The Herd with Colin Cowherd - HOUR 1 - Murray, NIL, NBA playoffs

Episode Date: April 15, 2022

Joy Taylor filling in for Colin   The Cardinals need to pay Kyler Murray People are overreacting about the NIL rules Joy's NBA playoff predictions Guest: Paige DimakosSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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

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

Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast's Superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, this is Robert from the Stuff to Blow Your Mind podcast. Joe and I are both lifelong Star Wars fan, so we're celebrating May the 4th with a brand new week of fun, thought-provoking Star Wars-related episodes.

Join us as we tackle science and culture topics from a galaxy far, far away, such as the biology of tauntons and wampas on the ice planet hot, or the practicality and corporate business sense of the Sith rule. of two. Listen to Stuff to Blow Your Mind on the Iheart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. On the Look Back at it podcast. From 1979, that was a big moment for me. 84 was big to me. I'm Sam J.

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

people listen to look back at it on the iHeart radio app apple podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts thanks for listening to the herd podcast be sure to catch us live every weekday from 12 to three eastern nine to noon pacific on fox sports radio and fs one find your local station for the herd at fox sports radio dot com or stream us live every day on the i heart radio app by searching herd you're listening to fox sports radio welcome to the herd joy taylor in for colin cowher today enjoying some time off in the great city of Chicago, which I hope he found a coat because he did not bring one with him yesterday. Alex Curry is hanging out with me on this beautiful Friday afternoon.

Thank you for joining us today. Alex, how are you doing today? I'm taking in. I think you just started a new motto in that tease there. He said, it's Friday. Just relax. Take a deep breath. I was over here.

I was like, you're right. I'm going to take a deep breath. I'm going to relax. Everything's going to be okay. You know, we're very California. I know. Be here now. Breathe.

Everything is about breath. Deep breath. Yoga. Get centered. Balance. Listen, Nick Sabin and Davo need to take some breaths. It's going to be all right. We'll get into that in a little bit as we discuss the NIL.

Paige DeMocos of the Draft Network is going to join us. The draft is just two weeks away. It's here. It doesn't feel like it's so much this year because we don't have the big stars and the talks of big trades for the quarterback. but I actually think it's going to be a very interesting draft. And I'm very curious to see how we look back on it in a few years because everyone keeps talking about how it's not a star-driven draft. We'll talk about that with Paige DeMocco's.

Jim Jackson will join us. The NBA playing in games are tonight, the final ones for the play-in tournament, and then the playoffs are a go. Here we go. I'll get my predictions later in the show as well. We'll discuss that with Jim Jackson as well as some other NBA stuff as well. Darius Butler will join us, and Moose Johnson, because the USFL starts this weekend.

Oh, that's big tomorrow. Yes, it's very exciting. So make sure that you watch that in primetime on Fox. We'll discuss that with him. So as I teased as we were coming in, Kyler Murray. Kyler Murray is going to win the contract battle with the Cardinals. And they would be silly to drag this out. So there were some murmurs yesterday.

Tom Pelliserra reported that the Cardinals have yet to make an extension offer to Murray and Kyler Murray's agent has informed Arizona a week's ago, in fact, that he was pulling his opening proposal off the table, and it is on the board that he will hold out if he does not get a deal that he likes. Now, again, breathe. Everyone's freaking out about all the power that quarterbacks have now and holding out

and what does this say and what does this mean and too much power to the players. That's not the situation here. Now, there's some questions about Kyla Murray, and that's fair. Does he have all the leadership intangibles that he needs to have? will he be the face of the organization in 10 years?

I believe he does. But if this becomes messy with the Cardinals, they're sending a message that maybe they feel that he doesn't. So Greg Jennings talked a little bit about this earlier in the year, some of the issues that might be bubbling up with Kyler Murray and the Cardinals. Here's Greg Jennings. They've created this problem. And it was a good friend Larry Fitzgerald.

I remember sitting down and talking to him and asking him about Kyler. and he said one of the things that he felt was that they rolled out the red carpet too soon. Too soon for a young guy. They gave him everything that he wanted, anything he had free reign, and it started to show in his personality and the way he carried himself. When you do that, when you make that decision early, you set yourself up to fail. And this is what has happened in that organization right now with Kyla Murray. You've already given them everything that he's.

ever asked for. You wrote out the red carpet, you turned over the car keys and said, here, this is your car, this is, we go as you go. And now all of a sudden he doesn't want to drive that car anymore. I don't know what other choice the Cardinals have. This is a quarterback league. He is

a franchise quarterback. It would benefit the Cardinals to get a deal done early, a longer term deal, get the money that Kyler wants, and be able to spread it out so that you have flexibility with the cap. What are you putting off. If you're saying Kyler's not the guy, which clearly, according to Greg and Larry Fitzgerald, there are some conversations about him having some leadership issues. Maybe he's not the franchise guy. Well, that means you guys don't know how to draft quarterbacks, because this is your second one.

