The Herd with Colin Cowherd - Best of The Herd for Sep 02, 2020

Episode Date: September 2, 2020

Doug Gottlieb in for ColinKirk Cousins isn't saying what you thinkThe possibility of the Big 10 playing this seasonThe Saints were playing chicken with Alvin KamaraJimmy G is better than Dak PrescottGuest: Jeff Benedict Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is an I-Heart podcast. Guaranteed Human. Another podcast from some SNL, late-night comedy guy, not quite. Unhumor me with Robert Smygel and friends. Me and hilarious guests from Bob Odenkirk to David Letterman help make you funnier. This week, my guest, SNL's Mikey Day and head writer, Streeter Seidel, help an a cappella band with their between songs banter.

Where does your group perform? We do some retirement homes. Those people are starving for banter. Listen to humor me with Robert Smigel and friends on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal, but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque.

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

A win is a win. I don't care what I'm saying. Yep, that's me, Clifford Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, my basketball and college football journey, or my career in sports media. Well, now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifers Show. This is a place for raw, unfilled conversations with athletes,

creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. So let's get to it. Listen to the Clifford show on the Iheart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok's podcast network on TikTok. On the Look Back at it podcast.

For 1979, that was a big moment for me. 84's big to me. I'm Sam J. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick a year, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it. With our friends, fellow comedians,

and favorite authors. Like Mark Lamont Hill on the 80s. 84 was a wild year. I don't think there's a more important year for black people. Listen to look back at it on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Thanks for listening to the best of Heard Podcast. Be sure to catch us live every weekday. From 12 to 3 Eastern, 9 to noon Pacific on Fox Sports Radio and FS1, find your local station for the herd at Fox Sports Radio.com or stream us live every day on the iHeartRadio app by searching Heard. This is the best of the herd with Colin Cowher on Fox Sports Radio. What up? Welcome in. This is the herd. Wherever you may be in, however you may be making it as part of your day. Thanks so much. I am Doug Gottlieb.

Filling in for Colin Cowherd and the IHeart Radio Network. Fox Sports Radio. No TV. So that means it's naked Wednesday. So it is naked Wednesdays. No, not me for you. You can be naked watching, listening to the show. We got a lot to get to. The Nuggets beat the jazz last night. And while that's probably not going to be the most watched series or watched Game 7, it was very telling.

And I think, you know, what we saw last night does play into the rest of of the NBA playoffs. Also, it's why there's an alarming stat about James Harden as he gets ready for game seven tonight. It's not just about his game seven stats in the past. It's his fourth quarter and overtime stats. I'll tell you what I believe is behind that. Jeff Benedict's going to join us in an hour and a half.

He's the author of a new book that, believe or not, your boy Colin Cowher told me, you've got to read this book. He is reading it. It's about the Patriots Dynasty, and what many believe is the end of the dynasty. and see the breakup of Belichick and Brady. Joel Clat will join us as we have renewed energy, renewed energy, in regards to the Big Ten possibly playing football this year. You have, if you're listening to Most Like it to Dan Patrick,

also part of our Fox Sports Radio family, who said sources close to him told them October 10th is the date that they want to play football by so that the Big Ten can still compete in the college football playoff. Again, that doesn't mean it's happening. It just means that would be their target date. And in 30 minutes, Ben Gulliver is going to join us. He is in the bubble.

We'll get his sense of everything that's at stake tonight for Houston, for Mike Dan Tony, for James Hardin, for Russell Westbrook. And oh yeah, by the way, the Bucks don't want to go down two games, none, like the Toronto Raptors did last night. But let's start with the NFL. Let's start with Kirk Cousins. And the Kirk Cousins is the guy who is most likely, by my estimation, to always say what would read as the right thing. Right. He does that.

Oh, gee, shucks. Doesn't he? It's almost, there's a little Russell Wilson to him as well where it's like, did you take a class on PR and somebody told. you this is what you're supposed to say because he does have a tendency to say what the media would most often tell you is the right thing. But many people in my position are using part of his quote to partially laugh at him. Also laugh at some of the precautions we're taking in regards to COVID-19. And they're using it to make a bigger point, which honestly, he doesn't actually make if you read the whole quote.

It is disingenuous to say that Kirk Cousins by saying if I die, I die, right? Which is, you guys are familiar, it's a famous quote from the movie. You die, he dies, he dies, he dies. But what, I, I'm going to be okay.

Even if I die, I die. I kind of have peace at that. That's what everybody's talking about. People are talking about, like, so let me read the quote. He was on with Kyle Brandt. KB is a friend, and he's on good morning football. He has a pod on that pod.

