The Herd with Colin Cowherd - HOUR 1 - Cowboys, Jets, Harbaugh, 49ers

Episode Date: September 7, 2022

The NFL season hasn't started and the Cowboys are no where near a Super Bowl team The Jets are already off to a bad start Jim Harbaugh as one of the greatest football coaches of all time There could be some issues with the Niners keeping Jimmy Garoppolo   Guest: Peter SchragerSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Live in Los Angeles, it's the herd wherever you may be, however you may be listening. Iheart Radio, Fox Sports Radio, FS1, one hour from now, not only Joel Clatt. Joel Clat Wednesday's next 15 weeks. But I will make my final amendment to my NFL season predictions. And for the first time ever that I recall ever doing this show, it will, I'm just going to say that. In one hour I'm doing something I've never done. How about that? So J-Max joining me.

First of all, I've got to talk this guy off the ledge. So J-Max's a huge J-Metz fan. Word just came down. He'll have more in 20 minutes on this. Word just came down. Zach Wilson's out for a month. So the Jets announced the earliest he can play is week four. earliest he can play. So the season's over.

Season is over. They will start O and three. Joe Cement Shoes Flacco against the AFC North Pass rush. Colin, I'm devastated. Gosh, not a good way to start the show. Well, we'll get into that. I picked them for fourth anyway, but nonetheless, they had a little optimism. So let's start with this. Jerry Jones goes on the radio a lot. He's the only owner in the NFL that goes on the radio. and over the course of time, I've been saying this for the last six months to a year. You know, I kind of feel he's becoming Al Davis near the end where he's living in the past. He sees something nobody else does.

He's not willing to listen to outside voices. So he talked about his optimism and try to follow it on the Cowboys this year. I have to believe one in one is three. I can't operate where one and one is two. Now, we all know it is physically, but the three is where you have to go. Now, you have to have optimism to operate out in that world and commit and do things when you've got to count on one and one being three. And I'm not trying to play games, but that's where the biggest payoffs are.

From what I can tell, Jerry Jones is saying, you've got to be optimistic. I own the cowboys. You got to be optimistic. And I do believe for business owners, optimism is a crucial asset to have. Hard to get rich being snarky and negative. You got to believe you can solve the daily problems. So the one in one is three. From what I can tell he's saying, optimism is how I have to land owning this team.

So let's just simplify Dallas, not to be a reductionist and simplify everything. but I do think when you're doing a radio TV show, let's keep everything in front of us on the fairway. Here's the simplest way to describe in 2022 an offensive league the situation the Cowboys are in. So let's talk about a league that is essentially based on the quarterback and the coach. If you've got an A at both, you're generally in the Super Bowl conversation. There's only two teams, though, where we love both the coach, love both the coach,

and the quarterback. We love Andy Reed and Mahomes. We love McVeigh and Stafford. So we love both. Only two. Here's where we like both. You may love one, but we like both Matt LaFleur and Aaron Rogers.

I mostly love Aaron Rogers. We're not quite sure. We like both Josh Allen and McDermott. We like Lamar and John Harbaugh. Maybe not love for some of you on Lamar. John or Sean McDermott, you know, is he really proven? Matt Lefleur's beating the division. He's not beating anybody out of it in the playoffs.

So we like both of them. And then there's the group where we love one and we're still trying to figure out the other. We love Kyle Shanahan. We don't know what to make at Trey Lance. We love Justin Herbert. Brandon Staley, we don't know. We love Russell Wilson. He's got a rookie coach.

We love Joe Burrow. Zach Taylor was about to get fired before Joe Burrow got drafted. We love Kyler Murray's talent. Is Kingsbury a good coach? We love Brady. Todd Bowles already fired once in the NFL. So those, if you add all those up right now, that's 11. And that's mostly, to me, the Super Bowl bubble.

Those 11 teams. We either love both the coach and the quarterback. We like both of them. Or we love one and we're figuring out the other. Dallas is in the category of, I can't stand one. head coach, and I'm not always sold on the other, Dak Prescott, who's never proven he can carry an anemic offensive line, or a depleted, so-so-receiving core,

or an eroding running back who's highly compensated. That's the simplest way to put it. In a quarterback coach's league, Dallas is in the category, and it ain't close to the Super Bowl of, I can't stand one of them. And the quarterback, I like him. most weeks, not all of them. Optimism becomes delusion if you think Dallas is a Super Bowl team. All right.

