The Herd with Colin Cowherd - HOUR 1 - Derek Carr, Kevin Durant, Browns, Tom Brady

Episode Date: August 11, 2022

Derek Carr doesn't get the respect he deserves even though he has overcome so much Kevin Durant would be a good fit for the Celtics The Browns plan on having Deshaun Watson start this Friday Is Tom Brady committed to the Buccaneers?    Guest: Ben VolinSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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follow at Clifford and at TikTok's podcast network on TikTok. On the Look Back at it podcast. From 1979, that was a big moment for me. 84's big to me. I'm Sam J. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick a year, unpack what went down,

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Here we go on a Thursday. I know I don't sound very good. Head cold, I'm fine, feel good. Live in L.A., it's the herd, wherever you may be, however you may be listening. IHeart Radio, Fox Sports Radio, and FS1. Starting tonight, Giants play the Patriots. So starting tonight until, you know, February, we're going to usually have three to four nights a week of football games.

it usually starts with a whimper a little bit. They're not going to play a lot of starters tonight. It ends with a bang, the Super Bowl. But a joyous time for this show and this network. It's going to be an incredible fall. We're going to have the World Series. We're going to have the World Cup. We're going to have Big Ten football.

We're going to have the best NFL package. Super Bowl. And the Super Bowl. Yeah. What an unbelievable fall. That's the voice of Alex Curry. The face of Alex Curry for our TV audience. So it feels like a little bit like, you know, we're moving into it, starting tonight with regular games.

The Hall of Fame game's done. Got a huge audience, by the way. This is what the audience wants and they're going to get it. And we're going to have, you know, in my history of doing this whole thing and bouncing around a local and regional and national networks. I think it's the most anticipated five months ever. There's never been a network that's had the World Series, the Super Bowl, the World Cup, and massive college football, which will probably be first or second highest Red to College football in the country.

So it kind of starts tonight. It feels like it's the beginning of things. It's like we're at a Michelin restaurant getting like a five-course dinner. And this is our appetizer. That's right. This is our very first course for the most incredible fall, as you mentioned.

So I have defended Derek Carr for a long time of the Raiders. I saw a story this morning where Derek Carr has not thrown an interception, not one in camp. And what really makes it remarkable, is that he's got a new play caller, a new system, a new coach, a new coordinator, and a new star receiver. There's a bunch of moving parts. Not a single interception. And I think what has always hurt Derek Carr among fans, because I think he's top 10 quarterback in the league,

most people don't have him anywhere near that, is that what is his it? Mahomes' crazy armed talent, Josh Allen's size athletic ability, uh, Kyler Murray and Russell Wilson, escapeability, uh, dynamic speed for Lamar Jackson, Joe Burroughs cool, Tom Brady pre-snap, Aaron Rogers play is sort of, uh, with a style and a glamour and his release. What is his it? And it's funny because in 2022, it's a really weird world we live in. And I think social media and, um, it is part of the problem. A big part of it is that you used to be able to give people like video proof or data or stats and you would win the argument. But it doesn't work that way anymore. I mean, we have video of glaciers melting. We have a global

warming issue. And people are like, that's politics. No, it's environmental. I don't care about the politics of it. We have glaciers melting. Here's proof. Here's data. Nobody wants to listen to it. So it's, you can give people proof. I'll give you three data points on Derek Carr. He's indisputably an elite quarterback. And by the end of this rant, you still won't believe it. In the last four years, he has the highest completion percentage in the league of anybody still playing. Drew Breeze was slightly higher. That's it. He's the most accurate thrower in the league.

Okay. On the field today. In the last eight years, he is the most reliable quarterback coming from behind in the fourth quarter. Leads the NFL in that. He has also faced the most crisis at head coach for a top quarter. This will be his sixth in nine years. So he's the most accurate, the best playing from behind late, and he's done it in chaos. They literally have different coaches.

And my takeaway is his it, because you got to give fans an it. And I've said this about Alex English playing in the NBA. He led the 80s in scoring, but Alex English didn't have an it. He wasn't vertical. He wasn't flashy. He was soft-spoken. He just hit mid-range jumpers. He did not make the NBA's top 75 list.

He led the entire league in scoring in the 80s. Didn't make the list. What was his it? He had class and didn't miss 16-footers. But I think the it for Derek Carr is he overcomes things better than anybody in the league. Overcomes coaching chaos. Overcomes a teammate, killing a citizen. in Las Vegas, driving 110 miles an hour under the influence.

