The Herd with Colin Cowherd - HOUR 1 - Nets, Raiders, Clippers

Episode Date: April 13, 2022

The Nets win over the Cavs last night Derek Carr and the Raiders agree on a new deal The Clippers are in trouble even if they make it to the playoffs   Guest: Ryen RussilloSee 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 Jay. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick a year, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we

survived it with our friends, fellow comedians, and favorite authors. Like Mark Lamont Hill on the 80s. 84 was a wild year. It was a wild year. I don't think there's a more important year for black. people. Listen to look back at it on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Thanks for listening to The Heard podcast. Be sure to catch us live every weekday from 12 to 3 Eastern, 9 to noon Pacific on Fox Sports Radio and FS1. Find your local station for the herd at Fox Sports Radio.com or stream us live every day on the iHeartRadio app by searching Heard. You're listening to Fox Sports Radio. Oh, it is a beautiful. beautiful Wednesday. So much going on. Breaking news in the NFL. NBA playoffs. I don't care

about anybody says. That's the playoffs. Don't listen to anybody. That's the playoffs last night. They called a play-in game. You watch those games. That intensity. That's the playoffs. It's the herd wherever you may be and however you may be listening. Iheart Radio, Fox Sports Radio, FS1. Yeah, there's this, well, it's not the playoffs. You know what? You can tell when you're on vacation, when you start having cocktails at noon. I don't care if it's part of the vacation, but if you pour a cocktail or a beer at noon, you're on vacation. That or you have a drinking problem.

So that was a playoff atmosphere both games last night. The playoffs are officially here. Joy, how are you? You're certainly not telling them Timberwolves. That wasn't like us. Yeah, tell me that game last night in Minneapolis was not a playoff game. Of course it was. And, by the way, we have some really interesting young teams in the NBA.

Cleveland's a year away from being a handful. Memphis already is. Minnesota is probably a year away, but Aunt delivered big time last night. It's good for them because it's been a, you know, Kevin Garnett leaves. They never feel like the same. They've got a terrific young team. And I love the young teams during the playoffs. Oh, this is a great time. So let's start with this. Two playoff games. Let me talk about one to start. Brooklyn beat the calves. Very predictable. Brooklyn, this was the easiest. game to figure out of the two last night. And it's also, Brooklyn's one of the easiest teams to figure out. So Kevin Durant's the best big finisher in the game and Kyrie Irving's the best small finisher in the game. If you have the best closers, this was sort of a Shaq Kobe thing. Shaq was the best big finisher. Kobe was arguably the best smaller finisher. You have a chance to win championships. So I don't know if this team does. Because unlike those Laker teams, this Brooklyn team is bad defensively. The bench is suspect. Their chemistry, I'm not sure they have any. But what you saw

last night is why I do think they're a dark horse and why everybody else is selling them. I'm buying them now because what you saw was essentially in the first half, Kyrie Irving said, fellas, give me the ball. Cleveland couldn't get their feet under them. They were nervous. They were anxious. They were out thinking the room. And Kyrie Irving was virtually perfect. Then Brooklyn with a huge lead, down shifts. It's hard to just keep that intensity up. Here comes young, pesky Cleveland for the next couple of quarters. And then at the end of the game, Kevin Durant says,

all right, young fella, give me the ball and I'll close it. When you have the best big finisher and the best small finisher, it doesn't guarantee a title. And Brooklyn's got a lot of nonsense going on. Is Nash a great coach? Do they have a bench? I don't know if they have the size to beat in Milwaukee. They got holes everywhere.

But this is a really predictable outcome. Kevin Durant is a spectacular talent. Offensively, I've said this before. It's one of the only players in league history would beat Michael Jordan in a game of one-on-one. Jordan could never stop him. And he's also wildly underappreciated defensively. Kevin's a great defensive player. He's got some injury stuff.

Sometimes he's a bit emotionally a wanderer. I still think he should be in Golden State. He'd beat Jordan in one-on-one. Not saying he's a better player. I'm saying he'd beat him one-on-one. He could put it on the deck. He could beat him off the dribble. Michael can't get up that high.

And he would block Michael's shot at times. He is a gifted once-in-a-lifetime player. Kyrie Irving's a smaller version. He's the best small closer in league history. He is just filthy good. So you know what they are? If they were an NFL team, Brooklyn is the NFL team with a great quarterback and superstar wide receiver. A little Cincinnati bingles to them is that you're not sure,

you're not sure if they win a championship and they got holes all over the place. But if you have a great quarterback and a great wide receiver, you can beat anybody, anytime, any place, anywhere. That's kind of what happened to the bingles last year. There's a lot of holes, terrible low line, bad linebackers, young coach, bad owner, but you're like, Burroughs great, Jamar Chase, you can't cover him. and beating teams that outgained them, beaten teams that sacked them nine times. Brooklyn's bench is going to get outscored by a Miami.