Kirk Cousin said, I'm not going to call anybody stupid for the trouble it could get me in, but I'm about 0.0.0.0. 00001. So he is a little bit in denial of the actual numbers by anyone's estimation because that's not what the percentages tell you. On the other hand, if he simply said, hey, there's a very, very slight chance that if I get COVID, that I'm going to get sick enough to actually have to be hospitalized or whatever.

Now look, some of this is a reaction to the CDC and their story. story and their report that came out that 94% of people who died from COVID-19 died of co-morbidities. So in addition to the fact that he's a professional athlete, he's in great shape, he doesn't have pre-existing health conditions, all of those, his numbers might be closer to accurate than inaccurate. He goes on, I want to respect other people's concerns. But for me, right? That's his way of saying, no disrespect, what? And when somebody says no disrespect, what comes out of their mouth the very next sentence?

Something usually disrespectful. But for me personally, if you're talking, no one else can get the virus, what is your concern you could get it? I'd say, I'm going to go about my daily life. If I get it, I'm going to ride it out. I'm going to let nature do its course. survival of the fittest kind of approach and just say if it knocks me out it knocks me out I'm going to be okay even if I die I die I kind of have peace with that that's what everyone's talking about that's not the end of the quote I guess not I actually had to text to help my

friends in the media who are slaughtering Kirk cousins or laughing at at people who are protective of COVID from COVID-19 whatever and because there's another part Wait, he said more? He said more. That's really where I fall on it. So my opinion on wearing masks is it's really about being respectful to other people. It has nothing to do with my personal thoughts. Wait, what?

What Kirk Cousins is saying is I'm not a high risk. I'm not a low risk. I'm a very, very minimal risk. But you don't wear a mask simply because of yourself. you wear a mask because, by his estimation, it's about being respectful. The truth is, it's a little bit more about being respectful. It's about not wanting to spread it to somebody who may have some underlying health issues, somebody who's elderly or, in cousin's case, his kids.

Now, is he totally educated on the virus? No. Sometimes education is a very good thing. Sometimes partial education is not. There's a lot to this, right? Like the Big Ten, it feels like overreacted to being really well educated on it because there was a report that it's not a report. The statistics that show you can contract myocarditis if you get COVID-19 and an athlete, myocarditis can cause sudden death. No one wants that for anyone, let alone for an athlete representing a university.

But if you read part of the quote, it feels like he's telling you it's not even as rough on your body as the flu. That's what people who want to believe that it's some sort of media creation. Oh, it's 5G cell phone towers only, right? You heard that one? Like you heard all the different. He's saying, I don't think it's going to affect me. And if it does, I'm going to ride it out. And then he does the fake bravery thing.

If I die, I die. but he goes back and essentially says, I'm going to wear a mask because it's not about me. It's about everybody else. Which is exactly how you should take it. Exactly how you should take it. You've got to take it seriously and be a little bit over-precautious. And maybe you don't value your own health,

or maybe you think I'm healthy as a horse. I'm going to be fine. But it's not about you. It's about everybody. Simple. Wear a mask. and we get everything back. It's not that hard.

But we're doing that thing we do in the media. This is not a you thing. This isn't us thing. This is me talking group talk to everybody who I work with, who I've worked for. I've worked at three different places. We do it. Some of it we do because you don't have the attention span, you know, to listen to quotes in totality. some of it we do because it doesn't make a good headline.

A lot of it we do because we see gotcha moments and we just want to pound the gotcha moments. Play the hits. But that doesn't make it right. Colin tweeted out earlier today. You mean to tell me a guy, essentially you mean to tell me a guy that gets, you know, puts himself in harm's way in football, is scared of a virus like he gets it. But again, that's only part of the quote. The rest of the quote is accurate. which is, and it's not really about me, it's about everybody else.

Essentially, Kirk Cousins saying, I don't know if masks work or if they don't work. I don't think I'm really going to get sick from it, but I'll wear the damn mask so that everybody else feels good. Fine, I don't care why you wear it. You can wear it to be sarcastic. You can wear it to be cautious. You can wear it to be respectful. You could wear it for a million reasons.

Just wear a mask. It's not that hard. And if you don't have a mask, as I lose them all the time, Pretty much any place you walk into has them and they'll hand it to you. You couldn't make it any easier for people. This is like the voting thing, right? Like, I love the fact that we're creating more and more avenues for people to vote. If you don't vote, like, this is on you.

