The Herd with Colin Cowherd - Colin Cowherd Podcast Prime Cuts - Nick Wright on LeBron/Kyrie Reunion, Ian O’Connor LIV/PGA War

Episode Date: June 25, 2022

This is Prime Cuts! The best of The Colin Cowherd Podcast. First, (3:00) Colin explains if a Kyrie/LeBron reunion could work in L.A., and what word more accurately describes the Warriors better than ���dynasty.” Then, First Things First co-host - and host of the What's Wright? podcast - Nick Wright (16:00) discusses if an Anthony Davis for Kyrie Irving swap would be best for KD and LeBron, and reacts to getting called out by Draymond for doubting the Warriors. Then, Ian O'Connor -- NY Post columnist and author of Belichick -- (38:00) examines the long-term impact of of top PGA golfers leaving for the Saudi LIV tour, if the Giants can turn things around under another new regime, and if the 1st place Mets can win the World Series. Follow Colin and The Volume on Twitter for the latest content and FanDuel for the best wagering and daily fantasy action! #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 IHard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you 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 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 you're 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 Clifford 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 podcast network on TikTok. The Volume.

Colin Coward Podcasts presented by Fandual Sportsbook. No better place to bet the action than on Fandual Sportsbook during the football season. 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-Sports book app, sign up. This is Prime Cuts, the best of the Colin Coward podcast.

Great week. Nick Wright, two-parter, was a amazing, talks about Draymond Green's criticism of him and the greatest poker story ever told. Also, New York Post columnist Ian O'Connor. His thoughts on the live golf war with a PGA, Mets Yankee Subway Series. Is it happening? Are the giants as poorly run as the Jets? But first, my top takes of the week.

I want to talk about this for about five minutes. So timing is everything. And there are certain times in my life where, I haven't worked well with people. And then later on in life, I do work well with people. If you've been in a relationship, maybe you're with your wife. And have you ever gotten into discussion, oh, my God, if we'd have met like we were teenagers, we would have hated each other.

But we met after college. We were both in our jobs. We fell in love. My wife and I always joke about that. We would not have worked in high school. But we were both divorced and it worked really well. We were at a cool place in our lives, more mature, probably a little vulnerable. and we clicked for the last 15 years.

And I'm thinking about that story in the athletic that Kyrie Irving and the Brooklyn Nets are at an impasse. And I really do think LeBron and Kyrie work for each other now. So the thing to remember about both, and LeBron has always been highly calculated, Kyrie Irving had his best three-point shooting year ever. And if LeBron played two more games, he would have officially led the NBA in scoring.

LeBron and Kyrie are not declining players. They're just not available as much as people would like. Anthony Davis and Westbrook are declining players. And remember LeBron's fear in Miami? Why did he bail on Dwayne Wade? Because he feared he was getting old. Remember that right in the year? Dwayne Wade could struggle on back-to-backs.

He would give you about three, four games in a series, not six or seven. LeBron likes veteran players. But when he senses they're too old and getting banged up or declining, he has bailed on them. Go back to Cleveland. Go back to Miami. Go back to Cleveland again. Remember, Kyrie bailed on LeBron. LeBron didn't bail.

on Kyrie. So that's an important facet to remember. Brooklyn needs a big. Anthony Davis would be that. Lakers need off ball shooting. Kyrie would answer that. Don't get caught up in Westbrook. He's irrelevant. Nobody really wants him. That's why he keeps bouncing around the league. But I think it is interesting to remember. If you look at LeBron's career, he doesn't like young players and he bails on even friends who he feels become fragile. And I've been told twice by people inside the Lakers. LeBron is frustrated that Anthony Davis is declining and is aged very quickly. He peaked, look at the numbers. Anthony Davis peaked about four years ago. It's never been the same player because he's never committed in the offseason. He had a quote a couple of weeks ago. He hasn't

touched the ball from April. He hasn't touched the ball since April. and he's never committed in the wait room. So when the rumors come up about the Lakers interested in Kyrie, I don't think it's a coincidence. It's right after the Warriors win. And all of a sudden you see LeBron working out with Kevin Love and you see discussions about the Lakers and Kyrie Irving. Just remember.

Remember when the Eagles were a great band? And then in 1980, Don Henley and Glenn Fry broke up. Don Henley was asked, what are the chances of you guys ever getting back together? And he said, when hell freezes over. And then in 1994, they got back together. And their album was called Hell Freezes Over. And LeBron's at a point in his career where he is still great at initiating offense.