They're going to get pushed around by a Milwaukee. But I get Kyrie and I get Kevin Durant. I can beat anybody. Here's Kyrie talking about his partner, KD. I don't know a lot of seven-footers that are doing what he's doing with the ball in his hands as a playmaker as often as he is. And when he sits up here and he's talking, And sometimes it's hard to really put yourself in his shoes and imagine what he sees out there.

And he's seeing above the defense. He's able to make shots. But when he's passing the ball like that, it just brings our level up. Yeah, he's pretty good. By the way, Kevin Love used to play with Kyrie Irving. You know, Kyrie can drive me crazy. The idea of a quarterback or a basketball star not getting vaxed and not being able to play home games, I just can't wrap my brain around it.

I just don't get it. And he gets hurt a lot. And he said the world is flat. But what he did in the first half, Kevin Love, a former teammate, faced him last night for Cleveland, a year away from being really good. Here's Kevin Love on his former teammate, Kyrie Irving. Yeah, I always say about Kyrie in a, you know, March Madness, one game type of situation. He's a tough guy to bet against, you know, again, seeing him. this movie before, but, you know, still, I think that, you know, there's just times where he comes

out and, you know, plays out of his mind, and that's, you know, why he's a future Hall of Famer. So you just kind of have to tip your hat to him. He's hit some really tough contested shots today. Yeah. By the way, Cleveland is really young and is going to be spectacular. Cleveland feels like Milwaukee two years ago. They feel like, Man, they need like one free agent piece maybe on the wing. Like if you're a star player and you're like, I want to like attach myself to a young team. Like Cleveland to me, Mowbly, Garland. That Cleveland's going to be really good.

I think they're a championship team potentially in two years. They're a multiple series winning team. I mean, listen, if they had Jared Allen last night, do they win the game? Let's go to the second story. It's a breaking story. The Raiders in Rappaport, the Raiders have signed Derek Carr to a three-year contract extension to 120 million. It's going to be about 40 million per, which is probably more than I'd love to pay him. But this is the economy today of the NFL.

We got wide receivers making $30 million. A great wide receiver three years ago made eight. Here's my thing. I like Derek Carr more than everybody else because I'm a believer. do you carry and are not carried? So to me, what Josh McDaniels is telling you, the first time I went to Denver as a head coach, I had to tear it down and tried to tear it down,

and it was a disaster. I'm not tearing down anything. Derek Carr's a top quarterback. I'm keeping him. So that's what the Raiders and Josh McDaniel are telling you. Like, we don't need to tear anything down. I can win a Super Bowl with Derek Carr. And I believe that's true.

I've had a theory for years in the NFL. You have to have a top 12 quarterback in the NFL to win a Super Bowl. Not just get there. Jared Goff got there to win a Super Bowl because the two hardest games of the year are your conference championship and the Super Bowl. So don't tell me to get there. Do you win it? There are 12 guys in the NFL in no particular order.

I think we know who's higher and lower. Here's my 12. Aaron Roger. Patrick Holmes. Aaron Rogers, Russell Wilson, Brady, Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson, Matt Stafford, Justin Herbert, Kyler Murray, Joe Burrow, Derek Carr, Deshawn Watson. Now, Carr may be closer to 12 than two. And you're saying, where's Dak?

Where's Kirk Cousins? Well, I've always said, Dak and Kirk Cousins need really special players around them to elevate them. Derek Carr this year, in a tougher division than Dak, Derek Carr this year had an interim coach, had maybe the poorest owner in the league, lost his star receiver, had a bad O-line. Darren Waller was out, his best player.

They had no up-the-field wide receiver. Hunter Renfro's a slot guy. He carried all of it in a pretty tough division to the playoffs. Well, Dak got to the playoffs. Dak, we have stats. he's one quarterback with Amari Cooper and another one without him. He's one quarterback with left tackle Tyron Smith. He's another without him.

He's one quarterback when Zeke runs for over 100 yards. He's another one he doesn't. I like Dak. I like Kirk Cuck's a better athlete than Kirk. Kirk's a more accurate thrower than Dak. But we know what they are. Yeah, with Kirk Cousins. Yeah, when you give him Adam Thielen and Delvin Cook and Justin Jefferson,

he gets 100 yards rushing and pass protect. Kirk Cousins can win a lot of games. Dak and Kirk Cousins, I know they're expensive, but they're good NFL quarterbacks. I like both. I like Derek Carr a lot more. Derek Carr has shown an ability to carry chaos to the playoffs. Go back and look at last year. It is unbelievable.

In the better AFC, Derek Carr carried his franchise to a playoff. It was a circus. The head coaching mess, they bring in an interim. the Henry Rugg story, the bad on line. It was a circus. And he, often in big road games, made impeccable throws. Hunter Renfro against the Colts, one of the best throws of the year. He carries.

