The Herd with Colin Cowherd - HOUR 1 - Rams, LIV Tour, Lakers, Ravens

Episode Date: June 7, 2022

Thoughts on Aaron Donald's new contract and why the Rams are America's Team Golfers should be able to play in the LIV Tour if they want The Lakers are saying the right things, but will it work? The Ravens should pay Lamar Jackson   Guest: Chris MannixSee 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. From 1979, that was a big moment for me.

84 was big to me. I'm Sam J. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick a year, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it. With our friends, fellow comedians, and favorite authors. Like Mark Lamont Hill on the 80s. 84 was a wild year. It was a wild year.

I don't think there's a more important year for black people. Listen to look back at it on the IHeart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. 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, my basketball and college football journey, or my career in sports media. Well, now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show.

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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 Hurd. You're listening to Foxxport's. Sports Radio. Here we go. Live on a Tuesday.

It's the hurt. Wherever you may be and however you may be listening, IHeart Radio, Fox Sports Radio, FS1. A lot of big opinions today. Very fired up about a lot of things today. Joy Taylor is joining me. I am ready to go today. I've got a lot of energy.

You know, Anne's coming back this weekend. So I'm just sitting eating oatmeal for breakfast and watching television shows and having cocktails inappropriately. And I just, I own the house now. Just a mess. I'm kind of a mess. Honestly, having oatmeal as your late night cheat meal is not really that edgy. I spent an hour and a half yesterday filling out my ballot.

There you go. So you could have been doing that. Good citizen. You know, I try to be. If I'm going to complain, I feel like I should at least put in the effort. I should earn the right to complain. It is great to have you in today. I got two things big opinions on.

One of them golf, which I would lead with, but the staff says nobody cares about golf, so I'll lead with the NFL. Aaron Donald signed a new big contract. And it's the franchise that never delivers bad news. I feel very lucky. I live in a state with really well-run teams, that warriors are well-run, the San Francisco Giants, the Dodgers, the Clippers, the Rams, the Chargers. I mean, L-A-F-C.

It's just whatever it is, why it is, we just have really good front offices here. Maybe it attracts more people of higher caliber. I don't know. But it's fascinating with the Rams. Literally, the NFL is moving the combine here. NFL Network's headquarters are here. They built the stadium in America to watch football games here. It's always good news.

And now Aaron Donald's sting. They're paying their quarterback top of the market. Aaron Donald top of the market. Jalen Ramsey top of the market. They're, Bobby Wagner, they paid. Alan Robinson, they paid. They're going to sign OBJ probably. Yet the Chicago Bears are in cap hell.

And they don't have one star player. Because dominance always starts upstairs. I've worked at multiple corporations. The better upstairs is, the better the company is, without exception. I used to work at a massive company. It got shaky upstairs. I left. It's not the same company.

There's 10 different airlines, major airlines in America. Two are always financially sound, Delta and Southwest. Why? They all fly the same routes, all buying the same gas, all needing the same oil upstairs. That's it. The Rams never deliver bad news. I've never seen in my life of 28, 30 years doing this. a franchise move into a crowded city.

We got to this, to that, to this, to that. We got 30 star players. Move into a crowded city, lay a claim to it, and become sort of the driver of the sport. Two Super Bowls in what, three years? Combine moving here. NFL network moving here. And then the mom and pop businesses in sports, Cowboys and the Lakers.

No fresh ideas. Always looking in the rear view mirror. The Rams now are the most rated franchise in the NFL. They lose a coordinator every year. They just faced one of their former coaches in the Super Bowl Zach Taylor. They are now the go-to franchise. You hire McVeigh's guys. McVeigh literally changed the preseason.

No more playing starters. It's ridiculous. Now everybody that's good copies him. I've never seen anything like it. I don't even remember. Did they play in St. Louis? It's like it's been forgotten. That's how you run a franchise.

And we always talk about America's team. But to be America's team, don't you have to win a lot when America's watching in the playoffs? The Packers don't. The Steelers don't. And the Cowboys don't. You know who does win for America and in America? The Rams.

I am today declaring the Rams the new America's team. Yes, they win when America watches. They're the most rated franchise, the most duplicated franchise, the most copied franchise. Never in cap hell. They've changed the way you treat players, how you practice without pads. Players want to be here. They come to rehab their image and leave. And when they leave, they say things like, it's the greatest two years of my life.

