The Herd with Colin Cowherd - Best of The Herd for Aug 25, 2020

Episode Date: August 25, 2020

Lakers big win over the Blazers doesn't mean muchThe Cowboys can't be taken seriously as a Super Bowl teamClippers and Rockets will both be fine and win their seriesBill Belichick has a specific reason for praising Cam Newton so muchColin's five over/unders for the NFL seasonGuest: Peter Schrager, FOX Sports NFL ReporterJim Jackson, FOX Sports NBA Analyst live from the Bubble 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. Ah, here we go on a loaded Tuesday.

This is The Herd, wherever you may be, however you may be listening. Thanks for joining us live in Los Angeles. By the way, one hour from now, I will give you my five best Fox Bet over on. under picks. I love, they're called future bets. Vegas, Fox Bet, puts up the number of wins. Your team is predicted to have. They give a number. And you can bet they'll win less than that or more than

that. I've got three overs, two unders. They're my best bets. I'm betting them. So I'll give you those in one hour. Joy Taylor is joining me today. We got Lakers, Cowboys, Rockets. Oh, there's a lot going on today. Big Ten. I'm trying to think if I can, if I'm a sneaky guess one. I'm going to write it down and see if I I was right about it, about one of your over-unders, because I think I know which one.

I think you know more than one. I think you know two. Okay. I'll guess. I feel less strongly about the second one, but the first one. Money to be made in one hour. Yes. So let's start with the Lakers.

So last night was the first time in the bubble. Oh, my. Lakers are a championship team. Oh, boy. Woo-hoo-hoo-hoo. Now, they had size. They had length. They played defense.

The chemistry was good. The star. were unbelievable. But here's the problem. They've had all those things in the bubble. Now let's be clear. Portland waved the white flag. We all have a tipping point in life.

You moms and dads out there dealing with COVID, your kids at home, probably good for two months. Then you reach a weekend. You need some tequila. We all have a tipping point. Portland gave up. And Portland, the series is over. The game was over in four minutes.

It was 15-0. and everybody in life, every team. Portland should be proud of their season. They gave you everything. You got dames hurt, wobbling. He's got a finger issue. And C.J. McCullough's got a broken bone in his back. Nerkut just look exhausted for his last two or three games. But this was the Lakers doing everything right on the same night, Portland literally waved the white flag. So you can't take much from the game. But one of the things I like about analytics, it tells me the truth.

I get out of recency bias. I get out a confirmation bias. There is an issue with the Lakers. They have all these components to be a championship team, and they've had all of them in the bubble every night. Length and size and a front court, and LeBron's awesome, and AD is mostly awesome, and they've got an experienced coach,

and a lot of years in this league. But what happened last night? What happened last night is what hasn't happened in the bubble until last night. All the other guys shot well, KCP shot well, and Danny Green shot well, and Kyle Kuzma shot well. That's the problem. That is the issue. If you look at two numbers for the Lakers this year, they're 29 and oh when they've shot 50%. That's not on LeBron and AD. AD shot 50% for the season. LeBron shot 49 and a half percent. They're always shooting 50%. They're 20 and 1 when they shoot 40, just 40% on threes.

The issue with the Lakers, they've had all of these championship components, the entire bubble, the size, the length, the experience, LeBron, A.D., a veteran coach. It's the other guys. That's the Lakers issue. And last night, they all hit. Why? Was it because Portland gave up, perhaps? Was it because it was Kobe Day, 24, 824, a commemorative jersey.

that emotionally, those other players, those fringe guys, were all emotionally captivated and moved. I don't know. But when I watched the Lakers last night, I'm like, yes, they looked like a championship team last night. But it's not LeBron and AD or their size or their rebounding, or their defense, or their length, or their experience. I've seen all of that every night in the bubble.

When the other guys delivered, this is why I think LeBron James has been frustrated. LeBron sees the same thing. Last night they had Javelle McGee on the court with LeBron, with AD, and with KCP, just those four guys. And I was sitting there watching thinking, this has to be the longest team in the league. They just looked like giants.

Portland looked tiny and small and outmatched and outclass physically. And LeBron is too smart not to see the truth. that LeBron, and I think this is a frustration for LeBron, is that he knows he's going to have to depend on Kyle Kuzma, and he doesn't trust him, and KCP likes him but doesn't trust him, and Danny Green likes him, but he's old. So that to me is, I'm not going to take too much of last night. It was such a rare night.

Portland gave up. It was Kobe Day. It was emotionally a tough night for Portland, a great night for the Lakers. They were playing for something beyond themselves. But the frustrating part of your LeBron, because he's just too smart not to see this, is he really knows.

Last night he's like, it was the other guys. It won me. I'm always good. A.D., he's almost always good. That's the question with the Lakers. Do you trust Kuzma, Danny Green, and KCP? Because when they hit, you watched it last night. When they hit, get out the way.

