The Herd with Colin Cowherd - Best of The Herd for Aug 18, 2020

Episode Date: August 18, 2020

Do not blame the refs for the ejection, blame PorzingisThe Clippers win because of experienceNick Saban says wear a maskMost colleges are being hypocritical when it comes to footballThe Cowboys are too top heavyBaseball once again using unwritten rules to have less funGuest: Chris Spielman, former Ohio State & Detroit Lions Linebacker 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, 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 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.

For 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 Heard. This is the best of the herd with Colin Cowher on Fox Sports Radio. Oh, man, we're packing.

Live in Los Angeles, which has been a little muggy lately. Wherever you may be, however you may be listening, this is the herd. Fox Sports Radio FS1 right here. Joy Taylor is joining me. I'm all fired up today. I've got a lot of things on my mind today. not holding back, Joy. I usually hold back all the time. No more for me. You usually hold back? The new me, Joy. Okay. I'm fired up too. There's a lot going on.

That was a great day of basketball, though, yesterday. Great. I want to talk Mavericks and Clippers. So I think the Clippers are going to win the championship, and I think the Mavs are a really fun watch, but last night's why they're just a bunch of kids. But it was a prime example. So Porzingis, Chris Topps Porzingis, very good player. He got ejected from the game last night. Now, it wasn't like, you know, the old real ejection where you swing at somebody and knock them down and they kick you out for a game. It was his second technical, and that's an automatic ejection.

And that's a real thing here to discuss because Maverick fans were like, as weak, weak, a referee. No, no, no, no, no, no. If you are one speeding ticket away from losing your license, I don't want to hear, well, I was only nine miles an hour over the speed limit. No, no, no, no, no. You know what's funny about politics? You demand everybody.

You don't want to hear about their childhood or their circumstances. You want to demand people are personally responsible. I don't care what's happening in their home. I don't care about their life. I don't care about their finances. Personally responsible. But yet, with your athletes, it's the refs' fault. No, it's Porzingis's fault.

got to be an adult he knows the rules we don't hold our athletes responsible but we demand it from society with our politics Christop's poor Zingis is smart he knows it the good news is he admitted it after the game it was him not the refs I saw him getting into Lucas face that I didn't like that that's why I reacted and yeah that's a that's a smart smart thing to do from their part and I just got to be smarter and control my emotions next time. Of all the professional leagues, the NBA owners know it, the coaches know it, the GMs know it, they have seminars on it, the players know it, even the rookies know it, the trainers know it.

This league is hyper sensitive to fighting. My gut feeling is it's malice in the palace with such a black eye for the sport. They're hyper sensitive. All leagues aren't sensitive. In hockey, Joy and I, you can watch a hockey game. The refs will let guys fight. They'll like let it get it until they can get their arms around and they'll just let them go and throw haymakers. In baseball, not only can you leave the dugout, pitcher sprint in from the outfield to join fights.

No penalty. In the NBA, if there is a skirmish and you are on the bench, if you leave a box, a foot and a half in front of you, you're suspended for a game. If you leave the area in baseball, pitcher sprint 60 yards to join the fight, no, no, fine. or suspensions. In hockey, they're wrestling for a while until the refs can get the positioning, knock each other out. Okay. In football, guys push, push, push, trash talk. It's not the way it works in basketball. Again, personal accountability. Everybody knows the rules. You leave the box. You have a game suspension. And that's the way the NBA has always been since Malice in the Palace. It's just, in fact, they have a term in the NBA. It's called escalator to the altercation.

That's a term. If baseball was the NBA, you'd be thrown out for a week for sprinting toward the action. They have a term in the NBA for this. By the way, everybody knows the rules. I have seen LeBron James, one of the smartest basketball players ever, multiple times in his career during a skirmish. And what does LeBron do? He stays on the periphery because LeBron knows he's the best guy on the floor.

Marcus Morris is involved in this. He's the seventh best clipper. Porzingis is the second best. Maverick. You've got to know how valuable you are, especially to a young team whose best players, 20. Luca. I've seen

LeBron James multiple times. And I've heard criticism through the years. Why isn't he getting involved? Because he's super smart. If you're a James Harden, you're a LeBron, you're a Porzingis, you're a Janus, and there's a skirmish. You can yell, you don't get anywhere near it.

