The Herd with Colin Cowherd - HOUR 1 - Lakers, UNC-Kansas

Episode Date: April 5, 2022

The Lakers are taking their franchise backUNC was the better team but they got injured at the endGuest: Moose Johnston Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee 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. 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, 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 IHard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, 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 is 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. I mean, 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. 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. 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. Sports Radio. Oh, it's Tuesday. We got ourselves a lead story live in Los Angeles. It's the herd wherever you may be. And however you may be listening. Iheart Radio, Fox Sports Radio, FS1, one hour from now,

post-free agency, herd hierarchy, top 10 teams in the league. Before the draft and after free agency, Joy Taylor is joining me. Joy, we have ourselves what they call a lot of. line in the sand. You see this an American business all the time. Somebody, a big powerful person says, enough is enough. I'm tired of taking all the hits. It's a big one.

Well, after this season, had to expect just a little more sprinkle of drama before we get out of the regular season with the Lakers. Yeah, here we go. So in Los Angeles, we are a city of stars, as you know. Movie stars and TV stars and athletic stars and tech stars and political stars.

A lot of them. In sports, there is nobody close to as popular as Magic Johnson. Nobody's close. No Laker ever. Certainly no Ram, no Dodger. I've been in Staples Center when Magic Johnson, all these years later, just comes through the tunnel. The entire crowd stands. No, I'm not joking.

The entire crowd stands to get a look at Magic Johnson. Johnson. He is absolutely beloved. And there's nobody who has more impact in this city ever. Maybe it's Jordan and Chicago, Jeter, and New York. But in Los Angeles, Magic talks and is critical, and he's rarely critical. Magic's a nice guy. Magic says nice things. Magic elevates others. But Magic Johnson went on, Get Up, Mike Greenberg, Get Up yesterday, ESPN, and delivered this blow about LeBron, the general manager. The blame that he's got to take is the fact that the Rosen ended up in Chicago and not with the Lakers.

The Rosen wanted to play for the Lakers. And when I got the call from his agent, I called the Lakers said, hey, he wants to come home. And the Rosen could have been a Laker instead of a bull. We could have made that deal. But when Russell and LeBron them start talking, that's when. they nixed that deal. And Westbrook, he became a Laker instead of DeRosen.

By the way, DeRosen's averaging 28 a game, a career high. He's an All-Star, and he is acknowledged earlier. Lakers did him dirty. By the way, Magic's known this for a long time. Why did Magic now decide to go public? Because he is close with Jeannie Bus, a very strong woman. And Jeannie Bus said, Magic, I'm done taking all the heat for this. I'm tired of getting ripped by the media. Do me a solid. And so Magic Johnson went on ESPN.

He got to go ahead from Jeannie Bus. I'd like to thank Magic. I'd like to thank Jeannie Bus. And I'd like to thank the Lakers. They're taking their franchise back. And I'm pro LeBron. I know all his associates. I like them all. I'm pro LeBron. But bro, this ain't this is L.A. This is not Akron. This is the Lakers, not the Cavs. You're old, not young. The Lakers are saying, enough is enough. Jeannie Buss is saying, I've seen you dismantle four franchises, and we did it for you too. And I know you want to own a team, Michael Jordan does.

And we're all for you owning a team. Not ours. Not now. This is the ultimate line in the sand as a franchise. Enough is enough. Remember at the All-Star break, Rob Polinka, and Clutch Sports battle. Multiple sources.

I'm reading it here. Clutch was not happy with Rob Polanka. Because Clutch sports, which represents LeBron, called Palinca and said, trade wall for Westbrook. Wall in a first round pick. Westbrook in a first round pick for Wall. Clutch sports, that's what they wanted. They said the Westbrook deal, our clients getting crushed.

Wall hates Houston. And Rob Palenka said, no, no, no, no. No, we didn't want Westbrook. You guys wanted Westbrook, and you're going to have to live with this mess. We're not going to do a solid for LeBron. We did you solid. We wanted Buddy Healed. We wanted DeRosen.

