The Herd with Colin Cowherd - HOUR 1 - Jeter, Saban, Nets

Episode Date: July 19, 2022

Thoughts on Homerun Derby and the Derek Jeter docuseries Nick Saban's comments on the changes to college football because of NIL The Nets wanted attention more than building a good culture   Guest: Greg JenningsSee 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 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, Cliver Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, my basketball and college football journey, or my career in sports media. Well, now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifers Show. This is a place for raw, 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 I Heart Radio app,

Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok's podcast network on TikTok. 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, 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. 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 herd at Fox Sports Radio.com or stream us live every day on the iHeartRadio app by searching Herd. You're listening to Fox Sports Radio. Here we go on a Tuesday with a surprising number of fascinating stories. Live in Los Angeles, it's the heard. Wherever you may be and however you may be listening, IHeart Radio, Fox Sports Radio, FS1, One of my favorite people, Tom Rinaldi will be on the show today.

Greg Burrhalter coach, United States men's national team. All-Star game tonight in Los Angeles, the City of Stars. Can't wait. I watched the home run derby last night, Joy. Historically, not interested. Last night, I had to watch my mariner, Julio Rodriguez, young kid. He was awesome. He is awesome.

They think he's the next grippy in Seattle. So the Mariners have won 14, 15 straight. I had to check him out. He was great. He delivered. By the way, like Pete Alonzo of the Mets, I deadlift in between segments. I think he's amazing. I love him.

I love the fact that the home run derby matters so much to Pete Alonzo, his concentration, his passion. He's just sitting there meditating. Oh, he wants to win it? I think it's fantastic. The home run derby, the shift with the clock, has made it so fun. Yep. It put urgency on it. Yep. They have to swing it everything.

It keeps it moving. I love the format. It's really fun. Yeah, it was the first time I really sat down and watched a couple hours of it last night. So I thought it was a blast. Let me start with this. So after the home run derby, they had a Derek Jeter documentary. I love Jeter.

I was lucky enough for a decade to live in the Northeast. I didn't really understand the Northeast. I grew up in the Pacific Northwest. I'd worked in Las Vegas. I'd worked in Tampa. I didn't really get the Northeast. And then I moved to the Northeast. And it's fascinating.

The falls are amazing. The people are cool. There's a lot of money. There's a little bit of space. People are kind of jammed together. The tradition, the prep school. the churches, the architecture, pre-World War II stuff. More than anything, you know, and I remember, how much people love baseball.

Fenway Park's amazing, but I actually preferred Yankee Stadium, not the new one, the old one. There was just something about it. It kind of smelled like urine where I sat. There was nowhere to eat and watch a game simultaneously. But Derek Jeter was the guy in that stadium for a long time. And when the doc came on last night, people were already saying he's overrated. Oh, it's not the Michael Jordan documentary. Can we stop?

First of all, Michael Jordan's different. In American sports, we have stars, Jeter, superstars Peyton Manning, and then we have Jordan. He's like all Lee. He's a different galaxy. You can't compare him to anything. Derek Jeter had a Gatorade commercial. Michael Jordan, they built the whole company around him. So did Nike.

So did Haynes. so did McDonald's. That's because Jordan had a wildly glamorous life. He is the greatest basketball player ever. Between the retirements, the dysfunction in the organization, his dad getting murdered, and he played for the dream team. At one point, we all rooted for Michael Jordan's team. Derek Cheater was a Yankee.

90% of baseball fans not in New York hate the Yankees. You can't compare MJ to any baseball player. baseball unwritten rules not really into gossip there's a way to play the game basketball highlights the star loves the gossip loves free agency we like all the dysfunction of it it kind of adds to the flavor of the NBA there is no comparing anybody and i would say including lebron and tom brady to michael jordan so let's stop that comparison the other thing i'm tired of is this everybody in society is overrated or underrated. Derek Jeter is appropriately rated, and so is almost everybody else.

