The Herd with Colin Cowherd - Colin Cowherd Podcast Prime Cuts - Mavericks Weren’t Close, Nick Wright On The Lakers Incompetence, Which NFL Teams Can Win A Title

Episode Date: June 22, 2024

Colin’s top takes of the week! First, he’s joined by Jason Timp, host of “Hoops Tonight” to put a bow on the NBA finals and discuss why Dallas really isn’t that CLOSE to winning a title (4:00), how the 2024 Boston Celtics team led by Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown will be remembered (8:30) and what teams to watch out for in 2025 (14:00) Next, Colin is joined by Nick Wright, host of “First Things First” on FS1 to talk about the utter mismanagement of the Lakers organization the past decade (23:00) and why Caitlin Clark is the most important player in WNBA history from a business perspective (31:00). Finally, Colin is joined by John Middlekauff, host of “3 and Out” to break down Colin’s quarterback “bubble”... and identify the guys that can win a title based on their talent or the size of their contract (51:00) which is bad news for one NFC North quarterback. They also list their most undervalued (57:00) and overvalued NFL teams (01:03:00). (Timestamps may vary based on advertisements.) Follow Colin and The Volume on Twitter for the latest content and updates!  #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.

Where does your group perform? We do some retirement homes. Those people are starving for banter. Listen to humor me with Robert Smigel and friends on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal, but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque.

Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast's Superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, this is Robert from the Stuff to Blow Your Mind podcast. Joe and I are both lifelong Star Wars fan, so we're celebrating May the 4th with a brand new week of fun, thought-provoking Star Wars-related episodes.

Join us as we tackle science and culture topics from a galaxy far, far away, such as the biology of tauntons and wampas on the ice planet hot, or the practicality and corporate business sense of the Sith ruling. of two. Listen to Stuff to Blow Your Mind 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. 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. It was a wild year.

I don't think there's a more important year for black. people. Listen to look back at it on the Iheart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A win 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, unfills of conversations with athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. So let's get to it. Listen to the Clifford show on the IHeard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok podcast network on TikTok.

The volume. Get ready for a great night of fights. UFC 303. It can be even bigger. If you sign up, you know it doesn't take long to the Draft King Sportsbook app, the official sports betting partner of the UFC. Make it simple. Go to draft Kings, select a fighter, place your first bet. A lot of people can get intimidated by this stuff, how there's same game parlays and live betting odds. Just pick a fighter. Who do you like to win? At the volume,

you know, Daniel Cormier will give you heads up on that stuff. Middle Cough on golf, basketball, football will help you out. Speaking of amazing opportunities, draft kings, new customers, all you have to do is bet $5 to get $150 in bonus bets instantly. Okay, so you just download the app now. It takes 90 seconds. Do it on your phone. It takes 90 seconds. Put in the code, Colin, that would be me, C-O-L-I-N.

And there you go. Five bucks, you've got 150 bucks. That's a pretty sweet deal. Only on Draft Kings. The crown is yours. Gambling problem? Call 1-800 Gambler. Or in West Virginia, visit 1-800 gambler.net.

In New York, call 8778-8-Hope-N-Y or text Hope-N-Y 4-6. In Connecticut, help is available for problem gambling. Call 888-78-98-9-7777 or visit ccpg.org. Please play responsibly. On behalf of Boothill Casino when Resort in Kansas, 21 and over, age varies by jurisdiction. Bonus bets expire 168 hours after issuance. Deposit and eligibility restrictions apply. See terms and responsible gaming resources at dkng.com slash MMA.

The other thing we have to admit, Jason, is because of Luca's ball usage, I felt like he wasn't healthy for the last two series. He looked, he looked fatigued, he looked beat up. So again, when Kyrie's not delivering, it becomes very Luca dominant. I thought he looked, I thought you were getting about 80% of Luca in this finals. And some of that's just when you're the guy and you're, it's little Jalen Brunson. It's like Jalen's great. But there are limitations to, you know, when Jalen went on that 40-point run, you

you're like, this isn't going to end well. Like, he's just, you can't, you can't be that dominant. You have to be able to, you know, and that's why the Celtics work is that Tatum wasn't good in the first two games. He and Brown were both good in game three. Tonight, Tatum was superior. I mean, there were knights that Derek White, I mean, Pritchard before the half. Like, it's symphonic watching Boston.

They're just handing the baton off. I mean, Luca, he had that baton out multiple times and nobody grabbed. it. And I thought he looked, and that's, I agree with you. OKC's only getting better. Denver's already favored. Boston's not getting significantly worse. Six or seven. And by the way, keep your eye on what Houston's doing. They had a stretch this year. We were like, oh, oh, they're probably a veteran away. So listen, we've seen this before. It's like in the NFL, the loser of the Super Bowl, like most of the time doesn't fare well. Like this, this, this. felt like a magical moment in time for Dallas. But there's some real flaws here. We would both

acknowledge that. It is too Luca dependent. That's what it feels. It does feel like that Cavs team that was really very LeBron dependent, played with great energy, if you remember. Zilgoscis, I mean, they played with tremendous energy. LeBron was captivating. They had streaky shooters on the wing, but then you watch them against San Antonio and you're like, all right, they, you know, five of the best six players are all spurs. And that's how I felt in this series. Yeah, one of the things that I find fascinating, and I'm actually curious to get your take on this.

Like, one of the things that is hard to do in a situation like this after you have a successful postseason run is to be realistic about how far you are away. And so, for instance, Lakers fans last year, it's like, we made the Western Conference finals. And I'm like, okay, well, like Golden State has always struggled against big athletic teams. That was a pretty favorable matchup for you.

And then also that meant that. team young John Morant driving into Anthony Davis all series was obviously not going to work. So it's like you caught a couple of favorable matchups. Then you ran into a real championship level team in Denver and you got your ass kicked. So you're not close. Right. So when I look at the Dallas piece, this is what I think about. Like when the circumstances are favorable, meaning like when Luca has obvious mismatches he can pick at the entire series. And then on the other end of the floor, when they can really load up the strong side and keep their rim protectors at the rim and hide Luca on the opposite end of the floor, they can get stops. But where I get concerned is how many

times in NBA history have we seen a team led by two stars that are both at least combining for two bad defensive players that go win the title? It's exceedingly rare. And so one of the things that I wonder, I shouldn't say exceedingly rare, I can't think of one. It's never happened, ever. Like I would say, I would even say, like, the case would be, oh, what about Jamal Murray and Nicole Yokich, which I understand, but the flip side there is like, even the two of them were not this type of, like, like Yokic was a dominant defensive rebounder who could actually do some stuff in pick and roll coverages defensively. And Jamal Murray did his job. And he's bigger. Yeah. Jamal Murray's bigger than Kyrie. They also had an elite defender right off that in Gordon.