He elevates. I think Kirk and Dak tend to be elevated by other key players. There's your 12 again. If you got one of these 12, you're capable of winning a Super Bowl. Not saying you're a favorite. Not saying you wouldn't need a break or two. Mahomes, Rogers, Russell, Brady, Josh, Lamar, Matt, Justin, Kyler, Joe, Derek DeShan. That's it to me.

That's it. Congrats. He deserved it. A little more than I want to pay him. Rather, right or pay him 30 a year, not 40. But we got gambling money flush in. We have a new economy in the NFL where literally wide receivers, Tyree Kil got traded for five draft picks. What?

Excuse me? That wasn't even on the... That wasn't even on the menu a year ago. So the world's changing. It's all offense. Best quarterback wins. I can deal with it. A little more than I want to pay them, I can deal with it.

No state tax is going to have quite a life. It's going to have a nice house in Las Vegas for $40 million a year. Pretty good salary in Vegas. Man, we got a lot of stuff today. You know what? Football season for five and a half months, Joy and I, this is one of the easiest jobs in America. And then we just got to kind of figure out a way to get through about seven, eight weeks.

And now I got NBA playoffs, and yes, last night we're playoffs. Don't listen to anybody. And we got the NFL draft coming up. We've had NFL free agency. Oh, March Madness was fan. And then the Masters and, oh. Yeah. Next to Derek Carr, it's good to be us.

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

embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the IHard Radio app, 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 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 Clivert Show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. Do you remember when

Diana Ross double-tap Little Kim's boobs at the VMAs? Or when Kanye said that George Bush didn't like black people. I know what you're thinking. What the hell does George Bush

got to do with Little Kim? Well, you can find out on the Look Back at it podcast. I'm Sam J. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick it here, unpack what went down, and try to make sense

of how we survived it. Including a recent episode, with Mark Lamont Hill waxing all about crack in the 80s. To be clear, 84 is big to me not just because of crack. I'm down to talk about crack all day, but just so you all know. I mean, at this point, Mark, this is the second episode where we've discussed crack. So I'm starting to see that there's a through line. We also have AIDS on the table right now.

Thank you for finishing that sentence. Yes. I don't think there's a more important year for black people. Really? Yeah. For me, it's one of the most important years for black people in American history. Listen to look back at it on the IHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Welcome to my new podcast, Learn the Hardway with me, your host, and your favorite therapist,

Keer Games. And in recognition of mental health awareness month, I'm bringing over a decade of my own experience in the mental health field and conversations with so many incredible guests. I'm talking, Tripp Fontaine, Ryan Clark. Sometimes when we're in the pursuit of the thing, we get so wrapped up in the chase that we don't realize that we, are in possession of the thing. And we're still chasing it. And we don't know when we've done enough. Because people scoreboard watch.

Life becomes about wins and losses. Steve Burns, Dustin Ross, because you find it important to be a good person while you hear on earth? Are you a good person because you're afraid? Because that's two different intentions, bro. Absolutely. And that's two different levels of trust.

I want you to just really be a good person. Join me, Kear Gaines, as we have real conversations about healing, growth, fatherhood, pressure, and purpose on my new podcast, learn the hard way. Open your free, our heart radio app.

Search Learn the hard way and listen now. Tired of waiting around for hot water, don't have to. Choose Navian. Instant hot water. Spotlight comfort. 15 year limited warranty,

tankless made symbol.com Navian. T-wolves, Clippers. I had the clippers last night. I'm not going to lie. Hurt. Not going to lie, hurt. Nothing against the T-wolves, but I thought the veteran team would win,

even though they were on the road. Anthony Edwards, was great. So this really hurts the Clippers' chances of advancing in the playoffs because now if they get in, they have to face Phoenix in round one. They're not beating Phoenix. I do think they match up pretty well with Phoenix. And if Kauai played even 10 minutes a half, be a total handful. But this really hurts their chances. So I'll have to redo my playoff bracket from yesterday because I had the Clippers going a long way. I thought they were going to win. So I like a lot about them.

Games at home, they probably win last night. Led by seven late. Games on the road, probably don't win that. So here's the interesting part to me about the Clippers. Mount Balmer can be volcanic. Steve Balmer's the richest owner in the NBA. And by the way, significantly richer than about 95% of the owners. He loves basketball.

He lives for basketball. when he was the number two guy at Microsoft, he was legendary for just going and hanging out at high school basketball tournaments. Loves the sport. Richest owner in the league. Battling the Lakers. Really shrewd, really clever, really smart, and really intense.

He's not paying for an eight seed. He's beside himself this morning. So the Kauai Leonard deal has been underwhelming. Paul George has hurt too much, not quite as clutch as they hoped. Mount Balmer may explode here. They have a huge front office. I think it's the most highly compensated scouting staff and front office in the NBA. And what compounds it is that when Balmer bought this team,

there's been an opening in the West. Right? Sort of like when Michael Jordan retired for baseball for a couple years, all of a sudden the east was wide open. The Lakers have a couple of stars, but they're old and they're falling apart. And the warriors have a few stars, but they're old and can't stay healthy. So the old talented teams are kind of rickety, and their sort of last couple years have opened the door for the clippers. They fly through it.

