The Herd with Colin Cowherd - HOUR 1 - LeBron, Rodgers, MLB

Episode Date: February 24, 2022

It might be time for the Lakers to move on from LeBron JamesAaron Rodgers will be making his decision soonMLB better not wait too long to get a deal doneGuest: Sam Amick 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.

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This space is about black men's experiences, having honest conversations that it's really not safe to have anywhere, but you're having them with a licensed professional who knows what he's doing. How many men carry a suit or armor? It signals to the world that you're not to be played with. And just because you have the capability that does not mean that you need to. Listen and learn the hard way on the AHA radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. Hey, this is Robert from the Stuff to Blow Your Mind podcast. Joe and I are both lifelong Star Wars fan, so we're celebrating May the 4th with a brand new week of fun, thought-provoking Star Wars-related episodes. Join us as we tackle science and culture topics from a galaxy far far away,

such as the biology of taun tons and wampas on the ice planet hot, or the practicality and corporate business sense of the Sith rule of two. Listen to stuff to blow your mind on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. 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. Ah, and welcome in on a Thursday live in Los Angeles. The show is called The Herd, wherever you may be, and however you may be listening. IHeart Radio, Fox Sports Radio, FS1. This is my last day of the week. Joy is doing the show for me tomorrow, if she always does. So I'm giving you everything I got today.

No lazy takes. Total journalism commitment today, Joy. She will do the show tomorrow. I had another person last night. Tell me, I went out last night. Wife's out of town. And I sat down, had a big steak. Get some oysters?

Guy next to me named Kevin, never met him before, said, oh, I love Joy Taylor. How about that? Thanks, Kevin. I know. Kevin was chatty, too. I was trying to knock down my baked potato. He had a million takes.

You want to get some sports takes off with you? Did you get joysers, too? I didn't do that last night. No, Joy, I had. can't go all the way all the time. You have to sacrifice in life. No oyster. I don't know. I don't know about that. So Bill Orham's a very good reporter. I was reading a story this morning. He wrote about the tensions rising between LeBron and the Lakers. It's a real thing. And this is not like make-believe media. When it comes to stuff like this, everybody's got a

different personality. I'm not a blame person. Like, let's fix it. I've been to therapy my whole life. Let's just fix it. I'm not interested. You're victim. You. I. Let's just fix it. Okay. If you're a LeBron fan, well, this is LeBron's business. He comes in, he cleans it up, he gets your title. If you're the Lakers, you're like, yeah, this is your mess you wanted Westbrook. We could sit here all day and do a show on blame. It doesn't solve anything. But here's happening. Jeannie Bus's dad did not cave to superstars though he loved him. He traded Shaq. And Shaq was significantly more popular in L.A. than LeBron. It's not close. Shack was more popular in L.A. for most of his career than Kobe.

And Kobe was popular. Number two, Jerry Bus, Jeannie's the daughter. Jerry didn't get bullied. He was savvy. Magic signed a 25-year, $25 million contract. That was a bad contract by year three. And he let Shaq walk. Three is, LeBron's an outsider.

The Lakers always take care of Lakers. Magic, James Worthy. They have a history. You know, once a Laker, try to always be a Laker. Jerry Westing's gotten a little ugly, but, you know, they were together for a long time. LeBron's an outsider. It may be time to move off LeBron. And I think he's amazing.

But the roster's not good. The chemistry's bad. The bench is terrible. They don't have good contracts. And who's going to take Westbrook and AD? I mean, I would not take AD. I'd take Westbrook before AD because I could get rid of his contract. It's an expiring contract.

I would take LeBron and I would take Westbrook. I wouldn't take AD. He can't stay healthy. And I don't think he's a leader. And I don't think he's as committed as Westbrook or LeBron to play good basketball and get in the gym and get and work out and be. So listen, Ramona Shelburne, who's friends with Jeannie Bus, owner of the Lakers, said it last week in her podcast. This was a very important moment. The Lakers organization from ownership on down decided you guys got yourself in.

to this. This is the bed you have made. LeBron, Anthony Davis, Russell Westbrook, Carmelo Anthony, Dwight Howard, all the future Hall of Famers. This is your choice of roster and team. Go make it work. So Jeannie Bus is saying, this is my team and my franchise and your mess.

Fix it. Well, the only way to fix it, truthfully, would be to move LeBron. I mean, that would be the easiest, quickest way to do it. Jeannie Bus forced her brother out of the organization. You don't think he's going to move off LeBron?