Last presidential election, I was not, I was not registered to vote. The day of the election, I registered to vote and voted. Twice. Kidding on the last part. But we're going to, we're going to, half of us are going to vilify Kirk Cousins. Half of us are going to vilify scientists and doctors saying, see, Kirk Cousins, professional athlete, smart guy. Not a scientist, not a doctor.

Definitely not an infectious disease expert. Actually, just as, you know, I don't really think it's going to affect me. If I get sick, I get sick. But I'll wear the damn mask because it makes everybody else happy. Fine. Right? Don't care why you wear it. I don't care.

Just do it. It's like voting. I don't care who you vote for. Really don't care. Just vote. But this is a good portion, a good portion of so many stories having to do with the pandemic. You know? The Big Ten and...

people's, you know, wanting the Big Ten to play football and the idea of the Big Ten presidents being overreactive, overreacted, that they had overreacted to a store, actually a report from real scientists and real doctors about something that could happen to their athletes. But Kirk Cousins was asked to elaborate, he did. And while he doesn't believe that he could truthfully get sick or let alone die, because if you did, you wouldn't say that. And nor has he really dug into the idea that like a good portion of COVID-19 and the

dangerous aspects of it is not just whether or not you could die. Like we have this tendency to go like, well, you didn't die so you're fine. No, I mean, it can do massive damage to your lungs. Maybe not Kirk Cousins, but there are people that have lingering and will have a life of lung issues from it. But that's not even the point. The biggest point and most important point is, We're doing that thing that we like to do in the media, and it's not a you problem.

It's an us problem. We're taking a portion of a quote, make it into an gotcha moment. Kirk Cousins doesn't fear the virus. He doesn't want to wear a mask. He doesn't think the masks actually work. Even though at the end, he essentially says, I'll wear the mask, if nothing else, to be respectful of other people. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays in noon Eastern 9 a.m. Pacific on Fox Sports Radio, FS1, and the I Hard 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 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,

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

I mean, at this point, Mark, this is the second episode where we've discussed crack. So I'm starting to see that there's a through line. We also have AIDS on the table right now. Thank you for finishing that sentence. I don't think there's a more important year for black people. Really? Yeah. For me, it's one of the most important years for black people in American history.

Listen to look back at it on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. Welcome to my new podcast, Learn the Hard Way with me, your host, and your favorite therapist, Kier Games. And in recognition of Mental Health Awareness Month, I'm bringing over a decade of my own experience in the mental health field and conversations with so many incredible guests. I'm talking, Tripp Fontaine, Ryan Clark. Sometimes when we're in the pursuit of the thing, we get so wrapped up in the chase

that we don't realize that we are in possession of the thing. and we're still chasing it and we don't know when we've done enough because people scoreboard watch. Life becomes about wins and losses. Steve Burns, Dustin Ross, because you find it important to be a good person while you hear on earth,

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 Hardway. Open your free iHeartRadio app. Search Learn the Hardway and listen now. Doug Gottlieb in for calling. This is The Herd. Thanks so much for making this part of your day on a Wednesday, hump day. What day is it?

What day is it? It's hump day. What, what? That great commercial with the camel. He's another camel hump day commercial, right? Remember we used to have jingles? Whatever happened to jingles? I saw this story and,

and I thought it was interesting. Alvin Kamara is expected to practice today with the New Orleans Saints. Now, Kamara's been doing the hold-in, right? The hold-in is the sleep-under of NFL negotiations. Do you guys know what a sleep-under is? Okay, a sleep-over, you go over to somebody's house, you throw on a movie, you get a bunch of snacks, you play video, they play Fortnite, they text friends,

they IG live, they Snapchat everybody, they stay up, super, super late. They annoy the hell out of whoever parents had them doing a sleepover if the parents pay attention to them. If not, the parents pay no attention, they don't sleep at all. Then they come back to you the next day. Crazy, crazy, cranky and tired. Too much sugar, not enough sleep.

They end up not liking each other at the end of the day because somebody, no doubt, is an early riser and wake somebody else up. You know, it's the sleepover. I used to have sleepovers all the time. Sleepovers still exist. The sleep under, sleep under. is when this is that we do this with our kids all the time, which is you go over to somebody's house, you hang out,

you swim, you play, you watch, play Fortnite, do all that stuff. And then like 9, 30, 10 o'clock will come pick you, have you sleep in your own house. And then if you want, next morning, we'll take you back over there and you have breakfast together. Sleep under. Hold in is, hey, I want a new contract, but I'm not going to not show up.

