The Herd with Colin Cowherd - Colin Cowherd Podcast Prime Cuts - Caitlin Clark, Can’t Miss NFL Draft Prospects, Bullish On The Bears

Episode Date: April 6, 2024

Colin’s top takes of the week! He breaks down a thrilling win for Iowa women’s basketball over LSU and why Caitlin Clark has ascended beyond “star” status (3:00) John Middlekauff, host of “3 and Out” joins Colin to talk about which top quarterback prospects are at the highest risk of “busting” and why their landing spot is so important (15:00) They also list off their “can’t miss” draft prospects (22:30) Colin’s joined by Danny Parkins, co-host of the “Parkins and Spiegel show” on 670 the Score in Chicago. They discuss why sports broadcasters are being forced to talk more and more about the NFL… even during the offseason (32:00), how GM Ryan Poles turned things around for the Bears (36:00) and whether the Bears made the right decision by trading Justin Fields to the Steelers (41:30). (Timestamps may vary based on advertisements.) #Volume #HerdSee 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.

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Issued as one bonus bet based on amount of initial losing bet. That's expire 168 hours after issuance. See dkng.com slash promos for deposit wagering in eligibility restrictions, terms, and responsible gaming resources. All right. Iowa 94, LSU 87 in a rematch. I thought it was incredibly fast-paced and fun. The game wasn't really, it didn't feel that close.

Iowa got more good looks. A lot of it, Caitlin Clark, 41 points, 9 for 20 on threes, 12 assists. And the assists are notable because, you know, why do we have this explosion in women's college basketball? And I think there's two reasons why you're getting this explosion. Number one is the quality of play is better. You can go back and watch the 1970s NBA and you can have Dr. Jay doing things that guys can't do now. I mean, the athleticism in the NBA, you can go back to 1975, 1985 men's college basketball. I'd argue it was better.

You had guys like, you know, superstar players, Akeem and Clyde Drexler State. for a third or a fourth year. Women's College basketball in the 70s and 80s did not look like this. The players now, the distribution, the scoring, the finishing, the passing, the size, the speed of athletes. It's different. I YouTube tonight for fun. I YouTube 1980 women's college basketball.

It's just not the same sport. The passing, the ball movement, the cutting. It's clever. And tonight's game wasn't chippy at all. But there's, you know, some chippiness, some physicality. And it's a joy to watch. I mean, folks, 94-87, that's like a month. That's December scoring for Virginia men's basketball.

How many games in this tournament have you watched on the men's side and thought, can we get to 50? Can we get to 53? Even Duke was painful to watch. But the quality of looks, the quality of shots, and just the quality of distribution and movement is terrific. And a lot of that's because we have multiple generations now of women being encouraged. to go be athletes. It wasn't the case in the 40s, 50s, maybe in the 60s, 70s. So the quality is really good. That's the first part. And the second thing, women's college basketball is delivering and producing what men's college basketball is not. Continuity. It's not a carousel. Great players and great rivalries year after year after a year. People are creatures of habit. I eat the same four things for breakfast the last 50 years. I'm having an oatmeal. I'm having a smoothie. I'm having an omelet. You know, it's the same stuff. And people are creatures of habits.

it, right? Our patterns. We like continuity. We like some predictability. And women's college basketball, we get a rematch. We get Caitlin Clark for a second year, a third year, a fourth year. The best college men's players, it's a turnstile. Half of them don't even play college basketball. So this is why you can criticize the NBA. You can criticize pro sports. There's been a lot of mobility in the NBA, but most of the warriors have stayed. You know, Jalen Brown and Tatum aren't going anywhere. Clay, Draymond Green, not going anywhere for a long time. Clay Thompson may move now, but I think it's delivering what men's college basketball

doesn't. And there are a lot of people in this country that prefer the aesthetic, the intensity, the competition, and the rivalries of college basketball over pro basketball. I like the quality of NBA basketball, but I will say everybody plays the same way. There's not a lot of uniqueness. It's all dunks or threes. And I don't like load management. Caitlin Clark is going to show up for every game. Angel Reese is going to show up for every game.