Especially if you've already got a technical. If you're one ticket from your license being pulled, the responsibility now is not on the cop. It's on you. It's totally shifted. Totally completely shifted. But I think it's remarkable how in our politics we demand accountability. No excuses for our athletes.

Ref's fault. It's not the ref's fault. It doesn't matter how weak that first technical was. Once you get it, the responsibility, the burden of responsibility. is on you, the adult, to stay out of that. By the way, let's talk the game. The first quarter in the first half was all offense. So in the NBA, I've heard this criticism for years.

All you've got to do is watch the last five minutes. Well, last night was a great example. So the Mavericks are a bad team in close games, two and 12. The Clippers are a great team in close games, eight and three. That's not random or insignificant. That's everything. because in the NBA and I've been watching it for 40 years, playoff games are decided in the last five minutes.

And the last five minutes of that game last night is why the Clippers won. Dallas doesn't know how to win those games. They've been lousy. I've watched Dallas play a dozen times this year. Half the games have been closed late. I don't think they've won any of them. They outplayed Houston, I think it was, about two weeks ago, the whole game. Houston has Westbrook and Hardin and Covington and veterans and beat them.

You got last night all you need to know is that there were multiple times once on a fast break where Luca is wide open and Seth Curry is throwing up a lousy three. Did you notice in the last five minutes how intense the Clippers defense got? You could look at their body language. Did you notice in the last seven minutes that Dallas, who had 14 threes up to that point, last seven minutes, Dallas hit one three. Dallas got no freebies, Dallas got no cheapies, the Clippers played real defense, and in the fourth quarter, Paul George and Kauai Leonard either scored and assisted on all but four points for the Clippers. That's why the Clippers won. My bad, two points. Paul George and Kauai scored a assistant on all but two points for the Clippers.

The Clippers are the better defensive team. it won the game. The Clippers didn't allow any good looks on three pointers that won the game. And the Clippers got it to Kauai and everything ran through Kauai. And then Kauai got it to Paul. He got it to Beverly. He got it to all his veteran players. That's why the Clippers won. That is why veteran teams like the Clippers are good and close games. And super talented young teams like the Mavs are bad in close games. Dallas has, there is a saying in sports, and it goes across all sports. Do you know how to win close games?

It's not just talent. Do you know how to win them? Dallas doesn't. Last night, you got Seth Curry coming down the floor. Lucas wide open. Seth Bad three. It's not the way I work for the Clippers. Every possession, fine Kauai and Kauai looking for Paula Patrick Beverly or Lou Williams,

looking for all the veteran players on the floor. That's why. This is not random. What happened last night was not about a technical. it was about a really great player for the Mavs, not taking personal responsibility and not understanding his value. And the second part was,

five minutes left in this game, the Clippers totally clamped down and said, okay, fellas, we're real close here. Let's clamp down. And this is why I think the Clippers are going to win the championship. You know, there's always been this saying in the NBA, you can't flip a switch.

Well, yes, you can. I flip a switch every day. I'm having a coffee. I'm cracking jokes. I'm messing around. Light goes up. I flip a switch. Boom, hit it. Let's go. Talk, talk, talk. rant, rant. Rent, rant. Interview, interview, interview. And then when the show's done, turn it off, go listen to music, have a ham sandwich.

I flip a switch every day. You flip a switch for work. We have different personalities. You don't have a different personality. There's having a glass of wine with your wife. There's, uh-oh, boss is coming into the room, have to act a certain way. You act a certain way with your dogs and your cats and your wife and your kids and your bosses and the management end. We all flip switches. I've never bought into this way. You can't flip a switch. Life is flipping a switch. I mean, football players, you're literally tackling people violently at 1.30. At 4.30, you're cuddling with your infant baby.

You flip a switch. We all flip switches all day. The clippers are going to be fine. I don't buy into this whole, you know, the chemistry. Is Kauai Leonard the best? Get a bucket. Get a stop guy in the league. Yeah.

Is Paul George an All-Star? Yeah. His Doc Rivers won a title? Yeah. Is Lou Williams the best sixth man? Yeah. Do they have young guys who can shoot? Yeah.

Do they have big guys that can run the floor? Montrez-Herald. Yeah. Do they have a great front office? Yeah. Is it a perfect roster? Pretty damn close. Best one in the NBA.

