The Herd with Colin Cowherd - HOUR 1 - Draymond Green, Warriors, PGA

Episode Date: June 10, 2022

Draymond Green's podcast is not helping other teams win The Warriors are in real trouble, they must win tonight The PGA should've taken better care of their stars Guest: Stephen JacksonSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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

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

Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast's Superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. 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 tauntons 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. On the Look Back at it podcast. From 1979, that was a big moment for me. 84 was big to me. I'm Sam J.

And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick a year, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it. With our friends, fellow comedians, and favorite authors. Like Mark Lamont Hill on the 80s. 84 was a wild year. It was a wild year. I don't think there's a more important year for black.

people. Listen to look back at it on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Thanks for listening to The Heard podcast. Be sure to catch us live every weekday from 12 to 3 Eastern, 9 to noon Pacific on Fox Sports Radio and FS1. Find your local station for the Heard at Fox Sports Radio.com or stream us live every day on the iHeartRadio app by searching Heard.

You're listening to Fox Sports Radio. Oh, it is a Friday. Good show today. Live in LA, it's the herd. Wherever you may be and however you may be listening. IHeart Radio, Fox Sports Radio, and FS1. Get a big weekend plan. Game 4 tonight could be the deciding game in the NBA finals,

the Boston Celtics. One bag in 35 years. Go a long way and securing that tonight. A lot of pressure on Boston. Joy Taylor is joining me. They have not been good. They've won game sevens, but they get a little tight. Young teams without a title get a little tight in these big games.

Yeah, I think tonight's the big one. Tonight's it. Now, I think it's going to go seven. So I'm not terribly surprised that Golden State has struggled a little bit because I think it's going to be a long series. But tonight's going to be a fun one. Oh, it's going to be a fun one. So at the center of this, it hasn't been a controversial finals,

although Draymond Green is on a podcast and everybody is yelling at screaming at Dremont Green. You're not paying attention. You're doing a podcast. That's the big story today. And a report out that Celtics coaches and Dallas coaches have been listening to the podcast, which is fantastic. It's on the volume sports network. Anywho, you should listen. The point is here, of course, that Dallas listened to the podcast and got blown out by the Warriors. And the Celtics are listening to the podcast and are dominating the Warriors. And does everybody understand the difference there? Yeah, Boston's a lot better than Dallas. That's the difference. Boston's winning this series for a very simple reason.

Far more Celtic players are providing offense than warrior players are. Draymond Green average seven and a half a game this season. He's averaging five in the series, which is a realistic average considering the Celtics are historically the best defense in years. Everybody's number is going to go down a little, right? His are going down a little. The bigger story is Jordan Poole and Clay Thompson. Jordan Poole was shooting 53 percent, was averaging 18 and a half points a game in the playoffs. He was a legitimate replacement for Steph Curry when he went to the bench. Against the Celtics, he has dried up. His shooting percentage is plummeted. He's averaged in 12 a game. Clay Thompson, very effective, especially late in the series against

Dallas, he's dried up, shooting 34%. Why is that? It's not just because the Celtics are a better defensive team. It's where their great defenders are. The Mavs, the Nuggets and the Grizzlies. They probably all listen to that podcast with Draymond Green. But they don't have elite defensive guards. Marcus Smart is the NBA defensive player of the year.

Hill guard Jordan Poole, move them over to Steph, move them over to Clay Thompson, and Derek White off the bench. is an elite, above average, defensive guard. That's the series. Clay can't hit shots. Jordan Poole can't hit shots. And so the team now is completely reliant on Steph Curry providing all the offense in the back court.

And because this team is a small ball team, they don't get points from their center. And Draymond Green's a defender. They don't get points from him. They get their points. This is who they are, the Splash Brothers. And they've been a drizzle. And Jordan Poole, who was giving you almost 20 against. game is now down to 12, and his field goal percentage has plummeted.

And what Marcus Smart and Derek White do and Jalen Brown do is when those players do get by them, they funnel them to Robert Williams, who swats their shot away. So the Warriors are getting nothing close to the basket because of Robert Williams, and because of the defensive play of the Celtics guards, everybody's efficiency has plummeted. This is the same thing the Warriors' defense did to the Mavericks' guards, Luca and Jalen Brunson. So, by the way, I strongly encourage you do listen to the Draymond Green podcast because there's a lot of insight on it. But let's not disrespect Boston. Memphis listened to that podcast and Dallas listen to that podcast and people all over the league listen to that podcast. And the Celtics are listening.