He overcomes weak drafts, a battle line, fourth quarter deficits, and constant fluctuation in the organization. And now the toughest division ever in the history of the NFL. There's never been a division, which is why the Raiders are the hardest team for me to protect in the NFL this year. Because I like so much about him. But there's never been a division in the history of the NFL that has. Patrick Mahomes, Derek Carr, Justin Herbert, and Russell Wilson.

And I don't think they have the defense to compete with the other three. But if you're looking for his it, it is nobody overcomes things like Derek Carr. And that is an absolute talent. And I'll underscore it again, he has not thrown an interception with a new system, a new play caller, a new star receiver, a new coach, not thrown an interception. All camp. It's unbelievable. Okay. The second story today. So there's been a lot. I mean, Kevin Durant is one of the best get a basket guys in the NBA ever. And so this is why I keep talking about this Kevin Durant thing, even though the NBA season is done until October, is the rumors now are Kevin Durant wants to play for the Celtics. Okay. So you can look at it two ways. Boston says, no thanks. We're going to bring the band back. But Milwaukee's going to be better next year because Chris Middleton's back and Joe Ingalls. I think are going to be better.

Tyrese Maxie is emerging as a massive star in this league. Miami, always well-run and well-coached, certainly could be better, right? But you could bring it all back. You did get to the finals and roll the dice. Or you could bring in Kevin Durant. It's going to hurt your chemistry a little bit. He can be a little high maintenance. You're going to have to give up some of your bench and some of your future to do it, but I don't think it's a terrible idea.

The coach of the Celtics has coached KD. KD always gives you a great effort on the defensive end. He's not Kyrie Irving to the Celtics who didn't want to participate defensively. Or James Harden, who doesn't participate defensively, KD always plays defense at a very high level. And he's also, we saw Jason Tatum was not a reliable finisher in big games. So you get a great historic finisher. I think it makes sense to bring in KD for a Jalen Brown, a top bench player, and two draft picks.

But I think we have to come to terms, and I've seen this in Hollywood recently, we've got to come to terms with what KD is. We saw him as a lead actor. He's a great supporting actor. He worked in Golden State, and I believe he would work in Boston because the culture's already been created. There are certain people, like I'll give you an example, Tom Cruise, you can, if you're a movie studio, commit to 10 movies with Tom Cruise.

He's totally into it, totally committed. He'll deliver box office. He can manage people. Tom Cruise's life is movies. Marlon Brando was talented. There's no way you could give Marlon Brando that responsibility. There's absolutely no way. He's just really talented.

And I think KD's more Brando than Cruz. I think LeBron, Wade, Kobe, Janus, there are players, I build around. They are committed. They're unwavering. They don't wander. They elevate others. They just have the right personality for it. And I think KD. is closer to Kauai or Karee or James Hardin. You view them as the movie star. And what they are is great supporting actors. They can't, you can't build a foundation around them. They're either quirky, odd, nonverbal, high maintenance. It's a lot of things. Now, of all those players. KD. is easily the most gifted offensively. And I've said before, I think he's the only

guy in league history that would beat Michael Jordan in a game of one-on-one if they had a tournament. I think he's a great player. But he is different. He is more Brando than Cruz. He is more Kawhi than LeBron. And we just got to come to terms with it. That's why I think Boston works, just like the Warriors worked. The Warriors, if you go back to Kauai's career, San Antonio had the culture built. They added him championship. Toronto had a terrific culture built. They added him championship. The Clippers needed Kauai to be the foundational piece.

It's not what he is. He's not verbal, doesn't really communicate. That's not what he is. So they're trying to build a franchise around him. You're going to have to build it around Tailu's brain and the front office's ability to get versatile defenders. It's a very versatile roster. You can't build it around him.

And it's the same thing in Hollywood. There's just certain people you can build a franchise around. And then they're just really talented actor. and there's very few of these, and it's not really a knock on KD. I mean, it's very easy top of my head to just name the guys I'd build my franchise around. You know, MJ, Duncan, Magic, Bird, Janus. I mean, it's a short list of about 10 guys, D. Wade. Like, it's a tiny list.

And then there's a bunch of talented guys. And I think we just have to, that's why I think Katie to Boston actually works. They got it. They got the coach. They got the culture. they've got the intensity, they've got the brains upstairs. Dude, come on in and deliver big buckets. And I think mostly that's what Katie wants to do.

And Katie, it looks like, understands that. He understands that he'd be joining a great culture. I think Katie looks at it and thinks it makes sense for my Northeast business. It worked with the Warriors where I could just join something that was already rolling. And to Katie's credit, he gets that. But I think we have to, I think we've always thought for years, in years. And what is this?