Nobody thinks Tom Cruise is the best actor, and no reasonable person would deny. He's an absolute rock star movie star. We all know the Scientology thing's kind of odd. He's a little intense, private, getting some really good work done on his face and hair. But he's a movie star. Same with Denzel. Denzel's cool. He's a movie.

star. We don't think he's Lawrence Olivier or the greatest. He's darn good, but he's cool. And that's what Derek Jeter is. He was the coolest baseball player in a sport that doesn't like glamour, doesn't elevate stars, there's a way to play the game, there's unwritten rules. And Jeter was cool. In that classic Yankee Stadium, in these massive moments, there is nothing like the old Yankee Stadium, and there's nothing like the Yankees brand. You're seeing it now during in the documentary. It's crazy. I've been to games there. It's nuts. It's hard to explain. I love my Mariners. I've been to San Francisco. I've been to Dodgers Stadium. I've been to eight, nine major league parks. There's nothing like the old Yankee Stadium. And in the biggest

pressurized moments in that sport, and at a time baseball was bigger and more disgust, Jeter's one of the rare baseball players ever that didn't shrink. And many of the greatest players, Clayton Kershaw, doesn't quite feel the same in the postseason. A-Rod doesn't quite feel the same. Barry bonds didn't quite feel the same. Jeter was often better. If you cover the New York Yankees, I never have, but I've been around the batting cage before. On any given Tuesday night for a home game, there's 40 people around the batting cage. The Seattle Mariners have won 14 straight, maybe 15.

There's four. San Diego 6. Oakland 2. Yankee baseball means more. The old Yankee Stadium, there was nothing like going to a game. I went to a Saturday night game. There was almost a fight next to me. There were 45,000 people.

I don't remember who they played. I seriously do not remember who they played. I can remember going to a couple of games at Fenway. I remember the opponent. I don't. Yankee Stadium, the allure, the crazy owner, George Steinbrenner. He was the coolest guy, and Derek Jeter is not overrated. Maybe he's not underrated, but he's appropriately rated.

He's the coolest guy in the sport in the most pressurized. situation in the biggest brand who often elevated in the postseason. He's a Hall of Famer and one of my favorite baseball players ever. And there's no reason for that because I grew up 3,000 miles away in the Pacific Northwest. Not everything has to be over or underrated. And don't compare anything to Michael Jordan. The documentary I thought last night was fantastic. It took me back in time when I watched more baseball, when I had the opportunity to live in the Northeast. It's just different there. That's nothing against the Astros. Nothing against the Braves or the Dodgers or the Padres or my Mariners. It was different in the old Yankee Stadium and the coolest guy in the

biggest moments always felt like Jeter. Watch it. Don't rate it. Don't compare it. They say that about your kids. Don't compare your kids. We should stop comparing our sports stars. Jeter was awesome. Derek Jeter was awesome. Watch the dock. Okay. My other rant of the day that I'm tired of. You know, it's funny, I was talking to somebody, not the name drop, but this is going to be a name drop. So recently I did a podcast with Peter Goober. He owns the Warriors. He's one of the Warrior owners. He's a very wealthy guys in movies, blah, blah, blah. And he occasionally has listened to me. And he described me to me. He said, you're kind of irasperousy. Colin. I'm like, irascible means cranky and feisty. I don't think I'm cranky and feisty, but I'm going to sound cranky and feisty right here. Here are the headlines today in college football. The SEC Commissioner Greg Sanky says, we're not going to add any teams. We're

happy where we are. Another headline today in college football. Sources, Big 12, Pact 12, are not going to partner. Big 12, Pact 12, going to do what they do separately. Another headline today, Notre Dame would prefer to stay Pat and they're going to see if they can get $75 million from NBC. So the PAC 12 going to stay Pat, the Big 12, Notre Dame, the SEC, and I've been told the Big Ten's not going to include anybody else if Notre Dame doesn't come. Here's the cranky part. We have become a nation that is constantly outraged. And there are things to be outraged in America about. if it's easier to get an AR-15 than a driver's license, be very concerned.

But 99.9% of what guys are outraged about is silly. If I was a woman and somebody tried to control my body, I'd be pissed. And you know that whole Roe versus Wade thing would be different if we were telling men what to do with their stuff. Be that as it may, college football is going to be fine. And three weeks, two weeks, however long it is, after you're going to be different, USC and UCLA announced they're going to the Big Ten. Everybody's okay. Ask yourself this.

Is college football fun to watch? Yeah. Notre Dame and Ohio State will be playing football September 3rd. I'm not going to tell you guys what to watch, but I'll be watching. And then Georgia's going to play Oregon the same day or the day before. I'll be watching that too. The reason college football is going to be fine is because whenever you have these moves around, everything changes, it's inevitable, is your content good.

One of the things that's hurt boxing, there's a lot of changes to boxing, but the content's not very good. There's no Tyson, there's no All-E, there's no Foreman, there's no Sugar Ray Leonard, there's no Hagler, there's no Hearns. There's just not that many interesting boxers. That's why UFC has taken a huge bite out of their business. College football remains fantastic. It is the best minor league system to the most popular sport in America. It's the last sport in America with a ton of great rivalries, and most will stay intact. USC will still play UCLA. Texas will still play Oklahoma.