The difference is they're a great defensive team. And they're getting far more offensive contribution than the Warriors are. Does it change now? Does Jordan Poole get hot? I doubt it because I don't think Marcus Smart's going to get worse defensively, nor do I think that's going to happen to Robert Williams or Derek White. So let's talk about Robert Williams game four tonight. He is the center. If you had to ask me who the most valuable player in the series is so far, I'd say Robert Williams. Now, he's only averaging six points and six rebounds, so you all know the way the NBA works. He has no chance to win MVP. I mean, MVP voters in this league gave Russell Westbrook a most valuable player. He left, Chris Paul took over, they were better. I mean, we all know he was never the best player on Oklahoma City, right?

Except for that one year, KD leaves. They go into the rebuild. But the minute he left, Chris Paul came in, they were going to tank. They actually got better. He won an MVP. All right, whatever. But if you took Robert Williams, the center for the Celtics, you put him on the Warriors, just think about that.

You just put them on the Warriors. I think Golden State wins the series. I think you could put Jalen Brown on the Warriors. That wouldn't guarantee the series. Marcus Smart would still give Clay Thompson trouble. Marcus Smart would still give Jordan Poole trouble. But Robert Williams on the Warriors, they would now drive for the basket as the league's best cutting, screening, and motion team. And they'd get all sorts of interior baskets, which now they can't.

and and Boston then would get no interior scoring. So they would become a jump shooting team. And Boston was only 14th in the NBA and three-point shooting. So Robert Williams is the classic, it doesn't show up on the stat sheet, MVP of this series. The Warriors have one thing potentially that may go their way. He's not playing 35 a night. He's playing 26.

and he was limping early in this series and he has a history of getting banged up. To me, the open door in this series is Robert Williams doesn't play as much. I mean, think about this. What game did Robert Williams play the fewest minutes in?

Game two. And the Celtics were blown out. Why? Because Kayvon Looney looked like an all-star and the Warriors got a bunch of cheap, easy baskets down low. So they had the perfect bar. stool. Interior scoring, transition scoring, perimeter scoring. As long as Robert Williams is on the floor, you take away a bar stool leg from the Warriors. And I don't believe they can win the series. So he will not win MVP, but it's the classic, this is where analytics don't tell the

true story, is that a left tackle in the NFL, take Trent Williams, the left tackle for another San Francisco team, the 49ers. He's about as good a left tackle. as the sport has right now. So Jimmy Garoppolo's not great, but when Jimmy Garoppolo drops to pass, he knows he's not going to get touched from the blind side. So a quarterback that has that confidence with an elite left tackle stands in the pocket a little longer,

plays with more confidence, is willing to give his receivers an extra beat or two. That does not show up in analytics. Trent Williams is the classic, great player, Tyron Smith to the Cowboys. Dak Prescott, when he's on the field, never has to worry about the blindside hit, the most punishing hit for a quarterback. Never has to worry about it. Does it show up analytically?

Nope. But Dak's better. The numbers show it. Dak is a better quarterback when Tyron Smith plays. And Jimmy Garoppolo is a better quarterback when Trent Williams plays. And that is Robert Williams. Robert Williams makes an already good defensive team impenetrable. He gives up no interior point.

he's like a dead end sign on a street there's no reason to even go down there you ever driven by a street you know like oh can i do a short you see the dead end signs like well no reason to go down there i'll just have to turn around in a little cramped corner that's that's robert williams so even if you get by marcus smart you have to you have to do a leaner you have to shoot from 12 15 you can't go you can't go to the basket he'll just swat it away he had four blocks alone in the last game so this is the classic doesn't show up in analytics but he is such a force He is such a don't go there sign on the street that there's just really nothing you can do if your golden state if he's on the floor. And I don't see it changing unless he's injured, which of course we don't root for ever under any circumstances.

But he is hobbled. He came back a month after a surgery that is almost unheard of. When Imeo Doku took over this franchise, one of the things he was really set on doing was toughening up Robert Williams, who had a brief history before he got there of not wanting to play through injuries. He was kind of your classic, big, strong guy, but kind of soft. That's always been the knock on Anthony Davis. Big strong but soft, not going to play through injuries, not a lot of pain tolerance. Ima Odoco, who's convinced this young guy, we need you.

And I think he's the most valuable player in the series to me. He won't win it. 6.6 rebounds has no chance to win it. But I don't see the Warriors winning tonight, and I don't. Listen, sometimes they say styles make fights. You know, you pick who you think you're going to win. It'd be great if you could bet a fight by the third. third. You know, it'd be great if you could bet a fight by the third round. It would be great.

