The Herd with Colin Cowherd - HOUR 1 - Big Ben, Mayfield, Williams

Episode Date: January 4, 2022

Big Ben's career could have been much betterIt's time for the Browns to move on from Baker MayfieldIt looks like there will be a bidding war for Caleb WilliamsGuest:: Peter King Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is an I-Heart podcast. Guaranteed Human. Another podcast from some SNL, late-night comedy guy, not quite. Unhumor me with Robert Smygel and friends. Me and hilarious guests from Bob Odenkirk to David Letterman help make you funnier. This week, my guest, SNL's Mikey Day and head writer, Streeter Seidel, help an a cappella band with their between songs banter.

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

Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast's Superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. 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 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 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. Thanks for listening to The Heard podcast. Be sure to catch us live every weekday from 12 to 3 Eastern, 9 to noon Pacific on Fox Sports Radio and FS1. Find your local station for the herd at Fox Sports Radio.com or stream us live every day on the iHeartRadio app by searching Heard. You're listening to Fox Sports Radio.

Oh, here we go on a Tuesday. What a wonderful day it is. Live in Los Angeles, it's the herd. Wherever you may be, however you may be listening. IHeart Radio, Fox Sports Radio, and FS1, Joy Taylor and I almost matched today. One hour from now, the herd hierarchy. Joy is... Got a little Valentine's Day vibe.

I'm going here. No. Wednesday, is that coming up? How long is that? No. That's a month away, isn't it? Yeah. Don't scare me like that.

I forget something with my wife. No, we've got plenty of time. But it's actually the day after the Super Bowl. So as soon as football season ends, you can make amends. To all the ladies who aren't into sports. Yeah, for all the guys who have wives that don't like sports, it's like, listen, one day after all this madness ends, I really love you again, and here's a present. Yep, that's how it works.

By the way, I just came up with that. So if anyone wants to steal that line, 10%. Boom, commission. Let me start with this. I had this discussion, and I probably had it a couple times with my daughter. She's visiting me right now, visiting dad. And I got into this discussion. I said, you know, what you view as a kid as a shortcoming, whatever it is.

You know, you don't like the way you look. You don't like the way you fit in. You don't. I said it's almost like, and I'm not overly religious, but I said it's almost like the man upstairs is saying, I'm going to give you some early shortcomings. And it's going to create this toughness and this metal. And all the pretty girls in high school and all the good-looking guys in high school, they're going to peak like three years out of college.

And it's just, it's like somebody balanced it all out. For those who get a lot early, they waste it. And for those who don't, they work harder. And Big Ben is a referendum on that. The sports gods gave him everything. 6-6-250 mobile, huge arm. The only guy that pump things. with one arm. The football gods gave him everything. He is 39 and it's over. And he peaked at 32 and he was

kind of shot at 36 and a half. He got the bigger body than Brady, the bigger body than Aaron Rogers. But Aaron's 38 and is the best player in the league again this year. Tom is 44 and many think he'll win another Super Bowl. And they both have years left. Why? because Ben got it all. Oh, he'll make the Hall of Fame. All of them will. But what wasted talent? He didn't play as smart.

He took too many hits. Why would he worry about that? He was the biggest guy in high school, the biggest guy in college, and the biggest guy in the NFL. Why protect yourself? He wasn't as committed in the offseason. So he wasn't in high school or college and he still dominated. He didn't adapt. It was always just the deep ball.

He never really refined his skills. What you saw early is what his talent gave him. If Ben was the equivalent of us, normal citizens with normal bodies, he peaks four or five years at a high school, doesn't invest much, parties too much, and then 65 you look up in all the great years were way back in the rearview mirror. Oh, he's a Hall of Famer. He's one of the great talents of all time. He's Josh Allen 20 years ago when athletes just, we see more and more athletes that kind of look like Josh Allen now.

It didn't 20 years ago when Ben came out. His last big playoff win against the legitimate quarterback 11 years ago, Joe Flacco. And I look at Ben and I think so many hits, so much little offseason commitment, never really adapted beyond the big arm. Oh, what could have been? But you know what? That's the way it works.

The prettiest girl in high school is never the winner in her 40s. The stud. All the girls fond at 18. A lot of times ends up being a loser. in the end, if you look around the National Football League, I can't think of another quarterback that got all the gifts. And Ben is a Hall of Famer, and he won a Super Bowl. But just think of what he got beyond physical skills.

He got the most stable franchise in the league. They've had like two coaches in 40 years. He got unbelievable wide receivers. Does anybody draft wide receivers like the Steelers? Never. There's not even a... Check. Can't draft receivers. Stable franchise. Great GM. Amazing fans. Great history. Well-funded. Brilliant owners.