So that game last night, that last five minutes is one of those classic. Watch the last five minutes again. If you go to YouTube or wherever you can get it, watch the intensity of the Clippers defense get really tight. No more free looks. And watch how everything with the Clippers offensively, it was just, like, it reminded me of Michael Jordan. It was just like, all right,

Michael's not the point guard, but Michael's going to, everything's going to run through Michael. Everything, everything ran through Kauai. Get ready, Clipperland. Start stacking those championship trophies. Get ready for it. It's a weird one.

It's a bubble trophy, but it's still a trophy. 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.

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, personal health, personal health, personal. 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 a 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 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 is big to me, not just because of crack.

I'm down to talk about crack on day, but just so you're 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. So, oh. Thank you finishing that sentence. And 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 IHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Welcome to my new podcast. Learn the Hardway with me, your host, 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 iHeartRadio app. Search Learn the Hardway and listen now. How is eye roll to people? I won't wear a mask.

Personal freedoms. It's my right. No, no, cowboy. It's a privilege, right in this country. People can't even get the First Amendment right, which is sad. But the First Amendment doesn't give you the right to say anything anywhere. No, no, no, no, no, no, no. I can't say anything anywhere here.

Now, the First Amendment means your speech can't be suppressed by the government. It's called the White House and stuff. but doesn't give you a right to say whatever you want without repercussions. I could be fired today for saying the wrong thing. It's not overly complicated. You don't have a lot of rights in America. You have privileges. You can't smoke on a plane.

They took that right away from you. It was privileged. You can't drink in a lot of places. There are counties in America that are dry counties in an entire county. Texas is a place. They love their beer. Can't buy it on, can't buy liquor in the state of Texas on Sunday at a liquor store or a grocery store. Can't buy your liquor in Texas.

That's one of them there are states that's got all sorts of rights. No, it's privileges. They could reduce Saturday alcohol sales if they wanted to as well. Thursday, Friday, they could do all of it. They're counties you can't ever do it. These are all privileges. Even the freedom of speech things, not about what you think it is in many cases. That's just the government can't suppress it.

And so when I hear people talk about, I get this right, just think about alcohol for a second. The government will regulate how much alcohol you can have in an alcoholic drink. Then they'll regulate when you can buy it. They'll regulate where you can drink it. And they'll regulate the days you can purchase it. And then when you get in your car, if you've had too much of it, they'll regulate you going to jail or not going to jail. Alcohol is completely regulated. That's just alcohol.

Everything's regulated. Nick Sabin's talking about that wearing mask thing. It's not real difficult. It's not just about you. It's about others. Here's Nick Saban. I think democracy is great, and I think people that have all these freedoms, I think that's all great. But I think there's one thing that is probably a common denominator that really makes all that work,

and that's that people have great moral integrity and the choices and decisions that they make. And I'm not criticizing anybody here, but a lot of people have asked that we wear masks when we're in public, when we're in crowds, when we're in large groups of people, that, that we keep social distanced. And I don't think they're doing that just for the heck of it. I think there's a reason for it. We're trying to control the spread of this disease. Yes, a smart man, successful smart man's kind of figured it out.

Hopefully all the students at the Alabama can figure it out too. Stop telling me you have all these rights. They're privileges. They can be taken at any time. And even the ones we have, the Constitution, have been amended 27 times. wear a mask, don't be stupid. I will say this, though. I have been wearing a mask from, you know, the very beginning, socially distancing.

So is joy. So is Goulet. You know, I'm not an epidemiologist. It seems to me it's harder to get outside than inside. It seems like in churches, meatpacking plants, jails, multi-generational buildings, small space, a lot of people, much easier to get than outside. How do I know that? Because I live at a beach town.

we've had it since December and we've had like 200 cases and everybody's outside and some have masks and some don't. They're next to each other on a beach and we'd be overwhelmed if you could catch it outside as easily as you could catch it inside. I don't think you can. But I will say this now. We have to be honest about this is that I've been checking for the last, you know, probably two or three weeks. I go online. It's called Twitter. And they'll have these reports about Alabama and Michigan and Ohio State and all these places testing their.

athletes. And it's remarkable in almost, I mean, all of them, all these top 10, 15 programs, USC, Texas, I've watched all of them. They may have a mini outbreak, but they'll have hundreds of tests and three positives. Hundreds of tests for athletes, three positives. Yet at North Carolina over the last two days, they brought the students on campus for a couple days and they had a massive explosion of cases. You can no longer argue that athletes, are in grave danger on college campuses, but the student body's not. No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no.