And I don't think you're going back to Josh Rosen. But the tales of whether Kyler Murray is improving or he is the guy in Arizona are also exaggerated. Because if you look at his numbers year to year, he is improving, which is what you ask for from a young quarterback. Every year he's gotten better. Has he had some injury questions? Maybe, but he's only missed three games in his three years in the league. Sorry to our radio listeners, but he's getting better every single year. Better completion percentage, more yards per game, higher pass or rating,

and even though nobody wants to say that quarterback that wins are a quarterback stat, they're winning more with Kyler Murray. So he's your franchise guy. Why are you going to make this messy? We have two examples of organizations trying to go up against quarterbacks and failing. Dak Prescott, which, I mean, I've never talked about anyone's contract in the history of sports more than I talked about Dak Prescott's contract, which I said in the beginning, he is going to get, and that's what I'm saying now with Kyler Murray, he is going to get the contract,

and Kirk Cousins, who we know is one of the best in all of sports at making money for not winning a lot. So if you want to go up against the quarterback, you're going to lose. That's just the world that we live in in the NFL. Now, if you look at Josh Allen, who got his deal going into his fourth year, he got $43 million at six years. And obviously, Patrick Mahomes, who got $45 million a year on a 10-year deal. I'm not saying you need to give him a 10-year deal. I'm not saying you need to give him a six-year deal. Give him a five-year deal.

Spread things out. Make it flexible. Make it move. But you're going to have to pay Kyler Murray. What else are you going to do? Are you going to go back on the market and look for something better? everyone wants to find the next Patrick Mahomes. There's only one Patrick Mahomes.

Don't get confused about this. And he's staying in Kansas City in perpetuity. He is going to be there. You have a young quarterback that is winning more every single year, improving every single year. Maybe he's not perfect in the locker room. Maybe you feel like you rolled out the red carpet too soon. That's a you problem because what he's doing on the field is producing results,

which means you're going to have to pay him. And clearly, clearly he has no problem. playing these public games because he already erased Arizona off of his social media temporarily. His agent has already put out a manifesto cheesecake factory announcement, if you will, Cheesecake Factory menu size announcement about what they want and what they're interested in. So they are obviously ready to go to war over this contract, as they should. He's willing to leave $5.5 million on the table if he doesn't play this year. He will make that back because Colt McCoy is your backup right now.

He's not giving you a whole lot of leverage. Pay Kyla Murray. Don't drag this out. Focus on winning in the future and everything else you have to worry about because he's a franchise quarterback there. Don't worry about the money. You're going to have to pay your quarterback. It's actually a good thing to have to pay your quarterback.

That means you have a guy. Everyone's looking for a guy and Kyla Murray is that guy. All right. So we're going to transition to what I was talking about with the breathing. Take a deep breath. Take a deep breath. I know change. a lot. Change is dramatic. And I try to give grace to people who don't embrace change or can't absorb

change as easily as I do. Maybe that's my disposition. I grew up in chaos. I'm used to it. I like to look for the silver lining when change happens. That's just my personality. I get it. Everyone doesn't do that. But when you are one of the top voices for, I don't know, Alabama for a sport, you're a legendary coach like Nick Saban, I do think you have to set the tone for things. And there's a lot of panic around NIL and the transfer portal, which, by the way, are two separate things entirely. One has nothing to do with the other when you're talking about regulations

and how they should structure them. But I think everyone needs to take a deep breath about NIL and how out of control it is. This was Nick Sabin on the Rich Eisen Show, giving his thoughts on the downside of NIL. there's some unintended consequences of you know what the original good idea of name image and likeness was really intended to be so and i and i think that that's going to create a little bit of an unfair playing field everything we've always done in college is you know try to be equal so you have some kind of equal parity competition whatever so will there be some changes maybe uh do i have the solution

no, but I think that it's a little bit of the Wild Wild West right now, and I think that's what people are trying to, you know, bring under some kind of control so that we don't let things get away from us, and it doesn't impact opportunities for other students. College football has the least amount of parity of any major sport in our country, first of all. So the idea that they're always striving for fairness and even playing field, and that sport is quite silly, especially coming from Alabama. Now, they're just better.

Alabama is just better, so it's not that it's unfair, but there's basically no parity, and we can see that in the college football playoff. So let's start with that. Second, I don't want to hear about how tragic the NIL is from men who have built massive amounts of wealth and success off of a system that was in place for a very long time. it feels a little devoid of self-awareness.

Again, like anything, change can trigger people, and it can be dramatic, and it takes an adjustment. But like anything else in life that has a dramatic swing, it corrects itself, and that's what NIL will do. I do think it does need some regulations, some guidelines, some ways to protect young people from bad actors and universities from taking advantage of it. But let's not sit here and clutch our...

pearls and act like there's not been any universities over the past 50 years who have bent the rules with recruiting a little bit and not done everything above the board. I'm not accusing any particular school, but we all know this goes on. We all know they slide a little cash every once in a while to the youth pastor to redo the church and all of a sudden everybody has a new car. These things happen. So this idea that it is all of a sudden going to change things that were not already happening is nonsense. Only now you can get a real check. Only now you can pay taxes only. Only now you can put it in the bank and not worry about losing your scholarship. Also, NIL only affects the top players in high school going into college. This isn't something

that is going to drastically affect every single college student. You're not going to pay a kid that's going to go to a Division II school a million dollars to go to Alabama. That's not how the works. So there's a very small section of recruits that are even being affected by what Nick Sabin and Davoswini and some of these other top coaches are talking about when it comes to NIL. So what does this really mean?