One Super Bowl. That's it? I mean, it's a Hall of Fame. But when I think of Ben, I think of so much given. And so little accomplished. And I know he's a Hall of Famer. But it's interesting if you look around America who the successful kids are. And if you look around the NFL, Brady didn't get a start in college, Aaron Rogers Junior College, people ignored Patrick Mahomes, Texas Tech, Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson, all those doubters, he's a wide receiver, Justin Herbert's too mechanical. Isn't it amazing?

Kyler Murray's too small. Russell Wilson got, he got benched in college, had to transfer to Wisconsin, set all their school records, still went in the third round. The league's great quarterbacks. Peyton Manning's a total exception, where he was number one high school, number one college, great. It is overwhelmingly the great quarterbacks were doubted and criticized and mocked. They didn't get what Ben got. He deserves the Hall of Fame and he had a great career. but I'll always think, man, he left a lot on the table.

The good news is Pittsburgh got another ring. They love him. He loves them. And it was a really cool night. It wasn't pretty. Hasn't been much for Ben in the last three years. But it was a really cool night. And Pittsburgh said thank you.

And Bed said thank you. And it's over. And he deserves the plaque. He deserves the Hall of Fame. fame. But my first thought of him will be, I've never seen anybody get more gifts, and he left a lot of them squandered. Here's Ben after. I was born in Ohio, but I live here, and I'll always be here. And these fans in this place, it just means so much to me and my family. And always will. And I've always said that they're the best fans in all the sports. And I'll stick by that

to the day I die. And to see all the signs and the jerseys and the towels. and to hear them cheer for me coming out of the tunnel, all that stuff. It just, I don't know that I'll ever put into words, and that's why I want to soak. I wish I could bottle it and have it forever. But I will and hear it in my mind. Great career, could have been greater, nice night, wobbly lasts several years. So let's talk about the team they beat the Cleveland Browns.

You know, Joy and I see this all the time. sports tribalism is a powerful drug. I said this years ago, I wrote it in my first book, two things make smart men stupid, beautiful women in sports. They make fools of men. Since Baker Mayfield was drafted, he has got the most interceptions in the NFL, the most passes batted down in the NFL, a career passer rating at 87, he's short,

he's marginally athletic. He used to be accurate. He no longer is. And yet, people in Ohio who are otherwise bright and people who maybe have lived there and moved on defend him in every corner.

Folks, he's not very good. He was never as good as you thought. He's bad now. Some of it injuries. He had 10 straight incompletions last night. That's the most in the league this year. He's called out the medical staff. He calls out coaches. I'll say it again. Again, it's time for a divorce.

Baker reportedly got a death threat. The media and the fans have turned on him. It's ugly and he deserves a less hostile environment. I can't imagine being a quarterback and getting death threats in my hometown. They usually defend you to the end. And secondly, I think there's real doubt in that locker room, that GM and that coach about his talent. Listen, Baker at this point is holding back a sensational roster. Don't forget Browns fans.

If anybody in the media didn't call this a top five roster before the season, you called them out, you called them morons and idiots. Well, you're a moron or idiot in Ohio today if you don't think it's a top five or six roster. It's got the best guard-centered guard combination in the league. It's got maybe the best running back in the league. Excellent tight ends. They finally used him last night.

The best pass rusher, though he's hurt in Miles Garrett. Top safety, Denzel Ward's in elite corner. And your coach won coach of the team. year. It's all about standards for Cleveland now. Ohio guy. You can take Darlene for a corn dog and a beer tonight, but why aren't you make a reservation at a nice restaurant? For once in your life have standards. The Rams moved off Jared Goff. He'd been to a Super Bowl. They moved off Jared Goff. Jared Goff's record in Los Angeles was 42 and 27. Standards. They moved off him. Kansas City moved off Alex Smith.

They were going to the playoffs with him. Alex Smith, 50 and 26. They moved off him. It's called Standards. McVeigh and Andy Reed. Jimmy Garofalo has been to a Super Bowl. Led entering the fourth against Patrick Mahomes is 30 and 14. And they're moving off him.

And you're defending Baker. Fourth coach, 28 and 29, getting worse. injuries don't help a fire hose of toxicity calling out the staff and the coaches and by the way, when OBJ's dad called him out there was no pushback from players

he's lost the GM, he's lost the coach, he's lost some in the locker room, but I think when he's healthy, he can play, he's not who I would build around, but I think he's better than what we've seen in the last five weeks. He's hurt. And it's really hard to play this position when you're hurt. Should be noted Aaron Rogers is hurt too, but he's going to win MVP.

