The Herd with Colin Cowherd - Best of The Herd for Oct 12, 2020

Episode Date: October 12, 2020

-LeBron James is the greatest foundational piece in sports history-Dak Prescott's injury is awful but this Cowboys team has problems beyond his injury-The Vikings made a bad decision to go for it against Russell Wilson-LeBron has changed how we look at an athlete's prime-Where Colin was right, where Colin was wrongGuest: Kevin Clark, The Ringer 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. On the Look Back at it podcast.

From 1979, that was a big moment for me. 84 was big to me. I'm Sam J. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick a year, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it. With our friends, fellow comedians, and favorite authors. Like Mark Lamont Hill on the 80s.

84 was a wild year. It was a wild year. I don't think there's a more important year for black people. Listen to look back at it on the IHeart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what 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 IHeard 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. 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 iHeart radio app by searching Heard. This is the Best of the Heard. with Colin Cowher on Fox Sports Radio.

Ah, here we go. What a Monday. I got LeBron and Russell Wilson before I went to bed last night. Live in L.A. This is the herd, wherever you may be and however you may be listening. Fox Sports Radio and right here on FS1, one hour from now, where Colin was right, where Colin was wrong. A lot of wrongs this week. But last night was so very right.

In America, LeBron James, the title, Russell Wilson, the greatest drive this year in the NFL. Joy, Taylor, how are you? I'm okay. I'm okay. We had a nice season. Very nice. No, no one picked us to be there. That's right.

Went to six games. Everyone said it was going to be four or five. That's right. Come back next year. Absolutely. Maybe with Janus. Who knows? That would be nice.

It was a spectacular sports weekend, though. Oh, God. It was so good. So let's start with this. In Miami, year two title. Went back to Cleveland, year two title. Came to Los Angeles. Year two title.

That's what he does. Michael needed Scottie Pippen. LeBron just needs a ball. LeBron did not go to Golden State, already a stacked team that won a title without him. He went to three places and had to elevate each, physically and emotionally and structurally. I'll call him the Lakers brand the Lakers I was here for the previous five years they were a mess bad front office arguing siblings owning the team they kept drafting guys like lonso and d'angelo russell and julius randall and brandon ingram nice players but guys guys in a league where guys don't do anything i went back to cleveland they had kairie who was a diva who couldn't stay healthy that was his brand pre-Lebron. Couldn't stay healthy at Duke, couldn't stay healthy in Cleveland, and didn't elevate teammates. Well, what about Miami? What about Miami? They hadn't won a playoff series in four

years. And to this day, De Wade was never a perfect fit for LeBron's game. They're just both great athletes. Neither is a pure shooter. One's not a point guard. This Laker roster, you keep forgetting. You take out LeBron James. This roster is the 2018 New Orleans Pelicans. I'm not joking. The Pelicans had Drew Holiday. They're better. I don't know who the greatest player ever is. I know who the greatest foundational piece in the history of American sports is, and it's LeBron James. He is the greatest foundational piece in the history of American sports. Nine finals, 10 years, system doesn't matter, coach doesn't matter, franchise doesn't matter, teammates don't matter. He won when the second.

best player on the team was a point guard, Kyrie Irving. He won when the second best player on the team was a wing Duane Wade. He just won when the second greatest player was a big, Anthony Davis. Michael Jordan needed Scotty Pippen.

Michael Jordan needed Phil Jackson. LeBron needs the damn ball. He doesn't need a system. He doesn't need a coach. He doesn't need a robin. He had a small robin. He had a wing robin. He had a Bing Robin, big Robin, it doesn't matter.

It does a great part of success to me. Like nobody thinks, you know, the trust fund kid is as heroic as the kid that overcome stuff. And this is not to say that Michael Jordan's road was easy. But

Michael Jordan had a great set of parents. He had a great college situation. He landed in a cool city, Chicago, or once they started winning, everybody wanted to go there. Then he had a great Hall of Fame coach. And to this day, many say the greatest Robin of all time, Scotty Pippin.

LeBron didn't have any of those. We all know it's well documented. Tough childhood. Goes to Cleveland. Even when they won, they couldn't get players there. He got you on the phone. I've been here seven years. We keep ending up winning playoff series.

Chris Bosch. Nah, I'll stay in Canada. That's why he went to the aqua water in Miami. It's about over greatness is about what you overcome. We all acknowledge that. You know it, I know it. We don't have as much respect for somebody that has an easier path. I mean, Kevin Durant's a great player,

but LeBron never joined a Warriors that had already won a title. And I laugh at this whole thing, oh, but look at Miami. Yeah, look at them. They hadn't won a playoff series in four years. But by year two, he structurally, physically, emotionally, reboots everything.

