The Herd with Colin Cowherd - Best of The Herd for Aug 14, 2020

Episode Date: August 14, 2020

-Damian Lillard is a winning player, Kyrie Irving is just a talented player-The Chiefs handle their contracts really well unlike the Cowboys-Tom Brady is telling us why he left New England-Giannis is not the face of the league and the NBA admitted it-Russell Wilson finally speaks up about his role in the offense-Mark Emmert says some weird things about leadershipGuest: Ric Bucher, Fox Sports NBA Analyst 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. A win is a win. A win is a win.

I don't care what I'm saying. Yep, that's me, Cliver 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 Iheart radio app,

Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok's podcast network on TikTok. On the Look Back at it 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. 84 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.

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 Herd. This is the best of the herd with Colin Cowher on Fox Sports Radio. Ah, live in Los Angeles. It is a glorious Friday with actual sports. This is the herd. Wherever you may be, however you may be listening, we're on Fox Sports Radio, and right here on FS1.

I will be on Dolmar's show tonight, HBO. Joy Taylor is joining me. How are you, Joy? I'm great. It's Friday. Sports. So nice. Life feels a little bit normal.

Kind of. Kind of. A little bit normal. That's all I asked for in life. My life's a little bit normal. It's great to have you in. You ever have a wedding and you invite people, but there's like one person or one couple, you're like, no, no, I just going to keep them off. You ever go with the boys to Vegas for a week?

or Miami. And you invite like four people, but there's that one guy like, you know, I mean, he makes a good living. He's funny. You don't invite him. You're having a party. You and your girlfriend, you and your boyfriend, whatever, having a party, and you're setting people up. And, you know, you invite your friends. But there's this one couple.

It's just not, let's not invite him to the party. They're agitators, not lubricators. They could be attractive, they could have good jobs. Something about them rubs you, rubs other people. I mean, they're with you all the time, but you just don't think they work quite at the wedding in the Vegas weekend at the party. That's often the interesting couple.

Kyrie Irving's an interesting player, but when I watched Portland last night beat Brooklyn, forget about Portland for a second. The Brooklyn Nets have now shown you three different times, even though they lost. How was it that close? How was it that close? Seven of the top eight players were for Portland, including the MVP of the bubble. Three different times Brooklyn has won without Kyrie.

They made the playoffs before he got there. Then pre-bubble he got there. The record was better when he didn't play. And in the bubble, they were five and three. How? How are they five and three? How did they beat the bucks? How did they beat the Clippers?

How did they had, they could have been in Portland last night. Because there is a massive difference between a friend and a friend you can invite to big parties. There's a big difference between a great basketball talent, Damien and Kyrie are both at, and a winning basketball player who lubricates, not agitates the room. Dame Lillard this year, six game stretch had to sit. They went two and four. He missed eight games this year for Portland. They went two and six.

Damian Lillard, Steph Curry, Chris Paul now in Oklahoma City are not just great. They are winning basketball talent, not just great basketball talent. This is what I've said about Kyrie and Westbrook. This is what I've said about. Houston's winning percentage went down this year with Westbrook. Oklahoma City last year with Westbrook was a sixth seed. This year without him, they're a four seed. It's not a talent thing.

just like you can have friends. But the friend, you're a little gun-shy inviting to Vegas or the party with you and your girlfriend or the wedding. It doesn't mean you don't like them. It doesn't mean they're bad people, but they're agitators, not lubricators. And when you watch Damien Lillard last night, everybody can get involved as he's scoring 30, 40, 50.

Others can get involved. This is the difference. And it drives me crazy. when the basketball media fons over Kyrie and Westbrook and gives them significantly more love than a guy like Dame Lillard. Not all basketball talents equal.

