The Herd with Colin Cowherd - Colin Cowherd Podcast - Nick Wright on Bill Belichick Coaching UNC, NBA Needs Two MAJOR Changes, “Noisy” Wide Receivers

Episode Date: December 12, 2024

Colin’s joined by Nick Wright, host of “First Things First” on FS1! They begin with the HUGE breaking news that Bill Belichick has signed a three year contract to coach football at the University of North Carolina and they express reservations with how this could affect his legacy and try to parse the reasons why he made the decision (4:00). They compare Belichick’s resume to Andy Reid’s to judge who will be considered greater in the long run (17:00). They discuss the backlash from baseball purists towards MLB’s proposed “golden at-bat” rule when the sport has continually evolved over the years (30:00), and why “load management” and the over reliance on three pointers are going to hurt the popularity of the NBA if the league doesn’t make changes (37:00). They debate whether the emerging trend of “have’s and have not’s” in MLB is a problem (42:30), and whether college football needs to make changes to NIL and the transfer portal to avoid the same issue (54:00). They talk about “noisy” star NFL wide receivers like Deebo Samuel and A.J. Brown, why the pendulum is swinging back towards the importance of star running backs and why huge contracts for receivers are headed for a correction (1:01:00). Colin laments three rules NFL players don’t seem to know, why it drives him crazy and they debate whether the coach or player is at fault when mistakes happen (1:12:00). Finally, they discuss why parenting and coaching have shared qualities that lead to success and why despite at the height of his success Michael Jordan wasn’t happy (1:23:00).  Follow Colin and The Volume on Twitter for the latest content and updates!  #Volume #HerdSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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this is a paid advertisement all right i don't get him maybe every six weeks love to have him more Nick Wright, my buddy at FS1, we should say this. This just broke before we did this 20 minutes before Bill Belichick. Three years, $30 million will now coach North Carolina. I've said before he won 44% of his games in the NFL on two different teams, franchises without Tom Brady. I mean, you know, four or five in Cleveland losing records, first year, Bledso losing record. Last two years, no Brady losing record. And I think the game culturally

has changed. Players have more power. It's more of an offensive league. I don't see him being a huge hit in North Carolina. The advantage, it's a terrible conference. It's just, it's really bad. So if there's a, now, if he went to the big ten or the SEC, I think he'd get crushed. Do you think he has any success at Carolina? So, well, I mean, listen, you obviously know the college game better than I do. and but I had a similar instinct, which is, the question is, can you win the ACC or hell, you know, can you come, just make the ACC championship game? Like, the ACC got two teams in the playoff this year, right? Clemson and SMU.

So, like, there's more than one, there's more than one path. My instant reaction was not really about how good he's going to be at North Carolina. It's about how shocking this is. And this is, like, to me at least, this is shocking. Colin, 11 months ago, you and I on TV and on the pod talked about should the following playoff teams, double-digit win teams, fire their head coach to bring in Bill Belichick, the Dallas Cowboys, the Philadelphia Eagles, the Buffalo Bills, it was a if they collapse type of thing when it looked like the season was going to go wrong.

That was 11 months ago. for it to be us to narratively be there and now be, because I think he's, yes, he's taking this because legacy and his son and I get that. But I also think he got the message, buddy, you're probably going to be shut out of the NFL coaching search again.

Yeah. I assumed last year there would be a fight for Bill Belichick. Instead, he got one interview in Atlanta and they passed on him for a different defensive head coach. And so... Who had been fired. That to me is...

Who had been fired, right. That to me is shocking. And, you know, you, I don't want to say enjoy conspiracy theories because that's not it, but you enjoy kind of, as I do, like, why, thinking about why did this happen, what could be going on behind the scenes. I do wonder how much poison was put in the ear of other NFL owners by Robert Kraft. Yeah. Because for Belichick to truly believe no one is going to hire me, that to me is, that is shocking.

Like truly, truly shocking to where he preemptively takes this North Carolina job. Yeah, I think the message for me in this, Belichick reminds me of Bobby Knight. is that Bobby Knight was viewed in his prime as the best coach. He at times could be gruff, you know, mean-spirited. In the end, could not grasp the new culture, Bobby Knight, the one and done. You know, Belichick player empowerment rule changes, which Andy Reid has seamlessly bounced through like multiple different cultural changes in the NFL. And then at the end, basically Bobby Knight was just trying to get his son a head coaching job, and nobody would offer this former genius a job, no legitimate school would.

And that's Belichick, is that now he's been reduced to, now it's three years and $30 million, like Bobby Knight. Basically, he's taking this job to set his son up for a job and can't get any legitimate offers. And I think it, here's the parallel, is that Bobby was all about. retaining power. And that was really at the heart of Bobby Knight's strength, his virtue, and his hindrance late, is that nobody wanted to hire Bobby because you had to basically give total control to him. And that's Bill's problem. His personnel decisions are horrible. Now, he's had a couple of defensive defensive pro-bow level player, probably since Gronk. But it's the unwillingness of older successful men

to relinquish any power, the need for control. So let me, so I do at some point, because you're interested in this like I am, want to discuss how we think Belichick versus Andy is going to play out over the next three, five, 10 years.

But before we go to that, one of the things that I like doing when I'm on with you is kind of, you know, I don't want to say strange, from sports, but we go a lot of places. Does that worry you for you? And by that I mean, because I think about it, which is like, man, so many legends across

so many industries, the ending sucks. Yeah. Like, I thought it was kind of unfair, and I vocally defended him. on the show, but I think about broadcasting that there was in, you know, in October, you know, there was a reigning chorus on social media of, you know, who sucks? Al Michaels and Bob Costas. Yeah. What are those guys doing?

And I'm like, you got to be kidding me. Yeah. These are like the legends of the industry. But Al was getting bad games and people didn't like the way Bob called baseball games, even though that's the way he called baseball games forever. And I'm like, well, that's, that's a. not a great ending. You brought up Bobby Knight. I, you know, most people don't get or don't execute Johnny Carson. And so when you see so many of these guys not figuring out an exit, like what is,

I'm not talking like you're not close to the end of your career, but, but you know what I mean? Like it's it bounces around in my head. Like, why does nobody be, why are people not okay leaving? Like, he's accomplished. everything. He's got all the money. He seems to be happy socially. Like, I don't, I don't get it. And it's concerning. Well, what did Johnny Carson have who had a great exit that the others didn't? Johnny Carson Productions. That's why I created the volume. I will manage and be an executive, not a broadcaster. Run your own company. Yeah. So I enjoy doing that. So I created the volume largely. So when networks are not interested, I will move into a management.

position and I love that in a production position. That's what I like to do. So why do you, but so why do you think? Well, I think it was not on the board for Bill to be like, when I'm done with the Patriots, I'm just done. Like, I have six Super Bowls. I made, I've made 20 plus million for the last, however many years. Like, I'm 70 years old.

I evidently want to date incredibly young women and travel. Like, why is, what? That's fascinating to me, like why you wouldn't just call it. Yeah, he probably doesn't have a ton of hobbies, although he does have a boat and he golfs, so he has enough. It's a good question. If Tom Brady would have left for Tampa and failed, I think he would have been more comfortable just saying it's over.

We were great for each other, and we were never quite the same without each other. But Brady jettisons the Patriots, wins a Super Bowl first year with Tampa. And then almost wins an MVP and is awesome. And is better than he was his last couple years in New England. Yes. So I think that put that, and I don't think Bill would acknowledge that, but they are linked forever. Yeah, Montana and Bill Walsh are linked forever.

