The Herd with Colin Cowherd - Colin Cowherd Podcast - Prime Cuts: Ethan Strauss on NBA Media, Chris Mannix on Harden/Embiid, LBJ/Cavs Reunion & Mike Silver on Kyler

Episode Date: March 5, 2022

This is Prime Cuts! The best of the Colin Cowherd Podcast! First, Colin's top takes of the week, including why he's not as high on Ja Morant as the rest of the fawning NBA media, if a team can win a Super Bowl while paying Aaron Rodgers a historic $50 million per, and if Bucs Pro Bowl Guard Ali Marpet would have retired had Tom Brady came back in 2022.Then (17:00), longtime NBA writer - and host of the House of Strauss Podcast - Ethan Strauss examines why the Cavs are drawing huge local ratings when the Lakers and Nets aren't, the difference between NFL and NBA, report and if Ben Simmons is destined to fail in Brooklyn.Next (29:00), SI Senior NBA Writer - and host of Boxing with Chris Mannix - Chris Mannix weighs in on if the James Harden and Joel Embiid marriage will eventually implode, and if the Cavs would blow up their young roster to get LeBron back.Finally (43:00), longtime NFL writer Mike Silver discusses the most recent public escalation of the drama between Cardinals QB Kyler Murray and the Cardinals, if Bruce Arians would really push to block Tom Brady from un-retiring elsewhere.Make sure you 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.

The volume. 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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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. On the Look Back at it podcast. From 1979, that was a big moment for me. 84 was big to me. I'm Sam J.

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A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what I'm saying. Yep, that's me, Cliver Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, my basketball and college football journey, or my career in sports media. Well, now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifers Show. This is a place for raw, unfiltered conversations with athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but, but celebrated. So let's get to it.

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There's a lot of reasons. It's America's number one sports book, incredibly easy to use, super safe, totally secure, super fast payouts in as quick as two hours. You're not going to get that anywhere. Also, same game parlay bets, live betting. It's the best. Hey, if you're new, just download the Fandul Sportsbook app. I did it in 15 seconds. Get started now. Sign up. Please use the promo code Colin so they know we sent you. Please use the promo code Colin. C-O-L-I-N. Fandul Sportsbook app, sign up. It's Prime Cuts, the best of the Colin Coward podcast. Chris Manix and I went deep on the Lakers issue and why the Westbrook move is so awful.

Mike Silver, boy, was he great, the weird statement by Kyler Murray's agent and Tray Lance Jimmy G. updates. Ethan Strauss, always provocative. A lot of great behind the scenes insight into the complicated relationship between the media and the NBA. But first, my top takes of the week. So yesterday I had an opinion. It's my favorite kind of opinion. It's right, but it gets pushback. that John Morant's amazing, and he's going to win his career in MVP, and he's exhilarating and he's fun, but I've seen it before. It's called Derek Rose Russell Westbrook and John Wall.

Hyperathletic guards who, because they're not great shooters, need to drive to the rim and score, and eventually it's very physical down there among the forest. They get knocked down, they get hurt, and careers are not nearly as great as they are in the first couple of years. So the pushback is, Colin, he's different. He is different. No, no, he's not.

I watched Derek Rose. Derek Rose was the best highlight player in the league. So was John Morant. Derek Rose was not the best player in the league. He faced that year he won the MVP, LeBron in the Eastern Conference Finals, and LeBron totally shut him down in the fourth quarter of every big game.

John Morant's not as valuable as Janus. He's not as gifted as a healthy KD. He's not the best player in the league. He's the best highlight. and he's playing in Zion isn't in the NBA. But he's not a great shooter. He is a solid distributor. And people are going to say, well, Colin, he's got more depth than Westbrook.

All you fanboys out there voted for Westbrook and wanted Westbrook could be the MVP because of a triple double. If that's not balanced, I don't know what it is. He averaged over 10 rebounds a game, over 10 assists a game, double digits and points a game. That's the definition of balance. That's why he won the MVP. Balance. He didn't win the scoring title. He wasn't the most efficient player.

He was the definition of what many perceived as balance. He could do a lot of things well. I'm not anti-John Morant. But we've seen this before. Hyper athletic guards who are not great shooters. There is no hand check. Wall can get to the basket. Westbrook gets to the basket.

Derek Rose gets to the basket. Gary Payton could not as easily get to the basket. You could hand check it. So when I've said this, the hand-checked, the hand check should be reinstituted to the NBA, it would cut down on small guys getting hurt. They wouldn't be able to drive to the basket as freely as they do. I'm not saying John Morant won't win an MVP.

I'm not saying he won't be a great player. I'm not saying he won't be a Hall of Famer. I'm not saying he won't lead his team to playoff victories and series victories. But titles are not, they don't go through point guards. I mean, Magic Johnson doesn't even have a comp in NBA history. He was a six, nine point guard. Don't compare him to Magic. but to last in this league, it is not attacking the basket as a little guy.

