The Herd with Colin Cowherd - Best of The Herd for Sep 22, 2020

Episode Date: September 22, 2020

-Drew Brees is no longer a special QB-Cam Newton is a better fit for the Patriots than Tom Brady-Las Vegas and the Raiders are a perfect fit-Tonight will be a rough night for LeBron haters-The Herd Hierarchy, Colin's top ten NFL teams-The Raiders crazy moves are working outGuest: Jeff Pearlman, Author. Jeff tells great stories from his new book on the Shaq/Kobe Lakers dynasty 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, Cliver 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 I Heart 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. From 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. It's Tuesday we are live and loaded in Los Angeles. This is The Herd, wherever you may be and however you may be listening. We're on Fox Sports Radio, right here too, on FS1, one hour from now. All sorts of interesting teams. How good are they?

Our herd hierarchy, our second ranking of NFL teams, Will we squeeze the Raiders in there? And what are we to do with the New England Patriots? Joy Taylor is joining me after a captivating look at a Raider team that feels perfectly welcome in Vegas. I can't wait to see Raiders fans in that stadium. It'll be amazing. It did make me miss Vegas a little bit. I know.

It did. Well, talk about a Chamber of Commerce night for Vegas. Yeah, it looks great. You see the strip. I had buddies like, God, I miss Vegas. Every time they showed the strip, I was like, oh, memories or lack thereof, either way. Good stuff.

Let's start with this. Drew Brees was not very good last night. I have a rule with quarterbacks. Trust your eyes. Take the emotion out of it. Take down the pom-poms. Trust your eyes. Then look at the data.

Said that a couple years ago. Mitch Trubisky made the playoffs. And I said, it's a lot of smoking mirrors. That's mostly coaching. What do we think now in Mitch Trubisky? I said it with Baker Mayfield. Maybe he's a franchise quarterback. He's not a number one pick.

Look at him. I said it with Kyler Murray. Second start. Oh, hell, that's special. Drew Breeze, trust your eyes. Look at the data. He's old. He's declining.

He doesn't throw the ball down the field. He was clearly the second best quarterback in the field. Derek Carr was carving up an excellent defense. Drew Bree struggled against an average defense. Old quarterbacks don't want to hear it. They get defensive. They get snippy. They've been American royalty.

They're iconic. They make $30 million. or more a year. And when the end is near, they get crusty. But the Raiders don't even have a great defense. They didn't have a sack. Drew Bree said, we're out of sync. Why? You've been there forever. So's the coach. It's mostly the same pieces without Michael Thomas. Raiders didn't have two of their best offensive linemen. They were fine. Again, Derek Carr was the better quarterback. He had a livelier arm after the first quarter. He started throwing the ball down the field. He gave us a few arm angles. He was more mobile and athletic. He had more juice. He had more energy. And that was

against the better defense. Trust your eyes. Wow, wow, wow, wow. Breeze is accurate. So was Kirk Cousins. Breeze is excellent at the line of scrimmage. So is Kirk Cousins. Half of the Saints completions to a team without a pass rush or to running backs. Trust your eyes. Then look at the data. The data tells you, in a league with the He's hyper athletic quarterbacks. Kyler and Russell and Aaron and Lamar and Mahomes, the saint's ceiling is dink and dunk and dink and dunk. What about Michael Thomas?

What about him? He's not really a rangey deep thread. He's just a great receiver, 17 yards and in, and he's great. It's okay. Now, Drew Breeze afterwards will tell you he's still very good at what he's supposed to do. Here it is. I've always evaluated myself on being a great decision maker. And so at the end of the day, I'm going to throw the ball of the open guy,

move the ball down the field, score points, help us win football games. So that's my job. My job is to help put everybody around me in the best position to succeed. And that's all I'm focused on. That usually can win games in this league. But again, what is the standard for Drew Brees? what is the standard now for the Saints? They keep winning the division.

That's not just the standard. Completing accurate line of scrimmage, that's a lot of Kirk Cousins, and he doesn't get to Super Bowls. The league is changing. The business is changing. The rules are changing. It is benefiting mobile quarterbacks.

Wide receivers have never been more valuable. Free touchdowns all over the league. And the Saints don't get any of them. So until further notice, I have two tiers of quarterbacks in the NFL. I've got the, oh my God, tier. That's Russell Wilson-Maholmes and Lamar Jackson, and then the special tier, and until further notice, breeze out Derek Carr in. Oh, by the way, Carson Wentz, you're on the clock.

I'll give you two more weeks. That's officially what it is. Nothing personal. Trust your eyes. Put down the pom-poms. We have stuff we can see. the better quarterback last night, throwing with arm angles,

livelier, letting her rip, a lot of velocity, throwing to tight ends, wide receivers, slot receivers, running backs against the better defense was absolutely Derek Carr.

Derek Carr was a better quarterback. Well, Drew was on the road. There was no crowd. The Monday night football broadcasting guy, that was the closest three people were together. That was the crowd. I thought Derek Carr was a much better quarterback last night. All right, let me shift to this.