It's never easy. I mean, we crossed our fingers this week, and oh, Anthony Davis has now hurt. I saw Anthony Davis hobbled off the court, and I thought, you've got to be kidding me. You have got to be kidding me. It's just never quite easy. Until this year,

when I kind of feel like LeBron, the basketball gods gave him a little bit of a break. Just a tiny little bit of a break. Somebody knocked the clippers out. Anthony Davis stayed as healthy as he's ever been. And the pandemic, let's be honest, it gave LeBron his 17th year legs. A little bit of a break. But in the end, if it's about overcoming, I mean, all you have to ask yourself is look at,

LeBron also had to face the legacy of Michael Jordan. That thing just hovered over him for the last 10 to 12 years. The Michael Jordan thing. just hovers over him. What hovered over Michael? A couple tough years with Orlando Woolridge? I mean, what hovered on? Number one pick, Michael wasn't.

Cover of Sports Illustrated at 16. You can argue who the best player is, but as a foundational piece, nobody has ever changed the league. Cities irrelevant, coach is irrelevant, teammates irrelevant, systems irrelevant. Here's LeBron F. Personally, thinking I have something to prove, fuse me, and it fueled me over these last year and a half since my injury.

It fueled me because no matter what I've done in my career, but to this point, there's still a little rumblings of doubt or, you know, compare me to, you know, the history of the game and has he done this, has he done that? You know, so having that in my head. having that in my mind saying to myself, why not still have something to prove? I think it fused me. Yeah. Listen, I'm not saying perfecting a system and staying at one place of work isn't awesome.

I'm not saying that. I'm never going to take away anything from Brady and New England. But let's say Russell Wilson someday leave Seattle, goes to the Colts and does it again, and then goes to the Cowboys and does it again. Wouldn't you be more impressed? I've never seen an athlete in any sport, any time, any era where franchise number two player, coach, and system is overwhelmingly irrelevant. MJ needed stuff.

He needed a coach and he needed Pippin. LeBron just needs a ball. All right. really, really wildly emotional day in the NFL yesterday in Dallas. I mean, from a gutting, heartbreaking, choked you up watching the game

injury to DAC, and then you have to reconcile that like, because right after that Andy Dalton comes in and has the greatest drive Andy Dalton's at in about seven years, and Dallas wins a wildly dramatic game. I feel with the Cowboys, when DAC is starting this year,

I thought they feel like an 8-18. This morning with Dallas, I feel like like there are seven and nine and eight and 18. Listen, the DAC situation is gutting. It's awful. It's heartbreaking. He'll be back, though.

He'll make money. Yesterday, I thought one of the interesting moments as he was let off the field, he wasn't crying because of pain, which had to be incredibly, inarguably brutal. I felt he was crying because he felt he was letting down teammates, which of course, he was not. Dak is a special dude. He is a special dude. He'll get paid eventually. he'll win games. But DAC and Dalton have one thing in common. They cannot overcome the structural

realities of this franchise. The New York Giants had scored this year 16-13-99. Yesterday they dropped 34. They looked like the Kansas City Chiefs. You have an owner who doesn't want to be challenged and a coach who doesn't want to be threatened. And I don't think Dak or Dalton, as talented as they are, they're good guys. And I think Andy Dalton's probably the first or second best backup in the league, New England, rumor this year they were going to roll with him. I don't think they can overcome the reality structurally of Dallas. If Dallas was a friend, they'd be a lot of fun, but you couldn't trust them with money or take you to the airport.

They're the tabloid at the supermarket. You can't help but open it. The headline's remarkable. Aliens in the White House. You grab it, you open it. And there's not a lot of substance or sourcing you can really trust. I feel awful for Dak, but he'll overcome. I'm happy for Andy Dalton.

He is what he is. But I can't feel differently about either one in the Dallas situation. Dak was struggling to overcome the Cowboys holding on to try to lead the Giants. And Andy Dalton holding on for dear life at the end to narrowly beat them. Dak will be back. Dak will get paid by somebody. DAC is a great kid. Dak's injury will not define him.

I just worry that the Cowboys will define him. I just they had certain things in this organization. I don't think Dak or Dalton can frankly overcome. 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. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential.

Either way, the podcast's Superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the I-Hard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is a win. A win is a win.

I don't care what I'm saying. Yep, that's me, 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 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-tapped Little Kim's boobs at the VMAs? Or when Kanye said that George Bush didn't like black people. I know what you're thinking. What the hell does George Bush got to do with Little Kim? Well, you can find out on the Look Back at it podcast. I'm Sam J.

And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick a here, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it. Including a recent episode with Mark Lamont Hill, waxing all about crack in the 80s. To be clear, 84 is big to me, not just because. of crack. I'm down to talk about crack on day, but just so y'all know.