That's a championship team. So, you know, I was thinking about the Dallas Cowboys this morning. And everybody, you know, I like movies, you like movies. and there's always that summer blockbuster movie stars big budget familiar faces

flashy a lot of marketing and promotion but in February when they say and the best film goes to nobody really thinks the rock or whatever the movie is

the Avengers. That's not really what it is. It is just newsworthy. It's fun. We've all seen them. You know, they're familiar. Have the Dallas Cowboys become the summer blockbuster movie of the NFL? We're in February when we say, and the Super Bowl trophy goes to, we don't really think of the cowboys. They're the rock. They're the block. They're the block. Buster movie. They're the Avengers. They're newsworthy. They're fun. They're captivating. It's big budget. It stars. I think that's what the Cowboys have become. And here's a prime example. Jerry Jones, bless his billionaire heart, cares about all the wrong stuff. His yacht, staying in the news, branding, selling tickets. So Earl Thomas is out there on the market.

And all the other owners and GMs and coaches, there's no big talking. point, Mike McCarthy came out when asked about Earl Thomas and said, well, our number one priority when talking about adding somebody to this very talented roster is, of course, chemistry. Mike McCarthy told you not interested. But Jerry, got to stay in the news, got to sell tickets, got to be relevant, all the wrong stuff. Oh, no, no, no, Jerry said that's not the case. I will make the decision here. here's Jera.

These decisions, like the one you're talking about with Earl, they never served up like a softball. They always come in awkward. They always come in with a little hair on it, a lot of different ways. And that's where I step in. And basically put all this together to whether or not it is smart to make a decision like that. I haven't visited personally with Earl. I don't know that anybody has, but that would probably be a next step. Jerry wanted to make sure I, I, I haven't talked to him.

I make these decisions. I'll make the big blockbuster movie and the Dallas Cowboys. In February, when they ask, and the winner is, and the Super Bowl trophy goes to, we don't take that blockbuster movie or the Cowboys seriously now. do we? Ed Wurter, by the way, a veteran reporter figured this out very quickly. I went to his Twitter account this morning. He said, interesting to me listening to Jerry speaking about Earl Thomas, is that Jerry never mentioned concerns about locker room chemistry. Mike McCarthy cited that as the number one priority in determining whether to add a veteran player. Jerry wanted to make sure

everybody knew he made the key decisions. This was his movie and his budget and these are his stars and only he will as the director and producer of this movie make the calls. I can't take the blockbuster movie seriously. It's just fun and cotton candy and I can't take the Cowboys seriously. I've always said I have a belief in the NFL. It's called my core four. I do not consider you a Super Bowl contender unless your owner, your GM, your coach, and your quarterback are at least A minus, at the worst B plus. and I believe in all of them. I'm not sure I believe in now any of Dallas's core four.

And in fact, of the four positions, one guy nearing 80 has two of them. This is why. The coach who's got a Super Bowl told you, listen, we'd think about it, but it's got to be a chemistry thing. Jerry doesn't care about that. It's staying relevant and selling tickets and making sure people know, I will make the call. I sign on for the budget for the blockbuster movie. It is my movie.

I sign the stars. I give the thumbs up if we use Rock or Kevin Hart. That is my decision on this blockbuster movie. And it's why it's fun and cotton candy, but I can't take it seriously. 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. Clever Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skisks. hits, 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 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 picket 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 just so you're not just so you. y'all know. I mean, at this point, 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, you're 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 IHeart Radio 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 Hardway. Open your free iHeartRadio app.

Search Learn the Hardway and listen now. When I said after the Lakers lost to the Mavericks, I love this. Now that I live in Los Angeles, suddenly I'm a Laker Homer. But it was funny because when I used to work at the other place and lived in Connecticut, I was called a Homer. And I always used to say, no, I just don't think Pittsburgh matters as much as Los Angeles. Shame on me. L.A. is the entertainment capital of the world. I'm going to acknowledge that it exists in sports because the place I used to work at doesn't acknowledge it.

So I used to be the guy that would acknowledge that Los Angeles is actually more important than Buffalo and Pittsburgh. And I got labeled the West Coast Homer, which is nonsense because if I'm a West Coast Homer, why do I keep saying, you know, why do I keep crushing USC football, saying they're not relevant? Why do I keep saying the Lakers are not a championship team? And why have I downgraded the Rams much sooner than anybody else nationally? So let's talk about the Clippers beating the Mavs.

They will. But it's a tight series, which is not a shock. Patrick Beverly is out. They don't get home court advantage in the bubble. So let's talk about the Rockets. Lost last night to Oklahoma City. Series tied at two. Probably should be.