So there was a comment yesterday by a broadcaster at another network of former steeler Ryan Clark and said, Cam Newton's actually better for the Patriots than Tom Brady. Whoa, whoa, whoa. But his quote was specifically for young receivers. He said Jacobi Myers, Damier Bird, Nikiel Harry are better off with Cam Newton than Tom Brady could ever give these guys. That's not a knock on their careers. It's not in any way to negate Brady's greatness. They needed Cam Newton.

this was a match made in heaven. Now, I will say this. Jacobi Myers and the other kid don't matter. I could care less. Nikiel Harry? Oh, no, Cam Newton's better for him. Cam Newton sees Nikiel Harry as a fresh, young, healthy, talented weapon. Tom Brady saw him last year as a guy that couldn't get to a spot

because he didn't know the playbook well enough, for he hadn't been in the system long enough. Tom Brady was frustrated with Nikiel Harry because Tom had been there forever and memorized the system, and Nikiel Harry was learning it. So that I agree with. Cam is great for Nikiel Harry. And by the way, the Patriots can't draft wide receivers.

This cannot be a bust. This has to work. Nikiel Harry has to work. You can't pass to Julian Edelman 29 times a game. Nikiel Harry has to work. And I do think Cam is better for Nikiel Harry. But let me just give you the difference between Cam and Brady, because we're going to hear this a lot now.

Because Cam's going to have some success. And Brady's going to have some success. Think about it this way. Here's my analogy. Tom Brady is the great conductor. And when you have the great orchestra, Welker, he had good running backs, Randy Moss, a young gronk, Brady created the greatest music we've ever heard. Cam is a lead singer.

Give him the mic. You don't even notice the drummer. The orchestra, the symphony becomes a little less crucial. I mean, in Cam's MVP, or ask yourself, do you remember who their number one, number two receivers were? Yeah, nobody does. Cam, when you have a garage band and marginal talent, you know, like New England right now has,

Cam's a great fit. Cam's a playmaker. Cam grabs that thing, and he is in the front of the stage, and he is just bellowing and a show show. stopper. He is the show. And this is a garage band. There's not much here. Now, Tom Brady has moved down to Tampa, and that is quite an orchestra. Seven, eight, nine weapons at his disposal. And Tampa last year had another conductor. His name was James, and he would forget songs occasionally and lose the baton. Tampa is perfect for Brady. When you give him weapons,

he is the great conductor. He gets everybody. in the right spot. He plays to their strengths. He puts the ball in the right spot. He doesn't turn it over much. He takes just enough risks. Cam's always been more lead singer. It's not as much about the orchestra. And when you give Cam nothing to work with, he's better than Tom. I mean, Sunday, I don't believe Tom Brady could have gone to Seattle, gotten into a shootout with the Seattle Seahawks and Russell Wilson, who's playing virtual perfect football, and Tom Brady would have gotten them within one play and three yards of winning. No, I think Cam Newton with this roster and this team and no deep threat and below average tight ends

and the greatest offensive line coach left, and they had eight guys opt out and free agents left, and they don't have a kicker. They can totally trust. They came with a play of beating maybe the first, second, or third best team in the league. This is about Cam. And Nikiel Harry can't be a bust, and he's better with Cam. But I think when New England was at least presenting Tom with some gifts, I think Tom's the best ever. There are times that Cam has had better talent than I think the media and fans would like to admit.

And it hasn't, he hasn't always elevated those players. But these players, they got ceilings. Cam on his best, doesn't. and so I think it's okay to just admit, like, Cam works for this New England group, and Tom will eventually work really well with that group in Tampa, and Tom wouldn't be quite as good with this group. I don't think he would.

I don't think he would go to Seattle and get within a play of beating the Seahawks. Cam Newton was on Boston Radio this morning, and he admits this is a really, really good fit for him on a multitude of levels. I do of the culture of the Been a place for me that's been therapeutic It also, you know, it has been a place that Cam's the artist, he's the rock star That right now in this moment

New England needs, it's working, it's fun Oh, by the way, they host the Raiders Next Sunday and what I think is going to be The most entertaining game of the weekend Be sure to catch live editions of the herd Weekdays in noon Eastern 9 a.m. Pacific Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal, but encouraged.

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

Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is a win. A win. A win is a win. Yep, that's me, Cliver 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 And the next we'll talk about life, mental health, purpose, and even music. The Clifford Show isn't just a podcast. It's a space for honest conversations, stories that don't always get told, and for people who are chasing something bigger. So if you've ever supported me or you're just chasing down a dream, this is right where you need to be. Listen to the Clifford show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast.

And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. Do you remember when Diana Ross double-tap Little Kim's boobs at the VMAs? Or when Kanye said that George Bush didn't like black people. I know what you're thinking. What the hell does George Bush got to do with Little Kim? Well, you can find out on the Look Back at it podcast. I'm Sam J. And I'm Alex English.