I mean, for me, going into all these games now, if he's playing, the Warriors are in trouble. 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 Superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth.

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

my journey from basketball to college football or my career in sports media. Well, somewhere along the way, this platform became bigger than I ever imagined. And now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfiltered conversations with some of your favorite athletes,

creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. One week, I'll take you behind the scenes of the biggest moments in sports and entertainment, and the next we'll talk about life, mental health, purpose, and even music. The Clifford Show isn't just a podcast. It's a space for honest conversations,

stories that don't always get told, and for people who are chasing something bigger. So if you've ever supported me or you're just chasing down a dream, this is right where you need to be. Listen to The Clifford show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes,

follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. Do you remember when Diana Ross double-tap Little Kim's boobs at the VMAs? Or when Kanye said that George Bush didn't like black people. I know what you're thinking. What the hell does George Bush got to do with a little Kim? Well, you can find out on the Look Back at it podcast. I'm Sam J.

And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick it here, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it. Including a recent episode with Mark Lamont Hill, waxing all about crack in the 80s. To be clear, 84 is big to me, not just because of crack. I'm down to talk about crack on day, but just so just so you're not. y'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. So, oh. Thank you finishing that sentence. And 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, 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 iHeartRadio app. Search Learn the Hardway and listen now. Well, they call it speaking something into existence. LeBron James, I believe, has been doing that twice talking about playing with the Warriors and Steph Curry. I think he's speaking it into existence. Everybody's rolling their eyes at me. But LeBron's a smart guy.

He's a billion dollar net worth as a current active NBA player. He's good with business. He bailed on his hometown twice. He bailed on Pat Riley and his best friend, Dwayne, Wade. You don't think he'd bail on the Lakers. His contract's up in a year. You really don't think he'd bail. Golden State, looked like they could use a little rest for Steph Curry, Clay Thompson. Boy, they could use a dynamic athlete. LeBron did lead the NBA and field goal percentage on two is taken this year. I swear I read that. LeBron's also speaking this into existence.

He talked about where he's going in terms of ownership in the NBA someday. I want to own a team. Buy a team? Yeah, I want to buy a team for sure. There you go. Buying a team and then talking is a little tricky. If you own the team and like...

Yeah, I would much rather own a team before I talk. I want a team in Vegas. Good for you. Oh, me. I want the team in Vegas. By the way, Vegas is a natural place. The Summer League of the NBA has been there for years. The Lakers play preseason games there.

USA basketball trains there. High school camps, UNLV basketballs, most notable college program. It's also a winter league the NBA is and Vegas has mild winters. There's no state tax. It's a proximity to America's biggest economy. California is a three and a half hour car ride. NBA free agents would die to play in Vegas. NBA free agents don't wake up and say, get me to Oklahoma City or Charlotte or New Orleans or Minneapolis. The NFL has shown you the way. I see current golfers are getting criticized for taking some money from Saudi Arabia as our government

has a strong economic relationship with the same country and nobody seems to have a problem. But if a golfer takes the money, ooh, that should be punitive. The NFL moved three franchises in four years. They told St. Louis, you're a dying economic Midwest city. We're going to Los Angeles. I can't even remember the Rams being in St. Louis. They told the Raiders, you won't build a legitimate stadium. We're going to a more dynamic city, Las Vegas.

It's been a home run. They told San Diego, your politicians are inept. We're moving. Los Angeles. Justin Herbert drafted. Sofi is full. Sometimes it's Steeler fans or Chiefs fans or maybe Bronco fans, but the games can be full. The NFL is showing you, and baseball and the NBA should listen.

I mean, the Oakland A's enough already. It's embarrassing. It's a AAA team. Pittsburgh's decent at times, but nobody goes to those games either. We live in a different time. Not only do individuals have the ability to move, we see it all the time, so do leagues. And the NFL should look, the NBA should look no further than the NFL and what they did. I mean, the Chargers were a legitimate team.

They'd gone to the playoffs. They had Phillip Rivers. I mean, the Raiders are one of the bigger. brands in the NFL. The Rams, the greatest show on turf, Kurt Warner had been to a Super Bowl, moved all three. And so eight of the 15 fastest growing cities in America are West. I'm just telling you, eight of the top 15, that's over 50%. Why tech, opportunity, jobs, income, bigger states, fewer people.

This is speaking it into existence. The minute the Supreme Court said sports gambling is okay, Vegas has exploded. NBA makes as much sense as any single league. And let's be honest about pro leagues. You could cut about four to five to a half dozen franchises that are grandfathered in for seemingly no reason. I mean, if you started the NFL today, Green Bay would not get a franchise. I don't know if Pittsburgh would.