Katie's better than LeBron. And I was always like, LeBron is so much more than a basketball player. LeBron is leadership and stability and elevation of others and a team builder and confronts the media and not really that prickly and deals with crisis well. And LeBron is so much more than get a hoop guy. You know, he's Jordan. He's magic.

He's well beyond. And it's not really a criticism. Not everybody is built. like Tom Cruise to build the franchise around. Not everybody's built for that. Milwaukee's got one. The Lakers have had a few through the years. It's a small number.

Ben Volan will be joining us from Bucks Dolphins Joint Practices in Tampa. Tom Brady is out for a while. He's going to take some family time. Alex Curry will have that around the corner. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays in noon Eastern 9 a.m. Pacific. On Fox Sports Radio, FS1, and the I

Hard 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 iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what you're saying. Yep, that's me, Clivert Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, the reactions,

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And for more behind the scenes, Follow at Clifford and a 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 Jek.

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, 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 IHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Welcome to my new podcast, Learn the Hardway 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

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Open your free, our Heart Radio app, search Learn the Hardway, and listen now. You know, we all would admit, and we all know this to be true, that there are, there's a big gap in the NFL

between elite quarterbacks and everybody else. There's a huge gap between like a Sean McVeigh and about 20 coaches in this league, right? We know there's a gap. We know there's, you know, really, really good offensive lines.

and then there's like the Carolina Panthers offensive line. Like we all know that. But we don't see front offices and we don't see owners. And in my career, ownership has been like the front office, the people you don't see on air, the owners and the executives have so much control. And there's also a massive gap in that. And the Cleveland Browns are a poorly owned NFL franchise.

And they've really put themselves on an island with this Deshawn Watson thing. So, you know, Cleveland announced yesterday, well, we're going to start Deshaun Watson tomorrow against the Jags. Okay. So the NFL commissioner came out two days ago and said, we have seen the evidence, it's predatory behavior, and Cleveland's owners like, yeah, we saw it. Let's start him against the Jags.

And I think Dan Snyder of Washington, Cal McNair, Houston, and the House. Maslims are bad owners. Repetatively poor choices, coaches, quarterbacks, some skeevy stuff in their background, not learning from their mistakes. And I just think, now I think Detroit and Chicago are not brilliantly owned either. I don't think they're morally corrupt. But I think fans sometimes don't understand that the gap is just not coaches and quarterbacks and wide receiver units in this league.

It is owners. and Cleveland has decided to just like go on an island and take on the NFL and they don't care. I think that puts Kevin Stefansky in a brutal position. I remember I read a quote. I went and got it this morning and I don't know when this interview was, but Alex Smith was on a Rich Eisen show. And his quote about playing in Washington was, you got to try to eliminate the noise there.

There's just a lot of distractions, said Alex Smith. That entire organization, everything's surrounding it. obviously deservedly. It's been flawed the last 20 years. There's just a lot of stuff going on there, a lot of distractions. It makes it difficult to focus in on football. Just think about that. Brady had Belichick, Dante Scarnicke, Josh McDaniels, Bob Kraft sold out stadiums, or you can be a quarterback for Washington. What a mess. I mean, I tell people this all the time, is that at the company I currently work for, I never see management. I come in, the staff comes in, we do a show, and we go home at noon,

three Eastern, noon Pacific. We never see management unless we walk by them in the commissary, you know, where you eat around here. And it's like, it's just very easy. It's very easy here to do a show. I just can't screw it up. Like, can you imagine if I came, I had people breathing down my neck, They moved our time slot constantly. They changed our personnel constantly.

They told us right before the show, we don't like your lead. I mean, Alex Smith is basically saying it's really hard to focus on, you know, playing football in Washington. And I think Cleveland, Washington, and Houston, I think there's a lot of talented players and talented quarterbacks and talented coaches. And those ownership groups make it really hard on. everybody in the building, whether they get it or not. Alex Curry with the news. No, no, no, no. Turn on the news.

This is the herd line news. Well, last week, Tua told reporters he believes the dolphins are all in on him following the NFL's investigation into the team tampering with Tom Brady. Now, with the Bucks and Dolphins doing a joint practice this week, prior to the team facing off in their preseason opener, it opens the door for more questions about the team's interest in Brady, but Tua and head coach, Mike McDaniel, aren't into the nonsense. I think they were doing that in 2019,

but then I came in 2020. So I, I mean, they picked me. So, I mean, I'm still here. To me, that's all noise at this point. For me, nothing happened. Everyone else is the one making it awkward. Doesn't occupy a single iota of space with anybody. We have, it's hard enough to be good in this league.