So, listen, there's a lot of pressures in life. In real life, let's put this in context. Real pressure in life is if you can't feed your kids. So let's talk about that's real pressure for moms and dads, struggling economically, struggling to feed their kids. That's real world pressure. Okay, so I don't face any real pressure. I face broadcasting pressure, right?

And in sports, you know, people are successful and rich. Let's not go crazy. But of all the sports pressures, quarterback in the NFL for a variety of reasons is easily the most pressure you'll face. And I'll get to that in a second. Peter King was on a radio station, 95.7th of the game in San Francisco, talking about the Niners keeping Jimmy G. may hinder or. hurt Tray Lance. I don't think if they were madly in love with Tray Lance and his readiness, that they would

have done this. If the 49ers had total absolute confidence in Tray Lance, they wouldn't have done this. I think it's easy to see. I'm not even knocking the 49ers for doing this. I'm simply saying that doing this comes at a price. And that price is the mental approach. and the stability and the development of Trey Lance. The NFL is so popular, it's really hard to experiment and grow.

I'll give an example. NBA, I love the NBA, but there's 82 games. The Celtics were bad for the first two and a half months. They were a bad basketball team for two and a half months. They ended up in the finals. Nobody watches the NBA regular season. I see the ratings. So you can experiment for 12 to 15 to 20 games.

Coaches can experiment with rotations, defensive sets. You can do a lot of experimenting as a coach with your roster, with your players. Nobody's watching. And the local media, the Memphis media is not going to bang on the front office too much. You can be bad for long stretches. There's no real urgency. Nobody freaks out if you go on a two, three game losing streak. Think about baseball, double the NBA season.

Hell, the Braves had a losing record at the trade deadline. They won the World Series. They had a losing record. You can go on six-game losing streaks. The national media doesn't pay attention to the regular season of baseball. It's a local sport until October. It really is. I see the ratings.

It's a local sport. A manager, a GM, you can whiff on, you know, you can make a trade in July, June, trading deadline, whenever it is. you're not going to get crushed outside of maybe a local columnist. NFL is different. First of all, there's urgency. So a losing streak is fatal. You go to a four-game losing streak.

The season's over if you're in a decent division. Secondly, it's only one game a week. So if you stink, we talk about it for six straight days. It dominates sports talk radio. You have a bad outing as a pitcher. By the next day, there's another game. in the NBA, you have a bad road trip. You're playing tonight.

In the NFL, we talk about it for six days. And then third, TV ratings are so big, everybody at the grocery store has an opinion. We're watching. The NFL is the one sport, college or pro. We watch. We talk about the NBA. We love the playoffs in baseball. We watch the NFL.

Wait until you see the ratings for Thursday. They'll be huge. They're huge in the NFL. And then Tray Lance also has three little things working against him. One, he played for an FCS program. Yeah, Carson Wentz did too. How'd that turn out? Like, we're all kind of cynical on that.

Second, he sat for a year. Well, he better be good. He barely had to play last year. And third is, they gave up so much to get him. So many first round picks that if this thing doesn't work quickly, you've got to move on. You can't sit around here and stewing your misery. So this is really.

as Peter King has projected, he thinks he'll get replaced before Thanksgiving. There is no pressure because of the urgency, because of the popularity, because of the reality. One game a week allows the media and the fans to bury you for six days. And don't kid yourself, athletes hear it. They hear it. Kevin Nuran hears everything. Aaron Rogers hears everything. They hear it.

So I think this is a, I think quarterback pressure is at a different level than any other pressure in American sports. And I've said, I have a feeling it's going to work. I think it's going to be ugly. I think it's going to be rocky. I think it's going to be turbulent. I have just kind of a feeling they're going to, Kyle Shanahan's going to manage this thing and we're going to look up at Thanksgiving and the Niners are going to be in the hunt. They're going to have lost games. They should have won.

they're probably going to win a game in which Tray Lance plays terribly. But I'm going to be Jerry Jones here. I'm optimistic. Brilliant coach, great roster. Seahawks are tanking. We don't know what Arizona is this year. There's a lot of wins on that schedule, especially Chicago and Seattle, to open. All right, good stuff today.

Mike Tomlin was funny. What else is new? Jim Harbaugh's winning. What else is new? We'll talk about those. 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 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, Clipper 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, Unterman.