Russell Westbrook is out. They don't get the home court advantage. Does everybody get what a disadvantage it is to be a favorite and not get home court advantage? Like the bubble is great for underdogs. It's great for young players. Because young NBA players usually freak out in the playoffs and melt. The crowds are bigger. They're more intense.

There are no crowds. This is an AAU gym. It's a theater. So the young guys are flourishing. The old guys who need the juice in the first round because they know they're supposed to win. The James Hardens, the LeBron's, the stars that need the juice, Paul George, Kauai Leonard. It's tougher for them. They love first round.

They get home court advantage. They get the home crowd. They get the juice they need because they mostly sleepwalk through the first round. So this should be a close series. They basically finished this year with the same record and Westbrook's out. This is what the series was going to look like. Can we stop? Folks, the Western Conference is not the Eastern Conference.

The number seven seed in the East is Brooklyn. Name three players on their team. The number seven seed in the West is Dallas, a Hall of Fame coach, poor Zingis, and the best young player in the game, Luca. That's the difference between the West and the East. 20 of the top 25 players in the NBA are West. The best GMs are overwhelmingly West.

Many of the best coaches, West. Stars, LeBron, I'm going West. Kauai, I'm going West. Then the young players, Luca, ended up because Eastern teams didn't know his talent, even though they're closer to Europe. It was a closer flight to go watch and play. The West is better. This is what the first round looks like.

The Warriors last year struggled in the first round. KD was healthy, Clay was healthy, Steph was healthy, Draybond was healthy. They struggled. Denver last year was the number two seed. They went seven games in the first round. This is what this series is supposed to look like. Westbrook's out. And though I have my issues with Westbrook, when Westbrook is out, Hardin has to play 43 minutes.

And James Hardin looked exhausted by the end of last night's game. He'll get some rest. He'll be fine. But this idea when I said, you know, the clippers are, they don't get their home court advantage. It's a veteran roster. The bubble is, they got older guys, families. Lakers, by the way, have struggled a bit in the bubble. Older guys, families, businesses. Yeah, Dallas is going to give the Clippers a real pushback. They're the best offensive team. Efficiency-wise in the history of the league. Rick Carlisle, Luca Porzinga, it's not going to be a sweep.

I mean, outside of MJ and LeBron in the Eastern Conference, you know, those were guys that swept their first round series. Like Michael Jordan just flew through the first round. round and LeBron mostly in the east flew to the first round. That's not the way it works out west. It's like southern college football. It's just better. College football is just better in the south. NBA is just way better out here.

We out west, it's all the stars, all the best GMs, many of the best coaches, best rosters. I mean, out east, you're trying to convince me Chris Middleton's a star. I'm not even sure he starts for some of the team. Does he start for the clippers? I'm not sure he starts for the Clippers. So it's like, this is what it looks like. Houston's going to struggle.

Oklahoma City's got a Hall of Fame point guard and a good big and a bunch of young hustlers and Billy Donovan's Code to the Year. This is what it looks like in the first round. Clippers are going to win it. Houston's going to win it. All year long, if you look at the record, Houston was Oklahoma City with a higher ceiling. And we'll see that higher ceiling over the next three games. One more herd? The herd streams 20.

24 hours a day, seven days a week within the IHeart radio app. Search Her to listen live or on demand whenever you'd like. Bill Belichick and Greg Popovich, very similar. Nearing 70, legends. They both had one superstar player,

Tim Duncan and Brady. And they were very similar players. They both took pay cuts. They both sort of carried the water for their coach's rigid system. They would allow to be barked at by Pop and Belichick. very unique.

Most athletes in leagues don't want to be screamed at, don't want to take pay cuts. And Duncan and Brady, for these big powerful coaches, as those players get older, let's talk Popovich. So Duncan gets older. Popovich wins less, obviously,

because Duncan's a top 10 player all time, top 20. And then who's going to carry the water now for Popovich? So he tried to do that with Kauai. And Kauai's like, no, bra. No, no, no, no, no, no. You're not going to treat me like that. I'm not taking pay cuts here. I've been overlooked my whole life.

We're not going to do, I'm not going to say what you want me to say. And Kauai didn't buy it. And what's happened to Popovich? You're all of it. Spurs are irrelevant. And I'm not even sure there are an interesting free agent destination now. Because now you don't have Duncan taking the pay cuts, allowed to be yelled at, taking your rigid system.

system and it's a smart system. Here's where Belichick's smart. So for years, Belichick had Brady. Brady took pay cuts. Brady got yelled at. Brady just carried the water. Coach is right. Coach is right. Coach is king. Coach is right.

Anytime there was a marginal controversy, Tim Duncan, Brady, mute it. Oh, it's no big deal. While getting yelled at and taking pay cuts. Belichick, pretty smart. So here comes Cam. Cam is very popular with players.

