The Herd with Colin Cowherd - Best of The Herd for Jun 03, 2020

Episode Date: June 3, 2020

Vic Fangio's comments about racism in the NFL were tone deafThe NBA will get crushed by the NFL in the FallPro Football Focus doesn't rank Aaron Rodgers as a top 50 NFL playerThe NBA needs LeBron more than ever with their makeshift playoff formatWhen will each rookie QB win their first NFL gameGuest: Rich Kleiman, Kevin Durant's Business Partner  Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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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. We are live in Los Angeles. It is a Wednesday, and this is The Herd. Wherever you may be and however you may be listening, we are on IHeart Radio, we're on Fox Sports Radio, and we are on FS1, and we are strangely packed on today's show today,

despite no sports. Joy Taylor is joining me. Joy, how are you today? I'm great. Seems like we're getting some good news on that no sports front, though. Yeah, it's coming, not as fast as we'd like, but we're getting some of that. I thought we had a lot of different stories today, and I thought it was fitting to lead with a coach who I think's a good coach. His name is Vic Fangio. He's a coach of the Denver Broncos, and I've actually in the last month said, I think Denver's going to surprise people. I think he's a really good head coach. but that doesn't mean he can't be tone deaf and timing is everything and Vic Fangio was talking about the current national topic of note injustice and racism and a lot of things he said as I read the story he supported all his players on the George Floyd death

who's very happy that many were protesting but he also at 61 and white was tone deaf and here was a moment of that I think our problems in the NFL along those lines are minimal. We're a league of meritocracy. You earn what you get, you get what you earn. I don't see racism at all in the NFL. I don't see discrimination in the NFL. We all live together, joined as one. for one common goal, and we all intermingle and mix tremendously.

You know, if society reflected in an NFL team, we'd all be great. No racism at all? Well, again, I think much of what he said he was trying to get right, but there's a difference between individual racism and institutional racism. all greatness. It doesn't matter what you do. Doctor, politician, football coach, radio host, quarterback. It's all born from one thing.

Talent! No, no, no, no. Genetics. No, no, no, no. It's all born from opportunity. I mean, I've worked hard and stuff, but I was in a small market and given an opportunity at a big syndication network. And I wasn't very good the first year.

I was allowed to make a lot of mistakes. And nobody questioned whether I would make it. I had that it thing. What is that it thing? We have 32 NFL teams. 31 are owned by white owners. Change is slow. It's why we have a Rooney rule and need to have a Rooney rule.

Because all greatness is borne out of opportunity. Listen, I'm 55. I'm white. I got kids. I ask questions. I've spent the week listening. And learning. That doesn't stop after you go to high school or college.

Some of this stuff, I don't face. I don't see it. It's blind spots. I've reached out to people I've never reached out to before. Just think about it. 32 teams, three blackhead coaches. That doesn't line up with the demographics. Ron Rivera makes it four minority coaches.

And coaching isn't like being a running back or a left tackle. There are several steps you have to take to be given the opportunity to be a head coach in the NFL. First of all, you have to be given a position coach. And then if you're lucky, you're given an coordinator job. And then if you're really lucky, it's the head coach. And we always pay attention to the head coach thing. But there's a term in the NFL that was used for years, still is, not as much, but still

is. Good old boy network. Bob's been fired four times. He's a good old boy. He's a good guy. He's a good old boy. hunting, good old boy. We're trying to get rid of that term.

Because to be a position coach, people in life, I think, of all races, we hire who we know. We hire our friends. We hire who we're comfortable with. That's why the Rooney Rule exists to give coaches opportunities. I'll give you a great example. Bill Belichick was fired. He's still got a great job.

Andy Reid was fired. He's still got a great job. Pete Carroll was fired twice. He got a third job. Take Todd Bowles, coach of the New York Jets. I've heard so many Jets fans, he's no good. Really? He went to the New York Jets. He had an incompetent general manager.