So I don't miss meetings. I know what's going on. I just want a new deal, and this is a way of not making you look bad, having a report that I'm not there. I also can't necessarily get fined. I'm getting all my treatment. I'm getting some of my work in. I'm just not going to go run around, catch passes, run the risk of getting injured, injured, contact, non-contact injury, right? That's the hold in as opposed to the old school.

I ain't showing up. Call my agent if you need me. Hold out. Pay me my money. Show me money. Show me. Okay, you understand the difference? Hold out and hold in?

Okay. So Alvin Kamara is doing the hold-in. And there's some negotiation there. And suddenly yesterday, Josina Anderson tweeted out that the Norland Saints are open to trading Alvin Kamara. And what? Life comes at you fast. Right.

And though it's been reported that he didn't ask for Christian McCaffrey money, this is a problem with so many running backs is they massively, massively overplay their hand. Right. Joe Mixon signed a contract yesterday. It's essentially a four-year deal. And Joe Mixon's deal is going to pay him on the, it's, you know, $48 million is how it reads. Four-year, $48 million contract. and the devil obviously is always in the details.

He's going to get a $10 million signing bonus with a $1.3 million base for this year. So he'll make $11.3 this year, eight next year, eight the following year, 9.3 in 2020. So it's going to average out to about $9 million a year. Joe Mixon is a starting running back, a franchise back, a really, really good player. And that is well below what Christian McCaffrey made because he's not as productive as Christian McCaffrey. but it's getting long-term stability, getting life-changing, generational wealth, as best you can with a declining market to be a running back.

But what the Saints did yesterday was call his bluff, Alvin Kamara's bluff. And they've still kind of left it out there. Because at the end of the day, if you don't want to play football, if you don't want to negotiate in real good faith, and understand that we can't give you the ball, You're not the kind of, he was hurt last year.

They won without him. He's a very good hybrid back. But he's not a bell cow. And you're not going to throw to him 100 times a year. And he hasn't stayed healthy long enough. Outside of the fact that he doesn't catch 100 balls and he doesn't rush for over 1,000 yards, he's exactly like Christian McCaffrey and deserves Christian McCaffrey money. And the only way to truly negotiate is to threaten to walk out that door.

Or send a guy out that. door, which is what the Saints did yesterday. Hey, listen, if we can't come to terms, it's fine. We'll find somebody who will overpay to trade you and to give you what you might think is a contract that you're worth. But we're just not, we're not speaking the same language. In a not so shocking turn of events, Alvin Kamara is probably going to practice today. My guess is they'll get a contract done.

Although the Saints left it out there, trade is still a possibility. Somebody wants to overpay you. And you want to negotiate as if you're Christian McCaffrey or you want to negotiate on the plus side of $10 plus million a year. We ain't doing that. Joe Mixing got nine. Probably reasonable to think that's about your range. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays in noon eastern, 9 a.m. Pacific on Fox Sports Radio, FS1, and the IHard Radio app.

Doug Gottlieb in for Colin, this is the herd. Jerry Rice was on 975 the game. He was asked about Dak Prescott. And if he had Kyle Shanahan as a hard, he had, uh, Kyle Shanahan as a herd. a head coach as opposed to what he's been working with in Dallas. This was the greatest wide receiver of all time. Jerry Rice had this to say. I think Prescott would have success, but I don't think he would be like Jimmy G.

Overall, I think Jimmy G is a better quarterback than Dak. I'm sorry, I'm going to call it. Yeah, it's just my opinion. That's my opinion. I can be wrong, but I think right now with Jimmy G, he's a better quarterback than Dak Prescott. Now, he's also synonymous with the 49ers, even though he won. went to the Super Bowl with the Raiders.

Jerry Rice is most known as a Niner. And, you know, you can't, when you're a Niner, it's not like college in terms of arch rival, but when you're a Niners, it's not like you're going to credit the Cowboys quarterback for being better than the Niners. But I don't think it's a crazy statement. I don't.

In fairness to Jimmy G., he's only been a healthy starter for one year, right? one year because he got hurt the previous year. And the previous year to that, he sat. And then, you know, obviously they were good at the end of the season. I don't know if they got every team's best stuff or people knew what he's doing. The criticism of Jimmy Garapolo has not been how good he is. It's that he is prone to the big mistake. And in fairness to Dak Prescott, Jimmy Garoppolo didn't make the plays down the stretch.