It really means you have to find a new way to recruit. Buying players? What does that even mean? If an 18-year-old graduates from high school and he's a genius and these tech companies are bidding on his or her services, no one's freaking out about how unfair

it is and how they need to go to No, they're saying this kid is a genius. Allow them to make money right now if that's what their future has laid out for them. No one's complaining about that. If an 18-year-old inherits a bunch of money from their family, that happens all the time. No one freaks out about that. If there's an 18- or 19-year-old that starts a clothing line with Amazon makes a couple million dollars, wonderful. You have a business. You have created this. It feels very tropey that only college athletes are the ones who just can't be trusted to handle money. They just, it's just going to ruin their lives if they're given money coming out of high school. Also, there's an assumption that none of these

young people have, I don't know, family structures or friends or mentors around them to keep them from falling into whatever this big, bad NIL monster is. This was an inevitable thing that was going to happen. You could have seen it on the horizon for the last 10 years. The NCAA was forced into this, that's why there are no guidelines on it. It was always going to happen. So if you're pushing back on it, you either don't have the internet or Instagram, or you truly don't understand how to use it to recruit for your university. But it is not as bad as everyone is saying. It is not anywhere near the exaggeration, the big bad NIL monster that everyone is putting out there. They're very capable of making money. They should be able to make money off their name, image,

and likeness. Everything will correct itself as it always does. It's going to be okay. It's always going to be okay. You just have to find a new way to recruit. And I get it. That's change and it's dramatic. But that is the way it goes. So the NBA playoffs are starting this weekend. Very excited. I'm going to give my predictions on that. And we'll talk to Paige DeMocco's CEO of the Draft Network. Her thoughts on the upcoming draft in two weeks. All that coming up on the herd. Be sure to catch live 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 My sweet grace. 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, Clivert Taylor the 4th.

You might have seen the skits, the reactions, my journey from basketball to college football, or my career in sports media. Well, somewhere along the way, this platform became bigger than I ever imagined. And now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfiltered conversations with some of your favorite athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. One week, I'll take you behind the scenes of the biggest moments in sports and entertainment, and the next we'll talk about life, mental health, purpose, and even music. The Clifford Show isn't just a podcast, it's a space for honest conversations, stories that don't always get told, and for people who are chasing something bigger. So, if you've ever supported me, or you're just chasing down a dream, this is right where you need. to be. Listen to the Clifford show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your

podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. Do you remember when Diana Ross double-tap Little Kim's boobs at the VMAs? Or when Kanye said that George Bush didn't like black people. I know what you're thinking. What the hell does George Bush got to do with Little Kim? Well, you can find out on the Look Back at it podcast. I'm Sam Jek. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick a here. unpack what went down and try to make sense of how we survived it. Including a recent episode with Mark Lamont Hill, waxing all about crack in the 80s.

To be clear, 84 was big to me, not just because of crack. I'm down to talk about crack all day, but just so y'all know. I mean, at this point, Mark, this is the second episode where we've discussed crack. So I'm starting to see that there's a through line. We also have AIDS on the table right now. Then you're 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. 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.

Welcome back to the herd. Joy Taylor in for Colin Cowherd on this beautiful Friday afternoon. Thanks for hanging out with us. We'll get to Alex Curry with the news in just a few moments and then talk to Paige DeMachos of the Draft Network in a little bit. I get her thoughts on the upcoming draft. But the NBA playoffs are here. have arrived.

And Colin gave his predictions earlier in the week, and I am going to give mine right now. So let's get started in the East. The first round, the heats are going to play the Hawks or the Cavs. I don't think it matters. They are going to advance past either of those teams. They led the NBA in three-point percentage, have the best record in the East, best bench scoring in the NBA. Tyler Hero is probably going to win sixth man of the year. And they are 20 and 12 against the top 10 teams in the east. I think they will win this convincingly. I'll give it a

gentleman sweep to be kind, but they are going to move past whoever comes out of the playing game tonight for the Hawks or Cavs. Next is the Sixers and the Raptors. I'm going to take the sixers in this matchup. I think Joelle Embede is the MVP. They have the two best scores on the court, obviously, in Embeded and Hardin. The Raptors don't have anyone over 6-9 on their roster, so I don't know who's going to slow down M-Bed either. I like the Raptors. They are a great regular season team. They are well-coached. They are well-run. But I think the Sixers move past the Raptors in the first round. Bucks and Bulls, I think this is an easy one. The Bucks went 4-0 against the Bulls, an average win coming by 15 points. The Bulls have really

struggled down the stretch of 8 and 15 records since the All-Star break, and they are 1 and 14 against the top four teams in the Eastern Conference this season. So I'm going to take the bucks over the Bulls, convincingly, this might be a sweep. The Nets and Celtics. Now, this is a very interesting one. I'm going to take the Nets, but I think this is a very long series. I also think that the Celtics are a regular season team, but the Nets did beat the Celtics in five games at the first round in last year's playoffs.

