The Herd with Colin Cowherd - Best of The Herd for Mar 20, 2020

Episode Date: March 20, 2020

Brady has years left because his game doesn't rely on athleticismThe Rams are admitting how bad the Todd Gurley situation really wasNBA Playoffs can still happen but they have to be harsh to lower seedsPatriots could have kept Brady if they just made one moveGuest: Phil Simms, CBS Sports & 2x Super Bowl Champion 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. 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 Sports Slice 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 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. 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, 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 with 42. Hey, Wreck, my mama want you to weigh better. What? Hey, Miss Parker. Listen to the Clifford show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast.

What's up, fam? It's Isaiah Thomas. And I'm C.J. Toledano. It's our favorite time of the year on our podcast point game, the playoffs. We're digging into the biggest surprises of the season. And I'm looking back on some of my greatest playoff moments. If we didn't talk ever again, I was harmed. you just understood.

That's how personal it got. Wow. Then after that game seven, Mark keep coming to her. He's like, you know I love you, dog. You know, it's all love. This was just playoffs. This was just basketball.

So listen to Point Game on the IHeartRadio 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 SportsRodio.com Or stream us live every day on the iHeartRadio app by search searching herd.

This is the best of the herd with Colin Cowher on Fox Sports Radio. Oh, here we go. We are live in Los Angeles. It has been an interesting week. It is a Friday. Wherever you may be and however you may be listening, we're on all our platforms today. IHeart Radio, Fox Sports Radio, Sirius XM Channel 83.

and of course FS1 is broadcasting our radio show on television today. That is unique. We've never done that before, but we have unique circumstances. So that's how we roll these days. To all of you who have chosen us today, again, if we can create some normalcy, you've certainly provided that for me and in my family. I hope we can provide it for yours. I live in a state, California, where our governor has largely asked the

citizens to stay at home, all of you, unless you're part of an essential workforce, like banks and grocery stores, and there are still restaurants where you can, you know, take out. But it's a different time. I just talk to my family a lot about this stuff. Take a deep breath. Cross your fingers and take care of yourselves. We do appreciate you stopping by. So I saw this morning, Tom Brady's contracts officially out, and I just want to give you the particulars on it. pretty interesting. Two years and $50 million. All guaranteed. Nine million in incentives, like he needs it. 4.5 million per year in incentives.

It also prohibits trades. Can't trade him, Tampa. Here's the interesting part. It includes a clause that prevents the buccaneers from tagging him after two years. Means Tom wants to play beyond the contract. Now, I know that sounds ridiculous, but here's something I pay attention to just in normal day-to-day walk-around life that maybe you do, maybe you don't.

I'm not saying it's any great talent. I just watch. I look at older people and how they've aged. And you can look at somebody and tell their life choices by about 50. Do they drink too much? Do they eat too much? Do they work out?

Are they stressed too much? Have they taken care of themselves from teeth to body, to shape people, Dr. Anthony Fauci. He's the doctor standing next to our president during the press conferences. 79 years old. Looks unbelievable.

Still jogs three and a half miles a day. You can look at him and you can say, this is a guy that reads, that walks, that moves, that eats right. You can look and listen to him. This is where LeBron James. LeBron James is year 17 in the NBA. Still the best player because he's taken care of his body.

LeBron James, he's a better player than Janice. Yonis doesn't shoot like him, handle the ball like him, and pass like him. Those are three of the four biggest things in the sport. Kauai Leonard, he doesn't pass like LeBron. He didn't handle the ball like LeBron. He's not the overall player of LeBron, and he doesn't play as often as LeBron. LeBron's the best player in the league. It all starts with how he's treated his body.

Tom Brady is a young 43. He's the Anthony Fauci of quarterbacks. He's the LeBron James. of NBA players. He doesn't drink a beer during the season. I can assure you. Every other quarterback does. Every other quarterback does. Drew Brees may take care of himself. He lives in New Orleans. He has a cocktail or two September through January. At least a couple. So Brady's unique. You walk around. You see people all the time. And I always think it's cool when you see somebody that's like 65, 68 years old. And you're like, wow. And they could be a dentist. They

could be a landscaper, but you're like, oh, they've taken care of themselves. Tom Brady is unique. A stat came out this morning that Tom Brady and James Winston, the quarterback who he's going to replace, had the exact same number of completions and attempts on deep passes thrown into tight windows last year. They were both tied for first. And that's Brady playing with below average wide receivers. Tom Brady is likely going to have the best completion percentage in the NFL of throwing

the ball down the field and completing it. because Mike Evans and Chris Godwin are probably, I don't even think probably. They're the best tandem at wide receiver in the league. They are. That's the best tandem in the league. He gets them now. He goes from below average, rookie Edelman, Muhammad Sunou, Philip Dorset, to the two best. And his body is different.

