The Herd with Colin Cowherd - Best of The Herd for Aug 11, 2020

Episode Date: August 11, 2020

Playing college football is the safer option for playersThe Lakers are in real troubleColin predicts the records for every NFL teamThe Big Ten cancels Fall footballGuests: Jason Licht, Buccaneers GMBill Burr, Actor & Comedian Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is an I-Heart podcast. Guaranteed Human. 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, SNL's Mikey Day and head writer, Streeter Seidel, help an a cappella band with their between songs banter.

Where does your group perform? We do some retirement homes. Those people are starving for banter. Listen to humor me with Robert Smigel and friends on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. 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 IHard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. On the Look Back at it podcast.

From 1979, that was a big moment for me. 84 was big to me. I'm Sam J. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick a year, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it. With our friends, fellow comedians, and favorite authors. Like Mark Lamont Hill on the 80s.

84 was a wild year. It was a wild year. I don't think there's a more important year for black people. Listen to look back at it on the IHeart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what I'm saying. Yep, that's me, Clifford Taylor the 4th.

You might have seen the skits, my basketball and college football journey, or my career in sports media. Well, now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifers Show. This is a place for raw, unfilled conversations with athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. So let's get to it. Listen to the Clifford show on the IHeard radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes,

follow at Clifford and at TikTok podcast network on TikTok. Thanks for listening to the best of Heard podcast. Be sure to catch us live every weekday. From 12 to 3 Eastern, 9 to noon Pacific on Fox Sports Radio and FS1, find your local station for the herd at Fox Sports Radio.com or stream us live every day on the iHeartRadio app by searching Heard. This is the best of the Heard. with Colin Cowher on Fox Sports Radio.

Ah, here we go. We are loaded on a Tuesday. We have real sports live in Los Angeles. This show is called The Herd. Wherever you may be and however you may be listening, Fox Sports Radio, FS1, it is great to have you in. Joy Taylor is joining me. Everybody from comedian Bill Burr to Bruce Feldman College football,

Urban Meyer stops by today. Jason lights the GM of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He's got a new quarterback named Tom Brady. Maybe you've heard of him. Joy, how are you? I'm great. It's a lot going on this morning. There is.

I don't think I'm a guy with an agenda. I can pick both sides. I voted for both parties for president. I'm not a big agenda guy. I'm kind of an independent guy. So I see this this morning. Nick Saban comes out and says, players aren't going to catch the virus in the football field.

They're going to catch it on a campus. He goes on to say, we've been testing all summer. We have a 2% positive ratio on our team since the 4th of July. He goes, it's a lot higher than that in society. You can get it if you play football. You can get it if you're at a bar. You can get it at a beach. You can get it hanging out.

Of course, Nick Saban is right. Here's also some data that is in, and this is not disputable. athletes in bubbles, athletes in semi-bubbles, athletes on team in America, any team, college or pro, have a significantly lower shot of getting COVID. Those are not disputable. If you want to argue it, you've got an agenda. This is not what I have. So far, if you do catch it as an athlete, the death rate is zero.

You are now safer with your pro team in a bubble. That is not disputable. Nobody even tests positive in a bubble. And now you're also safer statistically in a university semi-bubble. I looked at all the stats this morning. Ohio State, Michigan, Alabama. Even baseball gets criticized. They've had 13,000 tests.

Point one have been positive. Oh, we're freaking out. That's the crisis sport. Baseball, 13,000 tests, 0.1% positive. We live in a country now where we pick and choose what we can do. Airlines, 250 seats, American Airlines, all sold. Jam together, five-hour flight. I don't see you going on Twitter screaming about that.

You can eat inside and outside restaurants all over America. You are fighting for your right to do that. I ate insider restaurant in Parks City, Utah this weekend. I'm going to eat outside in one tonight. and I'm fighting for my right to do it. You can go to the beach anywhere in America, sit right next to somebody with no mask. And you're fighting for your right to do it. But yet I'm outraged by kids in a semi-bubble with doctors everywhere playing college football.

I'm not. 13 big 10 campuses are allowing students on campus without the supervision of doctors and getting tested four times a week. Nick Saban said yesterday, our kids can be tested every day if they want to be. Every single day. I go to the grocery store. That lady at the checkout or that guy, they're not getting tested every day. The players in college football are getting tested three times a week. Now, yesterday there was great concern, and this is a real issue, right?

A rare heart condition has surfaced called microcarditis inflammation of the heart muscle. And I'm going to read you this verbatim. The condition is usually caused by viral infection. including the common cold influenza and mono. For the record, anybody with a college student knows mono is everywhere in a college campus, everywhere. And you can catch it from COVID. The story continues, left undiagnosed and untreated,

it could cause heart damage. But there's a reason when I don't feel well, I go to a doctor and not an architect because doctors diagnose and treat. and if you're a college kid and get it and you can get it anywhere in America, you've got a better chance if you're a college athlete surrounded by testing and doctors to get it diagnosed early and treated. That's why we go to doctors.

Once a year I feel sick, maybe once every two years. I go to a doctor. He diagnoses something and then treats it. I am not saying this shouldn't be of concern. What I'm saying is we've got numbers now. It is safer to be on a college campus as an athlete surrounded by tests and protocol and doctors and supervisors. I told you yesterday, I have a college daughter. I'd much rather she lived with volleyball players getting tested than the people she lives with now,

boyfriends who I don't trust at 20 years old to wear masks and socially distance. In college athletics, you have to do both. I'll make you wear a mask. They'll test you every day, and there'll be social distancing. But it's funny in America now. We're just picking and choosing what we're outraged by. Airlines are packed. You would call the airline and scream if they wouldn't let you fly and see your mom.