We know how that goes. They're very reliant on Jason Tatum, and they are not a great clutch team. The Celtics aren't 13 and 22 in Clutchtime games this season. That's the second worst in the NBA, and we know what KD does when the game is on the line. So I'm going to take the Nets over the Celtics. Moving on to the second round of the Eastern Conference playoffs.

The Heat and the 76ers. I'm going with the Heat. Bam Adebio is an excellent defensive player. I think he and Embed will have some battles, but I like out of bio in that spot. Hardin has also been struggling recently. While I don't think he'll have much of a problem in the first round, I do think that this will show up against a good defensive team

and a great bench team in the heat. And again, the Sixers are extremely reliant on MB. They have the worst bench scoring in the NBA since the Hardin trade. So it's really, really star reliance in Philadelphia. I think the heat move on. The Bucks and the Nets. Bucks went three and one against the Nets in the regular season. I don't try to get too much into that unless it's really blowouts every single time they're matched up.

But they have improved their defense have the Bucks since adding Brooke Lopez. The Nets don't have a lot of chemistry. As we know, they have the most different starting lineups by any team this season. They are extremely reliant on KD. I think the Bucks are a championship level team. Obviously, they are the reigning champs, and I think they will move on past the Nets. So now we have the Eastern Conference finals. Who do we go with?

Do we go with my Miami Heat? or the defending champ Milwaukee Bucks. Hmm. I'm going with the Miami Heat. Yeah. I am going with the Heat over the Bucks. The Heat are seeking revenge, obviously swept by the Bucks in the first round last season.

Yonis actually averages his fewest points per game, 18.2 in his career against the Heat. So this is a tough matchup for Yonis. I am going with my Miami Heat to advance out of the Eastern Conference. No shocker there. All right. into the Western Conference. The Sons will be playing

either the New Orleans Pelicans or the Los Angeles Clippers. They will make quick work of whoever comes out of this playing game. Sons are the best team in the league, a very complete team. They're playing great, they're healthy. They're going to move on very quickly

in this matchup. Now, the Jazz and the Mavs, this is really interesting because Luca is dealing with a calf injury. He's not going to play game one. He might not come back at any point during the series depending on how severe it is.

I personally wouldn't even push Luca to come back. We saw how damaging that could be with Kevin Durant in Golden State. I think it's extremely risky. Obviously, it's the playoffs. But the Mavs have never advanced past the first round of the playoffs with Luca Donchage. You don't want to push him and have a tragedy. I think that the Jazz will win this matchup. I would have taken the Mavericks if Luca was healthy,

but I'm going to go with the Jazz in this matchup. The Grizzlies and the Timberwolves, this is going to be an amazing first round series. I cannot wait to watch this. The Grizzlies are the second best record in the NBA, number one defensive ranking since the All-Star break. These are the two youngest teams in the league. This is going to be an amazing matchup, but I'm going to go with the Grizzlies in this one.

And the Warriors over the Nuggets, the Warriors led the NBA in defensive rating this season. Jordan Poole is having a breakout season, and they're just extremely reliant on Nikola Yokic. There's some talk that Jamal Murray may come back. They're still without Michael Porter Jr. They just don't have enough, so I'm going to go with the Warriors in that matchup

to advance into the second round. sons and jazz. I'm going with the Sons. They rank top three in both offensive and defensive efficiency. The Jazz have never advanced past the first round of the playoffs since Mitchell joined the team in 2017. They lost seven of their last 11 games. They're not going to have enough for the

sons. The Sons are going to win that matchup. The Warriors, I believe, will win over the Grizzlies. The Grizzlies are one of the youngest teams in the NBA. It's 24, average age of 24.4 years old. John Moran is obviously spectacular, but he is returning from injury. I think the Warriors are just deeper.

They have more veterans. They've been here before. I do think that the Grizzlies are one year away, but I don't think it's this year, and I'm going to take the Warriors in that spot. So the Western Conference Finals will be the Phoenix Suns and the Golden State Warriors. I am taking the Sons here. I just think the Sons are the most complete team in the West.

They are great top to bottom, great bench, great coaching. Monty Williams has done an amazing job with them. And I just feel like it's their year. to make it to the finals again. The Warriors Big Three also have only played 11 minutes together this season. So they're not coming in running things as they usually are. So I'm going to go with the Sons to advance out of the Western Conference, which means my NBA finals matchup is the Phoenix Suns and the Miami Heat.

And I bet you guessed it. No, I'm going with Miami Heat. Miami Heat are going to win the championship. Say it loud and proud. is on. Sing it loud and brown, I should say. Listen, here's the one thing I'll say about the Miami Heat. All the statistics and all the banter aside, they love being the underdog.