You know, Manuel Sanders is open. It wasn't just that he missed Emmanuel Sanders on what, should have been an explosive play and maybe a game-winning play. It's that he massively overthrew him, play which if you underthrow, you're likely to get a PI and get the ball down around the one-yard line. So I would, if you told me that Garoppolo didn't play well down the stretch against Kansas City Chiefs in a Super Bowl with the lead,

I would agree with you. But what is Dak Prescott done to make you believe that he would perform well down the stretch? Right? If you want to tell me that in a pressure-packed situation, like the Super Bowl, he didn't play well. Fine. I saw the Philadelphia Eagles game where the Eagles have a bunch of rummies at wide receiver and the Cowboys can't move the football against the Eagles late in the year. Yeah, they had the number one ranked offense based on gross statistics,

but go and look at what they actually accomplished. I think Kyle Shannon has a great offensive mind. course not. But like, coaching can only get you so far. And if anything, Kyle Shanahan, if he was coaching Dak Prescott, Dak Prescott would hand the ball off more and throw the football less. How do I know that? Because that's how Kyle Shanahan calls offensive football. He just does. Go back and look at the Cowboys last year. Instead of saying they have the number one ranked offense, look what they did against the actual good teams and look what the Niners did against the good teams.

Is there some bias there with Jerry Rice? Sure. But one guys won a bunch of playoff games. The other ones, what, one one? 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.

Big game tonight in the NBA, actually two of them. The bucks are down. game to none to the Miami Heat. I've seen this before. Mike Booneholzer's team suddenly not as good offensively in the playoffs as they were in the regular season. And then the nightcap is Houston versus Oklahoma City. Game 7, the winner gets to the Lakers. Chris Paul playing against his former team, heroically kind of saved his current team and forced to game seven.

The Rockets are better. The Rockets should win this game. The Thunder weren't put together with the idea of, Let's win. They were put together with the idea of, you know, we got Danila Golanari. He can score. Maybe he'll become trade bait. We got Chris Paul.

He's a tremendous point guard and leader. We'll put him in charge. Shea Gilgis Alexander will learn from an all-time great to eventually be the mantle holder, the leader of the team. Stephen Adams is the big guy, the tough guy. We'll just kind of figure it out as we go. And somehow by about mid-season, you're like, you know what? We can't trade Chris Paul. for anything reasonable, maybe can't trade them at all.

And we're not that bad, let's just go for it. Fine. As for the Houston Rockets, they actually match up a little bit better than we thought because they're using Lou Dort, who's a rookie from Arizona State, originally from Montreal, looks like a football player. Kind of shoots like a football player sometimes too. And we have ourselves in a really interesting series. But one thing I think all of us can agree is if the Rockets lose to

Mike Dan, like we don't even need the pleasantries of the, well, we're going to review. Everybody's in review. We'll figure it out. Like, Dan Antonio will be fired if they lose. There's a chance that Darrell Mori's fired if they lose. Even if they win, it's a very strong likelihood. They lose to the Lakers. And when you factor in what Tillman Fertita said last year when they lost to the Warriors, remember, he wasn't just mad that they lost to the Warriors.

He was mad that they lost to the Warriors at home. The Rockets have made a, have this curious kind of run of losing their last playoff game at home. Additionally, in these last playoff games, James Hardin kind of no-shows at the end of series. And when they lost to the Warriors last year, if you remember, the Warriors weren't at full strength. Kevin Durant didn't play. So it's one thing to lose to the Warriors, you're like, well, they got Kevin Durant, and they got Steph Curry, and they got Clay Thompson. and they got Draymond Green, and we had come so close before.

But they commissioned a study on why they lost game seven the year before and blamed the refs, not the 27 missed three-pointers in a row. Then they get another shot at the Warriors, and though they may not have won the series to lose at home and the Warriors don't have their best player, I'd be mad too. So Fratina said, like, I want to win and I want to win now. They clean house with the coaching staff, with the exception to the head coach. Darry may or may not keep his job and I don't believe

Dan Tony does. Eventually if they lose. But I feel like the Rockets are in that place that a lot of colleges are in when they want to fire their coach. I'm not saying that Mike Dan Tony is the guy, his teams, and he's coached, I mean, it's kind of an amazing career, right? To coach in three of the four biggest markets in the NBA. Did you guys realize that? He's head coached the Lakers, the Knicks, the Rockets, the fourth biggest market in the

And, you know, as well as Phoenix, where he had his most, he had the most success he's ever had. And, of course, in Denver, previous to that, like, it's not for lack of opportunity. Where have I seen this before that his team's lack of ability to close the series to get big defensive stops, ultimately undoes an amazing regular season team? That's Mike Dan Tony Basketball 101. I'm not saying that you keep him. I'm just saying this. Has anybody asked the question, who's the guy who could fix it?

there are calls to bring back Jeff Van Gundy. But Jeff Van Gundy is a Pat Riley disciple. He's a defense guy. How do you think that goes over with James Harden? I love Jeff Van Gundy. There's many teams I'm like, why don't you hire Jeff Van Gundy? Just throw a bunch of money at him. He's a great basketball coach.

