The Herd with Colin Cowherd - Hour 1 - Caitlin Clark's stardom

Episode Date: April 4, 2024

Colin compares Caitlin Clark's rise to stardom to Tim Tebow as an all-time great college athlete that has transcended their respective sport He explains why the Bills losing Stefon Diggs might widen the gap between Buffalo and the Chiefs  See 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. 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.

Thanks for listening to The Heard podcast. Be sure to catch us live every weekday on Fox Sports Radio in noon to 3 Eastern 9 a.m. to noon Pacific. Find your local station for the herd at Fox Sports Radio.com or stream us live every day in the IHeart Radio app by searching Fox Sports Radio or FSR. We're listening to Fox Sports Radio. All right, here we go. It's a Thursday live in Los Angeles. It's the herd wherever you may be and however you may be listening. Thanks for making us part of your day.

Jordan Schultz filling in for J. Mack who's back Monday. Both of us off tomorrow. Jemak's on vacate with a family well-deserved. Jordan, we've had a busy week. Stefan Diggs trade was the highlight of it in the NFL. But now we're going back into the college basketball tournament. Yukon has landed the plane finally. What a mess for the favorites and the men's.

And all sorts of stuff now in sports. today. We've got the Lakers now are red hot but aren't moving up the west. O'Tani hits his first home run. Big day. And three weeks away, today from the NFL draft. Today, can't wait. So let's start with this tomorrow. Women's

NCAA final four tickets are double the price of men. Now, the men are playing in a much bigger venue, but nonetheless, that is driven by Caitlin Clark. And none other than LeBron James has been paying attention to it.

I don't think there's, you know, much difference between the men and women game when it comes to college basketball. I think the popularity comes in is the icons that they have in the women's game. Iowa was a great team. But Clayton Clark is the reason we tuned in, you know. You're going to watch Purdue because of Zach Eadie because he's a great player. We watched that Purdue Tennessee game because of Zach Eadie and Kinnett. Like, so let's, we don't, let's say it. players, depending on who they are, would drive the attention, you know, when it comes to viewership.

No question. Mahomes does the same in the NFL. I cannot think, this morning I sat down and I went back 10 years, and I went back 15 years to the last men's college basketball player that was this popular. Now, Zion was big for about six months. His shoe ripped apart, but we didn't have a slow build. It was sort of like Internet phenom, Duke, blah, blah. Jimmer Ferdet was an oddity very briefly, but BYU is not a high-profile program, and nobody thought he was going to be great professionally.

J.J. Redick, very polarizing for the number one program in the country, but Coach K. always took a lot of oxygen out of the room there. He is the brand, was the brand of Duke basketball. I'm trying to think of the last time a men's college basketball player, tripled ratings, tripled, quadrupled ticket prices. And I go back to a guy I covered. I was doing local in Las Vegas at the time. It's Christian Leightner of Duke.

So big program, great-looking, beloved-hated, tribal feelings all over the board for him. His team beat many regarded as the best college basketball team ever in UNLV. Remember, they came back and beat him after the UNLV, clobbered him, humiliated Duke in Denver. They came back the next year, shocked the world, and beat him. He had the looks. He had the game. And there were other players like, for instance, Shaq. But Shaq's team didn't do anything in the tournament.

And Leitner and Duke played Shaq, and they were better. I had to go back 33 years. In fact, I was thinking this morning, why? Some of it is, she's presently great, Caitlin Clark. She has a past. She was great last year. And she has a future. she'll be the number one pick in the WNBA.

Past, present, future. She's got it all. And that matters. There's an arc to it, like a good movie. Jimmer Ferdette was never going to be a great pro. Zion hasn't been a great pro. And we didn't talk much about him in high school. We didn't really care.

And in Duke, it was one big year. In fact, I thought to myself, the only recent college athlete I can even compare to Caitlin Clark, well, what's the most popular college sports football? would be Tim Tebow. She is Tim Tebow. It's mostly the sport, but something beyond that. She's the feisty Midwestern underdog

playing for redemption after losing the LSU last year. Tim Tebow had a very unique game. We're not sure it was going to win at the pro level, but he did get drafted in the first. He was popular. Most of it was football. But there was an intensity

with Caitlin Clark and Tebow. There was a... passion with Caitlin Clark and Tebow. There's a relatability with Caitlin Clark and Tebow. Not everybody initially gets it with either, but now everybody's all in. And I think that's the last time. Christian Leitner in 1990, 92, his last couple years there, he was, I mean, he's the only guy that make the dream team, upset UNLV, part of Duke, cocky, divisive, polarizing,

good looking. and he was one of the five best college players I've ever seen I didn't see Lou Alcindra at UCLA but or Bill Russell at San Francisco but later was dominant went toe to toe with Shacken was the better player he was a great college player but Nick Wright talked about she is also and this helps her she has the same game to a large degree of our most popular NBA player she is the first person male or female that has taken Steph's game and duplicated it to her skill set.