They wanted us. I mean, this is not, by the way, these are not rumors. It is understood in NBA circles. Buddy Healed and DeRosen were coming here instead of Westbrook. But LeBron, who has fallen into this too cool to care vibe this year, has distanced himself from the. this story. And Jeannie Bus said, enough. We're good partners. We're good partners. We appreciate the singular championship. But you and A.D. and clutch sports, we haven't won a single

playoff series since you arrived in Los Angeles. That was a bubble. We didn't make any money for that. That was great for you. Well, great for us. And I'm blaming you, but we're not giving you credit for it. It's a championship. We got banners and retired jerseys. We got Wilt upstairs. We got Karim upstairs. We got Shaq upstairs. We're the Lakers. We're not the Caps. So we know you want to own a team. Not going to be ours. And so this was needed. It was necessary. And I've said this before. Jeannie Bus needs to get on the phone, move Westbrook at the end of the year, try to move AD and build around LeBron if he is willing to play with younger players. He's never wanted to do that. He could have had, you know, Rook Andrew Wiggins in Cleveland. He's like, give me Kevin Love. I don't want to play with kids. I don't want to, I don't want to teach him the game of basketball. And in his prime, he had every right to do that. But LeBron got called out. And when Magic talks, people listen. And Magic's known this is true for a year. Why is he delivering it now? Because Jeannie Bus said, enough is enough. We're taking our franchise back. How LeBron reacts to this is going to be fascinating. But it should be noted, magic is significantly more popular than any athlete in this town and a thousand times more popular than LeBron in Los Angeles.

All right. So I am jaded as a college basketball fan. And the reason being is my first job out of college was in Las Vegas and I covered Jerry Tarkhanian and the running rebels, arguably the greatest college basketball team of all time. And college basketball was different in the 80s and 90s. You could be Tim Duncan, Patrick Ewing. You'd come back for like your senior year. Now it's a very transactional sport. There are no great teams anymore.

You'll have individual great players, but there are no more great teams. College basketball was so good in the 70s, 80s, and 90s. It was so good in the 80s. There was once a team in Houston called the Cougars, Faislamma, Jama. You can look them up on YouTube. They had Akima Lajuan at Center Hall of Famer. Clyde Drexler at Guard, Hall of Famer, Larry Michele, Michele, Young, look up Rob Williams, they couldn't win a championship.

There was a St. John's team that had Mark Jackson, Chris Mullen, Walter Berry, Bill Winnington, Louis Carnaceka as a coach. They couldn't win one either. There were Georgetown teams with multiple NBA players, knocked off by Villanova, who had multiple NBA players. So as I watched Kansas win last night, I thought, this is not one of the top Kansas teams of all time. And I know nobody wants to hear that. I congratulate them. Bill Self is a great coach. They had more depth than Carolina, and they stayed healthier. But a couple years ago, the Raptors beat the Warriors in the finals, and I said, congratulations, you were healthier.

I don't think you were better. I'm not sure, really, Kansas is better than Carolina. But they wear the crown and they earned it. But I saw them get blown out at home by Kentucky, struggle with Miami, get blown out in the first half against Carolina, and then two of Carolina's guys got hurt. It's not a knock, but I'm jaded watching college basketball. I enjoyed the heck out of the last three weeks. There are no more great teams. I've talked to coaches privately about this. There are great players. Good God, folks. Kansas had wilt. A couple years ago, they had Joe L.M. and Andrew Wiggins. The Danny Manning team is one of the best ever.

But if you have a great coach, you stay healthy, have better depth than who you play in the tournament, and a couple of NBA guys, that's good enough to win today. It's not a knock on Kansas. But when I watch college basketball today, in my formative broadcasting years, I watched it when the sport was absolutely at its peak. when stars like Christian Leitner, you know, Duncan Ewing, they came back like juniors, seniors. That's not the sport.

It's highly transactional. I enjoyed the heck out of the last three weeks. And Kansas is a top three or four brand in the sport. And they deserve to be called champions today. They earned it. But my takeaway is I was watching two good teams. One fell apart physically. The other did not.

And you get credit for that. Raptors and Kansas. It's not a shot. They deserve praise. But they've had wilt and Embed. Paul Pierce. And I don't think their prospects for the NBA are nearly as good as those players. But sometimes we saw this a few years ago with the Buccaneers beating the Kansas City Chiefs. Were they better? Well, they were healthier. Were the Raptors better? They were healthier. Is Kansas better? They were healthier. And they wear the crown this morning. but I'll just tell you I

sprained ankles are not good in basketball and they got a couple of them and I thought it changed the outcome of the game. And I'll get a lot of hate mail for that but, you know, I'm not going to tell you what you want to hear. I'm going to tell you what I saw. Bill's self is great. But I'll tell you, Hubert Davis, you've got to be a pretty good basketball

program. They weren't sure if Hubert Davis was the right guy to hire. When you can hire a guy as basketball coach and you're not even sure he's the best candidate and he gets you to the championship game, Carolina's future, along with Kansas, is really, really bright. Okay.