I've said this before. We watched the documentary on Michael Jordan. He can wear guys out. He's the greatest basketball player of all time. But Magic Johnson and LeBron James real lubricators of a basketball team. They kind of elevate. everybody they played with. Michael didn't elevate everybody he played with. He's just the best basketball

player of all time, probably, right? So last night was not just about Damian Lillard and Portland getting to the playoffs, which we thought they would do. But did you notice how hard it was? Because passing matters and spacing matters and chemistry matters, it was the third time I've watched Brooklyn. I mean, Boston got better when Kyrie left. They got better. Boston was better before he got there. Duke was a number one seed, Kyrie's final year in college when he played eight games, and they were good the next year when he left. Cleveland got to a finals again when Kyrie left.

Nobody's saying he can't make a shot. He's a great shot maker. But we spend so much time fawning over the wrong players. Basketball is about winning games. It's not just about style, though style matters. It's just not about culture, though culture matters in basketball. It's about winning. and when you got this guy over my shoulder,

who you're looking at, Damian Lillard, he should be getting far more press. So should Chris Paul than Westbrook and Kyrie. Because they're all great, but two of them are lubricators. Two others are talented but often agitators. And it does matter who you invite to the wedding. There are friends you won't invite to the wedding.

There are friends. There are girl weekends, and there'll be a girl you won't take to Miami or Vegas. You know it. I've talked to girls. Come on, Joey. There is that girl. Absolutely.

Everybody's got a guy. I've gone. I went on a whitewater rafting trip 10 years ago. All decent people married successful. One guy shouldn't have been invited. Well, I mean, because everybody doesn't work in every situation. That's right. Whereas Damien does.

Steph does. Chris Paul wanted to. Lubricators. They're lubricators. Some people are great. They just need their situation to thrive. That's right. So this is funny.

You know, Joy and I have often laughed about the math of the NFL. The math is funny in the NFL. So the chiefs paid Travis Kelsey $57 million. So this is funny. So the chiefs are not going to be, they're going to pay Patrick Mahomes $500 million, Chris Jones, $85 million, Travis Kelsey $75 million, Honey Badger last year got $42 million, Tyreek Hill 54, and the Jets can't afford Jamal Adams.

What? And who do the Patriots play? It's unbelievable. What bank are the chiefs using? But I will say this. I've got a couple of rules in the NFL. Only pay great players, great money, and where do they play? The chiefs are doing it right.

They're paying their quarterback and the two players that elevate him, a star receiver and a star tied end. And then they pay a defensive tackle. Check. San Francisco. They pay Garapolo and they pay the guy that helps him. Trent Williams, a lot. left tackle and George Kittle the tied in.

Then they pay a couple of defensive tackles. Philadelphia does this. They pay Carson Wentz. And then they generally paid a lot of money. They just offseason paid for a couple of offensive linemen, a couple of defensive linemen. And now a corner. So I'm not anti-pay. I'm pay the big money to either the quarterback or the people who help him and then a handful of

defensive stars. The Rams got in trouble because they paid a number three receiver. Brandon Brooks, Brandon Cooks, excuse me, way too much money. They paid the wrong guy. Then they paid Todd Gurley early. And this brings me to Dallas. Dallas makes the mistake. They pay Zeke a fortune, but he's a running back.

They pay Amari Cooper $100 million. He's good, but he has struggled against really good secondaries. They paid DeMarcus Lawrence, huge money. He had five sacks last year. Frank Clark of the Chiefs, a great defensive tackle who's well paid, had five sacks for Kansas City in the postseason. That's the problem with Dallas. They're paying great money for the wrong position or good players. So Kansas City, Frank Clark, Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelsey, Tyreek Hill, Chris Jones, right position, right guys, and they're great players.

Because when you look at the NFL, it is funny sometimes. You look at San Francisco and you look at Kansas City and you look at Philadelphia. They're paying everybody. The Jets problem was they pay a running back of fortune. C.J. Mosley struggles to get healthy. They pay him a fortune and they were about to pay a safety of fortune. This is why I defended the New York Jets moving Jamal Adams. If somebody's going to pay me twice for my house, even if I love my house, I'm going to let it go.