Patrick Mahomes, by the way, was bouncing around and limping around all year. He has been multiple times. He's fine. Tom Brady, by the way, won a Super Bowl last year, and we found out he had like some miniscus issue. So the injury is part of it and the average, small, cocky, marginally athletic, poor judgment is part of it too. It is amazing what sports tribalism does. He deserves a second chance. Cleveland have higher standards. Here's Baker after. It's time for me to start, you know, looking at what's in the best interest for me and my health. You know, I've continued to lay it out on the line when I haven't been healthy and tried to fight for our guys. Right now, I'm pretty damn beat up, to be honest with you. There's no way around it.

I gave it everything I had tonight. I'm a fighter. If anybody ever questions how much I want it, Just turn on this tape. It was pretty, but I kept going, kept swinging. That's who I am, and that's what I continue to be. I have never once questioned his toughness. Baker is tough. He's a tough guy. He's not a talented guy.

He's not nearly as talented as he thinks, but he's a tough guy, and for that, he deserves credit. Just like Ben's career drives me nuts, but he deserves a Hall of Fame. Baker is tough. But none of us have ever questioned tough. What we've questioned is talent. And in both instances, we're not very good at it's time for divorce. All right, Caleb Williams is a great college quarterback. He has entered the transfer portal.

Will he follow Lincoln Riley to USC? Will he go to the SEC? Will he stay at Oklahoma? All these questions answered next. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays in noon Eastern, 9 a.m. Pacific. on Fox Sports Radio, FS1 and the IHeart Radio app. 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-Hart Ration. 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, Clivert 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're get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. Hey, this is Robert from the Stuff to Blow Your Mind podcast. Joe and I are both lifelong Star Wars fan, so we're celebrating May the 4th with a brand new week of fun, thought-provoking Star Wars-related episodes. Join us as we tackle science and culture topics from a galaxy far, far away, such as the biology of taun tons and wampas on the ice planet hot, or the practicality and corporate business sense of the Sith rule of two. Listen to Stuff to Blow Your Mind on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Do you remember when Diana Ross double-tap Little Kim's boobs at the VMAs? Or when Kanye said that George Bush didn't like black people. I know what you're thinking. What the hell does George Bush got to do a 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 it here, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it.

including a recent episode with Mark Lamont Hill waxing all about crack in the 80s. To be clear, 84 was 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, so... Thank you for finishing that sentence.

Yes, I don't think there's a more important year for black people. Really? Yeah. For me, it's one of the most important years. from black people in American history. Listen to look back at it on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. So the name image likeness, transfer portal stuff in college football right now is all changing

rapidly. It's a little unhinged at times. It's good for the player, not always good for the player. I'll get into that perhaps sometime later. But Caleb Williams is a great quarterback, a young quarterback for Oklahoma, and he is the best player now who has ever entered the transfer portal. He was a great player for Oklahoma under Lincoln Riley, and he did it the right way. He played in the bowl game, and then he said after the bowl game, I'm opening myself up to be re-recrued. I will consider Oklahoma and everybody else. So a lot of

people feel like, oh, it's a bidding war. It is. I've said this many times before, so I've always been consistent on this. Money cannot drive decisions. In the car of life, it has to be in the back seat. It's got to be in the car. Money matters, but it can't drive your decisions. When I left the other place to come here, it wasn't about money. It wasn't. I was offered as much or more there. It was about management. I trusted the management at Fox. There's a sea of money for talented people. There's not a sea of great leadership and great coaching. How many great coaches are there in college football? Eight, 12? There's 130 programs. I mean, great. So this is going to come down for Caleb Williams to a decision. Do you chase money because the SEC will pay you more?

Or do you chase coaching? There is no head coach in the SEC that is the offensive quarterback development pedigree of Lincoln Riley. Lincoln Riley turned a two-time walk-on, Baker Mayfield into the number one pick. He's never been as good as he was under Lincoln. Jalen Hertz got benched in Alabama. He got him as a Heisman finalist. Lincoln Riley overnight has turned good backups, walk-ons, reclamation projects into Heisman finalists and number one picks. Kyler Murray's talented, but he was literally 50-50 baseball or football. Like nobody in the SEC. The two best coaches in the SEC are Kirby Smart, Nick Sabin or Sabin and Kirby Smart in that order,

both defensive guys. Brian Kelly, to me, is third, probably at LSU, second or third, but he runs through quarterbacks and none end up being stars in the NFL. at the PAC 12, Lincoln Riley, you'll be in the national spotlight every day because it's the biggest West Coast program. The PAC 12 is easier. You won't get his beat up. And at Auburn, the fifth or sixth best SEC program, you'll be in the national spotlight once a year against Sabin as you lose. Now, I know what you're saying.

