The Herd with Colin Cowherd - Hour 1 - New HC in Washington

Episode Date: February 1, 2024

Colin reacts to breaking NFL news with the Washington Commanders hiring Dan Quinn to be their new head coach He points out the big issue facing the Cowboys going forward as they continue to fall short in the postseason every year There's apparently a major flaw hurting Bill BelichickSee 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. On the Look Back at it podcast. For 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 Heard podcast. Be sure to catch us live every weekday on Fox Sports Radio in noon to 3 Eastern 9 a.m. to noon Pacific.

Find your local station for the herd at Fox Sports Radio.com or stream us live every day in the IHeart Radio app by searching Fox Sports Radio or FSR. We're listening to Fox Sports Radio. All right. Breaking News live in Los Angeles. It's the herd. Wet Los Angeles. Poring, windy Los Angeles. Wherever you may be, and however you may be listening, thanks for making us part of your day. So, J-Mack, Greg CoSell one hour from now. If you like football, bet football, fantasy football, Greg CoSell one hour. Eight coaching openings. They've now all officially been filled. five of the eight went to defensive coaches. I don't think owners are watching what's happening in the league.

So Dallas gets a little weaker today. Dan Quinn, remember, all the best defensive coordinators now, they all got head jobs. So Dallas probably doesn't find Dan Quinn's equal and has to introduce a new defensive scheme in Mike McCarthy's lame duck year. Yeah, it's weird. You and I don't love Dan Quinn as a head coach,

but in this spot with Washington, I think it's kind of a home run. Yeah, so let's talk about that. First of all, eight new coaches, five defensive. I will say this. In 2021, offensive head coaches won 12 playoff games. Defensive head coaches won,

one. In 2022, offensive coaches won 12 playoff games. Defensive coaches won again, one. won this year after the Super Bowl offensive coaches will have won nine games defensive coaches stellar year

will have won four this would not have been my choice but I do think Washington is the second best opening after the Chargers and Justin Herbert a wealthy new owner a clean slate there most cap space in the league the number overall number two overall pick in a great college quarterback draft

a very winnable division. Dallas is going to pull back, I think, a little without Quinn, and Philadelphia is getting old, and some very good wide receiver talent. So Dan Quinn should take care of the defense. The cap space should take care of the O line and some roster deficiencies, and the young wide receiver talent will take care of whoever the young quarterback is.

And we know where a young quarterback lands really, really matters. You also have a sharp GM from San Francisco Adam Peters to spend all that free agent money. So Drake May is probably going to Washington. So an East Coast kid can stay on the East Coast, Drake May, whose comp is Justin Herbert. It's a pretty good comp. I've watched enough of him. I see a lot of Justin Herbert. Big kid moves well, power arm.

Good player. So, you know what this sounds like? Because my initial response is a defensive coach. You know what this sounds like? The Houston Texans. Number two pick, cap space, defensive coach, a connection to the San Francisco culture,

some interesting wide receivers, and the previous seven, eight years, a laughable either executive office or owner. And C.J. Stroud and D'Amico Ryan's turned it around. laughing stock to the playoffs laughing stock to a playoff win in one year

so I think Washington's a really good job I don't love eight openings and five defensive coaches but I will say cap space defensive coach who's got experience he had a winning record in Atlanta and a Super Bowl game he should have won loss but got there receiving talent

go hire a good smart OC this feels it sounds it sounds like it should work. Wouldn't have been my choice, but could work. But the more interesting part today to me is actually Dallas. So again, Dan Quinn's

a very good D.C. And he was more than capable as a head coach. His best years were with Kyle Shanahan, but that's okay. The Steelers would love to get a Kyle Shanahan as an offensive coordinator. There's no question a brilliant offensive coordinator always helps a defensive coach. Hopefully

Dan Quinn can land one. But But it's very unlikely Dallas is going to land a young DC that connects, elevates that defense like Dan Quinn did. But here's the other thing that's interesting. So Micah Parsons, it has been a very noisy last couple of weeks for Dallas. So Micah Parsons yesterday, podcast grabbed his mic and called out the staff. people saying well why ain't you go to linebacker because you know they said you can stop the run well guess what the packages are in for me to go to linebacker there's multiple packages multiple variations but i can only play what it's called whatever they're calling whoever person that are

putting on i'm not putting out personnel i'm not putting out uh the calls there nothing's coming from me. So in the last couple of weeks, C.D. Lamb's mom called out Dak. Micah Parsons' brother called out the cowboy organization.