Because players, I mean, this is why players love Westbrook and don't love staff. Players love athletes. Westbrook's fascinating athletically. Cam is giant. It's got a huge arm. He's an unbelievable athlete. He's MVP. Players like him.

And Belichick, have you noticed Belichick? Third time in a week. Very complimentary of Cam. Cam's doing a great job. I love Cam. See, this is what Popovich didn't do. Popovich didn't realize that Duncan is. a once-in-a-lifetime player. Pay cuts, yellowed it. That doesn't have. Belichick's figured it out.

Most quarterbacks. So Belichick went on the Rich Eisen Show yesterday. And it is just, he didn't compliment Brady like this in 20 years. He's had Cam three weeks. And again, again he goes on and talks about how great Cam's been. Being with him every day, he's extremely hard working player. First guy in, last one out type of guy. He really studied hard. And, he's just studied hard. He has spent a lot of extra time trying to learn our offense and our communication, our calls and nomenclature and so forth. So, yeah, I've been very impressed with that. And, you know, he's done a good job of picking up.

He's a very skilled athlete. Do you remember when Belichick gave Brady the team ball last year for a game? Joy and I were on the air. It was uncomfortable. Bill had to acknowledge the greatest quarterback ever really mattered for a game. This is Belichick getting the temperature of the room. Hey, I'm not anti-player. I'm not an old rigid fart.

Cam is terrific. This is good messaging. Cam is popular. Now, I don't think Cam's going to be too successful because I don't think New England's very good. They don't have a playmaker on their offense. But I think the messaging here is really smart. Hey, man, we're not that rigid. We're pro player.

We like his style. We got this guy's back. This guy's been great. Our system's not that hard to figure out. is a great place to play. Popovich. He tried to turn Kauai into Tim and he's like, no, no, Tim's a once in a decade NBA player.

Yelled him, pay cuts. Brady's a once in a two-decade player. Actually, Duncan is too. So I think now, now, this leads me into my five bets of the year. They're called future bets. Fox bet over under. They pick a number over under.

My number one bet on the board this year is bet the under. on New England. Fox bet has their over under at nine. I think it's an outrageously high number. I think it's a six-win football team. So here are my over-under bets, my five. The Patriots lost four of their last six games.

Jamie Collins was their leading sacker, gone. Kyle Van Noy got more hits on the quarterback than anybody. Gone. They had a league leading eight players opt out. They return only five starters, and they play seven games against playoff teams in the NFL. that's an NFL high. Cam had no camp. Cam shared snaps for a few practices.

This is not a nine-win team. To me, New England, a six, seven win team tops. My second one is the over on the Ravens 11. They have the easiest schedule in the league and the easiest travel schedule. One of their issues was pass rush, inconsistent. Went and got Callais Campbell.

They played just five playoffs. teams from last year all season. And they finish the season with six games against non-playoff teams. So they have addressed their weakness pass rush. Earl Thomas situation doesn't bother me at all. They are loaded in the secondary. Ravens over 11s, my second best bet. Here's another one.

Bengals under five and a half wins. First of all, it is the best defense division, best defensive division in football. between the Ravens D, the Steelers front seven is scary, and I think Cleveland's personnel is outstanding, although they just lost a safety for the season. This is the 31st ranked offensive line, a rookie quarterback with no OTAs, no pre-season. It's the 30th ranked scoring offense,

and I think Joe Burrell's got talent, but he's got no snaps in real games. And I look at this. This was a two-win team last year, and I'm told Vegas, the wise guys, are pounding the under on Cincinnati. So that's my number three. Number four is the over on the Carolina Panthers five and a half. Okay, they won five games last year, and they were rotating quarterbacks.

And Teddy Bridgewater is a hell of a lot better than Kyle Allen. And as much as I like Ron Rivera, he's not an offensive coach. Matt Rule, and I actually, they do a couple of things really well. First of all, in 2020, they've got a quarterback who distributes the ball, unbelievably coachable. Teddy Bridgewater is the kind of quarterback that you don't need a preseason. He'll figure out the playbook really fast. There's guys in this league, they figure playbooks out quick. Teddy's that guy.

It's kind of like the coach's kid quarterback. Like, he just figures stuff out. He works everywhere. He's coachable. They've got two good receivers. They have a superstar running back. They get after the quarterback. They were number two last year.

in sacks in the NFL. You forget this. 53. Their schedule is pretty workable. They'll play just five games against teams 500 or better. I like their upgrades. They got Derek Brown in the draft.