We're, as the Miami Dolphins, we're very, all of our energy is very coordinated and only has to do with us getting better and everything else would be an opportunity cost that we're not willing to expend. Yeah, I mean, if you looked at every question that Tua has ever been asked, if somebody categorized every question that Tua has ever been asked at the podium. there's an argument, maybe Baker Mayfield is close, more of them had a potential to end up ugly, and he generally skates around them brilliantly. Like Tua has had the deal with Deshaun Watson rumors, the Brian Flores stuff, now it's the Tom Brady stuff, and I'll defend Tua on this. Baker Mayfield should take really the playbook of Tua. Tua is asked questions more than any quarterback in this league that are,

trigger questions that they're there and I'm not saying the media doesn't have a right to ask them but they're difficult questions there about other people replacing you rumors innuendoes tua has got an incredible ability to consume it not be bothered by it give the right answer and I've said this for years that podium for a quarterback that's your microphone and what you say can be like Baker was disruptive other people have to comment men on it. Tua basically kills all these stories. It matters to quarterbacks. He is really good at the podium. And he gets asked more stuff that could blow up if he didn't have the brains or the dexterity

to give it the right answer. It could be a mess. Baker still just struggled with that. Every question got, you know, a snarky answer. Tua just, he's able to fall on the sword. It's very Eli Manning. Tua, in a chaotic organization for the last 10 years, Tua is very soothing at the microphone. Always forward facing, never looking back, talking about people that he can't control. We now know, based on stories that have been released over the last three or four months, he and Brian Flores, like, did not get along at all.

And he still handled that. Again, not trying to win the argument, never bringing it up. We found out how bad it was once Brian was gone. Yeah. We didn't know it was a bet. I've known every time certain quarterbacks have a rocky relationship with a coach. You hear about it at the podium. So all you quarterbacks go look at Tua's press conferences.

Fall on the sword. Go forward. Move ahead. Don't try to win the press conference. Two is great at it. He has the mindset of a leader. He doesn't live in the mindset of what could have. happen. And you can't do that. You've got to block out the noise, especially in a situation

like this where you're getting asked, your team might have wanted the greatest player of all time. Because let's be honest, any team is going to pick the goat over probably the current quarterback than they have. And now this week, you're practicing the same place. You're looking, hopefully not looking over at him too much. But as you said, Tua has that mindset. He has to stick in that mindset. And this is a make or break year for him. His third season, he's got a huge weapon in Tyree Kill. He has to prove it on the field this year. And He's got the right mindset for it. You have to.

Well, speaking of the goat, Forbes just released their highest earning NFL players for 2022. And Tom Brady has come out on top leading the list for the first time in his career at $75 million. Now, Brady has never been listed higher, the number two on Forbes annual NFL earning leaderboard, which he has just earned last season when he came in second behind Dak Prescott. Now, you had Matthew Stafford, Ian Rogers, Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, rounding up the top five. But it's crazy to wrap your head around. Is this endorsements too? Yes. It's

the full package. So that's the craziest part to kind of wrap your head around the fact that the goat, this is the first time a player who has more rings than any single franchise. This is the first time that he is number one on that list. He is entering his 23rd season. He is 45 years old. Well, people forget

that Magic Johnson and Michael Jordan for a majority of their careers had terrible contracts. Yeah. Michael had a Magic signed a 25-year, $25 million contract. So now Magic's done very well for himself. When I look at that list, and for our radio audience, the list is Brady, Stafford, Aaron, Mahomes, Alan Watson,

Kirk Cousins, Russell, Wilson, Kyler Murray, Dack, Prescott. I give Kirk Cousins credit. He has completely monotized this sport. Good for him. I'm actually a little surprised. And you said this does include endorsements. companies income okay yeah i would think mohomes would be a higher um but i'm not listen they're all doing well yeah yeah i mean i would say this the reason it's the first time brady's been there

is because tom and i've said this about other quarterback i've said this about erin rogers and russell wilson you know i love him but if you want to be the highest paid quarterback understand is you won't have a second great corner yep and a second great pass rusher and you won't have two elite tackles. Like, you've got to make decisions in life. I've said this about LeBron James. And I think LeBron wants to win. But if LeBron really, really now, if L.A. was just about winning,

there's ways around it financially. Tom was all about winning. And now, by the way, it's not a coincidence that Tom now, he doesn't care. Give me the money. Because he's leaving. This is the last year. Yeah, he has a massive million-dollar deal with Fox waiting for him the moment. he retires and he's turned into quite the businessman.