Micah Parsons now calling out the coaches, and Dak's brother called out the fans. Why is this all happening? Well, I think there's two reasons. Number one is when you pay a B to a B plus quarterback, Mahomes' money,

There are limitations on the roster, and you're going to be disappointed in the playoffs. I think Dak's a solid quarterback. I've said it before. He's Kirk Cousins with better mobility. That's what he is. The numbers don't lie. But they pay him like Mahomes. Next year's cap hits $59.5 million.

That's outrageous for Dak. And if you look at Dak Prescott in the postseason, and that's where you earn the bag, he has had one in eight years, one great playoff game. That was against the bucks. He ate him up. He had a great, great game. He said one other really good game. That was a loss at the Rams.

Excuse me. That was a loss against the Packers. Outside of that, one great game, one really good game, $59 million cap hit next year. And I think Dallas has mostly not been, been that noisy. Now, Des Bryant was the last noisy cowboy. Why, in the last couple of weeks,

Seedy Lamb, Dax brother, Michael Parsons, Michael Parsons, brother. Why? You know why? In my opinion? Because all those cowboy players, and players see the truth, watched a young Jordan love

walking to Dallas. Had a better arm than Dak. moved a lot better than DAC, was more accurate than DAC, makes about 1-8th of DAC, and players went, he's just going in to the next 10 years. I think Cowboy players, I think Jordan Love walking into that stadium

and lighting up Dallas with the youngest playoff roster since the 1970 Bills, and Jordan moves better than Dak, he's got a better whip than Dak, he's more consistently accurate than Dak, and he's not even into his prime yet, and he's not making any money. I mean, why else over the last two to three weeks? I mean, the Cowboys have lost playoff games before.

Why would it get so noisy? I think that's what you're looking at. I don't know what the market is for DAC. Tom Brady had a two to three team market. Tom Brady. Bill Belichick just had no market. At $55 to $58 million, if you put him on the market, that's what his agent would want. What's DAC's market?

since that Russell Wilson mess with Sean Peyton and Denver, people have no interest paying $50 million plus for a quarterback who's viewed as a B. So I think all of this came from Green Bay and Jordan Love, and you watched his talent, his movement, his accuracy, the whip, and I think those players saw it, and they see the truth. Dax's going to re-sign a big, fat contract, Jerry loves him, and you're going nowhere. Again, show Dax playoff games. Eight years.

The resume's in. One great. game, one good game that he lost to the Packers, and a bunch of eh. Kurt Cousins with mobility. Kirk Cousins with a Jordan brand. That's not a knock on DAC.

That's Dax's truth. That's reality. And now players inside the organization are calling him out and no Dan Quinn means they're probably not as good defensively. What kind of coordinator are you going to get in Dallas when McCarthy's in his

last year? It's like trying to to get a great OC in Chicago with Matt Eberfluse, when everybody understands, it's his last year. The best candidates are not interested. The best candidates want to go coach with hardball. He's got a five-year guaranteed deal. Some of them may want to go coach with Dan Quinn. My guess is Dan Quinn takes one of his best assistants on the defensive side from Dallas. He may gut that Dallas staff.

Because some of the best candidates are already gone. Remember, eight jobs, five defensive coaches. So those guys are already stealing the best young people on the market defensively. So who do you think Dan Quinn's going to take? He's going to take people from the Cowboys. So the defensive staff for Dallas is now going to get gutted. The players are unhappy with Dak. And Jerry is the one guy there that loves him.

Does not feel like a good day for the Cowboys. Five new defensive coaches all have at least a day, two days, three-day advantage on Dan Quinn to hire top defensive coaches. to build his defensive staff. Am I going overboard here? Probably a little bit. Remember, his familiarity with that division helps. Like he knows the Giants extremely well.

He knows the Eagles, and he definitely knows Dallas. Yeah, you and I, I think, agree on this. Dan Quinn would not have been my first choice, but I think it should work. Yeah, it works here, yeah. I think it does. I think, listen, it worked in Houston in the tougher AFC. and I think Drake May's ceiling is higher than

C.J. Strouds, at least by NFL people. And remember, Quinn worked with Shanahan and Atlanta. I'm going to go ahead and assume, hey, we got a rookie quarterback coming in. Shanahan, give me one of your best guys. I need a quarterback guru to work with Drake May. Or let's not rule Jayden Daniels out totally just yet. Yeah.