And Bird and Magic on different teams are linked forever. And so I think when Tom left and succeeded, it puts, it raises doubt about a guy that had five years in Cleveland, four of them losing, lost in his first year with Drew Bledsoe starting, and lost two years in a row, and kind of, I mean, Matt Patricia to offensive coordinator, it was a bit of a tone-deaf clown show. And so I think there's, I think that's part of it.

I think we tend to, and this is incredibly unhealthy, we tend to compare ourselves to others. And I think it's just my journey is much more Johnny Carson. His production company, and oh, I've told you this before, my idol is Oprah. It's not a sportscaster, right? So her production company and Carson's production company is much more attractive to me as an ending than it is broadcasting when I'm 74. So, yeah, I just, I, there's so many of, and you see it, I mean, you're seeing it, I feel like right now with, Aaron Rogers.

Yeah. In a different way. And you see it with athletes more and it feels different, I guess, because we're more used to it. And it's just like, oh, okay, it's a young man's game. You're not a young man. But it just, I don't know if it's the fame, attention, money being all kind of addictive, but it is, Bill Belichick is probably going to be coaching in the fucking Pop-Tarts bowl next year.

And that's, that's, that's, that's unbelievable. Like, that's really unbelievable when this time last year, I was discussing should the Eagles preemptively fire Nick Siriani to hire Bill Belichick? Should the bills fire Sean McDermott just to be the first to market for Bill Belichick? And I, I don't know, man. Like, now, listen, somebody will dig this clip up in 30 years when I'm, you know, when I'm doing Fortnite play-by-play on Twitch because nobody else will give me a job. They'll be like, time comes for us all. But it is, it's stunning.

It's really stunning. And I just, when I first saw the report a week ago, and shout out to insidecarolina.com, Yeah. Which beat everyone on this story by days every time. But when I first saw it, I was like, oh, so inside Carolina.com is just as wrong as they can be and don't care. Yeah. And then it's like, wait, they're meeting in Manhattan for five hours. Wait, he made a 400-page organizational Bible.

Like, oh, this is going to happen. And now what's happening, which does bring me. So the Andy Reid thing, I don't think. people realize how close it is. The Shula record. So Andy's at 296, Shula's at 347, Belichick's at 333.

So Andy is 51 wins away. He has prior to this year, he had coached Mahomes for six years. They had 90 wins, regular season and playoffs those six years. That's exactly 15 a year. So if Andy coaches,

you know, for three more years, he should be right there. And if he coached, coaches for four, he'll have it. He's five playoff wins behind Bill. He'll get that in the next, I would imagine, three years as well. Which is really remarkable when you consider, you, you'd think it would be 30 behind. It's remarkable.

It's, and so that's, so he's going to, unless he retires, and he just signed a new five-year, $100 million deal, he's going to catch him in playoff wins and in regular season wins, let's just say he doesn't catch him in Super Bowls. Let's be conservative and say the Chiefs only win two of the next four. And then he's done and he retires with five. Man, I think what's more compelling the one more Super Bowl and that Belichick was three and O against Andy in the playoffs, which counts including a Super Bowl, or that Andy won divisions with four different quarterbacks at double-digit-win seasons with four different quarterbacks, made a Super Bowl with a good but not great quarterback.

And Belichick won, as you put it, 45% of his games across a decade of coaching. Plus, when he didn't have, you know, they both had the two greatest quarterbacks ever, one two, two, one. I think history is going to look more. fondly upon Andy. And you've been saying this for a year. I've been saying if the CTE lawsuit had happened 10 years earlier, Andy Reed would have a couple more Super Bowls and would be viewed as the best coach. Because things that were not only allowed, but were promoted during many of Belichick's years,

vicious headhunting hits. They were promoted. Jacked up. Coming up Sunday. Jacked up. Yeah. Outlawed. The minute the game.

was the vicious violent hits were outlawed, which they should have been, if you look at medical concerns 25 years earlier, that Belichick would have one or two or three, and that Andy would have six or seven or eight. I really believe that. So I think what it comes down to is a timing. Jeff Bezos would have been really successful, but the internet and the retail giant allows him to be beyond the greatest bookstore owner ever. He is the greatest global retailer ever. So I think the timing is a big part of life. And I think Belichick is the beneficiary of a league which allowed basically the rules favor.

Because years ago, 30, 40, 50 years ago, what we considered great football was running back and pounding hits and vicious tackles. And then you realized over time, wow, this is a bad look. We're losing lawsuits. What people really love is great quarterback play and offensive efficiency. And that's what drives the ratings. And so there's far more on television today. And the audience and the platforms are broader, yet the ratings are greater than ever.

How is that possible? Because the game is more aesthetically pleasing than 30 years ago. If you watch an old NFL game, it's kind of boring. I mean, it's like four sets, seven plays. So as we have more options, it's one of the only sports where the ratings have skyrocketed over 25 years. And so the game now is it's purest and most aesthetically perfect. And Andy dominates the league. In fact, he not only dominates the league, but he often embarrasses the league.

I think the only other coach in the league that has the ability to quickly make things great, Sean Payton. Now, Shanahan's great, but he gets very tied to his play sheet. He can struggle late in games. What Sean Payton doing in Denver is, whoa, what is happening here in that division, like with a thin roster that was picked to win five games. And remember, he went to the Saints. They were the Ains. They were worse than the Jets. And first year, I think they got to the NFC championship.

So, I mean, Sean Payton and Andy, the difference is one has Mahomes, one has Breeze, both great, one transformational, the best talent all time. But both great. So I think I do consider, you know, it's like saying Picasso or Monet, if Art only appreciated one for one time and another for another era. But I do think Andy's, I think when I look at Andy and contextualize both, I'm like his ability to win more ways with more unique teams and coaches. Belichick, by the way, almost always went back to the same coaches. He had a system and it worked with one quarterback. Well, twofold. One is, and again, I don't know how much people weigh what was your coaching tree in their success.

That's right. But Andy's coaching tree is, like, that to me is like when we talk about great coaches historically, and it's like, well, how much do you weigh that Mike Shanahan ultimately, like, his coaching tree is Kyle's, which is McVease, which is the whole league? You know what I mean? Like, that's got a way in his greatness. And so that part of Andy's thing where Bill, obviously, the guy who had the most success of his coaching tree is our friend Eric.

And other than that, it's a lot of like really damn like the people say Bill O'Brien, but Bill O'Brien wasn't really his coaching tree as much. Or he went to college first. I guess he was. Who's the person? Oh, Vrabel. Bill O'Brien is his coaching tree. Vrabel people assigned to him, but Vrable never coached.

for him. Variable played for him, went to Ohio State and it's now, you know, coach there. But the other point that I wanted to make was Andy did seem, or does seem, to guarantee you a floor that's like eight wins. Yeah, yeah. And Bill, we've seen on the front end, in the middle with blood so, and on the back end, did not. Like, now I do, I think he's the greatest defensive of mind ever. And I'm not trying to like shit talk a guy who's, you know, clearly right now is the greatest coaching resume ever. But when I do wonder, and there's a last thing I'll say on it, would he have held out hope I'm going to get an NFL job if he was more convinced. If I get Shula's record, I'm keeping it. Or did that not become as important when he's like, hold on a minute?

Yeah. So if I pass Shula in 2026th and then Andy laps me in 27, what is it? Yeah. What, you know what I mean? I, why does that really matter as much? He wasn't getting great offers like Harbaugh got a Bosa, a left tackle, and Herbert, and a non-meddling owner. That's a good job. Bill wasn't getting those offers.