So they had, yeah, I mean, they, they accentuated like, you know, it's like the Mavericks or like the warriors. They hid Steph, Iguodala, Clay. You can get away with your star not being an elite defender, but you have to have elements. You have to have size, Yokic, athleticism, Gordon. Like, that's not what this Dallas team is. It's, it's, it's, it's, it's, their two stars are, Luca is disengaged a lot defensively. Let's go back to the Celtics, uh, very deserving. Don't forget, they had a dominant record. They, they lost to Denver, but they had a dominant record against the West, even more dominant against the East, flushed through the Eastern Conference playoffs and the finals. So, you know, there are these teams, too, that, you know, we're so used

to dynasties in the NBA. I was talking to Chris Bruce R. today. We were talking about teams that won a championship that weren't a dynasty, but they were great teams. And one of the first ones was the Jerry West, Gail Goodrich, Wilts, Chamberlain. Remember that 33-game winning Shriek Laker team that, I think, beat the Knicks. a championship. Now, they didn't reel off a lot of them, but in a singular season, that was an older wilt. That's one of the greatest teams of all time. There was a 76ers team that had Moses Malone joined Julius Irving, and they were kind of missing a dominating interior scoring presence. And for a year or two, Jesus, I remember those sixers well. Like Malone was,

it's just hard to expose. Moses Malone, if you ever saw him play, nobody. he discusses him. He was as dominating a rebounder as I've ever seen in the history of basketball with Dr. J and good guard play. And I think Boston falls into that group. So right now, like we thought Denver was going to run off two or three, Boston in a single season like that West Goodrich Will team or the Moses Malone Dr. J team for a season, lightning in a bottle, health, spectacular, you know, just flush through the playoffs. The question will become, they will play with a champion swagger next year. They probably won't be as relentless in the regular season.

This is, you know, kind of predictable. They'll be, you know, they'll have their little swoons and won't be. But I do think there's a chance. It's a back-to-back championship because cross your fingers on poor Zingas's health. You know, they're bringing the guys back. You'll play with more confidence. Tatum comes into a season like, okay, I got it. I got my money.

I got my title. I think it does take pressure. I think it was building. You and I said this. This was Celtics had to win this. After that Warriors final where they came home and kind of laid an egg emotionally, they had to play well in this series. I thought my second quarter game two, it was like, this is a mismatch.

But I think next year you'll see a, this goes down to me as a in moment in time, a great team and a great moment. Too good not to win a championship, but at times too weird. to be a dynasty. I mean, Jalen Brown wins the MVP and the average 20 a game. He didn't ever 30. He didn't ever be 28.

He averts 20, 21 a game and was the MVP for the second straight series. So historically, can we acknowledge they're a little bit of an odd great team. Like, like, yeah.

They're absolutely weird. I mean, like when we think about the, when we list the all-time great teams in NBA history, We think like 2017 Warriors, 2013 heat, you know, teams like the 2001 Lakers, the 1996 Bulls, right? The 1986 Celtics, like the 1987 Lakers. We think of these teams. And every single one of them is led by one of the five best players in NBA history.

In my opinion, Steph Curry is the fifth best perimeter player that's played since 1980. Like I think he's right up there with Bird and in Madison. in that tier. So like these, it's just funky to see a team that is as dominant as the Celtics have been. But I think one of the things too is this kind of stuff bears out in time. Like, you know what, Celtics fans, they're going to want a certain amount of like credit for being dominant. And like, here's the thing. Like, you beat the, the, the, you beat the, the calves, the heat without Jimmy Butler, the Pacers, and the maps. So like, like, I'm not trying to, like, but one of the things with NBA history, because like people said this about the Nuggets.

last year. Now, I thought the Nuggets run was a little underrated because they went through LeBron and AD and they went through Katie and Devin Booker and they went through Jimmy Butler and Bam at a bio. I actually thought that Nuggets team played some tough opponents. But like, everyone was like, oh, Denver had an easier path. Well, guess what happened this year? They had to play a really tough team in the second round. They lost. So NBA history has a chance, has a, kind of like a habit of working these sorts of things out. Like next year, they're probably going to have to play a Milwaukee in a playoff series or a healthy Knicks team. or a team like Denver out of the Western Conference

or maybe what if Oklahoma City makes some big trade this summer and they end up going to the finals and it ends up being like NBA history is kind of a habit of working these things out. Everything about how this team is remembered is going to be about the big picture. So for instance, if they lose, if they lose next year,

you're going to zoom out on a three-year window here and you're going to be like embarrassing loss against the heat in the conference finals beat four mediocre teams, than lost the following year, people will write the story of that Celtics team as an underachieving overly talented team. But if they go out next year

and they beat better teams on their way to the Larry O'Brien, people will zoom out and be like, this is an all-time great team. So, like that's the thing. Like, you're going to get another crack at the table next year. It's like Jason Tatum said, got to do it again next year.

Go ahead, do it, and it'll shut everybody up. Like, these things get worked out with wins. I think a team to keep your eye on is the Knicks. I think one of the great things, if you're a Knicks fan, because they don't match up from an offensive perspective. They just don't have that many guys who can catch it and shoot it and ball handle and pass. One of the things that's great about the Celtics winning, if you're a Knicks fan, it does force you some urgency. Like, guys, we can't make a tweak. We're not a tweak away from beating Boston.

Like, we got to go out and get guys. like McAil Bridges and another score. Boston really puts pressure on Eastern teams. It's one thing if you're a Western team and you lose to Boston in the finals. You got to the finals, but you're not getting past Boston in New York with a tweak. You're just not. You know, even Miami, Bam and Butler, you know, Butler will probably be banged up by the time, you know, if he's in Miami Heat. They need another, not Tyler here.