So I think Washington, I think it sounds like it will work. A San Francisco connection, cap space, lots and lots of ability to buy some deficiencies, good young receivers, winnable division. Dallas should be weaker. Siriani could be in a lame duck situation. We don't love his staff today. We don't like the Giants at all. At all. So it's like it should work in Washington.

And listen, Dallas, 12 plus wins the last three years. Is that going to continue? I think it's a bad day for Dallas. I think Dan Quinn is viewed by many in that organization as the best coach. Well, I could get behind that if he showed up in the playoff game against the Packers, but clearly he did not. Dallas defense got shredded by your guy, Jordan Love. Jordan Love flexed. I think all those cowboy players, C.D. Lamb's mom saw it. Dax's brother getting defensive about it. Just saying. That's why I tell my family, stay off social media. I don't need any of these drama and the headaches. Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd, Weekdays and noon Eastern 9 a.m.

on Fox Sports Radio, FS1, and the IHeart Radio app. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal, but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast's Superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds.

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

And now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfiltered conversations with some of your favorite athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. One week, I'll take you behind the scenes of the biggest moments in sports and entertainment, and the next we'll talk about life, mental health, purpose, and even music. The Clivert 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 Jett. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick it here, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it. Including a recent episode with Mark Lamont Hill waxing all about crack in the 80s. To be clear, 84 is big to me, not just because of crack. I'm down to talk about crack on day, but just so y'all know.

I mean, at this point, Mark, this is the second episode where we've discussed crack. So I'm starting to see that there's a through line. We also have AIDS on the table right now. 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. You're now entering the No Bull Zone, sponsored by credible great rates, none of the bull. I thought it was interesting. Tom Brady Sr. Remember when Tom played and his dad occasionally with throw out a little bit of a bomb? and Tom was always like, oh, it's just dad talking. Well, Tom's retired now, so Bill Sr. I can tell you and say anything he wants.

And you know, if he's saying this, he heard it from Tom. He said to a Boston newspaper, the Boston Globe, Tom Brady Sr. said, Belichick's tough. He runs a military system. It's a different generation. He's a great coach, but his interpersonal skills are horrible. How many times had he said back in. 15 or 16, he wanted to win without Tommy.

How's it gone? A lot of the lusters come off the rows. Here's what's really interesting about that. So at the time that Belichick thought Brady was toast, done, he won two Super Bowls after that. Two. So you want Belichick, if you want to know why Belichick couldn't get a job of the eight openings, he wanted the Atlanta job, and I think he wanted the Washington job,

but I don't know that for sure, but he interviewed twice with Atlanta. So wherever he was going, they need a quarterback. Bill watched every snap of Tom Brady at practice and on film, games, exhibitions, and he couldn't figure out Tommy's runway. You want him to draft Drake May, Jaden Daniels, Bo Nicks, Michael Pennock? He couldn't figure out Brady. He thought he was shot and he won two more Super Bowls. I mean, he does no idea at quarterback.

Remember, he's drafted 12 between Cleveland and New England. One's hit. And he doubted him at the end. And he got a break early because Drew Bledsoe got hurt or he may not have played him. There's this story. What a mess this is. According to a report, Bill Belichick stopped speaking to Mack Jones in week 12. He stopped talking to him.

So he's petty. I mean, you look at McVeigh's coaching tree and you look at Belichick's. What does it tell you? So in the history of sports divorces, and a divorce has to be tense, and there has to be some bitterness. I'm not talking about guys just get fired and move on. In the history of sports divorces, the most lobsided ever is Phil Jackson from the Bulls. He went on to win three titles with Shaq and Kobe and Kobe and Gasol, and the Bulls have really never recovered. In fact, the first three years after that divorce, the Bulls were winning like 20 games.

Popovich and Kauai has been a little lobsided, but Kauai, let's be honest, after. of that title in Toronto. Been a lot of disappointment. Popovich has just been coaching bad teams for a while now. But this thing is crazy. Like, what does Belichick do well besides coach defense? His coaching tree stinks. His coaching tree stinks.

His staffs are weak. That's why his coaching tree ends up being retreads and family members. He does not draft particularly well. He's had control now for about seven, eight years. They have two pro bowlers, one of punter. he appears to be rigid and petty. He stopped talking to Mac Jones. That's the story.

