The Herd with Colin Cowherd - Hour 1 - Why the Warriors are relevant

Episode Date: March 25, 2024

Colin knows without a doubt that the Golden State Warriors are only relevant because of the impact Steph Curry brings on and off the court. Caitlin Clark has single handedly made women’s college sports more appealing to a national audience. The Buffalo Bills let Josh Allen down last year See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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for the herd at Fox Sports Radio.com or stream us live every day on the IHeart Radio app by searching Fox Sports Radio or FSR. You're listening to Fox Sports Radio. All right, here we go. It is a Monday. Live in Los Angeles, it's the herd.

Wherever you may be and however you may be listening, thanks for making us part of your day. J. Mack, you know I was watching Jason Tatum all the moves Saturday night. You were watching college basketball. I watched some of that as well. And, you know, I told you, Carolina, Yukon, of the two best teams,

you're out here. I am to find an eight seed. How good is it that all the top seats advance? You've got to love that, right? That's what you want. That's what I want. Yeah. I'm not interested in 12 seats.

Tournament numbers did really well over the weekend. All right. Great ratings. There we go. So let's start with this. There's very little great anywhere. Think about how many leagues there are in basketball in the world, in America. There's AAU.

There's high school. There's college. There's 360 Division I schools. Increasingly, basketball is global. It comes from everywhere. but there are still very few stars, very few difference makers. Steph Curry had 31 last night. They have to constantly play them now.

Because think about this. The Warriors lost last night. They're in jeopardy of not making the playoffs. The only consistent score on the team, Steph Curry, had 31 last night. Second on the team was Clay Thompson was 16. So since 2009, until today, the Warriors have drafted 22 players. They've also acquired and traded for another dozen minimum. Yet today only one warrior can consistently get a great shot anytime he wants and give you 27 a night.

One, and that is Steph Curry. I'm at a Celtics Bulls game Saturday, courtside. Jason Tatum's the only player on the floor that could get a great shot every time down the floor. DeMarre de Rosen can get a good shot most times down the floor, but not a great shot. He's not talented enough, and he's really talented. It's why dynasties happen in the NBA. It's why when Denver wins again or Boston continues to dominate the east, people complain about officiating.

It's not officiating, it's your roster. Steph Curry since 2009, there have been moments KD was there, Clay in his prime, but overwhelmingly, if Steph can't get his great shots and doesn't have a great night, they don't win. This year, they're one in five without him. Very few elite. anything. And increasingly in the NBA, the stars, the real difference makers, are all international. I don't have a problem with it, but that's the reality because our AAU system is kind of a mess.

But the warriors consider this are smartly coached, brilliantly coached. They've had excellent general managers, good overseas scouting. It's full of smart people. And when staff's not on the floor six times this year, they're one in five. And increasingly, he has to play the entire fourth quarter. And they do it well. They're well-run. Totally dependent on Steph. Michael Jordan left the Bulls 26 years ago. They have five playoff series wins total in 26 years.

So the Denver Nuggets currently have the best player in the NBA. And Boston Celtics, they didn't even play three of their starters Saturday night, still beat the Bulls. Boston has the deepest roster in the NBA. and probably arguably one of the most athletic, and they're both going to reach the finals. Boston is easily going to cruise through the east. I doubt they even get pushed to a game six.

And then there's Denver. West is better, but they'll win. Don't complain about the refs. Don't complain about it's rigged. Don't complain about the NBA. The Golden State Warriors are well-run, smartly coached, brilliant people upstairs. And they can depend on one guy

one guy with 22 draft picks since 2009. They have nice players. The Bulls and Celtics have nice players. I mean, watching the Celtics, Al Horford was hotter than any member of the Chicago Bulls, and the Bulls have some players I like. Don't blame the League of the Riffs. Blame your roster. Blame AAU basketball.

Blame a lot of people. But the Warriors and Steph, they're solely dependent on him, and it's probably their undoing. here's Steve Kerr after we can't expect to just ride stuff game after game after game you know these last few weeks have been really tough on

we've put the burden of this franchise on his shoulders for 15 years we can't expect him to play 35 minutes if you want to say that him playing 30 minutes instead of 32 is a difference in the win and the loss I totally disagree with that and we're trying to

we're trying to win the game we're trying to to keep him fresh to him. Meanwhile, women's college basketball, Caitlin Clark is really, for women's college basketball, it's a superstar. And women's college basketball ratings are the highest they've

I think ever been. So she claimed fans are more excited for women's basketball than men's basketball, and I haven't seen their ratings, but women's college basketball is on fire, mostly because of Caitlin Clark, but also because of other things. That American sports fans,

increasingly distracted are drawn to stars. You say you love the game. No, you don't. Just like movies, you love the stars. And the NFL is the only league in America, which is not beholden to stars. Jacksonville could play in the Super Bowl and 50 million Americans would watch. But today with women's college basketball, you have three legit stars, Caitlin Clark at Iowa, Angel Reese at LSU, and Juju Watkins at USC.