Whether it's the kick-ahead passing, whether it is the great court vision or the impossible range. It is really special to watch and it doesn't matter that it's women's basketball. People love stars and great athletic events and that crosses any gender lines there was. Meanwhile, there was a big trade yesterday. Stefan Diggs, but it's just not a receiver going to the Texans. The Buffalo Bills have a great history in this country of almost winning Super Bowls and never

winning Super Bowls. Jim Kelly, Marv Levy, all those years, they had to face dynasties, and now they have to face another, the Kansas City Chiefs, and they just lost easily their best skilled player, Stefan Diggs. We've been waiting for years to figure out who is going to be Patrick Mahomes' foyer. Peyton Manning to Brady KD went to the Warriors and beat LeBron Mickelson with Tiger

Lemieux de Gretzky who's the foil We've thought it's going to be Josh Allen Initially Will it be Justin Herbert in division Herbert now has lost both of his best receivers And so is Josh Allen This offseason

Burrow probably won't get to keep T. Higgins And Lamar Jackson's got one star receiver he just can't beat Mahomes. Maybe it's C.J. Stroud with the Texans. But the Bills General Manager admitted yesterday, Kansas City keeps winning, and the bills today aren't necessarily as good a team. This is by no means the bill's given up

or trying to take a step back or anything like that. Everything we do, we're trying to win, and we're going to continue to do that. Are we better today? Probably not. It's a work in progress, and we're going to continue to work on that. Yeah, we're probably not going to be as good. And last year, at home, not as good.

These bills, over the last 24 hours, feel like they become the other bills who were really, really good, which is usually good enough unless there's a tiger or a Brady. or a Tyson in his prime, or now in the Holmes. Good is not good enough. If you told me Chargers, Herbert Harbaugh, Texans, Domingo Ryan, C.J. Stroud, or Bill's, Josh Allen. I'd probably say Buffalo in the next five years would finish third of those three teams in teams I think could win a Super Bowl. Again, Les Miles and Ed Orgeron were good, but not when Nick Sabin was in the division. Rex Ryan was good, but not in the same division with Bill Belichick.

A lot of great golfers during Tigers' 12-year blitz of the sport. They weren't good enough. Big Ben, it's going to be a Hall of Famer, but Brady's prime years when he was rolling, Big Ben felt small. Houston Rockets beat a lot of team's small ball. Couldn't beat the Warriors. Good and very good are often enough to hoist a trophy. They're not with a legend in the same conference and the best player probably in the world, Patrick Mahomes, right down the street.

And today the bills feel a little bit like the bills we watched years ago, the second best team for maybe three quarters of a decade or a decade. All right, good stuff. Nick Nurse is stopping by. The 76ers have Joe L.M. B back in their headcoat stops by in one hour. Peter Schrager joining us, Chris Broussard, a lot of stuff going on. Show A. O'Tonnie had his first home run. Boy, the way, if you, I know it's already in the baseball season. I know it's early. Oh, my.

The Dodgers batting order, five runs or more. So I grew up as a kid that loved baseball in the 70s. And about the time I started watching TV in 72, 73, 74, about that time, the Cincinnati Reds were great. And they had like Rose and Joe Morrill. and Johnny Bench and Ken Griffey Sr., George Foster, and Tony Perez. It was just like leading off to seven in the order, like Hall of Famers, all great. That's what the Dodgers look like.

The difference is the Dodgers have, it appears to be, significantly better talent on their starting staff. That's around the corner as well. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays in noon Eastern 9 a.m. Pacific on Fox Sports Radio, FS1 and the IHard 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 IHard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is a win. A win is a win.

I don't care what I'm saying. Yep, that's me, Clifford Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, 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 Cliverts 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-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 is big to me, not just because of crack. I'm down to talk about crack on day, but just so you 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.

Then you're 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 America. in history. Listen to look back at it on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your

podcasts. All right. You're now entering the no bull zone, sponsored by credible great rates, none of the Bulls. Lakers remain absolutely on fire. They beat Washington last night. They've won eight of nine. Anthony Davis had another monster night. I've said for years, last couple of years, I've been very cool on the Lakers.