I'm not saying it. He wanted Brady out years before he was close, close to erosion. And you want him and he wants him. He, Bill, wants personnel power. There's God, no way I would give him personnel power. If you watch Brady every day for all those years and you couldn't identify, it was the lack of receiving talent you kept missing. on and it wasn't Brady?

What does that tell you? So I will ask this, outside of coaching defense, what's Bill do well? Remember American Idol when it first started? Brady became Ryan Seacrest. Belichick now looks like Brian Dunkelman. It's like, yeah, exactly, who? I mean, honestly, I literally, Phil Jackson Bulls is like, wow, that divorce worked really well for one side and not the other.

won't talk to Mac Jones. Basically, the father of Tom is telling you horrible, horrible communication skills. Again, eight openings, eight. Bill interviewed twice for one organization, Atlanta, that I think interviewed 14 people. And they ended up going with his side of the ball. And they went with a coach who's had a job and been fired. And I don't think Rahim Morris ever won a playoff game. Bill's got six rings.

So, I mean, this Brady-Belichick divorce to me is the number two most lobsided divorce of all time. Wow. And Bill Sr. is there to talk about it. Tom Brady's dad. Wow. Jay Mack with the news. No, no, no, no. Turn on the news.

This is the herd line news. Yeah, I think, I don't know if it was a day or two ago, but you kept rolling with this whole Belichick, smart, smart, smart. And I didn't want to push back at the time. But he's more of that drill sergeant. You know, I think Naval Academy is where his dad's from. And it just doesn't, to me, he never struck me as like the smartest guy, not that he's dumb, but he was more rigid my way or the highway.

And that's why him and Tom. Yeah, Tom Brady Sr. Tom Brady, senior now, gloves are off. Just said basically as him interpersonal skills are absolutely horrible. We can say that now. You couldn't say that when your son was there. Right, right. Tom Brady, Sr., though, is letting her rip.

And between that and the Mac Jones story. I like that, not talking to Mac Jones after week 12. I love that. That is incredible. That is terrible. All right, listen, I'm going to need some room here to operate for you. This is going to be a dicey topic, all right? We're starting with Cam Newton, who seems to be picking a fight with somebody on this show, not named Colin Coward.

And he keeps talking about me, like, on his podcast. Everywhere he goes, the breakfast club. He's talking about me because of our Dak Prescott thing. At any rate, here he is on his podcast. taking Brock Purdy to task. Colin, take a listen. To be labeled a game changer, Brock Purdy has to be the best player

on the offensive side of the ball. And that's not the case. If you add in the defensive talent and you add in the offensive talent, Brock Parity is the 10th best player on his team. Okay, cool. Did he have a great game? Yes.

Is he been playing out of his mind? Yes. Is he a quarterback? That's hot? Yes. But he's still the 10th best game. player on his team. I totally agree.

I've never agreed with Cam Newton more than I have in the last month, and it's not a shot at you. All Cam has ever said, and I, Cam would drive me crazy. I thought he was sort of distracted too much into Cam. All Cam is saying is there are game changers, Lamar, Josh, Mahomes, clearly. I think Herbert with Harbaugh now will be a game changer. And then there are guys that kind of manage it and can make plays. They're in the NFL.

Good enough to start. Cousins, Dak, Purdy, Derek Carr, good enough to win games, but they're not taking games over. They need the right coach and the right components and the right, and I totally agree with that. Okay, so let's back up here. He says that Brock Purdy is the 10th best player on the team. I had in 13th. Okay, what does best mean? Please define best for me. Well, let's say the best player on the Kansas City Chiefs is Mahomes. He's the most raw talented, highly productive, very dependable, better in big games, consistent greatness. So I think it's a combination of your overall, you can see Mahomes' talent.

He can move big arm. But basically, Best Me is a subjective term, that if you go to a Niners game and you said, let me pull aside one hundred things. No, it's not a subjective term. It is. No, it's traits plus production plus consistency. Oh, okay. Production.

That's one of the six elements. And his production is completely hit and miss. In eight playoff quarters, he's been bad in five. Okay, so the good news is we have some people who quantify production and put a number on it. So just for sake of argument, one data point, pro football focus. They say Brock Purdy is the sixth best quarterback in the NFL this season based on the numbers. You said production. This season based on the numbers.