They need another player. So this is the good thing. If you're a Miami fan or a Knicks fan or a Sixers fan, this is like, guys, this wasn't competitive. Like this, they dis, I mean, how many blowouts? They had like 13 blowout wins. It's like tweaking is not beating. Nobody in the East has Yokic. Okay, you don't have Yokic.

So tweaking's not going to do it. And I think that's sort of the advantage is. I say this in sports all the time. The great thing about Harbott, Michigan, for a Buckeye fan, it puts pressure on going and getting Chip Kelly as an offensive coordinator. It's like they're pushing us around three years in a row. You want your rival to be viable because it puts pressure on your owner and your front office. And so I'm watching this game tonight, and I'm thinking, if I'm a Knicks fan, you may hate Boston, but your front office, these are smart people now in New York running that franchise. You've got to bring them a McAil Bridges on.

and another guy that can drop 20. DeFenzel has become a great catch and shoot guy. Brunson's going to give you 28. McHale Bridges could give you 24. And I've got to get somebody better than Mitchell Robinson in the post that can give me offense. So that's the upside for the Eastern Conference teams is I think Daryl Morey, the Knicks,

Indiana, if they can get somebody, the pressure's on. You've got to add multiple pieces over the next couple of years to beat these guys. And aggression is going to be the key. because again, like, how did Boston do this? They did this by trading for Drew Holiday and Christop's Porzenghis. Like Brad Stevens just hit two massive home. I went back and looked at that trade and saw that they ended up like netting two first

round picks in the Porzenghis trade. And I'm like, oh, man, like anybody could have had him. And then Boston went and got him. And then, you know, like even looking at Denver, it's like they went and got KCP. They went and got Aaron Gordon. And like those are two like slam dunk moves to surround Jamal Murray, Michael Porter, Jr. and Nicole Yokic. They just, that aggression is the big piece there.

Even going back to 2021, they won after they traded for Drew Holiday. The Bucks did. They traded for Drew Holiday. They went and they won the title. And so, like, keep an eye on those aggressive teams the summer, the teams that add talent. There are a lot of young teams in the NBA right now that are like this close to becoming great. That Thunder team, that Orlando Magic team is probably like two years away, but they're

going to be really, really good. You mentioned the Pacers. If they make maybe one more addition, this offseason. They could be in the mix. The Knicks are obviously going to be aggressive. I mentioned Memphis earlier. Memphis, this kid, Gigi Jackson that they have on the wing is awesome that they discovered this year. He like slots perfectly between John Morant, Desmond Bain. They're going to have Jaron Jackson coming back. They're going to have a big look. They're going to go get a center and they're going to have a massive front line that could

contend with Denver as long as John Moran can like stay healthy and available for his team. I think they could be really good. Like the league is just like this Celtics team is kind of settling right in this nice little opening here where all the older teams are kind of falling apart and all the younger teams are not quite there yet and they're having a lot of success as a result. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast's superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble.

stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the I-Hard radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what I'm saying. Yep, that's me, Clifford Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, the reactions,

my journey from basketball to college football, or my career in sports media. Well, somewhere along the way, this platform became bigger than I ever imagined. And now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfiltered conversations with some of your favorite athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated.

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

And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. The story I've told myself about love or relationships can then shape my behavior, and that can lead me to sabotage the possibility of connection. This Mental Health Awareness Month, tune into the podcast deeply well with Debbie Brown and explore the journey of healing, self-discovery, and returning to yourself.

We explore higher consciousness, emotional well-being, and the practices that help you find clarity, peace, and self-mastery in a world that can feel overwhelming. The world is becoming lonelier. We're not becoming more social and connected. We're becoming more individualized, but we actually meet people in connection. If you've been searching for a soft place to land while doing the work to become whole. This podcast is for you to hear more. Listen to deeply well with Debbie Brown from the Black Effect Podcast Network on the Iheart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast.

What's up fam? It's Isaiah Thomas. And I'm CJ Toledano and our podcast point game is about defining the odds. Like LeBron heading into the playoffs without Luca and Austin Reed. And finding ways to win no matter what. He's the smartest player to ever play the game. His IQ is at a level that we've never seen before. And he knows. Without Luca and Austin Reeves, I got to manipulate the game. We get a player's perspective

on the challenges of the playoffs. I think Joker's going to be exhausted this series because when they don't have Rudy in the lineup, he has to really guard guys like Nas Reed. He has to guard Julius Randall. And then he has to give us everything he gives us on the night-to-night basis on offense. And when IT's friends stop by,

like Quentin Richardson, we dive into some playoff history too. Steve Nass would get that thing. That man, hell get the flying. He running up the court, licking his fingers why he got the ball. Like, after you go through a training camp with that, IZE, you figure it out real quick. Get your ass up and down the court,

and you're going to get the ball. So listen to Point Game on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Will Ferrell's Big Money Players and IHeart Podcast presents soccer moms. So I'm Leanne. Yeah. This is my best friend, Janet.

Hey. And we have been joined at the Hipsons High School. Absolutely. Now a redacted amount of years later We're still joined at the hip Just a little bit bigger hips Wider This is a podcast we're recording it as we tailgate

Our youth soccer games In the back of my Honda Odyssey With all the snacks and drink Sidebar Why did you get hard seltzer instead of beer Oh they had a bogo Well then you got it Do you want a white collar or something here?

Just take it What are y'all doing? Microphones are you making a rap album Oh I would Come on Could you buy it Cuts through the defense It's like a hot knife through sponge cake.

That sounds delicious. Oh, you're lucky I'm not a drug addict. You're lucky I'm not an alcoholic. You are. You're lucky I'm not a killer. I love this team and I'm really trying to be a figure in their lives that they can rely on. Oh. Listen to soccer moms on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

All right. All right. It's my buddy, Nick Wright. So, you know, I was thinking. about this is the Lakers still haven't named a coach. And they're just a mess. You could argue. Would you like Rob Belinka run the volume? Well, no, because it's a different business.

I would not. No, no. Okay, yeah. He's one of those guys. I'm not going to put you in a bad spot. No, but he's one of those guys that's really a good-looking guy with a lot of confidence and bright. And I get you a long way in life.

and great relationships. Great. That's a good looking, smart and friends, you know, good at cocktail parties, social. Those are a lot of skeleton keys to life. That is true. That is true. Go ahead. And I think, and it's not a knock on, Rob, but he's good looking, social relationships and bright enough.