I think since about January, they look like a team that's the third best in the league on any given night with Denver, Boston, and the Lakers. They already went to Boston and beat the Celtics without AD and LeBron. You know, that felt kind of odd, but I think they would take the Celtics seven games. I think they're that good. And I think with AD and LeBron in crunch time against the Celtics team in the playoffs, in crunch time that's not always delivered, it would be interesting. But here's how much better the West is than the East.

The Lakers have been on fire for two months. Two months ago, they were ninth in the West. They've won eight of nine and most even a lot. on fire for two months. They're 11 games over 500. They're still ninth in the West. The bottom of the Western Conference, to me,

can compete with the top of the East. I mean, last night, Cleveland's a number three seed in the east. They got beat by 21 by Phoenix, who's an inch above the playing game. Milwaukee's a strong number two seat in the East. They got rolled by

Memphis last night. That's not going to make the playoffs in the West by 10. So the Celtics and the Lakers split their series, and I probably, if you gave me one game, I would take the Lakers in one game. They don't have the scoring shooting depth, but they have LeBron James and A.D. The best defender in that series, and on any given night the best offensive player. And I think a lot of it is the duo's out west. They're endless. They just, I mean, it's LeBron, and it's A.D, and it's KD, and it's Booker, and it's Steph and it's D.

and it's Paul George and Kauai and it's Chet Holmgren and it's SGA and it's cat if he's healthy and Ann Edwards and it's Luca and Kyrie and Jamal Murray and Yokic and out east you have two of them

Bam Butler and then Jalen Brown Tatum but we don't really know if Dame and Janus are going to work big in the playoffs do you trust him? I think Philadelphia was playing well and may regain their form.

Their head coach joins us in 40 minutes. But, I mean, you go like 9-10 deep. So it just, it's like, that's the difference. But the Lakers have been on fire for two months. They've won eight of nine. They can't move up. They're still a ninth. And that really is the difference.

Last night, another monster night. And you got a little runway here until the playoffs. Here's LeBron after. We want to continue to build chemistry. We want to continue to play good basketball. But the whole season is still kind of weighs away. even, you know, I know we only got, what is six games or, what is the six games left? Five

games left. The whole season prep, all that other stuff is totally different from the regular season. So, wherever we fall is where we fall and wherever we got to go. If we have it on the road, that's fine. So I said 8 and 9, maybe it's 8 to 10 for the Lakers. Really good basketball, but it is, and the other thing is

in the West, you know, iron sharpens iron. What's interesting is the Celtics have had so many blowout wins. Think about this. Celtics have had as many 20 plus wins against the East as they have losses against the East. And you can say, oh, you can rest your starters. Go look at the history of sports.

AFC teams, Brady and New England, Flacco and the Ravens, Mahomes and the Chiefs come out of the tougher AFC. They're sharper. The SEC teams, they'd go play. Remember, you know, SEC team. Oh, big 12 teams undefeated, 45 a game. Big 10 team, blowing past people. A couple years ago, Michigan had one close game. I think it was the year before this past year.

One close game all season, Illinois. And then they got upset when they played TCU. They just weren't used to the number of close games. Boston's got no close games. But they've split with the Lakers. They can't beat Denver. And so the Western Conference, I'm a believer in, you know, Iron Sharpenes Iron. I don't care how tough the division is.

When the Rams won the Super Bowl, they had to face San Francisco twice. You had Russell Wilson back, I believe, with the Seahawks still. The division was crazy, crazy competitive. All right, here's Jordan with the news. No, no, no, no, no. Turn on the news.

This is the herd line news. All right, Colin, this is quite interesting to me. Caleb Williams, I reported this morning, had his visit, his only visit potentially with the Chicago Bears toured Hallis Hall, the legendary Hallis Hall. I'm told he made an excellent impression, was present, was not a diva at all, knew everyone's name was just over-the-top impressive.