LeBron's body is different. Russell Wilson spends a million and a half dollars a year on his body. LeBron spends that or more on his body. Brady does the same. It's your ultimate investment for anybody, but as a pro athlete, it's everything. And whereas Cam Newton, his athletic ability was a disproportionate amount of his success. As that erodes, Cam's not the same quarterback. There's no market for Cam now.

He's hurt and he's not as gifted physically due to the injuries as he used to be. So there's no market for him. Tom Brady has never relied on an athletic ability. What Tom Brady has done, and I'm sure he's thought about this, but if I said three or four things that Brady has relied on, pre-snap reads, those get better with time, experience, accuracy, work ethic, brain power, leadership, calm under pressure, none of those are affected by age. So when people talk about deep ball, his arm is not.

what it used to be. This morning I wrote down the six biggest arms in the NFL. Pat Mahomes, Josh Allen Buffalo, Carson Wentz, Philadelphia, Matt Stafford, Detroit, Aaron Rogers, Packers, Big Ben. By seven, you're splitting hairs. Tom's certainly in that seven and beyond range. In terms of accuracy, Drew Breeze, Kirk Cousins, Matt Ryan, Tom Brady, Aaron Rogers, Russell Wilson, Derek Carr, then you're splitting hairs. Folks, Joe Burrow is supposed to be the best prospect, I'm told, coming into the NFL draft at quarterback. The knock on him, his arm's okay.

Tony Romo's the comp. Tony had a better arm. Tom Brady has never relied on athletic ability to be great. And he has taken care of himself. You'll see this all the time. There's somebody in your social circle. Maybe they have a little better DNA. They don't drink as much.

They work out every day. Sometimes you tell your wife, they're crazy. That guy works out every day. He's a little. But look at him. He ages better. I've had people in my life, I look at, they age poorly, they age better. So none of the things that would really have Tom falling off a cliff as a quarterback he's ever relied on.

Cam Newton, it's different. I'll give you an example, the NBA. In the NBA, shooters can last forever. Ray Allen, Dirk Nevsky. They can last forever. Derek Rose and Tracy McGrady relied on their athletic ability. They fell off a cliff as players. I mean, the minute John Waller at Derek Rose suffers an injury, they're not the same player.

Because Derek Rose and John Wall are not shooters. Russell Westbrook will probably not age particularly well in about four or five years. Ray Allen, play forever. Dirk Novitsky can shoot forever. Steph Curry, as long as he doesn't get a major injury, could play into his 40s. So when I look at all these numbers coming out today, Brady does not, you can't franchise tag him because he wants to play beyond this. And just look at LeBron James. Use LeBron as your barometer.

17th year in the league. He is, think about the people that came out into the league when LeBron did. Carmelo Anthony never took care of his body. That was always the knock on Carmelo Anthony. He didn't work that hard on the defensive end. He was never in great shape like a D-Wade or a LeBron or a Ray Anthony. He didn't age well. He fell off a cliff. You're like, oh, he's a borderline all-star.

Oh, he can't play at all. That's Cam Newton, semi-committed. You know, I mean, there's some skills there, but Cam injuries never really worked on his mechanics very well, never really improved his accuracy. So he goes from, you know, starter winning games to overnight. No market for him. Brady's going to be fine. He's going to be wildly productive. Now, are they going to get into the playoffs in Tampa?

Two things will have a huge impact that Tom can't control. One, injuries. What if his own line falls apart? It happens. This was the first year Tom Brady had a bad O line with injuries. He wasn't the same quarterback. Nobody seems to talk about that. He missed his left tackle, his center, and his fullback.

The running game wasn't as good. They relied on Tom and weapons and their weapons take. The second thing about playoffs for Tampa, Tom has no control over this. Special teams. the average score in the NFL is decided by four points. Tampa Bay, historically bad special teams. Last year, 29th, they were bad in everything. You can lose a lot of games.

