The Herd with Colin Cowherd - Best of The Herd: 11/29/2019

Episode Date: November 29, 2019

Filling in for Colin, Doug Gottlieb breaks down the Dallas Cowboys issues, Jerry Jones' thoughts on HC Jason Garrett, what the Saints should consider going forward, and Kyrie Irving's latest comments and why he's hard to deal with. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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

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

Listen to the Clifford show on the IHeartRadio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. Thanks for listening to the best of herd podcast. Be sure to catch us live every weekday. From 12 to 3 Eastern, 9 to noon Pacific on Fox Sports Radio and FS1. Find your local station for the herd at Fox Sports Radio.com or stream us live every day on the My Heart Radio app by searching Herd. This is the best of the herd with Colin Cowherd on Fox Sports Radio.

What up? Welcome in. This is The Herd. Happy Black Friday to you, wherever you may be and however you may be making as part of your day. I'm Doug Gottlieb in for Uncle Colin, Colin Cowherd. Oh, man. I feel like, I feel like Hash Brown's at Waffle House. I'm smothered, covered, and just oozing with food coming out of my pores.

I hope you, like me, had a great Thanksgiving. And now we get back to sports. You know, it's interesting you have children, and my son is 10. And though he's played sports, since he's entire life, he hasn't necessarily watched or kind of gotten into sports. and last night or yesterday we were watching the Lions play and he was just like Lions and Bears every year and it's never good

and I was like dude you're 10 you have no idea you're not wrong but every year and it's never good it was it was an amazing epiphany that the young lad had last night I would also say that smoked turkey beats fried turkey beats baked turkey feel free to discuss amongst yourself but we don't need to get get into the pleasant trees We don't need to get into the whole discussion about food.

We're past that. If you're listening to me, you're either on your way to trying to get a deal, maybe going to see a ball game, maybe trying to get out of hanging out with family, or maybe you're waiting in the car while someone else is doing some shopping. Either way, we have a great show for you today. Let's start where we, I think, are almost obligated to begin, not just because Colin would talk about the Cowboys. but because everybody's talking about the Cowboys.

And it is fascinating that the Bills won the game, right? Like it was a no-doubter from about mid-to-late third quarter on, although I will say that there was this sense, and it's really interesting. On one hand, everyone wants to tell me, or many of Jerry Jones, many others want to tell me how talented the Cowboys are on both sides of the Bulls. And yet when they're down two and a half scores late, right, when they're down 19 points late, and they're in field goal range and it's fourth down, oh, you have to go for it here. You got to score a touchdown here.

And I was just thinking to myself, why? You have the entire fourth quarter. You're playing at home. you're supposed to have this vaunted group of talented offensive and defensive players. It's almost like based upon your reaction or overreaction to that moment, which Dak Prescott got through an absolute scud missile at the feet of Ezekieliot on fourth down. And I didn't think Zeke was going to find the end zone. I understood the play design and everything that goes with it.

But the point is simple. I know Brett Maher missed two field goals. You could have taken the easy field goal and then said, hey, we got the whole fourth quarter to mount two touchdown drives with a quarterback who I've been told is going to sign a deal up there with the richest among the history of football. Like, that's not a crazy thing to think about.

But alas, the Cowboys, regardless, are 0 and 5. And after the bills get their first massive win of the season, they had the Patriots, only their quarterback got knocked out. they played a really soft schedule in a really crummy division. That should have been about the bills. But instead, because it's the Cowboys, because it's Jericho, because they had their chest out thinking they're a Super Bowl team, because they bowed at the feet of Ezekieliot and gave him the big contract,

because Dak Prescott is still unsigned in terms of his future contract, because Amari Cooper wants a new deal. But because mostly it's the Cowboys and Jared Jones, the Cowboys are 0 and 5 against teams with a winning record. And Jerry Jones is now left to defend Jason Garrett. I know Jason very well. I've had a wonderful opportunity to spend a football life with him. So I know him very well.

You know, without a doubt, you've seen it. Nobody wants Jason wants it to go. And I'm going to tell you this right now, he's got my back too. I don't even understand that he's got my back too. I think, he keeps, Jerry keeps like using the wrong, I don't know, it's not tense, but, but possessive, you know, like, instead of saying Jason's my guy, he's like, I'm his guy. It's just, it's, that was a couple days ago. And he's got my back to, like, I don't even know what that means. I mean, I guess it means that he is okay with the criticism, but I doubt he's okay with the half hour stand up.

kind of impromptu press conference after every loss that seems to have to defend his right to go to work the next day. Look, who you are against winning teams is a lot like who you are on booze. Right? Like, did you, and it seems to be more Christmas family gathering than Thanksgiving family gathering. Although, you know, you do wake up from that trip to fan-induced nap. You feel full and you're like, man, I can really use a cold beer to watch some of these football games. But anyone who's been around friends who drink, right, what do you always say? Like, happy drunk, happy dude, angry drunk, angry dude.

It's the same thing with football teams. Who you are against the good teams is who you really are. Just a level of competency against the bad teams, which for the most part the Dallas Cowboys have shown, the Jets obviously is the example. that doesn't tell us anything about who they are. O and five against winning teams, no forced turnovers in the last four games. Dak Prescott, seven touchdown, seven receptions,

one fumble against teams with a record above 500. Like, that's who he is. That's who he is. And yeah, you can pick out a stinker from Aaron Rogers this year, you know, against the Niners, for example. You can pick apart Russell Wilson having a statistically off a game or two. But who you are against the good teams is who you are.