I mean, at this point, Mark, this is the second episode where we've discussed crack. So I'm starting to see that there's a through line. We also have AIDS on the table right now. Thank you 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. Welcome to my new podcast, Learn the Hard Way with me, your host, and your favorite therapist, Kear Games. And in recognition of Mental Health Awareness Month,

I'm bringing over a decade of my own experience in the mental health field and conversations with so many incredible guests. I'm talking, 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, as we have real conversations about healing, growth, fatherhood, pressure, and purpose on my new podcast, learn the hard way. Open your free, our heart radio app, Search learn the hard way and listen now.

I get analytics. I get analytics. I'm not anti-analytics. I prefer man-analytics, which is analytics, but use the testosterone of great pro athletes. They're not stats. They're not numbers. They're men. Lean on their physicality. Lean on their emotion. I like analytics, which is doses of analytics, but alpha males in sports. And I'll give you an example, the NBA. Oh, three-point shooting, three-point shooting. Who dominated last year's finals? Kauai Leonard. mid-range specialist. Who dominated this year's finals? Jimmy Butler, Anthony Davis, and LeBron James. None of them are three-point specialists. Jimmy Butler doesn't like to take them.

Guys that are physical, they attack you, they go at you, they defend you, they get in your face. Analytically, where's James Hardin when it matters? The bottom line is the NBA may be a three-point league, but to me it's a defend-the-basket league and a situational offense league. And with five minutes to go, I'll take a Kauai, a Jimmy Butler, a LeBron James, and an Anthony Davis over a James Hardin who can, you know, fire up threes. Analytics wanted the Minnesota Vikings to go for it last night. Fourth and two, 2621, put it away. Analytics say you go for it.

But if you don't get it, then Russell Wilson gets the ball at home. He's great in the rain, drives the field and beats you. Right here. Wet ball, wet field. Lot bad can happen. Analytics will tell you you go for it and you seal the game. But if you kick a field goal, instead of 26-21, it's 29-21. And Russell Wilson not only has to score a touchdown, but a two-point conversion.

And at worst, it goes to overtime, where I've totally outplayed the Seahawks. Because they did outplay the Seahawks. They had 40 minutes time of possession, 450 yards. They outplayed Seattle. Completely outplayed them. And analytics, and I like aggressive play calling, and I don't question play calls. I don't with coaching. I never do that.

but you have a wet field, a wet ball, a running back can slip, he can lose the ball, and then you give it to Russell Wilson. And if I'm facing, analytics tell you to go for it, if I'm facing Mahomes or Russell Wilson, I am not going for it there. I'm getting the points. I'm forcing Russell Wilson or Mahomes to go down, score a touchdown, then get a two-point conversion because this is Russell Wilson. So he runs for 17 yards, and you can just feel the air coming out of the Vikings'

defensive balloon. And then he goes up the left sideline. At this moment, you and I are both saying, now the game's over. What, you've never seen this before? He's the best closer in the sport. I get analytics, except when I'm facing Russell Wilson

or Patrick Mahomes. Give me points. I want to lead by 8. Even for Russell Wilson, two point conversions are under 50%. It really is the hardest play in the NFL. A congested red zone. it's hard for everybody. Russell tried with the end of the game.

They couldn't get it. Two-point conversions are brutal for everybody, especially late in the game. You're exhausted. You've emptied your playbook. I just, I totally disagree. Mike Zimmer after defended it. And I always hear this.

We didn't come here to tie. But you came there to win, and analytically, leading by eight would have at minimum gotten you to overtime in a game in which you controlled it. A game in which Russell Wilson, until the last drive didn't even play well,

and you get about two of those a year, when Russell's really not playing very well. Here's Mike Zimmer. We came here to win, and so I'm not going to second guess any of that stuff, so it just we didn't get it done. It was about a half a yard. If we got the half yard, we win the game. So I was trying to win it.

I told them in the headset, you know, we didn't come here for this. Let's go win it. Wet field, wet ball. Russell Wilson, I'm getting the points. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays in noon Eastern, 9 a.m. Pacific. I remember, and it wasn't that long ago, I was in, like, Las Vegas out of college. Wasn't that long ago, really. I may have some gray on my beard, but I remember it well, that eating pasta, just having a big bowl of pasta, that was health food.

You just learn. I mean, you just, my mom just plied me with bran when I was a kid. I never stopped eating raisin brand. And then about like 15 years ago, there was a study that came out and it just said, yeah, it's just, it doesn't really have any effect. Just, you know, don't smoke cigarettes. You'll live long. Walk around the park a couple times a week. We just keep learning about nutrition and all this stuff.