That's small and petty. It really comes down to a fundamental question. You want to take a little extra now or 150 million later? I do not believe Calum Williams would go to an Auburn and end up being the number one pick in the draft. I would say with some, certainly he would go to USC with Lincoln Riley, because you know I've got proof and stuff, and he would be a number one pick in the draft. He's that talented potentially. He's good. He needs to be refined, but he's really talented.

But this is what the name image likeness has done. Everybody thinks this is a win for the players. But you're going to find a lot of players over the next 7, 8, 9, 10 years. who are not going to choose the right coach or system or fit, they're just going to choose the bag. And I can assure you, USC doesn't want to get into the seedy business of bidding on players. They're going to create a name, image, likeness department like everybody else has to do, and you let the chips fall where they may. In the south, a car dealer is ready to give them a seven-million, seven-figure deal.

USC's boosters aren't going to bid on, they're not going to bid on players. That's just not their brand. It's very on brand for the SEC to outpay. It has been for years now it's legal. That's the brand of the SEC. We'll just pay more. Now it's legal. USC's not going to do that.

But it comes down to the decision who can develop you into a 150 to $250 million quarterback or take some more money now because we know the answer here. Would I stay at Oklahoma? I'd consider it. Great program. They have a new offensive coordinator. Would I strongly consider Lincoln Riley? Yeah, he's got no equal in college football for quarterback development.

Would I consider an SEC program that's the sixth best maybe and the second best in their state? No, I wouldn't. Even the guy they had, Bo Nix is now transferring out west. I wouldn't. But short-term money is very alluring and nobody pays more than the SEC. And nobody will pay close to what they will in name. image likeness. So it's just a decision for a dad, a son, what's bigger? The long-term proposition or the short-term. And I think the answers to me are obvious. I'd stay at

Oklahoma or go to USC. Those are the obvious ones. Because Oklahoma's got a really good offensive coordinator, and Lincoln-Rolly's fantastic. But I don't think either is going to pay the kind of money that the SEC can and will, and as shown they will do. Joy with the news. Turn on the news. This is the herd line news. Well, the Packers clinched the number one C with their winner were the Vikings on Sunday. So they aren't playing for anything on Sunday against the Lions.

However, Matt LaFleur said he is still planning on having his starters play in the game. Right now, the mindset is going into this is we're going to play our guys. And we're going to approach it like every other game. And I just think that the reason behind that is, I'm not comfortable having essentially a three-week layoff for our guys. I just, and I know you can look at it a million different ways, and there's never a right answer unless it works out.

Bottom line is, whatever we do, we got to go out and perform, and we know that, and that's just the way we're going to go about it. You know, Belichick would play as guys. I mean,

there's a lot of coaches that believe that. You know, there's no proof. In fact, I saw a stat it was a couple years ago that buy teams they don't cover the spread as much they don't you would think that a buy would always win right but there is something to be said about rust

like there's a reason bands travel around towns and they do the night before the concert they go in the who who's been traveling for 50 years they go in and they kind of do a preset they get ready they practice they you would think it's the roadies it's the same venue you were here a year ago it's like three weeks of not hitting real live action is a real thing. Yeah, I don't really know that it's 100% necessary to sit everybody.

And he's also said there's a chance that some players could start the game and exit after getting some work. Yeah. That's probably where I would land with it for everyone except for Aaron Rogers. Because Aaron Rogers is dealing with an injury. Also, this is what we talked about this morning. This is where I agree with you. he didn't work out with the team in the offseason and he's fine.

Right. Like we don't worry about Aaron. He was out with COVID and now he is going to win the MVP. Aaron Rogers does not need to be a part of this game. I agree. I would not start him. I would give him as much rest on that foot as possible. He's not going to forget how to play football.

He's pretty good. He's done this a few times. Maybe the practices leading up to the game are a little more intense for him. But I would not put Aaron Rogers in the same. game. Everyone else, maybe you start everyone, they play the first quarter or whatever, almost treat it like the third preseason game so that you have had some action.

Yeah, you hit. But then of course you are, which is the anxiety in a game that doesn't matter. What if somebody does get, God forbid, injured? So that is the risk that you're taking. So you're right, there is no formula. Sometimes you don't play anybody and you get blown out. Sometimes you play everybody

and someone gets injured and you miss a huge player for the postseason. But Belichick's did this like for 20 years. Belichick's thing was like we're not changing our protocol. We're going to hit it practice, hit in the games. Well, there's something to repetition and there's something to, you know, your, rhythm and process. But they're 13 and 3.