How you act and how you feel and how you treat others when you drink is who you are. Take a listen to Lewis Reddick from ESPN on why he thinks the Cowboys can't win against good teams. Defensively, I'll say this. For a football team that has paid a primary pass rusher, they have Robert Quinn who kind of supplements to Marcus Lawrence, who has, who we constantly talk about have three of the best young ones. linebackers in the NFL. Sean Lee, Layton Vanderas, Jaylen Smith, is through it. Three of the best. In big moments when teams

really try to bloody their nose, these guys shrink. But that isn't coaching. Those are players. So I'll tell you what, it's kind of a, it's kind of a, it's in totality. It is better coaching, but these players have to step up to. Yeah, I mean, look, it's the entire, the entire culture

of the place is screwed up. Right? It's a culture of entitlement. It's a culture of, man, we were really good last year. and now we're even better this year because we were not injured. You know, like, look, the Cowboys, when was the last time they had back-to-back 10 winning seasons? Go ahead, feel free, look it up on your phone.

Right. I mean, I think it's really, really funny that people sit here and go, like, wait a second. Wait, the Cowboys, they were good. They were, they were, no. This is who the Cowboys are. They haven't had back-to-back double-digit win seasons since 1996. Because the way it works in Dallas is you have a good year. You get out of boys and pat it on the back and told how special you are, how wonderful you are.

And Jerry's so happy, throws more money at it because more is always more when less is truly more. And instead of winning anything, they didn't win anything last year, right? Like, the Washington Redskins went through four quarterbacks. Carson Wentz was coming. They were coming back from winning a Super Bowl and Carson Wentz wasn't healthy, as well as the fact that they suffered a litany of injuries. The New York Giants were tanking and didn't know it until about mid-year. Like their division was arguably or maybe in arguably the worst in football.

So, yeah, they won their division last year. And yeah, they'll probably win their division this year. That didn't mean they're any good. go back and look, who have they beaten? But we've all gone into this whole, like, the Cowboys are so great, they're so awesome, when the bills came in and just kicked their ass in their place. The bills are built with a great defense,

with a young quarterback who, if he doesn't see what he likes, he's just told to run it. You know, they run the football, they run a trick play, and they end up beating you. Are they great? No, but at least they can come in and beat somebody who's beat somebody who's good. and do it in a way which shows that we think we're pretty good, but we don't think that we can just show up and win the game,

the way the Cowboys do. The entitlement of the entire organization, acting like they throw out great team after great team after great team, that they have more talent than anybody else. I'm like, look, dude, who you are against good teams is who you really are. Does Jason Garrett deserve every bit of the blame? We'll get to that. Plus, are the Saints the best team in the NFC right now?

And oh, yeah, by the way, Cleveland, a playoff spot is just dying to be taken. Does that march? Colin predicted and then jumped off the bridge on the whole march with this week schedule at the end of the season. My man, Ryan Rusillo joins us. Have a little football chat. Plus, did you guys see what Kyrie Irving said about why he no-showed in baseball? Boston, try and figure all that out. I'm Doug Gottlie. That's next in The Herd.

Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd weekdays in noon Eastern, 9 a.m. Pacific on Fox Sports Radio, FS1, and the IHeart Radio app. Welcome to my new podcast, Learn the Hard Way with me, your host, and your favorite therapist, Kear Games. And in recognition of mental health awareness month, I'm bringing over a decade of my own experience in the mental health field and conversations with so many incredible guests. I'm talking, Tripp Fontaine, Ryan Clark. Sometimes when we're in the pursuit of the thing, we get so wrapped up in the chase that we don't realize that we are in possession of the thing.

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Last night, a blown call changed a game. This morning, the internet lost its mind. Highlights are trending, opinions are flying, and nobody's telling you exactly what happened. That's where Sports Slice comes in. I'm Timbo. Every episode, we're cutting through the noise.

breaking down the plays, the controversies, and the stories behind the headlines. We go straight to the source, the athlete themselves, their locker room stories, their reactions, the stuff nobody gets to hear. The laughs, the drama, the triumphs, the moments that never make the highlight real. From viral moments to historic games, from buzzer beaters to controversial calls, we break it down, give you context, and ask the questions everybody wants answered. Sports slice brings you closer to the action with stories told by the people who live them. Listen to Sports Slice on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast.

And for more, follow Timbo Sliced Life 12 in the TikTok podcast network on TikTok. What's up, guys? This is Clivert Taylor the 4th. And on my podcast, The Cliverts show, I'm bringing you conversations about all kinds of stuff. Like being an internet famous referee. We're in the middle of a game. This linebacker, this linebacker walks up to me, he goes, hey, ref, my mom wants you to wave at her. What? Time out.

Look. quarterback on office blue 42. Hey, Rhett, my mama want you to weigh better. What? Where's she at? Hey, Miss Parker. Listen to the Clifford show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast.

American Soccer is about to explode. The World Cup is coming. Ramos sending on the only store at the chip. I'm Tab Ramos. I'm Tom Bo. On our podcast, Inside American. soccer, you'll get the real storylines. I'm not worried about Policic.

I'm not worried about Balagan. I'm not worried about McKinney. My only concern is what happens in the back. The biggest decisions. If you're going to look at stats and numbers, he has no shot at making this World Cup team. And the truth about the U.S. national

team. It wouldn't be a huge surprise if our team ends up in the quarterfinals or potentially a great run into the semifinals. The World Cup is almost here. Experience at all? with us. Listen, Inside American Soccer with Tom Bogart and Tab Ramos on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, wherever you get your podcast. Doug Gowley, in for Colin on this Black Friday. I like the music, Black Friday. Black Friday with Doug Gailab here on the Fox Sports Radio, waiting for Colin Calhard. Hope you're having a sexy Friday.