I hope Oklahoma plays Oklahoma State. Auburn's going to still play Alabama. Georgia's going to still play Florida. Take a deep breath. Change is inevitable, especially in sports. Here we are a couple of weeks, two, three weeks, however long it is. vacation when I got the call. USC and UCLA are changing conferences.

Here we go. A few weeks later, Big Ten's like, we're done adding. Notre Dame's like, we'd like to stay independent. The SEC's like, we're not adding. And the Big 12's like, nah, we don't want the Pac-12. And the Pac-12's like, we don't want the Big 12. And there's where we are. We're all going to be okay.

College football is going to have two really big, great conferences, the SEC and the Big 10, and then three other conferences that are pretty good. Not quite as good. Oh, does that worry you? Because I just described the English Premier League and La Liga and men's tennis and women's tennis. I just described college basketball. Who won it? Oh, what a shock.

Another Blue Blood, Kansas. SEC will remain dominant. Big Ten will be better. And then we'll have three other conferences. Folks, everything is going to be okay. So in review, not everything is overrated or underrated. Most things are appropriately rated. And yes, there's been change in college football.

But the quality of the sport is so fun and so good, we're still going to watch. It's not going to be boxing. It's not going to disappear. The USFL, though Fox owns it, will not overtake it. College football is growing. There'll be more changes. And guess what? It still dominates my Saturdays for three and a half months in the fourth.

fall and early winter. And if that was irascible, I just lived up to my brand, according to Peter Goober. All-Star game tonight. Tom Rinaldi, next hour, has got a fascinating documentary. It's a podcast documentary. Very fancy. I mean, Tom's not going to just go on there and yap like me. He's going to spend some money on it.

It's going to be upscale. You know, I'm shopping at the gap. Tom's way up there with Brooks Brothers. So it's a whole different ballgame. with him, but it's a fascinating story, which he uncovered some things and went and looked it up this morning that I didn't know. And it's based on a 70s baseball player who I knew and he suddenly disappeared. And during the middle of a season, he was murdered. And that's never happened in the history of Major League Baseball. And he has a podcast documentary series on it. And I can't wait

to listen to it. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays in noon Eastern, 9 a.m. Pacific. on Fox Sports Radio, FS1 and the IHeart Radio app. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast's Superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year.

Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the I Heart Radio. app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what you're saying. Yep, that's me, Clivert Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, the reactions, my journey from basketball to college football, or my career in sports media. Well, somewhere along the way, this platform became bigger than I ever imagined. And now I'm bringing all of that

excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfiltered conversations with some of your favorite athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. One week, I'll take you behind the scenes of the biggest moments in sports and entertainment, and the next we'll talk about life, mental health, purpose, and even music. The Clifford Show isn't just a podcast, it's a space for honest conversations, stories that don't always get told, and for people who are chasing something bigger. So, if you've ever supported me or you're just chasing down a dream, this is right where you need to be. Listen to The Clifford show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple 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-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 Jette. 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 was big to me not just because of crack. I'm down to talk about crack all day, but just so y'all know. I mean, at this point, Mark, this is the second episode where we've discussed crack. So I'm starting to see that there's a through line. We also have AIDS on the table right now.

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

incredible guests. I'm talking, Tripp Fontaine, Ryan Clark. Sometimes when we're in the pursuit of the thing. We get so wrapped up in the chase that we don't realize that we are in possession of the thing and we're still chasing it and we don't know when we've done enough. Because people scoreboard watch. Life becomes about wins and losses. Steve Burns, Dustin Ross, because you find it important to be a good person while you hear on earth or 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, Keel. gains is 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. July is an interesting month because after the NBA finals, the draft, and the summer league wrap up, we just basically sit and wait for the NFL and college football to begin, which we start really getting into camps in August. So July has always been an odd month where I talk about the NBA. It It doesn't feel terribly urgent. Many of you are tired of it. I get it. That's why I led my show today with baseball and college football.

But there is something that needs to be said about the Brooklyn Nets. According to stories today, Kyrie Irving is getting ready to settle back to Brooklyn because there's no market for him. Brooklyn three years ago, bell at the ball. And today, it looks like Ben Simmons and Kyrie will be joined at the hip if Katie gets traded. Biggest mess in the league. Memo to NBA execs. You get what you seek.

Memo to people. You attain what you want. If you attract a team full of egos and divas, you'll get attention, but little else. And Brooklyn was always seeking attention. The Bucks sought a long-term deal with Janus and continuity. It's exactly what they've had. The warriors seek culture and development.