Great basketball coach. But I don't know how that, when you're two, best players are two guys with flaws defense like Russell Westbrook I think people think is a really good defensive player because he's so athletic because he makes mean faces and occasionally he'll get a steal.

But the truth is that he checks out a defense for about half of every season and he's just okay in the postseason when he is engaged. And then offensively and what happens is we watch in such limited limited instances in terms of how hard he plays hard all the time.

Like, no, he doesn't. He does not. Ask people in Oklahoma City, they'll nod their head. Like, no, he takes lots of, he takes games off defensively. And now, of course, he's four knee surgeries in. He's not the same guy. And he still has some of the same issues in terms of volume of shots and inability to make shots. Then you got James Hardin, who's great when he has the ball.

Great. He's not good. He's great, but he requires a very specific style in order to be successful. I don't know if there's a lot of coaches that are going to let him go through his legs 15 times before he goes and gets his shot. Maybe. But the bigger question is, okay, not Dan Tony. Who then?

And don't give me the anybody. That's actually not, that's not actually that the way it works. Because in order to win a championship, so oftentimes in the NBA, you have to have been there before. You have to have won before. Like that's the catch-22 of coaching in the NBA. To win a championship as a coach, you have to have won a championship as a coach. Or to have the respect of a locker room, you have to have won a championship. To want a championship, you have to have the respect of a locker room.

Reminds me a fat bastard in Austin Powers 2. I eat because I'm unhappy. And I'm unhappy because I eat. It's a vicious cycle. I agree. I'm not a guy who's sitting here. proposing I have all the answers. But I think the lack of an obvious answer,

he is the conundrum that the Houston Rockets are in. Do you keep Darryorie? He did build this team into a consistent winner. He did pull off some magnificent moves, but he does have them locked up in a sort of cap hell that they've constantly tried to rework. And if you keep him, do you hire a coach that believes in his analytics first philosophy?

Or do you scrap the whole thing and start over? But then you're not going to get rid of James Harden. You can't get rid of Russell Westbrook. What do you do? I think he might be screwed. Right? Warriors seemed to have a plan, took a year off. Lakers are still going to roll with LeBron.

Clippers are loaded. They're not going anywhere for a while. Then there's you. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays in noon Eastern, 9 a.m. Pacific. On Fox Sports Radio, FS1, and the I-Hard 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-Hart 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 Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, Follow at Clifford and a TikTok podcast network on TikTok. Do you remember when Diana Ross double-tap Little Kim's boobs at the VMAs?

Or when Kanye said that George Bush didn't like black people. I know what you're thinking. What the hell does George Bush got to do with Little Kim? Well, you can find out on the Look Back at It podcast. I'm Sam Jek. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick it here, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it.

Including a recent episode with Mark Lamont Hill, waxing all about crack in the 80s. To be clear, 84 was big to me, not just because of crack. I'm down to talk about crack on day, but just so you all know. I mean, at this point, 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 IHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Welcome to my new podcast, Learn the Hardway with me, your host, and your favorite therapist, Keer Games.

And in recognition of mental health awareness month, I'm bringing over a decade of my own experience in the mental health field and conversations with so many incredible guests. I'm talking, Tripp Fontaine, Ryan Clark. Sometimes when we're in the pursuit of the thing, we get so wrapped up in the chase that we don't realize that we, are in possession of the thing. And we're still chasing it. And we don't know when we've done enough. Because people scoreboard watch. Life becomes about wins and losses.

Steve Burns, Dustin Ross, because you find it important to be a good person while you hear on earth? 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, our heart radio app, search Learn the Hard Way,

and listen now. The book is called The Dynasty. Jeff Benedict is the author. The New England Patriots, the most dominant franchise and professional team sports over the past 20 years are the subject of a brand new book

by Jeff Benedict. Benedict secured exclusive access to the Patriots, starting in 2018, and reported from within the organization for nearly two years. The book is a comprehensive account based upon 250 interviews

and has more than 200 people and is available now. I know that Colin has read it because he's calling me on a nightly basis telling me, you got to read this book. You got to read this book. We talked about it yesterday. We're joined by Jeff Benedict, the author. Jeff, how are you? I'm doing well, thanks.