Each episode, we picket here, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it. Including a recent episode with Mark Lamont Hill, waxing all about crack in the 80s. To be clear, 84 is big to me, not just because, of crack. I'm down to talk about crack on day, but just so 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 Welcome to my new podcast, Learn the Hardway with me, your host, and your favorite therapist, Kear Games. And in recognition of Mental Health Awareness Month, I'm bringing over a decade of my own experience in the mental health field and conversations with so many incredible guests. I'm talking, Tripp Fontaine, Ryan Clark. Sometimes when we're in the pursuit of the thing, we get so wrapped up in the chase that we don't realize that we are in possession of the thing.

And we're still chasing it. And we don't know when we've done enough. Because people scoreboard watch. Life becomes about wins and losses. Steve Burns, Dustin Ross, because you find it important to be a good person while you hear on Earth? Are you a good person because you're afraid? Because that's two different intentions, bro.

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

Search learn the hard way and listen now. You know, Jerry Jones is the one that pushed for the Rams to move from St. Louis, kind of a dying city in America. Corporate headquarters have moved out into Los Angeles. Jerry Jones pushed for the Oakland Raiders who had left before to move to Las Vegas. Jerry Jones has great business instincts. It's nothing against Oakland, but the stadium was antiquated. The A's have tried to leave.

The Warriors just left over to the other side. of town. And in the end, last night felt right. John Gruden in Vegas, Raiders rebel brand in Vegas. The rebels, the running rebels were outlaws. The Raiders are outlaws and every league needs a villain and a rebel and a maverick and the guys that push back. The stadium. Raider colors, reflective to the city of lights. I don't think I've ever seen a first game in a city that felt more right. I wanted to go to Vegas. I wanted to hop on a jet and go to Vegas. I started lighting up cigars and drinking cocktails. It felt perfect. Vegas is lights, action, and juice. And the Raiders offense and Derek Carr slinging it and Gruden talking felt absolutely right. Everything worked. The

Raiders are actually a very good brand. They've been down though for a long time. I said this years ago about the Warriors. The Bay Area was always a great NBA town. It just were bad for 15, 20 years. Like some cities in this country are struggling to keep up. They can't get legislation passed. They can't get a new stadium. They have funding issues. It happens. I lived in a city called Hartford.

It was dying. They couldn't keep their NHL franchise. It's not up to the NHL to help cities get their economies right. But Vegas is sun. It's no state tax. It's entertainment. It's a food and entertainment mecca. And the NFL is number one entertainment ticket on five different

American networks. It's the only TV show in America that's number one on five different networks. Vegas and the Raiders is right. And not all these expansions are. We all know the Chargers felt more like San Diego than Los Angeles. Maybe they always will. There are times we have moved teams. It wouldn't feel right if Philadelphia's Eagles left or if Chicago's Bulls left. But this is the perfect move. This divorce works. This is it. This is it. That stadium looks like the Raiders. That city feels like the Raiders. And by the way, one of the things I like about Las Vegas having an NFL team, because I always fought for this.

I didn't think baseball would work there. I'm surprised hockey's worked there. I never was for NBA. Too many games, not a big corporate headquarter. But the NFL is eight Sundays. And ask yourself, the NFL is a fall and winter league. It gets really cold in most of America by November 15th. If you live in Kansas City, you live in Denver.

You look at the Raiders schedule, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Baltimore, many of the great teams, most of them in this league are in bad weather. Oh, honey, let's go to a road game this year for our local team. Any place better than Vegas? Any place you're going to get better food, better room for the price, and a cheaper flight than Vegas? The answer is no. That was a home run debut. How many of you watch that game, like joy and thought, God, I miss Vegas? That's great for the city.

It's great for the team. It was great for Gruden. I'm watching this locker room stuff last night. That's one of the best debuts I've ever seen. By any team relocating, moving, expansion, that's as good as it gets. 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.

It's a scary time in America tonight for many of you who just can't deal with change, your rigidity has made you feel left out in 2020. Change is hard for you. You don't like change. What you saw in 1980 is the facts, and nothing should ever change from 1988 or what-evs. It's going to be tough tonight, potentially. If LeBron wins, the Lakers are up on Denver 3-0,

they'll win the series, and he'll make it to the NBA finals again. Oh, boy. Michael Jordan, the goat. LeBron, no chance to be number two, even though LeBron still looks like he's near his peak. If LeBron wins tonight, then he'll face Denver one more time and then get a bunch of rest for two young teams, Miami and Boston, who will both be underdogs to LeBron and the Lakers.

And the two best players in the finals will both be LeBron and Anthony Davis, and they'll win. If he wins tonight, it does eliminate one more anti-Lebron argument. And that is, oh, the West. The West is just too much for liberal. I mean, did it over in the East. They're playing picnic tables over there. Nobody in the East.

Oh, wait, he beat Portland in five. He blew through Houston in five. And maybe he beats Denver in four or five. He was the number one seat in the West. He's rolling through the playoffs in the West. He doesn't get the home court advantage as the number one seat in the bubble in the West. He has a brand new coach and roster in the West. And he's blown the hell through it.

Yeah, it wasn't a West thing. It was the he's damn good thing. Everywhere, every league, every team, every roster. Michael Jordan could not win games with a second team. LeBron is about to win a title with his third. LeBron James only had one coach that he could take to the finals. LeBron is about if he wins tonight to get his fifth head coach to the finals, but you keep clinging to 1989. Whatever was happening, that is the best.

one by one we're eliminating the LeBron criticisms. The West is so easy for LeBron to roll through. He doesn't even get home court advantage. Michael got to go home to the stadium.

