He's out for six to eight weeks. We're waiting for a lot of things. For him to get healthy to see how he fits with Lonzo Ball, to see what kind of impact he has. I watched the Pelicans last night. They're fun. They're a young, fun team to watch. San Antonio Spurs.

Don't forget us. De Rosen, Lamarcus Allridge, and now, remember last year, they've made the playoffs the last 22 years. They won 48 games last year without a point guard. Yeah, they have Murray back now. Yeah, DeMonte Murray's back, and he's really good, and Popovich loves him. They will make the playoffs. Golden State Warriors, now without clay. So I got no Iggy, I got no Katie, I got no Clay, I got no Demarcus Cousins, I got no Sean Livingston.

My gut feeling this morning, I got no playoffs. Los Angeles Clippers, L.A.'s best team. Deepest, young shooters, old shooters, two stars, both play defense, head coach, scouting department. I think this is the best roster in the NBA, top devoid. And not only that, but as Joy said, I think it fits really, really well. L.A. Lakers, two LeBron dependent. Now they're asking him in his 17th year to be the point guard. Point guard's hard.

And not only that, point guard's got a guard point guards. He's a 6-9 guy. I like A.D., but don't love the bench. You just hope Kyle Kuzma can kind of get to a borderline all-star level. that would help LeBron James a ton. Sacramento Kings. Fun. Too young.

Buddy Heald's like 24 years old. Excuse me, 26. Deeran Fox is 22. Marvin Begley's 20. Really fun team to watch. But I think in this league, if you want to win in May, you've got to have veterans, and they're just, they're the opposite of the Raptors.

They're just a bunch of kids. Miami Heat. Just Jimmy Butler. They got some tradable pieces. You can trade Justin Winslow, Justice Winslow, Goren Dragich, BAM. But, you know, it's pretty much Jimmy Butler, and hopefully you can engineer a trade. Because even in the East, I don't think they're a viable multiple playoff series win team. Detroit Pistons.

Blake's already hurt. You know, I've never been a huge Blake Griffin fan. He has developed a little better confident at the free throw line and the jumper. but he's missed 99 games over the last four years, and he's hurt again. Indiana Pacers, best boring team. I mean, even Victorola Depot is very good player, plays both ends. You know, it's a very well-run organization.

Malcolm Brogden from Milwaukee added. Victorola Depot, just as I saw, they signed Subonis, kid from Gonzaga. Good team. In the East Playoff team and a team that will win a playoff series. Milwaukee Bucks, it's their Euro. Janice, from Greece, Euro. And 60 wins last year.

Lost to the Raptors in the Eastern Conference finals. It's their Euro. I mean, Greece. Boston Celtics. Kempa for Kyrie. I actually think he's a better fit, not a better player. And I think in Brad Stevens' system, not the superstar that Brad felt comfortable working.

with, but I think Kemba, Jason, Tatum, Jalen Brown are going to have to have good years now. No more excuses. Last year, while Kyrie's not team player. It's time now for the young guys. Jalen Brown, got to step up. Brooklyn Nets, one year away. Listen, we're going to do Katie's burner account. Kevin Durant, stay off Twitter, one year away.

You know, Katie and Kyrie will be fascinating. We're just not there yet. New York Knicks. 2023 cap space Once again the Knicks have more cap space than half the NFL but struck out with everybody

Philadelphia 76ers we got taller everybody 6-6 or taller I mean they make a great volleyball team too you couldn't hit it over the net added Al Horford every year they just find the biggest guy available on the lot

Toronto Raptors back to extinction I'm sorry, you can't lose Danny Green and Quay Leonard. Probably like a seven or an eight seat. But they have nice rings. Nice ring ceremony last night. Very nice ring ceremony last night. Sorry for the other teams we didn't add.

Just, yeah, you guys should be sorry. Don't blame us. Last night, a blown call changed a game. This morning, the internet lost its mind. And nobody's telling you exactly what happened. That's where Sports Slice comes in. I'm Timbo, and every episode we're cutting through the noise, breaking down the biggest moments in sports and giving you the real story behind the headline.

And we're going straight to the source, the athletes themselves, their locker room stories, their reactions in the moment, and the stuff nobody gets to hear. Listen to Sports Slice on the Iheart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more, follow Timbo Slical Life 12 in the TikTok podcast network on TikTok. Another podcast from some SNL, late-night comedy guy, Not quite. Unhumor me with Robert Smygel and Friends. Me and hilarious guests from Bob Odenkirk to David Letterman help make you funnier.

This week, my guest, S&L's Mikey Day and head writer, Streeter Seidel, help an a cappella band with their between songs banter. Where does your group perform? We do some retirement homes. Those people are starving for banter. Listen to humor me with Robert Smigel and Friends on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, what's good, y'all?

You're listening to learn the hard. way with your favorite therapist and host, Kier Games. This space is about black men's experiences, having honest conversations that it's really not safe to have anywhere, but you're having them with a licensed professional who knows what he's doing. How many men carry a suit or armor. It signals to the world that you're not to be played with. And just because you have the capability that does not mean that you need to. Listen to learn the hard way on the AHA radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your

podcast. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast's Superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds.

I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the I-Hard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. This is an I-Heart podcast, guaranteed human.