And the young teams in the West, Memphis and Minnesota and the Pelicans and Denver that are really good. they're not quite ready to win the West. So right now it should be Phoenix and the Clippers. That's who it should be. The old star-driven teams are falling apart physically, and the young star-driven teams are not quite ready. This should be for the last two years, a Suns Clippers Conference, period.

He's paying for it. The guy knows basketball, Steve Ballmer, loves basketball, will spend whatever it takes, and he's got an eight seed. And they're going to open up with the sons if they, you know, beat the winner of the Pelicans Spurs, which they, I think they will. But losing last night really hurts. And there's no crime in losing on the road to a super talented team that played with a ton of energy. Paul George was great.

Here's what he had to say after. They have a talented roster. So when Kat goes down, Delo steps up, Anthony Edwards steps up. And then their role guys, they shine in their roles. So it's really what happened. About that fourth quarter, 50, 50 balls, we didn't get, we didn't rebound well enough. And I thought we just didn't. execute great down the stretch.

I still think they're getting in, but last night's loss makes it way tougher, and I'm going to have to rescind my Clippers going to the Western Conference finals to meet the Sons, because now they face them in round one. They'll win some games. They're not one in that series. Joy is with the news. No, no, no, no.

Turn on the news. This is the herd line news. Yeah, that seating matters a little bit. Oh, yeah. Listen, it's, if Brooklyn, Cleveland was in Cleveland last night and Jared Allen's healthy, you have a different game maybe. You know, it's just the bottom line. I get to play at home.

These are playoff games. You can tell from how many minutes the stars play. By the way, the stars weren't missing any games last night, right? Like, everybody played last night. Are there people arguing these are not playoff games? Well, everybody's saying, well, they're not playoff games. They're playing. They're playoff games.

I love to play in tournament, by the way. I think it's great. Well, listen, if you can get me to a television set, that tells me that you as a sport have created urgency. Because I'm not going to sit around and watch regular season baseball games for nine innings. So I just instinctively, I go to stuff that matters. I watch the Masters, March Madness. Last night, I could have done a lot of things.

Got the dogs, opened up a beer, and sat for four and a half, five hours, and watched the NBA basketball because I knew it mattered. And the games were great. It did matter. And the games were fantastic. I loved it. I thought they were both great games. So the top NBA MVP candidates this year are Yokic, Janice, and M. Bede.

If Kevin Durant had a vote, he would choose M.B. as this season's winner. But Katie doesn't think he'll end up winning the award. There's a lot of players that have been controlled by their narrative. Some of it has been because of the player. Some of it just has been because of perception of other people about that player. You know, in Joel's case, you know, more people just like Giannis and Jokish, you know. Simple as that. That stuff really doesn't matter.

It shouldn't matter, you know, when it comes down to wars like that. But, yeah, Joel, I'm just, I mean, they probably just like those other guys better than you personally. I mean, it's not fair at all, but that's just usually how it goes sometimes. But if I had a vote, I would choose Joel. By the way, this is a fascinating to me. I'm not saying he's wrong, but so the players think people don't like Joelle and Bede. Joelle Embed thinks that. Why would that be?

He's fun. He's on social. He overcame the Ben Simmons nonsense. Who doesn't like Joel Embedit? I don't understand this narrative. Joel thinks it's a Philadelphia thing, Philadelphia bias. Oh, they're obnoxious, but so is Boston. We don't care.

Well, I don't know out of the voters. Look, I got to be honest with you, I'm growing very bored of NBA MVP. I'm over that award. It's the Heisman trophy I gave up on it 10 years ago. I'm starting to just not care anymore. Like, cool, great honor, but the amount that LeBron has won is laughable. If you look at other shows that do what we do, how often they talk about awards and how often we do, we almost never do. I don't talk about the Heisman.

I think awards are stupid. Once they gave it to Westbrook is the MVP who elevates nobody. I'm like, I'm out. Okay, it's a silly award now. It's a stat award. I mean, so you were very adamantly against him as the MVP. I thought it was ridiculous. Well, Yoko's just favored this year.

And I think when people, like, people get outraged at the idea that Yokic shouldn't be the MVP. I'm not saying he's not an unbelievable player and hasn't had an MVP season. And if he won, it wouldn't be outrageous. Right. But they are a sixth seed in the West. Yes, right. That means they may not be a top 12 team in the league. Yeah, it's a very fair argument.

So you're arguing that he's had to overcome injuries on his team, which I totally understand. So does that mean that any player that plays for a good team with full compliments should not qualify as the MVP? That's kind of a weak argument, nothing against Yokic. But how many stars miss games? Every team is beat up. Chicago's falling apart. The Lakers fell apart. And he played without Ben Simmons for half the year.

