The Herd with Colin Cowherd - Colin Cowherd Podcast - Prime Cuts: Brady Retirement, RGIII on Mahomes & Burrow, Flores Lawsuit with Mike Silver + Harbaugh with Wannstedt

Episode Date: February 5, 2022

It's the best of The Colin Cowherd Podcast! First, Colin's top takes of the week as he gives his thoughts on Tom Brady's retirement after 22 NFL Seasons and 7 Super Bowls (3:00). Then, former NFL QB and ESPN analyst Robert Griffin III discusses what went wrong with Mahomes in the second half of the AFC Championship, and why Joe Burrow's youth is actually an advantage (11:00) Next, Longtime NFL writer Mike Silver reacts to ex-Dolphins head coach Brian Flores' bombshell discrimination lawsuit against the league (22:00). And finally, former Dolphins & Bears HC Dave Wannstedt joins Colin to discuss the Flores' lawsuit , why he wanted Jim Harbaugh to coach the Chicago Bears, and why he thought Harbaugh would join the Minnesota Vikings (31:00).Make sure to Subscribe and follow Colin and The Volume on Twitter for the latest content and updates and check out FanDuel for the best wagering and daily fantasy action! 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 IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, this is Robert from the Stuff to Blow Your Mind podcast. Joe and I are both lifelong Star Wars fan, so we're celebrating May the 4th with a brand new week of fun, thought-provoking Star Wars-related episodes.

Join us as we tackle science and culture topics from a galaxy far, far away, such as the biology of tauntons and wampas on the ice planet hot, or the practicality and corporate business sense of the Sith ruling. of two. Listen to Stuff to Bole Your Mind on the Iheart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is a win. A win is a win.

I don't care what I'm saying. Yep, that's me, 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 Cliver 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 Clifford show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes,

follow at Clifford and at TikTok podcast network on TikTok. The volume. 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. 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 which I'm saying. 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 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 what you need to be. Listen to the Clifford show on the IHeart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. Do you remember when Diana Ross double-tapped Little Kim's boobs at the VMAs? Or when Kanye said that George Bush didn't like black people. I know what you're thinking. What the hell does George Bush got to do a little kill? 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 it here, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it. Including a recent episode with Mark Lamont Hill, waxing all about crack in the 80s. To be clear, 84 is big to me, not just because of crack. I'm down to talk about crack all day, but just so you all know. I mean, at this point, Mark, this is the second episode where we've discussed crack. So I'm starting to see that there's a through line.

We also have AIDS on the table right now. Thank you for finishing that sentence. Yes. I don't think there's a more important year for black people. Really? Yeah. For me, it's one of the most important years for black people in American history. Listen to look back at it on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Welcome to my new podcast, Learn the Hard Way with me, your host, and your favorite therapist, Kear Games. And in recognition of mental health awareness month, I'm bringing over a decade of my own experience in the mental health field and conversations with so many incredible guests. I'm talking. Tripp Fontaine, Ryan Clark. Sometimes when we're in the pursuit of the thing, we get so wrapped up in the chase that we don't realize that we are in possession of the thing. And we're still chasing it.

And we don't know when we've done enough. Because people scoreboard watch. Life becomes about wins and losses. Steve Burns, Dustin Ross. Because you find it important to be a good person while you hear on earth. 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, Keer Gaines, as we have real conversations about healing, growth, fatherhood, pressure, and purpose on my new podcast, learn the hard way. Open your free, iHeartRadio app. Search Learn the Hardway and listen now. It's the sound of another sale on Shopify,

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Go to Shopify.com slash Colin, all lowercase. Shopify.com slash Colin for a free 14-day trial, full access at Shopify's entire suite of features. Shopify.com slash C-O-L-I-N. And we're live here outside the Perez family home just waiting for the... And there they go. Almost on time this morning. Mom is coming out the front door strong with a double-armed kid carry. Looks like Dad has the bags.

Daughter is bringing up the rear. Oh, but the diaper bag wasn't closed. Dipers and toys are everywhere. Ooh, but Mom has just nailed the perfect car seat buckle for the toddler. And now the eldest daughter, who looks to be about nine or ten, has secured herself in the booster seat. Dad zips the bag closed, and they're off. Ah, but looks like mom doesn't realize her coffee cup

is still on the roof of the car, and there it goes! Oh, that's a shame. That mug was a fam favorite. Don't sweat the small stuff. Just nail the big stuff. Like making sure your kids are buckled correctly in the right seat for their age and size. Learn more at nhtsa.gov slash the right seat.