Bad snap, blocked punt, Tom, there's nothing Tom can do about it. But Tom will do his part. Tom will have big numbers next year. Now, the downside is with a coronavirus, will there be an OTA? Will there be a preseason? Will there be camps? That's vital because receiving and quarterbacking is all about. timing. Running back is not. Receiver

quarterback relationship is timing based. But anybody doubting Brady's going to go there and chop it up and that Brady can't be successful. Now, he and Drew Breeze, and I've seen this and said this for multiple years, they are not as effective latent seasons. They're not. Now, some of that is Tom plays outdoors. It's harder to get loosened up.

Tom is going to need to rely on his receivers and tight ends, and the bucks will probably draft the tackle and a running back. But I do think as you age, you can still be great, though just not on the treadmill. I mean, Kobe Bryant's last game, he dropped 60. That year, though, last year, he played 66 games. And in five or six other games, he played 15 to 18 minutes. So he was a much more rested player for his final night, which he scored 60 points. Tom can still be great.

Can he be great for 19 weeks if they made a run at the Super Bowl? Those are the issues going forward. But if you think he's not going to be productive, you're out of your mind. He's going to be incredibly productive. Injuries and special teams will dictate if they get to the playoffs. Because Tampa's had a lot of injuries and Tampa special teams are crap and have been forever. Tom will be fine. 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.

Last night, a blown call changed a 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 Sports Slice 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 SportsClyce 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, 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. 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.

What's up, guys? This is Clever 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? Quarterback on office blue with 42. Hey, rec, my mama want you to wave at her. What? Hey, Miss Parker. Listen to the Clippers show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get, at your podcast. Hey, I'm Jared Adano. You might know me as that loud guy who yells out,

help on the internet. Help! Somebody! Please! But there's so much more to me than that. I'm an actor. I'm a comedian. And recently, I've become quite the helper myself. And on my new podcast, hope from a hypocrite, I'll be changing lives, helping people in need with my sage advice and thoughtful solutions. Psych, I'm a comedian. I'm not qualified to give good advice. Join me and my comedian friends as we riff rant recommend some of the most legally dubious advice known to man. If I'm calling you, even if you're on your phone,

let it ring twice. One ring is too scary. Cream a chicken suit. Hey, cream. Cream a chicken suit. This is Help from a Hypocrite, the worst advice from the dumbest people you know. Listen to Help from Hypocrat as part of the Mike Coutura podcast network

available on the I-Hart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, wherever you get your podcasts. All last year, I kept saying over and over with the Rams and Todd Gurley. They're playing nice. Sean McVeigh is playing nice. Sean McVe, I'm stupid. I forget to keep giving the ball to Todd Gurley.

What am I doing? I am so bad as a football coach. No. It was bad in the building. Gurley got his money and got hurt, and he was no longer a great locker room guy, and it was pulling down at the football. fabric of the team.

Yesterday, they released him. Now, it's not, excuse me, it's not punitive to release most football players. It's not the NBA or baseball. You can release guys all the time. It was $20.5 million punitive to cut Todd Gurley. For the record, Todd Gurta can still play. He's not a star, but Todd Gurley can play. He's not a stiff.

he can be a good, good running back. But the fact that the Rams were willing to swallow $20 million of dead money over the next two years, just to give you some thoughts on or an idea or context on how much that is, the Steelers ate 21.5 million, just a million more to get rid of Antonio Brown. That was the most in NFL history at that point. that was the most in NFL history at that point. So when the Rams kept saying, you know, we're going to give it to Gurley, no, no, no, no, no.

This is what we do for a living. We make calls. We have sources. We kept telling you it's bad in the building. There's a stress tipping point on this thing, and it's not going to end well. I was told after the season ended, it would be ugly potentially. it could get very, very ugly. I'm not blaming Gurley.

But once he got paid and once he got hurt, it changed. The relationship between McVeigh, who's a good guy and pro player, he didn't want to bang on him and change the image of the Rams as being pro player. But the fact they're willing to swallow that kind of dead money over two years tells you how severe it was. Because Gurley can still play. I mean, we know Antonio Brown can play. Gurley can still play.