So to be derailed, you have to be on the rails first. I'm going to push back on Kevin Durant's assertion, blaming himself for Brooklyn, and Kevin Durant should not blame himself. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays in noon Eastern 9 a.m. Pacific on Fox sports radio, FS1, and the IHeart Radio app.

Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal, but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast's Superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth.

Listen to Superhuman on the IHard Radio app. podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what I'm saying. Yep, that's me, Clifford Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, the reactions, my journey from basketball to college football, or my career in sports media. Well, somewhere along the way, this platform became bigger than I ever imagined.

And now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfiltered conversations with some of your favorite athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. One week, I'll take you behind the scenes of the biggest moments in sports and entertainment, and the next we'll talk about life, mental health, purpose, and even music. The Clifford Show isn't just a podcast, it's a space for honest conversations, stories that don't always get told, and for people who are chasing something bigger. So, if you've ever supported me, or you're just chasing down a dream,

this is right where you need to be. Listen to the Cliverts Show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or we're you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. 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 tontons and wampas on the ice planet hot, or the practicality and corporate business sense of the Sith rule of

too. Listen to Stuff to Blow Your Mind on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. 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. 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 all day, but just so you all know. I mean, at this point, Mark, this is the second episode where we've discussed crack. So I'm starting to see that there's a through line. We also have AIDS on the table right now. Thank you for finishing that sentence. Yes. I don't think there's a more important year for black people. Really?

Yeah. For me, it's one of the most important years for black people in American. history. Listen to look back at it on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Welcome back. Good to have you in. By the way, I saw Kevin Durant was talking about the Brooklyn Nets. And Joey and I talked about this at the end of yesterday's show. Durant is lived up to his end of the bargain with Brooklyn. Kyrie is of another world half the time and James Harden quit on the franchise and Ben Simmons now won't play. So, and we don't know if Steve Nash can coach. He's a smart guy. I don't know if he can coach. I mean, I don't think he's Eric.

Spolstra. I don't think he's Thai-Lew. But I mean, he's learning as a coach, right? So Kevin Durant said yesterday, it was his injury in mid-January that derailed the team. Well, how can you derail something that's never actually been on the tracks? Since KD. and Kyrie have joined forces in Brooklyn, they have the 13th best record in the NBA. 13th. That's below the Lakers who've been a hot mess for two years. That's below the Grizzlies and the Raptors. They've won 54% of their games. Charlie Sheen was on the number one TV show in America. His career got derailed. Tiger Woods was the number one or number two golfer in the world. Then there was the incident in Florida.

His career got derailed. The Colts, when Andrew Luck suddenly retired, they got derailed. Now they've had four quarterbacks in four years. I mean, they gave them an offensive line, finally, some weaponry, a defense, an offensive head coach. The Colts were derailed and they've been scrambling since. The Nets have been hype and promises and weirdness and what-ifs. That's all they've ever been. They've been optimism. They haven't been good.

They've won 54% of their games in the East. The only person that has lived up to the billing has been Kevin Durant. he's been great when he's healthy and by the way we all know Kevin at this point he's not going to play 82 games I may give you 65 best player in the world often not the most valuable but the best player in the world when he's on the floor and healthy

but the NBA media and the NBA reality of the Nets are two different things they have won 54% of their games in a league where the bottom eight teams are unwatchable they have not been derailed They've never been on the tracks. They've never been going anywhere.

They've had one really great series, which Kevin Durant almost single-handedly carried them over Milwaukee. Durant's never been the problem. So he can blame himself. Dude, Ben Simmons can't play. Kyrie couldn't play home games and James Harden quit. Durant's not the issue. He's never been. He's been the solution to all their weirdness and hype and promises and what-ifs.

you're not the problem nothing's been derailed here. They are this minute what they've been since day one. Talented and disappointing. Joy with the news. Turn on the news. This is the herd line news. Well, we've all been on Tiger Watch to see if he will be playing in the

Masters tournament. And this morning, Tiger spoke to the media following his practice round. He said, as of right now, I feel I am going to play. I'm going to play nine holes tomorrow. recovery has been good. I have been excited with how I recovered every day. He was asked if he thinks he can win, and his response was, I do. So the crowd for Tiger today was probably the largest ever for a player practice. Oh, Lord. Yeah, that's, uh, this is, I mean, this is a normal crowd for Tiger, but he is, uh, he is at the risk of sounding, uh, well, I won't do it then,

because I don't upset the religion, the religious amongst us, but, uh, he is, he is, What following? Like it's, it's biblical to watch the crowds follow Tiger in these ornaments. We've gotten, you know, it's amazing his career. So he was the child prodigy. Yes. He was then for 10 to 12 years, the greatest golfer of the planet's ever seen. Then there was falling apart physically, wins the masters, which to me is the most emotional golf event I've ever watched. My entire life. That was, that was like, that was a movie. I was a movie. And now there's this stage, which is, okay, he gets in a near fatal car crash.