They fixed their offensive line. They got Robbie Anderson, the speed-wide receiver. This feels like a seven or an eight-win team. This feels like the team that will spoil somebody's season. And finally, Green Bay over eight and a half. Folks, listen, I don't love everything about Green Bay, but this is not a 500 football team. Aaron Rogers is still a top

8 to 10 quarterback. Their offensive line is ranked top five by pro football focus. They have a star, Devonte Adams, at wide receiver, a star running back. And I thought their defense played well. You can't just look at their games against San Francisco and judge it. They don't match up

against San Francisco at all. By the way, Arizona's not a good team. They matched up very well. This is a matchup league. Baltimore is very good. They didn't match up well with Tennessee. Arizona matches up really well with Russell Wilson and San Francisco. Green Bay is a good football team.

They'll face teams that miss the playoffs in six of their final eight games. I think Chicago right now I don't trust. Detroit, I don't trust. Minnesota, I think, has better overall personnel. But Green Bay, in big games, I trust Aaron more than Kirk Cousins. Listen, I don't think Green Bay is a 13-win team. I think they were a 9-and-7 team. But this is the second year for Matt LaFleur.

second year for Aaron Rogers together. Let's not go crazy on this. They're still a really good football team with what appears to be a top seven or eight Hall of Fame quarterback. All right. So there's my over under under New England, over Baltimore, under Cincinnati, over Carolina, and over in Green Bay. 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. Peter Schreger always does a great job for us. based in New York. He's doing good morning football in the NFL network. The New York Times bestseller. Really connected throughout the NFL. Good dude. He's on our Fox NFL Sunday show. And he's got salon perfect hair on almost every afternoon hit for us. And he is joining us via the Coward Global Center. I don't get to see you. You know, offseason I don't get to see you, Shrague. So now I'm in C. This is exciting time for us. You and I.

Look at that. Very nice. So let's talk. The first big issue is Baltimore players said Earl Thomas, you're not screwing this locker room up. So Seattle, Baltimore, Pete Carroll Harbaugh player coaches are like, we're out. Is Earl Thomas too toxic to get back in the league? Dallas rumors? What do you make of that stuff? You know, it's very rare that a player of that caliber gets released this late into the off season, into training camp. It's even rare of that I make five texts and five phone calls Saturday and Sunday when this is going down and how upfront the people connected to this situation on the Ravenside where we're saying that this was not a good teammate and not a good guy to have in the building and that this was not the only point of reason why he's out of there, but the boiling point and maybe truly the last item of many, many. Look, Brandon Williams, known as Big Baby there, is their big defensive tackle, beloved guy. Last year, they lose in week four to the Cleveland Browns.

And Earl Thomas apparently had an altercation with Brandon Williams, who was one of the defensive leaders, has been there forever. And he tried to start something with him. All right. Then he was late to meetings. Then you go to this past weekend with the Chucky Clark incident. Of course, there's an altercation between the two of them.

But then for him to post the all 22 footage on his Instagram page to prove a point, are you with us or not with us? And the comment I got from someone that's close to the situation said they signed Mark Ingram last year on the same day that they signed Earl Thomas. Mark Ingram has been the ultimate teammate, the ultimate veteran leader, and has helped every young guy in that locker room come along. Earl Thomas was what they hoped he would be, what Ingram is, and he hasn't been. So they get rid of Ingram and they get rid of, I'm sorry, Thomas. But here's the point, Colin. And, you know, everyone on Twitter says, oh my gosh, Cowboys can sign him.

Seahawks can sign them. bucks can sign them, Browns can sign them. The list of teams that everyone on Twitter wants to see him sign by is not dictated by any of that. It's dictated by what the marketplace is. And here we are, two days removed. And I don't have a suitor for Earl Thomas at the moment. He's a seven-time pro bowler who still has football left. And right now I can't tell you a team that's looking to sign them.

There's so many interesting stories this year. Like I kind of feel like I know who the good teams are. And I kind of know who I feel the bad teams are. And then there's one or two teams. teams and both could be in New York with the Jets and the Giants. And I'm like, I just don't know. I see talent with the Giants. Give me the whole Joe Judge thing.

I saw a story the other day, Bill Parcells is like, just be yourself. New York media can eat you up. What are you seeing, hearing about the Giants? Because Daniel Jones, I was wrong, is way better than I thought he would be. He looks like a young Eli. That potentially there's something there. What are you hearing about the Giants? Yeah, that was a great article by Steve, Steve Serby in the New York Post, saying that Parcells told Joe, Judge, don't worry about everything.

Just be yourself and be true to who you are and the rest will happen. What that means is Joe Judge has come in with a very strong hand. I don't know if this has been national news, but he was running full contact drills last week on the goal line, a drill called the Nutcracker, which was basically a offensive player has the ball here, the defensive player has here. And it's almost like an Oklahoma drill. He blow the whistle and they go. one player is going to go down, the other one isn't, who's going to be the bigger man in that situation? And the media was watching it was like, that's not what Pat Schumer was doing here. That is not what Ben Magiddy was doing here.