I'm still not sure why Jacksonville has one or ever got one. But NBA to Vegas, if hockey works in the desert, this is the ideal fit. And it's time that leagues watch what the NFL's done, constantly upgrading, pulling away from other sports leagues, embracing gambling, not being terrified of the boogeyman of somebody betting a game and the stigma's over. Vegas is alive. Now, they may run out of water in the next decade. that is a concern. Bring your own if you move there. But I love this idea. And I think LeBron would be an unbelievable owner. He's got two things that great businessmen do have. He's calculated. He's always got a plan and he's always been measured. He didn't get a lot of technical files. He didn't

get in brawls. He's always a very measured performer. A lot of times I hear about celebrities buying teams and they've got, you know, wild emotional swings. That's not LeBron. LeBron would be a great owner. measured, calculated, and one thing we know about LeBron, he's already invested in the Fenway Sports Group, some of the smartest people in the country that own teams. LeBron's not only a great mentor, he's a great listener, he's a great adapter. I think he would end up being a much better owner than Michael Jordan. You can argue he's not the player.

Take either side, I don't care. But he would be a great NBA owner. Joy with the news. No, no, no, no, no, no. Turn on the news. This is the herd line. news. Well, when Darvinham was introduced as a new Lakers coach,

he spoke very highly of Russell Westbrook, and it seems the feeling is mutual. Westbrook has reportedly expressed tremendous enthusiasm for the Darvinham hire. He has said to have loved everything he's heard from him so far, and he's really starting to connect with his

new coach. Oh, okay. That's because Darwin Ham has had to say how great you are. Well, yeah, I mean, I wasn't going to pick apart. I don't get too crazy about, you know, opening press conferences, unless they're a disaster. But in general, you're going to say all the right things as you should. You shouldn't come in explosive and, you know, saying things that people are going to hold you to at the highest level in your opening press conference.

Well, I will say this, though, Emeo doku, when he came in in the opening press conference of the Celtics, Brad Stevens was sitting right next to him. And he acknowledged, yeah, our, this team doesn't get along well enough. our assist ratio from our non-starters is terrible. It's like 27th in the league. Kind of looked over at Brad Stevens is the one thing that's working, I think more than we're giving it credit for in the NBA, Ime Adoku hard coaches.

Like he is a... Oh, yeah, he's been tremendous. I keep trying to figure out what it is about this Boston team, like what their identity is. And I think it's Eme. And he is... It's tough to argue that it's... It's not.

This is the same core that Brad Stevens had that couldn't get past the Eastern Conference Finals. This is EMA. Yeah. If you show weakness as an NBA coach, you're out. EMA is all business, total presence. They were terrible for the first eight weeks because the players wouldn't buy into him. All of a sudden, rumors out there all break it up.

So Brad Stevens came out and said, I'm not firing him. We got a long contract. So EMA hard coached him, didn't back down, didn't placate the players. And it's what they needed. By the way, Steve Kerr, you've heard him barking at Draymond. He gets on Steph. We think it's a player's league and I'm not insinuating. It's not.

Hard coaching works. For the record, Spolstra. When he first got there, he and LeBron did not, they had issues. Great players want to be coached out. Absolutely. Anyone who is great at what they do doesn't, you know, they may have a group of people that, you know, gas them up. But when it comes to improving their craft, they want people around them that make them better. That's just, we talked about it yesterday. A's higher A's. You want people around you who make you

better. Look, I don't, I don't think it's a bad approach for Darvindham to try and establish a relationship with Russell Westbrook. He might be there. Like, there's no guarantee that the Lakers are going to move off of Russell Westbrook. It felt like that was the only option going into the off season, but we've heard a lot of conversations about them not wanting to make a trade because they don't want to give up more assets to get rid of Russell Westbrook. So who knows how the front office is looking at this roster moving forward, but it's in Darwin's best interests and the interest of the Lakers for him to at least establish some sort of relationship with Russ.

I have no anticipation that Russ is going to change anything about himself, but perhaps a more cooperative relationship could lead to some adjustments that we might not see coming. You know, do you have a whole offseason to figure that out. So Zion Williamson is eligible for a five-year, $181 million max rookie extension this summer. He's missed all of last season with a foot fracture, and his availability going forward is still a question. But Pelicans VP, David Griffin, has no hesitation about giving Zion a huge deal. He said it's not a big decision. It's a pretty easy decision.