That's not how you last in this league. LeBron James did something about 10 years ago, and LeBron is such a savvy player. Even at 6-9, 255, 260, LeBron started pulling up and shooting jumpers, even though he can score at the rim, at will. Still to this day, he can score at the rim at will. but LeBron doesn't want the body taking that beating, and he's 6.9.255. LeBron's smart. lasting duration.

I mean, even Michael Jordan. Jordan career, in my opinion, could have been longer. He finished at the basket so much. You know, Dwayne Wade did not age as well as LeBron. Dwayne Wade hit the floor a lot. Another non-great perimeter shooter. Now, D. Wade's is thick. Dick D. Wade could handle it. D. Wade had a great career. But I absolutely believe if D. Wade was a better shooter, attack the rim less regularly, he'd still be playing today. He would have aged better. But in the end, he kind of fell apart. Look at Westbrook now. He's beat up. Wall's beat up. Iverson at the end was beat up. None were great shooters. So could Morant develop into a better shooter? Absolutely. And it would be the best thing for him. But let's not deny we've never seen.

seen this. Oh, absolutely. Derek Rose was the most beloved player in the league. Dude got a $100 million shoe deal and wasn't playing. He was so beat up. Is John Morant better than Derek Rose? There's no guarantee of that. There's no guarantee of that. Derek Rose was the MVP. Spectacular. High flying. Didn't have a great jumper. Had to finish at the rim. And how did it go? This is not an anti-John Ma'am rant rant. It's an anti-little guy attacking the rim. He's currently number two in the NBA in scoring the paint. Number two.

To a center. Can't last doing that. At some point, you've got to pull up. You got to distribute. Got to let others score at the rim. A lot of different reports out there about Aaron Rogers wanting $50 million. And people saying, wow, I mean, Aaron, Aaron denying it. This is just, listen, first of all, the best.

the best quarterback won every division last year. Increasingly, the rules are telling you, if you don't have a star quarterback or the second best quarterback in your division, you're not going to be a playoff team. Things that are interesting and noteworthy, though, people tell you what they care about by their decisions. If you go back the last 20 years in the NFL, think about this.

Unless you have a quarterback named Brady or Manning, you're not winning. a Super Bowl if your quarterback is a top five cap hit. The exception? Brady, Payton, Eli Manning. Matt Stafford this year was the ninth biggest cap hit. So if you start looking at the players this year that were one through eight in cap hits, Russell Wilson, fourth place, Kirk Cousins, disappointing, Aaron Rogers, Matt Ryan, Jimmy G, Big Ben, Derek Carr, Carson Wentz, what is it mean? You can't have that third great receiver. You can't have that second top pass rusher. Maybe you're weak at center. Listen, I'm for guys making whatever they can. Well, Colin Aaron's not married to a

supermodel. But Aaron also doesn't need a $40 million house in a big, expensive city. He spends a million dollars probably to buy a little place in Green Bay, not married, no kids. All the money is his. Listen, we can make excuses. I'm for pro athletes getting what they want. But I've said this about Russell Wilson. People show you what they really need or care about by their decisions. Hey, I love Troy Aikman, and I'm happy for him. And I text him when he left.

And he texts me back. I've always liked him. But he wanted to get paid more. He's not going to get consistently as good at games, leaving Fox. We know that. I worked at a SBN, Monday night football. there's a lot of dogs in those games. And I don't think he's going to have a broadcast partner, nearly as talented as Joe Buck.

I don't hold it against Troy Aikman. He's like, hey, man, I've been doing this a long time. It's time to go, look around the league, look at what Amazon offers Jean McVeigh. Look at what Tony Romo makes. I want to make some bank. I got no problem with it. People tell you what they want by their choices. And if Aaron Rogers wants to make $50 million, God love you.

But last 20 years, that kind of cap hit is not a Super Bowl team. Also saw a really interesting story, Ollie Marpet, a top five maybe better guard for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He's retiring. And I mean top five guard in the NFL. And he's 28 years old, excellent player. And what it shows you is two things. The power of guaranteed money.

those guys in the trenches now. After they wrap up that second contract, 30, 40 million, if they're elite, they don't need to play any longer. Ali Marpet's body wearing down. It also shows you the power of Brady. Think maybe he stays around one more year with Tom? Gronk's going to leave.

Ali Marpet's going to leave. Remember, after the Buccaneers won, everybody came back, the coaches and the players. You know, you talk about great players like Tom Brady. It's not just the commitment he makes. But when Tom comes aboard, players historically take less, become less mobile, want to stick around for another year. Ali Marpet is a tremendous player, has every right to retire. But there's part of him that thinks if Tom were run it back again, Ali would have played one more year.

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Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast's Superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth.

Listen to Superhuman on the IHard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what you're 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, untrower. filtered 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 Clivert 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. 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 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 Bole your mind on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts,

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Each episode, we pick it here, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it. Including a recent episode with Mark Lamont Hill, waxing all about crack in the 80s. To be clear, 84 is big to me, not just because of crack. I'm down to talk about crack all day, but just so y'all know. I mean, at this point, Mark, this is the second episode where we've discussed crack. So I'm starting to see that there's a through line.