And you have to remember this. This is an important thing. There's two really important things. LeBron's not beloved in L.A. He's famous. There's a lot of famous people in L.A. He's not beloved in L.A. Magic Johnson is beloved in L.A.

Blake Griffin was famous. Kobe was beloved in L.A. Shaq was beloved in L.A. Vin Scully, Chick Hearn, beloved in L.A. LeBron's famous. He's not Magic. or shack. This would not be a bad PR move and years and years of he's not. Okay. You know what he is? LeBron is Wilt. His best years were somewhere else. He arrived in L.A. They won a title. We never talk

about Wilt and the Lakers. Ever. We talk Kareem. We talk magic. We talk Worthy. We talk West. We talk Kobe. We talk magic. We never talk Wilt and the Lakers. Ever. He was loony at the end. He was flaky. He was hard to deal with. He did his best stuff other places. That's the thing. Shaq and Kareem came to L.A.

We got their prime. L.A. got their prime. Magic Kobe. We got all of their careers. LeBron's Wilt. We didn't get his best stuff. We got a title. Yeah.

We get titles all the time. It's L.A. Got like 17 of them. Jeter is beloved. A. Rod was talented. That's the difference with the Yanke. There's a big difference. You trade Jeter.

Remember Eli Manning? Eli Manning's a Giants. They benched him and the city exploded. I mean, literally New York, fire the coach, get rid of the GM, the owner's terrible, sell the team. Like Jeter, Manning, that's different than great guy that comes in. Big difference. You can move LeBron. Absolutely.

and the NBA does not run through LeBron anymore. He's great. But big decisions here. Remember, Los Angeles, the first part of it, he's not beloved in L.A. Secondly, the sensibility of L.A. is different. There's a term in this city. It's called a Hollywood Minute. Love you one second.

Bail on you the next. You go look at the biggest stars in L.A. 10 years ago. Almost none of them matter today. There is always somebody to replace you. always in Los Angeles. You can get to a Super Bowl. We'll find a new guy. You can win a title.

We'll move off you. They moved off Shaq. They moved off Shaq. End of debate. Shaq was as big a star as the city's ever had it. Not only like he was funny, he was in movies just physically. And Shaq leaned into it. He wasn't hiding.

He wasn't in his mansion, although he had one. He leaned into it, man. He'd get in that convertible drive downtown. Hi, everybody. And they moved off him. The quickest way to rebuild this thing. And this is not an anti-Lebron rant. It's a, dude, you're wilt.

You moved in here late. We didn't get your best years. We're not Cleveland. We're not desperate. And I say we, even I'm an outsider. Vin Scully is L.A. Chick Hearn was L.A. Dude, I'm just, I love being here, but I'm outsider.

Braun's an outsider. They will move off. few and I would argue this morning LeBron has done way better in this deal so far than the Lakers. Remember what J.A. Adonde said. You could move off Shaq because

it was mutually beneficial. Shack made a fortune in L.A. and the Lakers made a fortune off Shack. And they still moved off him. But LeBron have the Lakers, other than a title of which they've got a trophy room full of them, J.A. Adonde

yesterday. From a business perspective, remember, they didn't make the playoffs this first year. When they won the championship, it was in the bubble, so you didn't get the home game revenue. And then they only had a couple home games with them in the playoffs last year. We thought this was going to be his last act, but he's clearly restless. And also we have to take in the fact that he likes creating new pathways. And I think if for the Lakers, okay, this happened. We got the championship.

But long term, we need a full reset, right? So I think on both sides, it makes sense that maybe their futures lie or their best served by taking a split. Yeah. I read Bill Plashky this morning, longtime popular columnist, kind of the voice of the city. He's like, it's time to move. This is not the rest of the country. I mean, Miami is transient. And when LeBron left Miami, people are like, they got over it really fast because Miami's transient.

People are coming. They're going. you know the old funny line about Miami. It's a sunny place for shady people. Not saying anybody shady. I'm just saying transient is their business. That's us with another layer of we attract the most stars in the world. You're a star in Russia.

You're a star in Canada. You're a star anywhere. Like this is the place you come to make movies and make business and make like anywhere. And so like add that layer to the layer of Miami, which has got over LeBron leaving like really fast. Like really, really fast. Miami's a deal-making town. Add Hollywood

do our deal-making. So I just think it's time. I think Westbrook, I can move that contract easily off-season. It's an expiring contract. You can buy Westbrook, pay him to the All-Star break, and then somebody can move them off their books. LeBron,

you could absolutely move and get a ton. Anthony Davis, I would have moved. moved off him last year. But sometimes, you know, timing is everything in sports. Like timing is everything. You tell me, Lakers have already said they're running this team back next year, right? They'll try to move Westbrook, but they're going to run this team back next year. Really?