Oh, man. All right, so now, like, now I guess it's cool to do the lights and the Christmas music. People get so amped about Christmas time. Can we do it now? Can we do it now? And hopefully your elves make a safe landing, a safe appearance at your house. In the meantime, you know, the Black Friday. And then, of course, Monday is what's Cyber Monday. Cyber Monday brought to you by.

I just, I love that we can do all this shopping all year long, yet we main. that this is the day that we will give you a laptop for 15 cents regardless of which hopefully you're surviving you uh Doug Gottlieb here in for Colin by the way broadcasting from high atop Oklahoma City one of the few places on earth where people actually greet other human beings at the airport at the airport yeah I showed up Wednesday night and no one was there to greet me come on listen I kid ourselves but there were actually people greeting family members at the airport and happy to see them and happy to have parked and gotten out and taking their ticket and you're just like, man,

people in Southern California are like, are you crazy? Do you have any idea what that sounds like? Take an Uber. But not only that, like the rare double dip in the Midwest or Southwest or wherever you consider, Oklahoma is kind of, it belongs a little bit to everywhere and to nowhere in general. but not only they greet people at the airport, but they actually go to malls still. It's a very weird time warp than I'm in.

Ryan Rusillo joins me. Check out his podcast, the Ryan Rusillo podcast. Isn't it amazing that like, we joke about two Americas? I think the America that meets people at the airport and goes to a mall is different than the America that you and I live in. I love the mall,

so I don't know what you're talking about. I didn't say I didn't like the mall. I just said there's a general move away from most traditional malls. No, that's true. I'll give you that. But it's just, you know, being at West Hartford, every now and then, I'd be like, all right, I'm just going to go to the mall today to feel alive, and I wouldn't even buy anything. Now you are very, very much alive joining us in Southern California.

Ryan Rusillo, join us. I'm Doug Gottliebind for, for Colin. All right, when you see the Cowboys and they get beaten and wasn't a fluke, they're beaten at home by the Buffalo Bills, how do you react? That would surprise me. You know, I really feel like, and I had done. this recently where if you go through every team a lot of them you can be like hey

this team didn't turn around like Cleveland didn't get better. Akers didn't start figuring things out. They don't respect Freddie Kitchens more. I think that the schedule is going to get a lot of easy. I mean maybe all those things happened by a byproduct of them winning more games but Cleveland had an absolutely brutal stretch. So the reason I bring them up is that I look at Buffalo and go you know they beat

the teams they're supposed to beat which is impressive in this league and then you know where's that really good win and then they had it and Josh Allen looks incredible. So I think part of it starts there but then when you look at Dallas having what five or six possessions on the other side of the field with zero points. That doesn't happen. That's impossible.

And now it's this team that whether you wanted them to run it more against New England or throw it more on the stuff third down play before Zee got an incomplete pass a few weeks ago, you know, like you're sitting here going like Wednesday out is going on this little, this run here. And I do think the talent maybe is a little bit better than you do. But I thought Troy Aikman on the Patriots call was really revealing in that, you know how it is. as the analyst, you don't really ever want to crush too many people.

But when he was like, look, your special teams isn't ready to come up the field, to field the ball when the Patriots have been kicking this thing short the whole time and you almost fumbled the kickoff. Like I thought that was a pretty, kind of like a damning indictment that Aiken was like, look, I'm going to go here with this. So, you know, I'm never one to say like all these guys deserved you fired. I don't really like doing all that kind of stuff. But it's clear that this team, like, where's their really impressive win?

and yet they still might win the division, Doug, because the rest of the division's all messed up. Yes, and which would allow them to, you know, you get new life, you know, you play in the playoffs. I mean, like, look, Eli Manning, think about Eli Manning's two Super Bowl wins and what their actual seasons look like. And no one, no one even remembers that because of their march to the Super Bowl and the wins in the Super Bowl. So that is out there for them. How accountable, look, the special teams. And anybody who watched the game knows that Buffalo missed a field goal. a very makeable one, and an extra point as well.

So it wasn't like it was, you know, it's what's, you know, six points that left on the board, and Buffalo did everything right. That said, the special teams has been a disaster. Dack on that fourth down throw was bad. Like, look, the trick play was a good one, but they struggle to stop the run against teams sometimes that run right at them.

Let's start with Dack. How accountable should he be for these losses? You know, at the beginning of the year, it's like, okay, this guy's going to win MVP, and when can Kellan Moore be my head coach, right? I mean, that's how we just lose our minds with this stuff. And it usually, you know, on the extreme ends, it isn't either. The really great or the really bad. But, you know, I don't really blame Dak.

I really don't. Like, I've always had a weird thing with Dakler. I'm like, wait a minute, is he really this awesome? And then, you know, something will happen. I'll be like, okay, you know, he's still sort of in that seven, eight, nine range. You know, he's not top five, even though some of his stats would tell you he was top five, maybe even top three of points this year. They haven't gotten anything going offensively here,

and I don't know if that's just because the bill's defense is pretty good and the conditions against New England, and then they're going to go on some kind of run here. So I don't look at this team and go, oh, you know, DAC's the problem. To me, Dax the solution. Dax the guy that, and I'm not even putting him in that group where, hey, he's MVP or he's going to be better than, you know, 30 other quarterbacks.