And men's college basketball doesn't. have one. Part of this is because women's college stars stay in school for four years. It's not a turn style. Right now men's college basketball is literally too mobile,

too transient. Folks, 11 of the top 13 grossing movies of all times are sequels or remakes. We crave, we seek, we need a

connection, some thing, some theme, some plot, some team, some player we know. 11 of 13, James Cameron's got the other two. So if you're a sports fan, if I walked up to a sports fan in America in Cincinnati and said, give me the two best players for Yukon, there is a good chance that that sports fan would give me a blank stare. but if I said who's the most exciting women's basketball player, that person, man or woman would probably know of Caitlin Clark. Star power matters.

And I'm for player empowerment and I'm for mobility. You know that. I defend LeBron. Kevin Durant, players moving all the time. But you can be too mobile. I like ice cream. It shouldn't be given to kids at breakfast. Right?

College basketball is too transient. Too much movement. People like sequels. people with iPhones are more distracted and women's college basketball is giving us memorable, connectable, predictable, excellent stars over and over and over again. If you go to these mock drafts, the top 15 players in this NBA draft, only one, one is a college basketball upperclassman. One of 15, it's freshmen.

it's G-leaguers, it's international, all very, very talented. But there's a reason women's college basketball is absolutely crushing and Caitlin Clark on the power of this year's women's tournament. People are more excited about the women's side than men's side, and I think that's obviously something that's really never been the case before, and it's cool to see how it's evolved. Like when I first started this when I was a freshman, like we couldn't even use the March Madness branding and now to see this,

And really, it's just taking a whole other level and I continue it. I expect it to continue to grow this year. It also matters the type of stars. Angel Reese, Caitlin Clark are outspoken. They get feisty. You know, they'll do a little trash talk. I think that's a huge part of it, that there is something to be said about highly resilient, highly competitive athletes.

We like our athletes to have a little chip on their shoulder, a little move, a little swag. Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese, have that, but good for women's basketball. And it's not shame on's men's basketball. It's just the culture. The AAU system is broke. The international system at the younger levels is much better than ours. And increasingly, the NBA will be driven by NBA stars, not college kids. One of 15 of the top players pick is a college upperclassman, which is interesting because the sport now is being dominated, not by the Kentucky one and done salesmanship, but by upperclassmen dominated teams,

guys mostly not good enough to make an impact in the NBA. And so, J-MAC, that's what's interesting. Yukon, I always go with favorites, but once again, we're left with favorites. There's a big gap between, you know, a San Diego State and a Yale. I think Yale's a

good story. A San Diego State, Yukon Carolina, I mean, Yukon and Carolina are blowing everybody out. I mean, it's not even fun for those teams. It's boring to watch. It's over in the first five minutes. But I love Caitlin Clark. I'm excited for Iowa, but I challenge anybody to tell me who they played the first round and how that game went. Like the first round of the men's NCAA tournament is a totally different animal than the women's tournament.

Like the first round, the four days, is everything. So I disagree with Caitlin Clark here, but I do agree with her that there's excitement for her game, right? They play today. People are excited, but it's only like a handful of teams people care about. Well, I would say through the years, you're probably right. but I would say there's about six college programs, Kansas, Kentucky, Arizona, Yukon, Duke, Carolina, maybe a Michigan state, which really move ratings. Those are kind of star coaches, star programs.

Syracuse with Beheim, I think, did that for a long time. But there's not a lot of men's programs, so it's okay. You know, for my entire life, it was Pat Summitt and Tennessee, and then Gino, Oriama and Yukon. I mean, there's been one or two. I'd say there's fewer star women's basketball programs, but there's clearly, because of the cultural shifts in men's basketball, the difference between the men and women is never been thinner. I mean, if you put Caitlin Clark on and you could put Duke on the other channel,

they're both getting numbers. Certainly, no doubt. But have you looked at the spreads for the Sweet 16 on the men's side? They're all, like, very close. These games are going to be phenomenal. Duke is going to be the big one to watch. They're in, I believe it's in Dallas against Houston. I'll take Houston.