They had steak dinner the night before, Chicago famous for that. This should solidify him as the top pick in the draft. We also have, as I just reported, Roe-O-Dunes-e visiting the Bears today. Now Chicago not only has the first pick, Colin, but the ninth pick. How about a little Caleb Williams to Odunzee in the top 10? I think they'd prefer, although they may take Odunzee. They'd prefer to move the ninth pick down, get more picks, and get a defensive player. Matt Eberfluse was quoted yesterday saying,

we need a one-two punch on the defensive line. This is something I've speculated for two weeks. A coach makes more than a GM usually, although Iber Fluse doesn't have a lot of power in the building right now. Generally a coach will pound the table, and you've got to get me one of my guys. McVeigh, if it's a man. push to shove is going to get a back or a receiver early in this draft once they get a defensive tackle and an edge rusher. So I do think Iber Flues is saying, listen, you went and got Keenan, DeAndre Swift, Gerald Everett, you're going to get Caleb Williams. You've taken a lot of picks

on the offensive line. I got Montez sweat in a good corner. You got to give me another pass rusher. For the record, I think they need that in Chicago more than Romodunzee, whereas the Giants and the Jets and the Chargers. There's a lot of teams that need receivers move down. a little bit to me for Chicago accumulate other picks they'll be fine you mentioned Dallas Turner yesterday you like him to Atlanta that seems like the two obvious picks besides Caleb Williams Joe Alt goes to the Titans that feels yeah left tackle they have a terrible O line and a young quarterback needs time and an edge rusher to Atlanta Dallas Turner because they do everything offensively

once Kirk Cousins came into town now they just got to get a pass rush so those, there's three picks in the first round that feels solid. Alt to the Titans, Dallas Turner Atlanta. Caleb to the Bears. Now, again, I could see Tennessee going down and Atlanta going down and saying, we'll address that at the 15th pick instead of now and getting more players. But Atlanta, I think, is ready to win the division if they can generate any pass rush out of this draft.

I agree. Atlanta's right there. They've got Kirk. They have the running back. They have the weapons. I agree. Next up, the Dallas Cowboys calling have been. purely quiet this off season. Now of course, Dack Prescott's contract has been a big factor

in their lack of spending. Mike Sandel of the Athletic spoke to an anonymous NFL exec who said, quote, the quarterback contract has put the handcuffs on them. They have a talented roster already. They're going to have some big extensions coming with C.D. Lamb and others, of course, Michael Parsons, so I can see why you might want to keep your hands in your pockets. Now, we talked about Dak. He has a near $60 million dollar calf hit next or this off this season. Not to mention no trade, no tag clause. He's got all the leverage.

This is an odd situation brewing in Big D. If a rival executive says that, don't you think the Cowboys see the books? So, I mean, like, this is, it's one of those things where I think Dallas Cowboy fans are realistic. You know, every time I've met a Cowboy fan, the ones I meet are. always like, yeah, we get it. You know, Dax should be a $48 million quarterback, not a 60. That $12 million is two players. That's a number two corner. That's another top receiver. So, yeah, I just, Dallas is not, I would do exactly what Jerry's doing. This is exactly what I would do. Play through the contract. Because my take is, if you look at Green Bay and Detroit's

rosters and San Francisco's and potentially the Rams after this draft and Philadelphia, Dallas has at best, the fifth or sixth best, NFC roster, because they can make no moves in free agency. They need to hit on like three draft picks. Hit on them. And one of them's receiver, another could be tied end. Like they've got real needs here. But what if DAC goes to free agency in a year? He's 31 and you lose him.

The alternative, I know DAC's not perfect, but the alternative is not exactly Peaches either. Because to lose DAC could be catastrophic if they're trying to win right now. No, catastrophic is losing Mahomes. Unfortunate is losing Dak. You don't have any trophies. You know, catastrophic is losing Josh Allen. Patrick Mahomes. Like, McVeigh retires.

Okay. Yeah, like that's catastrophic. All right, bad. Yeah, the NFL is full of bad. Fair enough. Okay, and finally to the NBA, where the Celtics defeated OKC-135-100 last night. Boston clinches the league's best record, Colin, and home field, or home court advantage throughout the playoffs

after the game head coach Joe Mazzula talked about their accomplishment. It's very hard to do. You know, we may never be in this position again so you don't want to take it for granted. So, yeah, we definitely talked about it as a team. Talked about it before the game. Trying to treat this game as like the clincher so that to kind of put that on ourselves to be able to do that.

I think it was important for us to simulate that. And, you know, it's just a testament to the guys. And so we should enjoy it tonight and we wake up tomorrow. Nobody cares. Colin, go ahead. I watched most of that game. OKC is going to be fun. I don't think they're going to last long in the play.

They'll be one of those classic. Remember the Bulls, Derek Rose team where you knew they were good. You knew they win a playoff series. You knew they were viable, but you never really thought they were a championship team because LeBron was in the conference. Celtics were good, I think, at the time. I kind of feel that with OKC. They're a year away. They'll win.