I think he's somebody you go, hey, we feel really good about our quarterback, and we know that for the next 10 years this guy's going to be behind center. He's going to make a ton of money, too, because it's not because of how great he, is it's going to be because his deal is the most recent one. So I don't think it's on him. I think there's two things. You mentioned it with special teams. Special teams have been a disaster now for a while

and it's bad again this year. And last year we do this. We look at their record last year and go, hey, that's a good team, that's a talented team. They do it. They won every close game last year, like an unprecedented rate. And guess what's happening this year? In those closer games, they're losing all of them. So, you know, sometimes the results can trick us into

thinking a team's a lot better than they are a lot worse. And I think they're probably a team that was lucky last year that's been incredibly unlucky this unlucky this year. Yeah, I don't know if you saw this, but the bills have the second most missed field goals and extra points. Like you talk about like a year where things go right for you, right? And then some of it is they played a lot of bad teams and bad teams miss field goals and missed extra points. They're bad teams for a reason. But like the bills are on the opposite side of that where they're having kind of all the luck go in their favor. By the way, I don't know how many

people in America stayed up and watched because it almost, that was the greatest almost comeback. I can remember in the NFL. The Falcons essentially recovered three straight onside kicks. The first one they're off sides on. Then they recover an onside kick. They go down, they kick a field goal because Dan Quinn. And then they go down and they score and then they get an onside kick. And they get it again with the ball down eight.

Did you keep the television on and see the almost comeback? No. I was at macaroni grill having Thanksgiving dinner. You weren't a macaroni grill. I swear to God, but. No way. Yeah, we had, we had some scheduling issues. It's all right, though.

I'm in Laguna. Everything's good. Everybody's having it right. All right. Fair enough. Ryan Rissilo, I don't want to be bumped out. I don't want to ruin everybody's Friday.

You're like, wait, you did, you did, you did what? True story. I only had one journalism class in all of college. It was, I went to junior college for a year, Golden West, Junior College. And I wrote for the school newspaper, and I did food. reviews so I get free meals and the first one I ever did was macaroni grill that's that's how we can kind of bring it back together I wanted to ask but I don't I don't I don't want to get anybody in trouble so we're not going to do it but I just I feel like

we need to update the rankings of like Bertucci's Olive Garden and macaroni grill I just think that that's something that society we all need to collect and get together and rank them in order and I'm not doing it now because you never know who could be a sponsor I don't want I don't want anybody upset at we have we have none of none of those are sponsors I'll only point out that if I I could, if I could get a penny back for every breadstick I ate it at Olive Garden during my youth, I would, I would have a lot of pennies. I would probably have a dollar.

Like how many bread, like the breads, back in the carb era, you know, back in the 90s when we used to, we used to carve load the night before games. I mean, I used to, we couldn't crush a good olive garden, right? And the salad and the breadsticks and the unlimited pasta was kind of amazing. So I have a hard time at putting anyone above Olive Garden because of their salad dressing and breadsticks. Salad dressing is terrific. The salad is great, although they'll know, like, if you're one of those guys where you're just determined to get that second bowl, they'll short you on that second bowl. They're like, all right, we can get it.

Like you're making a point that it's unlimited salad, but like we're not just bringing you out a full salad bar again. The one in Hartford that was near where we lived, I went to it one time and I said, hey, you know, where's the TV? And they're like, sir, this is a restaurant. I was like, okay. You guys are above having a television on on this side of the restaurant. Because, so anyway, that was the last time. Is there a guy who can replace Jason Garrett? Like, obviously, if they lose early in the playoffs or they don't make the playoffs, he's going to get fired.

Like, does Lincoln Riley, is that a better job? I'm not totally convinced it's a better job than showing up. at Oklahoma and having better players than the other team nine times in 10 and having an owner who will have his own press conference if things aren't going well. I can't see Urban Meyer saying I'm down with that. Like what happens, has anybody actually thought what actually really happens if they fire somebody like Jason Garrett? Okay, see, I love talking to you about this because I think you understand it as well as

anybody. And, you know, I'm so thankful for all the years that I get to travel all over the country to go to these different campuses and meet different staffs and all the stuff. There are really simple answers after the fact, right? Like I could see Lincoln Riley, I'm not saying I know him, but I could see him going, why do I want to go to that? Right? Like, I'm a God here.

I can coach in Norman forever. And there's something for those of us that loved our college experience. Like, there's a part of me to think, like, you know how it would be amazing? It's just to be able to stay, like, on the campus where you had your greatest years and be this icon and be revered and bring success to this community that wait. up, you know, every day thinking about your football program and then this religious experience on a Saturday. Like, there's something amazing to that.

And it certainly isn't the difference in money because if you're at one of these top programs anyway, like it's so much money. But then guess what happens? We're always reminded that, like, coaches, somebody would say, hey, it's the Dallas Cowboys. Are you kidding? I want to see if my stuff works in the NFL. When I met Pete Carroll at USC, I could tell talking to him, I go, this guy's going to coach back in the NFL because he's so mad that he thinks that people think he's a bozo on Sundays.

Chip Kelly, oh, he should have waited for a different job. But you know what you didn't want to do? Not coach anymore. You want to go coach. So I think whenever these decisions are made, like it's easy after the fact to point to the root of it. But there's a real compelling argument to be made of when you're at one of these five destination programs in college football, that that job is better and actually has better

security. And you're right. It's an unfair advantage when you're one of those brands and you're recruiting where there's times that I think like, look, if you were ever, not that I'm ever going to be in that situation, but you do that thing where you're like, if it's it were me. If it were me, I'd have a hard time wanting to leave an amazing, like, just absolute runaway trained program in college football. And then you asked you saying, like, how many times has it actually worked, right?