And the Bulls' crowds were electric. You got Oprah sitting over there and Siskel and Ebert over there and crazy fans and the public address announcer and come on, man. You're going to give it a rest. Guy moved west.

Bow, bow, bow, Bow, Westbrook Harden, boom, Kauai, Paul,

bow, bow, bow, knock all the chest pieces off the table. There's the king. Kings left. Not sure

they're going to win the night, but you're running out of, you're running out of arguments. They blew through Portland, they blew through Houston, and they're blowing through Denver. And I got news for you.

Nothing against Miami or Boston. They're not beaten Anthony Davis and LeBron James. And I'll tell you this. You can say what you want about LeBron. This is leadership. Because every old team in this bubble, the old teams have a bunch of wives and they got kids, the old teams have stunk in the bubble, except LeBron's team.

The old teams, Yonnas, first week is like, I don't like it here. Paul George, I'm struggling. It's hard. You've got habits. Once you get into this league eight, nine, ten years, you've got habits, you got a family, you've got kids, you got your life. 22-year-old kid, it's an AAU tournament. Young guys are great in the bubble. Old guys have struggled except LeBron.

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. Heard hierarchy. Time is now. Let's go. The top 10 NFL teams, according to college. Number 10. Shock to say this.

I was wrong. New England. I'm sorry. You can win a bunch of games that way. Cam Newton. More passing yards and touchdowns than Brady so far. It works. he's got running backs that can catch

Edelman, Nikiel Harry had seven catches, third most passing yards and a game for Cam. Isn't that bizarre? I like it. You know, Belichick's always got defensive players that work. Their secondary is great. But I got to tell you, this thing works, and it's only going to get better. I mean, as long as Cam gets more comfortable,

they had no preseason. Still the best well-coached team in the NFL, and I don't think Brady could have led him to within one play of beating. Now, I do think there's a ceiling here. At some point, you'd like to have somebody that can get open down the field, but this works. That's a top 10 team. Number nine. Saints, I think, will get it kind of together, but this is really troubling.

160 total air yards this year, worst among all quarterbacks. It's very Kirk Cousins. And you say, well, that doesn't matter. And they don't have Michael Thomas. But what matters is, is they faced a Raiders defense that didn't create a sack. So Breeze had nothing but time last night and was still double. dumping it to his running backs. Like I get dumping it to your running backs if you're facing Chris Jones or the Chiefs or you're facing, you know, San Francisco last year. When you have time to throw and you're dumping the running backs, you're not a dangerous offense.

They've also been heavily penalized this year, which they weren't last year, Saints at 9. Number eight. I'll put the Raiders in. They got a ton of offensive weapons. Their tight end group and their wide receiver group and their running back group is fantastic. The offensive line was missing two starters last night, and I still thought got a push. Darren Waller has the second most catches and targets of any player in the NFL this year. They're one of four teams to score 30 plus points in their first two games. I'll give it out to them. I don't know how long it lasts. They're going to New England this weekend, but just in terms of offensive weaponry,

they're fun, they're fast, they're athletic, they're loose. They got a lot of dudes. They got a lot of dudes that can run, and a lot of guys were open last night. and New Orleans is a well-coached defense with good personnel, and there were a lot of raiders that were really open last night. They got players. Number seven. Buffalo, I think, has the best young coach, arguably in the sport, Sean McDermott.

Josh Allen has benefited greatly because of that. Josh Allen's first two career, 300-plus yard games are in the books. The bill's defense top five in yards allowed. Now, it should be noted they face the Jets offense in Miami and Ryan Fitzpatrick. So let's, let's, they got the Rams this week. They got them at home, but the Rams offense has got a lot of weapons, and they may scale back a little bit statistically. But I think Buffalo is doing it right.

I still have to see Josh Allen against good defenses in big games, but I can't deny what I see. Well-coached, real defense, and Josh Allen now can play. Number six. Tampa Bay. Leonard Fernette is going to get better every game. So first of all, what's not being talked about is their defense. Their defense shut down McCaffrey.

It shut down Alvin Kamara. I don't trust their special teams, but as we predicted, their defense would carry the day in September. The defense is allowing the fewish yards per rush of any team since the start of last year. So take last year and this year, this is the best run defense in the NFL, I think Pittsburgh's second. So I'll put Tampa Bay is just going to get better. And I got them at six. Number five. Green Bay.

Now, again, Detroit and Minnesota, Detroit had a lot of secondary injuries, and the Vikings defense lost five starters from the previous year. Some of that's that. But Aaron Jones looks like the best running back in the NFL. Aaron Rogers is playing well. He's not holding the ball. He's taking more shots down field. He's only been sacked once. The hidden gem right now for the Packers is this is Aaron's best offensive line in several years.

He had time to throw, allowed him to throw deep. He's sprinkled around to different wide receivers. They deserve credit. Number four. Rams. Their defense is better than I thought. Second lowest passer rating allowed. Carson Wentz really struggled.