You know, they're going to win probably, unless they match that with the Lakers, I'd take L.A. They're going to win a playoff series. but when you watch them, I just, it's so funny to watch them play because all the players look 21 years old. They're basically the same age as the North Carolina Tarheas. They're like 22 and a half years old. They look like it when you watch them. It's like, I'm watching a college team. So, you know, when you watch the Celtics, you've got Porzingas, you've got older players.

That was an experience matchup more than anything. Yeah, how about this, by the way, Colin? The second place, bucks are a whopping 13 games behind the Celtics and the East. By comparison, we talked about the West all week. The Warriors are 10th in the West, but only 11 and a half games behind first. Yeah, and we've discussed this. I don't know exactly why the West is so significantly better, but if Denver wins the title again,

we will have had four dynasties since Jordan all out West. I don't really consider the Heald's got to four finals, one, two, needed a shot to win two of four from Ray Allen. But in the end, that felt so much just about LeBron. They didn't have a classic point guard. They didn't have any size. It was kind of spolstered LeBron Wade and figured it out. But, yeah, I mean, the West, it's different.

It's like SEC football until recently, until the last couple years felt like just better than everybody else. You mentioned Chicago earlier with D. Rose, Joachim Noah. I tell you why I like OKC this year to go far. SGA and Chet. That's better than D. Rose and Noah were. Offensively, they're elite. But they just, they're so young. NBA playoff history, young guys don't win.

They don't. They don't manipulate the refs. They don't get the call. They never was young last year. Murray. Yokich had been around a while. Gordon had been around a while. Porter.

Yeah. You had Braun off the bench was young. But KCP's been around for a while. That's true. That staff had been around for a while. They've been through some NBA playoff stuff. Jordan with the news. Well, that's the news.

And thanks for stopping by. The herd line. News. So, you know, years ago, when I was at the other place, they used to call it the Hot Stove League, but it was basically the Yankees and the Red Sox and mostly the Yankees just buying the best players. And now people sort of complain, well, Dodgers. Garrett Coles, the Yankee, Juan Soto went to the Yankees, the Mets spent a fortune last year, so did the Padres. In fact, last year, money doesn't guarantee anything. The three biggest payrolls last year, I believe with the Mets,

Padres, and Yankees, none made the playoffs. It's not about being rich. How do you spend the money? Game day revenue for the Jets and the Giants and the Bears and Washington. Let's just say the Jets, the Giants, the Bears. Game Day revenue is massive. It's also massive

for the Philadelphia Eagles. They know how to spend it. New York's teams now are almost all bad. They have huge revenue. Huge cable deals. Huge ticket prices, beer prices. Game day revenue. So what? Yeah, the Dodgers have a lot of money, but they're also creative, their research and development. They just don't miss on minor leaguers. They find discarded bullpen guys from other teams and make them good and move them off and get more picture players. Players. So last night, Shohay Otani, his first home run, here it is. The only team, it was my favorite team growing up, I said this earlier, that I think compares to this team offensively,

is the 75-76 Cincinnati Reds. The Dodgers right now lead baseball in virtually everything, including walks, RBIs, hits, home runs average. Their batting average is 280. The league average will probably end up closer to 250. Right now, I think it's like 245. And this isn't even the time of the year when guys hit because it's cold out. Ball carries better in the summer.

Hands are warmer. Guys hit better in May, June, July, and August. So you have to eliminate. Is this the best batting order since 1970? So we know the 76 team was not on steroids. And it's a cleaner sport now than it's ever been. What they're gambling on, I don't know, but clean in terms of steroids. But you got to take out 94 to 2004.

Cleveland Indians, Manny, can't count it. The Mariners where, like, Brett Boone became Babe Ruth, can't count it. The Texas Rangers in the mid-90s, I mean, you might as well had needles in the dugout. Give me a break. You can't count those teams. You've got to go back to the 70s and. in 80s, and you've got to go to this team in terms of a batting order. And it's not just money.

In fact, right now they're hitting, I said 280. They're hitting 294. That's insane. You don't really hit well out of the shoot in baseball. It's chilly. Your hands are cold. The ball didn't carry as well in, you know, wetter weather, hitting 294. And the average today is closer to 244.

So I think it's the best, most. productive, Freeman, Bets, and their staff is deep. And again, I'll go back to this. It's not just no Yankee fans were complaining when you were buying all the players 20 years ago. I didn't hear anybody complaining. I didn't hear a Red Sox fan complaining. I didn't hear a Yankee fan complaining. It's not just that.