You've got an agenda. I get it. You hate the president. Whatevs? The athletes are getting tested more regularly. They're surrounded by medical personnel. Athletes are safer than non-athletes. Carolina is a great example.

They're on campus for a week. The whole damn thing blew up. Football team at Carolina is testing every day. They're not having. the positive test rate. So that part, I'm done arguing about. Now, if you, if you want college football or don't, I'd prefer to have college football, but I get it.

We had David Shaw on yesterday. We don't have all the answers. I get it. But the argument here that, oh, everybody, you know, I hear this whole, they have this new heart inflammation concern. Well, that's been around for seven months. Still no kids under 17.9. That thing's, NFL guys can get that.

Basketball players can get that. Hockey guys can get that. soccer guys can get that. UFC guys can get that. Like if you don't want to put kids in college who aren't getting paid at risk, and it's a moral thing for you, I get it. I'm not going to argue off that ledge. I'm not.

I get it. If I, you and I have a collective bargaining agreement, like in the NFL or the NBA, we collectively bargain. I'll play with this thing. I have the right to opt out. But if I play and get sick, I can't sue you. I'm all for that. Now, you may say, hey, these kids aren't getting paid.

This is unfair. I get that argument. That's a real argument. But colleges do allow you to opt out. You're not going to lose your scholarship. You're not going to lose your place in line. Colleges are saying, listen, man, if you're too big, you've got medical stuff, opt out. So they're not forcing you to play.

But we've got to get past this whole. There's another thing going on in sports that nobody is talking about, and it's real. When you're an athlete, Joy has been a college athlete, I'm a crappy high school one, there is peer pressure. You are part of a group. and you don't want to let your teammates down. That's not the way campus is. That's not the way campuses.

Maybe you're at a sorority. They've had huge outbreaks at sororities and fraternities. That's about as close as you get. But when you're on an athletic team, the Cleveland Indians had a pitcher that snuck out and lied to the team and went out. I don't even think he got COVID. And his teammates called him out in the press. What are you doing?

What are you doing? one of the great things about sports, and parents will tell you this, it creates a bond that you, this is one of the reasons I like my daughter playing basketball when she was young. You're part of a collective. It's not about you. It's about the team. And you have to sacrifice and you have to give and hard work is rewarded. And it's not always about you getting the accomplishments on Instagram.

It's about passing and distributing and elevating others beyond yourself. And that is a real thing in sports. You don't see it much in politics where everybody's out to win the campaign. You don't see it a lot in American business where everybody's climbing the corporate ladder. But in American sport, at the high school and college level, there is a peer pressure to not let down teammates, not let down coaches. It is a collective. It's not about individual, even if you're a fighter and you think yourself it's about me. No, no, no, no.

your trainers, your cut man, the people that have sponsored you, you're part of a collective. And when you watch these college athletes, tip of the cap to these universities, they're testing them. And these kids, very few positive tests. The rest of the campus, fingers crossed, because I don't sense that peer pressure. And Carolina's an example. What's up, everybody, John Middlecock, three and out podcast. That's me.

That's the show. Go subscribe right now. If you like Collins Show, you'll like mine. I talk a lot of NFL. I used to work in the NFL as a scout. Now I just talk about the league. Joe Judge, is he already over his head? Alex Smith.

One of the grittiest quarterbacks ever? Bruce Ariens, Tom Brady. Perfect personalities for each other? We talk about it all this week on the three-and-out podcast. Cowboy defensive tackle Gerald McCoy, good dude, veteran player 32 years old, season-ending ACL surgery. That stinks. I've said this in the NFL.

Every dollar counts. every dollar counts hard cap can't manipulate it like the NBA every dollar counts spend rarely infrequently and only spend the big money on great players mahomes Travis Kelsey Chris Jones Russell Wilson Bobby Wagner if you're going to spend big money spend it on the right guys and spend it infrequently 99% of the players in this league are not worth a point in Vegas, not a point. The quarterbacks are worth somewhere between four and 12. But the Dallas Cowboys have just been handing out candy to everybody.