The number one team in the East and everyone is riding them off. It is the perfect position for them to be in. I love it. Well coached, well run, deep bench, full culture capacity in Miami. Everyone is locked in. Everyone enjoys their roles. I'm going with the Miami. heat to win the championship.

It's a spicy finals. It is spicy. It's hot. It's hot. That's a hot finals. Sorry. We got the sun. We got the heat. I had to sneak a dad joke in. All right. Let's get to Alex Curry with the news. No. No. No. Turn on the news. This is the herd line news. Let's keep the playoff theme going because Steph Curry participated in the warrior's scrimmage yesterday to test out his left foot. He hasn't played since March 16th when he suffered the sprain. The team is optimistic that he would.

will be able to play in game one against the Nuggets tomorrow. And Curry said if he's cleared, he'll be ready to go. Take a listen. Yeah, there's a little bit of pain or discomfort, but there's, you know, you get clear to play. You know, at that point, there's no real time to worry about that. Are you going to help team win? Are you going to be able to make an impact and do what you do? And if I feel like the answer is yes, then that means I'm ready to play.

in every pro sport once you get to the postseason most players are playing through some pain now obviously his is a little different it was a little more of a serious injury but you also have to remember this is the first time that the warriors are back in the playoffs since they lost to the raptors in the 2019 NBA finals so step is going to do anything he can to get in there and he if he says he's ready he's been here before he's going to be fine yeah i would trust step in this spot i wouldn't trust a younger player no someone who really has something to prove. But Steph knows his body. He doesn't have anything to prove at this point. Like in this particular playoffs, we know what Steph Curry is and what he's capable of. So if he's saying he can go out there, then he's good to go.

It's not a situation where he, obviously he's pushing it, but not, it's not a situation like Luca, where I would genuinely be concerned. Luca doesn't take great care of his body to begin with. He's young. Is he being completely honest about how much pain he's in?

because he's just trying to be out there. Because he wants to play. Right. So I'm going to trust that stuff is ready to go. And listen, they need him. Like, if they're going to make a run in this playoffs and have any chance at winning a championship, they have to have stuff out there.

And they do well in the playoffs. They are 77 and 28 in the playoffs under Steve Kerr. It's pretty good. Yeah. That's pretty good. All right. Well, moving on. There's been speculation that Ben Simmons could be ready

to make his next debut at some point during their first round series against the Celtics. He's been doing individual rehab work, but still has not been cleared to return to practice. so Kevin Durant is preparing as if Simmons won't be available at all. No, I'm not expecting him to play. That's easier for me. You know, like, I'm not putting any pressure on Ben to come out there and hoop.

So I'm not expecting him to do anything, but just to get his body right and, you know, get healthy as fast as he can. So in my mind, I'm preparing as if, like, we're playing with the team we have. I mean, we all know what type of player been is. you can, you know, put together scenarios in your mind on your own or what it would look like. But I'm not going to go there because we're just taking a day at a time. Now, as a leader of a team, that's the mindset you have to have. And you have to remember, Ben Simmons hasn't played a game in almost a year.

And the only way to get in game shape is to actually play game. So even if he does return, he's there in the playoffs. You're not going to get a playoff ready Simmons. He's not going to play big minutes. He might give some players some rests. Plus, what chemistry are they going to have? You're going to test all of that out in the playoffs. No, everything you said is how I feel.

I don't know why. Look, obviously, if you have Ben Simmons available, you want to put him out there. He's that elite of a defensive player at the very minimum that you could have some value in him playing minimum minutes, whatever that is. But this idea that he's going to have this huge impact on the playoffs, especially in the first round, at least,

I think is greatly exaggerated for all the reasons you just mentioned. They have absolutely no chemistry. What? He hasn't played basketball in almost a year, not like he's coming from another team where he's been running and he's being inserted in shape into the situation. And it's back stuff that he has too. It's a back issue that he's not.

That affects your shooting. You're running. Everything. He can't, he can't risk having anything else affects his shooting. But yes, that's what I'm saying. He's not coming in healthy. He's not in shape. He hasn't played competitive basketball on a court since in almost a year.

Yep. So what is it that you are expecting from him? So I agree that this should be Kevin Durant's mentality. Don't put out any hope, really, that he's going to come back. If there's a possibility, sure, I guess you're excited about it. I've kind of gotten out of the Ben Simmons speculation business because who knows. No one knows what's going on or when he's going to be available or what he is not available. four. So I just would not rely on this or even have my hopes up if I was a Nets fan or if I was in

that building. Like when he's there, great. Let us know that you're available and we'll start working on that. But I also would, he's not a plug and play player. Like he's not just a guy who's going to go out there and get buckets. So how does that affect a team that's already had the most amount of lineups in the league already whilst you're in the playoffs? I don't even know if it's a good tactical thing to do at this point. Maybe? Like maybe just to give some guys some rest. That would really be the only reason. They don't have a defense. So yeah. That would be the only reason. He is valuable on defense if he's healthy. But I just, what, like seven minutes? Yeah. We're looking at like small, small numbers here.