The Jets made the right move. You can't pay a running back, an often injured middle linebacker, and a safety of fortune. That's the wrong people to pay. So big money can be handed out in smart organizations. Pay it in frequently, and who are you paying? And I think the Chiefs are getting it right. 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.

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 you're 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 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 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. 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, Keer Games. And in recognition of Mental Health Awareness Month, I'm bringing over a decade of my own experience in the mental health field and conversations with so many incredible guests. I'm talking, Tripp Fontaine, Ryan Clark.

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 iHeartRadio app. Search Learn the hard way and listen now. So whenever you leave a job or you get divorced and remarry, the choices you make after that determine what matters to you. If you get divorced man or woman and you marry somebody with money,

that matter to you. You marry somebody that's rich. Money matters to you. If you remarry somebody that's kind of safe and boring, stability matters to you. If you marry somebody that's hot or handsome, image matters to you. That's okay. I'm not I'm not judging here.

You will find out when I left ESPN and came here, you know, I've thought a lot about this. You know, I left? I was bored, and I wanted more control of my career. They were less, they were more restrictive and Connecticut bored the hell out of me. That's why I moved to Los Angeles. I was bored.

You know, my wife's an artist. L.A.'s more fun than Bristol. We were bored. Out of our minds. Same three restaurants over and over. same town, same street. We were bored. And that's why. So Tom Brady has never really talked about exactly why he left Tampa.

But he talked to Joe Montana during the Super Bowl. And Montana yesterday talked about the discussion he had at the Super Bowl with Tom Brady. And he spilled the beans on why he left. Here it is. I think that was one of his piece up there. He told me that, you know, they ask my advice. I tell him and then they don't take it. So I think he would like.

a little bit of input and I think they'll probably let him have that, especially with the success he's had. So think about that. He's telling you the coaches wore him out. Two things matter to Brady. Okay, Tampa's a losing franchise. That didn't matter. It's a tougher division, better quarterbacks. That didn't matter. There's better coaches he'll go up against. That didn't matter. He's not a fear-based guy. Two things matter. Joe Montana just said one. The coaches wore him out. He wore a more fun coach. Remember when Giselle said that? Tom just wants to be respected. He told Joe Montana the same thing.

He wanted to be respected. You ask for my advice, take it. So that's Belichick and Josh McDaniels. That's the big one. The second one is, we also saw Tom last year during games twice, yell at wide receivers. Get open! That's the second one. I'm tired of working with average coworkers.

We have it now. We have it on tape. We have it from Montana. We have it from Giselle. We have it on the sidelines, on a hot mic. he's told us the two reasons he left. Coaches weren't any fun in New England. It wasn't fun.

He chose Bruce Ariens. Bruce Ariens doesn't have as many Super Bowls as Belichick. Tampa Bay doesn't win as much as New England. The division's much tougher. He wanted more fun from the coaches, more input and more fun, and he was tired of carrying average coworkers. We've got all the proof now. Those are the reasons they're not because the decisions you make post-relationship,

tell me what you care about. And now we know. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays in noon Eastern 9 a.m. Pacific. Rick Buker, Fox Sports NBA analyst, brought to you by Mercedes, Ben's, the best or nothing. So, Bukes, this is funny before we get to the game last night. So I'm looking at the NBA playoffs first round schedule. I've got it right here. I've got game times.

They've given game times for first four games for all the series. This jumps out to me. Milwaukee's a number one seed. MVP of the league, Janus. Three of the four games are at one in the afternoon. The worst time slot. You know, people keep saying

Janus is going to be the face of the league. The league is telling me he's not close. They're putting him three of the four games that have been announced. I mean, LeBron, when Cleveland was the number one seat, he was prime time. You put LeBron

prime time. We know the series is not going to be great, obviously. Either was a LeBron series in the first round. What does this tell you about Janus going forward in the face of the league talk? Well, he can be the greatest player or the best player in the league. And he hasn't demonstrated that without question and put the MVP aside. But you have to, one, you have to want to be the face of the league. And you have to be in the right market.