Everybody get paid. And a lot of times they're really good players, Amari Cooper, DeMarcus Lawrence. They're not superstar players. They're top heavy. Saw the Rams do this couple years ago. And now what happens when you're top heavy? you start to have to take chances on guys who are a little older, Gerald McCoy. Older guys get hurt.

On personality issues, they all eventually unravel. So Dallas's defensive line is now old Gerald McCoy, boom hurt out year. Retired Alden Smith, not a long-term solution. Cross your fingers, it works for a year. Everson Griffin, who's talented, older, but there's been some mental health issues, so the market for him wasn't big. There's also Randy Gregory, I think it's somewhere on the roster. When you have all these big contracts, A, you have very little depth.

One or two injuries can just blow everything up. It did with the Rams. You get the wrong injury, season over. That doesn't happen with like the Baltimore Ravens are a great team. They don't have a ton of big contracts. You could lose a starting corner, Earl Thomas, Mark Ingram, and a right tackle. Baltimore would still probably be co-favorants in the AFC. because they're not paying a lot of people huge money.

Ronnie Stanley didn't get paid yet. Lamar didn't get paid yet. I think Earl Thomas is one of their biggest contracts. So Dallas now is a situation where when you're top heavy, you don't have a lot of depth and injuries, which, of course, happened in the NFL, are unbelievably punitive. Dallas has now one more turned ankle from, because remember, there are secondary stings.

So it's not like Baltimore where if you had defensive line injuries, the Raven secondary is filthy. You know, there's some secondaries in this. League. New England secondary is good. Baltimore's secondary. Buffalo secondary is unbelievable. Where if you had a defensive line issue, you've got the corners and the safeties and the coverage skills to be okay. They'll bail you out. That's not going to happen in Dallas. The weak spot of this team's a secondary. So now you're one injury away or one personality conflict away from being awful defensively and just praying Jalen Smith can have 130 tackles.

and also throw in DeMarcus Lawrence gets hurt a lot very good defensive end but you paid him a ton for a good player and he gets hurt a lot and throw in that you did not address your primary need with your first round pick C.D. Lamb. He's a good pick probably but he didn't address your needs which were all

on the defensive side. Not good for Dallas. FYI McCoy Torres Quad Tennon and not his ACL, my bad. So one of the things one of the things people say often to me Well, why do you talk so much NBA? You talk a lot of NBA in NFL, but I get the NFL why the NBA. And one of the reasons I do is because young people love the NBA. Young people, and I think it's important as I age to have young people working with me,

young people watching me. I don't want to be the cranky old sportscaster. So I'm on Instagram. I'm on all those young platforms, not TikTok yet. I'll get there. The point being is the NBA not only does a good job to find young talent, they celebrate it. They put their arms around. LeBron's like, I love that guy.

I mean, Luca came from overseas. Five games in, LeBron's like, who is this Luca? John Morant, Trey Young, NBA veterans love the young players. I mean, they just love them. And it's cool. NBA, they just put their arms. NBA stars, they're like, I love this is my guy. I'm a Zion guy.

I'm a John Morant guy. I'm a Trey Young guy. I'm a Luca guy. I love that. Baseball is the opposite. They just put a wet blanket on everything. Fernando Tatis Jr. is a great young player for San Diego. He's a great player.

Last night, because the game was too lobsided and the pitch count was 3 and 0, he swung at a ball and he hit a Grand Slam home run, which would have that home run for this young superstar gave him the league lead in home runs. He's a fascinating player. He's a star. But everybody was mad that he hit that home run because there's an unwritten rule in baseball. I, yeah, don't even act. God, I hope I don't.

My wife doesn't have these. Can you imagine being in any relationship when my wife was like, four o'clock on Tuesdays? I get the remote. Why? That's the unwritten rule in the marriage, huh? In baseball, there's an unwritten rule, which nobody really talks about. But if you're up by seven runs in the eighth inning in the count is three and no, you can't swing. What, huh?