The kid's historically good when he plays. This is a max player that's easy. We feel really confidence he wants to be here, and we feel equally confident. we can come to an agreement. Now, when Zion plays, he averages 25.7 points, seven rebounds, 3.2 assists with a 60.4 field goal percentage in his career. That is tremendous. Yeah, when he plays.

When he plays. He's missed a 149 of a possible 234 games with the Pelicans. That's 64% of the games. So essentially, he's saying it's an easy decision to pay an employee $180 million that shows up for work 38% of the time. That doesn't feel that easy. It doesn't feel easy for me either. And listen, I love Zion. I was so excited to see what he was going to do in the league. And he is tremendous when he's on the floor. This, I think, is the most important offseason of Zion's career. Zion has to make the adjustments over this offseason

that is going to make him available for his team. That is a must. Like, you're looking at that draft. It is, and the way the things have gone for Zion since he's been in the career, in the, in the league. And there's too much smoke around he doesn't take care of his body. Some guys just have bad luck. And you have a, you have a freak knee injury, someone rolls up on your ankle. What's happened to Clay Thompson?

Like, that's just bad luck. Clay Thompson obviously takes care of his body. And then there's some guys who are injury prone. And then there's guys who don't take care of their body, and that leads to injuries. That's the category you cannot be in as a professional athlete. especially at the level that Zion is at. You have to do everything you can to come in in shape. You have to watch what you eat.

You just have to change how you approach the season. It's just there's too much smoke around. He doesn't do that. Like people talk around the league. It's not, there's levels to injuries. That just can't be it. So this offseason to me is everything for Zion's career. He's got to be able to play it all season.

No question. Joy with the news. Well, that's the news. And thanks for stopping by. The herd line. So yesterday, at the end of the show, I do this about once a month. Joel brings something up and I'll say, that's a topic tomorrow. So the OTAs, the mandatory camps are starting now.

So you're seeing the stars mostly outside of a few star players. They're showing up to camp. J.J. Watt, I saw some funny footage yesterday at the Arizona camp. Kyler's there. And so I say this every year about the NFL. Half the teams that made the playoffs last year, half will never. not make it this year. So if you ask fans who's going to win divisions, they just take last year's playoff teams and say, hey, no, half won't make it. 20 years in a row. So we know this.

We also know that eight coaches will be fired by the end of the season. We thought it was going to be three this year and suddenly four and five others got fired. So we said, who has the greatest chance to be the next Cincinnati Bengals? Because we were all shocked, right? They were four, 11 and won and made the Super Bowl. So we went and we looked this morning. We put in seven boxes that the Bengals were before reaching the Super Bowl. So they were a non-playoff team. That's the first box.

What is a team this year that's a non-playoff team that could get in? So non-playoff team, they had an unproven young head coach who had his doubters, who was Sean McVeigh. disciple. They had a very, very talented quarterback, Joe Burrow. They also had excellent weapons. It felt like it was one of the strengths of the team, right? Like T. Higgins, Jemar Chase. All right. Good weapons. Come into the season with good weapons. All right. They spent some big money the Bengals did on a couple of elite defenders, a pass rusher, a linebacker. Their owner is kind of Historically, we think of the Bengals.

We think they're a little frugal. They're a little cheap. And we also thought of the Bengals. There's no way they'd end up in the Super Bowl because even when they win their division or get to the playoffs, they always shrink. They're not a step-up franchise. So those seven boxes, who are they? The logo behind me, the Chargers.

Didn't make the playoffs. Brandon Staley is the coach. Justin Herbert, excellent wide receivers in the top back. just spent money on Khalil Mack and J.C. Jackson. Spanos is viewed and a little frugal. And even when the charges are good, you never feel like in the biggest game they step up. And we went into this with a completely open mind. That's the best odds.

Now, the difference is the Bengals were 100 to one last year and the Chargers were only 16 to 1. A big part of that is Burrow was hurt. And so, like, we just didn't know. He had ACL, I think he had ACL and MCL surgery. like it was the ultimate injury. But the also thing about the Chargers is they brought in Morgan Fox and Kyle Van Nuoy, and Kyle Van Nuoy graded as the league's best linebacker in zone coverage. So the coach, Staley, sees something there.

So it's very interesting. Last year, everybody thought the Chargers, all my betting guys thought the Chargers with a Dark Horse Super Bowl team. And I said, there's no way, I have no idea. They have a rookie head coach. You can't pick a rookie head coach doing the Super Bowl. If you look at the last 10, 15 Super Bowl winners, not a lot of rookie head coach is in there.