Cowboys, Packers, Steelers, you're never on TV in January. America's team. The Los Angeles Rams. Here's Aaron Donald. With the news, he's still a ram. What's up? It's Aaron Donald.

He locked back in. Let's go get us another ring. Why not? And so far, stadium. Getting the chills thinking about it. Let's go to work. Let's go to work. All right.

now it's serious Colin. There's a huge story happening in golf. And before I talk about that, Elon Musk made a bid to buy Twitter. It was about like a month ago. And Elon Musk is very smart and very rich, and at times very strange. And I disagree with a lot of what he says. I'm not a big Bitcoin believer. He loves Bitcoin. I think today he does. But when he offered to buy Twitter and made a, you know, a pitch for it. It was amazing how many people in Hollywood, marginally employed actors, had a strong opinion on what he should do with his money.

I'd spend it on this and I'd spend it on that. Yeah, because Hollywood never spends their personal fortunes on anything lavish. I just watched Johnny Depp in a trial. He's made $150 million. He's now broke. Yeah, he's a regular Charles Schwab.

It's amazing how often people are experts with other people's money. If you've never been offered it, pipe down. I don't like some of the things Saudi Arabia has done, but Phil Mickelson and Dustin Johnson have a right as sports-free agents to go global. By the way, the NBA has a relationship for years with China, with a track record of horrible human rights violations.

Blame them. Stop picking on LeBron. He's just a player. He's just an employee for the NBA. For the record, this country has a strong relationship with Saudi Arabia, a trade investment agreement. The oil in your car is from Saudi Arabia. The phone you hold is from China. There's a term we didn't use when I was a kid, and it's used a lot now. It's called globalization. It means we're all interconnected economically and at times culturally, and there can be turbulent times with that. We can't control governments.

but we've sent our Olympic athletes to Russian bot Olympics. We're sending our great soccer players. The world is to Qatar, bought and paid for. That's not where you should be holding it in those temperatures with those great athletes. We do this all the time. We blame the individual. I've never worked for a corporation who didn't do stuff for the money. Our government does stuff for the money.

I love living in America and I'll defend it every day. And I don't like what Saudi Arabia has done with a journalist who was murdered. We all know about that story. It's grotesque and it's frightening. But we have things in our resume that aren't great too. Slavery doesn't exactly make us feel good about ourselves. This is about money and the PGA tour blocking players. And I'll give you an example.

as we pick on Phil Mickelson and Dustin Johnson, think about this. This Saudi Arabia backed tour, half of their events are at American golf courses. There they are. But you don't like the individual making money. It's amazing how it works in America. That we don't lose sleep when a major corporation making a trillion dollars doesn't pay taxes, but we want to tax the rich neighbor. These tournaments are all over America,

and that's what bothers the PGA, because the PGA for years has allowed all of its golfers to play anywhere they want, as long as it's not on this soil. You could leave, you could play overseas. That's always been legal. Get a waiver. I don't like this tour coming in their backyard and playing,

because let's be honest, if there's two tours in my sense, City today and Dustin Johnson and Phil Mickelson are playing in one, that's the one I'm going to. Add in Brooks Kepka, I may never go to another PGA tour event if they played simultaneously in the same town. I don't have to like Saudi Arabia's track record. And I don't in many instances. But our country is connected to it.

Globalization connects all of us. And everybody's always an expert on everybody else's money. And TV ratings indicate that you don't watch much golf. Anyway, except for a handful of stars and two of them have chosen to make lots of money and play fewer tournaments. Dustin Johnson said, I don't want to play golf forever. I want to hang out with my amazing family. I know, I know, I know. You do different things with the money.

I get it. Everybody's an expert on everybody else's money. You would, if you had Elon Musk money, you wouldn't spend it on you at all. You'd spend it on others. Boy, I'm so tired of hearing that. The reality is I don't have to like everything everybody does with their money and their choices. But can we all stop being so precious and so adamant and outraged at the choices others make with their time and their money? Dustin Johnson and Phil Mickelson are two of my three favorite golfers ever.

If they're playing, I'm watching. And where they're playing as we pick on the golfers is right here in Portland. Portland, Chicago, Boston, and Miami. Why do we always direct our anger at the individual? Every corporation I've worked for, every government agency, every government, local, federal, all make decisions. Every league, the NBA, they make it because of money. All right, there we go. Just the start of strong opinions today.