You have to have success. I mean, not just the best record during the regular season. season, but you have to be bigger than that. Let's not forget. LeBron James is now the face of the league or has been for the last few years. He had to win a championship in order to do it. He wasn't necessarily at the very beginning in Cleveland. He was a very dynamic figure. He was a very controversial figure. He clearly wanted to be out there. But I'll put this to you, Colin. Like, what do you know about Janus, other than he's from Greece and he's in Milwaukee and he's been the MVP? Like, what do you know about him from a personal standpoint?

He's not particularly active on social media. And I hate to say it, but that is now part of the formula. If you want to be the face of the league, you have to expand and be present and visible when it comes to social. media and everything else. No, I mean, listen, Zion's got a better shoe deal than Janus. And Janus has been in the league seven years. Zion's played 24 games, but Zion's embracing it. He goes to a big program like Duke.

It is one of these things where, so my point on Janus, that's why I think Milwaukee is the most important team in the bubble by far. Because if Janus doesn't win a championship. Yeah. Okay. And this is an organization that's not going to get a ton of free agents to Milwaukee. and he needs a Lakers or Celtics brand. He does need their brand.

Like Anthony Davis, by the way, has no personality. He needs LeBron and the Lakers brand to elevate him, elevate his shoe deal. And by the way, this stuff matters. Kobe made almost twice as much as Tim Duncan, even though they both have five championship because Kobe makes so much money in marketing, shoe deals. So to me, I'll just say this. I think the whole bubble, the future of the league could be Milwaukee,

if they can't get to the finals or go and get hammered in the finals, I think Janus, I think he has to consider leaving, right? I look, from a business standpoint, you are right. But you have to take into account what I said at the beginning, which is, is that what Janus really wants? Does Janus want to be the face of the league? Is he worried about the business aspect of things?

And I just, everything that I know about him and have heard about him from people that have coached him and played with him, he's not that. He's loyal to a fault. And he would never force the hand of the Milwaukee Bucks to send him someplace that he doesn't want to go. And let's be realistic. If we look at teams that he could compete for a championship with, especially as the result of this pandemic, they're financially not going to be able to. to go out and get him just as a free agent. So it would have to be as a sign and trade. And I was told by one of his former teammates, Janus does not have the personality where he would force a sign and trade in a million years. That's simply not how he's built. So honestly, the league, if you're counting

on Janus to be somewhere where he can be the face of the league moving forward, you're going to have to go back to the drawing board. It's going to have to be somebody else. And that honestly is, where the league is right now because it's not only Janus, but you look at the Clippers, who I have winning this whole thing. Kauai Leonard is the face of that team by default in some ways. He's a sphinx. I mean, you couldn't ask for a guy who tells you less. And while is a dominant player, I don't know that you can build the face of the league

around a Kauai Leonard either. Yeah. he's in a major market. Yeah, it's really fascinating right now. We don't have the heir apparent to LeBron James. Hardin's game is aggravating. Janus isn't it? Anthony Davis.

I mean, these guys don't, Ben Simmons doesn't talk a lot. It looks like it's Zion to me, so you just cross your fingers that he stays healthy. Because I think he'd be a great star. I mean, they're already reworking the bubble schedule for Zion. Yet with Milwaukee and Janus, they put him at 1 o'clock. And he's the MVP, and he's been in the league seven years. Leagues telling you he doesn't move the needle. Let's put him on the one o'clock game.

Okay, let's segue to this. Last night to me wasn't just about Dame, who I love. It's about an issue in basketball that drives me nuts. We give all this love to Westbrook and Kyrie. We don't give as much the Dame and Chris Paul, who are, they're all great, but two of them are winning basketball players, lubricators, not agitators. Last night was the third piece of evidence, just in Brooklyn. The Nets are better without Kyrie.

They made the playoffs without him. Pre-bubble, they were better when he wasn't on the floor. And in this bubble, they were five and three and should have been six and two. They beat the clippers. They beat the Bucs. They had the blazers in trouble. If you're Brooklyn and you're looking at this right now thinking, okay, Kyrie's coming back.