The Lakers were second in the league last year, believe it or not, at getting open threes. They just didn't have anybody to hit them. and Kyrie Irving is coming off his best three-point shooting percentage of his career. Just because you can struggle at one point, break up at one point, doesn't mean you don't work together later. I think Kyrie and LeBron need each other. LeBron's tired of AD. KD. tired of Kyrie makes a ton of sense to me.

You know, there's some argument for sports people about what is a dynasty. The Spurs, Greg Popovich, Tim Duncan never won back-to-back championships. And so many believe it was not a dynasty. Now, there's nothing in the definition of a dynasty that says you have to win back-to-back-to-back-to-back championships. But I do think occasionally when a team is successful for eight, ten, ten, 12 years or more, it goes from a dynasty to an empire. And I think the Patriots, the Spurs, and now the warriors have reached a point where they classify as an empire, which is empires don't last three years. Shaq and Kobe three titles, together a few more years before, one year after, and they blow up.

That's not an empire. That's two really talented guys that get together, win some championships, and wear each other out. The Miami Heat, the Heedles, their best year was year two, darn good in year three, declined and broke up after year four. Am I supposed to be more impressed with that? I don't even think that compares to what the warriors have built. Dynasties can be short. Empires never feel like they are. In fact, the Patriots had two dynasties within what I would call an empire.

The Spurs had several championships over 12, 13 years. And I think that's what's impressive about the warriors. They're greater than a dynasty. Four titles, eight years. One shot from five titles, eight years. One shot and some injuries from six titles, eight years. They will be favored again next year. And what they really are is the essence of.

of the sport. Top-down, smartest organization, coach is a former player. The star wins as the number one or with Katie as the number two. Three of their players have worked together for the entire span of it. I think Roger Federer, Serena Williams, that's not dynastic. That's an empire. They have created empires, Tiger Woods, Jack Nicholas, from courses to championships, to speaking fees. That's beyond a dynasty. And it's very rare, but I think that's what Golden State has created, is that on so many levels, they are copied.

You have a former player as a GM, as a coach, a diehard basketball fan as an owner. They draft and develop at the height of the profession. And so when people say, well, you know, did they win here and did they win there? I don't think dynasty is the ultimate compliment. I mean, if you told me in my career what I could become, the highest compliment is an empire. I make money with gambling, podcasting, streaming, television, audio,

subscription, advertising. That's far more impressive than having meteoric success briefly. An empire is when you have, holdings. An empire is when you control many things. You're elite at scouting and coaching. You're elite at defense and shooting. You start looking, if you deep dive on the warriors,

like unless you're in the Bay Area or a 5% or a diehard NBA fan, what they're doing now is phenomenal. They have many believe one of the best young big men, James Wiseman. He didn't play in the finals. One of the best athletic, twitchy, versatile defenders, Jonathan Coominga. Didn't see him much, did you, in the playoffs? They have 6'5 Moses Moody from Arkansas.

Highly dynamic. Is he the next Clay Thompson, but more athletic? So even the way they've developed this roster, people are trying to, for the last eight years, not only figure the Warriors out, but draft and develop the way they do. This baseball season turned K's into cash. Big hits into big wins with Fandul Sportsbook.

Okay, right now, new customers. Step up to the plate. No sweat first bet. Up to $1,000. Here it is. Sign up. Place your first bet. Fandle will give you.

Listen to this. Up to $1,000 back in free bets. If you don't win. You get paid fast. It's safe and secure. Great promotions every day. No better place to bet America's pastime than on America's number one sportsbook. Download the Fandul Sportsbook app.

Always use the promo code Colin to get the deal. Get you started. It's called No Sweat. First bet. Up to $1,000. 21 plus and present in Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Indiana, and Louisiana. Permitted parishes only. Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Tennessee, Virginia, or West Virginia.

First online, real money wager only. Refund issued as non-withdrawable site credit that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook. Fandul.com. Gambling problem, 1-800 next step or text next step to 5334-2-Araud, 1888-7-8-9-7-77 or visit ccpg.org slash chat, Connecticut, 1-800-Gambler, or visit Fandul.com slash RG and Colorado, Indiana, Jersey, and Virginia.

1877-7-7-1-1-1-7-1-1-7-1-1-7-1-1-7-1-1-7-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-G. Imagine. in 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.

A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what you're 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 Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and.

and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. All right, my buddy, Nick Wright. First of all, I've got a crazy trade idea that I put on the air today. Oh, I didn't see. Okay. The Brooklyn Nets need defense in size. When you're in a conference with Janice and Joel Embed,

you can't have Kevin Durant is the guy on the floor the last six minutes of a game making the stops. He's got to get buckets. The Lakers were second in the NBA. in open threes, thanks to LeBron. They have no shooters. Kyrie acknowledged it was my bad in Cleveland. I wasn't mature enough.