And truthfully, in a post-2011 CBA, we haven't seen much like that. And yet Joe Judge was like, this is what we want to do. We want to do it discipline. We want to do it safe. And we want to have contact because the Steelers are coming in week one. And we're not going to be singing kumbaya. T.J. Watt and Minka Fitzpatrick are going to be hit. So he is laying down the law.

and he's got players running laps when they make mistakes that include Sequin Barclay. And position coaches have even jumped in on that. Some position coaches, when they make a mistake, are running with the players. So you see that and you're like, all right, this is the NFL that's not going to work. This guy's 38. He's trying to be Belichick Jr. It never works. And yet, you speak to people, Joe Judge has a sense of humor.

Joe Judge is well liked by the players. And this is a really young Giants team. Daniel Jones isn't the only young guy. You're talking Sequin is still young, and the leaders on the defensive side of the ball are young. And Colin, this team is buying into this approach. It's the complete opposite of what they've had in the past. So it's true, you know, you're not going to be tackling all summer long because of what we just dealt with with the coronavirus. And in a post-CBA world, there's not a lot of contact.

Joe Judge is like, well, we've got to tackle at some point. And I promise you on September 13th or 14th, when the Steelers come to town, they're not going to be soft on us because of what we've had to deal with. So I think it's working now. Let's check in in October if these players are still hitting in practice and how that's going over. But right now, they're buying in. So it was about a year ago that Sean McVeigh was the talk of the league. And, I mean, he got to the Super Bowl. And I mean, if you had a cup of coffee with him, you got a job interview.

And now you look this morning and you're like, Gurley's gone, Niners look better. Russell's not going away. Here comes Arizona. Really interesting season for Bull, Boy Wonder, Sean McVeigh, Goff got the big contract now. Brandon Cook out. It looks like they've missed on a couple of free agent signings.

Where are the Rams today? What are you here? It's amazing, isn't it? How quickly a year can change things for perception on the outside. Not only is Sean McVeigh, no longer the boy wonder. I don't know anybody who's picking them to even compete in the NFC West right now. They're in the Super Bowl two years ago. I spoke with them for a long time earlier this week.

and what I come away from talking with Sean on a personal level is that during this pandemic and all that stuff, he did find a balance in work in life, meaning what? Meaning he knows the amount of time he needs to put into work, but he also said there are things outside of work. And he's also delegating things, which is not his style. They hired Kevin O'Connell from the Washington football team, who was their offensive coordinator. He gets blown out when they fire the staff. Sean McVeigh hired him, and it's not like he's some ceremonial offensive coordinator. No, he's going to be working directly with Jared Gough. And McVey also hired a young defensive coordinator, a 38-year-old named Brandon Staley,

who comes from Denver where Vic Fangio was and is letting him run the defense. So now you almost have this guy who was so in the weeds and almost coaching every position last year to now taking a 30,000-foot view, being the CEO of the team, saying, okay, I can let go a little bit. Let's see the big picture here. I think the Rams are going to be much improved. I also think you're going to see a huge outburst from Cam Acres, the rookie running back, who's going to be filling in for Todd Gurley. and I wouldn't sleep on a player named Josh Reynolds. One of the reasons they got rid of Brandon Cooks is that Josh Reynolds has elevated his game.

He's a wide receiver they really like. So you look at all the stars on this team. You look at McVeance. The same people we were all hyping up and they added Jalen Ramsey from last year. I think the Rams are going to be a sneaky team. And that's crazy to say considering they were in the Super Bowl two years ago. So, you know, the cam thing's interesting. I don't want to bore you with what I talked about earlier.

But I said, you know, so Popovich had Tim Duncan to kind of carry the way. water, take a pay cut, get barked at in front of the unit. And it was great. But when Duncan left and Kauai came in, Kauai's like, I'm not interested in that role. So Belichick similarly had his Duncan. It was Tom Brady. Pay cuts, bark at him, carry the water within the kind of rigid system. He leaves. It's interesting. Belichick, though, unlike Popovich, brings in Cam, has been effusive with his praise. Yesterday for the third time in a week, I can't believe how coachable he is.

My theory on that, Shrakes, is it Belichick's figured out. Listen, there are no other Brady's out there. I have got to be viewed with an NFL player circle, player-friendly, evolving. I'll take new styles. That's what it feels like. I've never seen him compliment a player like he's done Cam three times in the last two weeks. What do you make of it? Well, then you haven't seen him talk about Johnny Hecker, the punter on the Rams.

He loves his special teams. No, it's true. This has been a fusive praise, but it's also been such a difference over the last week of how we're hearing spur ports out of New England. Now look, Cam Newton has a lot going against him in this season. When he say going against him, what do you mean? Well, it's an abridged season.