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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 Jek. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick a here, unpack what?

went down and tried to make sense of how we survived it. Including a recent episode with Mark Lamont Hill, waxing all about crack in the AIDS. To be clear, 84 is big to me, not just because of crack. I'm down to talk about crack all day, but just so y'all know. I mean, at this point, Mark, this is the second episode where we've discussed crack, so I'm starting to see that there's a through line. We also have AIDS on the table right now, so. Thank you for finishing that sentence.

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NFL kickoff week sponsored by Vegas, Las Vegas, you're home for all live sports. Every game match, race, and competition. It is always on Las Vegas. So Mike Tomlin is undefeated at the microphone. He is the best coach in the NFL maybe in a long time, certainly in a long time. certainly in a long time, maybe ever, at a sense of humor, very direct, very succinct. So it came out a couple days ago that Kenny Pickett,

the rookie quarterback who played at Pitt, four-year starter, was third on the depth chart after a really good preseason. And I and others thought, third behind Mason. Rudolph? Third? And here was, this is a great excuse. Here was Mike Tomlin addressing that. It was a clerical error.

You know, that's how the depth chart was listed at the start of training camp. So the cut and paste component was the cut and paste component. I know you were hoping for a little bit more colorful explanation, but it is what it is. That's what happened. A clerical air from this point forward is my excuse for anything. Listen, 20 years ago, 15 years ago, hell, maybe even 10, if you had a good roster, a good coach, a couple of nice weapons, and an average quarterback, You could not only win your division, you could win a pretty good division.

That is a big ask in 2022. The quarterback play at the high ends better than it's ever been. It's an offensive league. The league is pivoted. Every rule helps the offense. So the Steelers kind of have one way they can beat you going into this season, a suffocating relentless pass rush. The quarterback, Tribisky, not great.

Offensive coordinator, I'm not a fan. Run game, O-line, still kind of mad. Bengals Ravens can beat you a lot of ways. And I just think what the Steelers are. So let's go to the last, let's say, five years. Let's keep it fairly simple. Where a team has, you know, a good roster, but they're pretty average at quarterback.

And that's where Pittsburgh is today. So the best case scenario would be the Niners. I like Jimmy Garoppolo a lot more than all of you do. I think he's a good player. Not great, but good. So they have a really, really good roster like the Steelers. Quarterback, well, they got to a Super Bowl. So that's the best case scenario.

But usually in life, the best case scenario doesn't work out. Let's take the worst case scenario. Denver's got a very good roster. Right? But they weren't very good at quarterback either. Teddy Bridgewater, Drew Locke. Well, they were terrible. They were seven and ten and five and eleven last two years.

But let's not take the worst case scenario. So let's throw out the Steelers. It's going to work out the best possible way or Denver the worst. And what Pittsburgh is going to be is Pittsburgh, which is why I haven't taken them seriously for 10 years for Super Bowls. They're going to be Pittsburgh. They're going to be mostly well-coached, very competent, one way to win, meh at quarterback in big spots.

And that's what they'll be. They'll be Pittsburgh. They're not gifted enough offensively on the O-line or play calling coordinator to be a San Francisco. But they won't be a disaster like Denver because, again, Deshaun Watson's not playing. The schedule's got a lot of doubles use. And Tomlin's built up a lot of trust with the players. They play hard. always good when you doubt him, sometimes not as good when they're favored.

But I think Pittsburgh's going to be what they've been to the last three years, just hovering around 500. And so I just think it's a really big ask. Today, to have a really good roster, good defensive coach, and you're meh at quarterback. I just don't think you can win big in this league. Could 10 years ago, maybe, absolutely 20 years ago, 50s, 70s, 70s, 80s, 80s, 80s, no question. Could win a division. I don't think you can do it today. I'm not sure you can get close.

J-Mac with the news. No, no, no, no, no. Turn on the news. This is the herd line news. All right, my friend, Zach Wilson officially out for the season opener. Remember earlier this week? They were like, oh, we'll see Wednesday if Zach can go or not. Give me a break, Jets. Joe Flacco is getting the start against Baltimore. I have been monitoring the gambling books. One of them is up to seven and a half, Colin. It's been holding it seven all week. The earliest now, Zach Wilson can return is week four, but likely out for the first four weeks. Steelers would be in week four against T.J. Watt. Welcome back, Zach Wilson.

Colin, what does this mean for my New York football jets? Well, I've been a doubter on Zach Wilson. There is talent there, but I said coming out. He's a little small. He's Johnny Mansell with a much better arm. Robert Sala, I'm not sold at. I think it's a suboptimal ownership position. I do like Joe Douglas, although the left tackle, Mikhail Beckton was a bust. This team is not, in my opinion. The Super Bowl teams are A.