We're going to have to sort of reboot what we think about in their prime means. LeBron James just won an MVP at like 35 years old. He's still the best player in the NBA. Jimmy Butler looked tired. LeBron James did not. Raphael Nadal over the weekend won the French Open. years old. That used to mean like you were done. Your knees gave out. You were done.

Raphael Nidal's got three more French opens. Federer's 39. He could still win a tournament. Djokovic is, you know, 33, 34 years old. The reality here is Drew Brees, Tom Brady. Breeze is 41. Brady's 43. Aaron Rogers, 36, Big Ben, 38. Right now, 17 games, they're 13 and 4.

That we all think that are in Super Bowl teams. Green Bay, Pittsburgh, New Orleans. We just have to rethink its nutrition, it's training, and its commitment. And the Lakers should be favored next year. If you really think about it, Avery Bradley comes back. I mean, LeBron, they blew through the West. They didn't even get the advantage of playing at home.

They were the number one seed and had to play in a bubble. They didn't even get the advantage of playing at home in Los Angeles. So they want, Avery Bradley comes back. They were 16 and 5 in the playoffs. They blew through four different teams. So, you know, there is, I start looking at it. LeBron is just so committed. LeBron, Tom, Brady, and Russell Wilson are just so committed.

And I, you know, it's, I kind of laugh sometimes people are like, I don't want to be owned by the man. We're all kind of run by somebody. Either it's genetics, the man upstairs. LeBron, Brady, and Russell Wilson have just said, I'm going to change the way, I'm going to take trainers on vacations. And I know that for a lot of you surfer dudes, that just doesn't, you know, you can't reconcile that. I'm on vacation, man. But the reality is, you know, you wake up, you go for a jog, you work out for about an hour and a half, you still hang out with your family.

These guys take trainers on the road with them. And what does it mean? It means you're more available for longer for your teammates and your franchise. I look at LeBron and if he's not favored next year, I can't imagine why. Here's LeBron. I put myself and my body and my mind and position to be available to my teammates. I've never missed the playoff game in my career. And the best thing you can do for your teammates is be available.

And for me to be available to my teammates and put into work, I just hope I make my guys proud. And that's all the matter to me. I make my guys proud, make the fan base proud, my family back home. I can't wait to get back home to them. Akron, Ohio, we did it again. And, you know, that's what it's all about. Greatest investment you can make is in yourself.

And Russell, Wilson, Brady, and LeBron, make huge investments in themselves. Want more herd? The herd streams 24 hours a day, seven days a week within the IHeart radio app. Search herd to listen live or on demand whenever you'd like. Here we go, Colin right, Colin wrong. Where Colin was right?

When Andy Dalton got picked up on the Cowboys, I said, I don't love him as a franchise guy, but he's a great backup, and I don't think there's a huge drop off to DAC. I thought he was very good yesterday. That last drive, five plays under a minute, 72 yards, to 38 and 19 yarder to Michael Gallup, who's really emerging. I thought he looked fantastic.

He's a very accurate distributor of the football, and Dallas has a bunch of scores on the outside. So if you're looking for a guy that'll know the playbook, remember, he had other options. He's from the Dallas area. He chose the Cowboys because he wanted to go home. He's a very, very good fit for this team, which is get the ball to Zeke and to Amari into Michael Gallup

and C.D. Lamb and Cedric Wilson. he is a distributor of the football, and when you give him good pieces, he has a history of leading teams to the playoffs. Where Colin was wrong. Another crappy blazing five, one and four. Thank God I had the Vikings last night. Worst start I've ever had in my career.

Ten wins, 14 losses and a tie. I know, I know, I know I took Atlanta. My problem. Not yours. I've lost the last seven times I've picked the Falcons. Pathetic. Bad. Where Colin was right? Shocker, the NFL drive of the year was Russell Wilson.

Do you know he not only leaves the NFL in passer rating, he has six more touchdown passes than any other quarterback. Now, think of all the great receiving cores in the NFL. His isn't one of them. And he's got six more touchdown passes than everybody else. And remember, he has a middle-of-the-pack offensive line and a defensive head coach. His record in one-score games is over 80% winning. He converted a fourth in goal and a fourth-and-10.

I've said it before. Mahomes is a greater natural talent. Russell Wilson is the best football player on earth and his ability intellectually and emotionally to play poorly all game and then when he had to be great, dial it in and be great is what separates him. Where Colin was wrong. I did not think the Lakers could win a championship. They have no dependable third score in my life.

I've never seen a team win a championship without a dependable third score. I did think Rondo was terrific yesterday. I think he had his first five or six shots. They're the only veteran team that did not underachieve in the bubble. It surprises me. I do think it was a break the Clippers lost, but in the NBA, I've got a history. You've got to have a third guy you can rely on. I mean, remember, Pippin and Jordan had Tony Koo coach or a Ron Harper or a somebody.