And I don't think he can win. But I didn't think he could win the last time he won the Masters. I thought it was, I was shocked by it. When you're shocked, say stuff out loud, the idea that he could, if he competes this weekend. And I mean, like, does he go into Sunday somewhere around the leaderboard? I would be shocked. But I was shocked the last time he won the Masters. Well, that's what that's what, that's what,

rates do is they rise above otherworldly circumstances. And they also, Tiger would acknowledge, I can't play 12 tournaments this year. Doesn't mean I can't be great for a weekend. Oh, yeah. And that's what he said. He doesn't know if he'll ever be full time on the tour again. He's won the Masters five times, obviously most recently in 2019, as you're speaking of. So he's currently listed on Masters Twitter as being a part of Group 14, teeing off at 10.30 a.m. Eastern on Thursday. So we will keep watching that throughout the day. we will see Tiger at the Masters.

So Janice, Yokic, and Embed are at the top of the list for NBA MVP this season. Embed is the only one who hasn't won yet, and he has made it clear that he wants to win. It's out of my control. You know, if it happens, great. If it doesn't,

I don't know what I had to do at this point. You know, at this point, I feel like, you know, they hate me. So, and it's cool. And that's always been kind of like my career in Philly. And I feel like in Philly, he always felt like, you know, you always have to do more. Standard for, you know, guys in Philly or for me, it's different than the standard than everybody else. Who hates Mbid?

I think everybody likes him. He's funny, isn't he? I think when it comes to the MVP conversation, though, he sort of has a point. I think he's overall very well liked. But the idea that he shouldn't be the MVP this season, I think is kind of embarrassing

for the entire idea of the NBA MVP. You and I don't really love this award as much as it probably should be revered. It's almost a story more than an award. 100%. It's all narrative. But then the narrative changes. So if you win one year and then you have a better statistical year the next year.

Well, then you have to win again. I mean, he won last year and he has better stats this year. How can he not be the MVP again this year? Even if he's not necessarily the MVP. What is the MVP? That is my issue with the award. The criteria changes every single year. One year it's the best statistical season.

The next year it's the best guy on the best team. The next year it's the best story. What is it? And if that's the case, why wouldn't it be MVP? How is Yokic, even in the MVP conversation? statistics, they're five seed. Yeah. So, no, I think his ability to deal with a Ben Simmons nonsense. Absolutely.

Also coupled with having to inherit, harden, and make it work immediately. But those are all narrative things. He's also had 1140.40.10 rebound games this season. There's only two ever players who have recorded more of those, Moses Malone and Russell Westbrook, who each had 12, and both of them were MVP the seasons that they did that. Yeah, I've never been a big awards fan. Like, you can give the Heisman to whoever you want. I won't lose a second of sleep.

I feel the same way. I felt LeBron was sort of a victim of LeBron, because I thought he was the most valuable guy in the league for about 12 straight years. Michael Jordan doesn't have that many regular season MVPs. We all knew he was not only the most valuable players, the most valuable entity in the league for 20 years. He still sells more shoes now than LeBron and Steph.

It's voter fatigue. The criteria changes every single year. Jewel and Bede should be the MVP this season. And I really don't get, like, And now it's Janice, again, like Janus is the third best odds and beat as a second best odds behind Yokage, which again, I'm like, how? How? If you're the MVP, how are you a five seat? Well, I, yeah, that's fair.

You know, again, I was out, not outraged. I, it was an eye roll when we gave it to Westbrook based on a statistical anomaly. I thought that was ridiculous because I, he doesn't make players better. I was fine with that because it was something that it was so historic. But then if the narrative can change every single. year, then why wouldn't it be MB's year? I just feel like the voters have no standard for what it is. It's just what makes everybody feel good and what nobody wants to be outrageous.