If Philadelphia was offered, I think he'd stay for six years because Howie Roseman, Jeffrey Lurie, a great roster. but when you're getting bad offers, then he can look at it and go, so I'll be a loser in Cleveland. I'll be a loser in blank. And I only want with Brady. Right. Right. But think about this. What if here's, I'll cap it with this.

Let's say Belichick and Andy Reid are music producers. One creates the greatest band ever. But in two or three other bands, he bombs. Andy Reid has a great band, but several other memorable, quality bands as a producer, and you'd go, well, maybe the reason the one guy had the greatest band, he had the greatest lead singer, but this guy created multiple bands that are all-time memorable musical acts. And no, and no flops. No flops matters to me. Like, I talked with Wilds about this today, and Wilde's got angry with him. Wild's like, nobody cares about how many losing seasons

the guy had. I'm like, well, okay, maybe. I was like, but They both coach for an insane length of period of time. Andy has three losing seasons and Bill has eight. That is, that's not nothing. It's not everything, but it's not nothing. It's something there. Well, it's the most wonderful time of the year for getting in all the basketball, football, hockey action at Draft King Sportsbook.

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We invented a podcast? Well, we didn't invent it. We just contributed to it. We're the first people to do podcasts. Pretty, yeah, pretty wide range of podcasts. We're starting a trend. But this one's extra special. So how do we actually come up with a name, Hey Jonas, guys?

I honestly don't remember. I think it was on a call about what we should call it. And, well, we were thinking I'm originally calling it one of the early names of our band before Jonas Brothers. This is how you guys remember it going down? Yes. I have a very different memory of this. We were talking about a thing, a bit for the podcast, where people could call in and say, hey, Jonas. And then I wrote down on my little notepad, Hey Jonas, and offered it up as a potential title for the podcast.

But thanks for remembering that, guys. Listen to Hey Jonas on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Just listen. We don't care where you hear it. Another podcast from some SNL late night comedy guy. Not quite. Unhumor me with Robert Smygle 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 podcasts. Last night, a blown call changed a game. This morning, the internet lost its mind. Highlights are trending, opinions are flying, and nobody's telling you exactly what happened. That's where Sports Slice comes in. I'm Timbo. Every episode, we're cutting through the noise, breaking down the plays, the controversies, and the stories behind the headlines. We go straight to the source, the athlete themselves, their locker room stories, their reactions, the stuff nobody gets to hear. The laughs, the drama, the triumphs,

the moments that never make the highlight real. From viral moments to historic games, from buzzer beaters to controversial calls, we break it down, give you context and ask the questions everybody wants answered. SportsSlice brings you closer to the action with stories told by the people who live them.

Listen to SportsSlice on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more, follow Timbo Slices Life 12 and the TikTok podcast network on TikTok. The French Open is one of the toughest tests in tennis. And I know firsthand. because I competed there myself. I'm Renee Stubbs, and on the Renee Stubbs tennis podcast,

I'm breaking down everything happening at Roland Garris, every match, every upset, and what it really takes to win on Clay. Jenchian win. I mean, she went down in three to Rabakina, but I'm delighted. She's an outsider to win the French for me. And she likes Clay. Listen, Lena Rubakina is arguably the best player in the world right now, and I actually can win on any surface.

Because if she's serving, well, good luck. Consider this your court-side seat to the French Open. Listen to the Renee Stubbs Tennis podcast on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Presented by Capital One, founding partner of IHeart Women's Sports. 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. So let me throw this at you. This is not a baseball topic.

We don't talk a lot about it, but it's fascinating to me. So I'm agnostic on many things. I'm kind of an agnostic personality, from religion to almost anything. I tend to be just sort of, I weigh information and I pick the side I like. I don't have a lot of purity in me, right? Like I don't have a lot of loyalty outside of my wife and my children and friends. But so baseball comes out with this golden bat concept where basically you could, Bryce Harper gets an extrat bat every game or an errand judge.

You don't have to use it, but you can in a critical situation. And purists are bothered by this. And I'm fascinated by what purists are holding on. to. And I've heard baseball people say, oh, I'll never watch another baseball game. As if Sandy Kofax's historic run is diluted by a new golden bat at bat concept in 2024. It's almost like saying it's not perfectly analogous, but gay marriage ruins the sanctity of previous marriage. Well, if you had a great marriage for 40 years, what does it have to? But also, I will also say anybody that like we've all come to terms with the guy that most people feel like probably

correctly is the greatest baseball player ever played at a time when a lot of the greatest baseball players ever were not allowed to be in the league because they were black or Hispanic and it's just like hey we know that's part of the record book that's right we know like there's people have an ability nobody with a brain looks back and it's like hey I check Terry Bradshaw's stats, dude sucks. Look, it's like, no, it's like, I know that's what the record, but like those what the numbers are, but we all understand intuitively, oh, that was a different era. So if we were to have a golden at bad era, and it's like, holy shit, a lot of three home run games out of nowhere. It's like, oh, yeah, because they change the rules. People are smarter than,

like, we give them credit for. But that's what I'm asking. We had the cattle steroid era. So all the records are power records are meaningless, and nobody really knows who took it. I mean, seriously, it's like trying to figure out which rich people cheated on their taxes. How about we start with all of them, right? Like, who knows? So my take is, what are purists holding onto? Are these 48-year-old men who still collect baseball cards? Like, the idea, so the sport makes two changes, both crush, defensive shift eliminated, and a pitch clock. Okay, so all of a sudden the defensive shift, more base hits. Well, that's messing with the previous six, eight years.

Right. And the thing closest to the golden bat is the ghost runner. Ghost runner thing, which, you know, made baseball cooler for the regular season. You don't want to put it in the playoffs. That's fine. So what are purists holding onto that are outraged by a new concept? I don't understand purists. I mean, I understand them.

I don't agree with them because ultimately, one of my fundamental beliefs that bothers, I think, purists, but it's not even a belief, it's just a fact. Sports are simply entertainment products. That's right. That's all it is. We are part of the entertainment industry. We are in, we are fighting for attention.

and relevance in sports. And there is nothing inherently more valuable, moral, ethical, important to American professional football than American ultimate Frisbee. But one is the most valuable television property in the world, and the other is something the best in the world at almost assuredly needs a real job because it doesn't. pay the bills. So why is that? Because people like watching one and don't care about the other. That's exclusively why. There is no other reason. And the idea that you have a birthright to people's attention, go ask horse racing. Go ask boxing. You don't. And so all of these,

so here's the real reason I love the golden and a bad idea. I like baseball. I love. I love basketball and I'm worried about basketball. I am legitimately worried about the NBA. Same. Because they have two massive issues that everyone knows is a problem and I don't know that they have the stomach to address them for the change that's neat. Yeah. One is one that's been talked about a ton historically, which is the load management, superstars not playing, whatever it is. I will give a quick anecdote on why that's my thoughts on that. Then I'll get to the real thing. I was in L.A. for 72 hours over Thanksgiving because our son lives there and he couldn't, we brought Thanksgiving to him essentially. That Friday night,

Lakers Thunder. And I'm like, you know what? My wife's grandparents are with us. They're 91 and 93. They love love LeBron. had never seen him play. And I'm like, you know, what's the point of making money if you don't spend it on stuff like this? So I bought six tickets, not court side, but first row behind court side. Not cheap, right? But what I was like, it's a, I bought him at noon with full confidence.