This is a little bit of an issue, right? That's got to be discussed a little, right? Oh, 100%. Because it is Kyrie coming back. It's Kevin Durant coming back. and can you meld those guys with Karras Levert? And look, Karris Levert carried the water last night. And he's been a dynamic player.

He's also been an injured player. But this is the danger when we play fantasy basketball with real-life people. Is the personality and the attitude of a player matters. It can't just be their talent or their fearlessness in the clutch. it matters in terms. Those things don't matter as much when it comes to the leadership. So whoever your best player is, you better hope they're your hardest worker and you better hope that they care about everybody else. I could make a case where Kyrie Irving and a half a dozen other players are more talented. Anthony Davis, Ben Simmons, you've mentioned some of them, Carl Anthony Towns,

Kyrie Irving, I can make a case that all of those guys are more talented than Damian Liller. But they're not in the top 50 or 75 when it comes to leadership. Because what you have to have above all else is consistency and consideration for everybody else around you and how what you do impacts everybody else. If you watch that game last night, Damien Lillard orchestrated it. He was going to let C.J. McCullough, you get us off to the start. We're going to feed you. NERC, we need to get the ball to you to dominate on the inside because Brooklyn is playing small.

He wasn't worried about what his role was going to be, but every time the game got to a crisis, you can follow it by, go back and watch the score. every time there was a crisis and confidence for the Portland Trailblazers, Damien was like, I got this. I'll make a play. I'll get something done. I'll get to the hoop. He was thinking the entire time about how do I lead this team. I just don't see the same consideration and thought process with Kyrie in word or action. And there's no way around it. When a guy is your most talented player, he's going to take up a lot of space. And if he's not thinking about how he impacts everybody else all the time, then you're never going to maximize what you have. It's going to be interesting. So Houston, Oklahoma City is the story of the year.

They were supposed to be a total rebuild. Chris Paul, I think, should be top five an MVP. Best mid-range shooter now with Kauai in the league. Now no Westbrook for Houston first couple of games. I look at that and I think to myself would not be shocked at all if the Thunder young they've got size with Stephen Adams

there are a lot of energy multiple shooters does O. Casey beat Houston without Westbrook I have them beating Houston without Westbrook essentially because look the rules have been changed unfortunately for a number of these teams Lakers included the rules have been changed as a result of this

bubble. Number one, your depth and versatility, especially when it comes to the playoffs, is going to be more important than being top-heavy with your talent. The second thing, and this is probably the biggest thing, is that I don't know how much experience really matters in the bubble because you're not dealing with the same playoff dynamics that you normally would. Your role players having to go in to hostile environments, having to travel, having to deal with, you know what, we're on the road and people are all over me and I just missed two shots. Man, do I really want to take that third? That pressure doesn't exist.

So your team and the chemistry that it's built over multiple years or even over the course of the season doesn't have the same effect. And I look at Oklahoma City in particular and you have Shea Gilgis. Alexander, you have Dennis Schrooter, you have Chris Paul, you have a multitude, Danilo Galanari. It's why the sons were so good. I was making my all bubble team and you pick Devin Burke Booker and then you go, well, they were so good, eight, no, I got to pick a second guy. I had like five guys that were all on the same plane contributing in a big way. I believe that is the model for the teams that are going to go somewhere in the playoffs,

which is certainly you need to have a star, but you need to be able to rely on four, five, six different guys to contribute in a significant way because injuries are going to happen. Ben Simmons and Russell Westbrook are not the last big names to go down. The schedule is too compact, and there's been too short a runway for us to get to where we are right now. Good stuff, Rick Buecker.

Enjoy it, my man. We'll talk soon. Sounds good. Thanks, problem. 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. You know, generally with these players,

it doesn't even really matter what you were doing for a living. If you were the greatest in the world at something or the best in your sport or the best in your profession, you'd want, ideally you'd want two things. You'd want the money, the respect, the cash, and you'd want to win, right? Dame Lillard is happy with one of them. He's getting all the money.