So the Falcons wound, he played college football at Georgia. You know, it's a good fit. And the Rams, the Falcons just lost a running back. So Gurdy's a good fit for them, and he can play. It should also be noted, this is going to be a cautionary tale, that it's going to hurt running backs. The Rams, and we've been critical of them, despite the fact I know people in that building and I live in L.A. And not that far from a lot of people. In the NFL, don't sign players early except a.

franchise quarterback. Don't sign anybody early and pay very few players big money. Remember, JJ Watt was not worth a point as he was dominating the NFL defensively. Was not worth a point in Vegas. His four to six biggest games, his best year, they were a 500 team. Obj. We all love OBJ. Go look at his best games as a pro. They've won one out of three. So pay your quarterback a or a golf or a Russell Wilson early. That I get. My homes, pay them early. Outside of that, I'm almost paying nobody

and certainly nobody early. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd. Weekdays in noon Eastern, 9 a.m. Pacific. Jared Dudley plays for the Lakers. He's a journeyman in the NBA. He's always been very good with the media. He was on with Rob Parker and Chris Broussard yesterday. And the NBA yesterday decided to shut down

practice facilities, not just games in the season. but now practice facility where a lot of players work out, and Jared Dudley's thoughts are as follows. Once I heard the news of normal practice facilities, if that goes for a month, month, and a half, two months, I find it almost impossible to then have a season because now you're telling a professional athlete for 60 to 80 days, you have done no training.

I'm in my training. Yes, you can be in your gym, you can run on a treadmill if you have one. He goes on to say 70% of athletes don't have a problem. personal gym in their house. And he says, you're asking a professional athlete now to get ready in two or three weeks for potentially 40 games. That's when injuries happen. First of all, my feeling is LeBron has a great deal of power in this league.

This has been a rough year in terms of the Lakers, the Kobe tragedy. You'd throw an MVP LeBron season away. There was the China situation LeBron dealt with. They had their two biggest wins of the year, bucks and clippers. They really, many people thought they looked like a championship favorite. That is a lot to deal with. And most of us, I think, are willing to work very hard. But it's one thing to work very hard and deal with stress and then be told none of these games count.

I think LeBron will fight like crazy. And he's had great influence in this league. he'll fight like crazy to make this season count, as he should. The Lakers are in a unique situation. Brittle Anthony Davis doesn't count. LeBron now going into his 18th year, this wouldn't count. It's the second or first oldest roster a year older. It's also a bad free agency year.

There's not a lot of help out there in the offseason. This was always been a very small window, a one or a two, maybe three-year window for the makers because of LeBron's age. To me, I think you could start July 15th. That's four months from now. I think you could start the season four months from now. Because remember, you could open facilities, arenas to work out, have social distancing, and spacing, and you can test the players to know if anybody has corona.

If they did not, you could in three and a half months start a practice, a very Spartan environment with players, a couple of trainers and a coach to get them in shape. But if you think about the NBA, all you'd have to, to me, and Adam Silver was quoted telling Woj the other day, that we are going to ask our owners to be willing to experiment with new ideas. I don't think it takes that long. I think you could start July 15th and be done by Labor Day. That's six weeks. How? Eliminate the first round. Just eliminated.

And scrunched the games closer together. Last year, the Spurs Nuggets in the first round started in April 13th, didn't end until the end of the month. The Bucks swept Detroit. It took eight days. Get rid of the first round. Get rid of it. In the east have the Bucks Raptors Celtics heat. Sorry, Sixers.

your stars don't like each other. Ben Simmons is hurt. You're terrible on the road. You're not a championship team. In the West, your top four seeds are Lakers, Clippers, Nuggets, Jazz. Those were my top four seeds going into the season. They were your top four seeds. The Rockets will complain.

Sorry, I've seen Westbrook in the postseason. I've seen Harden in the postseason. And you're the smallest NBA team ever. To me, you could start July 15th. That's around the Olympics. and I think you can wrap it up by Labor Day. As far as the draft, you know, the NBA draft is not the NFL draft. It doesn't move the needle.

This year is one of the worst drafts in recent memory. There's one or two top players. There's no Zion. There's no John Morant. There's no guarantee like we had last year. Free agency period, again, it's second-tier players. It wasn't going to be a needle mover anyway. So I think you could start it in four months.

Now, do we have our arms around this in four months? I don't know. I felt from the beginning what I've been told, the coronavirus would be a spring and summer story. It was never going to be a three, four weeks story. It is a four to five month story, which is a great break for the NFL. But I don't think you want to throw this season away.

The number one franchise is the Lakers. Their window is small. LeBron's had a remarkable year. They've had a lot to deal with. I think Adam Silver, I cross my fingers on this. I think there's too much to throw away. And I think you can start it late. Make the playoffs six weeks, not eight, which is normal.