Like Pete Carroll, it worked, but he was in the NFL, you know? I mean, we were actually, this is actually a real discussion yesterday. Bobby Bertrino, is that still TBD? Yeah. I mean, like, we just kind of go through, go through it, right? I mean, even Jim, even Jim Moore, he's actually not. Jim Mora Jr., but Jim Moore, the little Jim Mora, right? I mean, remember, he was coaching the Falcons, and he was like, man, if Washington

just asks me even during a playoff run, I would so much rather be there than be here. And, of course, he got his wish. But just to jump in, though, too, like, think about some of the guys that we know that have gone to the NFL, and then you'll talk to him and be like, the idea that I get to sit here and, like, send Valentine's to 18-year-olds, you know, 365 and you just go, like I can understand how that's nauseating. Like I don't want to sit here until every 18-year-old he's the greatest thing ever.

But, you know, at the bigger programs, that's why you have a staff. Yes, you do. You do. And no, you don't want to go and tell these kids when, you know, somebody of them don't have a real chance of making the NFL. On the other hand, like, look, if you're not doing it to an 18-year-old, they're doing it to a 24, 25-year-old, right? Who you feel full of, you tell them they're the greatest,

and then they go to the front office and go like, hey, everybody here's telling me I'm the greatest. now you need to pay me like I'm the greatest. You know, so there is, you're recruiting at any level. I'm with you. And in basketball, I think the move to the NBA makes sense because college basketball is kind of such a mess and seems to have lessened in terms of overall importance. No one really, it's not a destination. It's just a way station on the way to the NBA.

I don't feel like college football is that. It's especially at, as you point out, the very, very highest level. Ryan Rusillo joins me. You can hear his show on his podcast on the ringer. I'm Doug Gottlieb filling in for Colin. This is the hurt. All right, let's quickly go to a couple more NFL, and then we'll get to college football for a second.

Okay, so do the Browns, you mentioned the benefit of schedule. They get a chance to see the Steelers with Duck Hodges as their quarterback. Does the turnaround happen? Does this Brown's team figure it out and beat the bad teams in the back of their schedule and get to the playoffs? Get to the playoffs? No, because I still don't know that there's enough with this team where you can say, okay, I know exactly what I'm getting. You know, we knew based on, I mean, that stretch,

off the top of my head, it's like New England, Seattle, the Rams and Ravens, four straight weeks or something like that. And you're going, who would, oh, my gosh, like, no wonder they have all this doubt about themselves, right? But I'd have to see more, like, I just have to see more before I start looking at, you know, these projections going, oh, they have a 37 percent, they have this. I mean, Dallas has that percentage a lot higher than everybody would talk because Philadelphia's entire offenses hurt, you know, and Philly schedule is actually easier than Dallas as it goes up.

So, no, I'm not ready to just pencil them into the playoffs because I think it has everything to do with schedule versus me just going, okay, I know exactly what I'm getting out of the Browns on Sunday. I mean, they're probably still going to have a loss that doesn't make any sense. I don't think that should be that shocking with a young team. I have, like I've given into this Lamar thing that this year, that he, his presence, his playmaking, it's been amazing here, the last couple of games and and the MVP thing in terms of value do I think they have a great

defense good kicking game and they're well coached yes but Lamar jackson is a big reason why they're in the conversation is the best team in football right now but are you a buyer into lamar long term wow that's a really good question because it kind of reminds me the McVeigh stuff a little bit it's like if you just breathe the same airspace as him now you're going to be the next genius head coach and and now we're seeing that he's having a hard time because their offensive line isn't very good. And with Lamar, you know, I was somebody that watched them all the time, and I went, okay, you know, I think there's some accuracy stuff on clean throws, which was surprising. You know, clean pocket, shorter throw, and he'd airmail it. And look, you don't have to

believe me. Like, look at, go back and read the stuff on the guys that are actually unbiased and just break down the film. And they may have fixed that. I mean, even Eric Weddle in their first camp said it was pretty rough. You're like, it was rough to watch. And so I thought throughout the course of the year, it was kind of this energy thing, this spark. I mean, he's obviously, I think he's the best runner we've ever seen at the position. And I'm including Mike Vic there, which I know is blasphemous, but he was that impressive on Saturday. I mean, he's seriously always been one of my favorite college players I've ever seen. And then he has that Chargers playoff game. You're like, yeah, this kind of what I thought. So in the first couple weeks, it's throwing it

deep over everybody. And then I thought Kansas City played him a little differently and gave him underneath throws. And I thought he struggled with that. I thought he'd struggle in that Pittsburgh game a little bit. And by the way, this defense was bottom third for a good chunk of the season. And now it's all, like, the defense is off the charts and their improvement. Their rushing attack is incredible. They're scoring more points than like,

I mean, you're going to go way back to see the kind of teams that they're surpassing point-wise. So I'm more open to it, but I just always think that there's a correction on the dual threat guys that is very predictable. That once teams get a little bit more comfortable with you, they start challenges to do some other things. But honestly,

like, I believe in him that much as a as a guy, as a teammate, he's an incredible personality that, like, if there's going to be a correction on him, maybe he figures it out. But right now he's making it look easy in a way that we haven't seen since Vic. Kyrie Irving says, you know, there's so many more, essentially there's so many more things that are important in his world than basketball or a real-life thing that happened to people every day but could still have to perform for the NBA and its fans. I mean, it was just kind of some sort of long-winded answer as to why he chose to not show up in Boston.