He's doing that. He's probably not going to win a bunch of titles. Mike Trout is getting a lot of money, but he plays in the second most popular team in Los Angeles. He doesn't have the relevance, and he's not going to win championships down in Anaheim. Yonnes could very well be a guy like, hey, listen, I'm not going to be the most marketable guy,

but I can win championships in Milwaukee. But he's not going to go 0 for two for the rest of his career. He's going to want, show me the guy that would, take both. It was the best player in the league. Didn't want to at least win or get the money. So that's why winning is so important to Milwaukee. He's not the

face of the league. He's not going to get the big shoe deal. There's three reasons why Yonis. By the way, the schedule's out for the playoffs. The league is telling you, we're putting him at 1 o'clock. I mean, they're putting Kauai Leonard who doesn't talk at 9. Well, that's the L.A. market. It's the Clippers. And by the way,

the Sixers' Boston Series, that's in prime time. And those teams, aren't as good as Milwaukee. The bottom line here, it's not a coastal bias. It's not a, it is Janus is not a star that way. He's just a great player. And I do believe eventually he's going to want at least one of the two things that matter. The fame, the money, the respect that way, or the titles.

He's not going to go over two on that. And that's why I say, if Milwaukee can't get to the finals, watch out. You find me the player in NBA history. You know how many times I heard, oh, Brady'd never leave here and Montana never leave there and LeBron loves Cleveland and Kevin Durant God, if I have to hear that

nonsense, they all leave. You got to now Stockton and Malone didn't, but at the end Malone went to the Lakers because he wanted to win a title. You know, Stockton had a different personality and by the way, they were winning, they were getting to the finals, they were winning a ton of games

and John made a lot of money. But you got, I mean, if you look at this, the NBA has, it's not a Milwaukee issue because New Orleans, the NBA changed the schedule for Zion and New Orleans, for LeBron and Cleveland. And by the way, for KD. in Westbrook in Oklahoma City, they changed the schedule. They made them in prime time. It's not a city issue. This is not against Milwaukee. I mean, would it help? They're in a bigger city like New York or L.A.? Absolutely. It's a Janus issue. Seven years, no shoe deal of note makes less than Zion for shoes. And so, and there's three reasons.

Number one, his game isn't, it's not entirely relatable. It's like he's got superhuman length. I mean, you don't see kids in the playground going, ooh, give me your Janus move. You know, everybody's got a Hardin. Everybody had a Kobe fallaway. Everybody's got the Steph Curry move. That, it's not real that way relatable. Second thing, he didn't come into the NBA with a lot of hype like a LeBron.

I mean, D. Wade was in college basketball. We saw him. I think he was in like the elite aide at Marquette. You know, Kobe came in with hype. KD came in, you know. Janice didn't. He wasn't a top five pick. He was in Greece. He was a slow build to be great. The third thing is, it's unfair, but he is an international player. And for whatever reason, international players, we don't watch them in high school, we don't watch them in college.

Many of them come over here. I mean, Luca's amazing. But I don't think Luca will ever be half as popular as Zion, if Zion gives you 55 games a year and they both get to the playoffs. Whatever it is with that. It's just something, I don't know how insignificant it is, but it is something. But I do believe Janus will want one of the two things. I'm just speaking as a guy. Maybe women, it's the journey more than the destination. But generally for guys who are great at their profession, you want one of the two. Give me the money and the fame or give me the winning.

You got to get one of them. And so it would be very, very fascinating. The NBA schedule is, God, they got Milwaukee at 1 o'clock. One o'clock. That's the death zone. And by the way, it may not matter to Yannas to be famous and make a lot of money, but it matters to his agent. It matters to the league.

Yeah, I mean, the league Kobe embraced it, right? So the league put Kobe in prime time. Duncan didn't. Like, it matters. It will double your income. Does money matter? If not winning titles, I think it's something. I think it's something.