Three biggest payrolls last year did not win. They're more creative in L.A. with their money. I mean, go look at the Mookie Betts deal now. It's like they stole him. They find bullpen guys from other teams that have been discarded. When they bring guys up from the miners, they almost always hit. So they play and spend like a big market team. They draft and develop like a small market team.

And it's like, you know, it'd be like a big action movie, winning an Oscar and being popular, but also winning for best screenplay. Like it's all of the above. It's big, it's rich, it's really smart and thoughtful. and uh you have 294 that that that's uh and this again i'm not counting that 94 to 2004 where you know may it started with conseco ken caminetti it went on and that started with hitters and then it was pitchers and it was like you know the balco stuff i'm not counting anything for 10 years a lot of guys had insane years the numbers popped i'm not you know pointing too many

fingers here but none of that stuff's going to count we're just not going to count that stuff Brady Anderson, 50 homers. Remember that one? Yeah, and it was weird because I always felt that was a bit pre. Like 95, maybe. It was right on the precipice. It was very, very early. But it was, I mean, I saw a lot of guys.

My Mariner team had guys having career years, and it's like, okay, I can be honest about it. But it's just sort of like, we have to be honest about, like, the John Wooden era in college basketball. Well, they had a booster that was buying the best players. Like, it's legendarily known now. Bobby Knight for all this vulnerability's flaws the late Bobby Knight Bobby Knight never paid for players

you didn't have to like Bobby Knight not my cup of tea, not a fan at all, thought he was a hypocrite but Bobby didn't pay for players the John Wooden teams paid for players all right, that's okay, whatever, we can talk about it but you got to be honest about baseball the steroid stuff is much more monitored, it's not happening now and this Dodger team

it's not just the money, it's they spend it very effective They're the innovators on this. They just signed into the catcher contract now. They push that money all to the future as well. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays in noon Eastern 9 a.m. Pacific. Hey, it's me, Rob Parker. Check out my weekly MLB podcast inside the Parker for 22 minutes of pipe and hot baseball talk

featuring the biggest names and newsmakers in the sport. Whether you believe in analytics or the eye test, we've got all the bases covered. New episodes drop every Thursday, so do yourself a favor and listen to Inside the Parker with Rob Parker on the IHeartRadio app or wherever you get your podcast. 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 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-tap Little Kim's boobs at the VMAs? Or when Kanye said that George Bush didn't like black people. I know what you're thinking.

What the hell does George Bush got to do with Little Kim? Well, you can find out on the Look Back at it podcast. I'm Sam J. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick it here, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it. Including a recent episode with Mark Lamont Hill waxing all about crack in the 80s. To be clear, 84 is big to me, not just because of crack. I'm down to talk about crack on day, but 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. 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. Save big in your water, bill, with an avian, tankless, made simple.com. 15-year limited warranty. Saving your bill. Less funky than traditional water heaters. Peter Schragher's in New York, co-author of the bestseller Out of the Blue in the New York Giants, Fox Sports. All right, Caleb Williams met with the Bears. You know, it's funny is I've known Caleb for about, you know, a couple years, multiple opportunities to meet him.

Always classy, always smart, always thoughtful, good sense of humor. But it's amazing in this day and age. You know, it could be Angel Reese. It could be Caleb Williams. You say one or two things on television, and people make this big judgment on who you are. And it's like, well, that's not necessarily fair. who you are can't be defined by running up and hugging your mom or putting something on your fingernails or a little trash talking to basketball for it.

That's not who anybody is at just a moment in time. So I like Caleb. I met him multiple times. What did you hear about the meeting with Chicago? I like Caleb too. I got a chance to speak with him at Lent at the Combine where I had a tweet that went out that went viral in a way that I didn't expect to would. And it was just that he didn't compete in any of the drills on Saturday.

But when all the quarterbacks and wide receivers were done, I watched as I was on the field in Indianapolis, Caleb Williams go over and shake and thank every single person who worked the event from the NFL side and from the Lucas Oil Stadium side, all the workers at the stadium and just thank them. And he was the last person to leave. And of course, that goes viral. And everyone's like, oh, he was acting. I don't think it is. I don't think he is acting. So the bears have now had two dinners with Caleb Williams.