Well, LeBron's going to play because LeBron plays. You know what I mean? Like LeBron, did he get hurt last night? Then he's playing. Like, even though he's the. oldest guy in the league. And if it were any other superstar, I would have, when my wife mentioned to me, should we do it, I would have said yes, but let's wait until like five o'clock to find out. That's terrible for the business. The other thing that is getting a lot of attention is the

NBA's at its core, the NBA's popularity is based on, is that dude flying? Holy shit. Like did not here's another 35 footer. And strategically, just like the shift, strategically was smart, but from a television product, it was a disaster. Everybody looks the same. Every game, every game looks the same. There's no different styles. There's no anything.

And we're minimizing athleticism. John Morant goes on the record. It's like, I'm done dunking. Anthony Edwards taking 13-3s a game. It's awful. Clearly a disaster. Yes. A disaster.

And so when I say massive changes, what I mean is have a real conversation about, hey, dunks are also worth three now. Or this. I don't care what it does. Or this. Two suggestions. One, and I said this seven years ago on the air and had a graphic, take out the corner three. It's impossible to defend.

Yes. Okay. That agree. That should be done tomorrow. Yeah. So it goes right into the bench. You put it. You move it out about six inches.

It's a real arc. Yep. Make it a real arc. Yep. Yes. And so that's just much easier to defend. You can be on players. Or this would be my, this is something I, I've thought about as well.

And I don't know. I think you could do this is that you get 15 a game. That's what I said. Yeah. Yes. Exactly right. Whatever the number is. That's the other thing I was.

Yeah. 15 a game. I don't know. Forty five points, which is 40 points of your offense. 40% of your offense. Yeah. And by the way. you can still shoot them after that,

but they're worth two. There's Kurt Goldsbury had the idea years ago that I thought was fascinating, which was, you know how baseball stadiums? Everyone picks their own dimensions.

You got a green monster. You got the short porch of Yankee Stadium. Royal Stadium is cavernous. Kurt Goldsbury says, each year every team draws their three point line. Like, no, and

the I, and I know that sounds ridiculous. But his point was, some teams will be like, we don't have one. But that's not who we are. We're building a old school, beat you up. You know what I mean?

Big, big man style. The, um, the Blazers, when they had prime dame Lillard might have been like, ours is from 37 feet out. Yeah. Because we have the one guy who can, And if that were the case, you would know, man, I better be able to play a bunch of different ways, score a bunch of different ways because shit, tonight we're in Oklahoma City and there's no threes. Yeah.

Whatever. So I don't know the exact right answer. What I know is this. If the NBA does not make a massive change, it hurts. It is in huge trouble. Yes. because they have still, they're still

suckling off the teat of LeBron's Steph KD. Your most popular players and John Morant and Aunt Edwards do not dunk. The, one of the, I mean,

the Jordan logo, if you really think of even Dr. Jay's highlights today, Connie Hawkins when I was a kid, they're all relevant. Of course, what are we doing? And the, here was another question that,

Oh, let me throw this at you. I said this about the NFL. I said, can you imagine if the NFL only allowed the tush push and bombs? There's no intermediates, no bubble screens. It's just power running or bombs. That's the NBA. It's not as appealing. And by the way, the NFL one year into the tush push was like, we're looking into banning this.

And it wasn't because of safety. It was because that's terrible TV. that's bad for our product. It's not exciting. It's ugly. And ultimately, we're a TV show. And so I don't know the answer. But I do know that continuing down this path is disastrous.

So I would love it if baseball did something drastic. Because then I think there is, the NBA would look at itself hopefully and be like, well, the NFL every year is like, hey, rule change, figure it out, hip drop tackle. I'd never heard that term three years ago. Last year, it was the most dangerous things ever happened in the sport. This year, it's gone. Like, defenseless receiver, hit the quarterback low. Tom Brady, Tom Brady blows out his knee.

They're like massive rule change. You now no longer hit the quarterback low. Doesn't matter. Aaron Rogers breaks his collarbone. They're like, hey, you can't fall on quarterbacks now either. Don't care if you don't like it. Baseball's making changes. The NBA is just like, can we interest you in a new All-Star game format?

It's like, bro, that's not the issue here. And here's one other NBA question. I didn't, I forgot who first posed this, but ever since I read it, I'm like, oh, that's interesting. Is there a single NBA player under 30 that is more famous than K. Caitlin Clark. No, no. No, there's not. There's not.

That's a problem. That's a problem. Well, are the, okay, so this is something I said. That's a problem. So baseball, I believe, I've said this on the air, I talked more baseball last year than I ever have. And I believe baseball is going to have, let me lay this out, is going to have a renaissance. I totally agree with this take, by the way. Okay.

I totally agree. Number one, because the regional sports networks died, the bottom of the sport is now AAA baseball. And they cannot afford even, even good players they can barely afford. So it's getting very top heavy. It's getting very top heavy. That's great. Remember, networks don't care. They only televise seven teams and a 30% of the revenue comes from networks. And you say, oh, it hurts attendance. But remember, when you bring in all-star teams, did you see how Otani Betts and Freeman drove road attendance? So now you're going to have Lindorren Soto, driving road attendance, Machado Tatis in San Diego, Judge and Stanton.

So you get a series of five or six super teams. Well, when the Yankees had Jeter and A-Raw, they led the league every year in road attendance and their own. So my take is the sports getting insanely, the gap now, it's like the inequity of wealth in America. It's just widening and widening. So that's not a terrible thing. Because what's happening now is the only cities that can afford the big stars,

New York, L.A., Philly, and the richest of owners. The San Diego Group has been able to monetize some retail outlets, the stadium. And so what's happening is, yes, it'll be dominated by six teams. TV networks don't care. They're almost overwhelmingly either the richest owners or the bigger cities. So I'm looking at the Dodgers and I'm like, do I really want the Joe Evato model or the Joe Mower, where you go to Seattle and they can't afford anybody beyond Robin. and Canoe. It's a bad product. So at least the stars now are joining other stars. And people forget this. You know, when Jordan dominated the NBA, there were no other great teams. There were teams

that could tackle them for several years. But when the Celtics and the Pistons aged, it was a bunch of Portland's, Utah's. They were just going through Reggie Miller and Rick Smith. There was one great team. But that team was so enlightening and so it was such a star-studded team. It drove attendance everywhere they went every night. It was just, it was SportsCenter. It was the lead. And so my take is baseball. Now let me fish.

Baseball has this now. They have like all-star teams. The NBA, Wemby San Antonio, SGA, Oklahoma, Yokic Denver, Janus Milwaukee, Ant Minnesota. Unlike baseball, they're in the wrong markets. well, and the NBA just last year massively changed the rules proactively to make sure super teams can't exist anymore, which, mistake. Theoretically, you understand it, but ultimately probably a mistake.

It gives cheap owners an out. Like, oh, what do you want me to do? Like, what Denver has done to Yokic's prime is, they win. title and then each year they're like, let's lose this key player. Let's lose that key player. And what do you want from us? Poor guy had 102 points, 30 rebound 16 assists over two games. They only won one of them. The guy averaged 50, 15, and 8 over two games. One of their losses to the Wizards. And here's the other reason why I don't think it's bad for baseball. Because even with everything you just said, baseball still is just random.

them enough that a team, like the Royals this year got made the playoffs, one around, stole a game from the Yankees. And it's like there's not going to be, you're not going to feel like, oh, you're, oh, my season, I can't compete. Like, because baseball kind of adding variance to the playoffs, I went into that Royals Yankee series, like, okay, we have two players who would play for them. Yeah. But we got like a 40% chance of flipping it.