So Tom Brady, on retiring, let everyone to presume that Rob Gronkowski would be returning to the Bucks again next season. But Gronk isn't so sure. He told TMZ Sports, I knew if I started catching some passes that my head would have started turning like, oh, crap, I got to get back out on the field. And right now, I'm not ready to get back out on the field. I'm not ready to commit to the game of football right now. Yeah, well, he takes a lot more hits than Brady. I'd be much more reluctant if I was a tight end or a fullback or a guard than I would a quarterback. Quarterbacks get paid a lot and don't get hit as much. And he's also retired once. So he knows the feeling of giving his body that type of rest. Gronk has nothing left

to proof. I mean, he is first ballot Hall of Famer, one of the best, if not the most dominant to ever play that position. And he played 10 games last season, six touchdowns, 802 yards. He said he's not going to catch passes from anyone other than Brady. So obviously, we assumed that he was going to retire if Brady didn't come back this season. But I can also see Gronk just giving himself some space. There's no rush to make that decision. If he does come back, he doesn't have to be, you know, the workhorse in the situation either. So, but once you get that taste of the silk sheets and relaxing, it can be tough to sign up for those hits again. Yeah. A joy with the news. Well, that's the news. And thanks for stopping by.

The Hurd-Lie News. Top of next hour, we're going to rate the top 10 team. in the league based on free agent moves. A team that is, I don't believe, is talented this morning as they were about two months ago as the Dallas Cowboys. Three rings with the Cowboys, Darrell Moose Johnson, Fox Sports Broadcaster and analyst as well. Now joining us here in the herd. Seven of his 11 years was in the playoffs. He's also the USFL's executive vice president of football operations.

That's around the corner. You know, it's different. Whenever I talk to you, I always ask you. You live in Dallas. You can read the Dallas Morning News. you can hear talk radio, you hear the local sportscasters. So you live in the belly of that. So we're outsiders.

So our takeaway has been bumpy offseason, lost a lot of really unique talents. Randy Gregory is a unique player and Amari Cooper. How is it landing in Dallas today this last two months? I think the big thing is what's going on with the offensive line. That's the one that I've had my focus on with L. Collins and Connor Williams leaving. Tyron Smith near the end of his career. So that's been the one positional group that I thought really needed some attention given to it. And they just haven't seemed to been able to hit the way that they did five, eight years ago when they were adding players to that position.

So I think the starting five has always been one of the cornerstones for the Dallas Cowboy franchise when you talk about them having success. And I think that if anything for me going into this season is how do they shore up that offensive line? How do they get back to being able to control the game through running the football? You know, Jerry has always been, I think, more than patient in terms of coaches. I felt he's given coaches a year more, Barry Switzer maybe a year more, Chan Gayley. But I did think Jerry was annoyed at the end of last season. That clock management stuff gets coaches in trouble. It got Andy Reid in trouble in Philadelphia.

It's just something we can all watch and play along with and the DAC ran and they didn't get the ball down. did you ever think there was a moment that Mike McCarthy could have been in trouble? No, I didn't. And the whole clock thing, for me, you could tell how confident Coach McCarthy was. They had rehearsed that, they had practiced that, but you never practiced that exact scenario, right?

You don't practice at 14 seconds going downfield a little bit too much. Who's bringing that football in and spotting that football at your practice in that scenario and how much more efficient was it done than could possibly happen during the course? the game. And we saw that. You can practice something and do it over and over again and have that number in your head that we feel confident at 14 seconds. We were always 16. And if football is a game of inches, it's also a game of seconds when you get into clock management. So I thought at 14, it was a little bit close, but then you hear everything that they did to get ready for that.

But you can never simulate what's happening in that game. The umpire was behind. He was late starting his movement down the field. He had trouble getting in and getting out. So you don't account for those things at practice. So that's just one of those unintended consequences that happens during the course of the game that cost you a playoff game. So at that point, do you make a coaching change? I don't think so because he's done enough at his time in Dallas, you know, to earn a right for another year, I felt. You know, Jim Hersey got very irritated with Carson Wentz. Wence was not vaccinated, nor was Amari. And Jerry, to his credit, was very authentic, his disappointment. This is a team. I mean, you know, you went into games knowing you weren't going to touch the ball.

you were going to block. Those Philadelphia games were, I mean, you had to prepare for those for weeks. The Amari thing, there's a DAC with Amari and without. He's a better quarterback with him. He's a tremendous tactician. That Vax thing, we don't talk about it now, but Jerry was publicly annoyed. Do you think it was a factor in moving off him? Well, I thought that there was a potential, regardless of what his vaccination status was,

just with, you know, the contract and the way everything was structured from a financial standpoint. in and out of the lineup a little bit, you're going to have to make a move. If you don't sign him, Michael Gallup is no longer in the picture. There's going to be other guys who are not in the pitcher. I think because of the contracts at this time when you talk about Ezekiel Elliott,

Amari Cooper, and then Dak Prescott, you had put yourself into a position where you were going to lose guys or have to make really, really hard decisions at some point down the road based on salary cap. And that's just kind of come back and bid him again. So there's probably a lot of things that factored into it.