What was it like the moment you were granted access? And I asked that because of the organizations that we as outsiders think of, as the Fort Knox of sports organizations, the Patriots seemed like the most like that, right? No leaks. Nothing gets out of that thing. It's changed a little bit, but to give you this type of access, what was that like? Well, I mean, I think to answer that question, I have to sort of say up front, I'm probably the ultimate outsider, you know, maybe like the most unlikely person to write a book like this, just because I've, I had never covered this

team. I'd never been around them, never been to a press conference in Foxborough, never watched the game from the press box. And I didn't know any of these individuals who are at the core of the dynasty. I never met, for example, Robert Kraft or been around Tom Brady or Bill Delechick or any of these other guys. So I was really an outsider. But I'd spent a lot of time thinking about this and thinking about what I wanted to do. And one of the things, that appealed to me was that no one had really ever looked at the role of the owner in the dynasty. And I was fascinated by that because I had consulted the Sports Illustrated 100 greatest sports books of all time. They made a list a few years back. And not one of those titles had anything to do

with an owner. And I thought in this case, there's got to be an incredible story there. I don't know what it is, but there's got to be a great story about Kraft's part here. And so I I wrote to him, you know, the old-fashioned way. I wrote him a letter. And it was, it's the ultimate sort of cold call type of letter. He doesn't know me, but I, I introduced myself in writing. And I told him who I was, what my background was, and what I wanted to do. And which was, I really wanted to understand and write a book about how this, the greatest sports dynasty of the 21st century was built.

I mean, that's basically how I put it. And that was the beginning of. of a, you know, a relationship that the next phase was I got a letter back from him and to my mailbox in Connecticut. And that said something to me about him. Now, granted, I haven't talked to him yet. I haven't met him. But the fact that he took the time to write me back was interesting. And it said to me, there's just something different about this man.

And, you know, eventually that led to meeting and spending time together. and me basically just talking about what I wanted to do and getting to know him and some of those who led the organization. I was trying to build a rapport. I was trying to understand. And they were, you know, trying to understand who I was because they didn't know me either. But it was a process in the case with everybody in the book of, you know, sort of building a comfort level and a relationship. I mean, to get to the point where you could have interviews that were. meaningful. I think that all of these guys knew because of the kinds of questions that I was asking that I was not interested in third and ten.

There's a lot of other football writers out there who can write that a lot better than I can. I was trying to answer questions about that were legal, that were political, that were financial. And so that's, it's going about it a totally different way. Yeah, it is, look, it is fascinating. To those of us, and, you know, I spent, well, I lived 12, 12 years of my life in Connecticut. And I know that, like, I think people forget that the Patriots were moving to Connecticut. Like, that stadium that was going to be the Patriots Stadium. Like, it was done until it wasn't done. And it's kind of interesting how he took to owning the team where he, you know,

he bought up land around the stadium and then ultimately gets the new stadium. But I, and so I think that part of it's fascinating. I think the part that is most intriguing to us sports fans, is the relationship between Belichick and Brady, and having not had the, whether it's bias or background of knowledge for how it used to be, when you first got there in 2018, what was the state of their relationship? Well, when I got there in 2018, I didn't know anything about that and have any sort of insight into any of that.

I was coming in very fresh, and you could even say somewhat naive. But, you know, I constructed a timeline of the Patriot's dynasty. It took me a year to build it. And I was doing all these data points. And I was looking at the evolution of the relationship between Belichick and Brady is a fascinating tale. And I think to understand where it ended up, you have to really focus on where it began. And it begins, really, with this incredible sort of set of decisions that Belichick makes. that in hindsight, you know, look just as risky today as they were then, which is, you know,

first of all, drafting a quarterback when you absolutely don't need one because you've got three of them and one of them is a superstar. And then after the first season, when Brady doesn't play, it's reaching the conclusion in your mind that if he were starting the best quarterback on the roster right now heading into the 01 season, he would start Brady. That is an unbelievable place for a coach to be. be when the owner just gave the other quarterback $103 million to stay for 10 more years. And he even told the owner that he felt that way.

And so Kraft knows that Belichick feels that way going into the 01 season. And I think when Drew gets hurt, it gives Belichick the ability to put the guy in the game who he thought he should have been starting anyways. And so when Drew comes back and the conventional wisdom is, you know, when you're the start, quarterback. You don't lose your job. Deangering you. And so he should have played. And I think every other coach in the NFL in 01 would have put him back in.