Kyrie to LeBron. Don't worry about Westbrook. Irrelevant. Nobody wants him. Let the contract bleed out. A.D. to KD. He needs a more chill personality.

Defense, a big. What he doesn't need is another shooter who doesn't really want to defend. and wants the ball with a minute left. No, no. That AD's never wanted that pressure. AD defends, he's got size. You need it in the east. Remember the east, you need bigs.

You don't out west. I mean, the sons are getting rid of Dianre Aiton. The warrior's biggest Kavon Ludi. Most teams in the West, Yokic. Rudy Gober could be on the move. It's just Yokic. Yokic is the only one you got to do. Dallas now, their biggest Christian Wood,

who's a 6-9 rail-thin forward. So I'll throw that at you, is that it kind of makes some sense, right? Take Westbrook out. Nobody wants him eventually. Okay. So here's the thing. So Brew actually said that to me off the air today. Chris Broussard.

That's the only way the Lakers, Chris Broussard said it off the air. Like, because we were in commercial break when that Shams athletic story broke. And we were about to go on the air. And he was, and I was like, Shams is connecting the Lakers to it. And Brue just said offhanded. He was like, are they trading Anthony Davis? Because that's the only way they're getting him. And my response to my response to you is, for that trade to happen, if I'm the Lakers, I need more.

I don't know what the more is. I don't know that I want Patty Mills because he's so old. I don't know what the more is. I don't know if you have to work in another team. But I don't think, I know you're down on AD and obviously he's got injury. issues and maybe some motivation. And he's a declining player. But yeah, but he's still more valuable than Kyrie Irving.

Right. He is still more valuable than Kyrie Irving, who has the same injury issues, far greater reliability issues, and he is not the two-way guy than Anthony Davis has proven to be. So that is a fascinating one because can you win a title with LeBron A.D.? Yes, we saw it, but you need the rest of the team to be really well. formed. Can you win a title with LeBron and Kyrie? Not only did we see it, the rest of the team wasn't all that well formed, and you beat a damn juggerna to win that title. That one is fascinating, but I would need more if I'm the Lakers. I can't trade AD straight up for Kyrie.

But it is a fascinating thing. Remember this. I'm trying to think, hold on, let me ask you this. Wait, wait, let me ask you this. You said, forget Westbro. Now you want to get. True wacky town, okay? I give you A.D. and Russ. And you give me, Kyrie and Ben. Take it in a second. That I would do. Because that it's like if you, now you are as, as flawed as Ben is,

he's far more valuable than Russ. No question about it. And if you're the net, that's the cost. The tax is, and by the way, you've never seen Ben, Simmons play and the Russ contract is expiring. That, if I'm the Lakers, that one I do. Oh, that's an interesting one. How about this? That one, and I think the contracts work. Oh, that one, that would be one of the biggest NBA trades ever. Okay. So I said this in the preamble to you. LeBron has a history. He even bailed on D. Wade once he was physically

vulnerable. Kyrie is not declining. Had his best three-point shooting year ever. AD is. Look it up. Peaked three to four years ago. His field goal percentage is points. He had a terrible shooting year.

LeBron... He shot 18% from three. I don't know how it wasn't a bigger story. 18% which is impossibly bad. It was in the discussion for the worst three-point shooting year by any player ever. But go ahead. So, Kyrie's not a declining player. LeBron plays two more games.

He wins the NBA scoring title. He's declining in availability. He is not declining in the ability to get baskets. LeBron knows. LeBron gets the most out of everybody. Kyrie acknowledged, we broke up. My bad, I was immature. So LeBron has bailed on his best friend, D. Wade.

Remember D. Wade at the end? He would struggle. He needed like four days rest for his right knee. Of course. Chris Bosch, great player, great guy, good friend. Had health issues. LeBron will bail on a friend if he feels they're declining. Kyrie's not available, but he's not declining.

He is still the best small finisher in the sport. It is fascinating one, Colin. Listen, I have been, I've been talking since December. At first, it was a little time. in cheek a little serious. When the Nets weren't playing Kyrie at all, when it looked like they were going to get zero games out of him. And we knew he had this contract coming up.

And the Russ thing clearly wasn't working. I said in December, Russ for Kyrie. I was like, you guys, people can say that sounds ridiculous. But if you're going to get zero games out of him and then he's going to walk, he's worth zero. At least see if Russ reunited with Kevin Durant. This was when they still had Harden keep in mind. You know what I mean?