Owner, GM coach quarterback, Rams, Kansas City. Those are A's. This is a lot of Cs. And Zach Wilson now has been hurt multiple times. Wasn't it the issue. Smaller quarterbacks, who, by the way, run around, get popped occasionally. So when you question certain stuff,

because I do think he plays hero ball. The danger in hero ball is moving out of the pocket, extending a play that shouldn't be extended, not going with your initial reads, thinking you can save a play. This was one of my knocks on Zach Wilson. Hurt last year, hurt this year. It matters.

By the way, same with Darnold, who I loved. Darnold sometimes plays hero ball. Carson Wentz. Heard a lot. plays hero ball. So I think my thing is you're going to have Zach play the rest of the year. But let me ask you as a Jets fan,

if you're in the front office now in these two years and these injuries, do you not at least entertain over a glass of wine, the GM, the owner? Hey, when he comes back, let's watch the season. But let's speed up our evaluation. That if this is what he is,

Four or five games a year, not healthy. Extending play is getting pop, getting hurt. Maybe next year's draft was six, because the Jets are not going to be a good team now. They're going to be a five-win team. You're going to be in that top seven draft situation with a bunch of college quarterbacks. So the Jets. Would you bail on Zach Wilson if they go six and 11? He starts the year injured, maybe misses another game injured.

Would you bail on it? The tough part is if I'm the GM of my keeping my job, I know you like Joe Douglas. A lot of people here like him. Are you sure you trust Woody Johnson? You cannot blow out the GM, the coach, and the quarterback. Not all three. I would agree. You've got to let things bake.

You've got to give people a chance. But Zach Wilson looks like a miss at this point, right? Now, I can give you this, Colin. The Jets have the longest playoff drought in the league. 11 years. I can tell you, there's not a lot of certainty in the NFL. We're going to do upsets later. It's certain.

The Jets are going to extend that streak to 12 years. They are not making the playoffs. So that's when you evaluate everybody. And you say, you know, there was a moment where Zach Wilson was the Mormon Mahomes, right? He was kind of fly by the seat of his pants, and now he's looking like the Mormon Manziel a little bit. Johnny football. At that point, you've got to move off him. Well, listen, it sounds unfair, but it's not. Durability matters. Brett Farf didn't miss starts. Brady didn't miss starts for a long time. If you go into your second year, like your

first, you're out for a month, and you're a smaller quarterback who tends to extend plays dangerously, I've got it. That's part of the evaluation. now with him? If you're a five-win team, as you said, they're going to be picking in the top six. I think you, I think you have to consider a quarterback. Bryce Young, is he too small at six-one? I think he's six-one, maybe you know him. What about the kid from Florida? Anthony Richardson, he looked awesome. Can he throw the football? It just sucks that we have to keep taking bites at the apple as the Jets. Well, I'm sorry. I know you want to crack a joke. Go ahead. It's fine. No, no, it's fine. I think, but I do think

The bigger story beyond the Jets is second year quarterback hurt again, and he's hurt for reasons we were concerned about coming in the pro football. He is Mansell. Manzell's out there running around thinking he's faster than corners and faster than linebackers. And I know he didn't get, his injury was not getting hit. But again, it was extending a play. Out of the pocket. Out of the pocket. I think it's something you have to consider.

Definitely. All right, Colin, let's move on to a good football team, the Tampa Bay Bucks. their offensive line has taken some hits, obviously, this offseason. Ali Marpet retired. Alex Kappa went to the Bengals. Ryan Jensen, their center got hurt during camp. A lot of criticism about the offensive line. But of course, Tom Brady, who is a quarterback slash motivational speaker, here's what he had to say for the offensive line.

I showed it to him and used it as motivation. Every time someone says they suck and they can't do anything, I try to show it to them and say, this is what they're all saying about you. What do you guys think? What are you going to do about it? And, you know, make sure they, they know what everyone's saying. I think that's important.

You know, I think I've always used little different spites as, you know, as motivation for me. And I'm really motivated person, but it always helps when someone says something that's not flattering. Well, Shaq Mason's really good. So their question's really going to be center. You don't have to be great at both guard spots. Shaq Mason is more than competent. Tristan Wirfs is excellent. Donovan Smith is fine.