His quarterback was Ryan Fitzpatrick, then he got a rookie. The defense, the minute he got there, was significantly better. So were the special teams. They couldn't score enough. Oh, yeah, Tom Brady was in his division. Maybe you've heard of him.

He's good. And Bill Belichick, the best coach maybe of all time, probably. Bowles then is fired, goes to Tampa, becomes a defensive coordinator. Do you watch Tampa's defense last year? End of the year, last six, seven games? May have been the best in the league. They didn't have the best defensive players. Will Todd Bowles be given another opportunity?

Are you going to tell me Todd Bowles has this New York situation, incompetent people around him, not great ownership, incompetent GM, doesn't have the quarterback right, fired, goes to Tampa once again, in a year, defense is spectacular. Will he be given one more opportunity? The last two MVP's in this league have been black quarterbacks. To be a quarterback in the NFL, you have to be allowed to be a quarterback at 7, 8, 9 years old or in high school. those opportunities now are happening in most of the country.

In the last 10 years, Mahomes, Lamar Jackson, given opportunities, given the football in eighth grade, you run the team. It's your football team. You call the plays. You make it happen. Those opportunities were not granted for a long time. You know, it's the good old boy network. Listen, there are parts of the NFL that are a meritocracy. And again, I'm learning as we go.

This week, I have asked short questions and heard long answers. I'm not pointing fingers on this. I'm not trying to do a gotcha, like on social media. You said this years ago. This means you're, if we are going to demand change, then we have to allow people to change. But folks, Colin Kaepernick hasn't played a football game in what? Four years? People still get worked up over it.

Still? Big Fangio may have meant well. But this is all greatness, coaches, all of them. It's all born from one thing. Who you know, who your friends are, who you're connected to, what are your opportunities? It's not a true meritocracy. Either, if you listen, ask short questions, listen to long answers. Either is our country.

All right, I want to go to this. As Joy said, there are hopeful signs we will get sports in July. I am a little disappointed in the NBA. They're saying now, if the NBA, goes to a game seven, it would be October 12th. So the NBA, unlike baseball, has never put its playoffs up against the NFL. Baseball has. Ask them how it works if the Yankees aren't in it.

Not well. Because of budget shortfalls, because of our pandemic and economic situation, states are now passing legislation on gambling quickly. What does it mean? We gamble on football. We watch football more than we've ever watched it. Last year, the ratings went up, even as our television choices, Netflix, Amazon, Prime Hulu are more fragmented. What does that mean?

Football's getting bigger and more powerful than ever. We've got an Italian soccer league. They were a hot spot for the virus. They're starting here in a couple of weeks. Disney World's opening up. Vegas is opening up. This seems like the NBA was really concerned about the beginning of the NBA season and maybe not as concerned about the end date of the season.

I'm a married guy, so I have to make choices with sports. I mean, my wife understands, I'm a sportscaster. I have to watch a lot of sports, but I want to remain married. And so there are times I have to make choices. Just to give you an idea, the NBA. will be fine if LeBron and the Lakers make the finals. But what if it's Milwaukee and the Clippers, two teams that don't have a national brand? Kauai Leonard's not even overly verbal.

Yonis is, but we don't follow the bucks nationally. This is the week of October 8th through the 12th. This is what, I'm not even going to count baseball. And the Dodgers and Yankees, two national brands, are favored to be. in the postseason and win their division. I'm not even going to count that. These are the games that will be played October 8th through the 12th,

which could be the NBA finals. In college football. First of all, on Thursday, the 8th, Tom Brady goes and takes on the Chicago Bears. Then there's five huge college football games. LSU against the best Florida team in a decade, Auburn, Georgia, Texas, Oklahoma,

Michigan, Michigan State, Stanford, Notre Dame. In the NFL, It's rivalries. Eagles, Steelers, Giants, Cowboys, Vikings against Seattle, Chargers at the Saints on Monday Night Football. I'm going to have to make choices. And unless it's LeBron and the Lakers, I know my audience isn't going to gravitate.