So Caitlin was the difference tonight in this game. And that's usually the way it works in big games with superstars. Yeah, I thought this kind of lived up to the hype. And I think it was kind of an exhilarating fun night of basketball that everybody enjoyed. And I think it captivated social media. It captivated the country. And, you know, it's another thing. I've said this. I grew up an NBA fan. So I'm from the Northwest. And the Sonics and the Blazers both got titles in the 70s. So in my area, college basketball wasn't as good. The Huskies had Marv Harshman. The Beavers had Ralph Miller. They were winning programs, but the quality wasn't very good.

And the Sonics and the Blazers were great, and they were winning titles. So I was an NBA fan. I've got little, you know, newspaper cut out things all over this corked wall in my bedroom. And I think the NBA and baseball were my first love. But, you know, one of the things about the NBA that I do think it's a bigger problem than anybody wants to acknowledge. The game is getting international. That's fine. Good basketball is good basketball. But I think load management's a real problem. And when I went to a Celtics Bulls game a couple Saturdays ago in Chicago, three of the best players for the Celtics sat out. If you're going to sit out a game, sit out a Monday,

Tuesday, Wednesday, those Friday and Saturday night games, those are date nights. Those are big. That's when your son or your daughter don't have school the next day. And those are games that really, really matter to a family. A lot of people, I'm one of them. I go to two NBA games a year. just because of my schedule. Maybe three. They sure have been to two. I'm going to a Knicks Bulls game this weekend or this Friday in Chicago. But I think it matters.

And watching the women tonight, I'm like, I knew multiple starters for teams. Continuity, repetition, predictability, storylines. That's why 90% of the revenue in cinema today is remakes and sequels. You know, people want to be invested in a plot. So this is the big rematch. I just, I think it's really important. And I think Adam Silver has been a bit too player-friendly and accommodating. But I thought a big part of tonight is we all knew who we knew it was Angel Reese and Kim Mulkie and Caitlin Clark.

And we knew the rivalry and it got testy and chippy last year. It's a big part of sports. It's a big part of movies, remakes, sequels. And it was fun. And the game flew by. Refs got out of the way mostly. I thought between Ju-Ju Watkins at USC, Angel Reese, Caitlin Clark,

the only men's basketball player that rivals that in terms of star power is Zach Eady for Purdue. And I do think Yukon is a, I don't know if they're historically great, they're great. For 2024, they're great for men's basketball. But I think three of the four biggest stars in March

have it on the women's side. And, you know, we can talk about the purity of the game and we love the game. America love stars. We're a very fast-paced, frenetic society. We're all distracted. We've all got our phones. You know, we're doing a million things. We like stars. Stars get us to a theater. They get us to a game. And Caitlin Clark has that kind of power. I mean, now Angel Reese is great, too. But Caitlin Clark's kind of unique shooting range. I was joking on social media. Her shooting range is somewhere around, hey, I'm driving to the arena. I'll be there soon. Some of her shots are just insane. I'm not even sure they're good shots. Go in or not. They're just shots that she takes and with

relative ease. So I, the star power matters. You can talk about the quality of anything, but brands matter, star power matters. And Caitlin Clark has it. I was trying to think during the first half of the game, I was kind of Googling and thinking about the biggest stars in the history of college basketball. And that the first big star to me was Pat Summit. And then there was, you know, Nancy Lieberman and then Cheryl Miller and then the Yukon was sort of a collective. I do think Maya Moore is about as good a players as I've ever seen. So it was either coach or a program or Cheryl Miller. Caitlin Clark, I think, is just a comet.

And like, you know, what's also great about it is it's almost like I was watching a Steve Martin documentary the other day. And, you know, all movie stars have ups and even Marlon Brando, Tom Hanks, Denso, good movies, movies. The thing about Caitlin Clark is she just keeps delivering every time. Like, every time I tune in, like, tonight, you're like, okay, she'll have 31, 41, 12 assists. And she just, it's like, it would be like having, you know, six sequels do a movie and everyone's better than the next. So that's rare. Everybody has stinkers. Brady, Mahomes. It's got kind of a tiger Woods feel to it. She's got kind of like every time I watch an anticipate. She just delivers. And women's college basketball this year has really done that. I had a blast for the last two hours watching that game, two and a half hours. And I hope you did as well. Congrats to Iowa. And LSU's a hell of a team. Kim Mulkey can drive a lot of people in the media nuts. But doesn't she have two natties, two different schools? That's pretty good. That's pretty good coach. Listen, college coaches have a lot of power on a campus. They have a right to an opinions, even if I don't agree with them. And as a sportscaster,