The Nets had Hardin and KD. I was like, it might be worth a try if you're Brooklyn. And then it just seems to be more and more slow momentum towards a Kyrie and LeBron reunion. It does seem like that because now I do understand here and here is where the nets have to be careful. because this is not a situation like Ben Simmons asking out with four years left on his deal. This is not an Anthony Davis asking out even with one year left on his deal. This is a player who can be a free agent in Kyrie Irving right now. So if the nets are like, we're not going to help you out and send you to the Lakers,

he can opt out, be a free agent, and sign anywhere he wants. And I know people are like, oh, only the bad teams have cap space. Man, the Lakers can't clear up the capsos without trading rust. But other teams can clear up caps a space. The Clippers could find a way to get Kyrie Irving quickly. The Knicks could easily clear up the cap space to sign him outright. And if you're the Nets, can you, if Kyrie goes to you and says, I want you to find a way to trade me to team X.

And if you don't, I am opting out and I'm not asking for a trade anywhere. I am signing with the Knicks. Can you deal with that if you're the Nix of losing Gary Irving to the fucking Nix across the bridge for nothing? I don't think you can. So I don't think the nets have leverage the way most people think they do. The Blazers have leverage. Like, I don't know if they would use it if Dave. because Dave's been such a good citizen and such a great teammate.

But he's under contract, right? The Lakers have leverage with Anthony Davis. He's under contract. The Nets have no leverage with Kyrie because he's not under contract if he opts out. And that's a media. It's interesting. It's interesting. I like it.

Yeah, I like it a lot. I like it a lot. That's a good one, Colin. Okay, so let's pivot. So Draymond Green called Nick Out. I want to run the piece of video. have. We'll start with this. Let's roll the tape on Draymond Green, very popular podcast that happens to be on this network of volume. Go ahead. Nick Wright comes out and say, uh,

Steph Curry's, that's it. He'll never see the finals again. And Andrew Wiggins, three years, $95 million left on his deal. Why would they go do that worst trade and blah, blah, blah? I hope you're willing to stand on that word, brother. stand on that and tell us why you thought that. Tell us why you thought that. Tell us why this whole series you've been yapping and yapping, and then all of a sudden you want to switch to the doves. Tell us why.

Because what's in question is your basketball knowledge. Okay, Nick, it is interesting because obviously I defend Draymond. I thought he was so good in the last couple of games of the series. He was so Draymond. He was such a catalyst. I always argued that the great teams have always had players who know exactly what they are. Manu Genoobli came off the bench. He would have started for 27 teams.

He knew exactly what he was. Pippin knew exactly what he was. So did Ron Harper. Harper averts 20 a game for the Clippers when he came over. But that's not what they needed from him. The great teams have these players that could score more, that could do more. Now, Draymond's not a great score, but I've always felt he is the bouncer with the nightclub and that he controls his emotions more than people think he does and that his job is to be a more skilled rodman. He's trying to be annoying.

And I really think, I think it really, really works because when he goes to more skilled players and disrupt them like he did with Jalen Brown, I thought it was incredibly important. So that's why I argue guys like Draymond historically have immense value. All that's true. So I want to, there's a lot of stuff here on the address. I'm going to do it in reverse order. Everything you said is true. It is also true that through four finals games, he was having arguably the worst finals of any future Hall of Famer ever.

His finals is fine through four games. the first game was by basketball references game score metric, the worst playoff game of his life. His second game was I thought he was actually kind of good. That was a game where he was totally unhinged insane in it. The third game was the worst game of his life by that same metric. His fourth game, he was so bad. His mother called him out on Twitter and his coach binged him.

Game five, he was really good in the first half. In the second half, he had four fouls, fouled out, took zero shots. And then in game six, he was excellent. He was excellent. He was on both ends of the court. That's Draymond. That's a fair reading of Draymond Green's NBA finals. Okay?

That's the finals. Now we go, you know, we open up the aperture, as my buddy Kevin Wilde would say. Drummond Green is one of the, he called himself the greatest defensive player ever. That's nonsense. Is he one of the three greatest defensive players of his era? Without a doubt. Is he a future Hall of Famer? Without a doubt.

Is he, in my opinion, more important than Clay Thompson has been in this Warriors' dynastic run? It is close. But yes. Because I think you can find in this league a shooter more easily than you can find a guy who's going to do all the little shit Draymond. does on offense. The offense is gone away this year.