He's been in New England for 30 days, and suddenly he needs to now learn the playbook, get up to speed, and compete, and do so at a level that Belichick and Josh McDaniels demand. And yet that said, I think we've spoken about this on this show, I think you're going to expect a different offense, at least aesthetically. It's going to be one that uses a mobile quarterback quite a bit.

And I would almost look at his Carolina days and see how they used him in those offices. Instead of Belichick reinventing the wheel, him and Josh McDaniels saying, what worked best for Cam Newton, let's use that. What I love about this is I see Cam Newton dancing. I see Cam Newton being himself. I see Cam Newton in a great mood. And I don't see Belichick suffocating that. And I don't see Belichick saying, okay, enough of the dancing during warmups.

There's no place for that. instead we get B-roll from these practices. Cam's throwing. There's Jed Fish, the coach, talking with him. He's doing all that. And then in between, he's serving as a high-energy guy for players like Jared Sidham and Brian Hoyer, who are there as well. So to your point, I think everyone needs to be flexible in 2020. I think Belichick seems to be as flexible as anyone. And even if he is giving praise to Cam Newton publicly and you think that might be a work

or that might be something that he's doing intentionally, whatever works. I honestly think that the Patriots are up against. against it with all the players that they lost. And of course, a new quarterback and a new system that they're building. They want Cam Newton to feel as emboldened and as fulfilled and as satisfied going into the season as they possibly can, considering such an abridged short off season for him to learn the offense. By the way, I got to ask you this, because Shreger's joy, he's very good at this. A couple years ago, Shreger was like, this kid named Patrick Mahomes is going to blow the league up.

And I was like, Shreger, and he's like, I'm seeing video. And Shreger was right. So I'm going to rely on you with Tua. Somebody this morning said, his third string behind Josh Rosen. Okay, you're tied in. I know you're tied in the Dolphins because you always have good insight with them. Give me the Tua updates.

America, this counts. The rest of it's Twitter nonsense. What do we know about Tua, the camp, the dolphins, all that stuff? Had a schedule. Looks great. Had an amazing pass yesterday that was caught online that he threw and it's still jarring seeing a left-handed quarterback back in the league. But I would say be patient.

Just the same reasons I just said on Cam Newton, abridged off season, still learning everything, and has a great mentor in Ryan Fitzpatrick. Long term, Colin, I don't think it's going to be right out of the gates, but Tua will be the quarterback long term. It will be awfully good there in Miami. All right, Shrek, great seeing you, Shraig. You look happy.

You got football. It's a nice time for you and your family. It's a great time, Colin. I love seeing you, and I love talking to you, enjoy. Always a pleasure. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd. weekdays in noon Eastern 9 a.m. Pacific. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal but encouraged.

It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast's Superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the I-Hard Radio app,

Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what 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, 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 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 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 Hardway 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 Hardway. Open your free, I Heart Radio app,

search Learn the Hardway, and listen now. Jim Jackson, who played in the NBA for 14 years for a lot of different environments, coaches, rosters, teammates. He is now officially in the bubble, heard him calling the Thunder Rockets game, and he is now joining us live.

He's getting his golfing in Florida. Joey and I just say he just may move down there into the bubble with all this golf he's getting. I knew you'd like. it down there. So let's talk. I mean, I guess we could say, oh, my gosh, look what the Thunder are doing. But Jim, they almost won the same number of games. I mean, didn't we think this was going to be a tight series? How surprising is it to you? Well, I mean, first of all, I mean, yes, you thought it would be a tight series. Keep in mind, they were two and one against the Rockies

during the regular season. That was before they traded Clint Capella. So they knew it was going to be a different kind of series. I think a lot of people kind of underestimated the ability for this OKC team to compete with, you know, the small lineup of the Houston Rockets. But look at the back court. I mean, Chris Paul, Shai Gilgis Alexander, Gildjus Alexander, and also Dennis Schroeder coming in off the bench, have performed in the wins exceptionally well. So I'm not surprised just because now you don't really have home court advantage. We talked about that a lot. You don't have the travel.

So it kind of equals itself out, so to speak. And plus, the way Houston plays are always going to allow you to get back in the game, just as it was the other night, because they shoot so many three-pointers. Yeah. You know, they do that. It's a good point. When they're not hitting, you can get those games where the rockets are up and down. Now, you're going to be doing the Bucks game five with Orlando.