Sometimes change is not only inevitable, it's a good thing. Just it forces you to get uncomfortable, get on the phone. when the Lakers call, who doesn't pick the phone up? People will pick it up. This is not an anti-Lebron rant. This would have been crazy to suggest six years ago, absurd 12 years ago. You couldn't even whisper it 15 years ago. Now, it's probably time.

L.A. is not desperate. They'll figure it out. Maybe they'll be bad for a year. Hey, man. Kobe's last four, they weren't fun to watch either. The place was still jammed. I was going to add another story, but I just felt like going all in on that LeBron story. So we're getting some interesting bits of information on Aaron Rogers and the team.

And something came down to smoothing in regards to the decision by Aaron. So I'm going to bring that to you on the other side of this. A lot of stuff today. A lot of moving pieces. 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-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.

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pressure, and purpose on my new podcast, Learn the Hardway. Open your free IHeartRadio app. Search Learn the Hardway and listen now. You're now entering the No Bull Zone, sponsored by Credible Great Rates, with none of the Bull, a credible. So Diana Rossini, a reporter NFL, says Aaron Rogers will be informing the Packers of his decision very soon per league sources, multiple teams with offers on the table,

but of course nothing can happen until the Packers allow a trade. So I wouldn't be shocked if Aaron Rogers would not the source for that. I think this relationship is so weird between the Packers and Aaron Rogers. and I'll give you an example why. With Aaron now, everything's become public. I know what his feet look like.

His stance on vaxes that he vomited for the last 10, 12 days. His family squabbles. Everything with Aaron is public. The Packers are private, conservative, humble, grateful, and meek. This is not a marriage made in heaven. This is Mike Pence dating Kathy Griffin. That's what it feels like to me. I think Green Bay would bail on Aaron.

in a second if Jordan Love could play. This is not who they are. In one corner, you've got high maintenance, incredibly needy, weekly discussions on vaccinations, his feet, the negotiations, battling with the media, battled with his family, Hollywood friendly, leans into victimhood. In the other corner, you've got these farmers in Green Bay who just, they just love building a football team and they love their family. this relationship's ridiculous. Brady was never necessarily a New England guy, but he understood the Patriot Way worked.

And so he just did it. Now, we know once he went to Tampa and he's drinking and throwing trophies in the, you know, cross boats that Tom has a second gear. He's actually, if you watch his social, he's pretty funny. He's pretty funny, dry wit, pretty funny guy. But he bought into the Patriot Way. Respectfully, it worked. We've all done that, right?

You like to party a lot more in your bosses. do, but, you know, it works for you. It works for your family. And, you know, you play the good cop at work. But, you know, you go out at night, you go home, you have a little different personality or you go to a different company. But the Patriot way, Tom bought into. Aaron doesn't buy into increasingly. I think he did early. But the older he gets, he doesn't buy into their way. His takeaway is, I'm going to do what I'm going to do. I'm not even going to be vaxed. I'm not even going to be available for the biggest game of the regular season against the Chiefs. You're going to lose. And I don't care. And I'm

I'm going to talk about it with zero guilt the next day on YouTube. And that's just who he is. He's not buying into any of this. They don't like to be manipulated. The Packers don't like to be public. And Aaron has gone, this is a marriage. They're staying together for the kids. I mean, they're legally married.

They'd move off Aaron in one second if Jordan Love could play. God, if Jordan Love was Trey Lance and we don't know if he can play, I think they'd move off him. but this is I mean I look at all this stuff and Aaron's now leaking stuff yeah I'll make up my mind soon he goes in a 12-day retreat still doesn't have an answer really he's got an answer he's just playing the game and he's toying with him and they're still legally together but when I when I watch all this stuff what he's become in the last 12 months and what they are their DNA totally different This is like, you know, the hate Ashbury artist in San Francisco marrying an accountant.

And poking the accountant in the ribs for wearing, you know, khakis. Like, they're just different people, different sensibilities. And, you know, I still contend Aaron will stay there. But I think he leaks up this morning. And here's Brian Gudenkoons. Again, being the nice guy, you know, saying this. stuff that you'd want to say. And I think Brian actually, at his core, he really is Packer DNA. Let's do stuff. Let's keep it out of the press. I don't want to hold press conferences.