And Belichick doesn't. And here's where it gets interesting. The owner certainly could have forced his hand here. And he's even talking with Bloodso who wants him to intervene. And crap goes and talks

to Belichick about it. And the interesting thing is, he doesn't go down there and tell him what to do. he goes down there and listens to him. And then he decides at that point that he's not going to step in. And he tells Bledso that. And he tells Bledso that he, as much as he wants to help, he doesn't think he should force the issue. And so Belichick is allowed to stick with Brady.

And we all know that he wins the Super Bowl that year. But the next morning, when they're in a car together after winning the Super Bowl against the Rams, it's right there where Belichick says you had a pretty good seat. Well, first of all, that's a dramatic understatement. And second of all, but coming from him, that's a huge compliment. Sure. And then to say, then comes the sort of the warning about what's coming next, the fame and all the stuff that comes with being the youngest quarterback to be the Super Bowl MVP and all that stuff. That's how their relationship started.

It's, in other words, I think that they both understood early on that they, had to trust each other and their careers rested on each other. So they really did. If Brady had not done well in 01, that could have been disastrous for Belichick's future. So when, he faked a lot on him. So when did the, where did the trust break down? And like, look, we read the excerpt yesterday where, you know, Kraft was concerned about that dynamic between Belichick and Brady.

Belichick, of course, had gotten rid of Alex Guerrero. Giselle would, you know, voiced her disapproval with how Tom Brady was being treated. Like, it seemed to all work for so long where Brady would take a little bit less and extend the contract so they could get everything worked in. You know, he would get undressed verbally by the coaching staff because he was just like anybody else of the Patriots. It worked for so long. What changed? I don't really think anything changed. I just think what you said explained it.

It worked for so long. In other words, it never should have worked that long. Montana and Walsh couldn't make it work that long. Noel and Bradshaw, you know, Terry Bradshaw's been pretty open about how much he hated, used the word hate, hated Chuck Knoll and couldn't wait to get away from him. And so I think that, again, I'm looking at this, like, and I'm trying to get readers. to put on a different set of glasses, and let's look at this differently. Instead of focusing, and I understand the attraction to the friction, I get that. But what's far more interesting to me isn't that there was friction and fracture,

because that's in every great partnership that, you know, when you put like two geniuses in a room, there's going to be that, but they're also going to create something that could like change the world. And I think that these two guys did that, and they did it for a lot longer than should have happened. And if they'd run the course that the Niners and the Steelers and maybe even the Packers had run, it would have come apart a lot sooner, maybe in 2010 or 2011 or certainly 2012. But this is different because they keep going. And so it's by the time you get to 20 years, you know, 2019, it's like it's just, there's not a defining moment where you say,

up, there it is. That was the straw that broke the camel's back. I just think that instead, it's more that they finally reached the end of the road. And that is why I made the comparison between Lenin and McCartney and Belichick and Brady because I really think it fits here. I think it works. It's not an overstatement

to say the two greatest rock stars that changed the music industry. We're 50 years removed from when the Beatles were the Beatles and we still look at them as the best. I really think 50 years from now, sports historians and fans will look

back at this moment and say the Belichick Brady partnership, it's still the best one. And it's because they did more than anybody else. Could it also be that Giselle Bunchton is the Yoko Ono to this duo? No, I don't think so. I think I would, I would, I understand why you're saying that. I would actually describe her quite differently. I think Yoko is probably rightfully looked at by a lot of people as one of the sources that broke up the Beatles. I think in Giselle's case, she was probably very helpful in keeping things together because of the way that she is with Tom.

I think if you see Tom versus Time in that film, which I thought was very honest and showed some great insights into that. I mean, look, she's like the ultimate partner, and I think that New England was lucky that she was on the scene for this ride. It's called The Dynasty, the author, Jeff Benedict, kind of to spend some time with this, pick it up, wherever you, Kind of you get your books, it is an absolute, fabulous read. Jeff, thanks so much for joining us. Incredible insight, and look forward to speaking to you again in the near future. Thanks so much. Appreciate it. The pleasure is absolutely all mine. 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. 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 it podcast. From 1979, that was a big moment for me. 84 was big to me. I'm Sam J. And I'm Alex English.

Each episode, we pick a year, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it. With our friends, fellow comedians, and favorite authors. Like Mark Lamont Hill on the 80s. 84 was a wild year. I mean, it was a wild year. I don't think there's a more important year for black people. Listen to Look Back at it on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. A win is a win.

A win is a win. I don't care what you're saying. Yep, that's me. Clifford Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, 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, unfills of conversations with athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. So let's get to it. Listen to the Cliford show on the IHeard Radio app,

Apple Podcast, podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok's podcast network on TikTok. This is an IHeart podcast. Guaranteed human.