You got a Pete Carroll, you got a Belichick, you got an Andy Reid, Drew Sean Payton. You know, that's who ends up in Super Bowls. But the chargers, they check all those boxes. And I do think year two for a coach, you kind of get into it, you get into a rhythm, you know the quarterback better, you know your personnel better. And they've gone out and spent big money on a corner,

an edge rusher. And like the Bengals, defensively, not a great linebacking core, but they have edge rushers and a top corner. So there you go. Not saying it's going to happen, but we do know this. Half the

teams that made the playoffs last year will not make the playoffs this year. So when you go out there and you're drawing up your predictions for divisions, you just take who made it and start picking off teams that won't make. I've said this before. I believe the team that will double their win total will be the Minnesota Vikings.

I think the Minnesota Vikings, the coach, Mike Zimmer and Kirk Cousins had a really bad relationship. Now they bring in a McVeigh guy who's supposed to be, they say a taller version of McVeigh. So Kirk Cousins is going to, it's kind of understandable, probably going to have an elevated season for Kirk Cousins. Green Bay does not have the weapons they had last year. They're bringing in rookie receivers and pass their prime receivers. So I think Green Bay takes a big pullback.

Minnesota gets a big pool picked up. And by the way, they meet game one of the season. I think Minnesota is a four-point dog. Take the Vikings and the points. There you go. There's my first bet of the NFL season right there. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays in noon Eastern, 9 a.m. Pacific. Hey, it's me, Rob Parker.

Check out my weekly MLB podcast inside the Parker for 22 minutes of pipe and hot baseball talk featuring the biggest names and newsmakers in the sport. Whether you believe in analytics or the I-Test, we've got all the bases covered. New episodes drop every Thursday, so do yourself a favor and listen to Inside the Parker with Rob Parker on the IHartRadio app or wherever you get your podcast. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential.

Either way, the podcast's Superhuman documented it. all embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the I-Hard radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what you're saying.

Yep, that's me, Cliver Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, the reactions, my journey from basketball to college football, or my career in sports media. 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 all. 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 Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok.

Do you remember when Diana Ross double-tap Little Kim's boobs at the VMAs? Or when Kanye said that George Bush didn't like black people. I know what you're thinking. What the hell does George Bush got to do with Little Kim? Well, you can find out on The Look Back at it podcast. I'm Sam J. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick it here, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it.

Including a recent episode with Mark Lamont Hill waxing all about crack in the 80s. To be clear, 84 is big to me, not just because of crack. I'm down to talk about crack on day, but just so you 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.

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, Keer Gaines, as we have real conversations about healing, growth, fatherhood, pressure, and purpose on my new podcast, Learn the Hardway. Open your free, iHeartRadio app, search Learn the Hardway and listen now. You know, it is interesting with these golfers now taking the Saudi Arabia money. And this is what's happening in a lot of businesses, is that the athlete is empowered and has different options and different revenue streams. And you may not like the political implications, but as we've said, our government now is tied. It's like our third biggest trading partner, all these trade alignments with Saudi Arabia. So we seem to have no problem with that. The oil in

your car is from Saudi Arabia. We're not nearly as dependent on it as we used to be. I think it's only 5% of our oil intake. I think it's something around there. But like this is happening all over the place. So that's why I'm not throwing a fit and I'm outraged is that you have a lot of business partners. NBA guys now make seven figures on their social media, eight figures on their shoe deals, eight figures on their, you know, their deals as an athlete. And by the way, as a player in the NBA, they're just a W-2 employee. They're much better to start their own companies because they own them and get better tax breaks because of the American tax system is set up for business owners, not the rest of us. Right? So like NBA players get a better tax deal on their shoe deal, on their business.

businesses, on their production companies, and many make more there. Same with golfers. PGA could have solved this years ago. Golfers made way more money on their clubs and on their shoes than they did playing. Solve it. Give a higher percentage of the money to golfers. By the way, we all know we only watch three golf tournaments a year. Even the PGA championship, a major doesn't get big numbers generally.

And we watch four or five guys. I mean, Tiger Woods left the tour and the ratings dropped even for the Masters. So like golf, take care of your stars. They're not all equals. Take care of your stars. Make sure your top five leaderboard every week gets a lot of money and maybe you're not as interested. So again, this is the classic NCAA transfer portal. You saw this thing coming around the bend for years.

Well, people just, you know, white knuckle hold on to any kind of control that they have. It's just about being a visionary or not. And it's not hard when it's being telegraphed you from outer space like NIL or what's happening with the PGA tour and then the live golf series. I mean golfers for years have been independent contractors going abroad to skip tournaments to go make money elsewhere. This has been happening forever. Pay attention. You just don't need the platforms as much as you used to if you're talent. You are not beholden to particular leagues even anymore or, you know, platforms.