It's what they have. Brooklyn sought attention and they got it. Ask yourself, what really matters to you? Do you want to be a good parent? It's attainable. Do you want to be politically active? It's attainable. Do you want to help people beyond yourself?

Charities. It's attainable. Do you want to be alone? That's attainable too. You will make the choices. The Nets knew exactly what they were getting. Kyrie Irving could not play with Brad Stevens in Boston, blew that up. Was a bust because he was always hurt and difficult to get along with pre-Lebron.

Then he got to LeBron and he left LeBron. There were no surprises here. Hard to coach, difficult, his own guy, a lot of ego. Kyrie Irving's exactly what you knew he would be. Then there was Kevin Durant. He delivered on everything he was. unbelievably gifted, one of the great shot makers of any generation, and a wander. For God's sakes, he left the Warriors.

All he had to do is show up, shoot, win an NBA finals, and be the MVP. He left it. And James Harden, by the way, is known as a quitter, somebody who won't go the extra mile and does not deliver in the postseason. Shocker, that's exactly what he was. You look around sports, you look around the NBA. You will get what you seek. and what the Nets were seeking as the second biggest basketball brand of the Nixon, New York,

they were seeking attention. And now they are, if Katie gets traded, been reduced to Ben Simmons and Kyrie Irving, and officially the most enigmatic question mark slash mess in the NBA. Joy Taylor with the news. No, no, no, no, no. Turn on the news. This is the herd line news. Tray Lance is entering his second NFL season

in his first as the starting quarterback for the 49ers. Yes. And he has questions if he's ready for the job. And San Francisco decided they were ready to move on from Jimmy Garoppolo and throw him into the fire. But there have been a lot of questions, but Fred Warner and Robbie Gold are selling the way that Trey has been handling everything ahead of training camp,

starting with Warner on the Rich Eisen Show. I've continued to say, man, just how much I've admired the way Trey has taken on, you know, just all the criticism, all the, I guess you could say, like the pressure that people are trying to put on him. You know, he's been super professional about it, especially with how young he is, very mature for his age. He's a lot more mature than people think and or no. I think just the ability for him to be able to run. I think he looks more comfortable in the offense. I think he's a great leader in the locker room. I don't think there were any questions about his maturity or if he was going to be a leader or his personality at all.

That was my takeaway. Who said he wasn't mature? When did that one come on? This is when you're trying to over-describe something and oversell something. He's a young quarterback, a little bit of an accuracy issue. We think he'll be fine. That's it. That's the beginning and end of the story. Well, but this is what's made me nervous about this situation from the start. And I maintain, this is why, I know this was an outlier situation. Trey Lance was extremely raw. but him not being the starter last year, I understood.

Jimmy Garapolo, we talked about this yesterday, is a perfectly capable winning quarterback. If you have him there, you let Tray Lance sit, maybe, you know, gets adjusted to being a professional more easily than having the pressure of going out there as a starter right away after not playing football for essentially a year because of COVID. I got it, I get it. But like a commitment, a loud commitment from the front office,

which shut this whole conversation off. Sort of, yeah. I mean, Koshanahan came out and said, he's a starter. There's nothing else to discuss. He's a starter. We have absolute faith in him. He's going to be ready.

The end. Like, where is that? Did I miss that quote? Because I feel like all of this trickle, like, he's not ready. He's not accurate. It's an injury thing. He's not confident. Yeah, like all of that stuff is just coming from,

do we know if he's the starter? And because Jimmy Garapolo is obviously still on the roster. Right. Now, there may not be a market for Jimmy Garapolo. I don't believe that there was no market for Jimmy Garapolo. I think San Francisco just didn't want to let Jimmy go for nothing. Right. which, you know, in some cases, I guess you're being greedy.

Maybe they'll end up being right and get something for Jimmy later on. But it's not, I have no thought at all that he's not mature enough to handle this or that he's not going to be a good leader or he doesn't have the presence. Really, it comes down to there's one issue we all have and it's kind of clear. His accuracy, it's clunky aesthetically, it doesn't look beautiful. It's not a pretty easy throw like a Justin Herbert or a Kyler Murray where it's just beautiful. and we kind of worry because the number so far is he kind of completes way too few of the throws he makes.

Like 57% is scary low. That's the only thing. It's not a size. It's not an athletic ability. It's not a roster. It's not a coach. So if he figures that out and we get an answer by Thanksgiving on that, we'll have a very good quarterback.