Darvinham is the new Lakers coach. He seems like a good guy, though I add. disagree with what he said about Russell Westbrook, but he has a right to defend him, and I would say one of the reasons he got the job is because he'll get along with Russell Westbrook. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays in noon Eastern, 9 a.m. Pacific on Fox Sports Radio, FS1, and the IHeart Radio app.

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

Listen to Superhuman on the I-Hard radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care which I'm saying. Yep, that's me, Cliver Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, the reactions, my journey from basketball to college football, or my career in sports media. Well, somewhere along the way,

this platform became bigger than I ever imagined. And now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfiltered conversations with some of your favorite athletes, creators, and voices that not only

deserve to be heard, but celebrated. One week, I'll take you behind the scenes of the biggest moments in sports and entertainment, and the next we'll talk about life, mental health, purpose, and even music. The Clifford Show isn't just a podcast. It's a space for honest, 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-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 kill? Well, you can find out on the Look Back at it podcast.

I'm Sam J. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick it here, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it. Including a recent episode with Mark Lamont Hill, waxing all about crack in the 80s. To be clear, 84 is big to me, not just because of crack. I'm down to talk about crack on day, but just so 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. 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, in this month. I'm bringing over a decade of my own experience in the mental health field and conversations with so many incredible guests. I'm talking. Trip Fontaine, Ryan Clark. Sometimes when we're in the pursuit of the thing, we get so wrapped up in the chase that we don't realize

that we are in possession of the thing. And we're still chasing it. And we don't know when we've done enough. Because people scoreboard watch. Life becomes about wins and losses. Steve Burns, Dustin Ross, because you find it important to be a good person while you're 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, is 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 Hardway and listen now. You know, one of the things I think, Americans that cut through, be it a talk show host or a politician or a player or a coach, it's almost always the same thing that cuts through. In a world of deception, they're honest and authentic. Very few politicians feel authentic, willing to say something that gets pushback. Same with talk show hosts. Same with CEOs. Everybody's protecting territory. So when you're honest and authentic and somewhat fearless, it's refreshing.

And it's always hard for me to have a relationship with a team or respect a team when I think they're selling me something. When I don't believe they really believe what they're saying. And if they do and they're wrong, that's a bigger issue. So Darvin Ham is the new Laker coach. He was introduced. There was a press conference. Everybody in Los Angeles knows they want to get rid of Westbrook. Russell's on his fourth team in four years,

probably his fifth team in five years, if the Lakers could trade him. It is the truth, and everybody knows it. He doesn't play off the ball, and the Lakers have to have LeBron with the ball in his hands because he still remains one of the best players in the world when he is healthy, and he's great at distributing and scoring with the ball.

We all know the truth. Darvindham has introduced. He had this to say about, the Westbrook issue. Don't get it messed up. Russ is one of the best players our league has ever seen. And it's still a ton left

in that tank. I don't know why people tend to try to write him off. I can spend an hour on why the city and the Lakers would like to write him off. So Darvinham either doesn't really know the Lakers last year, which I doubt, smart enough guy

been around the league, or he is selling Westbrook because ultimately they want to inflate his value and move him off. Westbrook will make the Hall of Fame. We all know that. But it's toxic. Don't tell me how you make everybody so great around you when you're on your fourth team in four years.

Even though he's highly compensated, so is Anthony Davis. But that's not viewed as a bad contract. Anthony Davis is not toxic. And he does make the team better. Westbrook does not. That's why it's viewed as the sports first or second worst contract. Chris Paul's contract. It's not a bad contract.

He makes everybody better. What are the worst contracts in the NBA? One of them is Westbrook. It's not because of the money. It's because for the money, he doesn't elevate others beyond himself. It's why KD moved off him and went to a rival. It's why his buddy James Hardin, they were friends, couldn't work together. It's why the Lakers would like to move him off LeBron.

Virtually everybody works with LeBron. Name a second player. that doesn't work with LeBron. In 20 years, everybody works with LeBron. Whether you like him or not, LeBron is the great uniter, he's the great lubricator, he's the Swiss Army knife, everybody, young, old, rookie, vet, over the hill, under the, it doesn't matter, except Westbrook.