Left guard they're not great at, but they draft, I think they drafted a guard. The question becomes center. You can't have a bottom five center. So if they can figure that out, at the trade deadline, do you make a move? Because I do think they have more than enough weapons. I really do. If you were this team and you got to the trade deadline and you were having a real issue on penetration through guard center guard, you know Shaq Mason's good. Would I move off one of my receivers to get a Pro Bowl level center on a team that maybe was out of it?

Let's say at the trade deadline there's a team that's two and five. and you're like, we'll move Chris Godwin for a Pro Bowl center and a second round pick. I think you got Mike Evans. You mean, they got, now you got Russell Gage. They have a capable tied end. They're deep at receiver. If this center thing goes sideways, this is Tom's last year.

You could be irrelevant for a decade as a franchise. You got to go for it. So today the injury report comes out. We'll find out who's going to play center. Colin, honestly, they don't know right now. The kid they drafted a couple years ago out of Notre Dame is a tackle they want to convert to center. He got hurt in the final preseason game. So there is a lot of question for Brady.

Now, I think we'd agree it won't matter against Dallas in week one, right? Right. However, week two, New Orleans Saints who have bullied the bucks the last couple of years in the trenches. Then Green Bay, arguably the best front seven in the league. And then Chris Jones in Kansas City in week four. So, Colin, if for some reason it looks bad against Dallas, there's a chance it spirals in the first quarter of the season for Brady. Yeah, no, I agree. J-MAC with the news.

Well, that's the news. And thanks for stopping by. The herd-lie news. What does genius mean? Warren Buffett is the greatest Wall Street investor of my life. I don't consider him a genius. I think he's very smart and very disciplined, and he has mastered, as much as you can master,

investing in companies. I consider a genius somebody that is so smart that he can transcend multiple industries. Elon Musk, the automotive industry, Tesla, technology, aerospace, SpaceX. Industries are irrelevant. He can pierce through all of them. He can beat NASA to the punch on aerospace. That's a genius. Jeff Bezos.

Jeff Bezos, Amazon. He's in movie production, television production, media. He's built the biggest retail company in the world. Aerospace, a cloud, eye cloud business. Literally, his brain is so big. And I've always told the story with Jeff Bezos, who grew up in Seattle. It's a long, boring story. But a friend of mine, one of my best friends in college just happens to be my financial

planner for the last, you know, 35 years, Dean Braun. And he told me his story years and years ago. Dean's done very well for himself. He was very fortunate. He's a smart, hardworking guy, but Microsoft exploded during his career. So he's got a lot of Microsoft clients. And he tells the story years ago where he was, he was the Microsoft guys over a beer, they're telling a story about Bezos. So the Microsoft guys back in the 70s, 80s, 90s were like some of the smartest guys in the world, right? Paul Allen, Bill Gates, Steve Ballmer. I mean, they took over the world. Microsoft was literally the company for about 15 years in America. And so Jeff Bezos is this young Seattle kid, and he's got this idea.

And he meets with multiple Microsoft investors, founders. And the Microsoft people said about Bezos when he was 22. That's the smartest person we've ever met. He was like 22 years old. Like, that's the smartest person. At Microsoft, he would be our smartest person. So Elon Musk could be crazy. couldn't be wacky, that's a genius.

When you can succeed at multiple things. You transcend, you pierce. Warren Buffett's great. And I give you an example. Warren Buffett's Nick Saban. Nick Saban bombed in the NFL. Bombed. Didn't really win in college football when he was up north at Michigan State.

But in the southern region, twice, LSU and Bama, he's gone down there and dominated. and like Warren Buffett, he has dominated a singular industry or a singular profession and deserves all the accolades for that. Jim Harbaugh is different. Harbaugh was good enough to be a pro athlete. Harbaugh then goes to a small college out west, San Diego turns him around, goes to an academic power Stanford wins 11 games one year, goes to when Northern Power Michigan wins again.

In between that, got to a Super Bowl. legends like Spurrier Saban, bomb in the NFL. Bomb. He went to San Francisco, they're 6 and 10. Eight months later, he turns them around with so-so quarterback play. They're 13 and 3. So I saw that Michigan was fourth. That's John.

I'm talking Jim. That Michigan was fourth in the AP poll. They were in the playoffs last year. They beat Ohio State last year. And if you ask the average fan, well, Sabin up here and Harbaugh debt, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. No, no, no, no, no. As a total football coach, we've never once, when we talk about the greatest football coaches of all time. We don't bring up Woody Hayes or Bo Schembeckler.