You're always looking for big games. NFL season, Mondays are easy shows. I'm always looking for big games in the off season. So thank you to women's basketball, LSU and Iowa, and Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese for delivering a great night of entertainment. 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 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 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 J. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick it here, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it, including a recent episode with Mark Lamont Hill, waxing all about crack in the 80s. To be clear, 84 is big to me, not just because of crack. I'm down to talk about crack on day, but yeah, yeah, literally. 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.

We talk a lot about these quarterbacks. And I have said before that I think Caleb Williams is the most talented. And like an Andrew Luck, he will succeed at some level, even if he got their own coach, GM. O-line roster. And I do think Ryan Poles has had, he's redeemed himself. He's had a very good six to nine months. So I think he may have the right. Former offensive lineman looks like the O line.

There's some hits there with his draft cap on the last three years. But let's go. Let's reverse the telescope. If I said to you, we know of these top five or six, two are not going to work. We know it right now. And I've said, I think Caleb's good enough to overcome. everybody else will be as good as where they land.

I think J.J. McCarthy in New England is a bust. I think J.J. McCarthy in Minnesota with that talent and coach, that division, which is light on defense, heavy on scoring, works. If I said to you guess, give me two, that if you had to put the odds on, it won't work. See, now I think Bo Nix is going to fall and end up falling to like a McVay or a Peyton. You know, I kind of think Bo Nix is not talented enough to overcome, whereas I think Jaden Daniels isn't either, but is going to go top three or four, and that's problematic. So I would get Jaden Daniels to me as like, oh, no, I think he can succeed. But the top three quarterbacks are going to defensive coaches working with new OCs, three for three. So give me the guy that you worry about.

Yeah, to me, he'd have to be first given, you know, I don't want to, it's unfair to compare him to a guy who. he's won two MVP's, but his game is parallel some of Lamar, right? Yeah. He throws it pretty, he probably throws it better outside the hashes down the field. But I do think that type player early on in his career, Lamar went to the Ravens, who literally pivoted midseason, changed their whole offense around. It's not just one of the highest level, you know, sports teams, like one of the higher level businesses probably in America the way they've operated for 20 plus years. So he got, I know it sucks falling to 32, but he got pretty lucky.

Jane Daniels, that's probably not going to happen, right? He's going to go in the top five. And more than likely, you're not getting a competent operation. So if he goes to the New England Patriots, that's pretty scary. I mean, their offensive talent is a disaster. Listen, I'm not trying to judge you on the coach's picture, but Gerard Males wearing like a t-shirt and he looked dishevelled. I know he's a high-level impressive guy, but I don't know, man.

I'm saying that tongue in cheek, but in all seriousness, the drop-off that's about to come from Bill Belichick to what's going on. The crash refused to name a general manager. Elliot Wolff's kind of doing it. I think it's going to be a rough go for that organization. And then the J.J. McCarthy, my comp for him is Alex Smith. Alex Smith has success when he had

Jim Harbaugh and Andy Reed. One guy's basically a chubbier version of Bill Walsh and Jim Harbaugh is one of the more successful college NFL coaches we've ever seen. When he had Mike Nolan and Mike Singletary, it was a disaster. They were chanting for David Carr. So that's very fickle.

Certain physical talents, like, Josh Allen probably would have succeeded no matter what, right? He's just physically too gifted. Even Herbert, even his down years ago, I still see a lot there. Tua is a good example. Kind of like Jared Gough, much less physical attributes when it's not going well. You're like, what the hell is this? Good coaching, good offensive weaponry, good protection.

You're like, okay, I see it. Yeah, Tua and Goff are very much about protection and coach. Herbert has gone to the playoffs and is yet to get even a remotely competent coach. And I would take Jared Goff all day over Tua, just on the simple fact, he's bigger. I think he just throws a better ball. And on the flip side, you know, I don't know if you saw all those numbers from Pinnix, but you and I have talked about this before, a lot of comparisons to Tua. And then you see him run like a four, five, five, and he jumps 37 inches.