Visit nhtsa.gov slash the right seat. Brought to you by Netsa and the east. Brought to you by Nidza and the Ad Council. What grows in the forest? Trees? Sure. Know what else grows in the forest? Our imagination. Our sense of wonder.

And our family bonds grow too. Because when we disconnect from this and connect with this, we reconnect with each other. The forest is closer than you think. Find a forest near you and start exploring at Discovertheforest.org. Brought to you by the United States Forest Service and the ad council. so. Colin Coward podcast presented by Fandual Sportsbook.

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What a great week. RG-3 reacts into the AFC and NFC championship games. He was great. Mike Silver discussed the bombshell Brian Flores lawsuit. And how good is Dave Wonstat talking about the bear's new coach, talking about the Dolphins mess? What would he do if he was asking? the tank games.

But first, my top takes of the week. Tom Brady, after 22 seasons, is retiring, first broken by Adam Schaefter and Jeff Darlington. I had said on more than one occasion this week, it was the first time I believe Tom had a greater than 50% chance to retire. He seemed almost satisfied with the way the season ended. Two things that really jumped out to me, how unprepared the Buccaneers looked in their loss to the Rams, completely unprepared in the first half. It was a meltdown. And the second thing that jumps out to me, the Patriotov and lost playoff games, Belichick was never unprepared. This has been the knock on Bruce Ariens.

He runs a very loose ship. It's not tight. It's outspoken. It's edgy. It's big play. Tom is Mr. Efficiency. So you can lose, but Tom's team looked absolutely outclassed, outsmarted, and outmaneuvered. That's something I noticed.

Previously to that, I had said multiple times that Tom kept giving us little hints when he was leaving New England, right? Well, he gave us little hints post-Thanksgiving with Tampa. He was frustrated. lack of focus. People just need to do their jobs. He was giving us hints throughout the course of this season that it wasn't a tight ship. And this is something important to remember. Tom's a creature of habit.

Tom loves structure. And Bill Belichick has created the finest structure, Lombardi-esque, Bill Walsh-esque, just longer than anybody in league history. New England was no was the best drafting team. They weren't always the most physical team. They weren't always the fastest or most gifted team. They had the best structure. They had the best system.

Tom loves that. TB 12 is a system. It's about structure, his clothing line. That's what Tom, he really met somebody that saw the world like he did. Efficiency, details, outwork, head down, Belichick and Brady. And I think when he went to Tampa, he wanted more control. He wanted up more dynamic weapons. He wanted more of a say.

And he got that. But he realized with Bruce Ariens, there's some give and take here. You know, I think we all know when I say certain coaches, we know Pete Carroll and Mike Tomlin heavy on the emotion. Not always great on in-game details. We know that Belichick, Belichick, great on structure, not always good drafting weapons to elevate the quarterback. We know Bruce Ariens, big play offense. You know, what do they say?

Risket or no biscuit. Tom got frustrated with that last year. He was frustrated with that last year. And there was that buy. this melting, this convergence of their offensive belief systems. And Tom won out. And they became a more efficient, short passing, intermediate passing game offense. Tom got mostly what he wanted.

He got Gronk. He got Antonio Brown. He got the offense tweaked at the end of last year. And he got a huge break when the Kansas City Chiefs offensive line fell apart and he won the Super Bowl. But I think over the course of time, you know, it's the old grass is Noah's Greener. after two years in Tampa, Tom has his health, but he grew increasingly frustrated with the culture. And, you know, I was very, very fortunate.

I lived in the New England area, Patriots country, for 11 years in Connecticut. And I lived in Tampa for two, two and a half years. They are completely opposite cultures. And Tom, to me, between Michigan and the Patriots, he felt like he fit in New England sometimes, right? Like Tom, you're not outside at the beach. Tom is sitting there watching film with his smoothies, with his family, on his acreage. And he would have fun in Costa Rica or Montana or wherever he has houses. But, you know, the New England weather when I lived there, I said this for years, ESPN benefited from the lack of great weather.