And it just works. And then in a weird way, the. The worst thing that could have happened to the Lakers is LeBron coming. Because LeBron has done this for franchises, his whole career, except Miami. Remember that thing you used to use when we used typewriters called whiteout? Yeah. You'd make a mistake and you could white it out. LeBron's like that for basketball franchises.

Shitty GMs, average coaches. LeBron just wins championships. Like he just, even more than Michael, who needed Pippen, who needed Phil. LeBron got every coach to the finals. It doesn't matter. And so he's the great eraser is that people forget how bad the Lakers were for a long stretch pre-Lebron. Six years. Yeah.

And then LeBron comes. They went in the bubble, which was a weird year. And people forget how mostly bad they've been with LeBron. Take the bubble year out. I mean, that's the year Harbaugh's team was terrible. and Belichick's was terrible. Like, that year was horrible. Can I just say some real quick?

Because I have to defend the bubble. Before any of us had ever heard the word coronavirus, the Lakers had the best record in the NBA. So I think that team, it was the last year we ever had LeBron before he suffered his first significant injury of his career, the Solomon Hill thing with his ankle. Anthony Davis, the best we ever saw him. So I do think that was the best team in basketball under any circumstances,

but that doesn't change your point. The point is that they've had 10 years. One 50-win season. And they will go into this season. Then on any night where LeBron or AD, and this will happen often in the regular season, take a night off, Austin Reeves is your second best player. He does not start for Boston.

nor do I think he starts for Denver. And I'm not sure he starts for Oklahoma City. Or Minnesota. Yeah. LeBron coming to the Lakers got you a COVID bubble title for a franchise with 12, who gives a shit? In the end, it has masked a like 12 year, 11 to 12 year run of large incompetency or suboptimal guidance upstairs.

So again, I think they, I think that title's as legitimate as anyone, but I don't think it changes your point, which is they have, in both the Tatum and Brown drafts, they had the pick before Tatum and Brown drafts. They had the number two pick both years. It took Lonzo and Ingram. And by the way, I have tweets out there saying I liked Lonzo more than I liked Tatum. I missed that. And people, here's the thing on that.

People are old people often say, oh, well, you had that wrong too. Guys, it's not my own, my, I have a lot of things I'm looking at. Figuring out the single best draft pick for the Lakers is not literally my only job. So to compare my, how I would have done. Lakers GM winning that by that same metric. I am the GM of 30 NBA teams, 32 NFL teams, a couple baseball teams and doing other things. It's nonsense. Yes, I would have gotten it wrong.

It's the Lakers job and get it right. There's that. There is the fact that they either were too cheap or incompetent to keep Alex Caruso. LeBron wanted no question. LeBron wanted Russell Westbroe. But LeBron wanted Kyrie Irving. and they found a way to say no to that. LeBron wanted Tailu.

They found a way to say no to that. They said yes to Russell Westbrook because they wanted them too, because they're about stars. And then they mortified themselves with this coaching search. This is horrifying, man. Horrifying.

Danny Hurley told you he was to the point where he's talking to LeBron. And the lake, the Detroit Pistons are willing to pay Monty Williams more money to not coach them than the Lakers were willing to offer Danny Hurley to coach them. It's not a, they're not as serious. They are a family business that is being run by Linda Rambus, Kurt Rambis, Kobe's former agent Rob Belinka. And Jeannie Bus. And the only, this is what frustrates me so much about, because there's still a contingent of Laker fans that are really Kobe fans that are hostile towards LeBron.

The only reason this team has not been in the wilderness since the first term of the Obama administration. That's right. That's right. is LeBron decided he wanted to live in L.A. Not even, oh, you had built a fun team that made sense. Nope.

I want to live in Los Angeles, find the cap space, all do the rest. I will get us Anthony Davis and will instantly win a title. And then, so I just, I don't,

I don't think you could. squander a situation more readily than the Lakers have as an organization. And they, man, they fired Darbinham seven weeks ago. Seven weeks ago. And they didn't have an answer. Why would you ever fire somebody? If a company fired me, I can assure you, they'd have a plan. Lakers have no plan, no plan.

And the Danny Hurley. thing was either. Like, this is where, I've said this to you for, I'll say it again. One of my favorite lines from an all-time movie casino, when De Niro is

on the casino floor with the state assemblyman's nephew or whatever, the cowboy that had the job they didn't deserve, and there had been three slot jackpots in a row. And De Niro's losing his mind because it was a scam. He says

to him. He says, you're fired. And the guy's like, I'm fired. He's like, you're effing fire. He's like, I'm fired. He's like, yeah, you're fired. Because either you were in on it or you were too dumb to know you're being scammed. Either way, you got to go. That's how I feel about the Danny Hurley situation. There are two doors you can walk through on that. Either. You never actually intended to hire him and you thought having that story out there would be good PR and soften the blow of eventually hiring JJ Reddick or you really did want to hire him and you thought $11 million a year was going to get it done. So either you were trying to run a scam on your fan base or you were too incompetent to get your guy. Either way, you're unqualified. You are unqualified.

And I don't, this is why I brought up Polinka. That is, in a lot of industries, man, that is a fireable offense. Oh yeah. If somebody, if you have, let's say, I'm not going to compare you to Darvinham, that's unfair. But if you, if someone, if you get, if a, you get fired and the company's like, trust us. And then publicly, very publicly goes after someone that everybody thinks, oh, well, that would be great. Oh, they're getting cost us. I don't know. I'm just making.

Yeah. Whatever it is. Yeah. And then that person says, Nah, don't want it. And the next day, does seven radio shows telling everyone about why he didn't take the job and makes a fool of you, that person who screwed that up usually is held to account. And instead, we're just left with, they had a good meeting with JJ Reddick.

Like, give me a break. You're the Los Angeles Lakers. Crazy. It's mortifying. It's mortified, man. I think it's an amazing time. I think something is happening in television, in media, in sports that's really, really fascinating, is that because basically television now, the platform of television may be shrinking, but it's all sports. I've told you this before.

If TikTok banned everything except cooking and culinary stuff on TikTok, and it lost 70% of its audience. it would be great for culinary because it would be the only thing on TikTok. You don't have to own a platform. If you're the only thing on the platform, it's powerful. And I think a lot of media critics say, oh, cable TV is losing its audience. The only thing that works on TV today, the only thing is sports and every four years politics. So television now is just, Fox has said on Fridays we're doing sports.