But he used to, I mean, he scored 32 in game seven of the finals. Dude, had 32, 15, and 9, or 10 and 9 in game 7 of the finals that they lost so LeBron. He used to be able to score the basketball. And his passing is great. And he's a good, at times great defender now. There was a three-year stretch where he was the most devastating defender in basketball. He won one defensive player of the year, finished second the two of the years to Kauai

Leonard. I came on your show before I even had my own show and said, Draymond was the best defender of Messville. So all that's true about his career, right? He is not the rebounder Rodman was, but he is a better offensive player than Rodman was. Modern Rodman is a great comp, right? Okay.

Now to what Draymond said about me. I, unlike, here's one of the reasons you and I get along, Colin, in addition to the many things we, you know, that we have in common, And here is maybe one of the most important. We are two of the only members of the media that understand what's good for the goose and good for the gander. We make our living, making bold proclamations, talking a little bit of shit, taking a little at times pointed jabs and trying to literally predict the future. You don't do the predict the future stuff as much as I do, but you do some of it. Everything about picking a game or a champion is predicting the future, which, by the way, not possible.

You can have informed speculation. And you and I understand that occasionally we're going to have big swings and crush it over the fence. And occasionally, not only we're going to miss the ball, bat's going to fly out of our hand and hit the old lady in the front row. And people are going to bring that shit up for a couple years. And you've got to take it. My Andrew Wiggins take that is gone international at this point. I was getting tweets in Hebrew. It was on it was on K-pop TikTok, okay?

It is gone international for being a bad take. I was wrong. Dremont said, so there's my issue with what Dremont said. Dramon said, I hope you stand on. If I were to talk to Dremont, I would say, what do you mean by stand on? Like, do you mean by admit I said it? Like not say that to. deep fake. Okay, I will stand on that. Are you saying, I hope you still believe that? Of course,

I don't still believe that. I was wrong. Like, Andrew Wiggins played better than I expected him to. I said they wouldn't ever make the finals. They just won the championship. So I can't stand on that part of the take. What I said wouldn't happen, did happen. So I just missed on it. And that, that happens. The only frustration I have is not directed at Draymont. Because Draymond is new media. And by the way, Dremont, I'm not sure where they teach new media classes. But if you're going to be in new media, you should probably get some of the stuff right. Like when you say, oh, and now you want to switch your pick to the Warriors?

No, my friend, it was actually worse than that. I picked the Warriors. Then I switched my pick to Boston. So I was wrong, but you were wrong in your new media about what I was wrong about. Okay. But here is what is frustrating to me. my colleagues, not like Wild's brew,

but like general colleagues, sports media, who have shared that two and a half year old Andrew Wiggins clip when you know how I know that's an old clip? Because I don't have hair and I'm in the studio. It's been two and a half fucking years since I've been in the studio

and since I had a shaved head. So it's an old clip. But folks pretending that what I say, said there wasn't mostly consensus opinion really irks me. Andrew Wiggins was considered a huge miss and the worst contract in sports. Now, the Warriors to their credit saw something I did. That's why Bob Myers makes the big bucks.

But the idea that I was the only person criticizing the Andrew Wiggins trait is so a historical, but I said this on TV today. I'll say it again. I hope everyone has their old TikToks ready to send this to me in 2025. I saw the odds championship odds for your beloved Warriors. They're the favorites to repeat. Man, get out of here. They are not winning the title next year.

And by the way, everyone should send, everyone associated with the warriors should send edible arrangements and bouquets to Chris Middleton, thanking him for being hurt. Because if he doesn't get hurt, the buck. kicked the shit out of everybody. Nobody was beating Milwaukee. Yonis, everyone, I love people like, oh, Boston gave Yonis trouble.

They did. He averts 35 and 15. I don't think they gave him that much trouble. So, there's my rant. There's my answer to the drug. And by the way, can you, since you're his boss? Can you tell him I would like to come on the Dremont Green Show?

Okay. And I will stand on it. Tell him that. I will come on the show. we can share some lobo's tequila we're both clutch clients we mav mav can be the moderator we have a lot of things in common uh you know he's got a chirpy mother i've got a chirpy wife we've got some things that we can see eye to eye on and we can discuss whatever he wants he's actually they tell him i will he's actually uh he he has a he's very coachable people wouldn't um you wouldn't suspect that

being a rich, you know, 100 million net worth star. He's as coachable as any athlete I've ever had. He's constantly saying, don't tell me how good I am. What do I got to get better at? Which is such a redeemable quality for anybody. Well, then you should tell him to take that invisible backpack off when he's taking three-pointers. That's what you should tell him. Be like, hey, Traymond, that little white rock you have on your back when you're shooting threes,

who pretend it's not there. 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 you're 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 Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. Do you remember when Diana Ross double-tapped Little Kim's boobs at the VMAs? Or when Kanye said that George Bush didn't like black people. I know what you're thinking. What the hell does George Bush got to do with Little Kim? Well, you can find out on the Look Back at it podcast. I'm Sam Jett.