What else is there to do? There's nothing to do in Connecticut. You stay extra at work. You grind. You put in the hours. And I just felt like that's Belichick. I don't think of Belichick as a big social animal. He and Brady never had dinner.

But I think over time, sometimes you want to be more expressive and you want to have a greater say. And Tom did that. And he proved to himself he could do it. But I think deep down at the end of this year, he missed the academic nature, the intensity, the predictability of Belichick. I think it made him appreciate Bill Belichick more. He always appreciated him, but it made him appreciate him more. And I think Belichick, frankly, after a couple years without Tom, you know, he's not a huggy, kissy guy, but I think he appreciates what Tom brought to the table, the gamesmanship, the urgency.

Tom's always been a better thrower with a football than anybody's giving him credit for. So I'm not shocked by it. I'm surprised a little, but I said this week I thought it was a greater than 50% chance, I'd never felt that before. Tom sounded almost satisfied, not relieved, but satisfy the way the season ended. You know, he's a remarkable guy, a remarkable dad. You know, we didn't talk a lot about pre-snap before Peyton Manning and Tom Brady. I talked about this last week.

There's been three evolutions of quarterback. There was Marino and Elway in 1983 where they were stars the minute they entered the league. They just looked different and played differently. The next evolution was Peyton Manning and Brady. where we never talked about pre-snap. They were manipulating the line of scrimmage before the ball was snapped. And then the third evolution is Josh Allen and Patrick Mahomes last Sunday where we never talked to arm angle.

We didn't have quarterbacks leaping over people and throwing sidearm and sliders to Tyree Kill. And Brady's a big part of that. So, you know, I said this a couple weeks ago, and I meant it. Alabama football, Tom Brady, and LeBron James. I don't want to discredit any of the three, but there's a certain fatigue. And I liked seeing the Rams beat Brady and the Bucks.

I was time for a new story. McVan Stafford's a fun new story. I've said this about Aaron Rogers. I'd love for him to go to Denver. I feel like the Aaron Rogers Green Bay story, I've seen it. It's topped out. I think Tom realizes the Tampa story.

He left. New England, frustrated with the lack of weapons, it topped out. He goes to Tampa, frustrated with the lack of structure. It's topped out. So Tom's always had a pretty impeccable sense of timing from in-game to exiting New England to a social media to now in Tampa. I like Tampa. I lived there for a couple years, but it's, it's Ebor City, it's cocktails early. It's a port city.

it's fun, it's loose, and it's one of those. A lot of people go there to golf and retire. It's laid back. And I think in the rear view mirror, Tom's like, you know what? I got a little of both. I lived in New England. I vacation for a couple years in Tampa, and it's time. Remarkable guy, remarkable career.

22 remarkable years. Robert, I want to start. You know, I talked about this. when Patrick Mahomes came out of college, the knock on him was, mechanically, he was a lot of work, and he didn't have a repetitive

nature. Right. He didn't look different. The ankles, his feet. And I can remember reading scouting reports saying, you know, he's great, but man,

you're going to have to stay on him. And we've seen a couple times, Robert, in his career, he goes into these five and six game, I would say mechanical slumps, where he gets, he gets,

I don't it's it's not a criticism it's a golfer who needs a weekend with his coach right right and and I felt like for whatever reasons in the second half Robert I felt he got the yips he he just did not throw with confidence did you see it yeah I mean let's talk about the first half right he goes what 12 or 13 versus two high safeties everyone's talking about it you know how they strong struggled earlier in the year with being patient. And, I mean, he was beyond patient in the first half, right, going through his progressions, throwing checkdowns. They got Tyree Kiel involved.