Outside of Phoenix and they lost Chris Paul for an hour, everybody in the league falls apart. So I don't want to hear about, you know, my guys got hurt. Everybody's hurt. Kevin Durant had James Harden quit on him and Kyrie couldn't play home games and he got within a inch his tone the three point line of going to the finals last year. I don't want to hear about my guys are hurt. Everybody's hurt. Right.

And again, Yoko has had an unbelievable season. I mean, you're looking at the statistics right now. But if the argument is he had a better statistical season than he did last year when he won the MVP, then it's just a stats award and just give it to whoever has the best stats every year. That's my argument. So, like, what is an MVP? What does value mean? and you can't just keep talking about like he just doesn't have his players with him,

so that's why he should win the MVP. So Yonis, before the Bucks weren't good enough. Now that the Bucks are the defending champs, now Yonis is on too good of a team to qualify for MVP. Well, that's what it is. And Joelle Embed is either got Philly bias or... We got bored with Michael Jordan winning it. We got bored with LeBron.

Now we're bored with Yonis because his team's too good. It's like, yeah, his team's too good because of him. They have a losing record when he doesn't play. Right. And I don't really know what the argument against Embeded is other than just that Yokich has better statistics overall than Embed. But Embed has the second best odds at plus $250, according to Fox Beck, Yokich is the favorite. I think I reached a point officially this year where I don't care about the MVP anymore.

I don't. I just am like I'm not whoever wins it. Congratulations to you. It's still a nice thing to win, but I can't get into the debate at all. I'm not an awards fan. Anybody that's listening to me from the Portland Days is I've won some awards in my career, there's somewhere in the garage. I don't even, I don't, we all know,

complain who can't. We all know who can broadcast and who can't. We all know there are people that are good at their job. I'm not going, oh, he won an Emmy, she won an Emmy. Yeah, but we don't really think they drive audience and like awards are totally subjective from Hollywood to

media to sports. I just, they don't validate stuff for me. True, I guess accomplishment is winning, right? Like that's the ultimate you're the best. I guess what we have parameters for competition. So yes, I'm with you. If it's a subjective award, which we're about to talk about

in the second as well, they are nice and prestigious, and it does mean that you're, you know, honored amongst your peers and recognized for your work. We just don't care about it. I mean, my favorite award is a check. Boom! That's my personal. Every Thursday, we get an award. Yes. So speaking of awards, Sun's head coach Monty Williams has been named coach of the year by the National Basketball Coaches Association for the second straight season. Now, this one I think is actually interesting because it is voted on by all 30 NBA head coaches. So it truly is your peers honoring you. By the way, there's an argument to be, I don't know when they changed it to this, but that's what I like. Coaches voting on coaches, because coaches know the crap coaches go through.

Oh, yes. Yeah, they know all the. They know the behind the scenes of. They know the needy general manager, the lousy regional scout who screwed you on a draft pick, the nutty owner and the star the to diva. So coaches know what coaches go through. Yes. And what Monty has done in Phoenix is remarkable. So he led the Sons to his 64 and 18 record, which was the best in the league and set a new franchise record for most wins in this season. They also became the first team in NBA history to increase their win total by at least 11 games and three consecutive seasons. And he's been the coach for all three of those seasons. He's done just a tremendous job there. So best team in the league and we're all excited to see what they do in the postseason. So the Packers' 22 offseason program will begin on April 18.

Well, who will be there? Lots of guys will be there. Who will not be there is Aaron Rogers. Oh, that's interesting. They don't have any receivers you want to build some trust. He won't be there. He's reportedly expected to skip voluntary meetings and workouts this spring. So these are not the mandatory ones.

Remember, he skipped the mandatory ones last year. So when they draft two wide receivers and they drafted Amari Rogers last year, instead of building trust with them as Tom Brady is getting on the phone trying to recruit receivers. Aaron will be in Hollywood, Malibu? Well, I think he was in Hawaii last year. My bad.

Hosting Jeopardy, I forgot. I lost track. He is expected to be back for minicamp in June. Oh, June. Oh, okay. So the offseason program phase one is team meetings, strength and conditioning, physical rehab, and organized teams' activities,

which begin in May can include non-contact practices and voluntary veteran Mending Camp. So this is all the voluntary stuff. And OTAs begin May 23rd. and training camp. The mandatory minicamp is June 7th through 9th with this is a month out from training camp. Look, this is not who Aaron is

and, you know, Tom Brady skips these. A lot of guys skip the voluntary ones, especially when you're a veteran. A lot of guys didn't. A lot of guys don't win back-to-back MVPs and then get knocked in the first round of the playoffs to a wildcard team at home. A lot of guys don't have the worst receiving core in the league.