I mean, think about this. I love the NBA. We love the NBA. There'll be NBA finals games that if LeBron's not in it, I may not lead my show with. The NBA paid a lot of attention to starting the league. I think they should have started. it sooner and been more concerned about the end date of the league.

Charles Barkley talked about this. Good luck going up against the monster known as the NFL and college football. College football is king of the world. Full football is King Kong. We ain't never going to compete with them. We should start the NBA season around Christmas. So I think we should show in the season of 75 or 70 games. Christmas should be the big date like we do every year.

We have set five games on Christmas Day. That would be a great way to start the NBA season. Why are we starting in the middle of college football season and pro football? I mean, it's just too much going on. We're trying to compete for dollars. And now, think about this now, Colin. It's going to be worse going forward trying to compete with those dollars of the NFL and college football. Yeah.

The good news is, and I just saw this on my phone, Adam Silver wants 22 team Orlando tournament, teams to play eight regular season games, owners expected to okay the plan. So 22 teams, eight regular season games, then they go into the playoffs. I wish them luck. But facing football with increased sports gambling all around the country is an avalanche you don't want to get in front of. One more herd?

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We've got to do a little kill. 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 you 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 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.

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So a pro football focus is something I follow. I like the guys. Don't always think they're right, but I follow them. They're kind of back in my good graces. They did the top 10 NFL players. They rank the top 50. I'll just give you the top 10. It's not the most valuable.

It's not about stats, although stats matter. You know, it's Aaron Donald of the Rams number one, Patrick Mahomes, Julio Jones, Atlanta, Quentin Nelson, Nelson, Michael Thomas, Six Saints, Russell, Tyson, should be higher, but seven's fine. Lamar Jackson, 8, D'Andre Hopkins, 9, Christian McCaffrey, 10. No real problem with it. I moved some people up, some people down. Mostly right.

Aaron Rogers did not make the top 50. Now, he makes my top 50. I absolutely think he's influential. He has a unique skill set. He's really smart. He runs around. He makes place. He's in my top 50.

But they had three Packers in the top 50. Aaron wasn't one of them. And they used data. And they had Devante Adams at 38, 42 was a tackle, David Bactieri, and 44 was Kenny Clark. By the way, they'd all make my top 52. Aaron would, but he didn't make theirs. And it was interesting because this week I have talked about why is Aaron Rogers the last two years led the NFL in throwaways? Two different coaches. Why? Because I think he's protecting his legacy more than elevating it. I think he's become a very safe quarterback. The great young quarterback, back in this league. Mahomes and Carson Wentz jump out to me. They are risk takers. They are gunslingers. I think going forward, so are the young GMs and the young coaches. They are risk takers. I think that's the future of the NFL. I think it's less conservative. I think it's more

progressive, more risk-oriented than it's ever been. And I think it's a better brand of football. Aaron's become safer. Farve was a gunslinger to the end. But it's interesting. When they talk about David Bakhtiari, the tackle, one of the things they put in here is he has, he has, the hardest pass blocking responsibility of any tackle protecting Aaron Rogers, a quarterback who holds the holds the ball longer than almost all other passers. Throwaways, holding the ball longer, paralyzed by making a mistake or throwing an interception, not just letting it rip like a Mahomes, like a Carson Wentz. Don't tell me it's all about weapons. Carson Wentz doesn't have any weapons. So this is what we've gone back and forth on.

I would have Aaron in my top 50. My point has been, I think as he's aged, he's become a safe quarterback, and I don't think, maybe it is his DNA. I think he's at his best, kind of letting her rip, planting a foot and letting it rip, and you get some interceptions.