We draft and develop. We occasionally win Super Bowls. Here's Brian. No deadlines. We're just, again, we're working together. I think the conversations after the season were very impactful. And again, there are some timing things that will come into play. We will have to make decisions down the road. But Aaron's well aware of that. Working together. Nobody really works together, family, girlfriends, agent. Nobody really works together with Aaron. Aaron does his thing, and he doesn't care where it lands.

Joy Taylor with the news. No, no, no, no, no. Turn on a news. This is the herd line news. And what do they say? Opposites attract, but similarities bind. Yeah, opposites do attract. They don't last, but they attract.

Yeah, like works better. similarities bind you get interested in something that you're not you're not used to it's crazy he stays up till one at night yeah and all of a sudden you're in bed at 930 and you're exhausted and you can't figure out why so Russell Wilson made a change to his social media

that got the trade rumors swirling who would have guessed when these these apps began that this is this would become a thing a cornerstone of journalism it is though like this is this is is how people communicate. I think you and I should just erase our Fox stuff just for the publicity and then put it on

and then the next day be like, I just made a mistake. I pushed a wrong button on Twitter. I really like it. But just for 24 hours, you get all that buzz. I just wanted to change the aesthetic. But I mean, sometimes that is what it is. But we all know, like when you're this much of a public figure, this stuff matters. So he updated his profile picture from a shot of him in a Seahawks uniform to one from his prep school days in Richmond, Virginia.

by the commanders, Washington commanders. That's what it got people thinking that maybe he would be interested in playing for the Washington commanders. Now here's what's interesting about this. Because I can play along with this kind of stuff. It's fun. Maybe it's something. Maybe it's not.

But while we consider it to be something, the four teams he reportedly would have accepted a trade to last season were the Cowboys, the Saints, the Raiders, and the Bears. None of those work. The Raiders are staying with Derek Carr. The Bears have Justin Fields. The Saints are no longer an option with Sean Payton not there,

at least for Russell Wilson, and the Cowboys have signed Dak Prescott. So those four options don't work. And we know, and Derek Carr's going to be a raider. Like, let's get over that. They're not letting them go. They'd be stupid to let him go. And no, first of all, you know what that tells me? How quickly the

NFL changes. In one year, we thought three of those four were viable options. This morning, I think none of them are viable options. None of them are options. Why would you go to the Saints? Well, you don't. Now you don't go to the same. Not Russell Wilson. I'm not saying that, you know, someone's going to go to the Saints. No, no, but that for Russell? Why would he force his way out of Seattle to go to the Saints at this point? It doesn't make any sense. But Washington is kind of interesting.

Now, the cultural part of Washington is what gives me hesitation for this rumor having some validity. Well, yeah, they're a turbulent mess. Correct. And that's not Russell Wilson's brand. I mean, we're talking about, we're talking about matches and things that align and everything with Aaron Rogers and Green Bay. That's not Russell Wilson. Okay, let me throw this. you, though, if you're Washington and need to clean up your brand, you just have a new logo, who is the squeaky clean quarterback that can clean your brand up really fast? Oh, this makes amazing sense for Washington. Oh, my God, it's a perfect fit.

Yes. And Ron Rivera, like, this is a great fit. I mean, Ron Rivera, the strong leader, battled cancer last year. Washington has some nice pieces on the offensive side. They've got a new logo, bring in squeaky clean Russell Wilson, right down the the street. Like Washington, I completely get it. Yeah. This is great for Washington. Russell going there. Russell, I don't know. That part I don't get. Now, again, there's no indication at this point that he's going to force his way out of Seattle. I maintain they had a down year. Yes.

A little turbulent. That is, and I don't, but that's how you feel. I don't think that he's going to finish his career in Seattle. Either do I. But I don't know that this year is the year he's going to force his way out. Now, he did sign a four-year contract, four-year, $140 million contract in 2019. That runs through the 2023 season, and he has a $37 million cap hit next season, which will be the sixth highest in the NFL. Yeah. So,

I think he's just going to finish this contract in Seattle. Yeah, so do I. And then probably move on. Yeah. I mean, he's not going to take a pay cut. I And probably he shouldn't. Probably shouldn't at this point in his career. His next contract, though, I could see him taking a little less money,

Tom Brady style, not that much of a cut, but, you know, more reasonable. so that you can have more pieces around him. Because Russell is one of those guys that is really interested in winning championships. I'm going to give you later this hour or top of next hour my three teams he should go to. And they're not what people think. Because I've moved enough. I know what works and what doesn't.

I can say this. I'm not an expert at anything, but I'm good on the moving thing. Yeah. Like I know what works and what doesn't and what's overrated, what's underrated. There are three teams he works for. And all of them, I think, share a lot of qualities that he possesses. I do think if he went there, they win that division. Washington?