We also have AIDS on the table right now. Thank you for finishing that sentence. 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 I-Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

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Well, my guest today is a fascinating guy, Ethan Strauss. You can subscribe to his substack at House of Strouwestrouse. dot substack.com. I am a follower and a frequent listener. So you had something very interesting the other day. And I thought it was fascinating. It was NBA local ratings. And it told us a lot about the league.

Okay. There was a, you know, you and I have talked about ratings before. And let me start by saying, all these leagues make their money. Everybody's dying for content. hockey has not only a huge Canadian television contract, but a massive American TV contract, and virtually nobody watches it in America at a national level. So people need content. But what I found that was fascinating with, a golden state the Warriors had by far and away the largest number, second was Cleveland without LeBron. At the bottom of the list was Brooklyn full of stars, Clippers full of stars, Lakers, middle of the pack, though full of stars.

Here is my takeaway on Cleveland, is that Milwaukee was also way up there, and so was Philadelphia. So it wasn't a market thing necessarily. Cleveland's on a major market. Ethan, my takeaway was, we, team, and us matters. Yes. That if you have Darius Garland and young players, Evan Mobley, you can bring on a Jared Allen. but the audience wants to feel connected to the players. And they don't when you bring in KD, Kyrie, Hardin, that they were next to last in ratings.

And the Cavaliers without LeBron are a strong number two. That was my takeaway on the list. Teams Milwaukee, Philadelphia, M.B.'s been there a long time. Teams that feel cohesive, not only in the locker room, but to their community. It's not as star-driven as we think. That was my interpretation, yours. That is also my interpretation.

And it doesn't matter if the media has been lecturing so much of the public that they shouldn't care. And I'm going to get into a broader media theory of how the NBA went wrong here connected to this. But yes, I completely agree. People like familiarity. They like feeling that they saw somebody grow up before their eyes. There's a connection. It matters. You can't just program people into loving teams they never loved before either.

If they never loved the clippers, it's going to be hard for them to start loving the clippers or the Nets if they love the Knicks. But I think where the NBA went wrong and how it promoted itself, it's a funny quirk that I don't think anybody could have predicted. I think what happened, Colin, is that it became such a fixation as to who breaks the news. and it became a war, Woj versus Shams, that became the focus. Well, the problem with that is this. You need agents in order to win that game. I'm not saying I could win that game, by the way. I'm not looking down my nose.

I couldn't be that guy. It's not in my skill set. But you need to do what agents want in order for them to feed you. And so the media members started talking from the perspective of agents. And that's a problem because the perspective of agents is at cross-perperper. with the perspective of fans. No fan ever watched Drew Rosenhouse behind a podium explaining why a star was in a holdout and thought, that's my guy. He's speaking my language. So I think in addition to what you're saying, a lot of the promotion of the sport got out of whack because it started to be about this guy's unhappy. You should be sensitive. You shouldn't be mad at him because he failed you. He wants out. Oh, he wants out again. And a lot of people just changed the channel. They didn't want a sport that featured a bunch of guys that really were advertising no concern about them.

You know, through the years, you were an NBA reporter. Through the years, I have watched NFL reporters. They're all different. Glazer, very connected to players, he's not a volume reporter. It's more of a big story guy. Schefter's a volume reporter. Peter King ignores the draft. he's more of a storyteller.

Ian Rappaport, storybreaker. Schrager's kind of occasional storybreaker, but a contextualizer and a personality, that all these NFL reporters have a lane. So in the NBA, I'm sure that's the same, but it does feel like Shams, Wojj, and a lot of them are storybreakers,

not as much contextualizers. Now, correct. on this. Give me five or six NBA reporters that you would view similarly to my sort of labyrinth of NFL guys, how each one fills a different tunnel. In your experience with the NBA, line them up. How did you view them? So I think Zach Lowe and Kevin Arnowitz are just incredible at writing an article that explains the NBA to you. I think Zach Lowe probably the most valuable media member on the NBA side because he can do so many things. He's got an incredible versatility. It's not just the writing. It's also the granular observation. He's completely

sourced up. He's also a good interviewer. He's a direct interviewer. And so he's filling a variety of roles as far as getting him with the players in that Jake Laser way. I would say Chris Haynes is really good with that. So I would view him in that capacity. You mentioned the newsbreakers. And I'm probably offending a lot of other people, but that's how people are getting slotted in. And there are a lot of great storytellers to be sure, a lot of great writers. I just don't think that the sport and especially ESPN MBA has been emphasizing what they do over the last few years. Yeah. I mean, listen, the woe thing is interesting because you spent some time on this.

And it got, I imagine, if you looked at your numbers, it got good feedback, right? Yeah. That he didn't think the Hardin Simmons trade would happen. Woj is not wrong often. You know, my takeaway on Woj, I don't know him. I've talked to him a couple of times. You know, I had heard he could be kind of territorial. I heard that 10 years ago.