This is what Greg Kosell has said on our show now for three straight years. Say what you want about Aaron Rogers. He's super talented. We know that. He'll be a Hall of Famer. But Aaron Rogers, over the last number of years, has evolved, or one could say devolved into a player that plays a lot outside of structure and outside of rhythm. And when you get a chance to watch the coaching tape as I do, and this is not an interpretation, this is what the tape tells you. He leaves a lot of throws on the field within the timing of the offense that are there to be thrown. And I guarantee that that bothers Matt LaFleur. And given the age of Rogers, and who knows how long. Long Rogers can play. The age of Rogers and Mattel of Floor clearly coming off last season, having probably pretty much carte blanche at this point, I think he's looking to say, hey, I'm going to start

to put this offense together the way I want it to look. And while Rogers is great, I'm a little frustrated with the way our offense plays out. They drop plays. Aaron thinks there's too much risk. He throws it away, holds it too long. What did LaFleur talk about? That clip from the Rich Eisen Show. What did Matt LaFleur recently say in a press conference?

We're not dynamic enough. PFF's telling you, they got dynamic players. They got players. This goes back. I'm not trying to be right. I like getting it right. I see something. I observe something.

I say something. And then in recent days, pro football focus. Matt LeFleur come out and say, yeah, I mean, there's a structure of a play. He won't do what the coaches want. He wants to do it his way. And his way, to me, has become too safe. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays in noon Eastern 9 a.m. Pacific on Fox Sports Radio, FS1, and the IHeard Radio app. So the NBA is going to play July 31st. It's 22 teams. It's complicated. They have an emergency destination. It feels a little gimmicky. They're trying to figure out what to do. Like if you're a one-seat, like Milwaukee, and you worked hard to be a one-seed, what advantages do you get? Now there's no home court. Here's some of the things they've talked about.

Seated team would be awarded the first possession of the second, third, and fourth quarters following the traditional jump ball. The higher-seated team being allowed to designate one player to be able to be whistled for seven fell instead of six. The higher-seated team being able to transport their actual hardwood home court from their arena to Orlando. Oh, good hell. John, Woj came out with other things today. You want to throw a couple of these gems out there? Sure. this took some deciphering.

So they're inviting extra teams that are close to making the playoffs to Orlando. And then for playoff seating, if the ninth seed is more than four games behind the eighth, number eight will make the playoffs. But if it's fewer than four games, then they'll have a play in tournament. But then the play-in format requires a double elimination format for the eighth seed and a single elimination for the ninth seed. Okay. My head is on fire.

gimmicky, complicated. Don't complicate things for sports fans. Like, you just got to keep things. We're simple. We're simple men here. Just first down in 10, third down and one. You can't give too much. One person can save this season. One. LeBron James. You're going to go head to head with the NFL, college football, baseball playoffs. You've got a gimmicky. And I have sympathy for the NBA. The pandemic. hit in the middle of the season. I have sympathy for it. But when we talk about most valuable player, he's

an executive, he's the face of the league, he's a coach on the floor, he engineers player moves, he's the best player. It's not just about 27 points and 8 assists for LeBron James. This is the classic example. You can see

leadership and value in crisis, right? Like, that's when you see it. You know, you can be a senator, a congressman, but when you're state in trouble, that's when you see if somebody's, frankly, capable or completely over their skis. Look at what the league is going through.

A pandemic, 70% through their season. Very smart people. These are billionaire owners. And this is Adam Silver. You have the smartest executives. Smart people. This thing is a complicated, flimsy, gimmicky.

One thing here, they're saying the top seed should be able to pick their hotel rooms. That is a benefit of being a top team. Bring your floor in from Memphis. LeBron can save the season. LeBron plays well, gets to the finals. Games on Wednesday,

I'm watching. You know, it's just, and you're saying, Colin, are you saying he's the MVP because of TV ratings? What I'm saying is the burden on LeBron James, no other player faces it. No other player has to absolutely do an interview after every game. No other player has to do that.

No other player is in conversations regularly with the GM on personnel moves. That's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, LeBron needs to be. His style of play dictates it. His greatness dictates it. He's a, he's like everybody. He's got his flaws. MJ had his flaws.

Bird magic had their flaws. flaws, but just the sense of valuable. You know, this is one of the things that I've said, it's funny. The people who vote on these awards, they don't read the words in the awards. It's not best stats, most triple doubles, coolest, newest stat line. It's most valuable player in the league. LeBron's been the most valuable player in the league for a decade. Now, Steph Curry deserves some votes.