Restaurants are jammed where I live, and you'd fight and yell and scream when they're not open. Beaches. You're taking away my freedoms. people are next to each other all over. I can't figure out why you can put people in a tube at 33,000 feet for five hours. Joy was on one of these planes. But you can't go to a Dodger game? One?

And have 6,000, 8,000 people in a vast stadium wearing masks? I mean, I don't understand it. I'm lost on this. And I would be concerned, too. I support any program or player that wants to opt out. This is not some dogma that you have to play. But we've got data now. These sports are working.

The bubble sports are unbelievable. Hockey's on a billion tests, no positive. NBA's been unbelievable. Lou Williams likes an occasional chicken wing. Give the guy a break. Don't label him for life. I mean, and in these college numbers, I'm looking at Ohio states, Michigan, Alabama.

I'm looking at all of them today. Texas, USC. There's doctors everywhere. They're vetted everywhere. They don't want to be sued. So I hope we have college football. I doubt it. I doubt it.

I think there's just liability and lawyers now are running this. But I think you have an agenda if you think a college kid is safer on a campus, non-athletic kid than an athlete. I think the athlete's much safer. I don't even think it's arguable. I'm looking at all the number. You're not getting tested six times a week as a kid. as a chemistry major, you are as a football player.

All right. Lakers last night. Beat Denver. Gutty performance. Very, I mean, this is one for the ages. This will go down in Laker, Llor as one of the all-timers. Here's how it ended. LeBron to inbound.

H. D.D. App is on him. Anthony Davis picked up by Bull. Here comes Kuzma for the win. Got it! 124, 121, what a shot by Kyle Kuzma. Yes, Kyle Kuzma and the Lakers starters, including LeBron that played the entire fourth quarter, eeked out a win over Denver that didn't play any of their starters at all in the fourth quarter. Even after that game, the Lakers are still last in three-point percentage,

last in field goal percentage, and last in points in the bubble. last. That is with LeBron James. That is with Anthony Davis. That would be like having five kids, two of your daughters are supermodels, and you still got voted the ugliest family. How homely would your sons have to be? Folks, if you have LeBron and AD and you're last in the bubble offensively, what does that tell you about the rest of the cast? You know, for years and years, LeBron, James in the east. There would be these fools gold number one seeds. Remember Toronto and Atlanta Derek Rose in Chicago and Roy Hibbert and the Pacers and they would be

number one seeds and LeBron would come in and whack them. They were fools gold. The difference is now LeBron went west and he's on the number one seed that's fool's gold. I am picking Portland to beat the Lakers. The Lakers cannot defend the three. Last night Denver shot 57% on threes. Did not miss any in the fourth.

Denver's backups did not miss any in the fourth. If you can't shoot the three and you can't defend the three, you can't beat Portland. Gary Trent Jr., Dame, C.J. McCollum, equal size. I just, why is everybody afraid to say this? LeBron knows it. I mean, LeBron was saying after Kuzma shot last night, listen carefully to LeBron. In our first winning championship, he has to be our third best player. And if I'm struggling, or 80 struggling, he has to be our second best player.

know, any given night. I mean, it's just, we can't win a championship of Coos doesn't play well. And Coos doesn't play well every third game. Listen, I live in Los Angeles. People look at me, I can see it. Why are you so down on the Lakers? I'm not down on the Clippers. I'm not down on the Dodgers.

I'm not down on L-A-F-C. If I talked hockey, I wouldn't be down on the Kings. I'm down on this Laker team. I think they're a fool's goal number one. I think they kept their starters in last night to prove a point against Denver. They need wins. They need confidence. Because I don't think LeBron, outside of AD, trust any.

A.N.Y. All caps. Any of his teammates to be that third star. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays in noon Eastern, 9 a.m. Pacific. 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. A win is a win. A win is a win.

I don't care what I'll say. Yep, that's me, Cliver Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, the reactions, my journey from basketball to college football, or my career in sports media. Well, somewhere along the way, this platform became bigger than I ever imagined. And now I'm bringing all of that excitement

to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfiltered conversations with some of your favorite athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. One week, I'll take you behind the scenes of the biggest moments in sports and entertainment. And the next we'll talk about life, mental health, purpose, and even music.

The Clifford Show isn't just a podcast. It's a space for honest conversations, stories that don't always get told, and for people who are chasing something bigger. So if you've ever supported me or you're just chasing down a dream, this is right where you need to be. Listen to the Clifford show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok.

Do you remember when Diana Ross double-tapped Little Kim's boobs at the VMAs? Or when Kanye said that George Bush didn't like black people. I know what you're thinking. What the hell does George Bush got to do with Little Kim? Well, you can find out on the Look Back at it podcast. I'm Sam J. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick a here, unpack what went down,

and try to make sense of how we survived it. Including a recent episode with Mark Lamont Hill, waxing all about crack in the 80s. To be clear, 84 is big to me, not just because, of crack. I'm down to talk about crack on day, but just so y'all know. I mean, at this point, Mark, this is the second episode where we've discussed crack. So I'm starting to see that there's a through line.

We also have AIDS on the table right now. Thank you finishing that sentence. Yes. I don't think there's a more important year for black people. Really? Yeah. For me, it's one of the most important years for black people in American history. Listen to look back at it on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your

Podcasts. Welcome to my new podcast, Learn the Hard Way with me, your host, and your favorite therapist, Kear Games. And in recognition of mental health awareness month,

I'm bringing over a decade of my own experience in the mental health field and conversations with so many incredible guests. I'm talking, Tripp Fontaine, Ryan Clark.

Sometimes when we're in the pursuit of the thing, we get so wrapped up in the chase that we don't realize that we are in possession of the thing. And we're still chasing it. And we don't know

when we've done enough. because people scoreboard watch. Life becomes about wins and losses. Steve Burns, Dustin Ross, because you find it important to be a good person while you hear on earth? Are you a good person because you're afraid? Because that's two different intentions, bro.