Weekends were sports. We're going to Fridays. In fact, if they had the Amazon 30s, Thursday games, I think Fox would say Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday. We're a sports network. Three days, a primetime non-sports. And so I think what's one of the things that's interesting is that the explosion, Caitlin Clark is clearly a catalyst for a business that was, and let's be honest,

whereas Tiger and Connor McGregor elevated their sports, Caitlin, to some degree, Caitlin to some degree financially saved the WNBA. It was emerging money for years. So that, so let me, can I just, before you get to your, point. So I think that people have a hard time saying that or accepting that. Both of these things can be true. It is good. And I think worthwhile. And I'm glad that pre-Katelyn Clark, there was a women's professional basketball league in America that was treated as a big time league and deserved to be.

Okay. That's act. That is true. And it was improving in terms of basketball annually. Absolutely. Here's what's also true. There is proof of concept overseas that women's basketball can be profitable. That's why poor Brittany Greiner, you know, ended up in prison was because a lot of these women go overseas, make a lot more money. And that's not charity. They're not getting paid out of charity. They're because those leagues in those countries had found ways to monitor. it in a way the WMBA hadn't. The WNBA was not well run flatly. They had a product that could be monetized in a way that it was not. I'm not saying the teams weren't well run.

I'm saying the league as far as whoever was in charge of generating revenue. There was, but the fact of the matter is who's ever fault it was, it was a league that as a business was not a highly successful one at all. It's why you could get a, I think you could get a franchise for 50 million. Well, you know, the franchise fee. So it is, it can be true that it was, it had the potential as being proven right now to potentially be a super valuable business, but was not being treated or run as such.

And I think that was an oversight maybe by the upper echelon of leadership. And now with Caitlin, they have no choice but to adapt and evolve because there's going to be money pouring in because there's so many more eyeballs on it now. But as I was thinking about this is that there's always been this gap. I tend to think of my show, our shows, in terms of, um, you know, like almost color-coded, like red hot is Labor Day until February 23rd, right? Yep. And then it cools down.

It's an orange, a hue for NFL free agency. March Madness was pretty good. I thought that college basketball had a good year. Women helping with that. And then the draft, and that's like orange. And then it goes back to a little stronger orange for the NBA playoffs. Then it's blue. It's cool.

Like we got two months of cool. And I will say that. that, you know, every four years, World Cups, the Copas, Euros, those are very good for Fox. Those get good numbers. They're fascinating. But I will say this selfishly is that the WNBA has become on a fairly regular basis. It will fill a segment every day on my show. And I'm not doing it because I don't talk hockey much.

I'm not doing it as a reach. And I was thinking about this. How people get famous, some people get famous on art. Mr. Rogers got famous on decency. Some people get famous or infamous on controversy, accidental or as a la provocateur, and that not only is Caitlin Clark a catalyst, but the racial component and the underdog being picked on is a component. And it's a little like golf where a very insular country club, predominantly white wealthy sport, had this profoundly popular, historically fantastic player. And that was part of the Tiger story. He was new on many levels. And I do think, and I'm not saying there is a racial component to the WNBA.

But every business needs a catalyst. And every business, their explosion is different. Some, it's controversy. Some, it's, and so. Go ahead. So I think the Caitlin and the physicality, I look at it and I think, hey, just look at the WNB as an American business. It is an American business, and their catalyst is an underdog from Middle America, and

there's a racial component. That is a story 100 years old in America. It could be, there's a million businesses where that has been the case. The sports one that there's a little correlation is Tiger, although Tiger was profoundly dominant very early. Yeah. So the, yeah, I don't, the only part of that is I don't necessarily, I think the media, some media is treating Caitlin as more of an underdog than she actually is.

I don't view her as an underdog as much as I view her as just a rookie who is going through, you know, rookie growing pains, ebbs and flows. But is a really good player. But is a really good player. You were talking about the way it doesn't. I'm going to use a maybe unfortunate example to use it as far as it doesn't really matter why you get famous.

It matters what you do with it. And I think maybe the perfect example of that is Kim Kardashian. So Kim Kardashian was semi-famous, a little famous, and then become Uber famous momentarily because of a sex tape. flatly. And what did she do with it? Created a multi-billion dollar business based off her skill, talent, and beauty. Flatly. She has one of the longest running hit television shows. She has, you know, more, I don't, you know, clothing line or makeup line. I'm not all the way up to date on everything the Kardashians are doing. But she took that spark and turned it into a forest fire.

and that is what I'm hoping the WMBA can do with this. You have, Caitlin is the spark. The rivalry, which dates back to college with Angel Reese, is real gas on that spark. The at times absurd media attention is turning it into a real fire that at times the wrong things are being focused on and to go back to our bad actors on the internet stuff,

there's a lot of grossness surrounded with it. But even if it's just by accident, there are a lot more eyeballs on this league. Enough so. Everyone in the sports world today was aware, oh, man, Cameron Brink tore ACL yesterday. Yeah, yeah. Like, that sucks.

Think about that. Two years ago, there was not if the number, if the third most famous WMBA rookie got hurt midseason, it's not like one of the biggest things that happened. I'm in the sports world that day from an attention standpoint. People now care. And that sounded wrong. I know a lot.

Some people care already. But it's relevant. It's relevant. Now it has a relevance that it's, a zeitgeist effect than it in before. It is a bigger tent. Or it's the same size tent and more people are crowding in. And some of those people are real assholes and I got at which they would leave.

But they're here too. And so I agree with you. It's how I forever, because I love tennis. Yeah. I was hoping like, man, can someone in the big three tennis become like, controversial or where America cares? Because I would love to have some Nadal Federer Djokovic seven years ago discussions.

But my audience didn't care enough. So on the podcast, I do Nick's Tennis Corner during the majors, and that's it because I respect what the audience wants. But, Colin, I was on your TV show for 20 minutes on the Tuesday after the NBA finals wrapped. and we spent as much time on Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese as we did on game five of the finals, and it was a smart programming decision because people have takes and people are invested. And I also think, by the way, the other important thing, what was a bummer for golf was

nobody was able to carry on from Tiger. There wasn't, there were, you know, like, there wasn't a, it was, it was purely tiger dependent. And the people like, it was like, oh, is it going to be Rory? Is it going to be this? It was, it wasn't really any buff. With the WMBA, the hope is you have this, you have all the stars are already there. And you have this rookie class. Next year, you're going to have Paige from Yukon coming in, Paige who was supposed to be

Caitlin before Caitlin as far as. like transcendent star. And the young woman at USC, Juju, might be the best of everybody. Yeah, she's clever. And then you, then you're not just relying on maybe, you know, oh, this person's out for the year.