I think Kobe jumped 36. So I'm not comparing him as an athlete to Kobe Bryant, but he's a really good athlete. Yeah. I mean, that's, so I know you don't see it as much on film because he wasn't as to play that way. They had, you know, I think they thought they had the best offensive line in the country than they meant Michigan, but they had an excellent offensive line, right? So he wasn't getting touched. I think he was only sacked like, what, 11 times? It's like average in less than one a game. But he clearly can move, right? So you could get a guy in some of these Shanahan offenses or

Sean Payton to get him on the move a little bit. He has it in him. I clearly his film as a pocket passer is pretty special. Questions with injuries. That's scary. But I heard a podcast probably within the last six months of Du Boer talking about when he first got to Indiana and they recruited him was he was recruited as more of a dual threat guy. And then he had the injuries and they just got away from it. But he physically, I was pretty, that was an eye-opening experience to see those. I would have guessed he's like a 4-8 guy and not a great athlete, but he's not. Like Tua, remember, he heard his hip his last year in college so he couldn't work out. He ain't running a 4-5.

He ain't sniffing it. And listen, Tua is a part. pocket quarterback, which I thought Pennix was too, but you see these athletic numbers, kind of like the CJ Stroud. Now, he did it more on film in that Georgia game, but one thing we know about CJ, pocket quarterback, but has athletic attributes to kind of move around when shit hits the fan, which in the NFL, it inevitably does. Yeah, I think J.J. McCarthy only works if he goes to like, let's say, a Minnesota. I think that that's a furnished apartment for a young quarterback. Everything set up. They don't have to pay rent for a year. Darnold's paying rent for a year. He'll take the hits and the bruises. Then you step in.

What about the Giants? Oh, I don't, I don't like anybody to the Giants. I don't like anybody right now to the Giants. Tough landing spot. I would say Pennix to Miami to be the next two. Penix to Seattle works. I think they're kind of ready to roll his offensive coordinator. I think McCarthy and Minnesota works. But the Rams is a sleeper for him. Well, the Rams is a sleeper for a lot of people. So they're one of those teams that has been very successful without first round picks. This is their first, first rounder in a long time. And they're at 19.

I could see the Rams sliding down if Bo Nix is there. And you start, I've been in a war room before you have. And you slide down and you're like, well, the next four teams don't need quarterbacks. If it's, you know, at 19, you're getting into like Dallas, May, but they need some pieces. I could see the Rams going and saying, we're going to take Bo Nix and he's going to sit for two years. I could totally see that happening. So I think Bo Nix to me, again, like a Pinnix, like a J.J. McCarthy, it's going to be the spot. But Bo Nix may be the luckiest of all because the truth is if he goes, and I think he probably

will. I think Denver is the last chance for him. Then there's going to be a long stretch of people that aren't going to move up. Like if you start looking at the teams that need quarterbacks, it's not a surprise. They're mostly in the top 12 and 13. That's why they're bad teams. Yeah. So I think Bo Nicks, I think the Rams would roll the dice on Bo Nicks because the Stetson Bennett didn't work. Stafford feels like he's heard at least once to twice a year.

That one's interesting. This draft does feel like to me it's got about five guys. I don't see Marvin Harrison Jr. missing. I think he's just, I don't think Brock Bowers is missing. Joe Alt. Those guys jump out to me. Is the kid at Oregon State, the right tackle who, like you can't find.

bad tape on him. It does feel like this draft, but like the, there are players in this draft. I think sometimes receivers can be very dependent on the environment. Big down. And the quarterback. Quarterbacks are very dependent on several people, including the play caller. But if I said to you, two guys in the draft as a former scout, because I always thought Patrick Willis, the Ole Miss linebacker, I was told by a GM, 32 teams he'd work for. I was told Aidan Hutchison out of Michigan. Like, that's going to work. I'm trying to think of somebody. Calvin Johnson was going to work. Larry Fitzgerald, Julio Jones. I mean, they're sort of guys. They're going to work. Give me the two guys here. Let's say they go to a lousy situation. You cannot see failing. Well, I don't see how it's possible for a kid from Napa, California, to go to the best program in the country of Georgia.

and Brock Bowers, I would say, pretty immediately as a freshman, definitely the most athletic conference in the country, was one of their best players. And by year two or three, he's arguably the best player in the country, pound for pound as good as anybody. Maybe the most productive tight end I've ever seen in college. So you get this guy that goes, it would have been easy for a West Coast guy, go to Oregon, go to USC, even in Oklahoma or Texas, not go.