Yeah. Like, you know what I mean? This takes one good starting pitching night, one bad night, and we could win. So I didn't feel like we were dead. And so, yeah, I found baseball this year. We talked more baseball on the show than ever before. Now, that was a very low bar because our previous high was zero. However, still. But still, like, it was, it's not like it was forced on us. It was exciting. It's like, yo, we have Judge Verso Tani and the damn. World Series. Like, this is dope. And so I agree with you. And that's another reason the NBA should be worried. Like, and I don't know, man, I have my concerns about whether or not Adam Silver is a wartime consuliary or even knows there's a war going on. And I think he's super sharp at a lot of things and the right man for a lot of jobs. But right now, I think you have to be willing to say we actively don't care about the record book. Because the other, if they wanted to, I'm going to, one other thing, and I've said this for

literally, I said it for the first time at the Sloan Sports Analytics Conference seven years ago, because I saw this train coming down on the tracks, because I'm like, my buddy Darryor Mory, I think's the smartest guy in the league. And he clearly believes we should only shoot threes, free throws and layups. So eventually everyone's going to think this, and then what's it going to do? And my solution, then and my solution now is if you want to change nothing about the rules of the sport, then all you have to do is say it's not threes and twos, it's fours and threes. Because now it's only a 33% premium.

Now, you know what I mean, all those things. But there's two reasons they won't do that. One is people can't do math. People are like, what the fuck? like add four. And the other reason is it would ruin the record books. But you can't be worried about the record books. Can't.

Baseball, baseball purists are paralyzed by them. And it's insane. It's insane, especially when like, hey, man, if your Hall of Fame doesn't have Barry bonds in it,

like, what's the museum you're protecting anyway? Doesn't, like, and so, yeah, I agree with you 100%. Thursday night football is on. It's only on Prime Video. Best season yet. Pack with big rivalries and even bigger stars. Al Michaels, Kirk Herbstreet, Kaley Hartung every week. Games you can't miss.

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Pretty, yeah, pretty wide range of podcasts around there. But this one's extra special. So how do we actually come up with a name, Hey Jonas, guys? I honestly don't remember. I think it was on a call about what we should call it. And we were thinking I'm originally calling it one of the early names of our band before Jonas Brothers. This is how you guys remember it going down? Yes. I have a very different memory of this.

We were talking about a thing, a bit for the podcast, where people could call in and say, hey, Jonas. And then I wrote down on my little notepad, Hey Jonas, and offered it up as a potential title for the podcast. But thanks for remembering that, guys. Listen to Hey Jonas on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Just listen. We don't care where you hear it. Another podcast from some SNL late night comedy guy. Not quite. Unhumor me with Robert Smygle 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

Acapella band with their between songs banter. Where does your group perform? We do some retirement homes. Those people are starving for banter. Listen to humor me with Robert Smigel and friends on the I Heart. radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Last night, a blown call changed a game. This morning, the internet lost its mind. Highlights are trending, opinions are flying, and nobody's telling you exactly what happened.

That's where Sports Slice comes in. I'm Timbo. Every episode, we're cutting through the noise, breaking down the plays, the controversies, and the stories behind the headlines. We go straight to the source, the athlete themselves, their locker room stories, their reactions, the stuff nobody gets to hear. The laughs, the drama, the triumphs, the moments that never make the highlight real. From viral moments to historic games, from buzzer beaters to controversial calls, we break it down,

give you context and ask the questions everybody wants answered. Sports Slice brings you closer to the action with stories told by the people who live them. Listen to Sports Slice on the Iheart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more, follow Timbo Slic Life 12 and the TikTok podcast network on TikTok. The French Open is one of the toughest tests in tennis, and I know firsthand because I competed there myself. I'm Renee Stubbs, and on the Renee Stubbs Tennis podcast, I'm breaking down everything happening at Roland Garris. Every match, every upset, and what it really takes to win on Clay. Jenchian win.

I mean, she went down in three to Rabakina, but I'm delighted. She's an outsider to win the French for me. And she likes Clay. Listen, Lerabakina is arguably the best player in the world. right now and I actually can win on any surface because if she's serving well good luck. Consider this your court side seat to the French Open. Listen to the Renee Stubbs tennis podcast on the IHeart Radio app, Apple podcast or wherever you get your podcasts. Presented by Capital One, founding partner of IHeart Women's Sports. 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 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. One of the things I think that we both enjoy is the why. And I like the construction and deconstruction of parts of sports. So for years and year, and for years in years, and for years in years, you know, everybody howled that we needed to pay the college football players.

And because their careers are shorter than baseball and basketball and hockey players, I agree. Like, let's pay these guys. And we have. And a lot of people don't like it. I'm never watching the game again, but the ratings go up. Protesters, by and large, have very little influence and are just throwing temper tantrums, right? So, but I was going to throw this out there the other day.

It is kind of remarkable now that college football. Pro football has a salary cap, right? Pro football has times that you can transfer slash go to free agency. College has neither. So the train's completely gone off the tracks. So with the NIL, my take is, listen, Texas can spend 30. Purdue can spend two. Let's say the cap, and Purdue will never get to it, but let's make the cap 17.

otherwise it's going to become baseball on HGH. Like you're not, Purdue's going to have no elite players. Texas will have 38. And there's always been an imbalance in college football, but let's put up some guardrail. So all the kids get paid. But,

but the, you know, let's just say 18, because some schools now have broken through the 20, they're getting close to 28 and 30. And, and, well,

hell, BYUu basketball just paid a kid's seven million bucks. It's, I mean, So here's, so I have a different, here's the question I have. Are we approaching a time where none, where there is, what's the good example for this? Not Ashton Genty, he's going to be top 10 pick. If you are, you're like, hey, I'm the second best running back in college football.

You stay there. I've checked my draft profile. No question. They say I'm a second, third round pick. Well, let me check those contracts. That's 600 grand a year. Well, that's crazy. Because NIL at Michigan will pay me $3 million.

That's right. For real. Because running back in college football, you're still a star. Like, you're the, like, so are there going to be, it won't happen with quarterbacks. You know, and I obviously like, but where guys that aren't, and by the way, I don't know that that's bad. That might be really good. I'm just saying it'll be a fascinating thing.

I think. Where guys who are like, wait, I can make more money staying in college. It will fortify college football because it's already happening now because I've talked to coaches who have said this is a discussion point for running backs. We can pay a 340. You can make 280. And you're not. by the way, you're not a 12-year NFL player, but you can be a legend at Blank University.

And so it's happening right now, and I think it actually benefits college football. You're going to keep more players. It may be two players, a roster. But if you're like a top receiver to school at Tulsa, and you're a six-round pick, and Tulsa's like, we'll pay you $800,000. Well, you're making $350 in pro football.

And not guaranteed. and they're not guaranteed contracts. Like, I do think there's going to be real. I think it'll be fascinating when a player who is considered, like, oh, wait, that guy, he's the number one safety in the draft. And the people are like, oh, okay, he's going to go late first, early second.

And he's like, all right, well, I can wait on that. You know what I mean? I'm going to stay here. Again, I don't think that's bad, to be very clear. I just think it's a fascinating dynamic. I also, so I, and I wish I had the kid's name, but I did see a video. There was, the first time I started to feel actually like uneasy about the NIL stuff was there was a kid in this latest signing class who I'm going to get it, I'm going to get the proper nouns wrong, but just. follow me on it. Let's, for the sake of arguments, say he signed with Georgia.