Numbers, yes. So those are big qualifiers. Well, numbers kind of matter. We're not saying in the NFL, we're saying, like Justin Herbert with Harbaugh. will suddenly be a better player by a mile. I would agree. So if you look down the Niners roster, it's pretty stacked. Ayuk, PFF says his second best receiver this season.

Debo Samuel, now this is weird. We both think he's massive. He graded out as the 13th best slot receiver in the league. That's, by the way, behind Rishi Rice. But it's not, but that's not crazy. Because he's not a classic. He's not. He's a chess piece.

This has been discussed. He is a three-point-a-game player, No non-quarterback in the league is worth more points a game than Debo. He's not Julian Edelman, the slot receiver. That's not what he is. He can be a running back. He's almost a tied end. So Debo can't qualify.

He's a positionless player, frankly. I mean, you've got to pay him as a receiver, not a tied end, because nobody wants to get paid as a tied in if they can get paid as a receiver. But Debo's not your classic slot receiver. The late Aaron Hernandez is a great example. He was a tight end. Kind of. But what he was was a chess piece.

Gronk is a pure tied end. So Debo doesn't even qualify as a running back receiver. He's just, he's paid in the receiver group, but he's a chess piece. So where does he come in on your best list, best Niners top ten players? He's certainly in there, right? Yeah, I think my best players would be Christian McCaffrey, Trent Williams, Bosa, Debo, or the top four, Kittles probably five. Fred Warner's in there, Greenlaw, the receiver, Hufungo and healthy. Greenlaw linebacker, yeah, yeah.

So this is interesting. I'm glad you said that. One of the ways we could say best is, hey, if you remove this guy from the game in the first quarter, he gets injured, how much does it hurt the team? Right? Debo Samuel got injured against the Packers. They struggled mightily.

Brock Pretty bailed them out. So let me ask you, if Brock Pretty goes down in the first quarter and Sam Darnold has to come in. I don't think there's a big difference. I think Darnold moves very, very well, and Darnold's been in the league. I don't think there's a huge gap. I really don't.

I think the gap would be a point. I mean, Brock Pretty right now is probably worth five and a half points a game. I mean, like wins above replacement war, maybe five. I don't even know. I mean, Lamar's probably 10, so he's probably worth four to five, and I think Donald's probably worth one and a half. So McCaffrey goes down first quarter, you got to bring in it in a Lange and Mitchell. Totally different football team.

They're not winning the Super Bowl of McCaffrey goes down. There's no way. But they have a chance if Brock Pretty went down and Donald came in start of the second quarter, I think they'd have a chance. I think if I think listen you watched him when Debo got hurt it was bad and you know who bailed him out it wasn't it wasn't Trent Williams it wasn't Brandon Ayuk it wasn't Debo Samuel it was Brock Purdy there's no way he's below fifth sorry Cam there's only 10 that's nonsense anyways let's move on

Ben Johnson returning to the Lions as OC he had interviewed for a couple jobs decided not to take him now receiver Amara St. Brown said on his podcast he spoke to Johnson the morning the news broke and here's what the phone call was about I'm like, so what's up with you? Like, you did an interview, like, are you leaving? He's like, you know what? I'm on my way to the facility right now. You know, I couldn't sleep.

He said he couldn't sleep last night. He was thinking about it and he said he's, you know, there's unfinished business. He wants to stay. Unfinished business for Ben Johnson. Let me ask you this. Are we absolutely sure Ben Johnson's number one priority is to be a head coach? Not all vice presidents want to be presidents. Not all coordinators want to be head coaches.

Wink Martindale loves being a coordinator. How do we know that this Ben Johnson isn't just he loves being a coordinator? He has watched Dan Campbell and how much he's been ripped by the media. And he thinks to himself, I can make two and a half, three million bucks a year instead of seven. it's a quiet life. I don't take the heat. I got young kids, maybe. Well, I'm saying it's not all...