Don't get me wrong. Steph Curry is really valuable. And by the way, Steph Curry's value to me, has been beyond basketball. His ability to be selfless. Why would we not count that invaluable? Selfless over selfish. You don't think that that doesn't matter at all.

Like this is a team game? Like Michael Jordan didn't win without Pippin, Phil Jackson. Like this idea that it's a stat line or a triple double. No, it's not. Valuable comes in many forms. I've said this about quarterback play. Russell Wilson's talked about this. It took about year three, the light goes on.

You see the plays before they happen. You see the defense. you see the audible. You stop thinking at quarterback. It just comes naturally to you. I'm not going to count that. That's why I say today to win a football game, I still think for about one more year,

I could choose Russell Wilson over Mahomes because I think Russell's better at the line of scrimmage today. Now, Mahomes may be more talented, but I think Russell pre-snap, because he's been in the league longer, could see things at this point. Russell may not quite know yet because, you know, he's human. Tom Brady, it took him years and years.

And then after the Atlanta Super Bowl, he talked to Jay Glazer and he's like, you know, at this point, there's nothing I haven't seen. You can throw anything at me. I've seen every coverage. I've seen every blitz package. So I always think we forget the value. You know, I've said this about presidents. Presidents never get credit for the disaster they avoid. It's the same with LeBron.

LeBron is so great. He doesn't get credit for the issues that would surface with a selfish player, with a less talented player, with a player that doesn't have his basketball IQ, his understanding of people and how he relates and distributes and elevates. You know, Kyrie Irving and him were great and had their issues, but it's really interesting to watch LeBron Post-Kiree and Kyrie Post. LeBron. LeBron's kind of making it all work. If you look at the Lakers roster, it's an interesting odd group of disparate parts. I mean, the first team he had and today's team, it's like there's no same players. Like Kyle Kuzma. It's just a new coach. It's new players. It's new assistants. And yet they're the number one scene in the West. He just makes everything work. It just

all the little things you could have go wrong, LeBron sort of cinches them up. and they all fit in, and now they're great, boom. The Clippers have a better roster, but they don't have the chemistry that the Lakers had. When this Lakers season started, almost all new players, the first thing Joy and I said was, got it, like three games in, you're like, it works. Like overnight, like LeBron changed positions.

It works. Is that not valuable? Like, I don't get the people voting on this stuff. What does valuable mean? It has to mean beyond stat lines. all everybody just stares at rebounds and points God, LeBron goes, he's the only guy going to save this season. Otherwise, the World Series is going to beat the finals.

College football is going to crush it. The NFL is going to destroy it. Golf tournaments may beat it. He'll save the season. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays in noon Eastern, 9 a.m. Pacific. I'm an unmade bet of a human being for the last three weeks I've been on the air. It's getting worse, so I need to get another haircut. Rich Climitt is the co-founder of 35 Ventures.

That's Kevin Durant's business. He founded it with Kevin. That's Kevin's number. He's his business partner. We had him on radio and TV, I should say, about a month ago. Fascinating guy has his hands all over the NBA and many thoughts. And he is joining us now via the Cary Global Satellite Network. Rich Climann is joining us.

Let's start with this. What are your thoughts on the 22 team format? Are you okay with the format? me on. You bet. Hair cut. I did fall. Well, here's the thing.

I think that there was not going to be one solution that unanimously everybody was going to love. It was impossible. I think from getting basketball back and getting it back as safe and getting a season, I think is going to be a positive. I don't know. I was hearing you earlier talk about all the different kind of gimmicks that you were referring. If there was ever going to be a time to look to evolve the game in any way to try out new format, all of these things that you mentioned that may or may not even be accurate. I think it's now and I think people will be open to it.