Well, we'll be able to watch and see. I just, I don't like being sold on things. And I wouldn't have any questions if I felt like there was confidence coming from the organization. because I'm not concerned about him being mature. We already knew that. So Kevin Durant is still seeking a trade following all the drama in Brooklyn,

and the heat are pursuing him, but a surprise team might be one to watch. Sam Amick reports that the Wizards could make a major push to acquire Durant and bring him back to where he grew up in the D.C. area. Bradley Beale would obviously be off limits, but they could include Chris Appsporzingis, Hachimura, Kuzma, Corey Kisper, They have some pieces, but this would feel like a...

Weird. I mean, it just would feel... I think I would be disappointed. Sorry, Wizards fans. Yeah, so do I. But I don't want to see Kevin Durant in another situation that can't provide winning. Yeah. Like, if you're going to force your way out of Brooklyn, you want to go somewhere where you have an opportunity to compete for a championship.

I don't think that you're able to do that in Washington. Yeah. So, and this would feel a bit of a fall from grace from going from Golden State who just won a championship to the disaster that was Brooklyn and now the Wizards. Yeah. But again, this is Brooklyn's, this is Brooklyn's deal. Like, they have the leverage in this situation, which is why this is taking as long as it is with Durant and Kyrie, who may end up saying in Brooklyn after all. So after all of this conversation, we might just get Katie and Kyrie back in Brooklyn at the start of next season. So Juan Soto has been the subject of trade room.

rumors lately. He declined a 15-year, $440 million offer from the Nationals, which obviously is a massive amount of money. But when you look at how it would have played out, he would have made less money over the years. But despite the rumors and speculation, he put on a show at sold out Dodger Stadium last night in the home run derby, which I love. You're not always sold on the home run derby. But I do think to the sports credit, they have tweaked it. Okay. And they have said, okay, we're going to put a clock on it. We're going to make it. We're going to put deadlines on it. Well, deadlines make everything more urgent. So instead of just guys... It changes the strategy, too.

So now you've got strategy, you've got a clock, you've got deadlines, it makes it a better piece of content. So I sat and watched an hour and a half of it last night. I've never watched more than 20 minutes of it. I thought last night was... And I also wanted to see the Mariner kid who my friends are like he's the next Griffey. So I thought it was fun. And here's the other thing. There's an explosion of young baseball talent out there. There are so many good young players. It's incredible how much talent the sport has right now. There are, and the home run derby to me, what I always find fun about it is you really get to see the players because they're not wearing helmets. So you get to see their faces, you get to see their expressions, you get to see their personalities.

And it matters. Something that baseball doesn't necessarily always encourage. Now, we've knocked the NBA slam dunk contest because the stars don't care. These guys care. Like, this is a big deal. They want to win this thing badly. They care a lot. Well, it's a million dollar prize.

also. That's more than De Marenner, Julio Rodriguez makes 700 grand a year. He made $750 last night in the home run. Right. So it is a significant amount of money that you're competing for as well. I mean, I know these guys make a lot of money, but Rodriguez doesn't make that much money. And a million dollars is still a million dollars to go hit some jacks in front of all the fans. And I think it's cool the way that the other players get involved. You have your family out there. It really feels like a good energy around what the all-star game should feel like, which is celebrating the best players in the sport and letting them have their moment. Then you had Albert Pool Holes.

It was really fun last night. I'm glad that you got on board. I did. I got on board. That's the way to put it. I got on board. Joey Taylor with the news. Well, that's the news.

And thanks for stopping by. The Heard Lye News. So I got a lot of things to talk about today. Let me talk about this again because I do think it's important when you do a national show. SEC is hosting its media days. And they're really a big deal. The SEC, it's like I've always said about the NFL. You can tell the NFL is bigger than under sports

because their draft is a four-day TV show. They're combined. Guys in shorts, it's incredible. Like the NFL, everything, the schedule release for the NFL takes up two days of media. You know the SEC's the biggest conference in college football when their media days are an absolute freaking circus. And so Lane Kiffin's talking, it's fantastic. So the SEC Media Days are fantastic.

Nick Saban is talking about something. And I'm going to pose a question to all of you and ask you a question after Nick, he starts talking about the NIL and there's no guardrails. And here goes Nick Saban. And in the NFL, they have guidelines for agents because the NFL players association sort of has rules and regulations about how they professionally, you know, help the players. So that's, you know, something that, you know, we really. want to make sure that our players are not being misguided in any way.