Let me explain them. The Pro Day, which was a couple of weeks ago, they took him to a place called Bird Streets in Los Angeles, which is a private members club. and it is the H. Wood Group, which does Delilah and nice guy, and they had him there. And it was kind of cool for the Bears guys, and I spoke to sources there, to see how Caleb kind of operates in that L.A. scene. So at that dinner, they're there at a table, but there's also celebrities. I think Cuavo from the Migos was there, Quavo from the Migos, and Jamie Fox was there, and just seeing how Caleb's comfort level was. And, you know, the one thing that the bears have told me in that interaction was, he moved.

He moves quietly. He's not a look at me guy. If anything, he's kind of quiet and a little bit more reserved than you would imagine from the Heisman Trophy number one overall pick who made all this NIL money. So they loved their meeting with him there. They love their combine experience with him. And then they had him in to Lake Forest, which is where the Bears facility is, Halas Hall. They took him to a place called Sophia Steak two nights ago, which is not Chicago cut.

It's not Gibson's. It's not as Chicago. It's more in the Burbs. And it was interesting. They said they loved watching Caleb interact with their people on their turf. Then they had him in Hallis Hall yesterday, and he was fantastic. One thing to note, Dallas Turner, the star pass rusher from Alabama, who is also going to be a top 10 pick, was in the building also.

And it was cool to see them interact a little bit. Here's the defensive player. Here's Caleb. The Bears also have the ninth overall pick. They're going to meet with all the top prospects. but Caleb Williams has checked every box for the Chicago Bears, and I would be beyond shocked if he's not the first overall pick. We largely acknowledge that McVe, Andy Reed, Sean Payton, Kyle Shanahan.

We kind of know who the big dogs are offensively coaching in this league. I think Kevin Stefansky should be near that group, and I think Kevin O'Connell is the rising star. He's the McVeigh. He just hasn't had the star quarterback. He hasn't had the Stafford yet. I could argue golf's better than. than Kirk Cousins is a prospect as a talent.

And so I really do think they're moving up. I said yesterday, I think everybody should move down, whereas I think Atlanta, Tennessee, Chicago should stay put. And then I looked at Minnesota and I'm like, I'd move up. And so do you believe they will? And do you believe they've already decided Shregs? They've made their call in the building. They're not going to tell us who their quarterback is.

Well, they've done a couple of things quietly. They acquired the 23rd overall pick also in a trade with Houston, which gives them ammo if they want to say, let's package the 11 and the 23. We can move up to the top five, perhaps. They also, the Darnold signing is interesting because I'll tell you this. There were other teams interested in Darnold, Washington being one of them. And Washington ended up with Marioita. And Washington has the number two overall pick. But Darnold chose chose to go to me.

Minnesota with other options where he could have been competing for a starting job also. But I think the fact that it was a one-year deal tells Darnold that, hey, there's also going to be someone else coming. So at 11, did they get the prize pick? No. But if they package 11 and 23, can they move up? Sure. I think Minnesota is a team to watch for sure, and that's an obvious one.

I think Denver's a team to watch. I've told this story before, but I'll just bring you in on it. You know, Sean Payton and I worked together on that Fox NFL kickoff show. He became a dear friend. and he's fantastic. And one of the stories he's told me multiple times is that he had every intention of drafting Patrick Mahomes, 11th overall in the 2017 NFL draft or 2018 NFL draft. He wanted Mahomes.

He even told Breeze ahead of time, like, we're going to be doing this deal if Mahomes slips there. Andy Reid jumped right above him one spot. And he's always wondered, what if? I don't think Sean Payton wants to be caught with his hands tied again and say, oh, my gosh, if I just had traded up and it just gotten our guy. So I think the Broncos are a team to watch if they can find the ammo. But the team that I keep hearing over and over and over again is that 13 spot the Raiders and a quarterback, very specifically Jaden Daniels.

And the reason being the amazing relationship, Antonio Pierce, their head coach has with Jaden Daniels. Those two were together at Arizona State. Antonio Pierce, of course, an assistant coach to Herm Edwards. And Jaden Daniels, their star quarterback. They have a real bond and a real relationship. Tom Telesco, a guy that you and I both respect the hell out of. Does he have what it takes to move up and somehow get to the two spot or the three spot to get Jadenials?

It might be just too high in the draft to go and get him. But I could tell you, the Raiders would be a prime team to move up and get that player if he was available. Stefan Diggs move. Great for Houston when you got the quarterback on the Ricky Payscale. I don't love it. Sean McDermott's taken years to figure out the run game. Now he's got to re-event the perimeter passing game in a draft. raft. And again, it took them forever to get the running back right. They have upgraded at

tight end, but Buffalo, to me, doesn't feel as good as last year. What say you on that? Well, Kincaid, in a ways, is a wide receiver, the way they used him. He was their first round pick from a year ago, who they were shocked they were even to get in the 20s. So they look at him as a wide receiver, tight end hybrid. So they say, okay, we got him, we got this kid Shakir, and we lose Gabe Davis and Stefan Diggs. I will tell you, coming back from the combine, if you had asked me the day after, will Stefan Diggs be a Buffalo bill next year? I'd say, I doubt that.