He went all the way to where the pressure was brightest. and dominated. I don't see, and I know there's some comparisons, it doesn't really block. Well, the game's changed a lot. We have a lot more of these hybrid tight ends, a lot more of the Travis Kelsey style. He's very like any receiver dependent on a quarterback to throw him the ball, obviously. But how's he not going to be a good NFL pro? I saw some of his measurable. They put right next to Leporta, very similar size. A little harder to judge, I think, sometimes those big 10 tight ends because you're like, well, who's he, you know, defenders he playing against? There's no debate.

Think about the guys he went and practiced against Colin. If I was a scout, I wouldn't even need to watch game tape. I'd be like, can I just get your Georgia practice tape from a year ago, your entire draft, when the 11 guys on defense went? So I think they had 18 guys on defense go over a two-year span. I can imagine Kirby's like, yeah, we couldn't cover him there either. So I don't see how it's possible. I was texting about sometimes height at tackle. Like there's 6-6, like Trent Williams,

Jason Peters I think Lane Johnson 6.5 like 6-8, 6-9 can get a little tall because Vaughn Miller or

Nick boasted these guys where they are to the ground it's just hard to touch them but from what I've heard about Joe Alt is just his

athleticism. I just don't see how he's not going to be good. Now the one thing with him because I was texting I was like

should the chargers if they get stuck just take them and like well you already get the left tackle just get a touchdown guy

for Herbert you can get a right tackle maybe in the second round. You've already got that position. You don't need to force it. If you do get stuck there, just take whoever you think the best skill guy is. And there are some talented guys. And most people believe the three wide receivers.

And you and I talked about, I saw James Jones, which I understand a lot of the players are like, God, it's bullshit Marvin Harrison isn't doing anything when all the other guys worked out. All the quarterbacks, all the wide receivers. I heard neighbors at the LSU Pro Day, which I don't know if you saw some pictures. That thing was a zoo of NFL people. Yeah. It was like, okay, Marvin, watch this.

because he, you know, he thinks he's going to go number one. I defend Marvin in the sense. Everything he's doing is because his dad's telling him. And when your dad's in a Hall of Fame, if he tells you to jump, you say how high. So it's like, I don't believe it's his own choice. I'm not saying he's not agreeing to it, but what's he supposed to do. Tell his dad, he doesn't know what he's talking about. But that neighbor's, Connie, ran a four, three.

He's a fantastic tape. I mean, dominated in the SEC, ran a four, three, five, and jumped 42 inches. I mean, pretty rare athlete. So, you know, it's hard. I don't know what to gauge on Harbaugh. I think I said, you and I talked about this last week about the wide receivers, and someone hit me up like, the Ravens have taken wide receivers over the years. Yeah, in the 20s when they're good.

When they've drafted high, it's Tolodi Nata. It's Ronnie Stanley. Now, I don't know if that guy's really here, right? There's not a great pass rusher in this. The Bama guy, I don't think he's viewed as a top 10 player. Like we talked about, they don't need a left tackle. You could, I guess, take the Oregon State guy there, probably be a little rich. but I don't know

if Harbaugh didn't take Marvin Harrison he's seen him back to back years right and seen him on cross film for three years at Michigan that'd be a little interesting neighbors is from what you know he's had some incidents over the years but his talent I think they feel he's pretty

buttoned up right now Rome honestly feels kind of like a Harbaugh guy but I don't know I think the Chargers are fascinating but yeah I would go Brock Bowers I don't see how he's not if you got If you just put him on the Chargers, which I don't think, you know, that he would immediately make like $9, 10,000-ish million dollars in a tight end. The franchise tax is 12. So ideally taking a tight end that high, you're already paying him premium money.