They got Travis Kelsey involved early. Jared McKinnon looked like an all-star there in the first half as well. So I think in the second half, it was a number of things. Third down, they weren't playing very well. On third downs throughout the whole year, they've been the best team in football. So when you get to third and six, third and five, third and seven, and now you're not converting, well, now you're kicking the ball, you're putting the ball, and you're putting your defense,

on the field for exuberant amounts of time. And you're giving Joe Burrow a guy that, I mean, I know you and other people have said is the next or better than Tom Brady, at least at this point in his career, you're giving him more opportunities to get going. So what you see from Burrow? Burrow starts running the ball. He starts being Houdini in the pocket. And I think that put a lot of pressure on the Chiefs. And Uncle Moe, as you know, is very fickle, right? Uncle Moe's very fickle. He's not loyal to anybody. And that momentum got on the Bengals side. And I just felt like the cheese could never get it back. It was an interception here, a penalty there, sacks. I think the Bengals had four sacks in the game, but they were all at crucial times in the game. So I don't know

if Mahomes necessarily got the yips. I just feel like they relaxed just a little bit. Just a little bit they relaxed and they were trying to hit that home run, take him out the game type play. And because of that, they allowed the bingles to creep back into it. Burrow is such what I would call an easy thrower. It's just, it looks, when he came out and people compared him to Brady, I said he reminds me of Tony and Romo actually is that they were the same number. They move around. They're kind of elusive.

They often duck under pressure. Not a huge arm, good enough. Mobile. not Josh Allen. He's obviously, I think he's a more consistently accurate thrower than Romo. But when you watch him, you know, what's so hard about this game is, Robert, there is an it thing. Yeah. I mean, you know, it's, and there's something about Joe.

He just, it's almost like he plays with urgency at certain times. His body language is really, he's upright. I don't know. When I watch him, I'm like, I can't describe it. But there's a sense of there's an urgency to him where he gets really smart and really accurate at the right times. Like he knows he's a let it rip guy. He will throw interceptions. And then all of a sudden there's three minutes left and he doesn't throw interceptions.

Like right? It's like the temperature and the room changes. No, I'm with you. I like Joey B. Joey Burr, whatever you want to call him, Joe Cool. I don't care. The kid's story is incredible. Resilience, right?

Transfer from Ohio State going to LSU, doing all that. But I just look at Joe Burrow and Jamar Chase, right, just those two guys because I feel like that's a key cog for them. You've got T. Higgins and Tyler Boyd and Mixing and Uzama being out. I don't know how long it'll be out, but that'll be, you know, that'll hurt them at the tight-in position. But I look at those two guys, and they're just young. They're young and dumb.

They don't know what they don't know. So I watched Joe Burrow, not on the Houdini scramble, where he put the ball out for the first down, but on the next one where he ran for 14 yards down the middle of the... Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential.

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

I don't care what I'm saying. Yep, that's me, 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 entertainment, and the next we'll talk about life, mental health, purpose, and even music. The Clifford Show isn't just a podcast, it's a space for honest conversations, stories that don't always get told, and for people who are chasing something bigger.

So, if you've ever supported me, or you're just chasing down a dream, this is right where you need to be. Listen to the Clifford show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. Do you remember when Diana Ross double-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 Jette. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick it here, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it. Including a recent episode with Mark Lamont Hill, waxing all about crack in the 80s. To be clear, 84's 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, so. Thank you for finishing that sentence. I don't think there's a more important year for black people. Really? Yeah.

For me, it's one of the most important years for black people in American history. Listen to look back at it on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Welcome to my new podcast, Learn the Hard Way with me, your host, and your favorite therapist, 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. Trip Fontaine, Ryan Clark. Sometimes when we're in the pursuit of the thing, we get so wrapped up in the chase that we don't realize that we are in possession of the thing. And we're still chasing it.

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

And that's two different levels of trust. I want you to just really be a good person. Join me, Kear Gaines, as we have real conversations about healing, growth, fatherhood, pressure, and purpose on my new podcast, Learn the Hardway. Open your free iHeartRadio app. Search Learn the Hardway and listen now.

I kind of had like the little awkward slide and we both know I know a little bit about awkward slides, right? So Joe Burrell, in that moment, like he got up and he kind of like shrugged his shoulders off. And I'm like, man, like this. This guy in these moments, you don't want him to be driving down the field with a chance to win the game if you're the opposing team because he does have ice in his veins. And you hear all these cliches, but what you said before, that it factor, right? He just has it.