And I don't think there's going to be enough live sport. So I don't think it will be over. I said earlier that Zion Williamson was a captivating kid to me. The size, the power, Duke, the controversy on the shoe, the injury. I just find him captivating. And when I looked at 22 teams, my takeaway was they want to wedge Zion into this thing. And Damien Lillard out West too. do you think some of this is, listen, this is a league built on stars, those are two of our best stars.

But I think, listen, different owners have different opinions. There may be owners that fell and that then spot. There's such polarizing megastars enough in LeBron and AD power anyway that I don't know if it's that. I think that there's team to compete and, you know, and the happy medium was 22 teams. I don't fully understand the play in format, but I think to be able to add intrigue to the last 10 games of the team. these 10 games of kind of rule because. Yeah, I agree. So, you know, we've talked to, I led my show today with it.

I led the third hour with it, you know, what we're dealing with in America right now. You know, whether white people want to admit it or not, institutional racism, we have created a system for over 100 years, which doesn't benefit all people equally. and people are mad and they're tired and they're in pain. And overwhelmingly, we have seen peaceful protests. You know, it's interesting. I'm interested in your perspective on a star-driven league, your relationship with KD, you have access to people I do not. Let me start with how it's first landing for you, what you're watching on television.

painted how anger and sadness and in the American community has had to deal as well justified. A lot of ways I like to think of myself as an eternal optimist and I think, well, okay, well, in front of all of them. And that gives me some optimism in that maybe journey back to like change. And that exists so many ignorant people in this world. And when you can't run and hide from it and if you still don't understand it, then I don't know how, but I know that the conversation has never been. been loud talking about it and now action has to take place and that action comes in the form of voting. People need to educate their kids so this doesn't continue generate. You know, from that standpoint, I feel good about how much dialogue there is and how many people are fully aware

of the pain and anger that this system wrong it is. So from that standpoint, and you know what? With that anger, just like when people are angry, they say things sometimes they don't mean, but you're angry and the anger's real. People that are looting, I'm not. saying that every looter with people that we're looting that I'm sure we're using this as an opportunity. You know, it's funny. I was, I text my daughter this morning and I said, she's, she's a teenager and I said, how are you doing? And she says, I'm not sleeping well. People are dying and I'm finding how corrupt our country is. And my thing I said back to her, my text was, yes, and that's why voting matters because policies become increasingly

corrupt if the wrong people are running the state, the city, or the country we live in. And I said, you know, and I was going to talk later today about that. And I think one of the things you touched on is ultimate power is getting people out of office that you don't think have the best interests of your state or your country. And I've said this multiple times on the air. I don't think the current person leading our country is the right person ever. Have you talked about this with players about voting? Because there has been a history sometimes that certain communities get to the voting booth. Certain ages do.

Young people don't vote as often as older people do. Have you talked to players about this? Talk about it in general because I talk about, and the conversation is an NBA player's understanding society in this country. In the action, we have to see that make sure that we encourage everybody to go out and vote. pandemic and then what's happened now in our country and what we're seeing. And I'm not questioning it's bigger than that now. And you want the best for what is in store for them in the future and your family. But I need to happen in this election. And that's what I'm, education and conversation and anger that's been causing. That is more important. And that you can have a

meeting the other night at the White House, it scares me to think that that's what's in store. And, you know, it's imperative that people look within themselves, get out and vote. And also... I was going to ask you a basketball question, but I don't... I'd rather just talk about this. You can. Yeah. You talk about basketball.

Okay. I'll ask you one more. All right. I don't think we're going to have an asterisk. I think whoever wins is going to win, and we're going to look... I'm going to take the other end of the telescope. That we're going to look at the team that wins this year, and we're going to go... Holy hell.

What an unbelievable, no home court advantage. I don't think we'll do an asterisk. I think it will be, it will emboldened whoever wins more. If Kauai wins with the Clippers, I think people are going to go, you've got to be kidding me. He won in Canada? He won during a pandemic. That's how I see it, that it won't be seen as a weakness. It will be seen as an unbelievable strength, playing, staying in a hotel, not a single home court game.