But I think he'd be a premium player immediately. I think he would dominate. If you told me Brock Bowers is on the Chargers next year, I'd be like he catches 88 balls, wouldn't you? Nine touchdowns. I mean, here's the other thing, letting Gerald Everett go to the Bears. They don't have, I mean, they're, they're. They're well below average in the NFL at tight end. And so, and Herbert, I mean, can you imagine him having a 6-6 target?

You know, because he was so, he's been so effective with Keenan Allen and Mike Williams. I mean, so he's one of those guys that will throw guys open. A lot of young quarterbacks don't. He throws young guys open. 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.

Yep, that's me. Clever 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, personal health, personal health,

purpose, and even music. The Clifford Show isn't just a podcast. It's a space for honest conversations, stories that don't always get told, and for people who are chasing something bigger. So, if you've ever supported me or you're just chasing down a dream, this is right where you need to be.

Listen to the Clifford show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. Do you remember when Diana Ross double-tapped Little Kim's boobs at the VMAs? Or when Kanye said that George Bush didn't like black people. I know what you're thinking.

What the hell does George Bush got to do with a little Kim? Well, you can find out on the Look Back at it podcast. I'm Sam J. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick it here, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it. Including a recent episode with Mark Lamont Hill, waxing all about crack in the 80s.

To be clear, 84 is big to me, not just because of crack. I'm down to talk about crack on day, but just so you're just so you. y'all know. I mean, at this point, this is the second episode where we've discussed crack. So I'm starting to see that there's a through line. We also have AIDS on the table right now. So, oh. Thank you finishing that sentence. And yes, I don't think there's a more important year for black people. Really? Yeah. For me, it's one of the most important years for black people in American history. Listen to look back at it on the IHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Well, I first heard of Danny Parkins,

from Nick Wright, who had said, hey, I work with this guy. And then I go to Chicago regularly and listened. And I thought, wow, this guy's about the best young guy I've heard in the country. So I did sports radio for a while. And then I wanted to create mostly out of survival when I was at ESPN. I said, guys, I've got to create a simulcast. AM radio is not a dynamic next 10 year horizon. And so ESPN did not think I was talented enough to be on ESPN too. apparently. So I said, all right, I'll jettison this place. I do appreciate it. And things have gone well. But when I went to television, I always did a show with a lot of football. But I think I have moved in the direction of more football. Part of that is when you can see a TV number every day, you see what's working and you see what's not. And football almost almost works. Secondarily, though, big beats small, scale beats up boutique. The NFL makes everything now look small. I think it's well run. I think sports gambling helps. I think it's better on television.

I think other leagues have made mistakes. One and done is hurt college basketball, men's anyway. What percentage of your show? Mine's about 70% NFL. I don't want to be on the NFL network. I've talked to a lot of college basketball in the last two or three weeks. What percentage of yours is NFL? Obviously, it depends on the time, right?

I mean, we're Cub's opening day. We're doing a ton of Cubs. We're the home of the Cubs. But even leading into that, the Bears have been the dominant. storyline with the last two years having the number one overall pick. They're the biggest story in the NFL for the off season. So obviously, they're the biggest story here. So even with a two-team town, there's only three cities that have two baseball teams. Baseball on the radio is still incredibly powerful. You know, the Cubs are the biggest client to my radio station, 670,

by far. We're still, and I wish the number was higher. My co-host is a bigger baseball guy. it's over 50% for football, even in opening day week with two teams in town because it's all about Caleb Williams and the ninth pick and are the bears on the come and all of that. And the other thing, at least in this market that I would say, is football's the great unifier. When I was growing up, kid in the 90s in Chicago, the Bulls were king, the Blackhawks weren't even on TV, but there were people that were Blackhawks fans and not Bulls fans, even at that period of time. And certainly when they had their dynastic run with three titles, the Hawks kind of overtook the Bulls as being the toughest ticket in town and that sort of thing.

Cubs and White Sox split. Blackhawks and Bulls split. Everybody cares about the Bears. Everybody has an opinion on the Bears. And for the national side of it, yeah, sports gambling, yeah, fantasy. But I think like the simplest way to explain it is that every game matters. It's one of 17. And no other league has that.