Absolutely. And that's two different levels of trust. I want you to just really be a good person. Join me, Kear Gaines, as we have real conversations about healing, growth, fatherhood, pressure, and purpose on my new podcast, learn the hard way. Open your free, our heart radio app,

Search Learn the Hard Way and listen now. So, Joy, I'm going to make NFL standing prediction. Yes. Now, I always do this. I wait for the coaching changes, the combine, the draft, free agency, and then I make a prediction. I did that May. But things have changed. Now we've had opt-out, no OTAs, no pre-season, and so I'm going to make another prediction.

Now, I have a right to amend this before the season starts. days. The Constitution in this country has amendments, like 26 of them. I get one. So, because I'm going to wait for injuries if there's any injuries. So you, so you're only allowing yourself one amendment? One amendment. One one, one phase of amendments. I think one amendment. But again, the last year we, I think that's a seven amendments. So you're kind of cornering yourself here. Okay. One might be a little limited. Let me defend myself. The Constitution has 26 amendments. I could be wrong. It has 20. 27 amendments, Alex, 27 amendments, the Constitution.

I don't get a second. You can have as our show. You can have as many as you want. You can have as many, but if you say I only get one, that freedom of speech one needs to be amended so you don't talk back. All right, here we go. So I'm very excited. Now, this is what I believe is going to happen this year.

Joy and I have talked about this. Her brother, of course, Hall of Famer. She's been watching football games forever. I think the good teams are going to be really good and dominant. and I think the bad teams are going to be trash. I just think if you have a new staff and a new quarterback, no OTAs, you're going to get rolled. They're going to be some bad, bad teams this year. And it doesn't mean their players are bad.

This is just awful. What's a bad situation for anyone who has to implement anything new? And the good teams that bring everybody back and have just added smart veteran players are going to be unbelievable. We had this in the – remember the strike shortened season where the good teams were really good and the bad were really bad? So here we go. Let's start with the AFC.

AFC East. Buffalo, I had them earlier, about nine wins. I'm going to give them 11. They've added Stefan Diggs. They've had a couple of opt-outs, a defensive line on a corner. They're deep on defense. Miami's one of the toughest teams for me because I really like where they're going. But God, they needed a preseason.

They really needed a preseason. So I've got them at 7 and 9. I think if they had a preseason, Tua would start. They don't have a preseason. I don't think to a will start. I think they'll find their magic about week five or six. Jets, C.J. Mosley opted out. Jamal Adams is gone.

They're just not going to be good enough in an improved division. And again, New England's 5 and 11. Eight opt-out players. Cam is sharing snaps. No preseason for Cam sharing snaps. No deep threat. No functioning tight end. Dante Scarnacki, best old line coach in 20 years retires.

I think we all know why New England will be 5 and 11. AFC North. I've got courage. Baltimore's going to roll. They're going to destroy people. 13 of their 16 games, they're going to bulldoze people. They have the NFL's easiest travel schedule, and I think the NFL's best roster. Cleveland worries me with Kevin Stefansky, but I love their talent.

I think Cleveland probably starts to roll about mid-October, pump the brakes on Brown's criticism. New coach, new staff. They're going to be a run first football team, fingers crossed. Pittsburgh. Again, I would love to see a preseason with Big Ben. They don't get one. And I don't buy them right now.

I don't like their direction, though I love their front seven. Cincinnati, I thought, could win five or six. They're going to get rolled. They're going to be bad. They just don't. I saw the Joe Burrell footage yesterday. The ball didn't have any zip on it. Very concerned.

Accuracy issues. The ball was very low. Did not like the 45 seconds of Joe Burrow footage yesterday. And I watched that and I thought, what am I doing? He's not lining up against the Ravens, Browns, and Steelers defenses. I'm sorry. It's going to be a total mismatch. And that's nothing against Joe Burrow.

They're going to be awful. All right. AFC South. A bunch of average and a horrible Jaguars team. Again, Jaguars got no players. They're clearly targeting next year. I think the Colts have the best young offensive line in football, and that will allow immobile Philip Rivers to succeed. I also loved their first three draft picks, or their first two draft picks, Michael Pittman from USC, Jonathan Taylor, running back at Wisconsin.

Now, I don't think Philip Rivers is athletic. In fact, I think he's the least athletic quarterback in the league, and I think there are some limitations in 2020. The good teams can move the pocket, or you're like Tampa, where you have superstars everywhere. So I think the Colts win a average division. I think Tanna Hill pulls back. There you go. AFC West, this division's absolutely loaded. I even think the Raiders are fun, but I think they're going to be over their skis. Teams that move cities are usually bad the first year.

I think Kansas City is going to win 12. I had Denver being a very good team this year, and I think they're improved. Here's what worries me. They got a left tackle issue and the right tackle opted out. That's Cleveland last year. Cleveland had a lot of good players. They were atrocious at tackle. And Cleveland couldn't protect Baker Mayfield running for his life.

So I get Drew Locke with a bad left tackle who's underachieved and a right tackle who opted out. That worries me a ton. But I still have them at 9 and 7. Chargers are a very competitive 8-8. Tyrod Taylor is a functioning starting quarterback. New stadium, same coach. I like them.

I just think it an improved AFC. There's a ceiling with the team Raiders 5 and 11. So my AFC playoffs, Bill's Ravens, Colts, Chiefs are division winners. Broncos, Browns, Chargers are playoff teams. Yes, I do think Kansas City, Denver, and the Chargers all make the playoffs from the AFC West. NFL football, arguably, I really do think it's the best division in football.