I mean, game to game, it was Kuzma. I will say this. KCP, I'm in. I thought KCP had a. very good Western Conference final and a very good final. Long athletic. LeBron likes him and he's never afraid to take a big shot. Where Colin was right?

We said Joe Burrow is going to get rocked. He got sacked seven times yesterday. I said he's their number one athlete. He's not only been sacked the most in the league. He's been pressured the most in the league. He's been hit the most in the league. And yesterday there were people on the internet saying, Just bench him, get him out of this.

It was not just that Cincinnati's not good. My number one concern was he's going to get hurt. I saw this with Andrew Luck. The Bengals offensive line is bad, and it's precisely what we thought. He's going to be Tony Romo. Run around, make plays, and after about two years, three years, he's going to start developing injuries because nobody can withstand that. Nobody can withstand getting hit that much in the NFL.

where Colin was wrong. The Steelers are 4-0. They allowed Travis Fulgum to dominate them. I don't understand it. But I will say this. Nobody drafts wide receivers better than Pittsburgh. This rookie Chase Claypool from Notre Dame, good God, he's unbelievable.

This organization, in the history of the NFL, New England can't draft a wide receiver to save their life. The Steelers can't miss on a wide receiver to save theirs, and Big Ben's been terrific. Joy and I both didn't know. 10 TDs, one pitch, a 110 passer rating. They're for real.

Now, again, there are other teams I like more. I still like Baltimore more, but Pittsburgh schedule's got a lot of doubles on it. You start looking at that schedule. It's got a lot of doubles on it. And if you play defense like they do, and you can be this dynamic at wide receiver in 2020, you're a playoff team.

Where Colin was right? I didn't pick them over the weekend, but I remember when the Carolina Panthers moved off Ron Revere and Cam Newton, and I said, I like it. It's time. Teddy Bridgewater, I've always been a fan of. Matt Rule, the league is changing to an offensive-minded league, and Carolina's done a nice job. They're getting better every week. Yesterday, Matt Rule out coach Dan Quinn. Teddy Bridgewater, what a shock.

Just completes the ball, doesn't get in trouble, and they're doing it without Christian McCaffrey. I didn't pick them yesterday, but I said, right now they're tied for first in their division. I said they're going to be the biggest spoiler in the league. They're going to make a lot of people's Sunday's a nightmare, and if you watch them from week one to now, they're getting better. Where Colin was wrong. Jimmy Garoppolo, I can't unsee that. Put your house up for sale. This, and I, listen, everybody has bad games.

Patrick Mahomes can struggle, Russell Wilson can struggle. But Jimmy Garoppolo is struggling to make easy reads. He threw into a cover two yesterday. He's 29 years old. He's not a kid. He's not 24. Look at this throw into a cover two. two. And it's on the inside shoulder. That's a horrible, unforgivable throw for a 29-year-old.

I like him, but when you get benched at halftime for C.J. Bethard, I think it sends a signal. Maybe it's his ankle. I'm not saying injuries don't matter. I'm not. But I like him more than you do. And I saw some eye-rolling and head-shaking from Kyle Shanahan. And this is the kind of game coaches do not forget. where Colin was wrong. I thought Tom Herman would get Texas back. He is now 18 and 12 in the Big 12, and that's not a good football conference. I mean, Oklahoma benched their quarterback,

and he's still lost. Back-to-back weeks, he's lost to rivals Oklahoma and TCU. They needed unbelievable heroics from their quarterback, Sam Ellinger, who's a gutty kid. I really like him. But the Big 12, 18 and 12 in the SEC is one thing. 18 and 12 after, you know, year four, in the big 12 when you're in Texas, is simply not good enough.

I don't know how Texas, with all the athletes in that state and all the good high school football coaching, how can they be this bad defensively? How can they be this bad defensively? They just don't get pressure on quarterbacks. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays in noon Eastern, 9 a.m. Pacific on Fox Sports Radio, FS1, and the IHeart Radio app. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal but encouraged.

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

Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what you're saying. Yep, that's me, Clivert Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, the reactions, my journey from basketball to college football, or my career in sports media. Well, somewhere along the way, this platform became bigger than I ever imagined. And now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show.

This is a place for raw, unfiltered conversations with some of your favorite athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. One week I'll take you behind the scenes of the biggest moments in sports and entertainment, and the next we'll talk about life, mental health, purpose, and even music. The Clifford Show isn't just a podcast. It's a space for honest conversations, stories that don't always get told, and for people who are chasing something bigger. So, if you've ever supported me or you're just chasing down a dream, this is right where you need to be.