He's figured it all out. All right, moving on. After acquiring Baker Mayfield earlier this off season, the Panthers are in the midst of a quarterback battle as they head into the first preseason game. Now, Matt Ruhl's given praise to Baker earlier this week and how he's fast, he's picked up the playbook since the trade, which we thought might have been an issue.

But despite Baker's quick learning, NFL network, Steve Muriucci doesn't expect things to be settled by the end of preseason, saying Matt Ruhl said something interesting to. We are keeping three quarterbacks. Well, they have to become, because they have to, because he drafted Matt Corral in the third round from Ole Miss. They got to keep the guy. And a lot of teams don't keep three quarterbacks on the active roster anymore. They keep one on the practice squad, right?

This is a real true quarterback battle. It's going to be interesting. Stay tuned because I think it's going to be fluid all season. Well, if you were Matt Rule, wouldn't the best outcome, Alex, be? Yeah. Darnold and Baker are good enough to win your games and keep you. close. And then by Thanksgiving, Matt Coral emerges as Matt Corral emerges as better than both, and you have your future

quarterback. If you look at what Matt Rule wants to do, A, save his job. He wants to win games, right? And we don't think Matt is ready to be the guy, the Ole Miss quarterback. Yeah. Southern California kid. The perfect situation is Baker and Darnold win enough games to keep you employed and then the Ole Miss quarterback emerges by Thanksgiving as the kid you hand it over to. You're not a playoff team, but then I can sell to my owner who's about to fire me. We found our guy. Because if Baker starts every game, nobody thinks Baker's a top 10 quarterback, no reasonable person.

So you have to go to your owner. If Baker starts every game, you're not going to have a huge winning record. You're going to be a very average team. If Sam starts all the games, you're going to be an average team. Whether one's better than the other, neither's great. That's been established. Neither is top 15, in my opinion, and I don't think it's close. Baker's closer, but it's not close, right?

So in the end, if you were Matt Rule and you want to keep your job, the best way to keep it is to say, listen, we brought Baker in, and I won with him a little. But hey, owner, I found our guy. You can sell that to the owner, and if this kid, and he's got an arm, he's a little small, but he's got an arm, I think the ideal situation is their third, quarterback by Thanksgiving, the staff goes upstairs and says, we're going to go with him. That keeps everybody employed. And it may, I'm not saying it's just manipulation, it may be the truth.

Yeah. And you're also, by having this battle, you're going to get the best at a Baker and Darnold up until that point. Yeah. If Matt ends up being the guy. Alex Curry with the news. Well, that's the news. And thanks for stopping by.

The herd lie news. Some people just have a feel for something. My dad owned four cars his entire life. They were just a utility. They were transportation. We didn't romanticize them. I'm not good with cars. I don't have any feel in a garage.

I just have no sense for cars. Some kids, dads love cars. They collect cars. I've known people who just, you get them around a car. They know everything. They're just, I got no feel for it. My wife grew up. Her dad was a restaurateur.

She is amazing in a kitchen. She knows every spice. We'll go to restaurants. She'll try a soup. It doesn't matter if it's an Asian restaurant, a Thai restaurant. She'll know the ingredients, go home, make it, and it'll be as good or better than the restaurant. I wouldn't know where to start. Outside of broth, I wouldn't know where to start. Right. Like some people, Alex, mom is a chef. Some people just because of their upbringing or whatever, they just have a feel for something.

And I'm not sure what mine is, but it's not, it's not cars and it's not culinary. the Patriots and the Giants play tonight in New England is not going to play Mac Jones. And I don't think there's a ton that you can get at a preseason. But God, if there's a team that needs it, it's this team because they have a defensive coordinator as their play caller. They could probably use some live bullets here, some live play calling. But you do get to a point is we know that Belichick without Brady isn't the same coach. But it's not just losing Brady.

It's losing Josh McDaniel and Dante Scarnicchio. New England had for years guys that had a feel for it. Scarnicke, I've gone to YouTube and watched these Dante Scarnacia YouTube videos when he talks to other coaches. He's just got a feel for offensive line. Hands, leverage, hips. Josh McDaniels, a brilliant offensive mind. Again, Derek Carr hasn't thrown an intersection in camp. Josh McDaniels has a feel for it.