He could be very territorial. So was Peter Vessy, you know, very combative. I don't think Wozge is as combative. But when you, he could be. So you know him better than I do. But when you were critical of Wojj, what was the pushback? What did you hear that maybe wasn't public? You know what's funny, Colin,

about what I do, and I've learned a lesson from it. I don't get any kind of pushback anymore. And it's funny to me because back when I was at ESPN or The Athletic, I would get a lot of pushback. You know, I say something about the NBA, the NBA doesn't like. I'm getting lit up in a phone call. I say something about a player that the player's agent doesn't like or somebody else in the team. I'm getting lit up. And maybe some people are publicly critical now, but I've learned a lesson that there's no real leverage point when it comes to what I'm doing. And it's taught me that the amount of pushback you get isn't necessarily about how angry you make someone. It's about how much they think their anger can influence the situation. And so that didn't really happen. I got more people

coming to me and saying, hey, that's what I was thinking. I can't say it. I would have gone further. And I don't even think the criticism, Colin, is all that much. I'm with you. I think that And you're great at understanding this, that people's strengths are indivisible from their weaknesses, right? I think in order to be what Woj has become, you need to have just a burning competition within you. You've got to be somewhat ruthless in the pursuit of your goals. And I'm just looking at a 30,000 foot view and describing what's going on with the league, how it's kind of messing with the ESPN's coverage in a way. And I'm just describing it as dryly as I can.

But as much as I would like to say, hey, there was some sort of criticism that came to me on it. It really has not happened. It really didn't go that way. And maybe I'm just not reading enough because, frankly, I'm not on Twitter a lot. You still get information, despite not being in locker rooms nightly. I am a believer that the one thing you can't change with an athlete is indifference. You love the sport or you love what the sport provides for you. I don't buy Ben Simmons.

I don't think he'll ever be solved. I don't think he's competitive. I don't think he loves the game. They've often said this about NBA centers. The reason there are so many busts is because they were six feet 11 in seventh grade. And basketball was just the easiest thing for them to do. You know, Ben Simmons is almost 6 to 11 and a guard. I don't think the Brooklyn Ben Simmons thing is going to work.

using your access, I've heard he's just not. I've heard he's odd, not a great guy, indifferent, doesn't love the game. What do you make? I think Hardin and Philly is going to work magically and quickly because I think he's just one great player joining a very positive, optimistic, joyful locker room. What do you hear about Simmons that maybe I haven't heard? I just remember there was somebody in the league, a player who met him. and the first question Simmons asked him was, what's the first car you bought when you came to the NBA? And that caused this player to go, oh, oh, that's not a good sign that this rookie is coming.

And this is the first topic of conversation. It's not what I need to get better at, you know, how do I acclimate? Like, that's the focus. Now, you could accuse me of overreading that or oversimplifying. I think we have swung way too far in this other direction. And you've called it safetyism of almost doubting our own instincts in media and trying not to be critical in that way and not insinuate that a guy has a lack of love for the game. But I think that is an anecdote that reveals something. And I agree with you.

And maybe there are criticisms of James Hardin that he could be checked out or parties too much or whatever. But the thing about James Hardin is he's a basketball genius. You know, he might not ingratiate himself to you as a fan. when he's flopping and figuring out new and creative ways to get a foul call. But you ask Quinn Snyder, coach of the Jazz, and he will speak reverently because he's had a game plan against James Hardin and figure out all kinds of ways to stop him. And the guy just always seems to solve the puzzle. He didn't solve the puzzle against those great warriors teams, but it's a hell of a problem

to solve. But Hardin's a basketball genius. He's MVP level. And if you want to talk about the intermediate game. and how it influences the reporting. In the aftermath of that trade, it almost seemed like NBA media was saying, hey, it's pretty even. I like Ben Simmons as a fit. I think that has a lot to do with James Hardin, not having an agent, and Ben Simmons being

represented by one of the most powerful agencies, that that was even the ruling on that trade, I believe has something to do with it. All right, we have him at the volume. He's the host of Boxing with Chris Manix, the podcast on the, volume. He's spectacular. And also, you get a lot of free money with him and his boxing bets. But today we're talking NBA Hoops, senior NBA writer for Sports Illustrated. So I've watched Harden and Embed twice. And I watched the whole game, I'd say about 90% of it today with the Sixers. So my takeaway is it's much easier to bring one talented player, albeit sometimes

disengaged, one quality high-end Hall of Flame player. into a joyful chemistry and beats having an MVP year. You know, Max, he's going to have to scoot over a little bit. But, I mean, it's a good team, good chemistry. And I thought it would work fairly quickly. Now, I'm not going to make, I thought the ball movement today was fantastic. It is the next. I'll get to Brooklyn in a second.

But I'll tell you, two games in, and these aren't great teams, but what I watched today, I felt like Hardin was incredibly comfortable. He was happy. Not always the case. and Bede's a remarkable player, but aesthetically, I'm like, kind of works. Now, Tobias Harris isn't doing much. Is he the odd man out?

But it kind of works, right? I think it works. I think it will work extremely well this season. It might even work to the point where they win a championship because you use the word happy with Hardin. And with him, that's always kind of the operative term. You know, when he's happy, he plays really well. Like, you know, there were times during his partnership with Russell Westbrook that they look dynamic together.