And at the announcement, he made it very clear. He was sad. And he was like, yeah, you know, I never thought I'd go, be going here my whole life. You know, I dreamed of playing at LSU. And again, I might have the Georgia LSU part wrong, but school A, school B. And I went and looked it up. LSU and this offered him a scholarship. They used to file. star kid, but it was purely like, and I, what made me feel bad was I was like, was he making this decision or were like the adults and his family pressuring him? But it was clearly, this place offered more money. So I felt like I had to go there. And I was like, oh, that kind of sucks. You know what I mean? Like, you always dreamt of playing for this college. You're 17 years old. And it's like, well,

this place offering me $2 million. This place offering me $3 million. And my family is probably right. I can't turn down a million dollars, so I guess I'll go here. And that part of it did make it feel like, uh, that's not perfect. No. Like this isn't the, this isn't perfect. It's better than to me than it was, this is better than the kids getting no money and everyone else getting rich. But we haven't quite found homeostasis here yet. Yeah, no.

The right way to do it. It's just the duality of everything with more money, more money, more problems. this idea that there was this ball hauler, there was this perfect landing spot, it does not exist. I'll tell you something that's fascinating. Here's something I led my show with this today. And unfortunately, I'm sure you probably didn't have time for it.

You used to listen religiously, but those days were over. But the point being, no, that's just not true. So I led with this today, Debo Samuel. Brock Pretty comes out and says, you know, I love Debo and we'll get him the ball more.

And I thought, oh, okay. So a year ago, nine months ago, running backs are dead in this league. The top five running teams now in the league are all playoff teams. The top six receivers receiving yards, six of the top ten are on losing teams. And so it's it's Devonte Adams, cryptic messages, Jamar Chase is noisy. It's Malique neighbors. It's Debo Samuel.

It's Deontay Johnson. It's George Pickens. So it's even A.J. Brown, by the way, on a good team. everything was fine. And then he's like, I'm pissed. And I said, it's not fine anymore. And I said, we gave receivers for about two years the keys to the kingdom. But they are sports cars.

They don't work well in the winter. You can't really drive them seven days a week. And running back. You've loved this take for ever. And running backs. No, no, no. They're the SUV. Year round, grocery, soccer practice, date, all weather.

Actually, always elevated. the quarterback, always. Young quarterback, old quarterback. They're also great. They help you take leads and eat the clock and help you protect them. The receivers don't. They all block or they don't play. They're the grinders. They're the most running back. Sequin Barclay, I want the ball more, but I'm sacrificing for the team. You never hear a running back complaining. We're throwing it too much to the star receiver. And it's a classic example is that we gave, it's the NBA of NFL, wide receiver, breaks the huddle first, he's on his own. We gave you the keys for like two years. We immediately had a wide receiver bubble. Chiefs win without Tyreek Hill. You can argue

they can spend money on defense. They're just a much better team now, more complete team. And in the end, it goes back. Nine months ago, we lamented the future of running backs. It is now in one season. Baltimore, Detroit, Green Bay, Washington. Here comes Isaiah Pacheco. The Rams, Kieran Williams. It is a running back quarterback league again in nine months. So that was, and I didn't see it coming this quickly up. Nor did I. But what I did wonder was I was like, okay, one of the things that happened to running backs was, yes, the game changed, but it wasn't just that the game changed.

It wasn't just your position isn't as valuable. It was there's too many B minuses. meaning like there you could seemingly find a not great but a good running back anywhere. Practice squad, seventh round, undrafted free agent. And the reason for that was very obvious, which is our whole lives, the best athlete at seven years old, where'd they put them running back? Like if it wasn't the quarter, like it was like, oh, you're the best player on the team. we're going to, if you're either going to be a dual threat quarterback or the running back because

we're going to hand you the ball a bunch. So in high school and college, there were just too many good ones, which means seems like, okay, I could pay X for a great one or basically nothing for a good one, so I'll do that. And what I wondered aloud was, are we about to see in a few years, the same thing happened to receivers because now if you're a great athlete as a kid, they're putting you at receiver. It is seven on seven. Every damn year in the draft. This year there were 10 receivers taken in the first 40 picks.

And then when we're like, hold on, everybody thinks there are 25 top 10 receivers. Like if you really put pencil to paper and it's like, okay, is he a time? top 10 receiver? Well, I don't know, man, because Garrett Wilson thinks he is, Devante Adams thinks he is, Tyree Kill thinks he is, Jalen Waddle thinks he is. There's four just in the AFC East. And you keep going, is Terry McClure, is Nico Collins, is Devo Samuel, is Brandon Ayuk, is, and I even mentioned Tyree Kill, Jamar Chase, A.J. Brown, C.D. Lamb, Amon. Like, there's all of these. It's like, well, there's 30 million a person, but Brian Thomas Jr. was the fourth, fourth, receiver taken. So, like, is there going to be the same type of correction where teams are like,

no, I'm not paying 30 million for a receiver. There's six more great ones coming out in the draft. Like, I'm just not doing it, right? So I saw that. I wondered if that was happening. I still think that's probably going to happen. The other thing that has happened this season is, and maybe I'm, maybe this is just because I turned 40 and I instantly developed old man opinions. But Malik neighbors being a diva receiver as a rookie infuriated. Yeah, no, it's too much.

And like, in a way, it's too much, man. Like, listen, I get that there's been a, we're allowed to be divas so we kind of lean into it from the position. Got it, so be it, no problem. but T.O. and Ocho Cinco were not pains in the ass their first year in the league. They were just great. They weren't. Like, they were great. And then they, and then it developed over three or four or five years. Yes. Watch they had pelts on the wall. I see. I'm like, man, everywhere I look like, George Pickens is an awesome player.

Huge pain in the ass from day one. Yep. Picking. Malik neighbors. It took him eight games. before he's like, why didn't I get the ball to her down 30-0? It's like, buddy, you're the best player on the team. I get it. But it's too early for this. It's too early. And so the, and then the AJ Brown thing really irritated me on just a team level. It's like, man, there was nothing wrong.

Everything, you guys are on a 10-game winning streak. You guys are undefeated when you play. Seemingly, everything's all good. The only public narrative should be, man, Sequan Barclay's going to break Eric Dickerson's record, and our defense is better than you idiots thought it would be. And then privately, if you want to be like, God damn it, so be it. But it's, that was like A.J. Brown,

You're on your third contract. You just got paid again. You know what I think AJ Brown's issue is? What are we doing? Here's what his issue is. He was overshadowed by a star running back in Tennessee, Derek Henry, and he's overshadowed again with a star running back. No great receiver has been.

That's interesting. Overshadowed in his prime by the two best receivers over the last six years in the league. He's the guy. Oh, that's interesting. even think about that. He's so he keeps going to places going, time out. I get a good quarterback, not a great one, Tannahill, Jalen. I'm the best player on the team and both become run-centric.

What are you doing to my career? Right. But here's the thing about that. But you keep getting paid any, like, you keep getting top of the market deals. Well, but, but money, every time, you know, I'm not going to speak for anybody, but when people get raises, it's good for about three checks. And then you're like, I want the respect. Guys are driven much more by respect than they are money. I, no, that part I totally agree with. I, and I agree with you, the, whenever, like, somebody loses a job or whatever, and the reaction

on Twitter is, ah, they're still getting paid or whatever, I disagree with that because the, for someone who has been, AJ, in it, it's going to sound like I'm contradicting myself. but I'll come around. He's been, he's not newly rich. He's been rich long enough. That's his normal. So the money doesn't really solve things.