He lasted this long, another month after the combine. It just seemed like it was time from both sides. Another offseason of Diggs cryptic tweets and Diggs getting a year older. He's going to be great in Houston. He's going to be motivated. He's going to be wonderful compliment to Nico Collins and Tank Dell. For Buffalo, it felt like it was time, and they get a second round pick.

They also have a first round pick. Now remember, this draft, as we get closer and closer, Colin, is really strong at two positions, offensive tackle and wide receiver. Those are two positions that Buffalo could be looking at. They bring back Dion Dawkins, of course. But if you have a first and second round pick now, and then you have another second round pick, and you're looking at a wide receiver, rich draft, a really deep one where these guys come in and they're ready to play right away, that makes it a little easier to digest.

It was a good era for Stefan Diggs in Buffalo. He proved that he is a number one wide receiver. Sometimes it's time. By the way, I got about a minute left. Caitlin Clark, you have an NFL tie you thought of? Yes. It's a real tie. I was at the Combine two years ago,

and Iowa's women's team are staying at the same hotel as me. And it's the Combine in February, and it's the Women's Big Ten tournament. Caitlin Clark is just getting on the scene, lighten it up. Scores about 30 in a Big Ten tournament team, and the entire women's team is in the lobby. And the SID at Iowa pulls me aside and says, you're the host of that morning show on NFL network.

I said, sure. And she goes, you're at Fox. I go, yeah, she goes, you know, our star player, Caitlin, she's a diehard chiefs fan. I go, really? She loves Mahomes. I go, that's amazing. So I get the woman's information, the SID, we exchange information. She puts me on a text chain with this Caitlin Clark, who's a 20-year-old phenom.

And I'm just like, hey, good luck this weekend. She goes and scores 40. I eventually put her on a text chain with Brett Veach, the general manager of the Chiefs, we're on a text chain, the three of us, before every one of these Iowa games, Veech and I are texting Caitlin Clark, who's now the biggest sports star in the world. Good luck today. And she's like, thanks, guys. She is hardcore football fan, loves Patrick Mahomes. They are now obviously doing insurance commercials at the same company. It's cool to watch her rise, and I think she represents everything we love about sports. She works hard.

She's relatively humble, and I think she's self-aware, and gosh, the sky's the limit. So if you're asking me who I'm pulling for the rest of the way, I love this Yukon team. I dig the NC State story. And of course, South Carolina, those guys are, those ladies are juggernauts. But I'm Caitlin Clark. Let's go. Team Caitlin. Schreger, it's always.

All these great insights from Peter Schreger. That one came out. I like that. And that's the last thing I thought I'd hear a Caitlin Clark, Mahomes story. Appreciate it, buddy. You're the man, Colin. Thanks always. And Jordan, keep on kicking butt as well.

All right. Jordan's hear that. our guy Peter Schrager, who is at Fox Sports and beyond. What show he's on, nobody knows. We're just a very talented guy. So we have Nick Nurse coach of the 76ers around the corner. They've got Joe L.M. Bid back. You know, Philadelphia is interesting.

They've had a lot of iterations. You know, they've had the Ben Simmons and the James Hardin and the Doc Rivers. And a lot of people think this is the best version of it with Nick Nurse and MBEED and Maxie and Tobias Harris. They've got some length. So we've kind of, that's one of those teams. Some teams like Buffalo, you're like, come on, let's get to a Super Bowl. Some teams like Philadelphia, you're like, it's not a finals thing. Win more playoff series.

Is this the best version of Philadelphia? Because there's a lot of pieces. Remember, Nick Nurse was in Toronto for that Raptors championship team. So this is, you know, Nick knows what he's doing. Really smart guy around the corner. Chris Broussard will join us as well. Good stuff. Number two is on deck. 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 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 iHeard 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, my basketball and college football journey, or my career in sports media. Well, now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, the Cliford Show. This is a place for raw, unfills of conversations with athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. So let's get to it. Listen to the Clifford show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast.

And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok podcast network on TikTok. This is an IHeart podcast, guaranteed human.