We bring up Bill Walsh, Jimmy Johnson. We bring up Bill Belichick and Andy Reed and Chuck Knoll and Don Shula. The best coaching in the world is the National Football League. That's why whenever there's a great young coach in college, Matt Ruhl, Lincoln Riley, Jim Harbaugh, first thing we ask is, when's he going to the NFL? We never considered Andy Reed would go backwards, or Sean Payton would go backwards.

Jim Harbaugh crushed in the NFL. Well, he didn't win a Super Bowl. Well, had the lights not gone out in the stadium, maybe they do. But San Francisco, the minute he arrived, got great and the minute he left, the Niners were awful. So all of you love to criticize Jim Harbaugh, and he's quirky, and I've been critical at times. But once again, Michigan is right up and top near, and by the way, it's harder to get kids into Michigan than many of these schools. Law school, medical school, Michigan is in Italy.

I wish my kids would have gone to Michigan. I couldn't get into Michigan. So I have nothing against Warren Buffett or Nick Saban. They deserve all their accolades. They're Alzheimer's. I love both. Absolutely love both. Just had Sabine on.

But there is something about a Bezos. And I'm not calling Jim Harbaugh genius. But there is something about people that can pierce multiple industries, multiple times, that is simply more impressive to me. And that's why I will defend on most days, Jim Harbaugh. Ohio State's a better program. They're going to beat him three out of four years. My entire life. Ohio State's been a more committed football program.

Not as good as school. Not as good as school, but a good, good school. It would always be a hard-bought guy. And once again, go look at their schedule. They're going to be 5-0. He's averaged, if you take out the COVID year, he's going to win 10 games again. They're going to be either in the playoff or my guess this year, a major bowl. Take a deep breath on this guy's great.

guy hardball's great san diego niners stanford michigan all he does is win all he does is win made the nfl's a quarterback athletic and competitive enough i'm a hardball guy got his warts makes mistakes i'm gonna be a hardball quirky some of my favorite people are quirky elan musk is quirky we need elan musk we need hardball it's good to have around be sure to catch live editions of the heard weekdays in noon Eastern 9 a.m. Pacific. Hey, this is Jason McIntyre. Join me every weekday morning on my podcast, Straight Fire, with Jason McIntyre. This isn't your typical sports pod pushing the same tired narratives down your throat every day. Straight Fire gives you honest opinions on all the biggest sports

headlines, accurate stats to help you win big at the sports book and all the best guests. Do yourself a favor and listen to Straight Fire with Jason McIntyre on the IHeart Radio. app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal, but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast's Superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes

for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the I-Hard Radio app. Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what I'm 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 Cliverts Show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you're 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 Jette. 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. Thank you for finishing that sentence. Yes.

I don't think there's a more important year for black people. Really? Yeah. For me, it's one of the most important years for black people in American history. Listen to look back at it on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Welcome to my new podcast, Learn the Hard Way with me, your host, and your favorite therapist, Keer Games. And in recognition of Mental Health Awareness Month, I'm bringing over a decade of my own experience in the mental health field and conversations with so many incredible guests. I'm talking, Tripp Fontaine, Ryan Clark.

Sometimes when we're in the pursuit of the thing, we get so wrapped up in the chase that we don't realize that we, are in possession of the thing. And we're still chasing it. And we don't know when we've done enough. Because people scoreboard watch. Life becomes about wins and losses. Steve Burns, Dustin Ross, because you find it important to be a good person

while you hear on earth? Are you a good person because you're afraid? Because that's two different intentions, bro. Absolutely. And that's two different levels of trust. I want you to just really be a good person. Join me, Kear Gaines, is we have real conversations about healing,

growth, fatherhood, pressure, and purpose on my new podcast, Learn the Hardway. Open your free, our heart radio app, search Learn the Hardway, and listen now. Great time of the year.

The NFL season begins in earnest tomorrow as Buffalo. They're already in Los Angeles. It's so far to face the Rams. And a lot of people, I'm one of them. I kind of think that feels like a Super Bowl matchup, although I feel much better

about the Rams getting to the Super Bowl because the NFC, I think, is weaker. I think Green Bay is not as good. Tampa Bay's got O-line issues to deal with, I think the Rams are a pretty safe bet. Now that San Francisco doesn't have Garoppolo starting, they may dig themselves into a hole. Buffalo's got a gotlet of great ASC teams to get through.

And Peter Schrager, NFL reporter for Fox joining us. You know, it's interesting. There's the Super Bowl hangover thing, which, let's be honest, the Patriots sort of put a end of that. They were good for a long time. And I think McVeigh has created a culture, very pro players. I don't think I have two people that went to Rams practices and said it was the best practice they saw.