In those moments, he knows he can get the job done. And he's blessed with a skill set that is different than Tom Brady's, right? Everyone wants to talk about the cerebral side and the killer instinct of Tom Brady. But Tom Brady doesn't run and can't run like Joe Burrow can. And I've always felt like Burrough's an underrated runner when it comes to those situations. You can't just play two men against the guy because he can pull it down and he can go get you 14, 15 yards on a scramble. So in those moments, I just look at Burrow and I'm like, there's probably nobody I'd rather have at this point. Even over Stafford, he'll be playing against in the Super Bowl, the Rams have to blow the Bengals out.

If they don't blow them out, I think the Bengals can win the Super Bowl. Fanduil Sportsbook is an official sports betting partner of Super Bowl 56. So to celebrate new customers can bet $5 to win $280 in cash on either team to win if you use the promo code, Colin. That's right. You get your winnings, cold hard cash, because we know cash is always better than free bets. Fandul Sportsbook, the number one sports book in America. They got same game parley's. You can combine small bets for bigger wins, tons of Super Bowl props and more.

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What grows in the forest? Trees? Sure. Know what else grows in the forest? Our imagination, our sense of wonder. And our family bonds grow too. Because when we disconnect from this and connect with this. We reconnect with each other.

The forest is closer than you think. Find a forest near you and start exploring at Discovertheforest.org. Brought to you by the United States Forest Service and the Ad Council. Look through your children's eyes to see the true magic of a forest. It's a storybook world for them. You look and see a tree. They see the wrinkled face of a wizard with arms outstretched to the sky. They see treasure and pebbles.

They see a windy path that could lead to adventure. And they see you. Their fearless guide is this fascinating world. Find a forest near you and start exploring at Discovertheforest.org. Brought to you by the United States Forest Service and the ad council. All right, I bring in Mike Silver on a day full of news. Let's start with Brian Flores, suing multiple people from, as far as I can tell, the giants, the dolphins. It includes a Bill Belichick letter.

He's suing the NFL. My first takeaway is it's a little scorched earth. He probably would acknowledge, not that it would be a career ender, but it will limit some opportunities going forward if you are a litigious person. That scares some people off. But I always thought the Rooney rules a little shammie to begin with. What's your takeaway in the Flores lawsuits? Yeah, Colin, it looks like he snapped.

And I can understand and appreciate why any black coach would snap, given the overall backdrop of coaching and race in the NFL that I've witnessed in my 33 years covering this league and before that as a consumer. It's just, you know, there are so many instances where it just doesn't seem fair on a systemic level. And this particular coaching cycle has not gone well. And then if you look at the allegations in this lawsuit, it looks like he experienced. experienced some pretty frustrating things on a personal level. There's the text from Bill Belichick that Bill apparently thought was going to Brian Dayball, but instead went to Brian Flores. Wow.

That seemed to indicate that Brian Daewall had the Giants job locked up three days before Flores was interviewing. So I think as these things compound, it just starts to feel like it's not a level playing field and somebody finally snapped to the point where, as you said, he filed a lawsuit that will be certainly frowned upon by prospective employers in this industry, but make no mistake, there are a lot of black coaches and others who have had experienced this state of a long time that will find this to be heroic. And look, it just hasn't been a good stretch for the NFL in terms of race, including the race-norming part of the concussion lawsuit,

which hasn't gotten a lot of attention. And I would encourage people to search engine that and do a little more research. But maybe one of the more abominable things I've seen. And that's not just on the NFL, the Players Association signed off on that settlement, too. It's since been rectified after attention was drawn to it. But just it hasn't been a great run. And meanwhile, you have a league that has end racism. and it takes all of us in the end zone and on helmets.

And it's going to be a great halftime show that appeals to the urban demographic. It's a crazy time for this to hit the NFL. And having worked at the NFL for as long as I did, eight years with NFL network, I know that they are flipping out both in that Los Angeles NFL media headquarters and in the league office on Park Avenue in New York. Do we believe an African-American coach will be hired in this cycle? I believe that if you're a team that has not yet hired a coach and you were planning to not hire an African-American coach, you are now thinking about how bad it looks in a different way in the wake of this lawsuit.