Listen to the Clifford Show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. Do you remember when Diana Ross double-tapped Little Kim's boobs at the VMAs? Or when Kanye said that George Bush didn't like black people. I know what you're thinking. What the hell does George Bush got to do with Little Kim? Well, you can find out on the Look Back at It podcast.

I'm Sam J. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick a here, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it. Including a recent episode with Mark Lamont Hill, waxing all about crack in the 80s. To be clear, 84 is big to me, not just because of crack. I'm down to talk about crack all day, but just so you 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. 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

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Kevin Clark's an NFL writer, formerly of the Wall Street Journal. Then Bill Simmons found him at the ringer. Very funny guy has great insights and he is now joining us live on a Monday. So you have, you're known in our industry as you have a tweet you did a couple years ago about the Seahawks. And it is funny because it's so true. My sister didn't like football until Russell Wilson arrived. Now she texts me all Sunday. She's like, these games are crazy. I don't know how you stand this sport. It's nuts.

And your tweet is, the Seahawks have literally never played in a normal game. And I'm watching yesterday and I'm like, Russell didn't even play well just until the end. What do you, does it speak well of them? Or is it just Russell Wilson's the life preserver for a constantly influx chaotic football team? How do you see the Seahawks today? I think it depends on the game. I was stunned when I saw the stat yesterday. that since 2012, Russell Wilson has the most game-winning drives, but he beat out Matthew

Stafford for that. And when you think about Matthew Stafford's career versus Russell Wilson's career, that's absurd. I mean, Matthew Stafford should always be playing from behind. Russell Wilson should never be playing from behind. And the fact that they had the equal amount of opportunities is kind of, it's crazy to me. So I think that Russell Wilson, his ability to score points very quickly this year has put them in position to succeed. Obviously, the let-mress cook thing is happening this year. My take on this let Russ cook thing is that the reason he's cooking is

because the restaurants are closed. He has to cook because there's no defense. There's no pass rush. They don't have a choice. I think Pete Carroll and Brian Chautenheimer would play a different brand of football if they could, but he's got to score points and score points quickly. That's why they went on that

21 to nothing run yesterday in the third quarter. That's why they had to have that 90-yard drive at the end after the Vikings failed on fourth in inches. He has to be the leader of that team in all facets because nobody else will. So why do they play such weird games? Because Pete Carroll likes to keep it close. He likes to play a physical brand of football. And then when he has to, he's going to let Russell Wilson win the game. It shouldn't be Matt Stafford, but it is. Yeah. So I'm watching Kansas City and the Raiders

yesterday. And a lot of the wise guys in Vegas did like the Raiders. So, you know, there were some people. I'm obviously not smart enough to do that because my picks were awful again. But I will say this. I was very critical when the Raiders went and got a coach who'd been out for a decade and a GM that would never been a GM. But Kevin, you start watching the Raiders offensive pieces. And it's like they're not missing on any of them. Like they got, they have talent everywhere and it's all young. And should we take the Raiders for real? Yes, we should.

Now, real means different things here. Can they make the playoffs? Yes. Are they an AFC contender to play in the championship game or something? No. But when I look at Henry Ruggs, I saw that quote from John Gugn after the game where they said, he's not here to run hitch routes. He's here to push the tempo down the field.

He had a contested catch yesterday. He had that 72-yarder. I mean, this is the type of guy. And there are not many of these guys throughout the league who can change the offense, who can unlock how an offense should play. Derek Carr has been criticized for not going down the field nearly enough over the past three, four years. Rugg is the type of guy who can get open deep and he can make any quarterback a deep thrower, including Derek Carr.

So I think that these skill guys, where that's Josh Jacobs, where that's Henry Ruggs, just some of the guys Mayok has hit on. The joke about the Raiders, they just draft from the college football playoff. They watch three games a year, and they say, let's get the Alabama guys. It's got the Kumson guys. But that's not a bad strategy right now. I mean, I kind of like this group they put together. Yeah, say what you want, but Belichick for years has leaned on Urban Meyer guys and

Nick Sabin guys. So to your point, you can do worse than drafting Ohio State Alabama Clemson guys. So, you know, there's an old thing. We never tell our friends this, but we all have friends. But then there's the friends like we would trust to take us to the hospital if we were ill or to the airport. And we won't tell our friends which one are in and out of that group. But it felt like yesterday with Jimmy Garapolo. There's quarterbacks that can win games.

And then there's quarterbacks who can win games. But the coach is always willing to take a phone call on another quarterback. And I watched Shanahan's body language yesterday. And I'm like, you can't unsees. that from Jimmy Garapolo. And they already slapped his hand with the adult film star and the fourth quarter stuff. And I do wonder if there's a little damage done with Garapolo and Kyle. And it's, it's, uh, he'll take phone calls going forward to replace him if somebody's out there.