Basis loaded? Yeah, I don't get it either. The unwritten rules of baseball. So this young star does something amazing, and his own manager didn't like it. Here's the Rangers manager after. He didn't like it either. I think there's a lot of unwritten rules that are, you know,

constantly being challenged, I think, in today's game. So, yeah, I didn't like it personally. Like I said, the norms are being challenged on a daily basis. So just because I don't like it doesn't mean it's not right, but I don't think we liked it as a group. NFL players are not snowflakes. hockey players are not snowflakes. NBA players are not snowflakes.

They don't protect your feelings. That's not what they do. If you can't get me out, that's a you problem. If you can't stop me dunking, that's a you problem. If I can run in for another touchdown, that is a you problem. Baseball players are apparently 365, 24-7 snowflakes that they get their feelings hurt when you can't get a guy out and your staff can't stop the greatest young talent potentially in the sport.

One of the things I love, Kevin Durant a couple years ago, was in a game and the Warriors were crushing Washington. And Kevin Durant actually said, get me off the floor. Washington quit playing hard. Durant's like, this is too easy for me. So Durant did the opposite of the baseball thing. He's like, I don't want free points. Don't groove stuff in for me.

You're not even guarding me. This is too easy. Take me out. Baseball's the opposite. You got a big lead on me. Protect my feelings. No swinging at the big, bad baseball pitch. Baseball. You could learn something from the NFL.

Listen to these star old quarterbacks in the NFL. They're just, they love Mahomes. They love Lamar Jackson. Listen to Russell Wilson talk about Kyler Murray. They light up. They love new talent. In the NBA, God, NBA started. the Durants, the LeBrons, they always put their arms around.

They all pick favorites of their young players. This kid is an amazing rock star. Let it be. Stop unwritten rules. You know, it's funny. The only unwritten rule that I can think of in basketball and football, this is the only singular unwritten rule in the NBA and the NFL is, don't take my knees out.

In fact, NFL players have acknowledged I'd rather get a concussion than a knee injury. And that gets very controversial. The media gets freaked out. But NFL players are saying, you mess with my knees, you mess with my livelihood. You'd knock me out upstairs.

I'll be back in 10 days. The only unwritten rule in the NFL and the NBA is, hey, don't go for my knees. Don't ruin my career. Don't ruin my bankroll. Everything else, you dunk on me a minute left leading by 28. That is a me problem. In baseball, throwing to a young star,

you can't get him out, apparently is the young stars problem? I don't get it. I mean, young people want to want fun and they want to be around young people. Like, pull the wet blanket off occasionally. Let young people emerge and star and support them and exhausting. Want more herd? The herd streams 24 hours a day, seven days a week within the IHeart radio app. Search Herd to listen live or on the podcast.

man whenever you'd like. 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, Clifford 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,

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 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 you 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 IHeartRadio 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 or are you a good person because you're afraid? Because that's two different intentions, bro. Absolutely. And that's two different levels of trust. I want you to just really be a good person. Join me, Kear Gaines, is we have real conversations about healing, growth, fatherhood, pressure, and

purpose on my new podcast, learn the hard way. Open your free iHeartRadio app, search Learn the Hardway, and listen now. Chris Spielman, do you know he's the first high school athlete to have his picture on the box of Wheaties?

Forget the fact that he's a college, all-American, a Hall of Famer, and then he played in the NFL for a decade and was a four-time all-pro. I think the Wheaties thing is pretty darn good. Yeah, that's pretty cool. Isn't it? He's joining us now from Columbus, Ohio, home of the Buckeyes, great college football program. So Justin Fields, I said the other day,

I said, man, if I'm Justin Fields, I'm not sure if I want to play in January, February, March, and then turn around and have the combine in the draft. I'm not sure. And then he goes out and does a petition. So obviously, he's all in. What did you make of the petition by Justin Fields? It kind of caught me off guard because if he would have opted out, I would have totally understood. Well, I would have understood, too.

And if I'm Ryan Day, I would never ask Justin Fields to be part of a season that's in the spring or the winter because I wouldn't want to jeopardize his future. but I think, you know, the players are finding their voice, and Justin decided to use his voice and his stature within the game of college football to take a stand for something that not only he believes in, but many college football players believe, and especially in the Pac-12 and the Big Ten. Yeah.