Well, let's remember you guys in a year. America likes football and basketball. We like our basketball. I mean, hell. I mean, we watch women's basketball in college. We like men's college basketball. We like the NBA. So this country, there's been experimental leagues, you know, the Ice Cube League.

So the truth is, there is no experimental baseball league that works. But there's experimental football and basketball leagues. The UFL was getting a million three. A million people. Yeah. So like, this is, I think, basketball and football, if you really break down what America likes, Europe likes soccer. They just love it.

And we love in America. we like our basketball and our football. You can develop stuff off both. And I think, so I do think there's a very good chance that Caitlin will create, she is the catalyst, and we will start. Now, we may never have quite a, quite a tiger, but Rory's not tiger either.

Either is Deschambo or Brooks, but they're captivating. They move the needle. 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.

Clifford Taylor the 4th. You might have seen. the skits, the reactions, my journey from basketball to college football, or my career in sports media. Well, somewhere along the way, this platform became bigger than I ever imagined. And now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfiltered conversations with some of your favorite athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated.

One week, I'll take you behind the scenes of the biggest moments in sports and entertainment, and the next we'll talk about life, mental health, purpose, and even. in 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. The story I've told myself about love or relationships, can they,

shape my behavior, and that can lead me to sabotage the possibility of connection. This Mental Health Awareness Month, tune into the podcast deeply well with Debbie Brown and explore the journey of healing, self-discovery, and returning to yourself. We explore higher consciousness, emotional well-being, and the practices that help you find clarity, peace, and self-mastery in a world that can feel overwhelming. The world is becoming lonelier. We're not becoming more social and connected. We're becoming more individualized, but we actually need people in connection.

If you've been searching for a soft place to land while doing the work to become whole, this podcast is for you to hear more. Listen to deeply well with Debbie Brown from the Black Effect Podcast Network on the Iheart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. What's up, fam? It's Isaiah Thomas. And I'm C.J. Toledano and our podcast podcast, Point game is about defying the odds. Like LeBron heading into the playoffs without Luca and Austin Reed. And finding ways to win no matter what.

He's the smartest player to ever play the game. His IQ is at a level that we've never seen before. And he knows without Luca and Austin Reeves, I got to manipulate the game. We get a player's perspective on the challenges of the playoffs. I think Joker's going to be exhausted this series because when they don't have Rudy in the lineup, he has to really guard guys like Nas Reid. He has to guard Julius R. Randall. And then he has to give us everything he gives us on the night-to-night basis on offense.

And when IT's friends stop by, like Quentin Richardson, we dive into some playoff history too. Steve Nash would get that thing. That man, hell get the flying. He running up the court, licking his fingers, why he got the ball. Like, you go through a training camp with that, Isaiah, you figure it out real quick. Get your ass up and down the court, and you're going to get the ball. So listen to Point Game on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, I'm Deanna Maria Riva, actress, mother, lover, and a Gen X woman walking through life one hot flash and hormonal crying jag at a time. You ladies know what I mean. I'll bet you a paramedipausal chin here you do.

So let's talk about it. Join me on my new podcast. How hard can it be with Deanna Maria Riva, where I call on my Gen X squads from Ohio to Hollywood as we navigate midlife's most fantastic BS. All of a sudden, I'd had hanginess happening on my own. I was like, what the hell is that? I was married when I had her, so I didn't even consider how empty that Ness was going to be. Mood swings, night sweats, fupas, sex drive. Wait, what sex?

Dating at 45. How hard can it be? How hard can it be? How hard can't be? Well, that's lighting. They say we can't polish a turd, but we're sure going to try. So let's get blunt with laughs, tears, or tears of laughter, and dive into it, unfiltered and unbothered and ask, how hard can it be?

I cannot believe I'm about to say this out loud in public. Listen to How Hard Can It Be with Diana Maria Riva as part of My Cultura Podcast Network available on the Iheart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. All right. Let's bring in my buddy, John Middlekopf, former NFL scout, his podcasts. The football one is three and out. You know, it's funny about, I got into this conversation about quarterbacks that the last 12 years, only two quarterbacks have won Super Bowls. stars Peyton, Brady, Mahomes, or guys who are talented but yet to be paid. Russell Wilson and Flacco were on the last year of their first year contract,

and then the Wentz-Nick-Folz team, where those guys weren't making any money. So essentially, like, that's it. You, you know, Tua, DAC, good quarterbacks, big money, no chance. And so I looked at all the teams. I came up with 12 quarterbacks who were either, I considered like throw the ball elite fashion. And it was Stafford and Mahomes and Allen. I put Aaron Rogers on there. I put Lamar Jackson because I think he's elite in Joe Burrow.

Those are the six. So they're in the Super Bowl bubble. And then there were six other guys who I consider really, really talented and inexpensive, all under $20 million a cap hit. Herbert, I think it was Jalen Hertz, Jordan Love, Brock Purdy. I'm missing somebody else, but it was that group. Would you throw Goff in there? That's interesting.

So Goff was the one quarterback on the one team. I didn't. He is not great, and he's too damn expensive. So over the last 12 years, there are no Jared Goffs. There are no A minus B plus quarterbacks, and with no history. I mean, Peyton Manning was older in Denver, but his brain was functioning. It's Peyton Manning. He could still play out. There are no golf winners. And it was interesting because I came away and I said, I actually liked this bubble. It was, you know, Ravens, bingles. It was all the teams we like. You know, Texans, I think we both agree in Packers are young, but you wouldn't be shocked if they end up at a conference championship. And Detroit was my takeaway. And I also love Dan Campbell's ability to build a culture. I don't know if you get him in a game with a Shanahan or an Annie Reed, if I feel so great. about highly emotional Dan Campbell.

So here's a franchise I love, a quarterback. I've been higher on Goff. You and I have, I think, than almost anybody in the media. Love their roster. It's a younger version of the Niners. But there are no examples of Jared Goff winning a Super Bowl, that kind of pay and quarterback. And, you know, would it shock you if I said in five years they didn't win a Super Bowl?