It's not what he's paid. It's that he doesn't work within the team construct now at this point in his career. he got the awards he got the money he's rigid he's not moving so if you're telling me i don't know what everybody's talking about with westbrook you lost me even rob polenka a really smart guy who i like in the front office i don't know darvin ham i know rob a little very smart guy here's what uh here's what he says about the hiring of darvin ham when you have a career coaching journey that um starts out in the g league and you earn your stripes as a GM and as a head coach. You have a certain DNA and fabric and strength of

character and it came through so powerfully to everybody in the coaches committee when we did our interviews and we were able to land on Coach Ham as our unanimous choice to recommend our owner Jeannie Bus for her approval. Okay, well, there's a story that says Joanne Howard was the first choice. Again, I would have hired Doc Rivers. I'm not bothered by Darvinham. It's new. fun. There's a lot of young coaches around the league. There's one in Boston right now. I didn't know who he was. He's great. So I'm not against the hire. But again, what works in America now is being honest and upfront with your consumers, whether it's a politician, a coach, or a GM. Nobody thinks the Westbrook thing works. I don't even like talking about Westbrook. People think I pick on Westbrook.

It's on his fourth team in four years. It's viewed as the NBA's worst or second worst contract. nothing against Russ. It's not what he's paid that makes it a bad contract. It's what you get with the money for the contract. Anthony Davis makes a fortune. That's not viewed as a bad contract. Chris Paul makes a fortune. That's not viewed as a bad contract. Both get hurt all the time. It's what you do with others elevating them with the money you're given. And Westbrook is toxic with the Lakers. It's not an opinion. Go to the internet during any Laker game. I actually defended him coming to Los Angeles. I said the kid plays hard. I'll give him that.

But you've got to be up front with your constituents. You've got to be up front with your audience. You've got to be up front with your consumers. And if you're selling me stuff, listen, the Lakers don't have a single player in their prime, a single elite player. Anthony Davis, the numbers, the data suggests he's moved out of his prime. He's gotten hurt enough. Like he's slowly moving out of his prime. Just be honest.

Be up front. We all know the story. We all know the story. I have a hard time believing Darvin Ham doesn't know the story with Westbrook. Joy with the News. No, no, no, no, no. Turn on the news. This is the herd line news.

Well, despite a previous report, the Nets were outright unwilling to resign Kyrie Irving long-term, along with speculation about him getting traded. The New York Post now reports that all indications strongly point towards a reunion with Kyrie and an extension. likely. How many years? He has until June 29 to decide whether he will opt out of the final $36.5 million year of his contract for the 2022-23 season and become a free agent. So he's entering the last year of a four-year, $136 million deal. So a long-term extension, I believe, would be five years. Well, he's a great player. I couldn't do it, but I just couldn't extend somebody I can't rely on. But, you know, he's a great player. He played in 29 games this. season. His choice. His choice. He missed 53 games.

What? Can I, I think I'm just going to start taking Tuesdays off, Colin. He missed 53 games this season due to his refusal of the vaccine. Look, I don't think that we're going to, you know, please, we're going to have another situation where this is going to be necessary. But I do think that there's, it's more than just the vaccine thing. Like, We've seen multiple instances and we have some equity in the Kyrie's unreliable jar. That said, when Kyrie is available, he's great. He's great. He averaged 27.4 points on 46.9% shooting 5.8 assists per game.

He's still one of the best finishers at the rim for his size that we've seen in the sport. He's an unbelievably dynamic player. I just, I don't know. I can't. When that is your number two, if he was a three, okay, because I don't need to rely on you. You can come in and be a massive contributor. Actually, I think if it's KD1 and Kyrie 3, that's a championship team. That's a team I can take seriously, even with the lack of reliability.

Well, between Kyrie and Simmons, you've got two fairly enigmatic personalities. So when Ben Simmons plays, I will start discussing Ben Simmons. That's right. No more opinions on Ben. Kelly grabs basketball and plays a minute in the game. I don't, I don't, when I see him on the court, then I will, I will pay attention to what Ben Simmons is doing. So yes, obviously, if Ben Simmons was available, that's a different situation.

But I don't know when Ben Simmons is going to play. We have an entire offseason to wonder, I'm not going to spend any time my summer wondering when Ben Simmons is going to be back. When he's on the floor, I'll be concerned about it. But even if you do have Ben Simmons and Kyrie and KD for an entire season, like I don't, I don't know, there's, talent isn't everything. If you're looking at what's happening in the postseason this year, and for that matter last year, we're starting to see a trend. You need more than just talent. You have to have consistency. You've got to have defense. You've got to have good coaching,

reliable proven coaching. You've got to have a good culture. Listen, if you look at these two teams right now in the finals, they're playing together, they're elevating each other. There's no toxicity. the reality of the NBA, and it's a cyclical league, there was this mobility moment. I mean, there was a few years ago in the NBA where everybody got paid more than they deserved. Remember that three-year period where everybody got paid? Like, marginal players got huge, huge money. And we moved out of that, and then we moved into a lot of simultaneously.