I think they'll both be good. But there is a real sense, Shragues, myself included, we all love Buffalo. Are we being over hyperbolic here? Is Buffalo a little more middle of the pack than we're all contending this morning? They didn't make today as a championship game last year. They lost. And they have a defensive head coach who with 13 seconds left. couldn't stop Patrick Mahomes from getting 60 yards into field goal range.

I think they're in this really inopportune situation where it's like they've been crowned the champions and Josh Allen's been picked as the MVP and they're the number one power ranked team in every power rankings you read. They haven't accomplished anything yet. It's not a great place to be to be the hunted before you've actually accomplished anything. And they know that. They understand. I've spoken to McDermott plenty of times this offseason and I've spoken to several of those players.

They get it. but it's like, you know, the Bengals won the AFC last year and no one's talking about them. Do you know how good a spot that is? It's a really interesting thing with Buffalo because they haven't accomplished squat. They haven't. They beat the Patriots in a wild card round game. That was historic. And then they fell apart at the end of that Kansas City game and didn't even make the

fantasy championship game yet they've already been crowned. Let's see how they rise above. I think the Rams have been built for moments like tomorrow where Sean McVeigh is 5 and O in season openers. I spent all of August preparing and looking at that defense and looking at what might end up being, Kairilam and Dane Jackson at a cornerback with maybe a sixth round rookie at a Villanova playing a bunch and has a bunch of guys who no one's seen on tape yet, including Alan Robinson and Kieran Williams, who I think is going to be due for a big season as well, the running back. I think McVay is made for these moments, and I'm not sure how Buffalo responds to being crowned.

They've always been this small upstart team with this like, pesky fan base that everyone wants to root for. Now they're the big dogs and they haven't accomplished anything yet. It's a really interesting spot to be in. There are teams that are fascinating. I think Denver's one. I do believe like Stafford to the Rams or Tom Brady to the box, the roster was set.

They needed a catalyst. I really like Denver getting Randy Gregory, DJ Jones on the defensive front with Bradley Chubb. I think good quarterbacks, good defensive lines. They got excellent corners. They got weapons. they feel like Tampa to me. They feel like a little bit like the Rams.

They just need a catalyst. Again, am I over my skis here? How do you view when you talk to the staff, the coaches, scouts? You've got a labyrinth of sources here. What are you thinking? What are you here? Yeah, I picked Russell Wilson to be the MVP this morning. I went on national television and wore a Russell Wilson, Jersey.

I think they're going to be awesome. I think they're going to challenge the chiefs in the AFC West. And I think it's the combination of Russell Wilson and Nathaniel Hackett. You know, Nathaniel Hackett was the offensive coordinator in Green Bay the past two years. And for all the roses that we give to LaFleur and to Rogers, Nathaniel Hackett was very responsible for a lot of that offense, taking on a hybrid feel from the Shanahan offense that LaFleur has known his whole entire career to what Hackett does, which is a lot of the West Coast stuff,

combined them both. And everything I hear out of Denver is it's been lights out, Russell on this guy. I think he's going to rise this Denver team to the top of the AFC. And gosh, does that fan base deserve it? This is a team that hasn't been to the playoffs since Peyton Manning was the quarterback. And as much as the avalanche are this great hockey team that won the Cup and the Nuggets are really talented with Yokic and what they have going on, that's a football town. Yeah. And I think Russell Wilson's going to bring football back.

And we kind of miss Denver, right? We miss those Sunday nights and mile high. Yeah. I think Russell is the total package. And I think Colin, I think they might challenge the Chiefs. And they might actually be the one seat out of the AFC. That's how good I think the Broncos could be. Yeah, I think sometimes we forget.

you look at Tampa's talent now. And when James was there, you didn't pay attention to him. Tom gets there and you're like, God, they're loaded. You start looking at the corners, the D-line, the receivers, the backs, the young safety for Denver. There are a lot of Pro Bowl players on this roster, and I agree with you. That's a great point. We kind of forget how good the bucks were. There's a reason Tom Brady chose them.

There's a reason Russell Wilson chose Denver. That's why Seattle, as you know, didn't get a fortune back. They got good stuff back, but Russell looked at that team and went quarterback, weapon, left tackle. So I want to pivot to a situation where we love the coach, we love the roster. I don't know what to make a Trey Lance. And you got the best bullpen now in the league with Garoppolo. And you know if they struggle against Chicago and lose, there'll be a percentage of people in that building that are like, we can't punt. We've got to get on this thing.