And the biggest concern is, you know, how does this impact and affect recruiting? Because on the recruiting trail right now, there's a lot of people using this as inducements to go to their school by making promises as to whether they may or may not be able to keep. in terms of, you know, what players are doing. So don't be fooled by this. As much as I respect and love Nick Saban, I would tell this to his face, Alabama is currently 15th in the country in recruiting. They're usually second, first, or third.

They're 15th. Because schools like Miami and Oregon and other schools, Texas A&M, are buying high school recruits, which is not illegal. It is not illegal. Nobody wants to acknowledge it, but Lane Kiffin said it yesterday. what was illegal a year ago is now business. Go buy high school players for seven figures.

It's true. I'm not blaming anybody. And I was thinking about this. My entire life, people or programs have dominated college football for different reasons. Nebraska dominated college football for two reasons in like the 60s, 70s, early 80s. Why? They had a great coach and they had the best weight program in the country. Their weight room was like legendary decades before everybody.

When USC and Miami were the big dogs in this sport, they didn't have the most rabid fan bases. They often had multiple coaches, but they had a geographical advantage. Miami, Dade County's got a lot of ballers, and so does L.A. And then there's Alabama, and, you know, they've got a great coach and great financial support. but we've had a lot of different programs be very successful for a lot of different reasons sometimes it's a geographical edge a brand edge a coaching edge what if going forward for the next 10 years this is what dominates college football whoever has the best nil and the best donors who care the most about their program Texas and Texas A&M may do very very much

very, very well. There's a lot of money in Texas. In California, USC is a good football program, but we're very distracted. There's a lot of pro sports. We're never going to pay players the most outside of maybe a quarterback. Now, it's an attractive market for a quarterback and skill people because it's the entertainment capital of the country. But for the next 10 years in college football, it is dominated by the people that were willing in this cultural change to pay the best players more. all right well Alabama has paid Sabin more than anybody else they have one of the best weight rooms

they have one of the most thorough top to bottom economic programs it's better than a third of the NFL it's not like money hasn't been a big part of that so as the sport is changing and players are being empowered the NIL is going to matter lane Kiffin acknowledged it yesterday he said it's not facilities anymore it's not tradition show me the money All right. Well, well, money controls everything. Controls baseball.

Who are the best teams in baseball? Mets have a rich owner. Yankees, Dodgers, Braves, Astros. Colin, that's different. That is different. Colin, it is professional sports. Well, we've always rolled our eyes at amateurism, right? The Olympics.

Usain Bolt was eight figures a year as he was an amateur. I mean, you know, we know where World Cups and Olympics end up, right? For the amateur athletes, whatever. country wants to buy them, have some marketing for their country, increase tourism. We know in golf right now, PGA, see ya, live tour, hello. Amateurism. Haven't we all argued for years in college football? They should separate from the NCAA and privatize the business.

It's always been driven by money, right? But if you look at what's dominated the sport over the last 50 years, a lot of the powerhouses have been built by different things. Tom Osborne in a weight program. Miami and USC glamour and swag. Notre Dame prestige. Academics. History.

They're certainly not surrounded by the best athletes. What if going forward, Texas, A&M and Texas, maybe in Oklahoma, it's oil country. And they can just pay players more. All right. Well, it's legal. I mean, you can put up some guardrails. And I do think players are still choosing. schools, many of them beyond money.

But if the best NIL programs going forward dominate, so be it. College football is not just a college sport. It's a billion dollar business. And like every other billion dollar business connected to sports in America, money's going to drive it. And if it does for the next 10 years, Alabama will be the fourth best program, maybe sixth. Would that really hurt the sport?

They've disappeared before, and the sport flourished. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays in noon Eastern 9 a.m. Pacific. Hey, it's Ben, host of The Fifth Hour with Ben Mallor, along with my trusty sidekick, David Gascon, would mean a lot to have you join us on our weekly auditory journey. You're asking what in God's name is the fifth hour? I'll tell you, it's a spinoff of the Ben Mallor show, a cult hit overnights on FSR. Why should you listen? Picture, if you will, a world when we chat with captains of industry, in media, sports,

and more every week, explore some amazing facts. about human nature and more. Listen to the fifth hour with Ben Mather 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 you're saying. Yep, that's me, Clivert Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, the reactions, my journey from basketball to college football, or my career in sports media. Well, somewhere along the way, this platform became bigger than I ever imagined. And now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show.