Now let's go to the NFC. I'm going to have Philadelphia winning it. Dallas has a new coach. They're not going to be bad. They could go 9 and 7, but I have 8 and 8. I think the Giants, there are some things about the Giants I like. Daniel Jones better than I thought. Saquan Barkley, they've upgraded the O-line.

I think New York's going to be a, but I got a new coach. But they're another team. If the Giants had a preseason and you gave me a look at them, I'd like him a lot more. The Washington football team, I just think they're going to be bad. I think they'll be really intense. But again, how bad did Dwayne Haskins need a preseason? Like Washington's one at like Miami. Like there's players with Washington.

There are players with Miami. devastating, devastating for Washington with a new coach, quarterback with very few starts, no preseason. NFC North, I think it's going to be a very good division. I don't like Detroit like everybody else. A lot of people think Detroit's sneaky. I'm going to have Minnesota and Green Bay at 11 and 5. Again, I got some issues with Green Bay, but Aaron Rogers, star offensive players. I think Minnesota's roster is excellent. I think Minnesota's front office is excellent. Mike Zimmer's a little rigid for me on the offensive end. But Kirk Cousins, as much as we bag on him, is pretty proficient.

Chicago's in a little bit of a quarterback transition stage. That's how I see it. And in the NFC South, Saints, Bucks, Panthers, Falcons. I think the Falcons are a bit of a mess. I think they may bail on their head coach who's in a lame duck year halfway through the season. Carolina 7 and 9, but fighters' chance, they blow somebody's season up. I think the Saints are the best team. And I think Tampa Bay takes about six weeks to get their out.

Act together, really could have used a preseason, didn't have one. Their defense, my prediction is Tampa's defense will actually be the story the first six weeks of the year. We'll be talking about their defense. NFC West, second to best division in football. I got the Niners winning at 12 and 4. I had Seattle better than this. Pull back a little bit. Organization that I think is a little top heavy.

Rams are good at 9 and 7, but like Seattle, they're kind of like Seattle to me, some stars top heavy, some thin spots. They just don't have the quarterback Seattle does. And Arizona is a competitive 5 and 11, but still young and a lot of changes. The NFC playoffs look exactly like last year's. The difference is Tom Brady's in. Eagles, Vikings, Saints, Niners, the wildcard teams. I think Minnesota would tie with Green Bay but win the division. Packers, Bucks and Seahawks.

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. Jason Light played football at Nebraska, and then he got into football and personnel and scouting. He is the general manager now in his seventh year with the Tanta Bay Buccaneers. And I've been saying this for the last couple. It's not a talent issue. They don't have the quarterback right quite yet, but they got all sorts of players, and he is joining us via the Coward Global Satellite Network.

So, you know, what's interesting about this, Jason, is that people think, oh, there's all this change. You actually return 19 starters, which I think is first or second in the NFL. So you guys have not had a lot of flux. You're young. But when I look at your team this year, my only question, it's not your defense. It's not your personnel. My question is take the old guy, put him up with the new kids, and figure out the offensive system together. So how has Brady looked so far, Jason?

He's looked great. You know, we haven't put pads on yet. We haven't even gone offense versus defense in walkthroughs. You know, that's coming up this week. But there's definitely a different aura to practice. There's just a different feel. It's very efficient. He's, he's, the players are gravitating, like gravitating to him like you would expect.

I was, you know, in New England for six years when he was the quarterback. So it's not as, I'm not as in awe as a lot of other people here that are, that haven't been around him. Don't get me wrong. I'm still in awe of him. I mean, he's the best of all time. But it's just a different feel, but we're taking it one day at a time here. We all know we have a lot of work to do before we kick off here a little over a month. You know, it's interesting when I don't even think I've heard the story on this.

So there had to have been a moment where you and Bruce Ariens were, you know, it's a day in the off season. And you had to have a moment where you said, you know, coach, I was up there, New England. I have Tom's number. maybe we can make a little text to Tom. Do you remember the moment when it really, you thought to yourself, I think we have a shot here. We may be in the hunt here for Brady. Well, it seems like it was five years ago now because we've been through a lot here,

all of us in the world here the last few months. But it really never came down until the moment that we could call the agent. We couldn't talk to the players yet for agency. legal tampering period, which was a Nazi moron, but where, you know, we didn't get an answer, but the first call I made to Don Yee, he said, you made the right call. And I thought at that moment, that was a good sign.

Now, I didn't know if he was saying that to any other teams that were calling him. But it wasn't until we were able to talk to Tom. I went over to Bruce's house, called him, and he answered, and he said, what's up, big guy? I'm very excited. And I remember looking at Bruce going, I don't know what this means.

Is he joining us? So the call went well. He still hadn't signed until, you know, the following day. So I wasn't going to start, you know, doing cartwheels until, you know, the ink dried. But, you know, that was really the moment.

There was a lot of sleepless nights leading up to it. And, you know, it was, you know, it was crazy that we're, you know, kind of in this, that was when the uncertainty started, you know, he was just coming to grasp with what we're going through with the pandemic at that moment that, you know, after he signed, we would have normally probably rented out a restaurant and had a party. But, you know, it was just kind of a surreal time.

But it was a great thing to happen during those times to keep our minds, you know, off of everything else that was going on just for a moment. You know, it's funny. You had the world's best secret. In the entire world, you had the world's best secret and you couldn't tell anybody. Did you even tell your wife? Did you even go home and say, honey, you can't tell anybody, but we're going to get Tom Brady here. How did you keep it secret?