Now, maybe that won't actually impact the decisions, but not only has it been a rough cycle so far coach-wise for diversity, we have had two very promising young black GMs who've been hired, which is cool, and that's progress. But, you know, it's kind of looking like it's not going to go great with Josh McCown maybe getting Houston. And that's offensive to a lot of white coaches, too. I don't want to just put that in the race box. Someone with zero coaching experience getting an NFL head coaching job should offend virtually any coach with experience. But, you know, we've seen Matt Eberflus. Jonathan Gannon's getting a lot of run. I think Kevin O'Connell very well, maybe he had a lot of.

for a job, Mike McDaniel, who is biracial, may have a shot at Miami. But it's not looking awesome. And so, I don't know, will this impact what actually happens in the cycle? Tell you one thing. If I were Roger Goodell, I'd be working the phones right now to the owners who haven't yet made hires and say, hey, anything you could do to help us from a global standpoint right now wouldn't hurt because we look real, real bad. Well, I think what really hurts the NFL, you know, Brian Flores won eight of nine with Tua and 10 games with Ryan Fitzpatrick in Tua. And, no, I've both of us from various sources heard that Flores, you know, and this has become a Patriot trend, can be difficult, his interpersonal skills, not very redeeming, fired multiple offensive coordinators. okay fine

and I suspect Flores would get another job although sometimes you know Doug Peterson by the way it may take a couple years you know

it's by the way there's not many great jobs out there the Raiders is considered the best job and it's one of the worst ownership situations and the toughest division in football so I always thought Flores would get another job

he probably need to kind of look in the mirror a little bit in his interpersonal skills which by the way Matt Patricia, Josh McDaniels, Charlie Weiss. But you, you know, when you came on our podcast, I thought, I wouldn't say you took the side, but you understood the Flores. After you did some deep diving, you did understand Flores' dismissal in Miami, I felt.

I think you put it really well. You know, a lot of times black or white, when we see people get fired in a very surprising way in the NFL. When I really dig deep, I find that relations and particularly managing the relationship with ownership tends to be the thing we're missing. And I would put John Dorsey, for example. He was a successful general manager in Kansas City seemingly, and he's white and abruptly he was gone. Seemed to be from what I gathered. He wasn't doing a great job of keeping ownership in the loop and giving them a sense of what was

you know important to them. So I think Flores would fall into that camp and look he's a young coach and certainly let's not ignore the New England part of it. You put that very, very well. But yeah, I when he was fired, that kind of

made sense to me because of that though I think we would all have agreed like won a lot of games as you said. It's pretty weird firing. But listen, not to personal I've been accused quite recently by good friends of personalizing everything. But, you know, I recently moved on from a job that I had for eight years and am now trying to figure out my situation.

And I know that I was very frustrated by the way my last job ended at NFL Network. And that remains frustrating to me. But as I've gone through it, not being in that job and the outcome of that has frustrated. to be much less than some of the things that I felt have happened since then when I've been on the market. And so if that's what Brian Flores maybe has gone through in the last couple weeks, and that's what got him to snap, I can understand because, okay, yeah, the dolphins, it was weird. And it's ridiculous in my mind that I was fired with that record. But maybe I just had a bad relationship with ownership or whatever with the general manager.

But really? now you're going to make me do a song and dance interview for a job with the New York Giants that I found out from Bill Belichick, if you believe Bill Belichick, it's already in the bag for Brian Daibald. And there are some other damning things in that lawsuit again. We'll see what the evidence is. But he says that he did an interview with the Broncos in 2019 that was effectively in his mind of sham interview.

He said that John Elway and others showed up an hour late and in his opinion seemed to be hug over. And, you know, that I'm sure felt like a system that wasn't, you know, geared toward his potential benefit or level playing field. There's a charge in there that I think the most damning thing in there, I again, we'll see what the evidence is, but he says that Dolphins owner Stephen Ross did some things, including either off the of $100,000 a loss when he wanted them to tank or actually gave him that. I have to read it a little more closely. He accuses Ross of trying to engineer this meeting with Flores and a unnamed prominent

quarterback who was property of another team over the offseason where they would just happen to meet and Flores found out about it and left. I mean, there are some things in there that, you know, go beyond the systemic racism part of it and are just plain, you know, damning to the people named. So it's really, it's a bombshell that drop. But I think we're going to be watching this over the coming weeks and months. And in a way that we felt we might with the Washington, Dan Snyder investigation at e-mails that as of now, we've only seen a tiny slice up. All right, my buddy, Dave Wonstat, Super Bowl 27 defensive coordinator with Jimmy and the Cowboys,

also bears, Dolphins head coach, playoff appearances. Pitt Panthers head coach. He's now joining us. Well, holy hell, your dolphins. Oh, my God, these allegations. So you had Wayne Hizenga, and all these billionaires have their issues. But, you know, it's funny, Coach, when I heard Brian Flores allegations, my takeaway was, and by the way, Hugh Jackson made the same allegations with his owner,