Even with the talent that the Cowboys have. Oh, no, no, I absolutely do. Listen, I think we've said this. Washington gave Brady in Tampa with Taylor Heineke last year in the playoffs. Trouble. They've got something. No, they got players. They got wide receivers.

They got pass rushers. They are not a total rebuild. They need a quarterback, but they can win a lot of games in Washington. So after four seasons as a starter, in Chicago, Mitchell Trubisky went to Buffalo and filled the backup role for Josh Allen. And after spending time in the build system, he thinks he's ready for a shot at another starting job. He said, I'm in a confident space right now. Going to Buffalo really opened my eyes. After being in Chicago for four years, there was only one way I knew how to do things,

having a different way of doing things. You learn what's possible. It helped me to get back to instinctual football and using my talents rather than overthinking. He was 29 and 21 as a starter. Dave Wonstat always argued with me. He's a starter. You may not think he's a great starter, but Wonstadt used to say, you just have to play football a certain way with Trabisky. Hey, listen, he got to the playoffs twice. He did go to the playoffs.

Okay, so he got into the playoffs twice. And at that time, Minnesota wasn't terrible. So, like, there's an argument to be made. We can all bang on him, and we fall in love with greater, bigger, physical players. He's clearly a backup in Buffalo, but there are people in this league. I am not one of them. There are people that I have talked to that think he is a, he's mature enough, he's athletic enough, he works hard enough. Remember, the players in the room like Mitch.

Right. They just knew he was limited. But there are people in this league that see Mitch as a middle end starter. I mean, I think he is. Like 17th best in the league, 18th best. Yeah, I don't think he's somebody you build your franchise around. I don't either. He's certainly an upgrade over a lot of.

A lot of the guys are starting this. A three-year deal and draft quarterbacks and find a... He's a bridge starter. I don't think he's a high, high-end backup bridge starter. If I was the Pittsburgh Steelers and I got Mitch Trubisky, I'm sorry. I know better about Mitch Trubisky than Mason Rudolph. Not even close.

So there you go. So I'm not saying he's hair, but if you're throwing out a lot of this backup guy stuff, like Taylor Heineckee and Rudolph, no, Mitch Trubisky is better than that. Absolutely. And he has a lot of experience. So, but that's, I think everybody's looking at it and they're like, oh, Mitch Trubisky starter, like, no good. Where are you as a team?

First of all. Yeah. Like, are you in a rebuild? Are you in a space where you're building up your roster and acquiring players, but you're just a quarterback away? Well, maybe you do need a bridge guy. That's what he is. I don't think he's a guy you're going to win multiple playoff games and make a Super Bowl run

with, but everybody's not in that situation or conversation. So you and I agree. He's a bridge guy. Right. But not necessarily a backup for all teams. I don't think he's a backup for all teams. No, no. You and I agree.

Like I think there's a Teddy Bridgewater component. Teddy can start in this league. Case Keenham's a backup. Teddy and Trubeski can start. They bridge you. Tyrod Taylor is a starter in this league. Yeah. A lot of people think that's Davis Mills in Texas.

Like, you start him for two years. Let's give him a look. Yeah, you're not going to build your entire organization around him. But if you have a, it's a good leader. There's a star franchise guys. Yes. Bridge guys. And backups.

I think he's a bridge guy. So do I. So New York City's mayor expressed optimism yesterday about eventually phasing out the city's vaccine mandates. Oh, he did. That would open the door for Kyrie to play Nets' home games. And Steve Nash said Kyrie is very excited about that possibility. I will say he's been extremely locked in. You know, Kyrie has been great on the practice floor.

He's been great in film sessions. He's been creating dialogue over aspects of our play. so I sense a real focus and urgency from him. And so if that's any indication, I would say he is getting excited at the prospect of being allowed to play in all our games, hopefully in the short term. I cannot wait to see what this is just all sorts of moving parts. I'm fascinated by it. But if New York adopts that and he can play, and then I get Simmons, here's the one thing where Brooklyn has a chance to be really good. Now, I think it's too many moving parts.

But Ben Simmons game is drive and either finish at the rim or distribute. Patty Mills, Seth Curry, Kyrie Irving are great shooters. And I would argue, you know, Curry's ascending. Patty Mills is where he's at. Kyrie could ascend if he's with the right playmaker. Right. So if Ben Simmons got his mental's right, if he's good there, or you could see it working, you could, because then you throw in KD,

who's maybe the best, he is the best shooter in the world at seven feet tall. So if you look on paper at Brooklyn, it absolutely works. I just, I don't, I think there's a lot of ego and stuff here that it'll unwind. I just don't think. I'm fascinated to watch it. I don't, I shouldn't say I don't think. I don't know if there's enough time to get it all worked out. There's a lot to collectively fit into the puzzle.