You know, what do you make at spring football, Chris? You were a very physical guy. Like, I can justify it. I could say, okay, we're going to play January, February, first week of March, no spring ball, light, cardio-only summer workouts, then fall and football. That feels right for a 20-year-old athlete. Your body recovers quickly. But you tell me, could you play January, February, early March, and then play again in September?

I think it's smart for the FCS schools and maybe some of the non-power-five conferences to try to pull off some type of spring schedule. I think if you're talking about a program like Ohio State or Penn State or Michigan, and you have guys that are interested in playing in the NFL, I would advise against it. I just think that's a lot of football to play pads in over an eight-month period. You know, the problem that they have, Colin, is you think about it. If you don't play a game since 2019, the next game you play in, a real game where there's action and other guys hitting you from other teams is going to be in an NFL training camp.

you're going to be behind those guys from the SEC, the ACC, and the Big 12 that hopefully will have a chance to play this year. Yeah. You know, I said this. My daughter, although athletic kid is a non-college athlete, I would feel better if she room with a college athlete because I know they're getting tested four times a week. Whereas the average college student, I don't trust them as much. I think there's a certain peer pressure when you're part of an athletic team to support your teammates and your kids. coaches and be more responsible. I think the average college athlete is more responsible than the average college student. Is that a bunch of hooey or do you buy that? Well, I'm actually living it as a

parent. My daughter, Macy, is a basketball player at Bowling Green. I couldn't wait for it to get up to Bowling Green, but I just would watch her behavior around the house and the responsibility that she was taking, not necessarily to protect us, although I'd like to think so, protect Dad, you know, But I think to protect her teammates and the responsibility that she felt toward them being her best. And so she would eat dinner in a separate room even though she didn't have to. She would wear a mask around the house, even though we were COVID-free around here. But she did it out of respect for her teammates. And she understood the concept of sacrifice and what you give will grow and which you keep you lose.

She's been brought up and trained with that mindset that it's always about the team. I just love that. I love to hear that story. That's good parenting, isn't it? Yeah, no, I mean, it's, but it's funny. You know, this is the argument I've made with Joy was an athlete, and I do think a college athlete is more responsible because you feel a peer pressure.

You don't want to let your teammates down. You don't want to let your coaches down. I mean, you know, kids like to make their mentors and their parents happy most of the time, and I think there's a real pressure there that kids, athletic kids live by, and your daughter's a great point of that. Now, I want to shift to the NFL. You live in Ohio. I've been tough on Baker Mayfield.

The other day, he admitted, he said I lost myself. I didn't get a workout as much. And should I take that as maturity or should I say, good Lord, he lost himself in year two. How do you lose yourself? I get year 12, year two. What do I take from Baker's comments? Well, I think he's been humbled, right? And I think the other thing that has stunned at Baker Mayfield's growth as a quarterback

is he's going to be in his third offense in three years. But if it is true what he's saying, if his actions back up his words, I do think he has the talent. And he has the number one physical attribute that I look in the quarterback. I don't know what everybody else is, but mine is accuracy. And he certainly has some weapons to throw the ball to and a pretty good running back when healthy and Nick Chubb. So everybody wants big.

I want banker to do well. I root for all these guys. But you have to be, if you want to be great at the time, that position, you have to be Tom, in my opinion, you have to be Tom Brady, where you've got to commit totally to being an NFL quarterback, not just during the season or not just during OTAs, but that's a 365-year-day marriage right there every year. You've got to commit to be in your best every single day. That's the responsibility of a quarterback to a football team. You know, Brady is Russell Wilson and Brady to me live that life. Drew, I remember one time I was

at ESPN and it was like June. And I'm working. out in the gym and Drew Brees is next to me and he's on the air in about an hour and I'm like, aren't you on the air? And he's like, I got to get a workout in. And I'm like, you got your Super Bowl. Like you're like 38 years old. Did how many how many play? Did you ever play

with a guy in the NFL? And I know you were committed. But did you ever play with a guy that had some Brady qualities where you were like, oh my God. Like he lives it. Day, night family. How many guys are like that? I think

probably I would say 30%, but a lot of them are the quarterbacks because they understand the value to the team and the position that they play. Just because I was like that and maybe 20 or 30% of the other guys were like that, there's more than one ways to get it done. But for me, I knew what worked for me. I know if I wanted to have my play at the highest level possible, I had to commit 365 days a year to be in the best possible.