Here's what's interesting. And I said this. When you're an MVP, an MVP-level player, I have always. supported those guys. If you're in a small market and you can't get free agents, go make your money and go get your branding and get your shoe deals and get your titles. So Janus, because Chris Middleton's a max player, and Yonis would be a max player in Milwaukee, and they don't have room for a third player. I've contended if Middleton struggles, if they can't get to the finals, doesn't Yonis have to consider, hey, I could be trapped in a small market with two max contracts. Like I

I think Middleton is the pressure's on him. What do you make of Milwaukee going forward if they struggle Orlando another game? Toronto, potentially Boston. Well, I mean, you can say the same thing about Dame Lillard in Portland in regards to what he's been able to do. I think both are very similar in regards to wanting to bring a championship or a championship opportunity to the current situation they're in. The toughest part, like you said, is being able to go out and get three agents who want to. to be a part of something. Now, LeBron had the same issue. And again, this was LeBron.

When he was in Cleveland on that first go-around, he couldn't get a Chris Bosh, Amari Stadamari, Camaro, Camillo, Anthony, guys like that who are free agents to come to Cleveland. Right. Now, he went to Miami, won and came back and made Cleveland a little bit more attractive to the situation. But keep in mind, the addition that he got was a Kevin Lump via a trade. It wasn't really a big-time free agent that said, I'm going to Cleveland.

Right. You do have that the limit. It is a challenge. I think it depends on the makeup of the person. Yannis, because he's, you know, from overseas. I don't think he gets caught up into, I got to be in New York. I got to be in Chicago. I got to be in L.A.

I don't get that sense from him. But at some point, especially the way the Eastern Conference is set up and gearing up with Brooklyn, going to be a contender. You figure Boston is going to continue to grow. If he can't get to that chance, championship. If Chris Middleton is not that Robin to his bad man, I do believe at some point, he'll start to look at the landscape of the NBA and say, listen, I can put up all the numbers I won. I can be the reigning MVP. I can have it two to three times. But if I'm not competing

for a title, yes, I'm making this money and this, you know, with a max deal. But the ultimate goal is to be considered one of the best and be talked about with the LeBron James or Kevin Durant, step Curry. And the only way you are enter that. conversation outside of just being really good is when you win or at least get to a championship. Yeah. Luca, compare, go back to your career. Who does he compare to at 21? Who is he? Well, he's an iteration of a lot of different aspects because the size and the bulk that he has remind you of a bigger Larry Bird in regards to his build. Larry was a little slim up top, but Luca at 6-8, you know, has the size.

But here's the thing about it is that we're always going to compare him to, you know, Larry Bird because of the way he plays. But it's just like, you know, when LeBron came out, it was, is he Michael? Is he magic? But as he played, he created his own space on who we view LeBron. Yeah. That's what we're doing. That's what we're going to do with Luca because as well as he, you know, he does so many things well.

he passes the basketball. He can shoot from deep. He can put the ball on the deck. He can get through the lane and finish with contact. Now, is he going to grow? His free throw shooting percentage continues. He needs to continue to improve that. But I do believe the more that he plays,

he hasn't even stretched the surface yet, I don't think, Colin, on how great he's going to be. He's going to carve a niche out of his own that we're going to start comparing later on whenever he's done, players to Luca Dantor. You know what I mean? Yeah. No, I totally. By the way, we got a couple, just a minute and a half left.

How's life in the bubble? You talk to players. Is everybody getting through it okay? Because the aesthetic, it looks great on television. Well, you know what? It's ironic because we're where the media is at, we're not in the same location where the players are at. We're located on the other side of Kansas. So they have different zones in which each, you know, group is situated. So where we're at is pretty cool. You've got a lot of the ESPN NBA people and also turning people. So, but, you know, for me, it's, it's real simple. I can play golf every day.

I smoke my cigars. We hook up. You know, we watch the games. You know, I'm not leaving anywhere. I mean, now it could be monotonous if you're going to be here all the way to October. But listen, Colin, I'm blessed to be a part of history. So I don't complain at all. I get a chance to call the game that I love, be a part of something special.

And like I said, play a lot of golf. Yeah. If Jim's hitting his driver, Jim is happy. Yeah, yeah. I can chip and putt, but that thing is going like this, man. I mean, when I'm hitting the truck, I'm just like, man, can you just keep it in the fairway? Keep it in the fair way. Keep it in the fair way. You'll be okay.

Great, senior. Call in the Buck's Magic Game Tomorrow, NBA TV, very proud of me. He does a great job. One of our favorite people, Jim Jackson. 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 acapella band with their between songs banter. Where does your group perform? We do some retirement homes. Those people are starving for banter. Listen to humor me with Robert Smigel and friends on the I-heart radio app, Apple Podcasts,

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

I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the I-Hard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is a win. A win is a win. 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 Clifford Show. This is a place for raw unfilled conversations with athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. So let's get to it. Listen to The Clifford show on the Iheart radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast.

And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok podcast network on TikTok. On the Look Back at a podcast. From 1979, that was a big moment for me. 84 is 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.

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