Even LeBron wins a title. the second year everywhere he goes. Like, it's hard. And that's LeBron, who's the ultimate team guy. That's right. It takes year two. Right. So half of a season, I don't know if it's, I don't know if that's enough time. Not saying that they won't make the playoffs, not saying that they won't, you know, win a series or two. I just don't know if they have the ability to make all this work to win a championship this year. But it's going to be interesting. Joy with the news. Well, that's the news. And thanks for stopping by. The Hurd-Lie News. I have

have stuff today. I just don't want to give away too much stuff early. Like if you got a funny joke or two and you go to a party, you can't give them both away in the first five minutes. You got to keep one joke until you get to the punch bowl. And then the other one is you're walking out the door. You're like, hey, funny line, leave and you're well thought of out the door. So I got stuff here. I got saved some for the next hour. Can't just throw all my good stuff out. I do think that I will say this. in my business, in the football business, change is inevitable. People move. And, you know, everybody sizes everybody up.

What's that broadcaster make? What's that quarterback make? What's that producer make? What's that movie star make? And that has a huge influence on this. And I do think that Russell Wilson looks at his contemporaries and thinks, hey, this guy's got that, that, that, that, that. And Aaron Rogers looks at his contemporaries and goes,

that, that guy's got that, that, that, that. but I can argue both are in pretty good spots. I mean, Seattle, good money, good game day money. They've got some really good players. Pete Carroll's won a Super Bowl and a national title. So it is funny that the comparison shopping is a very real thing in my business, in football, everybody, movie stars, in the entertainment. And I can't speak for, you know, landscapers.

But in, in the entertainment business, it's always, he's getting. that, I want that. She's getting that. I want that. And generally speaking, my opinion is your situation is way better than you're giving it credit for as you look over there and look over there. I've said this forever on Green Bay. Outside of the Patriots, who had the best offensive coach probably ever, Dante Scarnacchio, nobody develops offensive lines like the Packers. They never draft offensive line in first round. They always have great offensive lines. like that is where Russell Wilson would die for that offensive line now Aaron would die for Russell Wilson's defenses for about four years so whenever you come comparison shop you know the

grass is always greener Russell and Aaron both have a Super Bowl both won 70% of their games both have more than competent coaches uh you got to be careful about just moving to move I guess that's my that's my rant today be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekday and noon Eastern 9 a.m. Pacific. I'm George Reister, host of the Reister or Wrong podcast. This is the intersection where sports, business, society, and pop culture meet the truth. Absolute fire on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Facts only.

Make sure you check your feelings at the door because no BS is allowed. We keep it 100. This is where real conversations happen. Listen to the Rice or Wrong. podcast on the I Heart Radio Apple, 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 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, 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 Cliverts 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 Jette. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick it here, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it. Including a recent episode with Mark Lamont Hill waxing all about crack in the 80s. To be clear, 84 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. They're finishing that sentence. I don't think there's a more important year for black people. Really? Yeah. For me, it's one of the most important years for black people in American history. Listen to look back at it on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Welcome to my new podcast, Learn the Hard Way with me, your host, and your favorite therapist, Kear Games.

And in recognition of mental health awareness month, I'm bringing over a decade of my own experience in the mental health field and conversations with so many incredible guests. I'm talking. Trip 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.

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as 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. Car shortages? What car shortage? Go to Driveway.com. 25,000 new and used cars

and their nationwide inventory. Driveway.com. Sam Amick has been covering in the NBA for the Athletic Senior. your NBA guy. And I do think the second half of the NBA, I mean, let's be honest about it. The first half gets engulfed by the NFL. The trade deadline is when most people start watching the NBA more. I know I'm certainly that. And I'm a sportscaster. But, you know, January, I'm pretty busy. Joy and I have this thing called the National Football League to cover.

And Sam Amick is now joining us live. So we've got a lot of interesting stories. Okay, I am more of a Harden works in Philly because there's less moving parts. A lot of people, and they argue, if you look at Simmons in Brooklyn, with all these pieces, it's a better fit. What side are you on? Who's going to win that trade and why? Man, I know it's not popular to sit on the fence, Colin. I like them both.