It's just not the way it goes anymore. Patrick Mahomes and Aaron Rogers. have a chance to Patrick Mahomes make more money off the field than on it this year, potentially. And he makes $35 million on it. So there you go. Who cares? Collaborate.

Don't be greedy. Stephen Jackson, 14 years in the NBA, is joining us. By the way, I hear, he has a podcast. It's very popular. It's very good. It's either the first or second best basketball podcast in the world. The other one is Draymond's Green's podcast. And that's a great one.

So I hear, Stephen, you do not like Draymond doing a podcaster in the finals. Why not? Well, especially the way he's playing. Like, I think that's a great way for him to hide his play and to try to sugarcoat the way he's playing. If he was playing well, yeah, you don't have no problem with it. I mean, this is not the Draymond we've seen in the previous finals that was averaging 13, 10, and 9. He's not the same guy. And right now he's hurting the team more than helping him.

Right now they're playing four and five. on offense. It's hard for step or Clay to even get open because the guy who's guarding J-Mond is just sagging off able to help on the screens and everything. And on defense, he's not guarding anybody. He's doing a whole bunch of antics and kicking and flipping like a little kid

to cover up from the horrible play he's doing. I think right now as a teammate, somebody needs to tell them, look, bro, leave the answers alone. If you're not playing well, then just try to work on focus on getting your game back. But Steve Kerr has a tough decision to make. it might be better for them to play commingo one of those young guys who are more of a threat on offense and send draymond down pop had to do with david robinson and other guys and we won the championship so sometimes coaches got to make those decisions

it's interesting because i have been on this show this year i've said i'm a huge comminga fan but he's only like 19 20 years old i don't know if he's ready but steve cur historically does not in his career play young guys but i think i think you're getting to a point now with comminga i look at the series and here's what i see happening Derek White and Marcus Smart are elite defenders. Clay's having an awful series and Jordan Pool has disappeared. So if Steph doesn't score, they're in huge trouble. That's how I see the series. I also think Robert Williams is a nightmare because you get no interior points when he's on the floor.

Like right now, I honestly think Boston's the better team. It's like watching a fight, Stephen. We're in the third, fourth round. And I think I see styles make fights. I think Boston's style is too much for Golden State. Do you agree or disagree? I do because they're even threat. They're a threat on offense and on defense.

And they're a threat with all five guys. They're definitely a deeper team. And right now they look like the better coach team. The adjustments that Udoca's making is unbelievable, but it makes a lot of sense as sending it from a player. We've seen Steph be a terrible defensive player. Udokulka went back way to Paul Pierce days and ran the play for Mark and smart to get a post-up on Steph

because they knew it was going to be an easy bucket. Paul used to make 20 to 30 points a game off that one play. The fact that they're exploiting all these mismatches on Golden State, it goes to show that they're better and deeper team. You know, it's interesting when playing young guys. So Moody's good, but he's young. Kaminga's good, but he's young. Wiseman got hurt, talented, number two pick but young.

Jordan Poole, very young, has kind of disappeared in the finals. Did you ever play with guys that, like, did Pop play young guys? What is your theory on playing a 19, 20-year-old in the finals? Well, Pop did it. You know, he did it with Tony Parker. But obviously, if you look at it, our season, Tony Parker played good, maybe two, three games the year we won a championship. But Speedy Clackson finished all the games.

So Pop had to go to a more experienced vet to finish games. You know, Speedy finished the championship against the Nets. And he finished the West Carpins finals against the, Dallas. So sometimes those young guys ain't ready, but then you might have a young guy that can go out there and give you energy and do some things that Draymond can do, like rebound, block shots, and be an athlete.

You know, sometimes you've got to get a young guy a chance when you got a veteran like Draymond is really not giving you much. You know, when IMA Udoco took over this team, Stephen, he was hard on him, and a lot of the players didn't buy into it. They were bad for 8 to 10 weeks. I mean, they were bad. But

he was, he is, he coaches hard. And Pop coached hard and Spolstra. Pat Riley could coach hard. And that I know it's a players league and the players are empowered, but if you start looking around this league right now, the teams that are winning, it's kind of no-nonsense coaching. Are you surprised it works as well as it does? Well, I think the coaches that are having success are able to get players to buy in and also have the best of both worlds. They have the culture and they have the ability to be a great