He doesn't take the heat when things are going well. But he's watched Dan Campbell get smoked. Ben Johnson doesn't have... It doesn't look to me. Has this massive personality. He's very quiet. He could be your classic cerebral head coach who's making now top of the market money

as a coordinator. There's a lot... You know, in our business, a lot of people want to stay in Iowa and be the man. What's wrong with that? You're the voice of Hawkeye Football. You've got a talk show. wrong with that. Ben Johnson may love the idea of working in his organization that keeps feeding

him great players. He gets none of the heat and makes $3 million a year and a great place to live. Entirely possible. It's funny, I've looked for a Ben Johnson profile. He's very low. Very lucky. You can't find a lot of stuff on him. He's like kind of low profile. I mean, I don't know much about his background. Like, are you, I don't know. Does he have a family? Do they want to stay in Detroit? I really don't know. But this is it to me, it's really interesting. interesting. I'm a strike while the iron is hot. You know who's going to get blamed next year if the offense sags a little bit. It ain't going to be Jared Gough, because the weapons are all going to be there. It's going to be Ben Johnson. Oh, he was a flash in the pan. He had a couple

good years. He's only 37, though. I mean, it's like, I don't know. I think in society, there's this pressure that you always have to say yes. Sometimes a very powerful word to employees to tell their boss is no. Or to tell a job hunter. No, I'm not interested. I got to tell you something. They always say to men, women are more attractive that say no to you. Yeah. Right? Like, there's something very powerful and alluring about somebody that says, no, I don't want $8 million. It's like, why? What's wrong? What's wrong with us? People start doubting themselves. I think Ben Johnson, I don't think it's necessarily a bad move. And there's no proof that every coordinator wants to be a head coach.

Especially what Ben Johnson did, he worked the market. So now he's getting paid. For the second year, he got a raise, so I don't know what he makes. I'm guessing $3 million. Instead of seven or eight and getting pummeled because you lose a playoff game because you went forward on a fourth down that the analytics saves a 50-50 proposition. I can see a young guy just saying, I don't want that circus. I'll be the coordinator.

Is it $8 million contract over four or five years? Isn't that generational wealth for you and your family and your grandkids? kids? Well, it depends on how you spend it. You got a speedboat in every port. Maybe not. Speedboat. Come on. Our final story. Leslie Frazier, remember he left the bills before last season was their defensive coordinator. Head coach Sean McDermott took over the play calling. But in 2024, they have defensive coordinator who's been promoted linebackers coach Bobby Babbage getting the promotion. And Buffalo is still deciding

whether or not McDermott will continue to call defensive plays. Colin, these are the little things in the off season that can be a big deal. Yeah, they are. And a lot of people don't pick up on them. You and I are in the weeds on a lot of this nonsense. We picked up on it that the bills were not the same team. They did get hot and right the ship. Yeah.

I think if they stripped McDermott from play calling duty, probably not a great sign. Remember, he had the offensive coordinator issues. Frazier, there's not much room left. I think this is the year they have to decide on McDermen. I think you and I talked about this. You can lose playoff games. But in back-to-back years, when you lose home,

home playoff games. That's when ownership says, because everybody in Buffalo, the owner, no. Josh Allen outside of Mahomes is the best quarterback in the league. And you're getting home playoff games, and Buffalo is considered one of the loudest stadiums, and you have a weather advantage. I mean, it's a little bit of an advantage, right?

Like Buffalo home games, you're like the Bill's Mafia, so you've lost back-to-back years, and in one of them looked horrible, and in this year, some weird play-calling, back-to-back home playoff losses. It's like Mike McDaniel is taking no heat for losing in minus 27 degrees in Kansas City. None. Like everybody in Miami knows, we're not built for that.

But if you had, if you took a cold weather team and you came down to Miami and it was 80 and warm weather advantage and you couldn't move the chains, then it's like, we got an offensive coach and tool. We can't move the chains. Maybe the wrong coach. So I did, I said this yesterday. It sounds weird. but I do think Sean McDermott has to have a good September in October

or there's going to be people privately saying in that organization at the top we got the wrong guy. You can't lose home playoff games with a superstar quarterback. You can't. You remember that big story that came out about him or it was just a lot of negative stuff? I think it was in November maybe. He doesn't have a lot of room for error. And that defense is going to, I think it's going to, I was looking at the free agents,

a lot of overhaul coming for the bills. A lot. They got to get a corner. They got to get a defensive tackle. They overspent on Vaughn Mill. I think they have a smart GM, but they've got to do some rebuilding here. Safety's... I think so.

J. Mack with the news. Well, that's the news. And thanks for stopping by. The Herd Lye News. Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd weekdays in noon Eastern, 9 a.m. Pacific. Polly Fusco here with Tony Fusco. You know, as the host of the number one rated Polly and Tony Fusco show, we get tons and tons of fan mail every day. Piles of it.