He hasn't played in Cleveland either since leaving the Cleveland Cavaliers. What are your thoughts on Kyrie, no-showing when his shoulders hurt and they play in Boston? Okay, so to be entirely, like to protect myself from where I'm going to go here, I'll start with this. If this is a lingering injury where he's missing multiple. games after these two very specific stops, then you're just like, look, he was hurt. The track record here would tell you

that this is because he didn't want to go back to Boston or maybe even Cleveland. He missed game seven of the playoffs, Boston, Cleveland, like didn't show up to the game because they'd said he had this surgery and it was like really hard to schedule at any other point. That's when I knew. I was like, this guy is checked out. Now, if you want to go

back to the Cleveland divorce, the more you dug into that, I actually, most, I think reasonable people would take Kyrie's side. in the LeBron Kyrie fight. Because Kyrie's like, wait a minute. Like, I got to, oh, the rest of us all are going to wait around for your moon to orbit here and for us to figure out, like, what the hell you're doing? Like, this is day-to-day on your terms.

Like, I'm out. And anybody with an ego wasn't going to like that. So the more I started to dig into that, I was like, you know what? I think Kyrie, even though I don't really love his personality, like I get the origin of this whole thing. But, you know, you sit there and you post this stuff. And, of course, you're posting it while your team is losing. But a team that's actually had a better winning record here, again, without you,

just like Boston did. And I always kind of resisted that a little bit. It's like, look, still a basketball team is better with one of the five best, or say 10 best shot creating guards. I mean, he's that special at getting his offense. But you send out these posts and you go, what's the point of even trying to reason with somebody like this? Like this is, you almost like sit there as a team be like, hey, if we're going to get all cosmic about what a game is, could you tell us before we give you a max contract?

Is there any way to do that? And the other part of it is the net are like, look, we still would have done it, knowing he feels this way because it gets. is Durant. So I don't enjoy it. One of my least favorite traits and personalities is I think I'm brilliant and you're not. And that's the thing. I think he's, I think he's just, you know, when he went on first take it was like, oh, when you were very much woke and you were like, what the hell is that quote even mean? Like, what are you talking about? So I've given up trying to figure him out other than I think he's a guy that every stop, there's going to be some real challenges there. And then,

you know, every fan base sits there in the beginning, Doug, and protects him. And Boston fans did the same thing. And, you know, Brooklyn fans are doing it now. and like, oh, you don't get it, you don't get it. And you're like, no, no, you don't get it. Like, he's going to do this everywhere he goes. He's just a different guy. And it doesn't always mean he's a great teammate. Yeah.

And it's really, it's a, it's an incredibly unlikable character, uh, character is characteristic to not only want to be the smartest guy in the room, but then to basically tell everybody else, you guys are dumbasses, you know, I'm so smart. I'm so, I'm so much more about just basketball. Like, hey, look, that's a great. great, dude, but we actually like to watch you play basketball. That's kind of the whole thing here. That's kind of what you get paid for.

I mean, imagine if I showed up to work, you know, doing the ESPN radio show and on a Thursday, I'm just like, hey guys, you know, what are these? It's just words. Like, I'm just, I mean, it's just words. No, it's actually more than that. It's actually more than that. You guys are listening to me. You want to talk about sports.

I don't want to talk about sports. I want to talk about politics or cars or like, yeah, that's great, dude. But you actually get paid to talk about sports. That's what you get paid to. Have you guys? I mean, do you know how much more important fracking is? Like, we need to be talking about that, not free agency. They'd be like, oh, you know what?

Why are we not talking about the Yale Harvard protest? The Yale Harvard protest is among the most important things, poignant things in all the world. We should talk about them because it occurred on a field. All right. Last last thing. Will we have chaos in college football? Or will it be the status quo and we fight over how good Alabama actually is?

Wow. Well, you know, LSU's in, right? Unless they were to lose this weekend, but I don't think that team has a letdown. I just don't think watching them in certain games, I'm like, this is not a let down team. And they got up 31-7 before then they let old mess run all over them. So if LSU were to lose to Georgia in the SEC title game, I think LSU is still in the playoff. They still get in. They still get in.

So, you know, Alabama has some work to do. I had somebody telling me, oh, they moved LSU to two behind Ohio State. Look, the committee likes Ohio State a lot. They don't like LSU's defense, even though I think LSU's defense is a little, there's some deeper things you can dig in there to figure out, like, wait a minute, are they just getting run over, are they giving up a ton of points once they get up big? And that's what they're doing. But if LSU beats Georgia in the SEC title game,

and Ohio State wins the Big Ten championship, are you really still going to have LSU behind them because you want Alabama back in there? So it looks like the Pact 12 is in serious trouble here. And, you know, for anyone that's ever arguing any of this stuff, Like at the very beginning, the committee told us five years ago, hey, it's about the four best teams. And that thing is going to change every year and how we think the four teams compared to the rest of the teams are comparing them to. And if a bunch of people sit in a room and say, hey, we think Alabama is better than Utah, are they wrong? Is it a conspiracy?

Or is it just people from the outside arguing they're just sick of Alabama and they'd like to see the Pac-12 because you get a chance? And I think Utah is really good, too. It's just, you know, with the way the schedule worked out, you know, they're not going to have an opportunity to have some of the wins of those teams in front of them. Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd Weekdays in noon Eastern 9 a.m. Pacific. I got a crazy idea. Ryan Music is my producer. He's producing today for the Hurd. Music, I do have some ideas. And by the way, we're watching Texas Tech up 14-0 on Texas. Not discussed is, what do you do with Tom Herman in Texas? Right? Like, did they give him another year? Do you make him change staff?