Jimmy Haslam. And, you know, Dave, my takeaway was. we always talk about there's eight or nine really great quarterbacks in the NFL. And I always think, well, there's only about eight or nine great owners in the NFL. You know there's a lot of squirrelly guys out there and squirrelly families doing things. When you heard Brian Flores' accusations, did you immediately dismiss them? Or as part of you thinking, oh, yeah, I've had three different ownership groups. I can see it.

Well, I'll be honest with you. I mean, I thought he came across very, very believing, you know. I don't know, Brian, I've never met him. But I guess the more I thought about it, I mean, I don't know if an owner would really know who the best quarterback in the draft is. You know, I mean, really, I mean, think about some of these guys. They don't know. only if somebody's telling them. So it'll be very interesting.

I mean, it's really a sad day on both accounts, you know, the allegations, obviously, that Brian's making, but also that he's making against an owner in the NFL. I mean, in today's world, with everything going on and the betting world, becoming such a big part of it and points and, you know, and to lose games,

I don't know. It's a mess. It's really bothersome. And I've got a lot of friends over there, as you know, you mentioned, you know, nobody's really talking, no one's saying anything. I mean, I think there's going to be a lot more people involved in different conversations. You know, Chris Greer is a general manager. I brought Chris on board when I was the head coacher. It's a scot for me. I think the world of Chris. His dad was a long time, one of the most respected scouts. the National Football League back in the day. And Chris, you know, and he's the general manager. So I don't know, you know, his name hasn't been mentioned on other side at this point. So there's going to be a lot more people that have information and have opinions on which way this went. It's just a shame. Now, you know what?

If I get the whole thing about the hiring process, and I would be upset too. I mean, if I was going into interview for a job and find out in any profession and found out that somebody already had the job, that would be very disappointing to me. And I would be upset about it. As far as getting released because you had two winning seasons, you know, I mean, I average 10 wins a year at Miami. So don't go. I never lost a season at all. So I can't go there. Jimmy Johnson was pushed out of Dallas after winning a Super Bowl.

So, you know what I mean? So no, really. So let's not say because two winning seasons that you can't be fired, any coach, anywhere. There's a lot of things that go into it. But the whole interview process, I get that. And I would be very disappointed, too, if I thought that I was in their interviewing and trying to sell myself and trying to get this job, knowing that somebody else already had it. mine was just window dressing, as they say. So I get that part of what Brian saying.

I really do. If an owner came to you and said, Dave, it's your first NFL job, Miami. I'll give you $100,000. Just lose the last three or four games. What would be your reaction immediately? My reaction would be I would lose the locker room and you might as well fire me because, and I kind of, my tenure, it's funny to say that, little different circumstances, but our owner, God rest in Wayne Hisinga, we started off slow.

That's the year, Ricky Williams, and he wanted to start because of some outside opinions, which Wayne never did. He wanted to make some quarterback changes and start playing some younger players. And what ended our relationship, I said, I cannot do that. I says, I will lose the locker room. Jason Taylor, Zach Thomas, Sam Madison. No, even though this guy is struggling right now, our quarterback, Jay Fiedler, as an example,

we got to stay the course, Wayne, because I'll lose the locker room because this is who these teams believe in. So I always go back to my players. How am I going to get my players to play hard for me? How am I going to get the most out of my players? And I think that, you know, I think that's what Brian Flores alluded to. you know, that I have a responsibility to you, yes, as the owner, but, and that ended my job.