You go back to last season in the brief, whatever, 200 minutes that Durant, Irving, and Hardin played together. They worked really well. And a big reason was because Hardin came into that situation determined to make it work. Like, he was going to find a way to make sure he fit in opposite Kyrie Irving. make sure he'd become more of a playmaker. He saw shots per game go down in that first season in Brooklyn. And I expect him to do that over the course of this season. Not only, you know, again, and you're right,

it's Minnesota and the Knicks and we'll see when they play one of the top tier teams. But I expect him to be deferential to Joel M.B. To try to be the 1A to his one. I expect him to do everything he can do to make sure that Tyrese doesn't skip a beat. What I worry about with Hardin is year two and year three. And what happens if MB goes down with an injury? This is the risk of James Harden. If you're going to tie yourself to a player and commit $270 million to him,

he's a risky guy to do that with because he's proven in back-to-back stops that when he doesn't get his way, regardless of contract situation, he can throw the kind of tantrum that'll get him kind of push out of town. So look, I think they're going to be excellent this year. Maybe they don't win a championship, but I can see that team in the Eastern Conference Finals and with a lot of momentum going into next year. But next year worries me. Year three worries me.

How this player operates, you know, once he gets a little more comfortable in his surroundings that decides he wants to be the guy once again, that would worry me. Yeah, you know, it's interesting. He's obviously a high-maintenance guy. And, I mean, listen, Aaron Rogers. I mean, look at his NFL career.

There's a lot of drama, you know, calling out front office people, weekly press conferences, stirring people up with his vaccination status. But I also think, I mean, I can live with a lot of that maintenance. Here's where I would defend Hardin over a Kyrie Irving. The Houston situation was untenable, but it was kind of a mess. I don't think Hardens the easiest guard to play with if you're a guard. But I would make the argument that Embedds the first great. center he's played with.

Like he shouldn't have been deferential to Clint Capella. Like, you know, and so when I look at Hardin, I'm like, like, I get him looking at Embedon saying, okay, shit, I got Shaq. Okay, yeah. Because I think he sees himself, and rightly so, like an Aaron Rogers, sees himself as sort of, you know, above about 98% of the players. I think Brooklyn would have worked. I always felt Kyrie was the issue.

I mean, when you start saying the world is flat, your vaccination status, going, you know, sage in the locker room, you could have reported that. Somebody reports that. I don't feel Hardin's weird. I feel James is high maintenance. And I can live with a little bit of that. I mean, that's my takeaway, that Kyrie's a different bird altogether here. Like, I'm not sure Kyrie is workable anywhere. Well, you might be right about that.

And we'll get to the Nets, but if this season goes off the skids, he's going to bear the blame for, you know, detonating the championship hopes of maybe three franchises through Cleveland and Boston into that mix. Where I worry about Hardin, and maybe you're right, that, you know, you play with a big like Joelle Embed, and all of a sudden he sees his shack and he sees the opportunity to win championships. but he can be Kobe.

He could be, but I'm old enough to remember, Colin, last year when, you know, he was saying, you know, I understand it's not just about, you know, numbers for me. It's about, you know, winning at this stage of my career. And my problem with Brooklyn, and maybe you can't foresee what is now happening in New York, where the mayor is all but saying that after March 7th, Kyrie will be able to return. But he didn't really give it much of a chance. I mean, you know, Kevin Durant goes down. The going gets tough and James Harden, like, quite literally gets going.

Like, that's, he decided he'd had enough. That's my big issue. Like, and again, I don't think it happens this year. Like, I think this year is great. All smiles. I mean, hell, at one point, Jimmy Butler and Joelle Embedde were all smiles. Jimmy Butler and Ben Simmons were all smiles. Like, you can work in the short term.

But what about, like, next January, like a game against, yeah, Minnesota, playing Minnesota again this time next year. And what about when Joelle Embed sees Harden dribble 18 seconds off the shot clock, go to the basket and fling something at the rim? Like, you know Embed, like a demonstrative guy. Like you think he's just going to kind of put his head down to run back. He's in a way he's like Shaq in that respect. He's not going to keep his opinions or his feelings to himself. That's what worries me when those two clash.

And I just believe it's inevitable. I mean, on paper, five years of James Harder and Jewel and Bid, that should guarantee you deep playoff runs. and at least one championship during that stretch. But year two, when these guys start to, these two, and I forget where they rank in the NBA, but top five-ish, you know, in terms of ball dominance seat there,

in terms of having their hands. Like, I wonder what happens at that point. You know, twice LeBron is ditched Ohio for the more glamorous Aquas Water of Miami and L.A. And now they've got these really good young players. I mean, Darius Garland's been. sensational. They made a nice move to get Jared Allen, Lavert. They've got Sexton was hurt, but he averaged like 23, 24 last year. You start looking at their young players and you're like, man,

this is an ascending team. They're like fun. And I said the joy. I said, I'm Dan Gilbert. I'm that GM. When LeBron came out and said, hey, I haven't closed the door on Cleveland. And I said, who said it was open? I do not believe. And I, their ratings, Chris, are the highest locally in the league. This city loves these young players. Like, if LeBron's Camp calls it, I'll come back. I'm like, how many times can you get burned? I don't believe they make a move.