And Brady, obviously, pre-snap is as good as anybody in the history of the league before the ball is snap moving pieces around. You start looking at New England now. They have no field. They're becoming the Steelers. The difference is the Steelers at least draft the offense well. They're great. They have drafted through the years. Tide ends, receivers, backs.

New England can't draft it. I don't know if they can develop it. And they can't even buy it. Nick Wright was on our show yesterday talking about this. is they open up the checkbook, spent a record amount. And when that happens, teams usually get better if you buy a side of the ball. As Nick Ryan pointed out, New England can't even buy offense. No other team in the league is spending $20 million on their tight-ins.

The Patriots are spending $30 million on theirs. There is one other team in football spending $50 million on their receivers and tight-ins combined. The Patriots are spending $70 million on theirs. The Jaguars overpaid their guys, but Christian Kirk, Zay Jones, and Marvin Jones all have one thing in common. All of them would be the Patriots number one receiving threat by a mile. I think the Jacksonville Jaguars will win as many or more games than New England Patriots this year. And you can say, well, I mean, I think the four things that matter in offense, do you draft it, do you develop it, do you coach it, or can you buy it?

now that McDaniels, Dante Scarnacia, Brady are gone are the Patriots last in the league at all four? They don't draft it well. There's no proof they develop it brilliantly. They can't buy it well. And now they have their two top coaches gone. They have their O.C. And their line coach gone.

So you can say, what about the Jags? Well, they drafted Alan Robinson. They've drafted some nice offensive people. What about the Giants? Oh, they drafted OBJ and Seekwan Barclay before he got hurt. The Giants have drafted some really great offensive talent. And there's just teams in this league, Kansas City, San Francisco. The Vikings draft and develop offensive talent.

The Bengals now. Like some teams, the Niners, the Rams, they've got a feel for offense. I don't think, I think New England has none. I think all the, all, Brady, McDaniel, Scarnacchio left the building. They have no feel for it. And that's where the league is going. Albert Breer talked about New England's offensive struggles yesterday on the show. I've heard that he's frustrated.

And I don't like the logic here. A big part of the logic for Bill, my understanding and not bringing Bill O'Brien back from Alabama was that he was afraid he was going to lose him after the year. And you see Bill, and now he's in his 70s, and is this just because he doesn't want to go through a lot of change over the next few years? That piece of it's really hard for me,

because if that's why you're making decisions with something so critical is the development of your second, year quarterback on the line, I'd have an issue with it. So if it wasn't Bill Belichick doing this, I think a lot of people would be very, very critical of what's going on there. Ben Volan, great reporter. He's in Tampa with Tom and the Bucks and the Dolphins. He'll join us next. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays in noon Eastern, 9 a.m. Pacific. Hey, I'm Doug Gottlie. The podcast is called All Ball. We usually talk all basketball all the time, but it's more about the stories about what made these people love their sport

and all the interesting interactions along the way. We talk to coaches, we talk to players, we tell you stories. You download it, you listen to it, I think you like it. Listen to All Ball with Doug Alib on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, 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 I'm saying. Yep, that's me. Clipper Taylor, the podcast. forth. You might have seen the skits, the reactions, my journey from basketball to college football, or my career in sports media. Well, somewhere along the way, this platform became bigger than I ever imagined. And now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfiltered conversations with some of your favorite athletes,

creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. One week, I'll take you behind the scenes of the biggest moments in sports and entertainment, and the next we'll talk about life, mental health, purpose, and even music. The Clifford Show isn't just a podcast. It's a space for honest conversations, stories that don't always get told, and for people who are chasing something bigger. So if you've ever supported me or you're just chasing down a dream, this is right where you need to be.

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

I'm Sam Jett. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick a here, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it. Including a recent episode with Mark Lamont Hill, waxing all about crack in the 80s. To be clear, 84 is big to me, not just because. of crack. I'm down to talk about crack 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. 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, Kear Games. And in recognition of mental health awareness month, I'm bringing over a decade

of my own experience in the mental health field and conversations with so many incredible guests. I'm talking, Tripp Fontaine, Ryan Clark. Sometimes when we're in the pursuit of the thing, we get so wrapped up in the chase

that we don't realize that we are in possession of the thing. And we're still chasing it. And we don't know when we've done enough Because people scoreboard watch. Life becomes about wins and losses. Steve Burns, Dustin Ross, because you find it important to be a good person while you hear on earth?