When you have Kyle Shanahan as a play caller, you should be judged very, very harshly. It's like being given a Ferrari, you're driving down the highway and there's Prius is passing you, right? That shouldn't be happening. Right. If you have Kyle Shanahan getting guys open, creating conflict with defenses, you should be hitting open guys. Now, he had the high ankle sprain. There's a history of quarterbacks coming back from that to early and sailing passes. I understand that.

But I think that when you've got this offense, and listen, they've been decimated by injuries, but not on the offensive line. This offensive line should be better, and they should adapt to to be able to play behind it at this point. The defense is a mess right now. I think that they've gotten kittled back. I think that there are the pieces are there for them to be better than this, better than getting blown out by the dolphins at home, letting Ryan Fitzpatrick get another $10 million deal next year to keep some other rookie on the bench, wherever that may be. He'll be starting in front of Trevor Lawrence next year because of his performance yesterday, right? Yeah. And so when I think about the Niners, I think they need to start looking at an upgrade.

I think Jimmy Grappalo with Kyle Shanahan can work, but it's got to be better than this. And at that price tag, you really have to start asking questions. So this sounds crazy. I said this. I think, Joy, I said this in the first hour, that I'm watching Matt Ryan yesterday. And we're going to blame Dimitra for everything and Dan Quinn. But he threw a ball in the end zone. And it was like, Matt, you've been in this league for a decade.

I'm seeing all these athletic kids. We'll watch Justin Herbert tonight. I see Lamar. I see Josh out. I see Russell Wilson. And now, you couldn't move Matt Ryan next year because of the cap hit. It's like, you know, it's just a huge cap hit. But, you know, Kevin, I sit, I've been watching this league for a long time, and it's changing.

And your quarterback, Philip Rivers looks washed completely. And it really undoes. It undermines all the smart things the Colts have done. That doesn't matter. You can't have that quarterback. In Atlanta, would it be reasonable the next coach? You play Maddie, but you start looking for his replacement. Does that sound outrageous for a guy that was an MVP, or am I on to something?

it's not outrageous at all he's 35 uh that team is going to be about 35 million dollars over the cap next year and that's just that's conservative because we don't know what the cap is going to be next year but this team has a lot of talent and i'm intrigued to see how arthur blank views this job does he see it as a tear down or is he want a kind of a mid-career coach almost like what dallas did with mike mccarthy you can come in and try to maximize this talent because i think you go either way Calvin Ridley is very good. We know about Julio Jones. Matt Ryan, there's pieces on the defense.

So I think it is an intriguing job. I think they can win. They're not a Super Bowl team by any means in 2021 or 2022. But I think that you come into that job, almost like Matt Lafleur was in Green Bay, where you try to maximize what you have, but you're keeping one eye on the future. I think that's most important thing. You need that cap flexibility, but you also have talent right now that you can win with. So I think it's a, I think it's a job.

It's not Houston because there's no Deshawn Watson, but if I'm a sought after off the coordinator right now, I'm looking at Atlanta as potentially a very good job. Yeah, that's interesting. All right, we've got to talk about Dax injury. It's gutting. It's heartbreaking. Andy Dalton actually is a very, you know, it's funny.

He's like, I guess in the NBA, he'd be a Mike Conley. You can get 14 points. He's a good distributor. He'll play defense. He's a good leader. You know, I'm not going to get Kyrie Irving, but there are, you know, this team's got. weapons and he's a good distributor.

I don't think he's Dak Prescott, but I don't think the Gap is the Grand Canyon. It's more the Laurel Canyon. It's a canyon, but it's not the same. And I look at Dak and I think to myself, okay, he's going to get paid. He'll be back. He'll be fine. But Izzy, do you worry that if they don't win this year

and, I mean, are we sure in one year? Mike McCarthy's the coach and Dak's the quarterback. I guess that's my question. I guess it comes down to the time table on the injury, which according to Jane Slater is four to six months at this point. But I think that the tragedy of this injury is that this was the year that if you didn't appreciate Dak, you were going to start appreciating Dak because he was going to put up

otherworldly numbers on a team where there was no defense, where the coaching was letting him down again, a second coaching staff doing that. And so I think this is going to be a special year as far as just appreciating Dak, and that's not going to happen now. Hopefully Cowboys fans appreciated what he did in the first four. weeks and that we understand coming in the negotiations next year, they probably franchise tag him again. Jerry and Stephen Jones have both said they want to keep them as the future in the last 24 hours. I believe them.