Thank you. We have Houston. Yeah, I'll take. And the Jim Nant story is great. I'm going to take Houston in that one. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays in noon Eastern, 9 a.m. Pacific on Fox Sports Radio, FS1, and the IHeard 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 suits. 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 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. Hey, this is Robert from the Stuff to Blow Your Mind podcast. Joe and I are both lifelong Star Wars fan, so we're celebrating May the 4th with a brand new week of fun thought-provoking Star Wars-related episodes. Join us as we tackle science and culture topics from a galaxy far, far away, such as the biology of tauntons and wampas on the ice planet hot,

or the practicality and corporate business sense of the Sith rule of two. Listen to Stuff to Bo Your Mind on the iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. So the NFL is having its league meetings out in Florida, and we've talked about this on the show very times. It doesn't matter if it's Major League Baseball or it's the NFL or it's the NBA. You get these dynasties from time to time. And then even the dynasties, like the Patriots dynasty, will have a down year. Tom Brady gets hurt.

Remember that year Matt Castle came in. This year, Kansas City was really vulnerable because of their youth. They had a really bad, wide receiving corps. They just didn't score many points all year. That's with Andy Reed, Mahomes, Travis Kelsey. averaging like 17 a game. They were totally vulnerable, and Buffalo couldn't take advantage.

Everything worked in Buffalo's favor. So their coach, Sean McDermott at the NFL League meeting, said it's very narrow-minded to say the bills haven't been successful, but I would ask you this. Do you think the bill's owner and general manager are happy with how last season ended? I'd say no. When Josh Allen's your quarterback, everything changes, especially when Joe Burrow and Lamar Jackson, the last couple of years, have struggled to stay healthy.

Josh Allen has the highest winning percentage of any quarterback in the NFL without a Super Bowl appearance since the late 60s. It's becoming a problem. And last season, everything worked in Buffalo's favor. Because of their youth, Kansas City's offense was its weakest ever. Joe Burrow got hurt. Aaron Rogers in the AFC got hurt. Deshawn Watson in the AFC got hurt. Trevor Lawrence got hurt.

Justin Herbert's coach was over his skis. Russell Wilson, Sean Payton didn't do anything. And you had home field advantage over Kansas City. So yes, you underachieve. You let Josh Allen down last year. That's not narrow-minded. Next year, Deshawn Watson's back. Aaron Rogers is back.

Justin Herbert. Oh, he's got Jim Harbaugh. Miami, they're going to be good again. Another year, Mike McDaniels and Tua. And here comes C.J. Stroud. He looks like an elite quarterback. So Josh Allen has been in the NFL six seasons. His playoff record is 500.

And only one quarterback in this sport in six years has more total touchdowns. And that's Mahomes. And Mahomes has had a better run game consistently. and he has got a better head coach from the offensive side. So let's not make this into us. Let's make this into you. John Calipari tried this last week. This is a U issue.

It's not an us issue. It's not a scheme issue or a player's issue. It's a head coaching issue. It is not narrow-minded. Josh Allen has the best winning percentage in this league's history since the late 60s without a Super Bowl appearance. J. Mack with the news. No, no, no, no.

Turn on the news. This is the herd line news. So Jerry Jones told the media back in January the Cowboys were going to be all in, Colin. And we're still not seeing that in free agency. Nothing's happening. Dallas has been very quiet, leading many to question Jerry's statement. He looked to clarify things saying, we get to be the world champion of how it works when you don't have as much money.

But make no mistake about it, with every tool we got, we're all in. Big time word salad from Jerry Jones there. I don't know. It sounds like he's blaming Dak kind of here. No, I think we just have to acknowledge. Do they have hit their ceiling? I'm okay with it. As long as everybody, you know, happiness is connected to expectations.

It's when you start expecting things. Now, Dallas does some things well. They spend more money on offense than defense. I like that. I think they should in this draft. Pay attention to offense, receivers, another tight end, another back, not defense. But when you're up against the camp and don't make any moves in free agency, there's this feeling that free agency is overrated. No, it's not.

The Bears got Keenan Allen, Gerald Everett, and DeAndre Swift for Caleb Williams. That's not overrated. Those are very productive, dependable NFL veteran players. Swift's kind of young. So I just, my take on Dallas is I'm never frustrated with the Cowboys because I don't have high expectations, and I think it's ridiculous if you pay a quarterback top three in the league and he's good not great this is what you are so you say kind of maxed out right I think this is 12 wins three years in a row going to be a really really good regular season team last year was a good year

to crush Green Bay and Detroit are still young well Detroit's no longer young next year Brock Purdy's no longer a young quarterback he'll now have NFL reps of note and Green Bay will still be young but they just housed you at you year place. So last year, like the bills, last year was a great year for the Cowboys to take advantage of it. They got the wrong coaches in Philadelphia, so they went sideways the last

eight weeks. Green Bay's got a bunch of kids. Detroit's got kids, little older kids. And San Francisco still has a young quarterback purdy. And the Rams were in a rebuild. Well, the Rams are no longer in a rebuild. Well, Aaron Donald's gone. I don't know. I mean, are there that many teams better than Dallas?