In fact, Tony, why don't you open up one of those letters right now and read what you? inside. Yeah, listen to this. Dear Pauli and Tony, your sports takes are the dumbest and most terrible. Wait, not that one. Wait, why? Open this other one. Dear Paulie and Tony, you suck more than anyone. Not that one. Try this one. Dear Paulie and Tony, you guys are the absolute best. There you go. At coming up with the stupidest takes possible. You know what? Just forget what those clowns say. Just listen to the Pauli and Tony Fusco show on the IHot Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Yeah.

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

I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the I-Hard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is a win. A win. 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 Clifford Show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. Do you remember when Diana Ross double-tapped Little Kim's boobs at the VMAs? Or when Kanye said that George Bush didn't like black people. I know what you're thinking.

What the hell does George Bush got to do 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 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's big time, to me not just because of crack. I'm down to talk about crack on day, but just so y'all know. I mean, at this point, Mark, this is the second episode where we've discussed crack, so I'm starting to see that there's a through line. We also have AIDS on the table right now, so...

Thank you 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 to look back at it on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Saturday on Fox, get ready for some Caitlin Clark in your life as the biggest star in college sports. Leaves third-ranked Iowa against Maryland. It all tips off Saturday at 8 Eastern on Fox. So Damian Liller, the former Blazer Great, now a Milwaukee buck, returned to Portland, and unbelievably they beat the Bucks. Very young Portland team, 119-116. It's the NBA regular season.

This stuff happens. Dame is beloved in Portland. He's a good guy. But it's a cautionary tale. So let's go back to September 27th. That's when the trade happened. But about two months to three months or four months before that, there was all this talk from his agent, I think some from Dame, that the NBA literally had to issue a warning to stop. Where they said, if he doesn't get traded to Miami and there were members of the media that fed that story, which is nonsense.

Number one, even NBA stars are employees. They don't own the team. They don't run the team. They don't coach the team. They have power, more power than baseball, hockey, or football players, but they are employees. And number two is Portland's never been a free agent destination anyway. Dame couldn't get a great number two player in 11 years. So the idea that Dame not getting exactly what he wants would shut down any free agent ever going to Portland,

they couldn't land them when they had them. What Portland did was get the absolute most. They got a haul in the trade. They did a great job. And Portland starting in about two years is going to be a very, very viable and then more mature playoff team. Right now it's a bunch of kids who won a fun game last night. The media's job isn't to feed nonsense. It's to call it out.

Too many people in the NBA media fed this story. that free agents will never go there. The player should go where he wants. No, the player goes to where he's traded. Portland wanted to send Dame a great guy to a really viable place. And for the record, I'd rather have Janus than Jimmy Butler. Though I love Butler as a teammate, I would take Janus, better big rim protector and a greater overall consistent player. But too many people fed into this.

All you had to do is look at recent history. history. LeBron didn't even give D. Wade a heads up. He was leaving. LeBron took care of LeBron. And Durant takes care of Durant. And Hardin takes care of Hardin. Star players have always taken care of themselves first. That's why it's an imperative that teams take care of their fans and not be loyal to aging stars. Do them as well as you can do them. Send them to a good organization. Milwaukee's a terrific place to live. wonderful fans, really nice organization. You're not going to send players exactly where they want to go. That's absolute nonsense.

So Dame ended up getting a pretty good deal, not Miami, but I think a better place actually right now to go with Janus. And Portland got a haul. But I was disappointed in the media feeding a story that was utter absolute nonsense. I'm happy for Dame. After the game, he said, don't be shocked. if I end my career back in the Rose City. How I feel about Portland, how I feel about the organization here,

my time that I spent here. In my mind, I've always felt like that's how my career would end. And right now, I'm just in a space of like, this is where I am now. You know, I'm in Milwaukee. I wanted an opportunity to contend, and our team has an opportunity to contend for this year and years to come. And I'm just living in that, you know, but I definitely, like I said, when I was traded, I see a day where, you know, I'll be in a trailblazer uniform again, you know, before I'm done.

So this is an interesting story. Now, J. Mack and I talk about this. It's a little bit in the weeds, and it didn't make a lot of news, but it is something. So Boston College's head football coach, Jeff Halfley, don't know that much about him, said, I'm done being the head coach in Boston College. I want to go be a coordinator for the Green Bay Packers. Jim Harbaugh, I'm out of here. Sabin, I'm out of here. Chip Kelly, UCLA coach, heavy rumors.