This is a place for raw, unfilbert. We'll talk 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 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 Jek. 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 y'all know. I mean, at this point, Mark, this is the second episode where we've discussed crack, so I'm starting to see that there's a through line. We also have AIDS on the table right now, so... Thank you finishing that sentence. Yes. I don't think there's a more important year for black. black people. Really? Yeah. For me, it's one of the most important years for black people in

American history. Listen to look back at it on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Welcome to my new podcast, Learn the Hard Way with me, your host, and your favorite therapist, Keer Games. And in recognition of Mental Health Awareness Month, I'm bringing over a decade of my own experience in the mental health field and conversations with so many incredible guests. I'm talking, Tripp Fontaine, Ryan Clark. Sometimes when we're in the pursuit of the thing, we get so wrapped up in the chase that we don't realize that we are in possession of the thing and we're still chasing it and we don't know when we've done enough. Because people scoreboard watch. Life becomes about wins and losses. Steve Burns, Dustin Ross, because you find it important

to be a good person while you hear on earth or 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, Kea, games is we have real conversations about healing, growth, fatherhood, pressure, and purpose on my new podcast, Learn the Hardway. Open your free Our Heart Radio app, search Learn the Hardway, and listen now. Got so many things to talk about today. Really do. I said yesterday, tomorrow or the next day, I'm going to give you my NFL predictions. When I flew to Chicago and flew back, I went down

every division. I've made my predictions for the NFL, and then I'm allowed amendments. I'm allowed some constitutional amendments to my, don't I get two before the season? I get one during camp and then one after camp. I feel like you change the number every year, but you're allowed as many changes as you want. Well, I know I get as many as I want. The show is called the herd. I can do 14. You make the rules. But that's not, yeah, it's self-imposed sanctions. I'm like an unethical, slightly ethical college basketball program. Well, you don't want to have too many. I cheat, but I report on myself. Then it's not really a prediction.

That's right. So the limit on the amendments matters. All right. Let's go to Greg Jennings. Ten years in the NFL. Vikings Packers, most prominent. So I said yesterday, I said... First and foremost, are we on the herd?

Is this the herd show? That's right. It's called the herd. Okay. I make the rules. I'm the right. Big deal. Big deal here.

So I said yesterday, I think the Vikings, you live in Minnesota, and you know the culture and you know the history of it. So I said, Minnesota is going to be the shot. of the league. And my takeaway is they lost a ton of close games, Packers won't be a good, and the Bears lie in still a lot of questions. But more than anything, if you had a boss that didn't believe in you, you would feel it and you would sense it, and it would affect performance. And I think Kirk Cousins is a B to a B plus quarterback, who sometimes has shrunk in big games, and I think last year he and Zimmer got a little chilly and ugly, and it affected him

more than usual. Here comes Kevin O'Connell, a new former NFL quarterback, offensive coach from the Sean McVeigh tree, and I'm like, the division may be weaker, cousins will feel supported, I love their skill pieces. I think the Vikings shocked the league this year. You're in the belly of that beast. What do you think? I'm with you. I don't really necessarily believe that they're going to be a shocker to a lot of teams. This was a good team that couldn't win in close games. But you make a great point about Kirk Cousins and the support of management and head coaches and all the things, right? And it reminds me of a situation we saw play out in Philly with Carson Wins, who ran away from that relationship and how he felt about it and wanted to feel support and didn't endure it.

Kirk Cousins has always endured it. He's always had this defensive coach when he was in this purple uniform with the Vikings. And so he never was going to be the savior, if you will, but now you have a coach who's on your side of the ball, head coach, who's really dictating everything. And you're in a more favorable position. And for me, Kirk Cousins has always been a B-plus quarterback that I know you're high on Jimmy Garapolo being underrated, but he's always been underrated. but he's always been underappreciated, I think, is a better word for Kirk Cousins. But this team is going to, they're going to win the North. I'm not going to say Green Bay is going to fold.

They're going to be Green Bay. They still have Aaron Rogers. But this team altogether is definitely going to be one of the most improved, if not the most improved team in the NFL. Okay, here's my other hot take. Brady was retired. We found that out after the season, was going to go to Miami, wanted to get into ownership.

And then that didn't work out. So he pivoted back to the Bucks. And I think people can feel it. Gronk's not coming back. Leonard Fournett weighed in at 260. I don't believe Leonard Furnett would weigh 260 in the first year with Tom. That there's going to be a different feel to the Buccaneers. Everybody knows it's Tom's last year.

They've already won a title. Now, the division stinks, so they'll win it. But I do think Brady signaled occasionally last year post- Thanksgiving. Joey and I had said this on the show. He's not barking. He's not as disappointed. The team's not playing great. And it's almost like, hey, I got my title.