One more herd? The herd streams 24 hours a day, seven days a week, within the IHeart radio app. Search Herd to listen live or on demand whenever you'd like. 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 Sports Slice comes in. 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. Sports slice brings you closer to the action, with stories told by the people who live. them listen to sports slice on the iheart radio app apple podcast or wherever you get your podcast

and for more follow timbo slice life 12 and the ticot podcast network on ticot welcome to my new podcast learn the hard way with me your host and your favorite therapist care 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, Keir 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. What's up guys? This is Clever Taylor the 4th.

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,

this linebacker walks up to me, he goes, hey, ref, my mom wants you to wave at her. What? Quarterback on office blue with 42. Hey, Rhett, my mama want you to wave at her. What?

Hey, Miss Parker. Listen to the Cliverts show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. Hey, I'm Jared Adano. You might know me as that loud guy who yells out, help on the internet. Help! Somebody! Please! But there's so much more to me than me.

I'm an actor, I'm a comedian, and recently I've become quite the helper myself. And on my new podcast, Hope from a Hypocrite, I'll be changing lives, helping people in need with my sage advice and thoughtful solutions. Sike, I'm a comedian. I'm not qualified to give good advice. Join me and my comedian friends as we riff, rant, recommend some of the most legally dubious advice known to man. If I'm calling you, even if you're on your phone, let it ring to you. twice. One ring is too scary. Oh, cream of chicken suit. Hey, cream.

Cream a chicken suit. This is Help from a Hypocrite, the worst advice from the dumbest people you know. Listen to Help from Hypocrat as part of the Mike Coutura Podcast Network available on the I-FartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Mike Gerardi had on his Twitter account, he talked to Robert Kraft, owner of the Patriots. He said Kraft made this analogy with Brady. quote, think about loving your wife or for whatever reason there's something her father or mother that makes life impossible for you and you have to make a move on it but you don't want to. So as he's saying, her father or mother is Bill Belichick. You know, make of it what you will.

A story came out today that the Patriots were reportedly in discussions to make two blockbuster trades, but they came up short. One of them being Stefan Diggs. And we had said this. Tom Brady was waiting for a sign. Tom Brady was willing to go back. He did not make up his mind, and it told people that until the very end. Had they signed or traded for Stefan Diggs, Brady would have stayed. Because then Diggs is your number one.

Edelman becomes your number two. Then you have Mohammed Sanoo, Nikiel Harry. You have an opportunity to have a legitimate receiving corps. But when Stefan Diggs could not be acquired via a trade, you have a second-tier receiving court with no downfield options. So remember Albert Breer was on our show, and Albert said, you know, this came down to New England's inability in that small little 24-hour tampering window. New England couldn't land a top receiver. We now know they tried.

Brady would have stayed under certain circumstances. I can tell you that as fact. Like if certain things had lined up, I think he would have been very open to it. it. The other piece of this is, you know, I think, you know, the Patriots did work on that, like, and they did explore all options. And I can tell you that over the last two weeks, they've been very active in talking to different teams about receivers, about tight ends. In fact, Campa was one of them. It should be noted, Brady came down reportedly to the Chargers, excellent weapons, two backs, three receivers, two I really like, and a tied end in Hunter Henry,

and Tampa Bay. Arguably. the best receiver tandem, that you could argue that if you took a team's top two receivers and its best tied end, Tampa's number one in the league. So, I mean, this was a weapons thing. If Stefan Diggs is a Patriot and not a Buffalo Bill, I believe Tom Brady stays. Look at who the finalists were. He didn't choose the best offensive line. The Colts were interested. He didn't choose the best running back. The Raiders were interested. He didn't choose those. Chargers and Tampa. Flawed team. great weapons. Phil Sims has worked for CBS for a long time. The former New York Giants,

Super Bowl winning quarterback is joining us a two-time Super Bowl champ. Phil, I just had your son on the other day. You have to be incredibly proud of him. He's now carving out a great career. You called so many Tom Brady games over the years, often in that late window. When you would sit down with him in these production meetings, did you ever ever. I mean, you're a good observer of life. Did you ever sense that he was frustrated with the lack of the arsenal he had to work with often in New England? Well, you know, Colin, I did not because, you know, the years I covered him, he always had a great arsenal. It was either the wide receivers that went undefeated with Randy Moss in that group, or it was the double tight ends, Hernandez and Gruncowski.

And then, oh, they took that away or that changes, and they went to the running back passing game. So when I was there, and all the years I've covered him, of course, I have in the last three years, but their offense was always clicking, very creative. And, you know, so I never felt frustration from him at all. But I have to admit, you know, this past two years, I have felt that just by reading the paper, watching their games, seeing their offense, and everything. And, yeah, you could just feel it. They didn't go to the OTAs, which I'm sure.