Because this was supposed to be the Texas's back year. you ever turning starting quarterback and Sam Ellinger who everybody loves because of the type of kid he is and the type of leader he is. He's a junior. It's not like you have, and he hasn't been terrible. But, I mean, and Texas obviously scores. So, you know, they end up probably beating Texas Tech, but they've lost two in a row.

They've lost three of their last four. They've lost four of their last six. If they were to lose a day, you know, they don't lose a day. Like five and four, four and five in conference play, okay. Anyway, I have, music, what do you think of my craziest? Here's just an idea that I've ever pitched to you is. Craziest ones you've ever done? Well, one that you pitched that everyone else sort of jumped on

but never really came to fruition was like two years ago, you said that the Jags should have traded Eli Manning, traded for Eli Manning. Never really happened. But I guess you could consider it a hot take. That take was more than lukewarm. It was the Giants were 0 and 5 to start the season. It wasn't yet to trade deadline.

The Jags were going nowhere with their starting quarterback and losing the team. Tom Coughlin was there running the Jacksonville Jaguars. And of course, he respects Eli Manning. And even if Eli was close to being washed, it wouldn't have been better than Blake Bortles. And they end up sinking with the Blake Bortals ship, as did the Giants with the Eli Manning ship. All right, that's decent. Here's one for you.

The New Orleans Saints. And again, if you missed it last night, it was honestly the craziest almost comeback I have ever seen. You're like, what is an almost comeback? You have to have watched what the Falcons almost pulled off, where they essentially recovered three straight onside kicks. One, they were off sides on, but three straight onside kicks was kind of amazing. So they recovered two straight onside kicks, have the ball down eight,

with three timeouts in under two minutes to go. I think they got one first down and a penalty, but basically, you know, they couldn't protect Matt Ryan. And so the Falcons get back, excuse me, the Saints get back on the Falcons. The Falcons kind of bizarrely beat the Saints, and the Falcons were coming off their by week, right?

Remember that? That was going back a couple weeks ago. And the Falcons took all their, like, their offensive coaches, made them defensive coaches and defensive coaches. And defensive coaches. and look, it should be pointed out, Tayson Hill gets a block kick, Tason Hill runs in a touchdown.

Tason Hill is amazing. This is a good football team. This is New Orleans team who the last two years, last year, obviously, they feel like they lost on the blown pass interference. And then the previous year was in the dome where a rookie cornerback, you know, has his head down,

misses Stefan Diggs in a tackle, and they lose in the Minnesota miracle. So the last two years, they feel like they were close, And this year, I would say as a team, they're probably better. They figured out that Teddy Bridgewater can still play. They continue to find new and inventive ways of using Taysom Hill. Alvin Camaro went healthy, has an amazing impact on the game.

And they got Drew Brie's quarterback. So here's my thoughts. San Francisco is on this death march, right, where they, they just played at home against the Niners. Now they play the Ravens. And from Baltimore, they got to go play the Saints on the road. Saints, obviously, are a team built to play in the dome, and though New Orleans can really, really run the football

and can really get after the passer, you would think some of that pass rush is, I don't know, nullified, but is more manageable because they're playing on the road. Let's say the Saints beat the Niners. They'll be a favorite. They're at home. They get an extra day to prepare. extra, excuse me, two and a half, three days to prepare,

and they're playing really good football. Do you consider sitting, Breeze, and sitting Kamara earlier rather than later? Because one of the things that everybody talks about is, hey, you want to have your rhythm going into the playoffs. If they are to beat, let's say the Niners lose Sunday and they beat the Niners. Now they're a game and a half clear of the Niners. They're going to be the one seed. They're going to be the one seat. With that in mind, do you consider sitting Alvin Kamara and sitting Drew Brees,

or maybe Michael Thomas, he may set the all-time reception's record? But do you sit there and go like, hey, let's rest our guys here in these last couple of games sporadically, the Colts game, the Titans game, and have them come back and be fresh and sharp in week 17 so that when they're going to go sit an additional week for the buy, they haven't not played football in three weeks by the time they actually play football again. That is the proposal from Doug Gottliebink, right? Is instead of always sitting week 17, sit week 15.

And then some more in week 16. And then week 17, use it like a third preseason game where you're playing your starters half the game and just getting sharp and just getting reps and feeling good about yourself going into the playoffs. Be the sharpest, healthiest, readiest playoff team that there can possibly be. That's the idea. Want 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. 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. Trip Fontaine, Ryan Clark. Sometimes when we're in the pursuit of the thing, we get so wrapped up in the chase

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

Because that's two different intentions, bro. Absolutely. And that's two different levels of trust. I want you to just really be a good person. Join me, Keir Gaines, as we have real conversations about healing, growth, fatherhood, pressure, and purpose on my new podcast,

learn the hard way. Open your free iHeartRadio app. Search Learn the hard way and listen now. Last night, a blown call changed the game. This morning, the internet lost its mind. Highlights are trending, opinions are flying, and nobody's telling you exactly what happened.

That's where Sports Slice comes in. I'm Timbo. Every episode we're cutting through the noise. Breaking down the plays, the controversies, and the stories behind the headlines. We go straight to the source, the athlete themselves, their locker room stories, their reactions, the stuff nobody gets to hear. The laughs, the drama, the triumphs, the moments that never make the highlight real. From viral moments to historic games, from buzzer beaters to controversial calls, we break it down, give you context and ask the questions everybody wants answered. Sports slice brings you closer to the action with stories told by the people who live there.

them listen to Sports Slice on the iHeart radio app apple podcast or wherever you get your podcast and for more follow timbo slice of life 12 in the tick tock talk podcast network on ticot what's up guys this is clivert taylor the fourth and on my podcast the clivert show i'm bringing you conversations about all kinds of stuff like being an internet famous referee we're in the middle of a game this linebacker this linebacker walks up to me he goes a ref my mom wants you to wave at her what time out Quarterback on office blue with 42. Hey, Rhett, my mama want you to weigh better.