Like, I think the door is closed. I think Cleveland, next to the Warriors, they are the most watched local basketball team professionally in America. I don't think they take LeBron's calls. Again, I sound like a loon. But what do you make of it? If they didn't, they are crazy, unequivocally crazy. You know, this is that like this.

So I experienced this, right? Living in Boston, I cover a lot of the Celtics games. What was it? The 18 playoffs when they had that magical run. Gordon Hayward goes down in his first year, 17 playoffs, I think it was. Gordon Hayward goes down. They rattle off 18 wins in a row, whatever it was after the injury. Kyrie Irving goes down.

And Terry Rozier, Jason. Tate of Jalen Brown, teenagers, early 20-somethings, push the Cavaliers to seven games in the conference finals. And everybody's like, wow, this young team is great. It's going to be great for a long time. That was the honeymoon year. That's what Cleveland's in right now. The Cleveland Cavaliers and the Charlotte Hornets are in the honeymoon year, where they can do no

wrong. If they get bounced in four games in the playoffs, nobody will care because, wow, wasn't that team fun to watch. Everybody's watching. In year two, expectations are ratcheted up. So, great year, this year, Darius Garland, Evan Mobley, Jared Allen, do it. And then some next year. You better get to the second round of the playoffs next year. You better get to the conference finals. And that's hard to do. And it's going to be hard to do for the next three or four years, as long as Milwaukee's at the top, Philadelphia is at the top. Brooklyn is dynamic. Look, I love all those calves you mentioned,

I wouldn't put them as favorites to beat any of the teams that I just mentioned. Now, you add LeBron into that mix, even with all the baggage he brings with him, all the drama he brings with him, you become a championship contender. Where the calves

have a different level of power here is that they're not the seller dwellers they were back when LeBron came back the first time. They can dictate some of the terms that LeBron James comes back on. In a way, they, you know, he needs them more than they need him in that situation. But they do need

him. They do because you go into next year and this team goes on like a four or five game losing streak and all of a sudden it's, oh, maybe Garland was kind of a fluke. Maybe it wasn't that good. Maybe Jared Allen, Evan Mobley don't work together. Maybe two seven footer doesn't work. Maybe this Lowry Markin experiment, which I can't believe has actually worked for them this year. Maybe it's not good to have three seven footers basically on your front line. That's when the criticism comes in. So, you know, it's perfume and roses around the cavaliers right now. It's all good with what Cleveland's doing right now. But next year, if they don't make that jump, the criticism will come. And if you have an opportunity, whether it's via trade

next season, which I'd love to see them do, I'd love to see them try to package Colin Sexton, draft capital, Lowry marketing, whatever it is, to try to extract LeBron from L.A. But if it's next season or after that, they better aggressively pursue LeBron James. To me, it's basketball malpractice if they don't aggressively pursue LeBron James. Okay. So I'll throw this out to you. So the Lakers brand could withstand trading LeBron. And if Cleveland was a suitor, you say, Okay. 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. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what you're 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. 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 taun tons 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. 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 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 saying, y'all know. I mean, at this point, Mark, this is the second episode where we've discussed crack. So I'm starting to see that there's a through line. We also have AIDS on the table right now. Thank you finishing that sentence. Yes. I don't think there's a more important year for black people.

Really? Yeah. For me, it's one of the most important years for black people in American history. Listen to look back at it on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, we want Evan Mobley played at USC. We're taking it. At that point, at that point, If you have Garland, Jared Allen, you have size with Garland's a card, but you have size with Jared Allen. I want Evan Mowgli, your next three number one picks, I throw somebody else in. And I can make it a salary-wise, I'd have to make it a three-team deal. I'd have to get some veteran, right?

Hope, maybe an expiring contract, whatever it is. But my takeaway is, I think the Lakers would deal it. Back to our initial LeBron story. I don't think this city is desperate. I don't think the Lakers, you know, I heard this years ago about Peyton Manning. Jim Mersey loved him. But he's like, when you get a quarterback as big as Peyton or Farrv or Brady, they take the franchise from you. Like, Jeannie Bus, there's a sense.

And, you know, the contacts I have with the Lakers, they're not going to do that. They're not giving LeBron this franchise. And I do think if you gave them Mowbly, multiple picks, some other high end player. deal breaker. I'm not, no way are they getting Evan Mobley. Okay, because that to me, that's where I'd make the deal. Yeah, but I wouldn't make the deal if I was Cleveland

if I'm asked to throw Evan Mobley at the mix. I mean, Evan Mobley, like, you can see kind of 25 a game by next year. Say what? I think he could be a 25 a game player by next year. He's AD. Like, he's AD. He's the second coming of AD.

And maybe in a weird way, potentially a little bit better defensively. I mean, his contest numbers, no, you get kind of in the weeds with advanced stats sometimes, but the shots he contest on the perimeter for a seven footer are wild. Like he gets to everything defensively

and changes shots from everywhere in the floor. I wouldn't do that. I would say to the Lakers, like, you can get a couple of first round draft picks. Sure, Colin Sexton's only, what, like 23 years old? Has been a 20 point per game score? Lowry marketing is just filler.