And I know it matters to Shoe. companies. Shoe companies want players who get to the finals. They want it. So if you're telling me, Janice is different. You're telling me money doesn't matter. You're telling me none of it matters. Winning championship, something's got to matter.

There's something to him that drives him to be this great. What is it? I say it's either money and elevation or it's titles. So if you're telling me it's not the fame and the money stuff, then it's titles. So he's got to start winning because the contracts, it's one. Finding down here. 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.

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'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 where you need to be. 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. 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's 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 for finishing that sentence. 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. 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, Kear Gaines, as we have real conversations about healing, growth, fatherhood, pressure, and purpose on my new podcast, Learn the Hardway. Open your free iHeartRadio app. Search Learn the Hardway and listen now. By the way, so Russell Wilson's a nice guy, loves the show, we love him.

He doesn't call out teammates. He doesn't. He's had some teammates that have called him out. He never calls him out. He's a team guys, like Brady. He's a team guy. right team guy Patrick Mahomes not always happy team guy Russell Wilson team guy this is as close to criticizing Pete Carroll and the Cioxx as Russell Wilson goes

he said he talked oh we have sound of this here's Russell Wilson early in the games you know I want you know definitely you rather than us having it be in the fourth quarter I think to be able you know make some stuff happen I think we want to I think we have a crazy stat of the lead of you know I think 56 and 0 when we have the lead you know and by halftime and stuff like that. I think, you know, getting ahead is a key thing. You know, I do definitely believe in finishing strong. I think we want a lot of games in the fourth quarter and, you know,

I've been to do some fun things in the fourth quarter and end of games. But, you know, let's treat every quarter as the fourth, you know. And I think that's kind of my mentality always. Seattle trailed last year 10 times at half. And that's not the way it works. Now, thank God, Russell Wilson is the best trailing quarterback in the league. Last year trailing late at half after halftime, Russell Wilson had 19 touchdowns, one pick and 110 passer rating. He's great trailing.

Most quarterbacks are not great trailing. I mean, even Aaron Rogers trailing his passer ratings like in the high 80s, Russell Wilson's is 110. And Aaron Rogers has a star back and a star wide receiver in a better old line. And Aaron's great. But this goes to prove that the truth always eventually comes out. You just have to be patient. For years and years, it was, oh, Pete Carroll, the Legion of Doom, it's such a great operation. And I kept saying, Russell Wilson's leading this.

This is not a Pete Carroll thing. I like Pete, but Pete got fired twice in the NFL and was 7 to 9, 7 and 9 in Seattle. I like Pete. I think he's a good coach. He'll get into the Hall of Fame. This is not a Pete story. It's a Russell Wilson story. Pete was going to get whacked if he didn't get Russell Wilson.

Because he went 7 to 9, 7 to 9. If he had a losing record, which he would have had with Matt Flynn, you don't get a fourth year in the NFL. It's not the way it works. So the truth has eventually come out. Pro Football Focus is now hammering Seattle's personnel. Bill Barnwell, ESPN's analytic maven, hammering

Seattle this week. Warren Sharp, one of the top analytic voices in football right now in the NFL, hammering Seattle. And me, America's media icon beloved by virtually everybody has been hammering Pete Carroll, John Snyder, and Seattle. This is not his story. It's Russell Wilson's saving a franchise.

It's very much Deshawn And saving bad draft picks, saving a horrible offensive line. And by the way, players are now even supporting Russell Wilson. NFL.com top 100 lists voted on by players. They had Russell ahead of Mahomes. They had Russell number two player in the league. Didn't have a lot of Seahawks beyond that. So my eyes and my take are now being confirmed that this story, the narrative was wrong.

And I'm from Seattle, so I read everything. The Seattle Times, I'm watching, you know, anything I can get my hands on with Seattle. I mean, we all have our one NFL team that we're close to. This is where I'm from. My sister didn't watch sports until Russell Wilson, so it's impactful in my life. But I've always felt the narrative was wrong. Pete's a good coach, but this has always been, Seattle has always been the story of Russell Wilson. They were seven and nine and seven and nine before Russell.