What do you make of the asterisk talk? connotation that they have dominated any team. I mean, these guys are going to hoop things. They're not a dynamic to indicate that this. That being said, I think, all these asterisk. Yeah, they're all facing the same issue. They're all facing the same crisis playing in Disney World next to roller coasters. So I think it's amazing.

By the way, your typical day note. Well, Rich, what do you do in a typical day? How limited are you? How limited is Kevin in terms of business? In our business, we had a few documents. entries that came out in the last few months. You know, Kevin, Kevin leads in... Rich Climman, I always love having you own.

Appreciate you coming. Man. I love it. I love it. I love it. I love it. I love it. I like talking.

I want to challenge people. Good talking to you, man. You too. Get that haircut. One more herd. The herd streams 24 hours a day, seven days a week within the IHeard radio app. Search Herd to listen live or on demand whenever you'd like. Last night, a blown call changed the game.

This morning, the internet lost its mind. Highlights are trending, opinions are flying, and nobody's telling you exactly what happened. That's where SportsSlice comes in. I'm Timbo. Every episode, we're cutting through the noise, breaking down the plays, the controversies,

and the stories behind the headlines. We go straight to the source, the athlete themselves, their locker room stories, their reactions, the stuff nobody gets to hear. The laughs, the drama, the triumphs, the moments that never make the highlight real. From viral moments to historic games,

from buzzer beaters to controversial calls, we break it down, give you context, and ask the questions everybody wants answered. SportsSlice brings you closer to the action with stories told by the people who live them. Listen to SportsSlice on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more, follow Timbo Sliced Life 12 in the TikTok podcast network on TikTok. Welcome to my new podcast, Learn the Hardway with me, your host, and your favorite therapist, Kier Games. And in recognition of mental health awareness month, I'm bringing over a decade of my own experience in the mental health field

and conversations with so many incredible guests. I'm talking. Tripp Fontaine, Ryan Clark. Sometimes when we're in the pursuit of the thing, we get so wrapped up in the chase that we don't realize that we are in possession of the thing. And we're still chasing it. And we don't know when we've done enough.

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

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

Open your free, IHeartRadio app. Search, learn the hard way, and listen now. 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.

George Bush got to do a little kill. 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 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 IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. What's up, guys? This is Clivert Taylor the Fourth. And on my podcast, The Cliverts Show, I'm bringing you conversations about all kinds of stuff. Like being an internet famous referee. We're in the middle of a game. This linebacker walks up to me, he goes,

hey, ref, my mom wants you to wave at her. What? Time out. Quarterback on office blue of 42. Hey, rec, my mama want you to wave at her. What? Where's she at? Hey, Ms. Parker.

Listen to the Cliverts show on the I-Heart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. I'm going to predict. With stunning accuracy like last year and the year before with Lamar Jackson, when Joy, in best for last, a quarterback wins his first game. There's a science to it. There's a science to it. So let's go to the first quarterback picked Joe Burrow Cincinnati Bengals.

This is the easy one. So people like Joe Burrow, I think he's a good prospect entering a brutal division. He's going to lose to the Chargers, Cleveland, and Philadelphia Open. These are elite defensive fronts. But I do believe at home against the Jacksonville team that is rebooting, I don't call it tanking, it's rebooting, it'll be one of only maybe four or five wins. I think that's an easy one. I think Joe Burrough's first win is against the Jacksonville Jaguars week for the NFL. Okay.

Let's go to Tua, number five picked dolphins. Now, Ryan Fitzpatrick, according to Mike Garfolo, Fitzpatrick's the starter. That's the story out today. He's the starter. So Fitzpatrick has a history of playing very well early. He'll beat New England at New England. Belichick's worst month is September. Fitzpatrick's best month is September.

He also is a veteran quarterback who's faced Belichick many times. I think Miami then splits Buffalo, beats Loses, at Jockech. Jacksonville wins. Then they have Seattle and San Francisco. They lose both. The coaching staff in Miami will strongly consider starting Tua at Denver. You're going to have talk shows in Miami. Let's go.