Yeah. I don't know. I haven't heard a lot of people talk about that that much, but that is just something that probably irked Bill Belichick more than anything else that could go on that you didn't show up for the OTAs during the off season. Boy, that's a great point. I totally forgot about that. Tom was giving his signals beyond putting his house up for sale.

Not going to the OTAs was a signal. Now, I said this. Well, you know what he was doing. He was just putting them all out there to let you know, don't take me for granted or whatever, which I don't think they did. But, you know, when you're at a position of being a quarterback, not coming the OTAs, not to go back to that. But that would be something Bill Belichick could just be going, man, that's just not right. You know, the quarterback is, I know what he thinks of what he expects from his quarterback at all times, all these years I've known him.

And he wants you, hey, you don't have to participate, be there, be with the team, be part of it, and still lead us, even though you may be not practicing as much as the other guys. The four best football coaches, I believe, in my lifetime, have been Bill Walsh, Bill Parcells, Jimmy Johnson, and Belichick. Those are my four. Now, I'm not saying they're the best. They're my four. I do believe each one of them may have a hole, just like even Joe Montana could have a hole in his game or Brady could have a hole in his game. Sure. I've said this about Belichick. He grew up in a very academic household. When you think of academics, you don't think of warmth. There is a certain warmth that I think sometimes he lacks, and I think his top.

Tom got older, he's got kids, that Bill could have been a little warmer toward him. They'd had so much collaborative greatness. Is that a fair criticism of Belichick that there's a certain warmth that he's never had? And perhaps it just wore Tom out, who's very much a family guy and a loving guy. Well, I think everybody always wants to feel a little love from the coach, whatever, or just appreciation. I'm sure he gave it to him. But that's just not in Bill's makeup. up. You know, it's not that he goes out of his way to try to be the way you explained.

I just think that's who he naturally is. You know, he's a pragmatic guy. You know, I saw it even with the Giants, this way of just working, let's keep working. And, you know, there wasn't great interaction. Bill Parcells wasn't warm and fuzzy. That's for sure. But every once in a while, he would walk by you and tap you on the shoulder and go, hey, I just want you to know you're doing great, son. And just walk on by. And oh, my God, you'd feel. like a million dollars. I must be doing great for Bill to say something nice about me. But he did have that in him. He went to touch you emotionally to help you or to show great

appreciation or whatever. And I just don't think that comes naturally to Bill Belichick. By the way, there was, there's always been this thought that you in Parcells, there was some Brady Belichick going on. But I watched the two bills. I find Parcells to be very easy to laugh, even sometimes be, you know, humble. I always feel, I mean, you work with him so closely, I've always felt Bill has a very human side. He's gruff. He's New Jersey tough, but lovable. Very, yes.

I mean, I think everything you said, he was a great psychologist. He was a tremendous football coach, but he was more of a psychologist than anything. He knew how to hit the right buttons with every player, and it was different with every player. Some he would be verbally and everything very tough against, and others he would treat him with kid gloves, because he knew that but the ones that could take it, he would use them, and he would beat them up to show the rest of the team that nobody was above, you know, the rest of the players, and it sent messages to the team, and it was just, it was really truly very well done by Bill, but it always worked.

No, sometimes I think it backfired a little when he got a little too tough, but, you know, he found a way to always bring it around to help the team and to give us even a better chance to win. You know, if you look at Brady, the things he's relied on are not athletic ability. He's relied on pre-snap reads, accuracy, work ethic, leadership. I don't think those are road. Now, I think he's going to be very successful production-wise in Tampa because... So do I.

Very good. I mean, I could make the argument. If you took every NFL team's two best receivers and best tied end, Tampa's number one in the league, or it's a short list they're in. So I think he'll be productive. But I want you to talk about body. Now, obviously, nutritional standards have been elevated. I want you to go. Tell me about your last year in the league physically.

How did you feel when you got up in age? You know, how old was that my last year? I guess I was 38, I think. I'm not sure. That's terrible. But, you know, I felt fine, Colin. I don't remember getting up going, oh, my God, I can't take this anymore. I never felt that.

And then when the Giants released me after the 93 season, after it was the playoffs and won a playoff game, I'm not bitter about it. But, you know, just kidding there, of course. But I, you know, I never felt like, oh, my body's worn out. I have to get out of this. I don't like the training.