They are currently no odds on Fox Bet for this game yet. Obviously, we don't know who's going to be starting. Jordan Love could also use some reps in the spot. So we'll see what he ends up doing. My guess is that he plays everybody for a short amount of time and then pulls everyone that's necessary to pull, obviously. But I would not put Aaron Rogers in this game. Like he's dealing with a foot injury.

This is a blessing that you have some time off. Let him take a seat for a little while, sit on the couch and rest the broken foot he's been dealing with all season. So Jamar Chase's record-breaking performance Sunday pushed him past Mack Jones in the offensive rookie of the year odds, according to Fox Bet. Chase is now favored at minus 225. On Mac Jones is at plus 175.

Chase went for 266 receiving yards on 11 catches and three touchdowns. Really remarkable. against the Chiefs where they won 34-31. He also set an NFL rookie and Bengals' single game receiving yardage record and he's 45 yards away from breaking the single season receiving yards record for a rookie that has stood since 1960,

the Oilers Bill Groman with 1,473 yards. I'm going to throw something at you. So there is a belief by conservatives that there's a, that sports writers don't want to vote Aaron Rogers MVP because of his anti-VAC stuff. I don't think that's true.

I mean, maybe there is some that think that, but I think he'll win the MVP. But I'll throw this at you. And there's a lot of people, you know, again, this is a lot of this stuff is cuckoo for cocoa puffs for me. But there's a belief in the GOP, the Republican side, is writers are so liberal. They do not want to give Aaron the MVP

because he has been kind of like rolling his eyes at the Vax. Right. But I thought about this this morning. if Joe Burrow won it and Aaron was second, would it be outrageous? And here's why I ask. The Green Bay Packers for 30 years have been well run, smart as heck, in a bad division, develop all lines.

It's a gold standard of how to develop and draft players. The Bengals have been a wreck for 20. Burrow gets there. And a year and a half later, winning their division after he was injured. After he was injured. After he was injured. Yeah.

No, I think I think Joe Burrell should very much be considered for MVP. I do too. I don't think he's going to win it. And I don't know what these conservatives are going to say when Aaron Rogers inevitably does win it. But if Burrell won it, I wouldn't be outraged. I would vote Aaron MVP. No, we want to be outraged because we're reasonable people.

Okay. That's with with the ability to create our own thoughts. But no, it would not be outrageous at all. Joe Burrow should be in this conversation. Don't you... What he's done is remarkable? Now, I would, again, I would give it to Aaron, but folks, you have to consider this. This is why I said yesterday about Derek Carr.

You've got to give him an award. I don't know what it is, but what he's doing with the Raiders and the chaos is, it's almost like a kid that grows up with chaos as a kid in his family and ends up running IBM. You're like, you're supposed to be from a prep school and go to Yale or Hart. Like what Joe Burrow has done is remarkable. Maybe, you know, we were talking about the league needs to do something for... Madden and we've had a lot of conversations about how the MVP has just become the best

quarterback on the best team award in a lot of ways. And so the conversation becomes a bit tedious because obviously if you compare Aaron Rogers to Joe Burrow statistically and how their team has done this year like obviously Aaron Rogers is better. Tom Brady has the second best odds and like Aaron Rogers is still better. So if you're comparing position to position,

it becomes easier to do that. But then where do you put Jonathan Taylor? So maybe there's a most outstanding player award, which is much more subjective than the MVP award, and that's the Madden Award, where there's just a player who we won't put in the MVP conversation

because maybe the team success isn't as high or there's some sort of other, you know, dysfunction within the organization, but they are deserving of some recognition for their season. And I would put Derek Carr in that conversation and certainly Joe Burrow in that conversation. Yeah. Yeah. Conservatives also think that Tim Tebow is being blackballed by the NFL.

Anyway. So. Anyway, he's not? Okay. No, no. Many people have questioned whether Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer will return next season. Zimmer was asked yesterday if he thought he was the right man to be the head coach of the team, and he responded, that's not for me to judge. Zimmer also said that he has yet to speak with management about his future. There's seven and nine and were eliminated from playoff contention with Sunday's loss to Green Bay.

He's 71, 56 and 1 through eight seasons with three playoff seasons. or two and three in the postseason. I know he's competent. It's not a question of whether he's competent. That's not the issue with me. And they're not a dysfunctional organization. No. They're not a loud organization.