It was a mobile league for stars. What we're moving into now that's winning is good cultures, no bad contracts. People are well compensated, not egregiously. compensated for their lack or limitations with talent. The Celtics and the Warriors, no bad contracts. Everybody works together in unison. It's not about an individual start. That is the league.

And by the way, Kyrie's the opposite of that, where he couldn't work with Boston. He couldn't work with LeBron. He now acknowledged he couldn't work with KD. He couldn't work with the country's vaccine mandate. So he struggles to work with others. That's becoming cyclically what the league is becoming. You've got to work well with others. You know, I'm looking at the NBA champions, let's just say for the last 10 years.

Yeah. I mean, it's kind of hard to argue that that's ever changed. Even the bubble, like most people, despite the fact that he was fired, think Frank Fogle was a good coach. Good enough. He's a bad coach. He's a good coach and won a championship in a very difficult situation. They played the Miami Heat, who were just in the Eastern Conference Finals again.

Great culture. The Bucks last year. No one pushes back on that. You've got two good cultures, well-coached. Stars developed in Golden State and the Celtics. By the way, for the Warriors, the Cavs, the Raptors, like this is actually not, this idea that we have these plug-in-play super talented teams with dysfunction is actually not true. The truth is the Hedles had a great culture.

They won a championship before LeBron got there. And two during he got there. And by the way, they've always been a Pat Riley. They've always been a culture. more than they've had just great talent. It's always been about the Pat Riley culture, draft and develop, a choir. Not being well run was never the critique there.

So the Sons didn't offer DeAndre Aiton a max contract extension last offseason, and they didn't want to offer him a $30 million salary this summer either. The athletic reports it's more likely than not that Ait isn't a new uniform at the start of next season. Monty Williams was reportedly not happy with Ait during a series, lost to the Mavericks, saying he had a lack of focus. and apparently it wasn't the first time that they've had issues. He had diminished

playing time throughout the second round. He's entering DeAndre Aey and his fifth NBA season, four years with Phoenix. And he'll be a restricted free agent entering the offseason with a $16.4 million qualifying offer. He's a great defender. He's a

limited offensive player. They need people who can shoot threes. He doesn't provide that. I think he's got value in the market absolutely. But I I said this a month ago, is that Phoenix can't play from behind, like the Boston Celtics can or the Warriors can because they don't have three-point shooters. That's what they have to attack. If the sons are watching the league right now, Dallas, the teams that were left, they can play from in front and behind.

The Warriors are not a team that bodes well for Phoenix going forward because they can play multiple ways to win. Aiton is great with a lead. he's not from behind. You take him off the floor. It bothers him. I don't think this is a shot at DeAndre Aiton. This team is not now moving forward a great fit for his skill set.

Rudy Gobert works for a lot of teams in the league. If you're looking for offense, Rudy Gobert is probably not a great fit. But with Luca and Jalen Brunson, he could be a very good fit. Very few players fit everywhere. Like LeBron. Right. Right, KD, Steph, would fit anywhere. But D'Andre Aiton's a good fit for a team that needs an active big that can give you 18 minutes a game that's already got perimeter excellence.

Yeah, Phoenix needs a knockout punch, and that's not what DeAndre Aten is. I actually think this is a good time for them to part. I'm with you. I think he has a lot of value on the market for a lot of teams. He's a good player. He's a consistent player. He's really developed over the years. There were a lot of questions about him early.

But I just don't think it's what Phoenix needs. to get over the hump. And if you want to continue to, you know, develop your team, I don't know that he works there anymore. So despite all the drama for Debo requesting a trade amidst his contract dispute this offseason, he will reportedly be in attendance for Niners mandatory minicamp today. Good. Now, it doesn't mean that he's happy with his contract.

Who is? But he could be choosing not to elevate, elevate the situation. Yeah. And he would be fined around $95,000 if he wasn't in. in attendance, which being that he is on his rookie contract is not a small bill to pay. Yeah. He's heading into the fourth and final season of his rookie contract. He was named to first team all pro last year.