Take some... Yeah. Look, it's not Colin. It's not good. But, you know, the Lakers can't just, you know, put LeBron out there on the trade block. I mean, I guess they could, but there's only a finite number of teams. He's really going to accept a deal to. Like Denver would 100% make a run at him if the Lakers tried to deal him.

But outside of a couple of teams, they're not going to trade for LeBron because of everything that kind of comes with LeBron. Cleveland, you know they would, or at least you think they would. And it would make sense for both sides. But you can't. Evan, move. If I'm Kobe Altman, I hang up the phone. I don't even touch back. I don't reply to the email.

I don't. Are they still faxing nowadays? I don't send a fax back. Nothing. I do nothing that involves Evan Mobley playing for another team. Make sure to check out the Dremon Green Show. I brought Dremon Green into the volume because one of the more entertaining voices in sports, unique perspective, understands behind the rope.

Also chops up with guests like Gary Payton, Zach Levine, Tracy McGrady. Make sure download the Dremont Green Show wherever you get. your podcast only on the volume podcast network. 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. brought to you by the United States Forest Service and the Ad Council. Adoption of teens from foster care is a topic not enough people know about and we're here to change that. I'm April Dinwiddie host of the new podcast, Navigating Adoption, presented by Adopt U.S. Kids.

Each episode brings you compelling real-life adoption stories told by the families that live them with commentary from experts. Visit Adoptuskids.org slash podcast or subscribe to navigating adoption presented by Adopt U.S. Kids. you by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Children and Families and the Ad Council. 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. Diapers 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 TSA.gov slash the right seat.

Brought to you by Mitzah and the Ad Council. All right. Let's bring in my buddy Mike Silver, who's got all sorts of shit today. I mean, it's loaded. He sent him he picks of Matt Nagy and Bruce Ariens. Okay, we got to start with this. So you were the first person a year ago, and this is hard to do with social media to take an unpopular decision for a beloved player.

I took one today when I say about John Morant. I've seen it before. It's called Derek Rose, Westbrook and John Wall. Great highlights, young, fascinating, twitchy, super athletic, doesn't shoot particularly well yet, attacks the basket, and it will not last. He will get hurt. And nobody wants to hear that. A year ago, you said, Kyler Marie's difficult.

He's not a great teammate. He's not a good leader. He's just amazing. And there are people that push back on that. Well, today, Greg Jennings on my show said, Larry Fitzgerald told him. me. They rolled out the red carpet too early and his personality changed. And this is essentially what you reported a year ago. So congrats to you. And now let's segue to this. I did not like what Eric Burt Hart did. I understand he's an agent. I thought it was clunky and transparent.

What do you think Arizona does? Well, it's interesting. First of all, I can report because I'm am at the combine and I'm seeing lots of people. I can report to you that nobody has called the Cardinals in the, what, more than 24 hours since that all-capped statement landed. Nobody has even poked around and said, hey, would you guys trade them? And I was shocked. I said, I would call if I were another team. There's a lot of teams that he'd be a big upgrade, right? you know, nobody has even poked around. Now, I'm 99.9% sure that those calls would be met by, we're not trading them, don't, you know, don't even bother.

But I'm surprised that the overtures haven't been made because there's so many teams that need a quarterback. Yeah, you know, listen, I, first of all, yeah, it's business. And agents will do what agents do. I thought the statement could have been a lot shorter. As an editor, I'm not an editor. I'm not an editor, I'm a writer, but I would have said, you know, hey, we want more money than they're offering.

That's a quicker way that, you know, probably without me all caps. Instead of the menu. Yeah. Yeah. And also, you've got to understand context, right? Chuck Pagano was a very successful coach of the Colts early on, and he wanted a contract extension, and it was time for him to get a little more money on paper. But he went in the day after they lost the AFC check.

championship game to the New England Patriots 45 to 3 and said to the owner, Jim Merce, hey, what's up with my contract? And it did not go well. You know, Kyler Murray just had not just a bad playoff performance, but a bad body language playoff performance. And we've talked about Aaron Rogers body language, how you felt about that in the playoffs. We've talked about Jay Kotler. We talked about Cam in the past. This was a bad body language. And by the way, when you're getting murder or obliterated in an elimination game and your quarterback, we know at the very least is faster than everyone on the field and he's not even trying to run. That's a weird signal to give your, you know, your team. He ran twice in that game.

Okay. By the way, none of his teammates have come out and defended him since his agent released that state. statement, not one. Right. And listen, I don't get, I try not to worry about the drama as much in these contract things. It's always leverage. It's always business. We've been through it on our end.

We know it's, you know, you can take a lot of things personally. At the end of the day, it's business. The agent released in the statement is business. The Cardinal's saying, yeah, whatever, we'll pick up your option and we control your rights. I do think the most likely scenario is he comes back and plays and they try to patch it up. But I'll go into this year the same way I went into last year, which I said to you publicly, which was I'm worried that if things start to go a little bad, we could have a big tailspin here. On the other hand, they might be like last year and start out, what were they seven?