That's just my opinion. But, you know, what do I know? Look, Aaron's entitled to do whatever he wants. I just, I, I do think The messaging's not great. At some point or another, we can stop talking about him as somebody who is interested in winning championship. That's right. That's right. That's right. I mean, listen. Like all is fair, right? You are entitled to do whatever it is that you like to do.

Yeah. And the reaction to whatever it is you like to do is also fair. Yes, absolutely. Like there is, there is something in that. I don't know that he has to be at voluntary minicamp, whether that's going to change things or not. But I do know that the end of your season was a disaster. By the way, I don't think Matt Stafford does. No, most veteran quarterbacks are not at voluntary.

Yeah, because he's got Cooper Cup, the same tight ends back. He's got his number three back. Oh, Matthew Stafford also just won a Super Bowl. Yeah, so, but he'll probably be at camp because they have Alan Robinson. He wants to get some throws in. But you know what, listen, I, as America's honesty broker, the country understands my fight for truth in journalism, except in Milwaukee, where I'm reportedly anti Aaron Rogers because I say things like his messaging's terrible and it feels like it's always hey

you need me I know it I'll see it when the season starts just my interpretation once again I don't have a problem with him skipping minicam right I just I think the season ended poorly I think it was a cataclysmic disaster and we we do not we did not emphasize how badly the season ended well what was the difference between how the cowboy season ended and the Packer season ended But we gave the Cowboys. We were to fire the coach and it's a disaster and Dax overpaid.

The Packers were the number one seed in the NFC and had back-to-back MVP as their quarterback. Quarterback. And everybody's all good. And lost at home in their first playoff game to the wildcard team. With a huge weather advantage over moderate and warm weather teams. Yeah. So, I mean, it's fine. You don't have to go to minicamp.

I just don't. I'm also entitled to think that you're not a Super Bowl. same. Yeah, well, I totally agree with that. Now, that could change if they get Terry McLaren from Washington and draft one of the top five receivers. I could change my mind. There's still time. Still time. That's good stuff. Joy with the news. Well, that's the news. And thanks for stopping by. The Hurd lie news. The burden of being America's honesty broker and the fight for justice and journalism every day, it is a lot. But I'm here for it. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays in

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 IHeart Radio app. Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcast. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast's Superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year.

Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the 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 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 Clivert Show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok podcast network on TikTok. Do you remember when Diana Ross double-tap little Kim's boobs at the VMAs? Or when Kanye said that George Bush didn't like black people. I know what you're thinking.

What the hell does George Bush got to do with Little Kim? Well, you can find out on the Look Back at it podcast. I'm Sam Jay. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick 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 all day, but just so you all know. I mean, at this point, Mark, this is the second episode where we've discussed crack. So I'm starting to see that there's a through line.

We also have AIDS on the table right now. Thank you for finishing that sentence. Yes. I don't think there's a more important year for black people. Really? Yeah. For me, it's one of the most important years for black people in American history. Listen to look back at it on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Welcome to my new podcast, Learn the Hardway with me, your host, and your favorite therapist, Kear Games. And in recognition of mental health awareness month, I'm bringing over a decade of my own experience in the mental health field and conversations with so many incredible guests. I'm talking, Tripp Fontaine, Ryan Clark. Sometimes when we're in the pursuit of the thing, we get so wrapped up in the chase that we don't realize that we, are in possession of the thing. And we're still chasing it. And we don't know when we've done enough. Because people scoreboard watch.

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Nothing better than last night. Pour a beer, get the dogs, turn on the NBA for about five, six hours. Nachos? No, no. I only, when we have important playoff action, I need clarity, have to see. Give myself one beer, that's it.

Then shut down the tap and concentrate. What you have for dinner? A nice piece of fish. Chicken pat. Oh, oh. That was very good. Wolf the whole thing down. You know, my dogs, you give him a piece of bread one time, and you're done.

I cooked last night. Some steaks. By yourself? Yeah, steaks, potato, veggies. Steaks. You are a player. All right, let's get in. I was going to go out and hang out with Rosillo, but, you know, you sit down with him,

and he starts giving you these crazy NBA theories, and it will mess up my head. From the ringer, my buddy, host of the Ryan Rusillo podcast. All right. So I watched the Nets. And so I'm not just going to lay it out there. They have the best closer in the game in KD. They have the best small closer. I don't know if their chemistry is good.