The point I'm making is, I would understand it a little bit more if you were in a contract year. If it's like, yo, you're costing me money. That's right. Because, but the Eagles preemptively paid him this off season early. Yeah. And one of the reasons I would think you do that is to stave this off.

Right. Like, hey, no matter how we have to run the team, you're going to know you've been taken care of. So even if this year your numbers are down, it's not costing you anything because we just paid you. So that's the reason I brought it up. Like, I do get why guys who are in contract years are like, yo. No, I mean, AJ Brown is being selfish because also the NFL record book, nobody cares. It's not like baseball. It really isn't.

Nobody cares about the NFL record book. We know Brady and Jerry Rice and Montana and Mahomes are all over it, like in Breeze. So like a wide receiver, like, listen, we know you're great. If you get paid and you win a ring, it kind of solves everything. And that's, and also like if there's anyone on the, like, could you imagine, and this is to your point, if after this last game, Sequin out of nowhere in the locker room was like, yeah, I mean, listen, everything's great, but I'm really sick of jail and sniping my touchdown. I should have 10 more.

Like, how about we call a handoff at the one instead of the tush push? People would be like, you laugh because it's laughable to think of him doing it. But it's, but. We're used to receivers being ridiculous. We're totally used to it. A hundred percent used to it. Like the, yeah, I mean, I don't, I can't, I can't, even bad ones. Cadarie is Tony this dope.

He's bouncing. He just wants to, he, he barely got on the, Field in Cleveland, Fair caught a punt and taunted a guy. It's like you just have it in your DNA. Like you just have, it's unbelievable. So this is, we got into a point, this was a topic on the show that was fascinating. And I've always said, in the, in my industry I work in, I don't know how to use all the levers in the control room, but I do know the words I can't say on the air. I understand the Bible of my business. And I also have an understanding, having worked for ESPN and Fox, not to go after commissioners personally, although I can criticize them and have criticized all of them.

There are certain things I know. I don't expect football players to know all the rules, but they'll give you three that drive me crazy. So the cowboys block a punt against Cincinnati, and when a punt is blocked and goes past the line of scrimmage, It's a punt. You treat it like a punt. Do you blame the player or the special teams coach? Because special teams players are often guys who are inserted late. They actually play...

That guy who did it, it was his first NFL game. Okay. You often are like a backup corner. You just got off the field. Now you're special teams. You're worrying about your assignments here, not your assignments there. So the other things that drive me crazy are Tyreek Hill. I've seen this a few times, when you do the often used dolphin backwards pass, like the bubble screen, and the ball skips, and they don't pounce on it.

They don't understand it's a live ball. And the other one is when a receiver catches a ball downfield and the DB moves past him doesn't touch him. And people forget, you have to touch. Okay, yeah, well, that's a college football relic. Okay, yeah, yeah. So all three of these, and I'm not a real. rule breaker, so maybe I'm more of a rule follower. It drives me crazy when you don't know the basics of the game. Now, Kyle Shanahan apparently forgot or didn't advise his team on the

Super Bowl overtime rule, which Andy Reid did. That's a coaching gaffe. But let me ask you, do you blame the coach or the player when a rule that can change possessions, outcomes, players don't know it? So I'll go through each of your example. examples. The backwards pass thing, I think that play being such a prominent piece of so many teams' playbook is one of the dumbest things that exists in sports. Like, if it's there because your plan is a trick play double pass, so be it. But if that is just a swing pass, to not coach your guys. Hey guys, this must be executed forward.

Is baffling because it's, you're gaining, you gain nothing strategically from it, the yard difference between it being lateral or backwards versus forward. But the risk is, oh, you could just pick it up and run for a touchdown versus it being an incomplete pass. So yes, guys should pounce on it. And I always think it's crazy when they don't. Also, I don't know why so many teams love that stupid, you know, like pre-wheel-rout,

backwards pass. Like, what are you doing? That can end in disaster. I hate it. It's the opposite of the little shovel pass in front of you, which is, oh, even if you drop it, it looks like a fumble, but it's not. That's the opposite of that. Right.

So that's the first one. The not touching guys when they're down is to me not. a coaching thing that is purely on the players. Like everyone knows once you get to the NFL, you got to touch them. Sometimes guys, it almost seems like try to avoid hitting the guy. Like it's bizarre. The Cowboys thing on the punt. Special teams are quirky.

They're quirky. They're different. And here's where I will blame the coach. I did. Yeah. So if you remember the Cowboys, who were they playing? It was the, it was one. it was one of the games they won.

It was the insane game they almost blew. And they, it went back and forth. It was Washington. They give up the Hail Mary, short Hail Mary, but then stuff, whatever it is.

If you remember, on side kick, they recover it. And instead of going down, run 30 yards for a touchdown, which then gave Washington the ball, down eight and a chance to actually beat them. When that happened, the coaches were celebrating.

And I'm like, oh, you guys are that guy who, God love him, that was the wrong play. You were up one. There's a minute left when you recover that onside kick. You go down and the game is over. You recovered it, scored. now we got to go back on defense and Washington almost beat them because of it. But the coach is all celebrated. You saw it on the sideline.

So what the hell do you expect? Two weeks later, a different special teams guy sees a bouncing ball and seemingly open air. I'm going to scoop this and go score. That's coaching. That to me is coaching. And so I don't blame that kid nearly as much as I blame the coaches in that spot, especially because this is an old man, genie line. Don't ignore in victory what you wouldn't ignore in defeat.

Like, I don't believe that the kid who recovered the onside kick and scored instead of going down got in trouble for it. I think he got out of boys for it, which then signals to the team, hey, even if it's the wrong play, if I make it right, it's fine. And that's like the opposite of the Belichick thing of guys who, if they reached for the pylon, even if it was successful, got in trouble. Yeah. Because it was like the risk reward here is not high enough.

Right. Hey, it's us, the Jonas Brothers. And guess what? We have some big news. What's the news, new? Huge news. We created our own podcast called, Hey Jonas. We invented a podcast?

Well, we didn't invent it. We just contributed to it. We're the first people to do podcasts. Pretty, yeah, pretty wide range of podcasts throughout there. But this one's extra special. So how do we actually come up with a name, Hey Jonas, guys? I honestly don't remember I think it was on a call about what we should call it

And we were thinking I'm originally calling it One of the early names of our band Before Jonas Brothers This is how you guys remember it going down Yes I have a very different memory of this We were talking about a thing A bit for the podcast

People could call in and say hey Jonas And then I wrote down on my little notepad Hey Jonas And offered it up as a potential title For the podcast But thanks for remembering that guys listen to hey jonas on the iheart radio app apple podcasts or wherever you get your podcast just listen we don't care where you hear it another podcast from some s nl late night comedy guy not quite

unhumored me with robert smigel and friends me and hilarious guests from bob odenkirk to david letterman help make you funnier this week my guess s n l's mikey day and head writer streeter sidel help an acapella 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. Last night, a blown call changed a game. This morning, the internet lost its mind. Highlights are trending, opinions are flying, and nobody's telling you exactly what happened. That's where Sports Slice comes in. I'm Timbo. Every episode, we're cutting through the noise, breaking down the plays, the controversies,

and the stories behind the headlines. We go straight to the source, the athlete themselves. their locker room stories, their reactions, the stuff nobody gets to hear. The laughs, the drama, the triumphs, the moments that never make the highlight real. From viral moments to historic games, from buzzer beaters to controversial calls, we break it down, give you context, and ask the questions everybody wants answered. Sports Slice brings you closer to the action with stories told by the people who live them. Listen to Sports Slice on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more, follow Timbo Slic Life 12 and the TikTok podcast.

network on TikTok. The French Open is one of the toughest tests in tennis, and I know firsthand because I competed there myself. I'm Renee Stubbs, and on the Renee Stubbs Tennis podcast, I'm breaking down everything happening at Roland Garris. Every match, every upset, and what it really takes to win on Clay. Jen she went. I mean, she went down in three to Rabakina, but I'm delighted. She's an outsider to win the French, me. And she likes Clay. Listen, Lina Rabakina is, I arguably the best player in the world right now. And I actually can win on any surface. Because if she's serving, well, good luck. Consider this your court side seat to the French Open. Listen to the Renee Stubbs tennis podcast on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Presented by Capital One, founding partner of IHeart Women's Sports. 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 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. I think a lot of football axioms and truth are parenting.