I loved all that about football, the training, the discipline, and everything. And Tom Brady does, too. Let me say this to you. I hear people on TV. His arm is not as good. What are you watching? Thank you.

might be better now than it's ever been in his career. Yes. Yes. Here's the other thing, too. He might run a 5-3-40 or whatever it was, but he dances in the pocket like he's 4 or 5. I mean, his feet are, you know, there's a little pop to him, whatever you want to call it, juice. There's just great rhythm to his feet.

And, you know, there's very few quarterbacks in league that have them, have it as good as he does. Deshawn Watson. Great feet, man. He's like a dancer back there. And Tom Brady is still that way. You watch him. I've seen highlights of him from last year, and I look at him.

I just go, man, he can just move around that pocket like he's a ballet dancer. And that is something that I don't know why more quarterbacks don't emulate now. It's just maybe they don't know how. Somebody's got to teach him. But he has learned that and used it to his strength. And I watched him all the games I did. I think I did near 90 Patriot games. Wow.

I watched him practice all this foot movement. I watched them do it every single. single time I was there. They worked very hard at it. And of course, you know, that hard work and all that time put into that, it shows up when you watch Tom Brady play. You know, the other thing, Phil, you didn't always have great O lines until last year. I could make the argument that the one unit Tom always played with that was top 10 was O lines. He has not taken a ton of hits. Now, I can remember you at times in your career getting blasted. A, it was allowed. And you didn't always have a great O line.

Brady has largely, his sack numbers are very low. He's always had above average tackles and centers. And I wonder if Phil Sims, if you were playing today with your brain power, you would eat better than nutrition. You were 38. But remember, 38 now is about 35. No question. I think, Phil, had you been given?

Because I remember your last year. had you been given Tom's O lines and the nutritional advancements, you would be playing at 40. I honestly believe that. Oh, I do too. I mean, I have no doubt about that. I still thought even when my career in, I was like, man, I flirted with coming back a couple times.

That three teams make me better offers than I ever received from the Giants. Wow. And, you know, my wife, my kids were growing up. I think my son Christopher might have been getting ready to go into high school. And my wife says, oh, that's so great. I'm so happy for you. and we'll come visit you on weekends. And I said, okay, that is not going to happen.

I know that story where the guys live in the hotel, how that goes. It doesn't go well. But, hey, listen, I did play for some really good offensive lines for a long period of time. It was just a different game. We held the ball. We threw it down the field. Yes. Stand in there, take the hit now.

You got screens. That's what the Patriots did such a great job of. Tom Brady, of course, will get rid of the football. to avoid sacks, that's great. But they throw all those screens and quick passes to keep your defensive line off balance. And then if they want to throw it down the field, if they're worried about protection, they're not afraid. You know what?

We don't have to get all five guys out. Somebody hit this. Tighty and hit the guy on your side, running back before you go on your route, hit the other defensive end. Brady got the extra time. Then he fired the football down the field. Yeah, I said this last year. He takes about one to two shots a year, you know, where you're like,

that's tough, but he's actually practiced getting hit. So I think he's a 39-year-old guy who's actually 43. Well, I just can't. You know, they all used to make fun of me in the locker room. Music would come on. What's his song, Phil? Do you know it? If I was right, they'd be like flabbergasted, oh, my God, you know, it was fun.

So he'll, he's going to have guys down there calling Mr. Brady in Tampa Bay Bay because they're going to be, of course, they think of him as this mythical figure, which he basically is. And here's the other thing. His communication with Bruce Ariens and the coaching staff will be like nothing he's ever really had in his life either in the pros. Because Bruce, it's all out there. He talks to you, you know, there's no holding back.

It's just the truth or either way good or bad. And, you know, he makes it personal. That's why players love playing for Bruce Ariens. It's the second year of this staff of his being together. That's right. It's big. Yeah, I think it's a really, really good coaching staff down in Tampa Bay. He did a great job of getting it together.

And, hey, if James Winston was the quarterback in Tampa Bay this year, I would have said, look out. I think they have a chance. I watched every one of their games last year. They were always in it. They just found ways to lose. James Winston would play – he makes as many spectacular plays as any quarterback in the NFL. his problem was three times a game, he'd lost control of the football. And for a quarterback in the NFL, if you lose it once a game or once every other game, that's about it.