I mean, they were great early. And then it'll be King Cliff and Kyler finished. you know they did lose Hopkins that changed some things bad playoff performance has happened and people bounce back from him but I I want to say they have no reason to blink they could even not extend him and he'll come back and play he loves you know I think he loves being the quarterback on game day at least and so you know when he's in the facility I think he loves it unlike some guys so I don't want to say oh he has no work ethic he works

He's just not one of those, from what I've heard, live it, breathe it, eat it. Russell Wilson, you know, Peyton Manning guys, which is, okay, he's a young guy. But I think it'll probably, you know, I think all these quarterback situations will probably work out. Russell Wilson of the Seahawks, it's still murky and weird, probably work out for another year. Aaron and Green Bay. The people I'm with Packer people, former Packer people, people who know him, they think he's going back to Green Bay. Deshaal will get traded, but, you know, Derek Carr will probably stay.

You know, Kirk Cousins will probably stay. But I'm not 100% convinced because if Kyler really wants to dig in and say, okay, fine, go into the season with Brett Huntley or whoever it is as your guy, he could do that. And he is a baseball player who got drafted very high. Yeah, I had an NFL Pro Bowl pass rusher tell me a year ago. Kyler Murray does not like to get hit, and he thinks he'll leave for baseball in the next three or four years. That was somebody who hit him.

He said, Colin, I've hit Russell Wilson, I've hit Aaron Rogers. He's like, that kid doesn't like to get hit. I mean, I get it. I would not like to get hit. I don't think most quarterbacks like to get hit, but some tolerate it or think it better or hang in longer. But, yeah, I mean, If baseball is an option, look, I mean, we've got kids.

I would love to see my kid be an awesome NFL player, but if my kid could also go play baseball instead, I like football better. I think football's sexier, but I'd be a lot less worried about his well-being. I get it. So Arian says he won't help Tom Brady out of retirement. He said I'd want five number ones.

And it's funny, like I think people will read that and go, ooh, bad blood. And my takeaway is, well, Why would you help out Brady? Like, I'm sorry, but it's competitive league. That's an intermurals. Well, I mean, I think, you know, B.A., we love him for his authenticity and his willingness to speak plainly.

But in this case, you know, sometimes these things are leverage plays. And I think this would be the case. If you, if Tom Brady came to Jason Light and Brouserians and said, listen, man, we had two great years. I came here. We won a Super Bowl. We competed for another. They're going to put your names at the Ring of Honor someday and mine. I've always wanted to, you know, go home and play for the 49ers or own a team and be a part owner of the Dolphins or whatever it is. I'm not saying you just say yes, but there's a carmic case to be made. Like I came and honored by end and, you know, at at the age of 44, right, or 45 won a Super Bowl.

So I think it could work out, but I would agree, just leverage-wise, the play is, don't just say, yeah, we'll let Tom out. It's the same thing as the Saints. Like, if Sean Peyton really wants to go coach the Cowboys and Jerry Jones really wants him, he's not coming back to Coach the Saints, but I don't think the Saints are like, oh, cool, here you go. take them for a seven. I think you keep those.

Right. I mean, again, I think Fox wants me to succeed in life. There are limits, right? Like going out and competing against them in the market, they got limits. Right. Right. At the volume sports, Twitter, Instagram, go to our YouTube page. At the volume sports.

Subscribe. The volume. We just can't seem to catch a break, huh? So many rough fire seasons. But we made it through. Now there's another risk. All that charred soil and burnt vegetation can lead to floods and mud flow. I know, but you've got this too.

And one way to get this is to get this flood insurance. There's no rest for the West, but with flood insurance, you can rest assured that you're ready for whatever else nature throws at you. Protect the life you've built at floodsmart.gov slash wildfires. What does the chicken say? Uh, uh, dog,

dog. Cat. Giraff. Giraff, really? Giraffe. You're not going to get it all right. Just make sure you know the big stuff, like making sure your kids are buckled correctly in the right seat for their age and size.

Get it right. Visit nhtsa.gov slash the right seat. Brought to you by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Ad Council. We've all felt left out. And for people who moved to this country, that feeling lasts more than a moment. We can change that. Learn how at belonging begins with us.org. Brought to you by the Ad Council.

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 bansel.

Listen to Humor Me with Robert Smigel and friends on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast's superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth.

Listen to Superhuman on the IHard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what I'm saying. Yep, that's me, Clifford Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, my basketball and college football journey, or my career in sports media.

Well, now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifers Show. This is a place for raw, unfilled conversations with athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. So let's get to it. Listen to the Clifford show on the I Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast.

And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok's podcast network on TikTok. On the Look Back at it podcast. For 1979, that was a big moment for me. 84's big to me. I'm Sam J. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick a year,

unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it. With our friends, fellow comedians, and favorite authors. Like Mark Lamont Hill on the 80s. 84 was a wild year. I don't think there's a more important year for black people. Listen to look back at it on the IHeart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. This is an IHeart podcast. Guaranteed human.