Their bench is suspect. I don't know if Steve Nash can coach. But God, the history of the league is, I get the best big closer, the best small closer. How do you view them? Could they beat? Now, I like him over Boston, if Simmons plays a little, but that's a different thing. Could they win the East? your opinion? Yeah, they definitely could win the East. I felt like towards the end of the season,

I'm like, all right, how locked in are they defensively? But if you look at the last 15 games, Colin, they finished top 10 in offense and top 10 in defense. Durant almost carried this team past Milwaukee last year with missing basically two guys. You could say he was missing one and a half guys because Hardin was limited so much in that series as well. I like when Seth Curry is available. I like what they've done with Nick Claxton. I guess they sort of have a body and drumming to go up against Embed, and he looked really motivated as he had been traded from Philly and went up in that matchup. I don't know if that holds up for seven games, but Durant is that special. I mean, this isn't breaking news. He's that kind of guy that I'm always going to be scared of, even if I'm not sure

about the pieces around him. So forget the seating. Look, they were the number one seed in the east, I think, when he went down with the knee injury. And Kyrie, at this point, I mean, they are connected. Durant has his back the entire time. The Nash part of it, I hear people say he can't coach. Hey, would you enjoy being a head coach in the situation that you've had with the Nets in the last two years? Are you kidding me that we're going to look through all the mess that Nash had? So yeah, look, if Simmons

comes back, because it's a good point to bring up. If Simmons comes back, his role is completely different, Colin. He's not asked to create offensively off the drivel and pull up or hit open shots. All he has to do is take the Bruce Brown role, which has been really good. Maybe they're both out there where you're like, look,

just cut off the double. Kevin Durant got double teamed all night. That's why everybody else, eight. You know, he was perfect. He was making reads. His passing is terrific. His defense is terrific. So if they have Simmons and he has no pressure on him and he's healthy and conditioned enough to go here, yeah, I think they're a real threat in the East. There's no reason why not. Yeah. So, yeah, I like the Clippers last night. That was painful. So they're going to play. I think they'll win. They'll beat the Spursor Pelicans. I believe that. And good coach, good roster, a lot of versatile wings. And then they're going to get doused by the

sons. Let me throw this at you. Steve Ballmer loves basketball. I was told years ago that he would go in Seattle when he was the second richest guy like in the world. He would go to high school basketball tournaments all weekend in Seattle and watch basketball. He loves it. He's crazy. He's the richest owner. He's not spending this money to be an eight seed.

And I look at this and I'm like, Kauai has been underwhelming. Paul George is amazing but can let you down. If they get doused, if they get in and get doused by the sons, could you see them rearranging the chairs here with Kauai and Paul George, you're tied in it. I mean, they pay a lot of money for their front office. I just think he's over. He's looking at this thing going, this is not,

I didn't pay for this. Could they be a trade partner in this league? Kauai, Paul George, leaving. I wouldn't rule anything out in this league, but I think Kauai at this point, you realize that you're dealing with somebody who's not super locked in to updating the organization that he plays for.

As it was one told by a very smart man that knew the deal said, if anybody tells you they know what Kawhi Leonard's thinking. Don't ever listen to them about Kawhi ever again. And that's the situation. That's what you sign up for when Kawhi's your guy. I think when you look at a basketball team and you would say to him in a vacuum, if you trade these picks and you give these two players all this money, you're going to have Kawhi and Paul George or you can wait for other opportunities for themselves. You would go ahead and do that deal. I think some of these unprotected picks that teams, not just the clippers, everybody's been throwing around the last couple

years is going to come back to haunt some people. We could see a correction on that. So whenever I see the result, I'll be like, okay, but what was the original plan? Oh, the original plan was you get Kauai, Paul George? Okay, sign me up for that. Because even though I, like you, some doubts about Paul George, although we had a good game last night, redeemed himself a bit in the playoffs last season. Kauai was that guy. Kauai went healthy, was clearly a top five player in this league. The problem is it was shut down in San Antonio, very limited in how he played with Toronto, but got him a title, and now we here with the Clippers. And both these guys got paid, Colin.

So if you're another team desperate to feel like you're upgrading sort of your number one guy, that's one thing. But Kauai just hasn't been healthy enough. So I wouldn't put anything past anyone in this league. But if you're another team, Kauai is not nearly as appealing today as he was a couple years ago. So, you know, the NBA makes it difficult to make trades. It's just the way the league works.

NFL, you can cut guys, NBA can't. So the Westbrook situation with the Lakers is tough. And I was telling Joy this yesterday. I've worked at places where sometimes you have lazy coworkers and indifferent coworkers and limited in talent. But if you have toxic coworkers, you got to move off. Like that is a non-starter. Westbrook is toxic. Hell, the fans are on him.

So you got to get him out of the room. Now, I want to ask you, because I think you could be a GM in this league, that you're that into it. If you're the Lakers, listen, I can come back and just say, Ryan, I'm going to let it bake for another year. I mean, LeBron wanted this guy. I'm going to let it bake for another year, and they're going to, but I think the market's too big, the brand's too big. Like I said yesterday, if the Cincinnati Red stinks or the kings do in Sacramento, nobody cares. The Yankees or Lakers do, you're going to get crushed for a year by the media by everybody. So my guess is they're going to make a move on this stuff pretty fast. Is there something out there with Westbrook?