And Pete was nailing the drafts. and Pete's defense was good and Pete was alleged. They couldn't have a winning record. Forget winning. Couldn't win games. It's the Russell story. Now, everybody's finally catching up to it. And Russell, for the first time, is coming out and saying,

yeah, it'd be nice if we didn't trail at half and have kind of a middling game plan. In fact, listen to this stat. Wilson is 12th in the NFL last four years in passing attempts in the first three quarters. 12. You have Russell Wilson. And you're 12th in passing attempt. Now, fourth quarter and overtime, he's top three. Because then Seattle doesn't have a choice.

He has to save them because they're trailing. So the truth eventually comes out. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd. Weekdays in noon Eastern, 9 a.m. Pacific. Big 10 canceled football. Pac-12 did too, but the Big 10's a bigger conference. Right in the middle of the country, Ohio State and Michigan. I'm a West Coast guy, but Big 10's bigger than the Pac-12.

Everybody's crushing Kevin Warren. just be careful. There was a commissioner named Adam Silver on March 11th who canceled the NBA. Do you remember Mark Cuban's reaction to that? We were all shocked. It's Rudy Gobert. It's one player.

Adam Silver was right. I'm not saying, I do think you can play football through COVID. You're going to have multiple players test positive because they're not going to get it at the facility. That's not where they're going to get it. They're going to get it from students on campus. They're going to get it at home.

You know, you're part of a community, a collective when you're in college. But, you know, if the big 12, the ACC and the SEC call it off in a month, we have a death, something unravels. I don't predict a death. But if it starts unraveling, then the Big Ten guy was ahead of everybody. Adam Silver got a lot of crap. He's overreacting. I mean, it's one. player, and now we look and it's like, this is why reading matters. He was in New York City. He was seeing what was happening on the ground in New York City. He was reading about it in various periodicals and newspapers. And Adam Silver had all his connections. Remember, it struck New York City first, and he's in New York City and he's watching the masks and he's watching the deaths. And he's like, we are out on this. So, you know, I'm not, I don't know Kevin Warren, but I will say this. The only thing that worried me is Mark Emmer.

had the strangest quote yesterday, because I've said, college football needs a CEO or a president. It's got to have a unified voice. Mark Emmert had a bite yesterday, and it's like he was listening to our show. He said, people love the concept of a czar, but they hate czars. Authoritarianism is really a fun concept. It just sucks when people have to live under it.

I'm not advocating for Vladimir Putin. I'm just asking for leadership. That's like saying all presidents in the U.S. are authoritarian. That's not what I'm saying. I'm saying Nick Saban is kind of a czar at Alabama. Works well. Mike Shoshowski's kind of a friendly czar at Duke. Works well.

Belichick's sort of a czar. It works. It's not that you can't have multiple voices, but when you got one conference worried about this, another conference worried about that, one playing nine conference games, one playing eight conference games, some listening to this medical advice,

some listening to that medical advice, leadership matters. It's why the UFC surpass boxing. Because they had Dana White. They had a leader, and boxing just had promoters out for themselves. Nobody said they want Putin. The crazy thing here is it's just five different power, five conferences all going in different directions.

I like opinions from lots of people, but I want somebody to go, this is what we're doing. and emirate yesterday said i have no control over any of this stuff i can't get how it's a two billion dollar business how do you not have control of it that would be like fox being like you know we we spend a zillion dollars a year for the nfl but we have no control over the broadcasts we fight every day with the nfl we're calling him and saying we want to do this this this not that that that you fight for it you have you have a centralized voice in roger godell we have a centralized voice at fox although both of them have a bunch of vice presidents and voices and opinions

and information, but those centralized voices meet, discuss, and solve problems. College football can't solve problems because there's no unified centralized voice. 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 it. 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. 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, unfills of 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. On the Look Back at it podcast. For 1979, that was a big moment for me. 84's big to me. I'm Sam Jay.

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.

This is an IHeart podcast. Guaranteed human.