coach where they're respected. And I think you have to have both of that these days. Perfect example. Darbin Ham, bringing in him Shee Wallace. That was a big move for him because these guys are going to hold the Legals accountable. What they haven't been doing the last couple years since Vogel got there, they haven't been holding these guys accountable. And that's really going change for the Legals. But having a coach like Yudoka that has the culture and that comes from a winning culture in San Antonio that knows how to be coach and make tough moves and tough changes, I think these guys are respecting that. And I love to see it because I love to see a black coach,

not only a black coach, but a young black coach that's a player as well, go out there and succeed in coaching. Yeah, no, it's working. We're seeing more and more of that. So Draymond Green talked about the 80s and 90s, and he said, yeah, there were some tough guys, Mahorn and Bill Lambere, but they were bullying the players in the 80s and 90s, just like the very few tough guys in the league now bully players.

He said there's always been one or two guys in the NBA that are tough guys. There's a few now. There was a few then, but his idea is it ain't that tougher than now. What's your takeaway? Man, Jamon, got to stop. It's night and day. It's night and day. See, one thing about it, when Charles Oakland was in the league,

you're going to have 10 to 15 guys that they, they weren't bullied. They were actually fighting to defend themselves. They wasn't bullied. Now, I don't think you have one or two guys in the league that have fight to defend their teammate, or even to throw a punch to stand up for their star. player. You don't even have that in the league no more. You know, we had to do that some nights. I remember when pops up me in the game for Take Tim just to throw a hard

file on another team star, right? But a lot of guys ain't willing to do that. And I did that, not worrying about money, not even worrying about my job. That was my task for the night. And whatever consequences come behind that, I'm willing to do that. They don't have that no more. I think Draymond does a great job of getting these guys' heads and being physical with them because deep down the side, he knows that these guys are young, they're not trying to lose no money, and they really don't want to fight. Times has totally changed.

The game now is totally different from when Oak played. Hell, it's totally different when I played. And Jemont is smart enough to know that nobody ain't going to fight today's game. Yeah, Meadow was on our show yesterday, and he said, guys make too much money now. He goes, it's too hard to be a tough guy when you're making $15 million a year. Finally, I think Boston wins tonight. I think they seize control of the series. I think it's close because I think Golden State's going to be desperate.

What do you see happening in game for tonight? Come on, Colin, you know me. Just as just as lawyer as I am to you, I'm lawyer to the Warriors. We're going to win tonight. We're going to find a way to pull this championship out. I'm not, hey, one thing about me, I don't hood hop. I'm staying lawyer. J-Mont is going to figure it out.

Steph going to figure it out, and we're going to figure out how to get this win in Washington and bring it back to San Francisco. Okay, he's got a great podcast, all the smoke with Stephen Jackson and Matt Barnes. It's great. And it's honest, the day is long. It's great seeing you. You're in a new chair. Is that what happens when you have a successful podcast?

You get a nice chair? I'm moving. I'm moving. So I want to have my house got boxing. So the movie room is the only room that's off limits. Good seeing you, Stephen. All right, my man. Take care.

I think it's getting me really fun tonight. Desperation generally breeds great sports. You have a team that's a – but, you know, it really does come down to a simple thing. If Looney and Draymond are on the floor and Draymond's struggling, you got two or five guys that can't score. in Boston right now, Williams is not going to score, but the other four guy, when you got Marcus Martin hit and Al Horford, Jalen Brown, what's really troubling if you're a warrior fan is Jason Tatum's not playing well. And the Warriors need Steph Curry to be great when he's not, or not on the floor.

It's not the same team. So that's a little unnerving. Jason Taylor, not playing terribly, but he's giving you about 60 to 70% of what he is. So that's disturbing that their stars, almost always if you lead in NBA finals, your guy is carrying it. You're Michael, your LeBron, your Steph, your KD. They're having a great series. I mean, MVP right now, I think, is Jalen Brown.

And he's considered the second best player. I mean, listen, Tatum's the best player. Mark a Smart one defensive player of the year. So you could say the most awarded players on the team, Jalen's third. And I think he's the MVP right now. Navian tankless water heaters, 15-year warranty, durable, efficient, also the leader in green technology.

Go tankless, lower your energy bills, elevate your carbon footprint, help plant it as well. It's tankless made simple.com. Navion. 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 Side.

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 IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

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 tauntons 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. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what I'm saying. Yep, that's me.

Clifford Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, my basketball and college football journey, or my career in sports media. Well, now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfilled of conversations with athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated.

So let's get to it. Listen to The Clifford Show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple 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.