No. There's really never issues internally that we discuss. They've pivoted very nicely to getting great running backs and tight ends and receive. I mean, they've pivoted nicely. There's something to say for consistency. But depending on your organization, what are you aspiring to? Let me ask you this. If Kyler Murray was the quarterback in Minnesota and Kirk Cousins was in Arizona,

Cliff Kingsbury would be in trouble and Mike Zimmer would be up for coach of the year. Well, we know what it is. Like, we know that if you don't have the guy, then you have to be outstanding in every other aspect of your team. Yeah. You can't just be good and have a okay guy. You can be good and have a great guy. And the great guy can elevate the rest of the team. But that's, other than that, you've got to be outstanding everywhere.

Find me a coach. Like there's four or five coaches that are going to get fired this year. Matt Nagy's got a rookie quarterback who's been hurt. Vic Fangio doesn't have a star quarterback. Mike Zimmer has a competent quarterback. I mean, who else is going to get whacked? Matt Rule's got quarterback issues. He could be in trouble.

Find me the coach. With a great quarterback. With a great quarterback. The only one that we have discussed, and I still don't think will happen, but it is a discussion is Pete Carroll. That's it. And we don't think he's going to get fired.

I don't think he's going to get fired. But there's some conversation about it. But the other ones really feel like they're truly in the hot seat. But other than Pete Carroll, I don't, I don't. If you give Mike Zimmer, Joe Burrow, Justin Herbert, Josh Allen, Kyler Murray, we're not even having this discussion. Well, I think that's completely fair because you've seen what he's done with an average quarterback. Which is like they're not losing. Like they're having successful seasons.

This year was a rough one. Go look at Mike Zimmer against the Packers and Aaron Rogers. He's like 500. He's 56 and 1. He's 500 against Aaron Rogers. He's not a bad coach. I know. that's my point is that I think it would be it would be hard for me to fire my it would be hard for me to bring him into an office as a general manager and say Mike we're going to hire this hot 38 year old coordinator because Mike would look at me like really yeah I'm incompetent you're the one that drafted you're the one that went and spent a fortune on Kirk Cousins well yeah because the question is not really Mike Zimmer to me the question is is there someone who can make Kirk Cousins better than he is and I don't know that that person exists like I think we

know what Kirk Cousins is at this point in his career. Is there a level up that we've been missing here? Because I don't think that there is. But you have to appease fans. And if you're an organization that wants to win championships, sometimes you can't be complacent. Yeah. Joy with the news. Well, that's the news.

And thanks for stopping by. The Hurd Lie News. Yeah, it is interesting, though. I look. And if Joe Burrell won it and Aaron was second, there's a big section, politically that would say it's outrageous. But I was thinking as I drove in this morning,

if you look at what Burrell has transformed a losing culture, it's the cheapest franchise in the league. They don't have an outdoor practice facility. They're the indoor practice facility. They're the only northern team in the league. The only one, a local high school does. So the Brown family's gotten a little better, but they've always been cheap.

It's always been. I mean, Carson Palmer basically said, I quit. the last great quarterback. Like, I'm out. T.J. Hushman Zada comes on our show regularly. Tells funny stories about they share jockstraps. They literally didn't have a water machine.

Like, you had to go get water. They didn't give you free Gatorade. Like, that's the history of the... You were not allowed to take Gatorade home. Like, these are professional athletes. You want them hydrated? Like, they couldn't take Gatorade home. And Joe Burrell has transformed them.

And, by the way, in a tough division. Yeah. Well-run Pittsburgh. Well-run Baltimore. Talented Cleveland. This is not the, you know, this is not the NFC East. No, he's very deserving to be in the conversation. I would not be, if Aaron finished second, I'd be like, not my vote, but Burroughs my two right now.

Yeah, but what are they going to do with all the tinfoil hats when Aaron Rogers wins? That's funny. We're not laughing. I just, you know, some of this stuff. I am laughing. Aaron Rogers was going to win the MVP. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays in noon Eastern 9 a.m. Pacific. He's by Carmen.

I'm Dan Byard. We have a brand new fantasy football. podcast called I Want Your Flex. Twice a week, every Tuesday and Friday, we come up with new episodes to not only look back at what happened, what you need to do at that minute, and also look ahead of what's coming up in the fantasy football world. That's right, Dan. Every week we're going to scour the waiver wire to find the pickups to turbo boost your fantasy lineup sits, starts, fantasy football players' rankings to get you ready to dominate the competition. Listen to I Want Your Flex with Mike Carmen and me, Dan Byer, on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you get your podcasts.

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

Listen to Superhuman on the IHard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what you're saying. Yep, that's me, Cliver Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, the reactions, my journey from basketball to college football, or my career in sports media. Well, somewhere along the way, this platform became bigger than I ever imagined. And now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show.