That if my kids does something dangerous and survives, I still, I still. offer wisdom and will punish him sometimes. You could have been really hurt. Many of the truths in parenting are truths in coaching. And that is treat, you know, that's right, right. Be respectful, right, right. Be nice to others. Treat others like you'd like to be treated.

Be coachable. Don't cheat. Try to learn wherever you can. Yeah. Like respect people who've been there before and see what wisdom they have. Listen, of course. I use sports. I bet once a day, I will use sports, athletes as examples in my business life and my broadcasting career.

I use it all the time with my kids. One of the things I've always said, I told my daughter this once. I said, Michael Jordan was the best player, had the best marketing, commissioner loved him, had the best coach, was the best looking, was the most stylish. and watch the documentary. It was hard. It was incredibly difficult. That's for the most gifted. With a commissioner that loved him, Nike 100 years ahead of everywhere, the best agent, he still had an owner, he had a GM, he had goofy Dennis Rodman, he had teammates that did not play to his liking. And I use this all the time in life. There's a reason, there's like one Elon Musk. And there's a reason, like, there's a reason for Trump's success. He's just a goddamn fighter. Like him or not, he just doesn't sleep. He doesn't vacate. He's never vacation. He's never on a vacation day. Like, life is hard. And one of the great, maybe the greatest asset any of us can have is not education. It's relentlessness. Is that it is not linear for Jordan. It's not, it wasn't linear for Brady.

Maybe you look at Brady and you're like, the best coach, the best owner. So it's, it's, and we're seeing now some pushback on how much academics matter. They obviously matter and they can separate people. But it is a relentlessness. A lot of people from Harbor don't succeed and a lot of people from Eastern Washington have great lives, right? And I, and I, and I, so I think I use, I think about how much of parenting is sports and how much of sports is life. And I use them and I use the Jordan documentary with my kids. multiple times.

Well, and the other thing with the Jordan documentary is, like, no matter how much success, money, fame, Jordan was at peak success, success, money, fame. and in 1993 was so seemingly kind of lost, sad, and miserable, that he quit his sport to go do something insane, which was like the lesson for me on that is like, and now he had dealt with a, you know, his father was murdered and he was dealing with a personal tragedy, real stuff, and I think there were, but in that documentary, Ahmad Rashad tells us,

he was talking about doing that before, his dad got murder. And so he was already. So one of the lessons for me on that is, like, man, this, some of the professional stuff or other stuff, if you have a hole in you or missing something or whatever, it's not going to fill it. Like the only way to fix your issues or to, you know,

feel joy or good about things or whatever is to really look at why you're not and going to do it. And so the idea that you can achieve your way out of your own stuff, you just can't because how many of, like, the Jordan, use the Jordan documentary, like he is, and he, I don't think, ever got there. Like that people look at that Jordan Hall of Fame speech. It's like, ah, the ultimate Michael Jordan thing. And I look at it as one of the saddest.

things in sports. This is the guy who at the time was universally unambiguously accepted as the greatest ever. Maybe the most famous person in the world at the time like him, the Pope, whoever the press,

like the very, very short list. Infinite endless money and at his final real public appearance as basketball player, he just was a vindictive asshole. Because whatever it was in him that fueled him, but that also was real hurt or pain. It's not solvable. He never addressed.

Yeah. Right. And I don't even know if I agree it's not solvable. I don't think he ever tried to solve it. And so like the, and then like, so you see these things and you're like, man. like that ain't gonna do it for you like if michael jordan ain't doesn't have it like that's not gonna and so i mean you mentioned you mentioned trump trump wealthy beyond anyone's wildest imaginations did everything that you know he was always wanted i think kind of prove his dad wrong did all that then became president

and just pissed all the time just like nobody's got it worse than me Everyone sounds like legit seemingly miserable. Like it just like and so whatever. Like some of it's if you got if you need to deal with something and you don't like it doesn't go away. It doesn't go away. Like no matter what you achieve. It's still sitting there. It's still sitting there waiting for you at the end of it.

And so yeah, like that is. That is that is a the Jordan. really crystallized that when you saw it, you're like, man, I don't think this dude's happy. He's rich. He's famous. He's Michael Jordan. Doesn't seem happy.

And certainly wasn't during the process. So, for whatever that's worth. Nick Wright. Perfect. I don't like to exhaust every idea because I want to get you more regularly. But your career is bit between poker and your career and your podcast. Oh, speaking of poker, going to the, Atlantis resorting casino in the Bahamas for 36 hours.

Oh, good for you. Oh, and well, it's no vacation. It's the biggest poker turn of the world's going on down there. So I'm going there Friday or Saturday morning coming back Sunday. How much will you take? Oh, it's not, you know, I'll share this with you and the audience. Not actually playing. It's, you know, it's a potential partnership meeting that I'm having down there.

Good for you. So doing that. Good for you. Yes. But I, yeah, so the poker stuff's going good. Show's going good. I miss you. And we'll do this more often, I'm sure of it.

I'll talk to you soon, brother. The volume. Hey, guys, it's us. The Jonas Brothers. I'm Joe. I'm Kevin. And I'm Nick. And guess what?

We created our own podcast called, Hey, Jonas. We invented a podcast? Well, we didn't invent it. We just contributed to our first people to do podcasts. We get to ask other people, questions because we're sick and tired of being asked questions. Well, sick and tired is a strong way to put it, but, you know, tired and sick.

Tired and sick. Listen to Hey Jonas on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Just listen. We don't care where you hear it. 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 podcasts. Last night, a blown call changed a game. This morning, the internet lost its mind. And nobody's telling you exactly what happened.

That's where Sports Slice comes in. I'm Timbo. And every episode, we're cutting through the noise, breaking down the biggest moments in sports and giving you the real story behind the headline. And we're going straight to the source, the athletes themselves, their locker room stories, their reactions in the moment, and the stuff nobody gets to hear. Listen to SportsSlic. On the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more, follow Timbo Sliced Life 12 in the TikTok podcast network on TikTok. 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 huge. 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. Hey, what's good, y'all? You're listening to Learn the Hard Way with your favorite therapist and host Kear Games. This space is about black men's experiences, having honest conversations that it's really not safe to have anywhere, but you're having them with a licensed professional who knows what he's doing.

How many men carry a suit or armor. It signals to the world that you're not to be played with. And just because you have the capability that does not mean that you need to, listen to learn the hard way on the IHard radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. This is an IHart podcast. Guaranteed Human.