And to me, it's questions on both sides with the key guys. Ben Simmons, where is he going to be at mentally, physically, spiritually, if you will, is he ready to rock? But basketball-wise, X's and O's, I love the fit out there. I think he fits with that crew better than James did. And then I think there's similar questions with James. A lot of the reporting leading up to him leaving Brooklyn was, that he had gotten back to some of his old ways in terms of hitting the nightlife pretty hard,

not necessarily looking like the most fit version of himself. The hamstring situation obviously was mysterious at best. But if James is ready to kind of channel that old Rockets version, MVP caliber version that he had before, I think that could be great too. I like both squads for sure. So the Lakers stuff is very interesting. This is a franchise that traded wildly popular shack off three titles. Okay, they'll make moves.

And LeBron's, he's a visitor. Shack felt like he was the city. It was a different time. He was as big a star as anybody in this city, including movie stars. And they moved off him. So the Lakers would move off him. Doesn't mean they would. But I'll throw this at you.

I think LeBron loves L.A. I think he loves it for his family. It's unbelievable for his business. I don't think he wants to leave. He could make it ugly and do a power play against Rob Polis. But let's start there. Do you see Rob Polenka eventually being forced out by LeBron? Could you see that?

I'm going to say no for now. My understanding is I believe Rob has two more years left on his deal, and it's a lot of money. So the Lakers, as you know, are, it's a little counterintuitive, but they are cost-conscious. It's why Alex Caruso went to Chicago for luxury tax considerations. And we've seen this time and again. So I think there is going to continue to be a lot of. of pressure on Rob. He's doing his best to defuse the situation, telling people privately that there's no bad blood here, even though we obviously see the way LeBron is operating right now.

So I don't see Rob getting bounced. And with LeBron and his kind of motivations going forward, I'm a little torn because you are 100% correct. He loves L.A. Spring Hill, his production company is killing it out there. And his net worth has spiked since he's been there. If you go back to the Cleveland days, he would argue that he could run all of that from anywhere. what they used to say when he was in Cleveland. And I do think he wants to win at a very high level. I don't think he enjoys this type of a season where night after night after night, if anybody's been in those rooms, Colin, where we, you know, I've been there a lot, are asking tough questions about why they're just not meeting expectations. It's just not a

very pleasurable basketball experience. And I think you're seeing that bear out with the way LeBron's moving right now. Okay, there's a couple of teams that are fascinating to me. And I want to start with Golden State. It's really easy. Dre's banged up. He was having a good season. This is a small team to begin with. They are small. If Draymond's not healthy, no chance to win the championship.

Let's say Draymond, so let's say Draymond comes back and is healthy. Wiseman comes back. I don't know if they match up great with Phoenix. I don't. I don't think they match up at all with Milwaukee in terms of size. They don't. Give me

kind of a crystal ball it with the Warriors. Jonathan Coominga, by the way, 6-7-220, Twitchy Athletic, he can defend. But I look at him and I think, man, I just don't know if they're big enough. Where does it land for you? I'm not betting against their culture, their guys, Draymond in particular. You know, I looked at the numbers the other day. I believe they're 13 and 9 since Draymond got hurt. He needs to be 100% Draymond at his best for them to win the whole thing. Against Phoenix, They've looked pretty good in the matchups they've had to this point. I think that would be a hell of a series.

And I think, I know this stuff is hard to quantify, but you're talking about a group that has won three championships and everybody but Kevin Durant still being around. And more importantly, they're not living on the past. They've evolved with guys like Jordan Poole and Kamaga and all the young guys who are a big part of this. Gary Payton, the second, who's been an X factor. So I like the Warriors as much as anybody if they're healthy.

And obviously now on the other side, Phoenix has got its situation. with Chris Paul, too. Milwaukee Bucks, I've watched them six times. I watched them before the All-Star break twice. They're not as good defensively. Drew Holliday is having a great year. They are just not as good defensively. And that's a big part of their brand because they're a good offensive team.

They're not a juggernaut. Chris Middleton, he's off. They can have clunky quarters and halves. Why aren't they as good defensively? It's Brooke Lopez. That's it. I mean, in my opinion, it's the fact that Brooke hasn't been there all year. I had the back issue, you know, as I'm not.

obviously no clarity whatsoever about when they're going to have them again, if at all, this season. So that, you know, Brooke Lopez is one of the most underrated defenders in the league. And in that context of the Bucks, he has always allowed Janus to be an absolute terror as a help defender. And that kind of synergy was important for them. Their 12th in defensive rating right now, if you look at last season, the championship season, they went into the playoffs ninth in defensive rating. So not that far from where they are right now in the previous two seasons, they led the league in defense. It is a huge part of their culture.