Well, in today's day and age, it was the free agent bell hit. So, you know, everybody was after the story. And I think it pretty much was out simultaneously. But she knew that that's what the desire that Bruce and I and our organization wanted for a while. But she was told not to tell anybody that that's why. what we were hoping to do. Yeah. You know, when I looked at your team,

it's one of those things where when Tom chose you, we all went on this show, oh, yeah, this makes total sense. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. This makes sense. The receivers, he got tired of kind of a lack of firepower and Tampa's got all sorts of firepower. So, but the untold story of your team

is that your defense was great down the stretch. And I'm a huge fan of Todd Bowles. I thought he was very good in New York, but he may be a coordinator more than a coach. I don't know. I don't know. But let's talk a little bit about that is that the offense will get all the discussion.

You have one of the best young linebacking courses in football. Talk about how you played last year late on the other side of the ball. We took some lumps early in the year. We had a very young secondary. And first of all, to back up, you're right. Todd Bowles is an incredible coach. I think he's going to be a great head coach again someday. but he's an incredible coach.

We have an A-plus coaching staff. Bruce has put together an all-star staff here, and they're just incredible to work with. But we struggled a little bit early. Todd put it in his staff, put in extra time with these young guys. I think it was the secondary. They finally started to click. They finally started to get it.

These were young guys. And at the second half of the year, I was driving to the stadium looking forward to watching this defense. And there have been a few years that I wouldn't be able to say the same thing. So I think they're only going to get better this year. We have a lot of talent, like you said, but we have a great coaching staff. And we have a great vision for what we're going to do this year. One of the things I've been concerned about is as you get older, 43 years old for Tom,

you're dealing with 21-year-olds. They listen to different music. They're on different platforms. Tom's done a very good job to stay young. And I thought it was interesting when you brought Gronkin, because you're certainly not short of tight ends. You probably have the best tight end combo in the NFL. Is Gronk more of a chemistry piece? How do you view Gronk on this roster? Well, we love OJ. We think Cam's a heck of a player. We've got a couple other young guys that we like, a few other young guys that we like as

well. But we do know that Tom likes Gronk. We didn't sign him or trade for him just because of that. but you know, your tight end is usually your quarterback's best friend. So if you can actually get the quarterback's best friend and bring it a tight end, and you probably have a better chance of things working out. But, you know, you can't have too many great players. This says we love OJ, we love Cam. We love, like I said, the other young guys too. I think we're going to find a way to get them all into the offense.

And, you know, I think Tom's up for the task. Yeah. So, I mean, this is obviously COVID makes it difficult, but I was saying yesterday is that the NFL is equipped to handle this. You can kind of create a semi-bubble, not an NHL bubble, but a semi-bubble. Is that how it kind of feels that it's, you've got some parameters here that are fairly rigid and that you'll get through it.

Are you optimistic today? I am optimistic. Very optimistic. It's been working for us. I know it's been working for a lot of other teams, too. I know that the accountability that Bruce has been preaching to our players, don't let one person bring this down. They all see that this could be a very exciting year for us.

They don't want to be the person that does it, that brings it down. Everybody's very vigilant here about wearing their masks, social distancing when you have to. And Bruce preaches it every day. So when it's coming from the top and nobody wants, to give this virus to any of our players, but we certainly don't want to give it to our coaches either. So right now, I've been very pleased with the work that our staff has done, putting this our quasi bubble together.

So like I said, I'm looking forward to kicking off here in a little over a month. I imagine merchandise sales have been pretty strong. Your ownership group should be pretty, the glazer should be pretty happy. Just off the top of your head, merchandise sales for the Buccaneers. Let me guess they're up. Yeah, probably a little bit. I had to buy a bunch of jerseys myself for family members. So I imagine that they are up.

I imagine they are. Tom Brady raises the accountability level of everybody in the organization. Yeah, Jason, great seeing you. You've done a remarkable job. Couldn't be happier for you. I lived there for a couple of years. A great NFL city. And thank you so much for coming on the show.

I appreciate it. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays in noon Eastern 9 a.m. Pacific on Fox Sports. Sports Radio, FS1, and the IHard Radio app. So one of the things, I've always had this theory on Boston people. So Boston people just become successful because they've got an edge to him. Dana White's a Boston guy. He got a lot of, UFC got a lot of crap.

That was not an easy success story. Bill Simmons, Dave Portnoy at Barstall gets a lot of crap. Bill Burr's a Boston guy. Boston guys have an edge. and they're they you know sometimes they're not the most elegant in the way they present themselves but they're tough guys very unapologetic they're unapologetic maybe it's because you know they blew grew up not far from you know plymouth rock they think they own the place and i don't know what it is about boston guys but bill burr is the voice of boston and america he's common sense

he's smart he's a great comedian he was just in the king of staten island it's now available on digital Blu-ray, and he is joining us via the Coward Global Satellite Network. So let's start with that. What is it about Boston guys and Dana White and Simmons? Can we start by saying I am not the voice of Boston? Okay. I grew up in the suburbs. I'm not as tough as the guys, at least the Boston I remember.

I don't know what Boston's like now. I left like 25 years ago. Yeah. I am the voice of safe suburban, the safe suburbs. South of Boston. Okay, that's fair enough. So Joy has the first question, because you're in this movie,

and Joy has a question for you. I have not seen it yet. My daughter has Joy has. So what's the question? So, Bill, we have a lot of hair conversations on this show, and you have a pretty glorious mustache in this movie, which is very funny, by the way. Did you grow that?

Because that would be very impressive. Or is this a... Yes, yes, I did. You grew that mustache. Wow. Yeah, I mean, I didn't shave for a couple of months. Judd Apatow, the great Judd Apatow said, all right, what are we going to do?