All right. Well, am I going to be able to tell you, hey, here's the landing spot for him? No, I can't give you that as if it's very specific. But I think we've learned this lesson throughout all of our careers that have covered the NBA. As soon as you say a transaction is impossible, you're usually proven wrong. All right. So it's a massive number. It's 47 million. It's one year left. There's a couple things that you could do. But to say he's untradable, I think we know that it's very complicated. But I don't know that there's ever impossible anymore in this league, especially even though he's not rep by Clutch. If Clutch starts telling other teams pulling the levers the way a lot of deals happen with powerful. agents be like, hey, maybe you do this, maybe down the road will take care of you somewhere. And I think a lot of deals can be motivated by that. But let's get back to your Westbrook thing, because I completely agree. I mean, the most frustrating thing is that you're asking someone to change that will never change. When he looks in the mirror, he sees something different than the rest of us see as a basketball player. Okay. And then even his comments after the fact, he was delusional in the idea that Vogel never gave him a chance.

When Vogel really stuck by him, I thought, a lot more than he wanted to. And if the team was still competitive, Colin, I think it would have gone worse for Westbro. because they would have said, hey, we still have a chance to be in the playoffs. We're going to actually going to bench this guy a little bit more. The season was such a disaster. He's like, all right, stay out there. But here's the biggest complication with Westbrook. It's not just the money, Colin.

It's that a lot of people throw around a Westbrook rumor going, oh, well, this team stinks. So just trade them there. Like, all right. But when Westbrook shows up to your team, you're now playing by his rules. And if you're a young team that's bad, but you're now three or four lottery picks in, hoping you're developing something, throwing him into the mix makes it even worse because he is so stubborn. And stubborn is why he's successful, but stubborn's why he's now a bad fit, almost everywhere he's gone. I mean, Colin, the next team he's on will have been five teams

in five years for a guy that we were trying to say was one of the best players in the game. You know, like I have a bit of a rule. Like if you work somewhere, if you have seven jobs in less than a decade, you were either amazing or you. you have a hard time working with other people. So I would never rule out anything in this league and all the things going on behind the scenes of pulling stuff off and promises down the road. But it's not that he can go to a good team and mess them up. He can't really even go to a bad team because I think the front office is developing something

isn't going to want to mess with it. All right. Well, I know you care about social causes. Don't be gluing yourself to a floor here in the near future. What's her approval rating right now? That's pretty low for... Like they were making jokes about her during the game. Did you have a zinger today on the show?

Did you have a couple of your workshop? You know what? I'm past that now. It's a fight for journalism and justice on this show. No jokes. No wit. You're no longer a zinger guy. All right.

All right. All right, Riscilla. We'll see you later. Maybe after a couple of cold brews, I'm a zinger guy. All right. All right, my man. Poor Bill Simmons, when those Celtics lose to the nets, he's going to be so sad. He is.

I got to tell you something. I rooted for Hannibal Lecter in Silence of the Lambs. I like the villain. I rooted for him. And I'm rooting for the dark hats of the NBA playoffs, the Brooklyn Net. I love a good villain. I think villains make the story more complex. The Joker.

Routing the Darth Vader. Yeah, I think the villains have to actually have enough depth and defense to. Well, I don't like, you know, all these movies now. Are the Celtics not villains, though? No, they play defense, and they listen to their coach, and they develop players, and it's the same starting five, and very likable. Very. Boston.

Well, Boston's, I mean, they wake up and they hate everybody, including themselves. I mean, that's just Boston. I think it's the weather or something. Have you ever met? I've never been to Boston, actually, so I can't. I've never met anybody in Boston that isn't cranky. I try to not slander places I've not been to. The only way to not be from Boston and cranky is to move.

If you move out of Boston, you get less cranky. But it's just the DNA, it's the water. I don't know. Born upset. Upset. I mean, they're just scrambled eggs and anger. That's what I'll have for breakfast. They have 365 days a year.

All right. So we got one of my favorite guys, Antoine Walker, run around the corner. I got so much stuff today. I barely even starting. You know, I just sat and watched those games last night. And it was like, you know, I always hear the NBA guys. They don't care. The minute the playoffs start, all the stars are available.

And they play their arse off. They are totally locked in. Well, like the NBA, it's not as good as years ago. That's a you problem. because the last night was fantastic, and we're not even into the, like, series yet. Hour two. Next. Another podcast from some SNL, late-night comedy guy, not quite.

Unhumor me with Robert Smygel and friends. Me and hilarious guests from Bob Odenkirk to David Letterman help make you funnier. This week, my guest, SNL's Mikey Day and 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 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 tontons and wampas on the ice planet hot,

or the practicality and corporate business sense of the Sith rule of two. Listen to stuff to bowl your mind on the Iheart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. On the Look Back at it podcast. 1979, that was a big moment for me. 84's big to me. I'm Sam J. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick a here, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it.

With our friends, fellow comedians, and favorite authors. Like Mark Lamont Hill on the 80s. 84 was a wild year. I don't think there's a more important year for black people. Listen to look back at it on the IHeart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. This is an IHeart podcast. Guaranteed human.