And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick a 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 finishing that sentence. Yes. I don't think there's a more important year for black people. Really? Yeah.

For me, it's one of the most important years for black people in American history. Listen to look back at it on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your Podcasts. Welcome to my new podcast, Learn the Hard Way with me, your host, and your favorite therapist, Kear Games. And in recognition of mental health awareness month,

I'm bringing over a decade of my own experience in the mental health field and conversations with so many incredible guests. I'm talking, Tripp Fontaine, Ryan Clark. Sometimes when we're in the pursuit of the thing, we get so wrapped up in the chase that we don't realize that we are in possession of the thing. And we're still chasing it.

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

Absolutely. And that's two different levels of trust. I want you to just really be a good person. Join me, Kear Gaines, as we have real conversations about healing, growth, fatherhood, pressure, and purpose on my new podcast, learn the hard way.

Open your free, our heart radio app, Search learn the hard way and listen now. Well, he's somebody I've admired, read, and respected for a long time. You know him as Ian O'Connor. Of course, New York Post columnist. Two of my favorite sports books ever are Belichick and Coach K. The Rise and Rain of Mike Shoshchevsky. But he also wrote another book, which I haven't read, but it's fitting with our first topic today.

Arnie, Jack, Palmer, and Nicholas, and Golf's Greatest Rivalry. And the PGA was so pristine and so. beloved, but the world has changed. Lots of platforms, globalization. Somebody eventually was going to throw a lot of money at golfers. This is what UFC did to boxing. They were a disruptor. Boxing was based on greed and too many weight classes and promoters driving the sport.

Can I not argue, if we get out of the blood money conversation for a second, is that the PGA is simply an organizational arm. These are not employees. They're independent contractors. The PGA doesn't run the Masters. Rider Cup U.S. Open. PGA Championship British Open. The stuff most people watch.

And that this was bound to happen among globalization, Amazon, Apple, Saudi money. And that we don't like where the money's coming from, but the PGA, which is a charity, these are independent contractors, some sort of similar situation, the PGA was really vulnerable.

Greg Norman's been pushing back for 20 years. Tigers had disagreements. Mickelson's been complaining for a decade. That's where I find myself, Ian, if you get out of the blood money argument for a second, that PGA put themselves in a bad space. They've had grumbling golfers for 20 years. Well, Colin, even beyond 20 years, I remember when Greg Norman was threatening to start a tour back in the 90s and to compete against the PGA tour.

And without question, when you look at Tiger Woods starting a tournament in his prime with no guaranteed money, starting a season on the PGA tour with no guaranteed money, nothing more than the 126 guy in the field, at some point, somebody was going to present a model where the stars were paid up front. And it was inevitable. It happened. I actually agree with you 100%. The PGA Tour has put itself in position to be challenged like this. Now, nobody loves where the money is coming from. But at some point, that conversation will taper off. And it's going to be the NFL against the USFL. And I think, who knows who's going to win this, this one, because I think the more named players that Live takes away from the PGA tour, that obviously hurts the depth of the PGA Tour fields. And in that sport, really the three players that matter most now are Rory McElroy, Jordan Speath and Justin Thomas.

They don't play every week. So you do need the Brooks Kepkas and the Bryson D. Shambos and Patrick Reed's to fill out fields for people to come and watch. Those players are now leaving. And I think they'll continue to leave. And this is going to be a serious threat to the PGA tour. for a long term. Listen, you cover golf extensively.

I just read Alan Shipnuck's book on Phil Mickelson, a wildly colorful character. We know about the gambling losses. But I've always felt Phil's his own sort of platform. He's his own business. And I look at him like a Peyton Manning, who's eventually going to sell that Omaha production company, probably do a network for hundreds of millions of dollars. You know, Phil's not as viable as a golfer. He would have gone into broadcasting or created his own media company.