I think one of the things, that it's going to be interesting to watch this year is I think Amari Cooper makes everybody in the wide receiver room better. Everybody you talk to talks about how good he is at route running, being able to see what's happening, playing that leverage off the defender, being able to share that information and help the other guys. Is Michael Gallup as good as he is without having had the opportunity to spend time around Mari Cooper?

I don't know. So I think that that's going to be the interesting thing to watch this year. I think Cedric Wilson is another under the radar loss in that wide receiver group that nobody's really talking about. So it's going to be hard on the outside. outside. You know, Blake Jarwin never became the guy that they hoped you would be. So there were things going into seasons. I just want to see, you know, what happens on the outside in that skill set. Noah Brown is a guy that I really like. I was, I was happy to see them bring him back.

I think he's one of the guys that does the dirty work for him. It never gets a lot of credit. But they've got to have somebody step up. Can Michael Gallup step up and be that number one guy on the outside and compliment what they have on the other side? You're, you know, vice president of USFL operations. If you ran the Cowboys draft, it's a good draft for receivers. Seemingly, they're all good draft for receivers now going forward. Pretty good O-Line draft. Do you think that the Cowboys will go in a direction in the draft?

I would go O-line. I really would. I know it's not flashy. But you look what Indianapolis did with the Quentin Nelson draft. You look at what they did. Let's just go back into the history. Dallas Cowboys when it's potentially you're going to go after Johnny Mansell and you have Stephen Jones go up and say, no, we're staying true to our board and you get Zach Martin. And look what

Zach Martin did for you. All the fame player. Exactly. So is guard a flashy sign on draft day? No, but if you get the right guy or you get that tackle, it's a huge thing for your franchise. What Tyrant Smith has meant to that organization through his time is unbelievable. So when you hit on that offensive line position, which Dallas was doing back in the the day on a regular basis. I mean, I remember the Travis Frederick draft day when everybody's like, oh my God, you took a center at 30 who was projected to be a late second, potentially early third. What if you don't get to that? What if you don't get to that pick? What if everything changes and you're trading away draft picks? If that's the guy you want, then go get him. And he ends up

being a 10-year all-pro center form. I mean, that is huge in the center of your offensive line. So I think Dallas really kind of has to go offensive line, and I would be shocked if they didn't. Yeah. People thought that. they should have years ago. They got C.D. Lamb a couple years ago. Now, he's hit, but there were people that said you're fine at receiver. I couldn't quibble with that one too much because C. No.

He's been a good player. Absolutely. What do you make of the player mobility that we've seen? Now, as a sportscaster, March used to be a dead month. I got the tournament and nothing else. I mean, Joey and I the other day were like, is March the new October? I mean, with all these quarterbacks moving, what do you make of it? you know, when you think back, there was movement with big players, you know, back in the day,

but just not so frequently. I mean, Emmett Smith finishes his career in Arizona. Joe Montana didn't finish as a 49er. There was movement with high-profile players and Hall of Fame players back in the day, but just not as frequent. And that's the one that I think is surprising to everybody today is, are you not able to find a way to make it work under the salary cap? You know, is it just, is it time to move on? Are you trying to be proactive?

I always felt that Andy Reid and Bill Belichick were really, really good at understanding when it was time to move off a player, that he was, he was at the end of his career and he didn't want to overpay. Are we seeing some of those decisions today with marquee players, franchise type players? But yeah, it's been unbelievable. And then we're always off, right? I had Russell Wilson going to so many places, but Denver was not one of them. I mean, I thought we had Aaron Rogers dialed in there. But I think that's the other thing is sometimes they come out of left field on us. And maybe that surprises us a little bit more.