Keep your eye on Dan Quinn, Chip Kelly, Washington. It's possible. What does it tell you? It tells you that the $8 billion annual business of college football is currently an unstructured, chaotic mess. For a head coach in college, and this guy probably makes two. and a half, three million bucks a year at BC to take a 50% pay cut. He controlled personnel. It was his team, big man on campus, big coach on campus to taking orders.

To be in the third or fourth most important person in the franchise after the coach, the coordinators, a star player or two, it tells you the mess that is college football. By the way, the games are great. The playoffs are going to be great. The players are fantastic. but this is a sign. Athletic directors for years and years have had to worry about their coaches

leaving to other colleges. Now, because of the NIL Wild Wild West unstructured mess, they're leaving for coordinator jobs in the NFL. So keep your eye on Ryan Day at Ohio State, who is relentlessly attacked and criticized, despite the fact his Big Ten record

is 39 and 3. he's only lost to one team Michigan since he's been the coach of the Buckeyes he's 56 and 8 at Ohio State 39 and 3 in the Big 10 and so to me this wasn't a small thing

Harbaugh had a great NFL offer but Sabin walked away from eight figures a year in a sport he loves Boston College I'll be a coordinator Chip Kelly keep your eye on that situation so this I can I can love something and it's not perfect. I love college football. I love the 12-team playoff. I think it's a stock you need to buy it.

But this is an $8 billion annual business without a president, a CEO, a schedule maker. This is what happened to boxing. It ruled the world. And then UFC came in with better ownership and better leadership and nobody cares about boxing. Boxing is just not a thing. UFC's Saturday night cards is the thing. And so I think college football has a really, really great opportunity to grow over the next decade. But this, when you get this man overboard, when head coaches are leaving for coordinator jobs, that never happened in my life. You'd be a, I mean, you would never leave, even if the job was Purdue, you wouldn't leave Purdue to be a coordinator and Purdue's a okay job, not a great job.

So here's a reporter Pete Thammel with a quote from Halfley, college coaching has become fundraising NIL and recruiting your team and transfers. There's no time to coach football anymore. That's kind of an indictment of college football right now. Yeah. That is not good. There's no structure. But where do you go to find a president of college football?

You and I know this has always been have and have nots. I mean, Michigan and Ohio State and to a much lesser degree, Penn State have run the Big Ten. Penn State came into it later. But Michigan and Ohio State have been running the Big Ten forever. thanks to Phil Knight and Oregon's money. For years and years, it was USC, UCLA, and Washington, and then Phil Knight came in, and now Oregon's the big dog. Texas, Oklahoma, forever, ran the Big 12.

SEC's had a bunch of teams at the top, but mostly LSU, Alabama, and more recently, Georgia. So Clemson, Florida State, you know, over in the ACC, it's always been a have-have-not sport. But you dealt with it because it wasn't chaotic. You knew if you were the Purdue coach, what you could do, or the Oregon State coach. or the Wisconsin coach.

But if you are now that coach, and you're still a middle of the pack or I have not, the quality of life is awful. You're not coaching anymore. So this is what I've said. They have two different recruiting periods. Get it back down to one. You should have, the NFL's got a free agent time limit. There should be a very short window to transfer for players.

A couple of three months early, three months late, three months after the season, maybe a few months before. can't do it during the season. Don't do it during holidays. So coaches have to be away from their families on holidays making phone calls. So it just needs structure. This sport's always been have and have-nots. It's always been have-and-have-nots.

But the have-nots had a quality of life that ensured their staff made money. They did well. The families were happy. You win seven games. Go to a bowl game. It's a high quality of life. The quality of life now at Bama and Ohio State and USC. Not to mention with a social media pressure,

Win a Natty or you're a bum. So it's just not as much fun to coach anymore. You could keep the boosters at an arm's length, right? You have to deal with them, but you have to keep them in an arm's length. You could. You can't keep the NIL collective out. You need them on your side. I've talked to Liner about this and Joe Clatt during commercial breaks.

This NIL stuff is like, serious. You've got to be locked in with the coach. And if there's like a divide, it's not going to go well. You're recruiting your own players to stay. Just to stay on your team. Quality of life is something, and the NFL right now for coaches is a much higher level of life quality.

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 I-Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential.

Either way, the podcast's Superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days I'd put on 10 pounds, I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the 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'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. It was a wild year. It was a wild year. I don't think there's a more important year for black people. Listen to look back at it on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

This is an IHeart podcast. Guaranteed human.