Now, Sean McVeigh teams, this is the third consecutive year starting 2 and O. He brings a lot of new wrinkles, and it takes a while for the league to catch up. But their top five in total offense, they're generating a pretty good pass rush, though not great. I will say this, more misdirection than any offense in the NFL. Both Dallas and Philadelphia were, it was a dizzying display of new looks, motion, multiple sets, variable looks, and Goff, when he's got time and his moving is a very good deliverer of the football. Number three. Kansas City, four of their last five wins have come trailing by 10 points or more.

That's a little troubling. think Mahomes was off and I listen there I'm going to give them a pass because they had Baltimore on the horizon it's the game of the year and so I Baltimore didn't play well and Kansas City didn't play well last week for the talent they have I do think this is a team that has not been great out of the gate they're falling into holes and Mahomes is having to have a little hero ball here but I still believe in the staff the GM the quarterback the offensive line and I think they're a very focused football team. Number two. Seattle. I can't make them number one because they have no pass rush.

And I think in the end, that keeps them from winning a Super Bowl. But I'll tell you what, man, D.K. Metcalf and Russell Wilson, yeah, that works. That works. Now the running backs are healthy. You know, the offensive line is a little better than I give it credit for because they are good at left tackle. And frankly, if you can run the football, like Seattle runs the football, they can't be as bad as pro football-focused things, but they've got no defensive front. In fact, their last in past defense and they're last in total defense. That's not great.

Number one. Baltimore, I think they're easily the best team in the league. I think they're going to beat Kansas City this week. They've allowed the fewest points. They've got the best point differential. Didn't play great and still blew out a team, Houston, that had three extra days to prepare. I think they're the most explosive. I think they're the hardest to face.

I think Lamar keeps getting better. And I don't see a hole. In a salary cap era, everybody's got a hole. They don't. I don't see it. I don't see the weakness with this team. I don't. Baltimore number one.

I want to say that there you go. So the Raiders obviously jump out because I thought they were going to be hooey. They're very good. I will say this. When a team is bad for a long time, it's very easy to be critical of them because we've just seen so much bad. right like you like like it we were all kind of slow to say oh the warriors they made a really good move drafting a guy from davidson none of us watch play in college because they made so many bad moves forever and then all of a sudden step currie is a brilliant move the raiders have been a mess for like 15 years and when i grew up with the raiders they were john madden they were tom flores they were super bowls it was a great franchise they were tough and they were rebels and they were contrarian and they were a great brand and they didn't tuck their shirts in and they sat on their helmets and they were all the the things the league didn't want. John Gruden now not wearing a mask, get in trouble.

But we've been very quick to judge them because they've been so bad for 15 years. Mike Mayok's hired. We're like, he's never been a GM. John Gruden's hired. He's been out of the league for 10 years. The Khalil Mack trade. What are you doing? Let go of Amari Cooper.

Ah, guys, only good guy you got. Richie Incognito. Then they started drafting guys based on character. It looked like reaches. You know, they paid Trent Brown. a fortune and I ripped that. But I look at their offensive line and they were missing two starters last night.

It's good. And Amari Cooper's gone and it doesn't matter. They got a half dozen good receivers and their tight ends are great. And they've drafted well. And all those character guys have worked. It's working. And I'll say this. Derek Carr, who I've always liked more than the collective media fan opinion,

Derek Carr looks good to me. And Gruden can be a barker. more sensitive, but I'm watching Car last night, and he's throwing darts, and he's throwing up the corner, he's throwing up field. I thought he kind of struggled in the first quarter, but you know what? Once Drew Breeze got off script, he didn't give you anything. Once Derek Carr got off script, I thought he was excellent. And I don't know.

I've been very quick to criticize him, but all I know is what I watched, and they're fast, they're long, they're athletic, they can run, they got weapons everywhere, and Gruden talked about his relationship with Derek Carr. There's a lot of people that make a lot of opinions on Derek and Derek's performance and our relationship. But, you know, he had nine different flankers last year, nine. You know, when I was here, I was here for four years, and we had Tim Brown every week for four years, one. You know, we've had, I don't know how many different combinations on the offensive line. Yet, you know, he threw for over 4,000 yards and 70 percent put us in a position to make the playoffs in week 15.

This guy's a great quarterback. and we're surrounded them with better players. They really are. You can't deny that. They looked the part last night. Man, that's Saints defense, a real deal. And Carr was slinging it, and they're tied ends. Darren Waller looks like an NBA player.

He's like 6-7 runs a 4-4. It's like Tristan Thompson out there catching balls with the pads. He's big. I mean, it's like, you can just spot guys and go, okay, he's bigger and faster than everybody. Like, Darren, you can't cover. I mean, Nelson Aguilar fits perfect. That Jacobs kids from Alabama is knocking people over. Like it works.

Hunter Renfrozo was open. They got three tight ends. So I said, until further notice, my two tiers of quarterbacks, the oh my God level and the special level, Drew's out, Derek Carson. And Carson Wentz is on the clock. I thought Derek Carlin good. I don't know what you want. I mean, he was better than Drew Brees for three and a half hours. And I know I had a cigar and there was smoke and maybe I didn't see everything.