You're playing a firefighter. You know, what I learned on the movies, you can't have a beard when you're a firefighter because you need the seal for the mask. So we were trying to think, you know, grow the hair out a little bit, do the horseshoe thing. I was like, you know, so then we just, I just said, listen, I think the shade's going to look cool

because I saw what the other people looked like they all had hair. It would be something different. just grew a beard and hair and makeup sort of were like, what kind of mustache do you want? And I go, I think this guy's probably like an old school guy. Yeah.

I mean, no fireman really have a mustache. I don't think like that. So it was a little ridiculous. But it was a comedy. By the way, another Boston guy is Dennis Leary. He's another guy with an edge. These guys are all quick.

Now, let me ask you this. As a Boston. Now, Dennis is from real Boston. He's from Charleston. Yeah. The fighters. Which I'm sure it's now like all condos and stuff like that. But back in the day, it was like all bank robbers and Dennis and Tony V.

So as a Boston guy, if Brady goes to Tampa and wins a Super Bowl, would you be better? I absolutely love this question because every non-patriots fan has been asking me this. And I can just really see how much this guy has broken your hearts. It's really a testament to how great he is. I absolutely would not be brokenhearted. He put us on the map. We were a joke. I can't say a total joke because we had Drew Bledsoe

and Bill Parcells before them. But like, you know, we used to play. It looked like a high school football stadium, aluminum seats. He took us to nine and we won six. He can't complain. And what I love is, is if he wins in Tampa, he'll do what a lot of great quarterbacks have never been able to do is go to that.

next team, you know, Joe Namath with the Rams, Johnny Unadius with Chicago and on and on and on. I'm sorry, with San Diego. If he does this, I think it would be a great thing because I know he's a huge fan of Joe Montana and Joe Montana went to Kansas City, immediately made them a playoff team, but wasn't able to get them a championship. And if he wins it, I just want to know, what is Jim Ursay and the Colts going to say? How are they going to say he underhandedly beat him this time? I would absolutely love it. Of course, I'm rooting for the Patriots,

but if the Patriots don't make it with Cam Newton, which I think we got as good a chance as anybody, I would love to see Tom Brady go up against Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs, sort of the next guy who's already arrived with his title. I would love to see that matchup. I mean, I think that would be an incredible Super Bowl. But I am not bitter at all in the last 20 years. I got to see all four of my sports teams win a chance.

And if I'm being perfectly honest, I would have thought I would see the Red Sox winner World Series before I ever saw the Patriots win a Super Bowl. I just, I mean, when I was growing up, I didn't even feel like we were even in the league. We just, you know, had guys, you know, on work release from prison, plow in the field to give us a field goal. Our fans took the goalpost out of the stadium and got electrocuted on some wires. Somebody stabbed the police horse. We were, like, banned from Monday Night Football. The Razorblade guy buys our team, and then somebody takes their towel up

in front of a woman reporter. We were a joke. It was like, it was an S show. Until, obviously, Parcells and Drew Bletso, I'm not trying to discredit what they did. But like, ever since Bob Kraft, I would say this, the three greatest coaching hires ever, Parcells to Pete Carroll

to Bill Belichick. I don't know how you top that. You know, it's funny because there's always a saying in New England, in Bill we trust. And Bill has got a system and he's tough and he would call out Brady. And it's funny because you're an artist. You're a comedian. You're an actor. You need freedom.

Stretching it there. I'll go with that, though, but all right. But you need Judd Apatow's super smart. But Judd gives you the ability and the freedom to kind of, you know, see your way through perhaps what you're doing. Belichick doesn't give you money. He saw the Matt Castle that I was. And he built the offense around me. But if Tom left Belichick, and there was this sense that Belichick wore his ass out, he was exhausted from it.

If you had to pick. Oh, my God. Are you going to go real housewives on me here? Well, I'm saying. You weren't in the locker room. You don't know what happened. I talked to. I'm American.

Some other guy who never played professional sports by the water cooler. You don't know what? happened. How about this? How about Tom did everything he could to make the team win? He was constantly deferring money so we could get better players. He's at the end. How about he goes to the sunshine doesn't deal with the winter at state taxes? He gave us six. I mean, anybody who's upset with that move, you're just a miserable person. Let me ask you this, though. If I said... Come up with another, you know, I don't know what the hell. Real housewives reason.

You know what? I heard. I heard he told me he had to pull up his socks. You're talking to America's honesty broker. I got a lot of sources, okay? So. I always love when somebody tells me how honest they are. You're going to sell me a car now, Colin? If Bella Checker Brady, only one can win a Super Bowl next five years. Who would you choose? Where's your loyalty? I'll tell you, this is how great how much I love both of them. That's tough. I wouldn't want to make. That's like Sophie's choice.

I want Tom to win so bad. I just want to hear how the Colts are going to cry on this one. And all of you guys in sports media, the way you backed out, you guys backed all their ridiculous complaining over the years is really shameful, but I also understand that it's a symptom of having a 24-hour news network now. You've got to have something to talk about. But to be honest with you, I don't care. I think I would have cared before this pandemic,

but at this point, I mean, I'm just happy sports are back. I'd like to see, obviously, I want to see both of them win again and prove to everybody who said that, you know, you know, the ridiculous statements that Tom, he's a systems quarterback, he can plug anybody in, and people who, you know, just are constantly trying to come at Belichick because they can't figure out what he's doing, saying all kinds of horrible things about him.

I hope they both, you know, I hope Tom wins one this year. We won next year. And then I just want to hear what all these just babies, these whiners are going to say. I got to tell you, all those years when Dan Marino's with the dolphins and they would kick our ass down the orange bowl, they would always beat us.

Like, I never, you know, I never said anything bad about the guy. I love Dan Marino. The guy, I mean, I love Derek Jeter. All of those guys broke my sports heart, a thousand times, but I would never sit there and talk negatively about them that they were doing something underhanded. It's like they beat you. You lost by 35.