What am I to make of Trey Lance in the 90s? I'm looking at this headline below me, just to clarify, I didn't say that. If anything, I think Trey Lance is actually not threatened by Jimmy Garoppolo. And it's one of these deals where Tray Lance hasn't played enough football for anyone with great certainty to say he's bad or good. But they're in this situation where they have so many veteran players, you mentioned it, that are like in a win now mode that he has to be good. Right. He has to be good. Like, there's no other option.

That's not a pleasant place to be as a young quarterback. Look, he played one game the last season at North Dakota State, and it was at North Dakota State, and he played two games last year where he started and didn't look great. You got Trent Williams and George Kittle and Kyle Eusecheck and guys that are like, hey, I've been to two NFC championship games in the last three years. I want to win a Super Bowl.

He doesn't have the luxury of like figuring it out on the fly. You mentioned it coming out of commercial that like they play Chicago and they're considered like everyone's survivor pick, week one. I don't know if Tray Lance is good. I don't know if he's good yet. And anyone who's telling you that he is is doing that based on speculation because they traded two first round picks for him and that they said he's the guy. But he was given that starting job over Jimmy Garoflo. He didn't win that job. Jimmy was injured and it was kind of this like lame duck feeling where they're like, all right, I guess we drafted him and we traded two first round picks for him. I guess he's our starter.

I've heard really good dispatches out of San Francisco that this guy's shown leadership skills and he throws the ball. It's got a cannon. He's got really good mobility stuff that Kyle Shanahan's never had. That's why they traded up for him. Until I see it when the bullets are flying, Colin, I have a hard time saying that this guy is a surefire thing or saying that he is not going to be. I need to give him a few weeks. But sadly for him, their team is too good around him, and they've got too much talent and too many expectations for him to just figure it out on the fly. All right, minute left. Give me the rookie who's going to make an impact, maybe not a quarterback, a rookie to keep your eye on.

Yeah, last year, I think Michael Parsons might have been the best rookie in all of football, unanimous defensive player of the year as far as rookies go. I love George Car Laftus out of Kansas City. This is a Greek player who, the first 13 years of his life lived in Athens, came to the United States, learned football, went to Purdue where he dominated, and ended up in the perfect spy. He's going to be opposite Frank Clark. It's going to be behind Chris Jones.

It's going to be next to Nick Bolton. And everyone I talked to in Kansas City. And as you know, as a Colin listener and the herd listener, I talk to a lot of folks in Kansas City are like, he's the breakout star of camp. I picked him to be defensive rookie to year. I think he's going to be a sensation. George Carlaftus, they call him Furious George. That is my breakout rookie. The Greek God of Sacks, keep an eye out on George Car Lafus.

God, that is great. The Furious George, that's the best rookie nickname. Shrags, your money, baby, Fox Sports, and, you. of our report. He's on the Sunday show this week. Watch him with all the Fox home run hitters. Shregs, you're great. Thanks, buddy. You and Jay Mack are killing it. Thanks, man. All right. Fox NFL kickoff Sunday 11 Eastern on Fox. That's funny.

So what's interesting about that player, so I had set on this show at one point, I love this kid. And then I started reading all these reports. He's too stiff. He's too stiff. And I'm like, oh, okay. I guess he's not the guy. And then Brett Veach drafts him, and who's brilliant, for Kansas City. I'm like, I'm back on board. So it's great to hear because if you watch Purdue play last year, he was really hard to block. He was a dominating defense event from Purdue. And Purdue's thrown out some really good NFL guys through the years. I read a great story on him. Apparently at Purdue, he got an off-campus apartment close to the football facility so he could

live there. Just absorb the tape, love being around the coaches. This kid's a winner. I think the chief's got a good one. Okay. My final amendment It'll be official in five minutes, plus Joel Clatt. Here's my NFL standing predictions. Around the corner, hour one flew by hour to next live in L.A. 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 IHard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, what's good, y'all? You're listening to Learn the Hard Way with your favorite therapist and host Kear Games. This space is about black men's experiences, having honest conversations that's really not safe to have anywhere, but you're having them with a licensed professional who knows what he's doing. how many men carry a suit or armor. It signals to the world that you not to be played with. And just because you have the capability that does not mean that you need to,

listen to learn the hard way on the AHA radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. 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. This is an IHeart podcast. Guaranteed human.