I'm really close to the end. And then we find out he was moving on to Miami. He wanted to be an ownership. And then that situation blew up with a lawsuit. So he goes back to Tampa. And when Fournette comes in at 260 and Gronk retires, my feeling is they can sense it. Job has been accomplished. It will not be as focused.

and as intense as Tom's first two years in Tampa, and they'll be a disappointing team to some level. I wouldn't totally buy it, but I would definitely entertain that. And the reason why is simple. It's when you have won that sense of urgency, that thirst, that desire to just go out and chase that championship, it's not the same for everyone across the board. We've witnessed that. with Tom Brady in his career. There's not many athletes on this planet that are wired like he is that can reboot, that can understand the job is completely different from year to year, and I have to have a different mentality and a mindset and approach from year to year.

Once you've won a sense of entitlement, it's like, yeah, we can get this done, we can turn the switch on when we want to. And you mentioned it with Gromk not coming back. I don't believe, if Gronk really believed that, you know what, we're going to win another championship, he comes back. If Lennep for a net, I totally believe that a lot of what he's dealing with had a lot to do with Tom Brady. We did retire.

And he went off and he's like, I'm not going back there. Tom's not back. So now he's in this mode of, oh, shoot, I got this weight on me. I got to get it off. But I do believe he'll get it off. but still the sense of urgency is just not the same from year one to now year three. What do you make a couple minutes here? I like Lamar Jackson.

I would pay him because I think he's unique at a position that matters. But it's been a little weird. Doesn't have an agent, a little toxic on social media, a little overreacting on social media. I think the Ravens want him, but he hasn't signed. It's a weird story. his top receiver left. It's been an odd off season. Where is Lamar at and the Ravens at today for you? For me, obviously, we know who Lamar Jackson is. And I think the Baltimore Ravens, more than anyone, know who he is and what his value is to that organization. But also, what they do realize is this

is a business. And we've lost one of your most productive weapons on offense. We have some young guys coming in. We have Rashad Bateman who we we drafted last year, but he missed half the year at the beginning of the year. We know your rapport with your tight-in is great, but can you be the quarterback that we need you to be for the future? Not what you've been already. Can you be that quarterback and more moving forward? That's where I feel like Lamar Jackson's in this funny water of, I still got to prove myself. And rightfully so. You're losing some

weapons that would have made him feel more comfortable. We all know he's not the pocket passing quarterback that everyone wants him to be and everyone feels like he has to become. I don't truly believe he has to become that in order to win, but for the Ravens, he has to show that he can lead this team and they can still produce wins in the playoffs when it matters with him at the helm. So I think he's going to be a Raven. It's just, it's, you, you, said it. It's a little funny in there in Baltimore with Lamar Jackson right now. Yeah, a little turbulent. Greg Jennings,

good talking to you, bud. Fox Sports. We'll talk soon. Sounds good. Take care. You bet for endless hot water, 15-year limited warranty, go tankless, tankless made simple.com. Navian, efficient, durable, lower your energy bill, lower your carbon footprint. So Tom Rinaldi, top of next hour.

He's got a new podcast documentary series on an accident, a murder in Major League Baseball. The sports never seen anything like it. It happened during the season. I can remember a picture as a kid in the paper about the story. It was black and white in my small hometown paper. I can remember that.

Had not thought a lot about it. When I was a kid growing up, the Minnesota Twins, had Rod Carew and Larry Heissel and Lyman Bostock. And they were a great hitting team without great pitching. I think Bert Blyleven was there in the 70s, I think. Butch Wyniger was there. So I'm going, Rain Man, sorry. If I'm ever on who wants to be a millionaire and I have a 70s baseball question, you are my lifeline.

So I remember this great twins team. The Mariners could never beat them. And it's a fascinating team with a wild story wrapped inside it. That next, it's The Herd. 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. that David Letterman help make you funnier.

This week, my guest, S&L's Mikey Day and head writer, Streeter Seidel, help an a cappella band with their between songs banter. Where does your group perform? We do some retirement homes. Those people are starving for banter. Listen to humor me with Robert Smigel and friends on the I-Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts,

or wherever you get your podcasts. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal, but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque. others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast's Superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds.

I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the I-Hard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is a win. A win is a win. Yep, that's me. Clifford Taylor the 4th. You might have seen it.

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, unfills of conversations with athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. So let's get to it. Listen to The Clifford Show on the IHeard 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. On the Lookback at a podcast. That was a big moment for me.

84 was big to me. I'm Sam Jay. 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. 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. This is an IHeart podcast. Guaranteed human.