That ended my job at the Dolphins. And basically, you know, Mr. Isinger said, well, that's, you're, he's the boss and this is what you want to do, then it's, it's not going to work and it didn't work. So, you know, it sounds like different circumstances, obviously. It had nothing to do with winning and losing, throwing games or any of that stuff or no money or anything. But still, where the owner wanted the head coach to do something that, and the head coach is thinking about those players. I mean, how am I going to get these guys to give everything they got every week and lay it on a line if I'm not doing that by the plays being called

or the people, you know, who are playing or however you were going to try to do that, I have no idea. But I get Brian Floyd's point because I kind of lived it to a different, different degree. So Jim Harbaugh interviews for the Vikings job doesn't get it, goes back to Michigan. On signing day, by the way. Dave, you have a rare perspective and so with Jimmy. You coach college and pro.

Right now, there is more structure and control over personnel in the NFL with millionaires than there is with college due to the transfer portal. And I believe you can't have any in-season integrity with your roster. A player could leave week to week. Like in the NFL, you've got a trading deadline in a free agency period. I think part of Harbaugh, maybe it's a small part, I think this transfer portal is so out of control with no guardrails. I think you're going to see more college guys, my opinion, GoPro.

I think Harbaugh wants to get back to the. NFL, I think he wanted the Vikings job. Oh, I know. I've been corresponding. In fact, I was texting with Jim last night. You know, I wanted to see the Bears interview him. And I said this on, and I got everything, buddy Chicago started up a month ago. And I said, you know, I said, you don't have to hire him, but I, boy, I would bring Jim in and talk to him.

And my big thing with Jim Harbaugh, and maybe people look at the offense he runs as a dinosaur offense, old school. But at least when Jim walks in the door. There's an identity there. Yes. You know what you're getting, right? But Bears had no interest. And he played for Bill Pollyne. And Bill Pollyne was part of the selection committee.

Okay, fine. So then the whole thing was signing day. I said this on the air Tuesday morning in Chicago on my radio show. I said, guys, Jim is going to Minnesota. It's over. And he told me that Mr. Ross, this is a month ago, you know, because of the Michigan thing that he was not going to do anything in Miami. He didn't feel good about that.

But I said he's going to Minnesota. You know how big signing date is? And I know most of these kids are signed early, but signing date is kind of the one day where college coaches are high-fiving each other up and down the hall. They bring in big breakfast and the recruits are calling in and you're putting the names up on the board. This is our new debt chart. It's an exciting.

And then that night you go out and all the alarm. might have rowdies and the head coach says this is our final class. National signing date is a real exciting, important time. And for Jim not to be there, I mean, they love them. And obviously I love Jim, but boy, I'll tell you what, a lot of places, that would have been a real problem that you're up interviewing the night before on signing date. I mean, it's different. But he's back and he's fired up.

He texted me last night. He's full of enthusiasm, 90 miles an hour. So here we go. That was a strange one, though. And for NFL people, they might not be able to digest how important this colleague signing day is. And the other thing, too, I talked to Pat Narduzzi, the head coach of Pity called me about 10 days ago because he hired Frank Shignetti, an offensive coordinator who I had a pit. We were talking about Frank. And he says now he said it's to the point where he has to recruit.

I says, well, when can these guys not leave? And they got Addison, the little receiver, who won the Blintacoff Award. And this kid is being recruited for this, and I, you know, like this thing. And teams are trying to, you know, talk him into leaving. And it came out today. Narduzzi said it today that last year, at this time, Notre Dame was trying to get Kenny Pickett to transfer. I mean, that's not right. You know, I mean, that's, that's, you shouldn't have to recruit these kids three times.

One time to get them, one time to make sure that no one else steals them and one time to keep them from going into draft. I mean, it's getting to be, it's tough. Coach, just so much insights. You were the most well-connected man in showbiz. I love it. I ask you a question. I get an answer every time.

Yeah, I mean, it's, yeah, there's some, the last few days have been very interesting days, you know, in national football league and college football too. I mean, but, and then Michigan ended up, I got to say. say this because I'm a Michigan fan. I mean, they ended up number eight in the country in recruiting without your head coach there. I mean, I used to stand by, and my daughter's laughed at me because I used this on my radio show. I used to stand by the fax machine. And they texted me, dad, there's no more. The fax machines are no long. But I used to stand it. Sure. You could send the letters in at seven o'clock. And I would stand by that fax machine like a 10-year-old kid at

Christmas waiting for those letters to come in. That's how, that's what a big deal it was. I know. Great seeing you coach. Go interview. I don't know. All right. See you.

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