That's true. So now that you're doing movies and you're a comedian and now you act and you had a great, we talked during the break. This is smart because I'm not much of an actor guy, although I love movies. And I said, how do you act? I don't like football, but I love football. How do you act? Tell me the answer you gave me, because I thought this was a really good answer. I said, how do you fake it? How do you pretend after being authentic on a stage for 30 years?

Well, thank you for giving me the nod that I haven't been full of S when I've been on stage. But no, it's just all I learned from watching a guy Jeffrey Tambor. He's the guy I learned the most from him on how to do comedy, where I would watch him on Larry Sanders. What made it funny was he wasn't trying to be funny. believed everything that he was saying. And that show was on at the same time I had first gone down to New York

and I remember walking up the street on the Upper East Side and I saw this beginning of a bar fight spilled out onto the street and there was these two guys squaring off and I could tell that neither one of them wanted to fight but neither one could back down because all their friends were watching

so they were terrified but because I had no skin in the game when I watched it it was hilarious to me. me. But neither one of them were trying to be funny. But they're trying to be like tough when they were actually scared made it funny. And I remember it finally what Jeffrey Tambor was doing clicked to me when he would be upset on the show about not Hank, his character, not getting the respect he felt he deserved and being this second banana and sort of treated like this buffoon, not only by the public by, but by the guys that he worked with. What made it funny was that he cared. He wasn't

trying to be funny. He really just wanted to have this respect. And there's this great scene one time when he's yelling at Gary, Larry Sanders. And Rip Torn is actually listening on the answering machine. And the look of pain on his face when he discovers that as he's pouring his heart out to Larry Sanders, that he's still a joke was absolutely, it was hilarious and heartbreaking all at the same time. So I feel like that's what I learned and that's what I'm trying to do. It's such a smart answer, isn't it? It's a really good answer. Every once in a while I get lucky, Colin.

So when's the last time you did a stand-up act? Because you can't go inside anymore. When's the last time you- March 10th? I opened for, I did a show with Dean Del Rey, great comic and former frontman for a rock band. And he loves Bond Scott as like a tattoo of a killer tattoo right on his side. And he did a, uh, It was like 40 years since Bond Scott had passed, so he put together this comedy and tribute to Bond Scott ACDC show. So me, Dean Del Rey, and Mark Marin, going back.

I forget who else was on the show. We did stand-up first, and then a band came out with all these heavy hitters like Steve Gorman, Brad Wilk. Of course, I'm naming all the drummers. I'm a drum geek. There's all these amazing players. And we had like the greatest night ever.

and then it was just over. I can't wait to get back on stage, though. I can tell you that. King of Staten Island available, digital, Blu-ray DVD, August 25th. So you don't like being called, what did I call you? You're the every man of Boston,

and you were offended by that because you grew up in the Byrd. No, you said I spoke for Boston. And I'd like to go back there and actually be able to relax at some point, so I can't accept that title. It's great seeing you. Congrats on your success. By the way, I've got to give a shout-

to a buddy of mine. I just found out passed away literally 90 minutes ago, like one of the biggest might be the biggest Patriots fans of all time. Wayne Prevety, one of my great friends, rest in peace, hilarious comedian and an even better friend, absolutely heartbroken about that. So he was such a Patriots fan. I was joking with a buddy of mine. I think he couldn't bear to see to see Tom Brady in a Buccaneers jersey. So maybe that's why he checked out. I don't know, but love you forever, brother. Good seeing you, Billy. I appreciate it coming on after that. Emotion a day for you, and I appreciate it, man. No worries, thank you.

Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays in noon Eastern, 9 a.m. Pacific. 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. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care which I'm saying. Yep, that's me, Cliver Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, the reactions,

my journey from basketball to college football, or my career in sports media. Well, somewhere along the way, this platform became bigger than I ever imagined. And now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfiltered conversations with some of your favorite athletes,

creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. One week, I'll take you behind the scenes of the biggest moments in sports and entertainment, and the next we'll talk about life, mental health, purpose, and even music. The Clifford Show isn't just a podcast, it's a space for honest conversations, stories that don't always get told, and for people who are chasing something bigger. So, if you've ever supported me, or you're just chasing down a dream, this is right what you need to be. Listen to the Clifford show on the IHeard radio app,

Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. Do you remember when Diana Ross double-tap Little Kim's boobs at the VMAs? Or when Kanye said that George Bush didn't like black people. I know what you're thinking. What the hell does George Bush got to do with Little Kim?

Well, you can find out on the Look Back at it podcast. I'm Sam Jette. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick it here, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it. Including a recent episode with Mark Lamont Hill, waxing all about crack in the 80s. To be clear, 84 was big to me, not just because of crack. I'm down to talk about crack all day, but just so y'all know. I mean, at this point, Mark, this is the second episode where we've discussed crack.

So I'm starting to see that there's a through line. We also have AIDS on the table right now. Thank you for finishing that sentence. Yes. I don't think there's a more important year for black people. Really? Yeah. For me, it's one of the most important years for black people in American history.

Listen to look back at it on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. 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, Tript Fantine, 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. 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 Hardway.

Open your free, Our Heart Radio app. Search Learn the Hardway and listen now. By the way, Big Ten football season has just been canceled. A lot of people going to lose their jobs. It's tough. Big Ten football season has officially been canceled. So they're going to try

for spring football, which I think is doable. Urban Meyer doesn't like it. It's doable. So there you go. So my guess is the PAC-12 schedule. Pac-12's always been a little pious and precious. They will cancel in the next 24 hours. But the ACC, the Duke, the medical advisor for the ACC conference is a Duke doctor.