Yeah, it is interesting. It's become, and this could be recency bias, my mistake, Daryl, that it used to be, like the NBA has always been, you go into a season, there's like eight teams that have no chance to compete. Same in baseball. A's, Mariners, they don't have the money, the pirates. But the NFL was always like, I think it was one or two, but everybody can beat everybody. But as the league has become more quarterback-centric, the rules, the middle of the field now when you played, that was the defenses. Yeah. Like outside of Michael Irvin, most receivers didn't want to go over the middle.

Now you can't hit them. So the offense now owns the middle of the field and the sidelines. Here's what I worry about the NFL. They're so quarterback driven. We were saying this a couple weeks ago, there's like nine teams that I'm like, it's not good enough to, you can't compete. That's NBA territory. I always thought optimism and hope were really essential to the NFL.

Everybody felt, I mean, even Jet fans could be delusional, but we got people. Well, we can, do you see the NFL going to a place where because of the rules and what is not permitted defensively, you can eliminate half this league if they're not elite at quarterback? Yeah, I think the quarterback-driven league has become more and more true over the last five to eight years. And I think that that was everybody's concern as we went into expansion. Do we have enough potential quarterbacks to field 32 teams and be at that level and create parity? because that's what free agency was all about. It was getting parity. So you could go into a season

and the fan base could be excited because look at everything we did in free agency. That's right. And if you don't have that quarterback to go along with all the additions, it's really hard. And I think we're trending that way, but I think this has been a concern

that the NFL has had for a long time. And it's one of the reasons I think what we're doing in the USFL is desperately needed because we're able to take some quarterbacks and get them back into game situations and start to have them learn from our coaching. staffs about how to play during the game. A lot of these guys came in as mid-round draft picks

can get caught up in the numbers game, lost in the shuffle, and they don't have any game tape. But they're still really good quarterback. So it's an opportunity for us to bring in some of the key positions at quarterback, at offensive line, because of the restrictions on time in college, the restriction in time at the NFL, they're not getting the work they need to work on their craft. We're going to be able to provide that in the USFL. So I think that the quarterback position is something that hopefully will benefit from what we're trying to do with our with our league in the ESFL? Half the NFL is undrafted.

So I talked to Shanks and all these guys upstairs. I have been a huge proponent of spring football, but we had a COVID knocked it out. And then it wasn't as well capitalized a couple times ago. What is the goal of the USFL? If I said to you as kind of direct VP of operations, what's the goal in year one? The goal in year one is to get to year two

because the other ones haven't gotten there. And we've got great partners with NBC helping us with our distribution of the product along with Fox. We've got great backing from Fox as kind of the parent of the USFL. So I think some of the things that you talked about were the other two didn't have success. Now, the pandemic obviously outside of everybody's control, but there were some finances there that impacted that as well. So, you know, we have that covered. Now it's up to us to put that product back out on the field that fans want to gravitate and watch on television. For me, it's always been about the why for these players.

And I've told our coaches, we've got eight great head coaches, and I've always told them you're going to be blown away by these guys because you will think you want to give them a rest, and you will not be able to get them off the field. They know what the NFL scouts are saying about them and what they need to do to get back to the NFL, and they're going to do everything they possibly can. And then we also have those guys.

The NFL's not in their future, but they love the game of football, and they just want to keep playing it. So it's really for us, it's what is your why? How do we help you achieve that? And that's one of the big areas for me. So number one is getting to year two and finally getting one of these spring leagues up and running in a way where it's sustainable. And I have all the confidence in the world that we're going to do that. And then it really becomes player-centric for me, you know, just helping these guys fulfill their dreams, whatever that is.

If it's getting back to the NFL, let's do everything we possibly can. We're going to give you the assets and the strength and conditioning room with our head coaches and our coaching staffs. If it's just for you to continue to play this fantastic game, you know, come on. Let's help you get that one done too. April 16th, couple of weeks away, New Jersey Generals at Birmingham Stallions, 7thrd Eastern on Fox, Daryl Moose Johnson. Great seeing you again. Great to see you, especially in person.

He has aged better than any fullback in league history. You look fantastic. 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 Maller, along with my trusty side. kick David Descon 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 Mather show, a cult hit overnight's on FSR. Why should you listen?

Picture, if you will, a world where 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 podcast, 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. 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. 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. 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 Jay. 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 cracking the A-Aid. 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 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 IHeart Radio app Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. Welcome back. One of the things you have to be careful about, very rarely, very infrequently, but it happens occasionally, the employee has leverage over the company.