This is a place for raw, unfiltered conversations with some of your favorite athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. One week, I'll take you behind the scenes of the biggest moments in sports and entertainment, and the next we'll talk about life, mental health, purpose, and even music. The Clivert Show isn't just a podcast, it's a space for honest conversations, stories that don't always get told, and for people who are chasing something bigger. So, if you've ever supported me, or you're just chasing down a dream, this is right where you need. to be. Listen to the Clifford show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. Hey, this is Robert from the Stuff to Blow Your Mind podcast. Joe and I are both lifelong Star Wars fan, so we're celebrating May the 4th with a brand new week of fun, thought-provoking Star Wars-related episodes.

Join us as we tackle science and culture topics from a galaxy far, far away, such as the biology of ton-tons and wampas on the ice planet hot, or the practicality and corporate business sense of the Sith rule of two. Listen to Stuff to Bole your mind on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Do you remember when Diana Ross double-tap Little Kim's boobs at the VMAs? Or when Kanye said that George Bush didn't like black people. I know what you're thinking.

What the hell does George Bush got to do with Little Kim? Well, you can find out on the Look Back at it podcast. I'm Sam Jay. And I'm Alex In. English. Each episode, we pick it here, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it. Including a recent episode with Mark Lamont Hill, waxing all about crack in the 80s. To be clear, 84 is big to me, not just because of crack. I'm down to talk about crack on day, but just so y'all know.

I mean, at this point, Mark, this is the second episode where we've discussed crack, so I'm starting to see that there's a through line. We also have AIDS on the table right now, so. Thank you for finishing that sentence. I don't think there's a more important year for black people. Really? Yeah. For me, it's one of the most important years for black people in American history. Listen to look back at it on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Joey and I were just talking about this, is that I think, I've said this before. I'm more impressed, and I'm sure most of you would agree, I'm more impressed with a kid that grows up with chaos and his family and become something special than a kid that, White Pickett fans, prep school, went to Princeton. It's not that they don't both deserve credit. But the journey matters. And what Joe Burrow is doing with a losing culture in Cincinnati, and I still think they're really in a rebuild, I don't think it's a complete roster.

If he won MVP over Aaron Rogers, it's not outrageous. I would vote Aaron MVP, but I would not be outraged by a Burrow. His journey, what he's dealing with, let's bring in Peter King, NBCSports.com. I really, you know, I look at it and I'm like, I'm just blown away by the kid. I said when he came out of college, I said he's going to be Tony Romo. Never win big, but he's fun. I'm blown away by him. You were telling me stories off the air.

What if he did with an MVP? Is it outrageous? I think it's unlikely that he would win MVP. And look, he has really brought the Bengals up from nothing. Nothing. We've all seen it. from nothing, absolutely nothing. But I also think that, you know, we saw what the Green Bay Packers were without Aaron Rogers

a month ago at Kansas City. Fair. We saw it. And they are, they certainly would not win their division. I doubt they would make the playoffs. And so, look, I always think when I look at MVP, what would his team be like without him? And as much as I love Jonathan Taylor and Cooper Cup and their complete seasons, you know, to me, I would bet, this was just a bet, that Frank Reich and Sean McVeigh would rather have their quarterbacks playing if given the choice. Yeah.

If they had to go without either the quarterback of their big start, they want their quarterback. Right. But I also think Burroughs going to win an MVP and maybe more than that before he's done. Yeah. What do you make of the Antonio Brown situation? I had said yesterday on the show, you know, I have compassion for anybody that comes unraveled. But what really bothers me with Antonio Brown is where Josh Gordon has struggled with an addiction, he was a good teammate and he tried and he was vulnerable and flawed. And I can put my arms around that. Antonio Brown has treated people, men, women, young, old. He treats people terribly, every stop.

And I don't have a, I don't, that part of it is like, I'm over it. Like I don't think that flawed people are the same as people who treat people poorly. Like, I'm done with A.B. What was your reaction to it? You know, look, Bruce Ariens got a mountain of crap for keeping Antonio Brown after he phonyed a vaccination card. And he got a mountain of crap for telling me a week ago that Antonio Brown has changed. He's a different cat. And he will get a mountain of crap for what happened on Sunday. He's in the middle of getting it. and look, maybe he deserves it.

But for Antonio Brown to not recognize what Bruce Ariens is done for him and to show him up the way he did Sunday, whatever happened on the field. And for those who would say, well, wait a second, maybe he was hurt a little bit too much. Well, it's possible that he was. But there's ways of handling that. And there's also ways, by the way, of basically communicating that. so that you don't make a scene like that. And as Arien said to me Sunday night, when I spoke to him about this,

he goes, he got that look in his eye that I haven't seen in a long time, you know, meaning that he was about to really go off the deep end, and he did. And look, Antonio Brown needs help. And I don't say that like I'm holier than now, but it's clear. Antonio Brown needs help. He does not need another football team. You know, I sat and I watched, you know, I've been very critical of Baker Mayfield, but I do think he's hurt and I think he's better than this version.