If I miss Bulls Hawks and I don't talk about it on the show the next day, we don't get a single text call or tweet being like, hey, you missed this really important thing. Because if a really important thing happens, I see about it on social media, it cuts through, we talk about it. But if you came out on the Monday after a Bears Packers game or a Bears' Lions game or a Bears Jaguars game or a Bears' Bucks game, whomever, even if they were five and ten,

and you didn't do four hours on the Bears game, the ramifications, who played well, who didn't, who's going to get fired, who's going to get extended, all of those things. People would think you were insane. So it's the great unifier, and the thing that it has is that every game matters, and the rhythm of it, I think, is great.

You play a game on Sunday, you react on Monday, the coach and the quarterback speak on Monday, and quarterback speaks on Wednesday. You start looking ahead to the next game. Then there's a Thursday night game. Teams in your division matter. It's just for local sports radio, national TV, there's just such a great rhythm to football. So I didn't like Ryan Poles initially.

Veles Jones, I watched them at USC, could not track the ball. I mean, I literally text you GMs and I'm like, he doesn't know what he's doing. That he can't play. He can't play. So I watched USC, maybe more than Ryan Poles. And then there was the Chase Claypool, which I defended because of the body type, but Chase ended up going sideways and not being very mature. And so my takeaway is I don't trust the ownership, Ryan Poles, Matt Eber Flus,

and then probably knowing he butchered Beelis Jones and knowing that there are certain things about offense like line play, I think he's drafted it pretty well, that he knows. He went and got DJ Moore. He went and got Keenan Allen and moved Mooney. And I thought, oh, and then he brings in Gerald Everett. And he's Swift, who's a good, he can catch the ball to the backfield. And I'm like, oh, now I, new information. I think Ryan Poles knows what he's doing.

I think his last six move. I love the Monta's sweat move. It got heat, but I'm like, folks, there's nobody in the second round as good as Montez sweat. Right. And no guarantee you'd get him in free agency. That's right. But what is the takeaway?

Because the Bears, Iber Fluse has been criticized, the ownership has. Where is everybody sitting on your GM, which in football is such a substantial position because the rosters are so big and there's so many moves to make? I don't know how you could have any grade on him other than an A. It doesn't mean that he's perfect, and you've listed a few of the big misses. Like, Valus Jones is the first offensive player that he ever selected, but it was in the third round. Teams miss on third round picks all the time.

Chase Claypool. It was a panicked move. It was, I'm trading away Roquan Smith. I'm trading away Robert Quinn. I'm carrying the most dead cap space of any team in the league. but I am trying to be fair to Justin Fields, who is an 11 out of 10 as a person, and I'd like to figure out if I have something here, I've got to give him something, and he over-traded for the traits of Chase Claypool.

And I think he undervalued the personal stuff. Because then when he learns the mistake from that, and he trades for Montes-Swett, there were a lot of people saying, trade for Chase Young off that defense-fine, more talented, better pedigree player, all of that stuff. but he loaves. He takes plays off. And Montes Sweat, whatever he's got, he's given it to you.

And so I think that is a direct, because it's the exact same trade. It's a second round pick for an established player that you're hoping to pay. They paid Montez Sweat. They obviously didn't pay Claypool. So I think also with anything, learning,

proving that you learn from your mistakes and that you don't double down, that's a sign of intelligence, to me. So to me, it's like, yeah, did it start a little choppy? No question. But he also inherited one of the oldest teams in the league with a ton of bad contracts, a quarterback that someone else drafted, no first round pick in his first year. So his first draft picks are second round picks, both of whom, by the way, pretty good, Kyler Gordon and Jaquan Brisker, two guys who are starters in one of the best young secondaries in football. Then when he gets a first round pick, a lot of

are saying, Jalen Carter, Jalen Carter, Jalen Carter, you need a three technique for this defense. He moves down from 9 to 10, picks up an extra fourth round pick, draft Darnell Wright, right tackle to support the quarterback. He makes all rookie team. Looks like he's going to be a starter at right tackle for 10 years. And then the biggest thing by far, and the sweat one was big and the Keenan Allen was big, is he trades the number one overall pick and picks the right team to trade to, gets DJ Moore, gets the second round pick that is Tyreek Stevenson, another starter at cornerback who was really damn good last year, gets the first round pick this year,