Yeah. The speculation on this, I think, is a little. It's all speculation at this point. But the good news for KD is he has won the last nine of his first round series. So you have KD. It's bad news for the Celtics. Yeah, that news for the Celtics. All right. Well, let's switch gears. Broncos players have been singing the praise of Russell Wilson since he was traded to Denver. And the latest to chime in is offensive tackle, Garrett Bulls, who compared his new teammate to some NBA legends.

He's a great leader. I love Russ. I love his determination. I love his focus. I love his mental. I love everything. You know, you talk about some of the greatest athletes, Kobe Bryant, you know, LeBron James, Michael Jordan, those type of mentality. that those athletes had. That's what he has. He's just so focused all the time. Rather,

rock and roll. And it's what we needed here. You know, he brings in such, he's just so positive all the time, just a lovable guy, and you just want to play your heart out for him. He has the mindset of a winner and a champion. And if he already has his teammates, singing his praise like that, he's not only investing in himself. You can tell he's already invested in all the players. And as you see here, he's already practicing with some of his receivers. And that's what you have to do when you're joining a new group, a new organization, a new franchise. This is what we saw Tom Brady do when he went to the bucks. You have to put in that extra time not only to get that chemistry, but then to get that trust and to get those kind of

relationships that we just heard because that matters too. He is already winning the locker room and he is already winning over his team mentally. Well, that's also something that's been a little bit of a conversation about Russ. Is he going to be able to truly connect with the entire locker room, which is going to be super necessary if they're going to take the next step up with all of

these pieces that they not only brought in, but that I've been there through some pretty rough years over the past couple years with a lot of talent. Now a new head coach. There's a lot of change. There's going to be a new owner. So having a stable, strong, trusted, respected voice in the

locker room is going to be very crucial. I hadn't even mentioned the division, which is an added layer of things when you're talking about the Denver Broncos. I like Russ a lot. I think he has a very strong brand about him. That's why it's not surprising that you're hearing that from Gear Bowles. There's going to be a lot of pressure on the Broncos and Russell Wilson this year. As there should be. I just think that when you make a move as aggressive,

as Russell Wilson did. And you look at what's happened over the past couple years with Tom Brady leaving the mothership, you know, the North Star, what am I trying to say here? Death Star, Death Star, Death Star. Patriots? Yeah. You call them the Death Star? Yeah.

I mean, that says that they are, right? They're the evil empire. I'll take it. I'm fine with it now. But it was for 20 years. This is the dynasty. He's leaving the Death Star and goes and wins a championship right away in Tampa. Then you have Matthew Stafford.

coming from the lions and that dysfunction immediately winning in Los Angeles. So you're seeing this pattern with these top, top level quarterbacks, making these aggressive moves to get out and then winning immediately. I think that puts an extra layer of pressure on Russell Wilson. I don't know about the rest of his teammates if they feel that because maybe they're, you know, still building on things, but he's the number one move. You can talk about Deshaun Watson, but there's so much extra stuff still going. going on with that. This is the number one move this off season was Russell Wilson to the Broncos.

And that is just an out of layer of pressure. But I can't wait to watch all of it. I'm so excited. That's Alex Curry with the news. Well, that's the news. And thanks for stopping by. The Hurd-Lie News. Who is, who are you picking to win the NBA championship? Are you not ready to win a lot of yet? I'm not ready to go there yet. I'm not ready to go there yet. I'm not. You'll have a lot of time in the show. I know. I know. Saturday. Saturday, I will have it completed. I just want to see games tonight. I want to get the final of like who we have in the playoffs and then let's go. That's fair. Let's go. That's fair. We'll talk to Paige DeMocco, CEO of

the Draft Network. Get her thoughts on the upcoming drafts. Just two weeks away. Does she have any sleepers? Where will the quarterbacks go? All of that next on the herd. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays in noon Eastern 9 a.m. Pacific. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast, Superhuman, documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds.

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

the reactions, my journey from basketball to college football, or my career in sports media. Well, somewhere along the way, this platform became bigger than I ever imagined. And now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfiltered conversations with some of your favorite athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. One week, I'll take you behind the scenes of the biggest moments in sports and entertainment, and the next we'll talk about life, mental health, purpose, and even music. The Clifford Show isn't just a podcast. It's a space for honest conversations, stories that don't always get told, and for people who are chasing something bigger.

So, if you've ever supported me or you're just chasing down a dream, this is right where you need to be. Listen to The Clifford show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. Do you remember when Diana Ross double-tap Little Kim's boobs at the VMAs? Or when Kanye said that George Bush didn't like black people. I know what you're thinking. What the hell does George Bush got to do with a little Kim? Well, you can find out on the Look Back at it podcast.

I'm Sam J. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick it here, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it. Including a recent episode with Mark Lamont Hill, waxing all about crack in the 80s. To be clear, 84 is big to me, not just because of crack. I'm down to talk about crack on day, but just so you're just so you're not.