Also, Jimmy Gropolo has an excused absence from mandatory minicamp. He can still rehabbing his shoulder surgery and San Francisco will look to trade him when he is recovered. So they are excusing him from mandatory minicamp. But this is going to at surface look like they are. at least in conversations if he is, you know, not putting his foot down and not attending mandatory minicamp. Again, that is a big bill to pay to try and prove your points. I would just go to minicamp. Yeah. I don't know. It's not, it's not that big of a deal. You can still be

unhappy while not going there, I mean, while being there. But I don't know. I think that they end up sorting this out. Yeah. I do too. I don't know how Angry Debo is. I think he fits their culture. But yeah, he just, he just works there. And if it, if the issue is he doesn't want to continue to be utilized the way that they're using him in the offense. And this would be the place to have that conversation. Because if you get traded somewhere, they're going to expect the Debo that they were watching in San Francisco.

Yep. Joy with the news. Well, that's the news. And thanks for stopping by. The Heard Lye News. So I was thinking about this this morning. The voluntary OTAs in the NFL are kind of ending. And now the mandatory ones start today for a lot of teams.

And like, is Lamar Jackson going to show up? Kyler Murray going to show up. Let's talk about quarterbacks for a second. And let's talk about the most important thing on your income or my income. It's not how hard I work. It's really not. I know a lot of people that work hard and don't make nearly as much money as people that don't work hard. You will overwhelmingly be paid.

Teachers work hard. They don't make a lot of money. You will overwhelmingly be paid in America based on replaceability. And if you are hard to replace and have a unique, skill set, you're going to make a lot of money. Lamar Jackson is hard to replace. Colin, his quarterback rating has plummeted. Wins a lot of games. Kyler Murray is not as good at the end of the season. Wins a lot of games. The question about your quarterback isn't about, well, he's not very good in the playoffs.

Folks, if that's the biggest knock you got on your quarterback, he ain't good in the playoffs, you're getting to the playoffs. Aaron Rogers, the last seven years. is not very good in the playoffs. But there's no other Aaron Rogers available or Lamar Jackson available. Or at the time Dak Prescott available or Kyler Murley available. You know, we started this show talking about

worrying about other people's money. Here's all I know. If you don't pay Lamar Jackson and your biggest complaint is he's not very good in the playoffs, good luck finding his replacement. There is nothing worse than working for a bad company with bad mojo and momentum. There's nothing worse than being a pro athlete on a bad team.

I would very rarely pay a wide receiver a lot of money because they're replaceable. There's so many good. There's not a lot of great quarterbacks. We average one great quarterback a draft the last 20 years. We consider the Marino-Elway draft sensational because it gave us two or three great quarterbacks. Every draft gives us seven or eight fantastic skill people. Backs, receivers, tight ends, up to 10, 12 a year. And college football now looks more like the NFL. So we're getting 25 and 30 receivers. Tyreek Hill, I'd move off that. Lamar Jackson, Kyler Murray,

good luck. So the arguments for these quarterbacks, teams have eight receivers, six linebackers. 13 offensive linemen. They got one starting quarterback and a backup they don't want to pay much. Replacability. I don't always love Lamar Jackson's throwing style, though I think it's better than people say. And I know that his quarterback ranking is going down. But look how good the Chargers roster is.

They couldn't make the playoffs. Lamar Jackson ends up a lot being in the playoffs. Go look at Peyton Manning's early playoff. They weren't very good. Look at Aaron Rogers. Last seven, eight years playoff results. They're not very good. I'd pay Lamar. I wish I would have paid DAC less. I'd pay Kyler. Ask yourself, Lamar leaves today. What's your record this year? Four and 13? With him, you know you have at least a chance at 13 and 4. Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd weekdays in noon Eastern 9 a.m. Pacific.

Hey, it's me, Rob Parker. Check out my weekly MLB podcast Inside the Parker for 22 minutes of piping hot baseball talk, featuring the biggest names and newsmakers in the sport. Whether you believe in analytics or the I-Test, we've got all the bases covered. New episodes drop every Thursday, so do yourself a favor and listen to Inside the Parker, Rob Parker on the IHartRadio app or wherever you get your podcast. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal but encouraged. It's the enhanced games.

Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast's Superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the IHard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is a win.