Are you a good person because you're afraid? Because that's two different intentions, bro. Absolutely. And that's two different levels of trust. I want you to just really be a good person. Join me, Kear Gaines, as we have real conversations about healing, growth, fatherhood, pressure, and purpose

on my new podcast, learn the hard way. Open your free, our heart radio app. Search learn the hard way and listen now. Well, Tom Brady stepped away from the Bucks for, it looks like, a couple of weeks. Our guess is it's a personal matter. His mom has been ill. So with that, though, Ben Volan covers the NFL for the Boston Globe. Patriots, Buccaneers Brady, all things.

He is tied in. Ben Bowlin now joining us live. Covered the NFL for 15 years. You wrote an article for the Boston Globe today. It says Tom Brady looks as great as ever, but is he truly committed to the bucks and you talked about he's been a little surlier and you know we now have stories in 2019 um it it is interesting what let's ask you the question do you think he's committed to the box i do wonder where his head is at right now um it's funny you know the article you mentioned i

wrote today the older brady gets um the less the less we criticize and wonder if he could actually play i mean he was so good last year at 44 there's There's no doubt in our minds that if Brady is fully committed, that he can have a terrific season at age 45. But there are definitely signs that maybe his head isn't fully into it. And I try not to be the body language police, but I was out at Buck's practice yesterday, and he looked miserable.

I don't think he loves the humidity here in Tampa. It is very swampy out here every morning. His buddy Gronk has retired. You know, that's his running mate. That's his guy. Now he looks all over the field. He's throwing a Kyle Rudolph and, you know, Chris Godwin's banged up.

We're not sure when he's going to be himself again. Brady's center goes down. There's just a lot of things going on with the team. And we also know that playing for the Bucks was not his number one wish this year. He had gotten his way. That's right. He'd be running the Dolphins. And the only reason he went back to the Bucks was because he really had no other options.

And he said, well, I guess I'll go back to Tampa Bay. So, you know, he had an excused absence last week, two, around his birthday. And the local reporters here, they were holding their breath. They thought this was it. that Tom Brady had a change of heart, that he was going to retire. Now Todd Bowles announces today that Brady wasn't at practice. He's going to be gone through next week, through the second preseason game. So he's going to be gone another 10 days.

So I definitely questioned where his head's at. And then, as you mentioned, it might be related to a health thing with either his parents or a family member. If that's the case, certainly it's going to be a distraction also. So it does seem like Brady is not 100% focused on football. Yeah, no, he's very close with his family, super close. So that's my gut feeling on that. But I think what you and I are talking about is, and here's where I've defended Brady, Ben, is that at the end of Michael Jordan's career when he was with Chicago, he was talking to Abe Poland,

he wanted to own a team. And Derek Jeter at the end got into ownership of a team. Peyton Manning talked to the Titans at the end. He wanted to, you know, talk about running or owning a team. LeBron has been mentioned as Vegas expanding in the NBA. LeBron would own part of the team. I do think Brady, and this is why I've not picked Tampa to be great this year. I've said he wanted to retire.

He wanted to move in to business. And then because of the Brian Flores lawsuit, he pivots back and goes. And I think this is where I've defended Tom. He's got $500 million or a billion dollar net worth with his wife. And the Jeter's and the Michaels and the LeBron's, I think this is a very natural move to, okay, I got the legacy, I got the bag. I want to get into the ownership group. So maybe I'm naive on that,

but I'm kind of giving Tom a pass on the dolphin rumors. Should I? No, I think you're right. I don't think Brady really did anything wrong with his dalliance, his flirtation with the dolphins this time around. I think you're 100% right. I think his ultimate goal, he's got all these side businesses now,

the Brady brand, the TB12, he's got an NFT company. I think he wants to own an NFL team. and maybe not, you know, own it by himself. I don't know if he can compete with the Walton families of the world that are now buying these NFL teams. But I certainly think he wants to front an ownership group be the face of an ownership group. And Stephen Ross of the Miami Dolphins and Bruce Beal, his partner, offered Brady a golden

opportunity to get into the business of the NFL. We'll sell you a small chunk of our team. We'll make you the team president. I was actually told that the way they sold it was, you'll be our Derek Jeter. Jeter was running the Miami Marlins. and they wanted Brady to come run the Dolphins. So I certainly don't begrudge Brady for looking at that opportunity and to trying to get into the business of the NFL.