But just so y'all know. I mean, at this point, this is the second episode where we've discussed correct. So I'm starting to see that there's a through line. We also have AIDS on the table right now. Thank you 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. Hey, this is Robert from the Stuff to Blow Your Mind podcast. 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. Welcome back to the herd. Joy Taylor in for Colin Cowherd. day. Alex Curry is joining me. Colin is taking some time off in the great city of Chicago. So we are here on a Friday and the draft is quickly approaching. Paige Jamako, CEO of the Draft Network, is joining us now. Also, if you don't know this about Paige, Paige and I share a similar personality trait and that we are unapologetically petty. This is true. This is true, Joy. We are the petty queens. That is the title that we share together. and I can't believe they let us on air together on TV because there's just so much petty

that will happen in this 10 minute period of time. I don't know that people can handle it. It could get dangerous. Well, the draft is approaching. It is going to be in Las Vegas. It's going to be Wild Times in Las Vegas, one of my favorite cities in the country. And it's an interesting draft, obviously,

because there aren't any huge quarterback prospects, which usually drive most of the banter around the pre-draft. But who's the most impressive prospect overall? in the draft to you? Most impressive, probably Aiden Hutchinson. It's hard to go against him as a total package, whether it's the mental side of it alongside the athleticism, the total body of work,

him understanding what it means to be a pro and having a dad that played, obviously college football and was so, such a big player at Michigan as well. And he's got a ton of family support. You know, he's a guy going to look at all across, you know, and the mental side is really a big piece of this. I think he's the, you know, the total package as far as prospects go.

Do you think he goes number one overall or should go number one overall? I do think that. I feel pretty confident that he's going to be the first guy off the board and he deserves to be. I think there's a lot of guys when you look at a team like Jacksonville, they wish it was a quarterback needy draft, right? Because they wish they could sell that number one overall spot for a bunch of picks because they're not a quarterback, you know, they're not in a position. and they got Trevor, but they got a lot of things they got to address. And it's not that draft, unfortunately, for Jacksonville fans, but I think they're going to end up getting a cornerstone piece on defense that they can build around in Aiden Hutchinson.

Okay, so I had you on my show on Saturday on Fox Sports Radio, and you said something very interesting that I haven't heard anybody else say yet. And you mentioned that the Jags wish that it was a quarterback draft, obviously, because they have Trevor Lawrence, so they would move back in the draft and sell that number one pick. Now Detroit is at number two. They have Jared Goff, but what does Detroit do? I knew you were going to hit me with this.

So I was mentally prepared and I'm sticking with it. I feel very confident that they're going to go with Malik Willis at that number two spot. And a lot of it has to do with that time frame they got to spend with him up close and personal at the Senior Bowl all week long with a different set of teammates, right? And got to see what he looked like and what he was able to do. and the mental side of it. And Dan Campbell and him had a lot of special moments. So this is a guy. I know I heard your reaction on the radio.

I didn't see your face. But I knew that there was like a, oh, okay. Like this is different than what we're hearing. And listen, I understand, but this is what we do, 12 months of the year. So I believe in this. I think Malik is totally deserving of it. And I think Detroit needs a new face. It hits the reset button, right?

You all know for the head coach. The clock changes again, right? Jared golf's not his guy, wants to go with Malik. Malik goes to two. And, yeah, I'm sticking with the joy. So we'll see if it comes true in two weeks. Well, it's not that I doubt you. My question is actually Dan Campbell,

because he was the one who came out and was talking all this noise about, you don't really need a quarterback to win. And sure, they're special. So he's like smoke screening, which he doesn't really need to do because they're sitting at the number two spot. So it's just, interesting. That was more why I don't believe coaches. I don't believe coaches. Let's just get it out there. I think they're all full of it. I listen to them all the time and half the time they're

saying something and then the next day they're going to another job, right? It's like Lincoln Riley, I'm staying in Oklahoma and then the next day he's on a plane of USC. Right. That did it for me. I was like, you know what Lincoln? I respect it, but now I can't trust any of you. So my trust issues are at a high level. I mean, we probably shouldn't. Like he doesn't benefit from saying, yeah, I'm talking to USC right now. So you're right. Maybe Dan Campbell's just saying that to get us off the scent of the number two pick on my bracelets are falling off. So which prospect in this draft, I don't want to say, you know, has a bust factor,

but someone that you're hearing a lot about that you're a little concerned about. So I'm going to give you who I've heard about. And I don't necessarily buy into it, but it's the talk, right? And it's Kavon Tibado. And it's been that way for quite some time. And honestly, I've heard. it in so many different circles and it it starts to be where you're like okay am i missing something right am i am i not seeing something you know you're watching the tape you're talking to him you're

seeing who he is as a player and as a prospect but it's been you know it was probably a six week stretch where it was like man kavon is not in that top tier he's not it's not him and aiden anymore right it's very clearly it's become a different conversation now i don't necessarily buy into it but it's it's been enough chatter that you got to pay attention you're into that, right? And I don't want to put a bus label on him because I don't believe that, but as far as the conversations that have been had, that's been the highest level prospect that you would, that I've heard that conversation around. We're talking to Paige Jamaka, CEO of the Draft Network. Jerry Jones this week talked about how he's basically open for business