A win is a win. I don't care what I'm 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, so. Thank you for finishing that sentence. I don't think there's a more important year for black people. Really? Yeah. For me, it's one of the most important years for black people in American history. Listen to look back at it on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Welcome to my new podcast, Learn the Hard Way with me, your host, and your favorite therapist, Kear Games.

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

Life becomes about wins and losses. Steve Burns, Dustin Ross, because you find it important to be a good person while you hear on earth, or 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 Hardway. Open your free iHeartRadio app. Search Learn the Hardway and listen now. Senior basketball writer for the NBA Sports Illustrated. Also does a podcast for us in boxing at the volume. He's fantastic. He's Chris Mannix. He's been around the Celtics for years. He's joining us live. So, you know, usually in a series, you look at the star players and say, okay, they got the best stars. With the Celtics, it's different. When Robert Williams, their injured center is on the floor, I think they're better than Golden State. But he's been hurt throughout the playoffs. Because once he's

healthy, they're limited in, they can't do anything inside. You take the minute he didn't play, Kvon Looney looked like an all-star. And so I know it's counterintuitive to kind of how the NBA finals work that a defensive guy controls it. But my takeaway is Robert Williams, have you told me, he gave me 38 minutes a night, rest of the series, I would take Boston. I don't think he can do it. What say you? No, I don't think he can do it either. And I don't disagree with the assessment that the Celtics are better when Robert Williams is on the floor. I mean, he has been one of, if not the best weak side shot blocker in the NBA all season. He missed what the last 20-ish games of the season. still finish second team all defense.

So there is universal respect for what he does defensively. And when he's not out there on the floor, teams just feel like they have a free path to the basket because Al Horford, Grant Williams, Daniel Tykes, they're just not the same level of shop locker that Robert Williams is. The problem is, and you alluded to this, Robert Williams can't give you any more than 20, 25 minutes per game in this series. He just can't. I mean, he came back, Colin, from knee surgery after one month.

One month, major knee surgery. he came back into the Celtics lineup. And ever since he came back in that Brooklyn series, he has been day to day. And I give Robert a lot of credit for playing through the kind of pain he must be dealing with at this time. But I've watched a lot of Robert Williams. I've seen the best of him. Right now we're probably seeing about 75% of him. And that's probably the best to sell us could hope for for the rest of the series.

By the way, it's also remarkable that Robert is a big. It's one thing if he weighed 174 pounds, you're talking about a big, playing a month after a knee surgery. So that's a testament to his toughness, because that is brutal. You can see him limping up and down the court. What do you make a Jason Tatum so far? I said this,

is that I saw what the Warriors did to Luca. He still scored, but his efficiency plummeted. I'm seeing the same thing with Tatum. He's going to get his 24, he's 23, but he's not shooting the ball well. Is this just what he's going to be against the warriors, Chris? Well, I think the key for Tatum is making the right decision. See, in game one, he was three for 17, but I didn't feel like Tatum played that poorly in that game.

He shot poorly, but he had double figures assist. He had low turnovers. He was doing Colin the kind of things that IMA Yudoka spent two months just hammering into both Tatum and Jalen Brown. Be more of a playmaker. Don't play so much one-on-one. Don't try to isolate and get your shots every single possession. I thought he played well. In game two, look, the game got away from them.

third quarter. That's where everything kind of went off the rails. And Tatum's inefficiency certainly played a role in that. But I'm not looking at Tatum as needing to score 30 points per game in this series. The Warriors defense, as we've seen through the first two, is built on stopping him. They're putting a defender on him and they're drifting another defender over every single time he has the ball. So when Tatum sees that, I don't need him to drive into a double team and get his shot off. I didn't even define the open man. I think the Celtics feel the exact same way. So Tatum to me, his numbers are going to be efficiency as far as shooting percentage and how many assists the turnovers he has in any given game. There's the old zigzag theory betting the NBA

that no game looks alike and they often look the opposite of the last game. And I like Boston in game three and I really like them early because I think the officials have let everybody play. I love that. They do in the finals. But I got a little chippy in last game. So my gut feeling is they're going to initiate some early calls to send a message to the players. Dremont, you can't

do that. And so I think the Warriors could get in a little foul trouble early in game three because the reps are going to say, we're going to let stuff go, but there's a line here. And we think we crossed it a little last game. So I like Boston in game three to reestablish

the physicality that will be allowed. Your thoughts on what we'll see in game three. They are definitely the more physical team. And look, it's been an adjustment for the Celtics to go up against the team that wasn't as physical as them. You look back at the second round, Milwaukee, incredibly physical. Miami, the most physical team in the entire league. So the Celtics have had to adjust a bit to playing not a finesse style that Golden State has, but something that's been a lot different. Dremont's interesting. I don't think it was the wisest move to announce to the world that you get preferential treatment.