I don't think he did anything wrong there. The only thing I think is unseemly is how really going back to the 2019 season, he's signing a new contract with the Patriots. He's saying I'm all in and I'm focused. And literally at the same time, he's flirting with the dolphins again. And all throughout that 2019 season, which did not go well for the Patriots, Brady had his is worried more about his future destination than playing quarterback. But his flirtation with the Dolphins this time in the front office thing,

there's nothing wrong with it. And I absolutely think that that is Brady's goal post-career, is to be in the business of the NFL and to try to front an ownership group. Well, Ben, you've covered the Patriots. I said there are teams, if you look at what matters in offense, do you draft it, do you develop it, do you coach it, or can you buy it? There are teams like the Rams are in Kansas City with all. Offensive coaches. They just coach it. They buy it. They draft it. They develop it year after year.

McDaniel's gone. Dante Scarnacki is gone. Brady's gone. They're not drafting it great and they're not buying it great. They spent a fortune last year for a bunch of receivers that can't separate. Devante Parker was last in the league last year in separation. I look at this Matt Patricia move. Ben, I just question whether they have a feel for offense with these iconic Dante, Josh, Tom, leaving. I don't think they do. Your thoughts. I agree with you, Colin. I don't think they've done a great job of preparing for the future.

That was one of the hallmarks of the Patriots program for 15, almost 20 years, is they always had the next man up and the next guy ready. And the last few years, that's kind of falling off the wayside. McDaniels takes some coaches with him. Dante Scarnack here retires. They don't really have good solutions. And so Belichick is really, he's just taking it upon himself. him and Matt Patricia, like their whole theory is I alone can fix it.

They're running the offensive line. They're coaching the receivers. They're calling the plays. Matt Patricia is running the salary cap. Each of these guys is wearing about 27 different hats right now. So if it was anyone but Belichick, I think he said it before, if there was anyone about Belichick who came up with this setup with Belichick and his former defensive coordinator now running the offense,

anyone other than Belichick would get crushed for this. I'm allowing, you know, a little wait and see approach. Belichick is certainly a football genius. He has a ton of respect for Matt Patricia, so that has to count for something. And I am coming around to the idea of, I like that Matt Patricia and Belichick are defensive guys who are going to be in Mack Jones' headset. Tom Brady always spoke about how crucial it was for his development to have that defensive perspective.

So I am coming around to it, but boy, to not have an experienced play caller or many experienced offensive coaches around this team, they haven't drafted well, they're just asking for a lot of things to go right this year. And frankly, it might be too much of an ask. And I think the Patriots, certainly in offense, they're kind of asking for trouble this year. Ben Volan, Boston Globe, cover the league for a long time.

Great seeing you and stop playing golf in Tampa in the afternoon. Like, yeah, Lord, good luck to you, Ben. All right, thanks a lot, Colin. I just tell them the story before Ben came on with Alex. I worked in Tampa for two years. It's a fun town. but my first live shot on the air as a sportscaster, I wore a blue shirt. And I grew up in the Pacific Northwest, so I had no real like intense humidity.

And then I moved to Vegas, which again is dry. So you don't sweat in Vegas, right? You just, it's hot. And I go out and do a live shot in Tampa, and I am, the shirt is soaking wet. And I'm doing a 540 live shot and lightning storms in Tampa in the summer hit about that time. And the water is just, you could see it in the air. and I learned by day two in Tampa for WTVT, wear a white shirt. Or all black.

Then you don't see sweat. Yeah. Yeah. Do not wear a light blue shirt. It's, uh, it's so what he talked about. Now, Brady is taking about 10 days off. My feeling is this is a personal matter with his family. He's very close to his mother and father and sisters.

And his mom has, uh, has been ill for some time. So, uh, Ben's article is not about that. It's a separate issue about, you know, Brady committed, uh, you know, talking to the dolphins while he's a bug. That's a totally separate issue. And the column points that out. Think about your happy place. Maybe it's a sofa on game day or your fishing boat.

Wherever your happy place is, driveway.com lets you buy or sell a car from there. Hour to John Smoltz. Next. 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, Superhuman, documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year.

Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. On the Look Back at it podcast. From 1979, that was a big moment for me. 84 was big to me. I'm Sam J. And I'm Alex English.

Each episode, we pick a year, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it. With our friends, fellow comedians, and favorite authors. Like Mark Lamont Hill on the 80s. It was a wild year. It was a wild year. I don't think there's a more important year for black people. Listen to look back at it on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is a win.

A win is a win. I don't care what you're saying. Yep, that's me. Clifford Taylor the 4th. have seen the skits, my basketball and college football journey, or my career in sports media. Well, now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfilled conversations with athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. So let's get to it.

Listen to The Clifford show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok podcast network on TikTok. This is an IHeart podcast. Guaranteed human.