But it was obvious. He was livelier. He moved around better. He threw the ball down the field. And what I liked about Carr is Drew Breeze was good on the first 20 plays. Then I get nothing. What are you after the script ends? Derek Carr was not great early.

He was fantastic late. Those were not scripted plays. Derek had ad lib. Derek's audible. He's ad-libbing. He doesn't know what's coming. Like he was really good. It's fun.

Loved it. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays in noon Eastern 9 a.m. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast's Superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year.

Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the I-Hard radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what you're saying. Yep, that's me,

Clifford Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, the reactions, my journey from basketball to college football, or my career in sports media. Well, somewhere along the way, this platform became bigger than I ever imagined. And now I'm bringing all of that excitement

to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfiltered conversations with some of your favorite athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. One week I'll take you behind the scenes of the biggest moments in sports and entertainment

and the next we'll talk about life, mental health, purpose, and even music. The Clifford Show isn't just a podcast, it's a space for honest conversations, stories that don't always get told, and for people who are chasing something bigger. So if you've ever supported me or you're just chasing down a dream, this is right where you need to be. Listen to the Clifford Show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and

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 Jett.

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 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 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, Tript 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. 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, is we have real conversations about healing, growth, fatherhood, pressure, and purpose on my new podcast,

learn the hard way. Open your free. iHeartRadio app search learn the hard way and listen now so jeff perlman writes new york times bestsellers for a living i think i was first introduced to him years ago in america was boys will be boys it was the controversial book because it told the truth about the cowboys there was book about walter peyton barry bonds the anti-hero gunslinger brett farv exhaustive research i mean just like it's scuba diving it is get the gear on and go a million miles deep well the new book is three-ring circus. And what's great about dynasties in sports is they never get old. They just don't.

You can read about dysfunction on dynasties. I just read a Patriots book. And it's like, it's just incredible. I just can't get enough on dynasties. And obviously the Shaq, Kobe, Jerry West, Phil Jackson, a lot of egos, a lot of greatness and Jeff Perlman, three ring circus. The book is now out and he is joining us live. So, you know, it's funny, Jeff, usually dysfunction punctures momentum. And Kobe and Shaq, I mean, different backgrounds, a lot of dysfunction, but they made it work for quite a while. How did they make it work?

I mean, the number one thing is they had two of the five most talented guys on the court at all times. And that's a huge thing. That's a huge thing. I just think they chose to coexist, not lovingly, but they chose to coexist. And I really think what the Lakers did, the most important thing they did, is they always had these role players who doubled as almost like guidance counselors. So whether it was Derek Harper, Rick Fox, J.R. Reed, John Sally, you know, on and on, Ron Harper, there are always guys who are there to kind of sue things over in the locker room, Brian Shaw, guys like that. And it just made a world of difference.

So even though it's funny because Shaq and Kobe occupied their own orbits in that locker room. And the media would go to Shaq and he would say something about Kobe. And then they would go to Kobe. And it was the most passive aggressive nonsense ever, truly ludicrous. But these guys, these veterans were all able to handle it well and sort of work it out. So it was okay. It wasn't that big a deal. And also, Phil Jackson, to his credit, like when Kurt Ramis was the intern coach,

Jack's big complaint was he needs to stop baby and Kobe. He needs to stop baby and Kobe. And Phil Jackson didn't baby Kobe. He kind of let it be. He let these guys run the locker room and it kind of worked. So I remember when Shaq was in college. In fact, I talked to Jerry Tarkaney and I was in Vegas and he said, he told me about Shaq. He said there's a kid down in Louisiana. He's going to change the game. But Kobe was different. He grew up in Italy. He was a high school player. We didn't know much about him. I mean, literally. It wasn't a time when you drafted a guard on a high school. Okay? So, Jerry, it doesn't, you don't think about it as a risk. But Jerry West drafts a high school or makes a trade with Charlotte.

I mean, was there any misgivings? Was he nervous? Was there any doubt for Jerry West with Kobe when he's 18? All right. So it's the best, it's the best thing ever. So it's all John Calipari's fault. It's all John Calabari's far. So John Calipari is a coach in the Nets.

He's a young coach, first year. And they have decided they are going to draft Kobe Bryant with the eighth pick in the 96th draft. It is a lock. That is who we are drafting. And John Nash is a general manager. They're all on board. They brought Kobe in four times. They love him.

Leading up to the draft, they actually meet with Kobe's parents. And they're like, we're going to draft your son. And Joe and Pam Brian are like, that's great. He'll be nearby. Day before the draft, Kobe Bryant calls John Calipari on his own and says, I want to get away from my family. I don't want to play in New Jersey. I don't want you to draft me.

Kobe's agent calls John Calipari and says, yeah, if you guys draft Kobe, he probably won't play this year or he might go to Italy. Calipari's freaking out. He's like, oh, my God, he goes to John National. He's like, I don't know what I'm going to do. What are we going to do? John Ashley, you need to calm down. It's all just a bluff. It's just a bluff.