possible linebacker that I could be. If I did not do that, then I was not living up to the standard that I set for myself or that I set for my teammates. And I promise them that commitment. And I might have not have been the most liked guy on the team calling, but I guarantee I was one of the most respected because I never changed. Yeah. You know, speaking of not being liked, you know, I see these old NFL films and Aikman's barking at guys and Peyton Manning's barking at guys. And it's interesting. There's been some reports that Cam Newton, you know,

was not barked at in Carolina and Belichick's a barker. And, you know, Tom Brady could deal with it. Tim Duncan could deal with it. A lot of people don't want to be yelled at in front of their teammates. And I've said this before. I know people inside that Carolina organization, and they told me, Cam is tough.

He plays hurt all the time. But criticism publicly may not be great. did you play your thoughts about Cam in New England and that situation? And did you play with guys who were more sensitive? The public criticism from the coach didn't land right. Yeah, I think Cam's a unique story because Cam is at a crossroads. And so what worked for Cam before may not work for Cam now. So Cam may be open to being coached differently. From my own personal experience, Wayne Fons would threaten to send me home on a bus if I would touch your head. Barry Sanders in practice again.

And Wayne Fons and I are from the same hometown, and he played against my dad. So I get all that, but I think Cam right now is all he wants to do is to get better. And if players, and this is, you know, this is a pet peeve of mine. And kids today, if we lesson and not hold players and even children that are athletes

or high school players that are football players or basketball players, if we don't hold them to the standard that they set that we are doing a disservice. My opinion of Cam, he's an MVP quality type guy, but can he come back from the injuries? And I think Cam understands that this is my shot. And if Belichick's going to yell at me, he can yell at me all he wants,

because all I want to do is win, and certainly Bill Belichick has that track record of winning Super Bowls. You know, it is interesting. Cam's been beat up physically, and again, he's played through a lot of injuries. If I recall, you had a neck injury where you basically couldn't play. When you get to be an older player, you still want to play in the games.

It is interesting because I got some old quarterbacks here. And the reason they've lasted is because they haven't gotten hurt a lot. For the average, I saw Gerald McCoy is now going to be out for the year. When you're 33, 34, you're getting older and you're playing NFL football. Does your body tell you it's over or do you have to be talked into it? Like you were, I think, more severe. Your neck injury was more severe. saw a lot of guys that just dropped out that could have played. What is the psychology for a

camera and older player that's taking a lot of hits? The psychology for me came from our great philosopher of our time, Bill Lambere. When Bill Lambere retired, Bill Lambier said, I am despising myself. I don't want to become the player that I despise. So if you're intellectually honest with yourself and you're watching film of yourself, you know what you're doing well, know what you're not going well. So that's when you have to make an individual choice and decision. Am I just hanging on to hang on or I got to be honest and I can't do it anymore? So I think a lot of guys go through that within themselves and emotionally to make that

decision. And once they accept reality, usually guys make the right decision based on the fact that they don't want to become a player that they despise. A lot of guys quit the NFL and they don't lift weights anymore. like you still lift weights. You still lift? Well, yeah, I'm a big health fanatic. I mean, you know a little bit about my family's history, and I want my kids to be healthy, and if at all possible, to stay as live a healthy lifestyle. So like anything, Colin, I need, my actions need to solidify my words. You know, I'm not

going to go tell my daughter to get in there and give me 10 miles on a Peloton if I haven't done 10 miles myself. And so I think that's the way, in my opinion, that's one way to lead that your action solidify your words. You know, that's why I don't buy a Peloton, because then I would have to be. Exactly. So I just avoid that

Peloton thing from the very beginning. Chris Spielman, Fox Sports NFL analyst. Great seeing you. Look great. Thanks for coming on, but thank you you, brother. Anytime. I appreciate you having me. Thank you. Another podcast from some SNL late night comedy guy. Not quite. Unhumor me with Robert Smygel and friends. Me and

hilarious guests from Bob Odenkirk to David Letterman help make you funnier. This week, my guest, S&L's Mikey Day and headwriter, 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 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'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. I mean, 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 you're saying. Yep, that's me. Cliver Taylor, 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 Clifford 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 IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok's podcast network on TikTok. This is an IHeart podcast.

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