And it's just a question of with Serge Abaka now being part of it, is he going to help enough when it comes to improving on that end to help them out? Because Yannis, if you want to look at positives for the Bucks and people are sleeping on it. I mean, Colin, again, Janice is playing at an MVP caliber level. And I'll be honest with you. If he had a strong, strong finish, I could see myself voting for him for MVP. He's been that good, obviously, along with NB and Yokic. Let me circle back to LeBron.

He had these comments about Cleveland. You know, don't close the door on Cleveland. And my takeaway was, who said it's open? I don't think they're moving all those great young pieces. They have a really interesting roster. What do you make about LeBron and Cleveland again? I thought mostly that it was one of the many choices that LeBron made in the last 10 days to just use a certain topic to send the message to the Lakers that you need to stop being comfortable with the idea that I'm going to be here forever.

So whether it's Cleveland, you know, whether it's Memphis or Sacramento, the thing that I loved from a kind of a, you know, psychological standpoint about the way he framed it is that because he brought up his son, Brani, and the idea of playing with Brani in the NBA, he just, you know, he opened up all these potential scenarios that, again, apply pressure to the Lakers. Like, I might go anywhere because if you take the Brani component away, then we're back to normal times where we say, no, LeBron James is only maybe going to play in three markets in the entire NBA. Well, the unique idea of playing with your son now all of a sudden makes all 29 other teams a threat to the Lakers. So to me, it was less about him actually going back to Cleveland

and more about the message he was sent it back to L.A. Sam Amick, a senior NBA writer for the athletic second half. Does the second half begin tonight? Do I get games tonight? Oh, I do get games. You do. You do indeed. All right. There we go. Yeah. Cocktail games. Life is good. There we go. Sam, good seeing you again.

Thanks, Colin. Likewise. You bet. I really am. You know, it's funny in our business. I think Joey and I, like, I try not to mush too much together. Like, Labor Day until like two weeks ago, it's about 80% NFL, 20% college football, and I don't do a ton of NBA, though my job is to kind of watch it and keep my eye on it.

Then season ends, about two weeks of like, you know, go on vacation. I was driving in this morning. All the shows have backup hosts on. Not this show. Starters here. And then we'll be about a week from now. We get into these Aaron Rogers and free agency stuff. But I do think, you know, people either like the NBA or you don't.

I do. I don't really look at the first half of the NBA. I'm not overly critical of it because it's getting engulfed by football. Nobody can compete against football. I mean, baseball right now is going through a labor dispute. Let me tell you something. If baseball doesn't get on the field by mid-May, it's over. Because I've moved into the NBA.

Mid-May until July, I'm on the NBA. And then I go jet skiing and I come back and I go all football. So if baseball's out there messing around, don't kid yourself. Like March and spring training and April. Like that's baseball territory. You can make some inroads. You better be very careful because the way this works in our business, all this free publicity is,

have seasons. And if you let yours pass baseball, bye-bye. We'll just move on because I got to tell you something. The NBA now starts getting, you got some interesting stories right now. This Philly thing and this Brooklyn thing are interesting. This LeBron drama is interesting. And there's no football to compete against. So that real estate is right there. And if I was baseball, I would strongly advise, don't take your fans for granted. Do not take your fans for granted because we move on fast. NBA, you're going to have a lot of drama in the second half. There is a lot of drama coming around the corner.

All right, good stuff. You're not going to believe this 49er story that's out there with Jimmy G. and Trey Lance. What a tasty story on a Thursday. Live in L.A. 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 to David Letterman help make you funny. 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 Superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the IHard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Hey, what's good, y'all? You're listening to Learn the Hard Way with your favorite therapist and host, Kear Games. This space is about black men's experiences, having honest conversations, that it's really not safe to have anywhere, but you're having them with a licensed professional who knows what he's doing. How many men carry a suit or armor. It signals to the world that you're not to be played with.

And just because you have the capability that does not mean that you need to, listen to learn the hard way on the AHA radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. Hey, this is Robert from the Stuff to Blow Your Mind podcast. Joe and I are both lifelong Star Wars fan, so we're celebrating May the 4th with a brand new week of fun thought-provoking Star Wars-related episodes.

Join us as we tackle science and culture topics from a galaxy far, far away, such as the biology of taun tons and wampas on the ice planet hot, or the practicality and corporate business sense of the Sith rule of two. Listen to stuff to blow your mind on the IHeart Radio app,

Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. This is an IHeart podcast. Guaranteed human.