Kerry Kittles out of Villanova is represented by David Falk. David Falk calls John Calapari and says, Kerry really wants to play with you guys. If you don't draft him, if he's there, I'm never going to have a player go to you again. Calipari is freaking out. He goes into John Ash. John, I don't know what we're going to do.

John Ness is like, Cal, you need to calm down. It's all just a bluff. And behind the scenes, there's this whole mechanism to get Kobe to L.A. Because he already signed a deal with Adidas. They don't want him playing in the swamps in New Jersey. They want him in L.A. Jerry West is friends with Kobe's agent,

aren't telling him. And John Nash is telling Cal, we got to do this. We got to do this. We have to draft him. He's going to change the franchise. It's a damn morning of the draft. John Calipari, who has in his contract, has final personnel say, gathers everyone around, and he says, I've made a decision.

If Kerry Kittles is there at number eight, we're going to take Kerry Kittles. And if he's not there, we're going to take Kobe Bryant. And John Nash just does one of those and puts his hands in his head. Of course, Kerry Kittles is there at number eight. I talked to Kittles. Kittles was like, I played with Kobe in the summer. I would have drafted Kobe too. They end up drafting Kerry Kittles.

Jerry West is doing a freaking dance in his office because he knows the next four picks are not going to be Kobe Bryant. He has his deal worked out with Charlotte. And he ends up trading Vlad A for the rights of Kobe. And he says to Jerry Bus, right after that happens, I just got you the best player in this draft because they had worked out Kobe twice, once against Michael Cooper, once against Dante Jones. And it was the best two workouts Jerry West had ever seen.

How about that? You know, when you do these books, I mean, again, it's scuba gear. You deep dive. There's always a crazy story. You have to find, I mean, I, I, you have hundreds of sources per book. Was there a crazy? Who did you trackdown that was crazy? What was the craziest story in the book?

I mean, my favorite trackdown. I love the trackdowns. And J.R. Rider, you know, he was a Laker for one year. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. writer was a late for one year. Former slam dunk champ. So J.R. Rider, who I love, I actually really love, he twice in his career, when writers wrote something that he did not like, actually said to them,

I know where your family lives. Like, that was his threat to them. I know where your family lives. All I had was an address for J.R. Rider. I did not have a phone number. And I was going to be in Arizona. So I decided I'm going to drive to J.R. R. Riders house. And I drive out there. I get there like 9.30, which is a little early, but that's okay. I knock on the door. A kid answers. I have my US Vell book with me. I'm like, hey, it's J.R. Rider here? He's like, hold on. A woman comes the door.

I'm like, hey, my name's Jeff Perilman. I'm a writer. I'm a writer here. She goes, hold on. They close the door. I hear her and a guy, adult male, yelling at each other. And then the door opens, and there's J.R. Rider. And he goes, who are you?

And I'm like, hey, my name is Jeff Perlman, and I'm a writer, and I'm doing a book about the... Bro. Bro. Are you effing kidding? me, bro, you just knock on my, bro, you just knock on my door. Are you kidding me? He opens the door and comes out and he's like this far away from me. And he's like, bro, that is not cool. And I'm convinced at this moment I'm about to get punched by J.R. Rider. And he goes, what's that book you have? And I'm like, oh, it's a book I did about the USFL. Is that the, it's a Trump? It's a Trump?

I'm like, yeah, Trump owner team. What do you, uh, so what are you, what are you working on? I'm like, well, I'm doing a book about the Lakers during the Shaq Kobe years. all right, man, I'll talk to you. I'll talk to you. Ansor giving me two hours, Jayr Rider. And he was awesome. And I just want to say, the best story ever is JR Ryder is playing for the Lakers. And they're on the road, and he oversleeps.

And he asked the front desk clerk to write him a note to give to Phil Jackson, explaining that he did not get a wake-up call. So literally, J.R. Ryder arrives at practice and gives Phil Jackson a note, like a student late for class, that says, dear coach Jackson, we are sorry on behalf of whatever hotel was the Hyatt, we regret that we were unable to provide JR Rider with the requisite wake-up call. It is our fault.

And he gives it to Phil Jackson as his excuse for not being practiced on time. These are the kind of stories you get. It's a great book. It's called Three Rings Circus with Jeff Perlman. You know, it's when you read the book, Shaq and Magic Johnson has this quality too. Magic likes you to ask for help.

Like magic's offended. if you moved to L.A. and don't ask him for help. And I think Shaq wanted to be a little bit of a father figure for Kobe, right? Like not only the physical stature he was so big, but he went to college. But it didn't work that way. And tell the audience why, because I think Shaq wanted that and would have been comfortable with that, but it didn't work that way. I, you know, I talked to a guy named Mike Penberthie.

Do you remember Mike Penberthew? Yes, I know. Yes, I do. He played with the Lakers for a spell for a year, and he went to Masters College. And he told me when he first got to the Lakers, he had a, he made the team, and he didn't have a suit. He only had a jacket. He bought a Nordstrom off the rack. And Shaq sees him wearing this jacket.