Aaron Rogers had it over the Packers, and he used it. He humiliated them. He's now the highest paid player easily in the league. He won. and they're not signing any new receivers. Good luck, Karen. We're going to be here longer than you. LeBron in his career has had great leverage, and he should.

He is arguably the best basketball player ever. He makes everybody better. He is first, second, or third best player I've ever seen. Best players have ever seen are Magic LeBron and Michael Jordan, and he used his leverage. I don't have a problem with it. The downside to having power and leverage and using it is people don't forget. And so with this Laker team, LeBron has had leverage. They were, let's be fair here.

The Lakers were a mess when LeBron arrived. So I've already had LeBron's people reach out to me this morning after my opening rant. They're not really happy. And in fairness, he came here and they were a mess. And he saved him. I'm listen you know what I've said about the Lakers they got too many friends of the Lakers they got they're on their broadcasts they're in their front office it that's not the way you do it you need outside voices so LeBron deserves credit they were a mess I mean those last few Kobe years were it was Kobe and nonsense and LeBron came in and said I'll get you to the promised land I'll win you title he deserves credit for that but he had power to make that Westbrook thing happen. That's why you've got to be very careful as a player.

Aaron Rogers had leverage. Get me Randall Cobb. That's probably why they can't afford D.K. Metcalfe this morning. Right? They'd have a little extra cash. So you have to be careful. When you are Aaron Rogers or you are Russell Wilson or you're LeBron James and you are transformational talent, you're going to have leverage.

I mean, the NFL right now, these quarterbacks have more power than they've ever had. They're like NBA stars or international soccer stars. They're messy. They're Ronaldo. They're LeBron. Denver had to have a quarterback. Otherwise, this GM is going to get fired in two years. You just can't win when you're a C-plusant quarterback.

We've always known the NBA player has had star. So this is not like LeBron entered a brilliantly run franchise that was on the top of the world and he was just the icing on the cake. It was a mess. And he kind of saved it. He was a little bit of a life preserver. but now it's gone south and LeBron's done this I'm too cool to care thing for the last like six months and it's obvious and it's like a turnoff and that's why Magic Johnson came out and Magic came out because Jeannie wanted Magic Johnson her friend to say enough is enough we're taking a lot of arrows here and we're done with it this was Magic on ESPN yesterday the blame that he's got to take is the fact that the Rosen ended up in Chicago and not with the lake The Rosen wanted to play for the Lakers. And when I got the call from his agent, I called the Lakers said, hey, he wants to come home.

And the Rosen could have been a Laker instead of a bull. We could have made that deal. But when Russell and LeBron them start talking, that's when they nixed that deal. And Westbrook, he became a Laker instead of the Rosen. That's Magic Johnson. And his weight carries a, his voice carries massive weight in this. town. He's also very close with Jeannie Bus. They're really, really close. So, listen, Magic at one point in his career complained, and they fired his coach and got him a new coach.

And Kobe at one point, because I'm going to go to Chicago, and they got him Paul Gasol. So, you know, I mean, LeBron's not the first Laker to complain. I mean, this has happened multiple. Magic did on coaching. Kobe did on players. But the difference is, we knew that. It's been well chronicled. Magic wanted a new coach. He got one. Kobe wanted new players.

He got one. I think LeBron sort of moved away from the Westbrook thing. And the Lakers are like, no, no, no, no, we're done with that. We're done with that. That was your call. Now, now, clutch sports in LeBron can say, this is embellishment.

And it is fair to say that LeBron entered a mess when he came to L.A. It was a mess. They had been a mess. They had the worst record in the NBA for the five previous years. They were a mess. And I still have questions about the front office. It's too star-driven.

I mean, like, can we just get some draft picks and young guys? More Malik Monk, please. Anyway, our two is coming up. Heard hierarchy, post-free agency next. Another podcast from some SNL late-night comedy guy, not quite. Unhumor me with Robert Smygel and friends. Me and hilarious guests from Bob Odenkirk to David Letterman help make you

funnier. This week, my guest, SNL's Mikey Day and headwriter, 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. A win is a win. A win. A win is a win. I don't care which I'll say it. 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 IHeard 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 a podcast. For 1979, that was a big moment for me.

It was big to me. I'm Sam J. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick a year, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it. With our friends, fellow comedians, and favorite authors. Like Mark Lamont Hill on the 80s. It was a wild year. It was a wild year.

I don't think there's a more important year for black people. Listen to look back at it on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal, but in cursing. 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 IHart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. This is an IHart podcast. Guaranteed Human. Thank you.