So yes, if I had to bet right now, they would run it back with McCarthy and Dak. I don't think they're going to sign them to a long-term deal any time before we see what that angle looks like going forward. But I think that they understand, as weird as this negotiation has been, they understand their best chance to win is getting DAC healthy instead of going into the lottery and trying to draft a quarterback in the second round or something like that and trying to find the next Andy Dalton. I didn't think this team was going to win the Super Bowl with DAC or without DAC. Their expectations for me have not changed. They're an NFC East favorite and that means

nothing to me because this team is not complete. This team had no chance to go going into any NFC contender and beating them. So this was just about DAC personally. Obviously, this guy polls at 100% throughout the league. Everybody loves him. You saw that yesterday with Jason Garrett and all the Giants rushing over to give their condolences on the injury. But I think that for me, nothing's changed. This is just a different look for this team this year. It is a tragedy for DAC personally. The league is better when guys can bet on themselves like Dak Prescott. It would have been better for players if Dak Prescott played this year, balled out and got $200 million dollars in Dallas and elsewhere. And so from a player's perspective, I think this really hurts.

I'm saddened for DAC and for the future of quarterback negotiations because he had a real chance to reset the market. I think this sets them back a year. I think Dak gets franchise tagged and then eventually he gets that big deal. It just comes a year later than we thought. By the way, I still think Kansas City is the best team in the league, I think, or Green Bay. You know, I had this thought yesterday. So I'm watching McCarthy in this team and there's just so many defensive lapses. and I thought to myself, you know what?

I know Aaron Rogers can be a little prickly, but Aaron looks so good, and Dallas looks so dysfunctional. And I'm sitting there watching this with Aaron, and I'm like, maybe Green Bay is the best football team in this league. And we just, we just, Aaron was right, but in this sort of passive-aggressive way, you know, the throwaways, the eye-rolling. And as I watched Dallas yesterday,

I kept thinking of Green Band. I'm like, maybe Green Bay and Aaron Rogers, maybe I'm nuts on this. Maybe they're the best team in the league. This morning, Kansas City, Baltimore, Green Bay. I can't watch the Cowboys in McCarthy and not think about Aaron in the last two years together when they underachieve. And he's 17 and 3 since then. I can't stop thinking about it.

Have we undervalued for the first time ever Aaron Rogers is my question. Yes. And the Packers undervalued him by taking Jordan Love in the first. round. And so you can say it was the media and the hot take culture or whatever it was, but it was also the Packers who made that evaluation and said that we need to start drafting a first round quarterback to start the succession plan. Okay. So this is not just a media creation. Okay. His own GM made that decision. So I think yes, they really have the capability to win the Super Bowl, quite frankly. I think that they have the pieces. And I think that it

tracks with everything we heard coming into this season from GMs, coaches, scouts, assistants, which is that the guys who know what they're doing, the veteran quarterbacks who have continuity with their receivers will have an advantage and can take a little advantage, which it normally exists from year to year by being a veteran, and it becomes a huge one because nobody has training camp, nobody has OTAs, nobody has padded practice like they normally do. And so Aaron Rogers' ability to make something out of nothing,

to make these incredible passes, it's becoming a huge, huge deal against flat-footed defense, who don't know what they're doing. Defense are just falling down. When I'm asking guys, like, what are defenses doing? Are they running simplified schemes? The answer is, no, defenses are just confused right now. They don't know what's going on.

And who takes advantage of confusion better than Aaron Rogers? Who takes advantage of those free plays better than Aaron Rogers? When something bad is happening on the field to a defense, Aaron Rogers is smart enough to take advantage. And that's why he's having this incredible year. That's why he's an MVP candidate. And that's why I would not be surprised on February 8th or whenever the Super Bowl is played if he's a hoisted in Lombardi.

Yeah, it's weird. I watch McCarthy and I can't stop thinking about Aaron is 17 and 3 without him and looks better than he's looked in six years. Kevin Clark, the ringer. Great stuff, bud. Appreciate you coming. I really like the pocket score. You brought your A game today for the show and I really appreciate that. Hey, I got a bringer for you, Colin.

Very nice. Look at that. Very, very swab. It's European looking and add some sophistication to our show much needed. Thank you, Kev. Kevin Clark. Anytime, Colin. Another podcast from some SNL late-night comedy guide.

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, S&L'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 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 I-Hard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. On the Look Back at a podcast. From 1979, that was a big moment for me.

84 was big to me. I'm Sam J. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick a year, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it. With our friends, fellow comedians, and favorite authors. Like Mark Lamont Hill on the 80s. 84 was a wild year.

It was a wild year. I don't think there's a more important year for black people. Listen to look back at it on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what 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 Cliford 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 Cliford 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. This is an IHeart podcast. Guaranteed human.