And he says, Mike, do you own any suits? And Pemberth, he's like, I don't. Jack's like, tomorrow, meet me here. And he brings his personal suitmaker, his outfitter, and he pays for six of Mike Pemberthy suits. Wow. When Shaq was teammates with Mark Madsen, he would go around and ask women if they were Mormon and if they were single so he could introduce them to Mark Madsen, who was Mormon and single. Like he would fly people in the parents of teammates in to see their kids' first game in the NBA.

He would pay for the funerals of teammates' parents. He was – Penberth, he said to me. He's the best teammate who ever existed, just the best teammate who ever existed. And that's what he wanted to be, to his credit. He just wanted to be that. And Kobe comes along. And Kobe's first introduction to the Lakers is first training camp in Hawaii, Dale Harris as a coach, all the players gather around.

And they introduce each other. So it's like, hey, I'm Nick Van Exo. I'm Eddie Jones. I'm Kobe Bryant. I played a lower Marion last year. And nobody here is going to punk me. Like that was his introduction to Lakers. Nobody here is going to punk me.

He's 18 years old. And Kobe just, just wants him to say, can we go out to dinner? Can you help me with this? I don't understand this. And it just wasn't who he was. And Csac kind of had this thing in his head. I'm Batman. Kobe's going to be Robin. I'm big brother. He's going to be a little brother. But it just wasn't who Kobe Bryant was. And you're right. You are 100% right. The magic Shaq comparison is a really good one. He just wanted you to ask and he just wanted to be loved. And Kobe was not someone who did that. By the way, Jeff adds a prologue to the book. The book had been written when Kobe passed. So he

adds some texture and context to that as well. It's in the book. The book is called Three Ring Circus. What I love about this stuff, there's a shot of the book. You know, it's interesting now that LeBron's in town. The Lakers are a fascinating legacy. You've had, there was kind of the flaky wilt into the sort of academic prickly Kareem, into everybody loves magic, into bigger-than-life, shableness. and then there was, there's magic. And then there's kind of the aloof prodigy, Kobe. And now it's LeBron.

And I know, you know, you're not writing a book with LeBron in mind, but I love your take on this, is that what's fascinating about the Lakers dynasty is all these superstars have been unique. They're all just, I mean, there is a magic shack thing that's kind of similar. But you're kind of feeling on how the Laker, if the Lakers won the title, Jeff, how Kobe and Magic were so deeply embedded

into the lore of the franchise. You know, here comes LeBron moving into town. He's already won titles. If he wins, what does it mean for the Lakers? How much of a Laker is LeBron, in your opinion? It's so funny. I have a 20-year-old nephew named Jordan,

and he's always like, LeBron is the greatest Laker ever, right? He's like, no, what are you talking about? You know, no. I feel like in history, we're always going to think of LeBron first and foremost for Cleveland. Yes. I just think it's a guarantee, and that's what it is. And I feel like that's the big difference here is that when you think of Kobe, he's a Laker,

when you think of Magic, he's a Laker. Even Shaq with the four years in Orlando, he's a Laker. Will Chamberlun who played in Philly, a Laker, Jerry West, a Laker. And I do think the big difference here is his legacy will be great, who brought the Lakers a title. It's wonderful. I just don't think he goes down. in the same way because I don't think he will be thought of as a Laker, a career Laker.

And I think here in L.A., that really means something, not just that you played here, but that you, like Kobe, when he died, I'm a native New Yorker. I've lived here for six years. The thing that just did it for me and shocked me is how much people felt that death. And they felt like he was, it wasn't just a star dying. It was an icon dying. He was a part of L.A. dying. Yes.

And I'm not sure if LeBron has that. Yeah. You know what I mean? No, I don't, yeah, no, I think you're totally right. When Kobe passed away as somebody that lives in Los Angeles, I was in an airport. I just landed. I literally was sick to my stomach. I went to the back of a restaurant.

It was very emotional. Like, I felt like Los Angeles lost something. He was so Los Angeles. It's very much, it feels Troy Aikman, Dallas. Like, I, just Aikman, he sounds like he's from Dallas. He looks like he's from Dallas. He is Dallas. And I'm with you.

I think LeBron is remarkable, but the depth of that relationship with fans. Speaking of depth, the book is called Three Ring Circus. There's dozens of stories. Jeff writes a book every couple years. We bring him on. Strongly recommend it. And boy, I'll tell you, it's a dynasty with egos and stories and conflict, and you get all of it there. Jeff, it's great talking to you. I haven't seen you in a while. Keep safe for you and your fam, your kids and your wife, and continued success. Another podcast from some SNL late-night comedy guy, not quite on Humor Me with Robert Smygel 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 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 a podcast. From 1979, there was a big moment from me. 84 is big to me I'm Sam Jay

And I'm Alex English Each episode We pick a year unpack what went down And try to make sense of how we survived it With our friends Fellow comedians

And favorite authors Like Mark Lamont Hill On the 80s It was a wild year 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 A win is a win A win I don't care where you'll say Yep, that's me, Cliford 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, 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, or wherever you get your podcast.

And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at Tickford. Podcast Network on TikTok.