What? Where's she at? Hey, Miss Parker. Listen to the Clippers show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. What's up, fam? It's Isaiah Thomas. And I'm C.J. Toledano, and our podcast Point Game is about defining the odds. Like LeBron heading into the playoffs without Luca and Austin Reed.

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

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

That man, hell get the flying. He running up the court, licking his fingers why he got the ball. Like, after you go through a training camp with that, Isaiah, you figure it out real quick. Get your ass up and down the court, and you're going to get the ball. So listen to Point Game on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. So I was reading this, and this is posted online, and it was introduced on Facebook. literally while they were playing, right? While the nets are playing against the Boston Celtics.

This is from Kyrie Irving's Instagram. It happens all the time, and tonight just shows how sports and entertainment will always be ignorant and obtrusive. It's one big show that means very little in the real world that most people live in because there are actually things that matter going on within it. Like figuring out a life that means more to you than a damn ball going into a hoop,

or learning how to grow up being in a fishbowl of a society based on your popularity level as a person, or even dealing with becoming a leader of your family after someone's passing and not knowing how to deal with life after it happens. But this game of sports entertainment matters more than someone's mental health or well-being, right? or the real life things that happen to people every day, but they still have to perform for the NBA and it's fans, right? It's all about doing it for the fans and the organization that love you so much. Think again, it's a game promoted as its fandom experience for ticket buyers and viewers at home,

while defacing who people truly are as people, then spat out all over the media networks as valuable food for thought, while they actually believe that their opinions hold weight and real cultural leaders that speak and act for change. One big gimmick with some smoke and mirrors. I'll always be the one that takes a stand and speaks the truth every time, though. A purposeful and spiritually led life will always be bigger and more meaningful than any sports arena or any entertainment space

This game isn't meant to be controlled or shown as a drama. It's meant to show the love. Love for the art is the only damn thing that keeps the purest people in the giant sports entertainment circus. Don't fall for the game that's played in front of you as entertainment. It'll never be as serious as dealing with life. I have no idea what his goal was, but how it came across to me is, look, dude, you may think of yourself as super interesting and you may be really interesting, but I actually don't care how interesting you are.

I just don't. I just don't. Because if I invest in your life as an artist or as a human being, that's fine. Like, you get paid a lot of money to play basketball and you're great at it. And running from that and running from the meaning of that, like you don't have to give us meaning for the game. We'll take whatever meaning we want from it. But just the idea that I'm going to outsmart you and tell you,

I'm this guy who, like, what stand have you actually taken? What stand? I get he talks about his grandpa dying when he's with the Celtics and not knowing how to deal with life. Like, I understand my dad died five years ago, and it does. It leaves you in a fog, and you're trying to figure some stuff out. Kare was seen as an a-hole back when he played for the calves, dude. I mean, he has, none of this stuff you're hearing now is only like, well, only with the Celtics.

Like, no. And I defended him for leaving the calves. I get it. When you would lose, it was your fault. When you win, it was LeBron's doing. I understand. I understand if you weren't happy in Boston and you didn't feel like it was your place. I'm okay with that.

But continuing to try and say, like, life is so much more important in a game. We know that. We know that. Basketball allows us to step outside of life and just cheer for it. basketball game. Teams we like, people we like, people who cheer against people we don't, teams we don't. That's that simple. You get paid a lot of money for it. And it gives you a platform where you can share your other thoughts. But just this idea that people are attacking you because of who you're like, no, you said if you'll have me, I'll be back and then you really

didn't want to come back. You struggled to lead. You struggle to be a regular dude. You think you're smarter than everybody. You make everything difficult. Like, no, I don't think anybody's misreading this other than Kyrie Irving thinking people don't like him because of any other reason then just how he's acted or treated people or even how he's acting to treat the game, which he's great at, by the way. 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 and nobody's telling you exactly what happened. That's where Sports Slice comes in. I'm Timbo, and every episode we're cutting through the noise, breaking down the biggest moments in sports and giving you the real story behind the headline. And we're going straight to the source, the athletes themselves. Their locker room stories, their reactions in the moment,

and the stuff nobody gets to hear. Listen to Sports Slice on the Iheart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more, follow Timbo Sliced Life 12 in the TikTok podcast network on TikTok. Another podcast from some SNL, late-night comedy, Guy not quite on Humor 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 and learn the heart. with your favorite therapist and host Kear Games. This space is about black men's experiences, having honest conversations that it's really not safe to have anywhere, but you're having them with a licensed professional who knows what he's doing. How many men carry a suit or armor? It signals to the world that you not to be played with. And just because you have the capability that does not mean that you need to,

listen to learn the hard way on the AHA radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. What's up, guys? this is cliverteller the fourth and on my podcast the clivert show i'm bringing you conversations about all kinds of stuff like being an internet famous referee we're in the middle of a game this linebacker this linebacker walks up to me he goes hey ref my mom wants you to wave at her what time out quarterback on office blue 42 hey rep my mama want you to wave at her what hey miss parker listen to the clifher

show on the IHeart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. This is an IHeart podcast. Guaranteed human.