No, I mean, well, the Lions. But I do think they have a unique window because of the trade they made, made with Stafford and how well they drafted. Their team roster-wise feels more like a Ravens. Oh, yeah. Right? They went toe to toe to toe with the Niners, and they didn't have to lose any of those guys to sign the contract.

Now, when the bill comes due and his number starts hitting whatever on a yearly basis, 20% of the cap, it's a little different. But right now, on a man-to-man basis, I would say they easily have a top-five roster. Because the other thing they have, I was talking to our guy Jeff Schwartz, who Oregon Duck. He's like, do you realize? that Penae Sewell is like 23, 24 years old. Yeah. You know, the players, their young talent that Jamir Gibbs, the wide receiver meets running back, like he's a Christian McCaffrey, Alvin Camara. We saw LaPorta, Amon St. Brown. They do have a question mark at defensive back. Yeah.

If you have question marks at defensive back in 2024, it can be a problem. Yeah. But they did add in the draft. They added Carlton Davis from Tampa Bay. So if they're just saw, the other thing, Colin, is a lot of times when you're a team that sucks and then a couple years later has success, people steal your coaches. For whatever reason, Ben Johnson doesn't want to be a head coach. I mean, he's turning down Josh Harris as they're flying to see him. It's a unique situation with him. So, yeah, Dan is not Mr. Schematic, right?

He's not calling the place, but he didn't lose his start coordinator. And now their defense, just personnel-wise, like, I think they got a real chance this year. They got a real chance because there's a ton of pressure in San Francisco. We'll have to see how this IUC thing plays out. Jordan Love's got to do it for 17 games. Yeah. Right? So you look around Philly.

We still got question marks with Siri on. Now, the roster is good, but I think it's this year. Now, over the course of the next three or four years, it gets more difficult if you're not the fourth best quarterback, if you're closer to 11 and you're making huge money. But I do think you've seen if you can protect the guy, he's mentally tough. He's like a better version. He's a different type player, but a lot like Alex Smith. But I think better. Throws a better ball.

Yeah. Yeah, mentally tough. And that matters in these playoff games. Alex is just so physically limited when Andy would get him to the playoffs. Jared has more physical cable. You can't run like that, but he can throw. And if you can protect him, the NFC, I mean, they should have won that game. And like you said, I thought it was pretty reckless by Dan Campbell with a kick of the field goals.

But, yeah, I think this year they got a legit chance. If you tell me the Lions, is it inconceivable they're the number one seed? Their division's hard, but I mean, why couldn't they win? I don't know if San Francisco is going to win 13, 14 again. Maybe they win 11 because them and the Rams both 11. What if the lions get to 12 or 13 and have the one seat and then they get to everything's in a dome? I would argue the two best rosters in the NFL are San Francisco and Detroit. The best teams are almost all in the AFC.

It's like when USC dominated the PAC 12, the conference was just awful. But USC was the best program. And basically they got every California recruit they wanted. I think the Niners, I said this before last year. If you took the Niners and the Lions and says, we're going to make a Pro Bowl team out of these two teams, it can compete with, I mean, literally the offensive line, Trent Williams one side, Penaesol, the other. You literally hurt people. Yeah, they would hurt people. So I am, I think I'm in the minority here.

I want you to think, I'll go first of a team you think is undervalued. I think it's Denver. So they drafted an edge rusher. That is an area of need. If you go back to last year, the defense was the issue. They got the most you could get. If you go really look at Russell Wilson's stats. Now, Russell doesn't see the field particularly well, but they've got a number one receiver in Cortland Sutton.

The offensive line was rated 7th. I like their backs, capable at tight end. Again, a number one receiver. I think the O line's better than people think. One of the smartest play designers and callers in the sport. The Raiders are not going to be great. the Chargers will probably take a while to get where they want to get. They're not going to be terribly explosive vertically.

The Chargers can beat teams, but they're a little bit like Kansas City last year. They're not blowing people out. He's going to try to play in 20 to 17. All every week. They're going to be in games with Kansas City. Kansas City doesn't blow people out anymore. Rishie Rice is a bit of a mess. They have a rookie.

Chargers won't blow people out. They could absolutely beat both of those team once. they could beat the Raiders twice. They're over, under's five and a half. If the kid they drafted, if the edge rusher works, by the way, Mims last year became a really nice piece. That's why they moved off Jerry Judy. They went and got another receiver. I, it's hard.

When you say, smart coach, good offensive line, automatic wins in division, Bowenix had 61 starts. If he's capable, if he's Russell Wilson capable, I think that, like an eight-win team. I'm not seeing playoffs, but five, Jesus, John, five and 12 is Carolina. It's unwatchable. I don't think Denver's going to be unwatchable. Yeah, I think Bo Nix, I remember watching him right after the draft. He kind of had some like Jimmy Garoppolo, Derek Carr coming out of college. And when those guys were young, they would have been perfect for Sean Payton when he was transitioning away from Drew Breeze. You know, this team,

win-loss-wise, they've been in the mix, but no one really took them that seriously. Seattle's offensive personnel is pretty awesome. I mean, D.K. Metcalf is like Terrell Owens. Oh, their backs and receivers are great. Yeah, Walker, they've improved the offensive line. Their defense, for a team that's drafted defense, this traded for defense, has been anemic these last two years, which is crazy because you remove the last, like, three-year stretch.

Pete Carroll's easily one of the best defensive minds over the last 30-plus years, right? but it fell apart at the end. Gino Smith, I'm not the biggest believer, but she has not really been their issue of just being competitive. It's their defense. They couldn't stop the soul. Well, they get the boy genius from Baltimore, who easily had the best defense in the league last year.

Listen, Stafford's already kind of bitching him on, and I need a little more money, and Stafford was awesome last year, but that elbow goes, we've seen what happens if he's on the shelf. It's one thing if he misses one game. It's another thing if he misses a month and a half. You know, he's the lynchpin of the whole,

operation. If something were to happen to Stafford, I could see Seattle being right there. Because you can already tell, like, are the Rams, like, do we really want to double down on this? It was an awesome season. Can we just play out the contract? To me, Seattle's a quarterback away in the next couple of years. I'm sure Schneider is going to be all over them in the draft this year. I think that they are a very unique spot equipped in the future. If they could ever find, and just even get their Brock Purdy or just a guy that's really good, cheap contract,

they would be a problem because what Mike McDaniel or Mike McDonald did these last two years and specifically last year, I mean, they, Colin, he embarrassed Kyle Shanahan on Christmas night. I had a buddy on the Baltimore Ravenstaff. We're all calling him, boy, genius, around the room.