We're two and three. Let's go. Let's get Tua in. The coaching staff, knowing Denver and that altitude in Vic Fangio is not an ideal start. They'll start him the following week at home against the Chargers. they will not win that game. It's to his first start. Chargers defense is the best secondary in the NFL.

But two is first win will be week eight against the Rams at home. Remember, previous week the Rams play Monday night football, short week. The week after that game, the Rams have it off. Are they overlooking Miami with a losing record? Rams will have a winning record. Tua's first win will be over the L.A. Rams. at home in week eight. Now, Justin Herbert.

Number six, went to the Chargers. Now, Tyrod Taylor is the starter. I am told they're all in on him. And Tyrod, this will be interesting. He'll open at Cincinnati with a win, lose to Kansas City, beat Carolina, then have a two-game losing streak at Tampa and at New Orleans. The staff will stick with him. They have committed to him.

And he'll go on a four-game winning streak. Tyrod and the Chargers will beat the Jets, beat Miami, beat Jacksonville, and beat the Raiders. Then they're feeling good about themselves. They'll face Denver and Buffalo lose both on the road. And the Chargers staff and Anthony Lynn will go, we are six and five. We are struggling against the better defenses we have faced, which is Tampa, New Orleans, Denver Buffalo. It's time. they come back at home against New England.

Now, Belichick is great at home against rookie quarterbacks. His record isn't as devastating, devastating, on the road against younger quarterbacks. And Justin Herbert gets his first win, Week 13, at home. Remember, the Chargers staff is into Tyrod Taylor. But they're going to look at Kansas City pulling away from them. My prediction is Denver's a wildcard team. They're six and five. They get New England at home.

and then the schedule is very manageable, and they're going to say, let's go and give Justin the team in week 13, and he wins. And finally, the number 26 overall pick, Jordan Love. Now, barring an injury, Aaron Rogers will play all 17 weeks. But I know he will start at some point. And I look at that division and I think, let's see, who's not well run? and who will I know be on Green Bay's schedule?

So I am predicting that Jordan Love will beat the Detroit Lions in 2022. I'm guessing it's at Lambo. I know they play them, and I know they're not well run. And they'll probably have a new coach and perhaps a new GM and the same old owner. So in review, Joe Burrow wins week four against Jacksonville. Tua's first win is week eight against the Rams Justin Herbert's first win is week 13 against New England

and Jordan Love wins in two Last night a blown call changed a game This morning, the internet lost its mind And nobody's telling you exactly what happened That's where sports slice comes in I'm Timbo and every episode We're cutting through the noise Breaking down the biggest moments in sports

And giving you the real story behind the headline And we're going straight to the source the athletes themselves, their locker room stories, their reactions in the moment, and the stuff nobody gets to hear. Listen to SportsSlice on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more, follow Timbo Sliced Life 12 in the TikTok podcast network on TikTok. Another podcast from some SNL late-night comedy guy, not quite. Unhumor me with Robert Smigel and friends. Me and hilarious guests from Bob Odenkirk to David Letterman help make you funnier.

This week, my guest, SNL's Mikey Day and head writer. street or Seidel, help an a cappella band with their between songs banter. Where does your group perform? We do some retirement homes. Those people are starving for banter. Listen to humor me with Robert Smigel and Friends on the I-Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. On the Look Back at it podcast.

For 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.

It was a wild year. It was a wild year. I don't think there's a more important year for black people. Listen to look back at it on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, what's good, y'all? You're listening to Learn the Hard Way with your favorite therapist and host Kier Games. This space is about black men's experiences, having honest conversations that's really not safe to have anywhere,

but you're having him with a licensed professional who knows what he's doing. How many men carry a suit or armor. It signals to the world that you're not to be played with. And just because you have the capability that does not mean that you need to, listen to learn the hard way on the IHard radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. This is an IHart podcast. Guaranteed human.