which is going to be, you know, Caleb Williams, a once-in-a-generation quarterback prospect. He has their second round pick next year from Carolina. And oh yeah, by the way, DJ Moore. So it's one of the great, I mean, people will reference the Herschel Walker trade. It is truly one of the great trades in modern NFL history if Caleb Williams is everything that you and I in the vast majority of people think that he will be. They've got a very good cap situation. They've got very good players in their athletic prime.

Jalen Johnson, Tremaine Edmins, Montez Sweat, Cole Comet, DJ Moore. These guys are all 25, 26, 27 years old, under contract, good players on rookie deals, Brisker, Gordon, Tyreek Stevenson, Darnel. right, Tevin Jenkins, who I hadn't mentioned, and now you're going to inject the ninth overall pick, whoever he ends up taking, and there's a ton of great options, and Caleb Williams, and a good quarterback on a rookie deal, the Bears should be set up under Ryan Poles for a really long runway of success here. You kind of moved into a space as far as I can tell. You were not really a Justin Spiels guy, and the city was, you know, of course they're clinging

to it working. Hell, the Bears were clinging to it. They wanted to say, we'll get nine picks for Caleb Williams. Everybody wanted it to work. So what is it like now, probably for the first time in your career, as being a villain for a few months? Okay, so this is fascinating. I'm going to take off my headset for just one second because this will make sense. So, because there is an exact moment when my likability plummet.

And it's wild. I just have to pull out a prop real quick. I didn't know we were going to talk about this. Hold on. So I commissioned a campaign. Caleb Williams 13 Bears jersey the day they got the number one pick. So with a week left in the season. And so Justin Fields is still on the Bears.

It's been he's likable. He's fun. He's exciting. He was voted the 86th best player in the NFL coming off of the 2022 season when they had the most dead caps face and no one else good on the team. People love Justin Fields. And the bears did not treat him well. And it was not fair.

And they did not build around him. And the situation that Caleb is walking into is a thousand times. But life isn't fair. And I was like, listen, here's the thing. I like hangar steak. But I've got a chance for eight five waggoo. And it's cheaper. Like, for some reason, for some reason, the waggo is cheaper than the hangers.

Like, I'm going to go for it every time. And so when I, people are like, I, because now everyone's pumped for Caleb. But I was just like, this is how. it's going to end and I told them how it was going to end before they were ready to hear how it was going to end. And if I would have just had the take, people would have really disagreed. But for some reason, the fact that I spent $140 on a jersey and like became a prop comic for a minute and like showed like I showed you how how positive I was that this was how it was going to end.

Buddy, were people mean to me on the internet? But it's so weird about the whole thing is that I'm going to be right. Like, I bet Mitch Grimisky at 200 to 1 to an MVP blew up in my face. I said there was a 0% chance the White Sox were going to hire Tony Larusa, blew up in my face. Like, I've been wrong plenty of times. We give 20 hours a week of opinions. You're going to be wrong all the time. But man, did people hate this jersey?

But now it's going to be the number one selling. Jersey in the NFL for the next like five years. So I'm a, I don't know if you knew this. I'm a fashion icon. I'm a trendsetter. I'm ahead of the curve. People are dressing like me now. And I frankly love it. But yeah, did I have it on my on my board that the thing that would make me most hated is the thing that I have been the most right about? No. I did I did not expect that to be how my career is gone. But now people are being pretty nice because they're pretty excited. about Caleb Boy. The volume.

Thanks so much for listening. If you've enjoyed the podcast, take a moment, rate, and review. 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 it. on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the I-Hart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever

you get your podcasts. Hey, this is Robert from the Stuff to Blow Your Mind podcast. Joe and I are both lifelong Star Wars fans, 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 Tontons and Wampas on the ice planet hot, or the practicality and corporate business sense of the Sith rule of two. Listen to stuff to blow your mind on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. This is an IHeart podcast. Guaranteed human.