Like, he is a special defensive schematic guy. And he, listen, we question that side of the ball running a team, inherit players everywhere on offense. And we'll see. I mean, Ryan Grubb, a lot of success coaching. Now, going to the NFL is a little bit different, but what he just did in Washington, a lot of NFL people are watching. I'm not shocked at John, you know, and they hired him to be the offensive coordinator. So they're a team, I would say this year is going to be interesting, but they're a bow knicks, whoever their guy is over the next couple years away from being like,

they could be a problem. All right, let's flip it. Let's find a team that we think is bit overvalued. I want to pull back on Houston so badly, but Jesus, I just love everything they're doing. Every move they make, every draft pick, I love what Houston's doing. They're well run, and they've got a good coach. And what their quarterback does is sustainable. He's a pocket quarterback. So, you know, I think about this.

I really do wonder if Aaron Rogers is upright. The Miami Dolphins concern me. Basically, it's a three-headed team. It's Jalen Waddle, Tyreek Hill, and Tua. Tua was healthy last year. One of the only healthy years of his life. The Jets, if Aaron's upright, are going to be much better. New England's bad. Those are two wins. Buffalo's Buffalo. Their schedule's not easy. The AFC, here comes Burrow. DeShon Watson's coming back. Aaron Rogers is coming back. Shitman, last year, was the year, the getting was good if you were an AFC team. Like it was, it was, everybody's banged up. Trevor Lawrence wasn't healthy. Anthony Richardson got hurt. C.J. Stroud's a baby. And I look at my-

Didn't the dolphins have like a four-game lead after Thanksgiving? I mean, how the hell did they blow that division? And I look at Miami and I'm like, I could see them just, I could just see this thing with a little injury to tour early. I could see it nose diving. I think Miami's the team. team that I think to myself, God, last year was, I mean, they're literally weather affected when they go north and later in the season.

Miami's the team that everybody's high on. I could see it being a bit of a mess. What's yours? I don't take them seriously at all. I don't care what their record is in September. Go 4 and 0 in September. Seen that. Ben, they've done that. The best teams in their conference all play in freezing cold weather. Not like cold weather, frigid weather. Right? So they have no shot. I think the Colter team that I'm high on, their coach is a stud, your guy Ballard has done a really good job. I think their roster is really good. They were a bad Gardner-Minchu swing route from beating the Houston Texans and winning the division. But their quarterback has played, he's much more physically gifted and much more talented, but a little Trey Lancy, he just hasn't played much football over several years now.

So you're very dependent on this guy. It's like, well, if he's awesome, I mean, I haven't really seen him on the field. And then last year, it's one thing to get hit by Ray Lewis, right, or John Lynch in their prime and get a broken shoulder or whatever. He had some injuries where you're like, I didn't even think that hit was that violent. And the thing about football is some guys are just durable. They just, this guy, this guy never missed a game. Eli. 15 years.

Yeah. Yeah. Look at Jerry Rice's career, six. for 16. So it just goes on forever. The occasional you break a leg or whatever, but like you start having concussions, shoulder issues, that concerns me. I'm probably going to pick them to make the playoffs, but I can't feel good. I mean, their quarterback has played a combined.

I don't know how many games you played last year, three, or four. And then before coming out of college, you had played 13 career games. That's the thing with this class, right? Penn has been playing for six years. Bo Nicks, 61 career starts. Caleb Williams started every game after Oklahoma told Spencer Rattler to go to the pine. J.J. McCarthy. You've seen these guys be on the field for a long time.

People get very, like you said with Kyler Murray, lazy, not into it, terrifies teams. Half the leaks is out. The injury stuff is tough because you're like, well, what if just a weird couple-year stretch and then he plays seven straight years? Or what if it's just something that snowballs? You really don't know. You're just completely taken an educated guess. Half the times the doctors tell you we can't draft this guy.

This guy goes on to have an eight your career and the doctor tells you to draft this guy. He's got a degenerate knee. So it's just, it's tough. But that is going to concern me picking them. But if I pick the Bengals, isn't Joe Burroughs? Wrist injury that I don't know if you read about it. It's not like a broken leg or an ACL that basically feels like a hundred percent recovery. It's a much smaller percentage, not arthritis, but pain and just the throbbing as you're

working back from it is unavoidable. He's a quarterback, so he kind of needs to use it. I love watching the guy play, and he's the only guy in the AFC that went toe to toe with Mahomes and took him down on the road. But like that, that injury has a little baseball feel to it where he like, that pitcher was never the same, right? Yeah. I hope that's not the case, but it's scary. Thanks so much for listening. If you've enjoyed the podcast, take a moment, rate, You. Another podcast from some SNL late night comedy guy, not quite on Humor Me with Robert Smygel and Friends. Me and hilarious guests from Bob Odenkirk to David Letterman help make you funnier. This week, my guest, SNL's Mikey Day and head writer Streeter Seidel, help an a cappella band with their between songs banter.

Where does your group perform? We do some retirement homes. Those people are starving for banter. Listen to humor me with Robert Smigel and Friends on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your Podcasts. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque.

Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast's Superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the I-Hard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, this is Robert from the Stuff to Blow Your Mind podcast. Joe and I are both lifelong Star Wars fan, so we're celebrating May the 4th with a brand new week of fun, thought-provoking Star Wars-related episodes. Join us as we tackle science and culture topics from a galaxy far, far away, such as the biology of 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 guys. Get Your Podcasts. On The Look Back at it podcast. For 1979, that was a big moment for me. 84 was big to me. I'm Sam Jay. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick a year, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we

survived it with our friends, fellow comedians, and favorite authors. Like Mark Lamont Hill on the 80s. 84 was a wild year. It was a wild year. I don't think there's a more important year for black people. Listen to Look Back at it on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you. 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. 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 Cliford Show. This is a place for raw, unfilled of conversations with athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. So let's get to it. Listen to The Cliford Show on the I-Hard 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. This is an IHeart podcast, Guaranteed Human.