Like I just, I don't think that was, that was good, a good tactic from Draymond. Because now you're kind of inviting referees to kind of prove that you don't and give you some of those early fouls in this game. And as we saw, Draymond is the key to what this team does defensively. He was excellent against Jalen Brown. He had some very good moments against Jason Tatum. And he was a catalyst for this team on the defensive side of the floor. So I'm very curious to see how the referees officiates.

Draymond coming out. But for me, there are two factors for the Celtics that they've got to overcome. One is the third quarter. Like, it must be psychological at this point. Maybe IMEU doka just doesn't bring the team back at halftime and says, stay on the bench and watch the halftime show. And we'll just pretend that the third quarter is just a long time out between the second and third because they are just not able to mentally check in early enough to match the

intensity of Golden State in the third quarter. And the second thing, the turnovers. Colin, you can draw a straight line between Celtics losses and the number of turnovers they have committed. When they commit a lot of turnovers, they lose. When they commit 12 or less, they win. 19 turnovers in game two, 11 live ball turnovers, 33 points off turnovers. That's a statistic that just kills the Celtics every single time.

So if they can take care of the basketball and not get obliterated in the third quarter, they should win game three. We only have a minute left. Quinn Snyder, who I know a little bit, and I think he's a brilliant guy. Minds me a lot of Brad Stevens, he just stepped up. You know, he just said, listen, my voice, you know, some people are not listening to it. I get it. I think it's Pat Riley talked about that. Where does he go? Where does he land? And what do they do with Donovan Mitchell? Well, I don't think he lands in Charlotte, which is the last vacant coaching opening. I think Quinn, like a lot of assistant coaches or available coaches, are waiting to see what Greg Popovich does, whether it's this year or next year. One location that was mentioned to me by someone that knows Quinn Snyder, Oklahoma City. That team has a coach right now, but depending how this season goes, the thunder may look to

make a change next year. Quinn Snyder has a great relationship with Sam Presti. So that's a possibility. As far as Donovan Mitchell goes, look, I don't think they're actively shopping. Donovan Mitchell right now, but I know Danny Aange, and I've known Danny Aange for a long time. If somebody comes to him with a big deal, be it a young player and multiple first round picks and swap rights, Danny's going to push to do that deal because Danny knows this team is not a championship team. And there aren't pieces that you can put around this team to make it one in the foreseeable future.

Yeah, Chris Manix does such great stuff. Good seeing you, Chris. You got it, Colin. Yeah, it's, I really do feel this. If you told me Robert Williams gave me 32 a night, I'd pick the Celtics. That's what I've seen so far. But he's probably going to play 22, which means Golden State. And if he gets hurt and misses a game, then Golden State, you can see a direct line. Bam out of Bayou and Kayvon Looney were all stars the minute Robert Williams is out. That's the series to me. I know we usually go look at stars. I think Jason, Tatum, and Steph, they're going to get theirs.

Jalen Brown's going to have his. Clay is going to have his. Everybody's going to be a little less than they usually are because these are great defenses. You know, it's funny. If a quarterback, when Brady struggled against Ray Lewis and the Ravens, we always were like, well, yeah, of course, it is a great defense. But if an NBA player like Tatum comes down a little or Clay comes down a little, oh, it's wrong with a player, well, the Warriors are a great defensive team and Boston's better.

It's harder to score or complete. passes or hit baskets against the best defense in a league. Think how good you have to be to be easily the best defense in your sport in the world. Boston's good. Hour two next. Another podcast from some SNL late night comedy guy, not quite. Unhumor me with Robert Smigel 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 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 I-Hard Radio app,

Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care which I'm saying. Yep, that's me, Clifford Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, my basketball and college football journey, or my career in sports media.

Well, now I'm bringing all of that experience. excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfilled of conversations with athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. So let's get to it. Listen to The Clifford Show on the IHeard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok podcast network on TikTok.

On the Look Back at a podcast. For 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 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.

Before 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.