I think I'm less surprised about Phil Mickelson, who has very little runway left. I mean, were you shocked by him doing this? No. I wasn't shocked by it. I disagree, certainly with his decision to do it. And as I wrote in a column a couple of weeks ago, Phil and Greg Norman sort of deserve each other. They've been full of, you know what, for a long time. And Nicholson is a great player. He's probably going to go down among the top 12, maybe 10 players of all time. And he knows

he's not going to win anymore. He pulled that PGA championship last year out of a hat. And so his winning days are over. He owes obviously a lot in gambling losses. He's talked openly about that being a problem for him for years that he's tried to work on. So I'm not surprised that he did that. I think the bigger threat is a guy like, or even two guys, really, but DeCambeau and Kepka. Those are the players that the PJ Tour have to worry about because they're in their prime. When DeCambeau was healthy, Colin, he arguably was the best player in the world. If he gets healthy again. And if Kepka gets healthy again, these are guys who can win majors. Now, will the majors allow them in? I think so. I think they should, as much as I'm opposed to taking the blood.

blood money. I don't, I wouldn't go as far as banning these players from major championships. And as you noted, the PGA Tour has no control over those championships. So there's a, you know, our football season still about six weeks away before we kind of jump into it. And obviously baseball, both the Yankees and Mets who have spent freely are doing very well. And I'll come back to baseball in a second, the New York scene. But you know, for years and years, I've understood. I understood the Bears and the Lions and Washington and Houston weren't well run. I understood the jets weren't well run. And Stephen Ross had chaos in his organization.

The head scratcher for me has always been the giants. I've always called him the accounting firm of the NFL. Even when they won, they were boring. Even in good years, nobody wanted to talk about him. Almost as a rule, Ian, if you look at the bad teams in this league, some have good quarterbacks, some have good coaches, some have interesting rosters. Cleveland, Jets, Houston, it's all ownership. It's shaky front offices.

It's chaos upstairs. I always thought the Maras were well equipped to handle speed bumps. I look at them now, and maybe this is hyperbolic, I almost insert the Giants into the circus category of the league. how are they perceived in New York? I think they were a bit of a joke under Dave Gettleman. How the Mara family, John Mara and the Tish has ever agreed to hand over their multi-billion dollar franchise to him is beyond me. Joe Shane is a different story.

I think there's a sense now that the Giants have a plan finally and a guy who can build a program in place. And really over the years, they've been helped. greatly by good general managers. George Young, Ernie O'Corsey, Jerry Reese, stabilized that franchise. And nobody was calling John Mara a bad owner in 2007 through 2011 when he won two Super Bowls. And really, in 2008, that was their best team. Kaufflin, Tom Kaufland told me later, they would have won it all if Plaquescoe Burris didn't accidentally shoot himself. So he was a good owner when he had a good head coach and a good

quarterback. They didn't have that in recent years. And so he's been a good, been a bad owner. And right now we'll find out if Brian Dable is a good coach and if he can turn Daniel Jones into a good quarterback. He obviously has the athletic and physical tools to be that, but let's see. This is his final year to get that done. But the Giants, because of the tradition going back into the 50s and 60s and Sam Huff and Frank Gifford, and they do hold a place in the market that the Jets really don't. And obviously, as you know, the Jets haven't been in the Super Bowl since Man stepped on the moon. It's a phrase I like to use quite a bit. And Joe Douglas has given them a bit of a chance here. He had a really, really good draft by all accounts. And it all

comes down to whether or not Zach Wilson is the real thing or if they'll be searching for another quarterback in a year or two. So, but New York football, I have to say, it's been miserable in this market, Colin, when both teams are out of it by Halloween. And the Yankees and Mets are done, particularly the Yankees, then you turn to football and they're done by Halloween. It is, it's bleak. So I would welcome just one of those two franchises to become relevant again because it just makes column writing in this market a whole lot more interesting. Well, football has by and large taken over virtually every market in the country, including Boston where the Patriots reign, sort of put, let's be honest, the Red Sox in the back seat of that sedan. for many years.

But New York's an exception. Steve Cohen goes from Wall Street and has bought Scher, Lindor, a great roster. It was already potentially good. He pays for Buck Schoalter. They go get Max Scherzer. They had to Grom.

They had some pieces in place. You can't do that in the NFL. Dave Tapper buys Carolina. They're still a mess. It just doesn't work that way. But in baseball, if you look at the best teams right now, It's the biggest market in the South Atlanta, the two New York teams, the Dodgers, the biggest market in Canada, Toronto. It's Houston.

It's major cities. The bottom of the sport is Kansas City, Cincinnati, Oakland. It's low payrolls. So you can buy your way into baseball. But here's what's interesting. I find the Mets more fascinating than the Yankees. The Yankees story is great pitching and a long ball. But I went and watched three of the four Mets games against the Dodgers.