And he said, you can play football. So the ACC and the SEC, where college football is really popular, they are all in on this so far. Big 12 will, I think Big 12. But I've said this before. Now, this was kind of our prediction that the Big 10 in the PAC 12 see themselves as very academic institutions. The Ivy League canceled. In the Pac-12, I grew up out here. They see themselves as winner of the Sears Cup, our volleyball, our swimming matter.

In the SEC, they're like, listen, we do football. I don't really care by anything else. And I just don't think college football means as much out west. So I think the Big Ten season has been canceled. I think athletes are safer in athletic bubbles than not. It looks like it's going to be a year of pro sports, which, by the way, pro sports has always been more popular than college sports. NHL is more popular than college hockey.

NFL is much more popular than college basketball. NBA gets much bigger ratings than college basketball. So pro sports are working, but pro sports have billionaire owners. and billionaire owners can write $25 million checks. I mean, this really comes down to a financial issue. So pro athletes are playing. Pro athletes are older than college athletes. And nobody 17, 18, and under is dying of COVID.

So this is really, to me, if you say it's just, well, this is a health issue. My takeaway, well, then why are pro athletes doing? A lot of pro athletes are 35 years old, 38. college athletes are 21. So you're basically saying in the NFL, because you can get all the testing and the bubbles, we feel good about it.

But in college where it's more semi-bubble, we don't feel good about it. And I contend this feels, to me, a lot like lawsuit, fear, litigation concerns. Because the numbers tell you, Michigan, Alabama, Ohio State, they're testing all day.

Michigan's last 353 tests, they don't have a single positive. Their last 453 tests, they have one or two positives. So, I mean, the testing is showing you these bubbles, these college athletic bubbles, there are not a lot of positive tests. Really not. And by the way, what's interesting with the Big Ten is 13 Big Ten campuses are allowing students on, which is like, wait a minute, they don't have all these medical professionals

around them like the athletes do. and the athletes are all being tested. Nick Saban said today, you can be tested every day if you want. We have people there. So they're saying, I guess what they're saying in the Big Ten is it's player safety. Well, 13 campuses are having kids. They don't have doctors around them. So my takeaway is this is why I've said, Joey and I talked about this earlier.

All this is so confusing to me. I mean, airplanes are packed. I was inside of a restaurant this weekend. That's okay. State to state. We don't have any protocols. I mean, California, you can't be in a restaurant. I was in Park City, Utah.

I was in a restaurant. Beaches, go for it. I've said this before. I can't figure out why you can't have 10,000 people at a Phillies or a Dodgers game, but you can have people sitting next to each other in a restaurant. Indoor's. Outdoors with a mask, no. Indoors, eating without a mask.

And we know this travels very quickly with food, like buffets or a nightmare, right? I don't have the answers to it. But I think we're just, and listen, I talk a lot of NFL and NBFL and As long as the NBA gives me a good playoff and the NFL plays, you know, I'm fine. But it is, I mean, we're kind of making it up as we go. Like airlines are packed in a small tube for six hours. You went on a flight right next to somebody. We're in management mode at this point in our society.

We're managing it. We're managing it. This is a lie. This comes down to a liability issue and a lack of leadership. There's no voice for college football. There's no commissioner. There's no one that was set to organize all these different conferences, put together a safety protocol that all of those presidents of the colleges agreed to.

It's just everyone was just doing their own thing. If I'm a president of Michigan, I can let students on campus without taking tests weekly, but I can't let football players on campus taking literally, potentially, three tests a week. Well, they're banging into each other. you think college kids are not, you think they're all social distancing

in a college campus and we're also going to be in classrooms together, no, isn't that the point of them coming into school? So kids won't be intimate on campus, they won't party on campus, they won't, you got to be kidding me, these are college kids. So if it's safety, I don't buy the argument. If it's safety, why are airlines flying? I'm going to a restaurant tonight. Well, it's safety, but it's safety paired with liability.

That's what it feels like. It feels like lawyers are running college football. People are petrified. By the way, medical professionals, agree, the advisor for the ACC, who's a Duke doctor, he went to med school and stuff, that matters. His opinion

today is, yes, you can have football. Just constant testing, tracing, testing, it's fine. So that doctor says, yes, you can do it. I'm really heartbroken for these athletes. It's, I can't imagine how they feel.

Can you imagine all, you're a fourth or a fifth year's scene? Joe Burroughs story does not exist if he was a senior this year. Joe Burroughs life has been changed by last year of college football. He would have been a fifth round pick. He's the number one pick in the draft. So if you don't think college sports changes lives, I mean, think about the opportunities college sports give to kids that don't have great financial wherewithal or backgrounds. It's a life. I've written about this in both my books. The idea of what college

sports really does, it changes lives. Yeah, we're not just speaking from a callous place of We just want college sports. We have sports back. I would love to see college football, but there's a human element. How about these college towns? This is their income in Auburn, Alabama. This is how they make Eugene Oregon. 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, SNL's Mikey Day and Heather. writer Street or Seidel, help an a cappella band with their between songs banter. Where does your group perform? We do some retirement homes. Those people are starving for banter.

Listen to humor me with Robert Smigel and friends on the I-Heart Radio app, Apple podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. 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 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. A win is a win. A win is a win.

I don't care which I'm saying. Yep, that's me, Clifford Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, my basketball and college football journey, or my career in sports media. Well, now I'm bringing all of it. that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfilled conversations with athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated.

So let's get to it. Listen to The Clifford Show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok podcast network on TikTok. On the Look Back at a podcast. From 1979, that was a big moment for me. 84's big to me. I'm Sam J.

And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick a year, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it. With our friends, fellow comedians, and favorite authors. Like Mark Lamont Hill on the 80s. It was a wild year. It was a wild year. I don't think there's a more important year for black people. Listen to look back at it on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

This is an IHeart podcast. Guaranteed human.