Rightfully so now. Yeah, but here's something you can't deny. He leads the NFL in interceptions. He leads the NFL in batted balls. He's suboptimal size athletic ability. You look at these young quarterbacks, Herbert, Kyler, Lamar, Allen. I mean, it doesn't look the same. Like, we all know this.

And I said, once I heard about the death threats to Baker, I'm like, Okay, Baker has a right to protect his family. It's too toxic. The city and media have turned on him. And I don't think the GM trusts him. And I do think there's value here. Nine teams need a quarterback. I think Baker's way better than what we're seeing.

I just don't think he's great. I don't think he's as great as he thinks he is. I don't think it's crazy to consider, hey, let's just move off this thing. It's when OBJ's dad ripped him and there was no pushback from any of the players, that told me a lot of what he was saying. guys in the room believe what is wrong with starting over for both Cleveland and Baker and getting a fresh start there's nothing wrong with it but it might not be the best decision and I say that because tell me what the plan is is the plan case Keenham and a rookie or is the plan maybe

trying to go get Derek Carr or or whatever is it what's the plan And this is a bad year for drafting a quarterback. We all know that. Okay, so the best plan, the plan that I would try to put forth, if I'm Andrew Barry, if I'm Kevin Stefansky, Jimmy Haslam, let's use Baker Mayfield in 2022 when he's healthy. And let's make the decision when he's healthy, not when everybody's so emotional about him that he stinks,

that in the last six games of this year that he played, that he threw nine touchdown passes, 10 interceptions, completed 53%, which is a prehistoric completion rate. Let's not use that to be so angry about him that we just got to get rid of him. You know, let's everybody calm down. Let's let the temperature just, you know, be reduced a bit in this relationship. and let's wait and let's just say, hey, Baker, next year is a prove-it year. You're going to make $18.8 million, and then we'll either franchise you or you'll be a free agent,

and we'll all have more clarity on what the future holds after next year. I just would not, in a knee-jerk, angry thing, trade them or release them, unless, unless, unless, somebody like 10 or 12 or 14 would give me a one for him. And I doubt it. I doubt that's going to happen. Finally, a couple of minutes left. I was texting Les Sneed, the general manager of the Rams last night. He's like, I've never been part of a game like that.

We trailed the whole game. What do you make of the Rams? Two minutes left, Rams five game winning streak. What do you make of it? I think it's one of the most remarkable things that's happened in the NFL this year. They had 33 players at some point during that. time out because of COVID. They lose their starting left tackle and number two left tackle, Whitworth and Note Boom, within three hours on Christmas Day. And they've got to play 52 snaps

in Minnesota with a guy, a free agent from Iowa who's never played in the, never played the position in the NFL. It's just those are the kind of things that to me say there's something really, really good going on with the Rams. And I'll just say one other thing. Just think of how bad Matthew Stafford has been for big chunks of the last two games. Yeah. They won at Minnesota fighting for a playoff spot. They won at Baltimore fighting for a playoff spot.

Yeah. Both on the road, both far from home. I like the Rams. Yeah. And by the way, Cam Acres will play at some point in this season as Sony Michelle has established himself as a workhorse. So now you've got jet fuel. You've got two really good running backs behind him.

That depth has now been created. Peter King, NBCSports.com. Football Morning in America. Good talking, Peter. Thank you. Thanks, Colin. You bet. Yeah, it's, see, he thinks like I do about the Rams.

Like, when you can make mistakes, go on the road against good rosters and win, I'm like, there are bad losses and there are, I mean, There are good losses and there are bad wins. And I don't know if the Rams fit into those, but I'm watching the Baltimore game. They trailed the whole game. I mean, it was just like the whole game. It felt like catch up, catch up, catch up. And then the last quarter, Matt Stafford was perfect.

And OBJ emerged. And Sony Michelle was great. And nobody could stop Cooper Cup. There's value in not playing well and winning. Classify it how you want. But the Rams are doing that. And on the road against good rosters and good coaches, hour two, heard, hierarchy next in LA. It's the hurt.

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 I-heart 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. 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, Cliver Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, my basketball and college football journey, or my career in sports media. Well, now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifers Show. This is a place for raw, unfiltered conversations with athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but 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's podcast network on TikTok. This is an IHeart podcast. Guaranteed human.