Dodgers. And they're doing it without Scherzer and DeGrom. It's power. It's defense. It's managing. I feel like New York is one of the last cities in the country where baseball is still king. And judging by social media, I know the Yankees have the championships, but there's a special place. There's an underdog thing with the Mets from the outside that feels different than the Giants and the Jets, that there's a big chunk of the city that's into the Mets. And I look at the construct of their team, and I'm not some baseball expert. I think they're kind of built for the postseason. I really do.

Your interpretation of what you're seeing with the Mets, to be not fully staffed and to go out west and to really compete late innings, beat teams like the Dodgers, I watched those games. It was pretty impressive. I thought coming out of the weekend, they were the better team. Last year, the Mets were in first place for nearly three months. Louis Rojas was doing a really good job as a rookie manager, and I think he'll be good. He's young when he gets a second chance.

He's now with the Yankees. But the team unraveled after DeGrom went down, other injuries, and it got away. It's not going to unravel under Buck Showalter. He's seen too much. He's been a good manager in baseball for too long, and that's what I'm seeing. I'm seeing a Buck Showalter team. And I talked to Glenn Sherlock, long-time bench coach, been in the game forever recently. And he said the only manager he's ever seen who runs every defensive meeting and drill,

he's like a Belichick, is Buck Showalter. In spring training during the season, Showalter is on top of every defensive drill and meeting. And the Mets catch the ball. They do things you haven't seen them do in the past. And they aggressively run the bases and put pressure on the defense to make a play. and I haven't seen the Mets do that in recent years. And there is a feeling in New York. And I remember even back to 86 when they won it all with that great team that New York became a Mets town.

It can be a Mets town again. That is possible. I feel it can. And it was unanimous among Mets fans. My wife is a person who lived and died with the Mets or died and died with the Mets every night for decades. So I usually watch about 130, 140 Mets games a year because of that. And it's just for the first time, they hired a manager that was received unanimously as the right pick. And they have an owner for the first time who has a George Steinbrenner budget and

stomach for the fight. They've wanted that for so long to have their own Steinbrenner. He's more like George Steinbrenner than Hal Steinbrenner. So for the Mets to have that now, the manager that you believe in, an owner that you know will pay to correct mistakes and add to the roster to win instead of to win it all instead of maybe losing in the first round to go out and get Scherzer. Yeah, I think they can win it all. Right now, if the Mets and Yankees met in the World Series, Colin, I think it would be the same result as 2000. I think the Yankees went in five. But if you get Scherzer back and DeGrom can stay healthy, which I'm still shaky on. I think Scherzer will be there in October. I just don't know about DeGrom. But if those two guys

do stay healthy, wow, they certainly have a chance to win it all. You know, Steve Cohen, again, a guy that stepped in was a passionate Mets fan. There's been, to say the least, some dubious ownership in New York, James Dolan, head of the class, Woody Johnson, Johnson family, not great. Cohen appears to be received. Now, some of it's just the success. But he seems to listen to the fans. Like, it feels like to me, he's actually a fan, just a really wealthy one.

What's your interpretation of him? A really wealthy fan, no question, grew up loving the Mets. I think if you look at his business background and becoming a hedge fund zillionaire, certainly didn't always treat people nicely in his business world. And I think that's been documented. So I don't think he comes in as this knight in shining armor in one sense and another he is, because Mets fans, honestly, all they care about is that they have someone who is as invested as they are in the final result. and is willing to be to have the top payroll in baseball.

And they just wanted an owner to compete with George Steinbrenner. And now they have one who would have done that if George were still with us and is willing, I think, probably to do more than House Steinbrenner. And that's what they care about. I think Cohen is a very interesting guy who, right, he acts and feels like a fan. It seems like when they lose, he feels it like a fan does. Yes. And at times that can be a dangerous thing too. But the Mets fan wants that.

They want an owner who cares as much as they do. I know they didn't feel that with Fred Wilpon. And now they get it with Steve Cohen. And it's a powerful asset to have as you try to win a championship for the first time since 86. And I know Mets fans are thrilled to have that on their side. Make sure to check out the Dram on Green Show. I brought Draymond 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 Draymond Green Show wherever you get your podcast, only on the volume podcast network. Another podcast from some SNL late night comedy guy, not quite. Unhumor me with Robert Smigel and friends, me and hilarious guests from Bob Codenkirk to David Letterman help make you funnier. This week, my guest, S&L'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. 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. On the Look Back at a 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. It 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 you're 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 Clifford 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 IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. This is an IHeart podcast. Guaranteed human