and they would possibly trade up in the draft. Could you see Dallas doing that? And for what position would it be so desperate that they would need to move up and do that? Man, Jerry's the wild card of all wild cards, isn't he? He's so fun because you could say, hey, this is a, they're going to go in this direction and they go a totally different way. He's going to be a guy that I think falls in love with somebody throughout the process and if they're there, he could trade up, right? But you've seen, I mean, now they're in this tough spot where their offensive identity

is lacking, right? They've got Sikh. They paid him. Then they paid Dak. Then they paid Amari. Now Amari's gone. You've got to decide who you are, Dallas. So you're going to be an offensive line heavy team that likes to run the football?

Or are you going to be a pass-happy team? Because I don't think you guys know who you are. So I would say they got to go buff up that line. Because that's the best version this team was when they were running the football. They had a great offensive line and DAC could be protected. But they've gotten two pass-happy all trying to beat Patrick Mahomes. Something you said earlier. I was like, listen, there's only one Patrick LeHolmes.

Everybody stopped trying to be that guy, stop trying to replicate what they do. Be what you are, Dallas. And I think hopefully they buy into that. But Jerry's a wild card. He's my favorite part of the draft because I have no idea what Jerry's going to do. And I don't think anybody else does either. Yeah, I agree with you. That was the best version of this group of Dallas Cowboys when they had that offensive line.

So, Paige, I started the show talking about Nick Sabin and Davos-Sweeney's comments about name-image-likeness. the transfer portal. I think there are two separate things. I think there do need, there does need to be regulations on the transfer portal. You can't just have it, you know, people going in and out. It makes it complicated for students. It makes it complicated for coaches and lineups and all those things. I do think there should be some regulations on that. But I think that's completely separate from NIL and people are blurring the two. I do think there should be regulations on NIL as well, but I do think the big bad monster is a little exaggerated. Like it's going to correct itself and it's okay for young people to make money. They'll figure it out.

But what was your reaction to Nick Savan's comments on NIL? The tough part for me is that I'm like, Nick, you're talking about parity and there's no parody in college football. Right. Right. Like that's a tough part for me is like, Nick, you were kind of bragging about Bryce Young being the face of this and then a year ago

and then now there's issues with it. And I, listen, Nick Savin's a goat, the Alabama, they've out hustled, they've outworked and they've been better, period. And I think that's fine. I'm okay with that in football. But the direction that he took this and the fact that it's him and dabble, I just don't think they like to change, Joy.

I don't think they're not prepared for it, which they don't like. When you're a control freak, you run an organization in the way that they do, right? A university in the way that they do. They control every aspect. NIL is a very tough thing for them because it becomes an uncontrollable asset that they can't be in charge of. But this is, the NCAA knew this was coming, and they fumbled the bag. They've had 10 years to prepare and they didn't put anything in place. That's on them, right?

We knew this was coming down the line and nothing was put in place. And I agree with you, there should be regulations. There needs to be, they need to figure this out. It is the Wild West right now. But that's the NCAA's fault. They wanted to put their head in the sand and pretend like this wasn't coming, and it was coming. So I don't know how you tell a kid, if I'm in college right now, page and joy can host a radio show.

and get follows and have Instagram, you know, be influencers and make money while I'm at a university. But an athlete can't, that doesn't make any sense to me. Like, it's just a different time. And you got to let these kids make the money. It's just a change. That's what my whole point was, is they haven't adjusted to the change. Thank you so much for joining us, Paige. Page, Paige Jamakow, CEO of the Draft Network.

Make sure you follow her for all the draft coverage and she will be in Las Vegas. Viva Las Vegas for the draft. Thank you so much for joining us, Paige. Joy Taylor, in for calling Cowher today alongside. Alex Curry. We'll talk to Jim Jackson, discuss the NBA playoffs, who he thinks the MVP is, and more. That's coming up on The HARD. 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 acapella band with their between songs banter. Where does your group perform? We do some retirement homes. Those people are starving for banter. Listen to humor me with Robert Smigel and friends on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal but encouraged. It's the enhanced games.

Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast's superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the I-Hard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, this is Robert from the Stuff to Blow Your Mind podcast.

Joe and I are both lifelong Star Wars fan, so we're celebrating May the 4th with a brand new week of fun, thought-provoking Star Wars-related episodes. Join us as we tackle science and culture topics from a galaxy far, far away, such as the biology of tauntons and wampas on the ice planet hot, or the practicality and corporate business sense of the Sith rule of two. Listen to stuff to blow your mind on the Iheart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what I'm saying. Yep, that's me, Cliver Taylor the Fourth. You might have seen the skits, my basketball and college football journey, or my career in sports media. Well, now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifers Show. This is a place for raw, 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 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. This is an IHeart podcast. Guaranteed human.