You just can't lose control of the football. He does as part of how he throws it, the position he gets in, and he missed it one way, Colin. How was it? Where did he throw it when he usually missed? It was always high. Yeah. And you throw high and miss them high, there's always people standing behind ready to catch. And really, that's, that changed his whole football career.

Yeah, by the way, Baker Mayfield this year had a problem with sailing the football. Sure, you know why? Because he was trying to throw it too hard, reaching back more than he did the year before, where he has plenty of arm, you know, isn't torn it 98 miles an hour good enough? Why do we got to reach back and try to throw it 99? And I thought that was the biggest difference in Baker Mayfield's play this year. He just overthrew the football. And when you do that, generally it's going to get away from.

you just a little bit. And again, where did he miss them? He threw the ball high. He got tipped a lot, down the field, up in the air, interceptions, missed guys that he didn't miss the year before. So I would think hopefully this year he'll settle down and just throw the ball with normal pace. And then when you need to put some pepper on it, because the coverage is really tight and you're throwing in between guys, then, you know, then you let it go. Then you really rear back and just throw it with all you got. Yeah, Kurt Schilling always told me, he said, you know, at the end of my career, I had about 12 fastballs. And you just, you use them with discretion.

It's a three and two count. And, you know, he goes, you just, you don't use them in the early innings if you can't. Finally, two-time Super Bowl champ Phil Sims. What a pleasure for us. Finally. Let me just say this before we get on to it. James Winston, wherever he goes, I would think he will go to a good football team that's trying to give their playoff-bound, they think, team insurance.

And that would be great for him. and if you're the starting quarterback, don't let him get in there because I think his talent is very good in the right system, get him under control a little, don't put everything on his shoulders like Tampa Bay did. It's all about you today, big boy. Throw it to the right guy and be accurate the whole time that he could be a Ryan Tanny Hill type of quarterback next year somewhere.

Well, it's very productive just sometimes for the defense, but you can't deny his productivity. Finally, Joe Burrow, give me your thoughts on what kind of prospect he is. Well, listen, it's really interesting. Last year, watched him really close the year before, I should say, when he was at LSU, when the season was over, I watched his game, said, oh, okay, I like him because I'd write some stuff. I said, you know, he looks like he's going to be a third or fourth round pick. Of course, LSU brought a pro passing concept to the college game and ran it that way. Of course, they had great receivers and everything, and he took advantage. He

played like a pro, was taught like a pro. his movement was very good. He knew when to take off and run. Sneaky fast, no doubt about it. Great decision maker. And, hey, he's going to walk into a pro offense, and he's going to go, look, oh, I've seen this before, because Bill offense and Alabama's offense, to me, were so good for the quarterbacks to play under and to really learn to be pro football players.

So Joe Burrow, you might not like this comparison, but there's a lot of Daniel Jones in there. The only difference is one-plated – oh, shoot, one-plated Duke. And, you know, so Daniel Jones, he got ruffed up a lot more and things like that. But Daniel Jones, I think he proved that he was really worthy of the sixth pick of the draft last year. The fact that his throwing was much better than I expected, has enough strength in his arm to make all the throws. The only thing he didn't do, Colin, yes, he fumbled. But he didn't run enough. Man, if I had those legs, that first guy wasn't open.

I know you stand here taking a hit. Let's run. That would be the only downside I'd see to what Daniel Jones did. But Joe Burrow is the finished product, and I'll be shocked, of course, if the Bengals don't take him. Phil, thank you. So I had Chris on earlier, you this week, a Sims week. Well, I apologize for my son. I'm sure he said something, you know, got everybody mad, but that's the way he is.

Phil, thank you so much. All right, Colin, good to talk to you, man. Have a good day. 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 SportsSlice 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 SportsSlic 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 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 I-Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. What's up, guys, this is Clever Taylor the 4th. 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? Quarterback on office blue 42. Hey, rec, my mama want you to wave at her. What? Where's she at? Hey, Miss Pol.

Marker. Listen to the Clippers show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. What's up, fam? It's Isaiah Thomas. And I'm C.J. Toledano. It's our favorite time of the year on our podcast point game, the playoffs. We're digging into the biggest surprises of the season. And I'm looking back on some of my greatest playoff moments.

If we didn't talk ever again, I was harmed. You just understood. That's how personal it got. Wow. Then after that game seven, Marquis keep coming to him. He's like, you know I love you, dog. You know, it's all love. This was just playoff.

This was just basketball. So listen to Point Game on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. This is an IHeart podcast. Guaranteed human.