But for sure? But last year was, it was the year where Detroit and Green Bay, you were like, oh, they're good, but they're just too young. They're not going to be that young anymore. So, I don't see why Dallas can't win 12. The NFC's not great, Colin. You look top to bottom. I think

it's going to be, I, see that, you and I disagree. Are the Rams better next year? Absolutely. How? I don't. Generational defensive player. But they're also, offensively, and they have 11 picks, and their scouting department hits a lot of home runs last year. Do you think

they're going to add six players to both sides that can play. I mean, this draft, the great thing about the NFL is the draft gives you starting players who can be highly predictive. This is not the NBA draft or the baseball draft. Are the Eagles going to be as good next year as it? They'll be better

just simply because they can't be worse at coordinator. So they should be better, and I think Sequin Barkley ensures that. And the Lions will be better as well? Absolutely. And Green Bay should be significantly better, and the Rams will be better. Although, I don't know what to do with their defense. I can tell you this, of their first four picks, three are probably defensive

players in the trenches. I mean, they're going to absolutely attack this. I think they were anyway, because they knew Aaron, I mean, they had a sense last year, it may be it. And they hit on two defensive linemen last year. Are the Niners better or worse? I think they peaked. I think they are what they are, which is really good. Wow. So you've got a chaotic NFC? I think the NFC power, it will be much more even. I think the last two years, clearly the AFC was better. I think this year, the NFC, I think Detroit and Green Bay are top five teams, absolutely. In the league? In the entire league. I think they're both better than Buffalo. And with offensive coaches, Buffalo has a defense. Are they better than the Bengals and Chargers?

We'll see. Next up, the Pittsburgh Steelers. I'm already sick of talking about their quarterback room, Colin. It's Russell Wilson, Justin Fields, and are they going to be good? Who's a starter come Halloween? Despite rumblings of a quarterback by committee, Mike Tomlin addressed who he sees as the number one QB at the NFL league meetings. Here's what he had to say. His experience in the National Football League, his process has been honed and perfected. Russell has those resources, man, that structure. And so that's why I say he has pole position, man. It just creates a synergy that I think is good for this time of year. That's right. What he said it's right. He didn't call him the starter.

Well, he has a defined structure. This is what we see. said, Justin Fields is figuring out how to play the position. He's a startup business. Whether you think Russell Wilson's the eye of Silicon Valley, right, like, you know that he knows his business. Russell's been doing this now for 10, 12 years. He knows how to play quarterback. Justin Fields is figuring out the position at the pro level. Okay. So if Justin Fields is a startup, can I say that Russell Wilson's like a paper company in Pennsylvania, like the office or something with Michael Scott? I don't know. It feels like they're fading. A lot of people out on Rust, people calling him washed.

I don't know. He's not, you know. He's not washed. There are two business owners sitting here on the show right now. I'm all in, always on businesses and small businesses. This wording of pole position just means he has the inside track. That does not to me say he's the lock starter. So think about this.

When Justin Fields was getting all the snaps in Chicago, all the attention was him. He struggled. When you're the backup getting one-fifth of the snaps, you're not getting the attention, the tutoring and the coaching. I think he's going to improve. I mean, in Chicago, they were absolutely trying to make it work because if it had worked this year, let's say he had a 7-8-game stretch post- Thanksgiving

and they could move the Caleb pick for nine picks. Chicago wanted Justin Fields to work. They, not coddled, but they basically put all their resources into making Justin Fields work, and it didn't. And now he's a backup in Pittsburgh. You think he's going to get that kind of tutoring, attention, and coaching? No. You could argue that Sean Payton tried like hell to make it work with Russell Wilson.

And if you look at the numbers, it worked to the level Russell's capable of working. It was B some games B plus, and that's fine. The Fields had a couple B plus games. Maybe a couple in 15 starts. I don't think the gap. is as wide as you do. I think it's a little closer. That's our disagreement. Huh? That's our disagreement. I think Russell is clearly a more refined, finished product.

And I think at this point, Justin Fields is more talented than Zach Wilson, but I basically don't know what I get half to half. Well, I'll say this. Neither of these guys had a robust market, right? That's true. Hey, he was on, you could have had him on the cheap, right? A penny stock. I'm not. And who wanted it? Like, there wasn't like teams fighting over women. and children to grab Russell Wilson.

No, I bet. That's totally fair. And Justin Fields, you know, we allegedly, four other teams were interested. I don't know. I don't know if that. I don't know if it's untrue. Last point. There is, we've talked about this a lot. The cool factor at quarterback, the alpha, walks into the lunchroom, everybody wants to sit

with him and hang with him. We've heard enough stories about Russ that he's not been that guy. Listen to how the kids in Chicago talked about Fields. So many guys going to the podium, we want Fields. He's our quarterback. I don't know why we'd move off. You know who else everybody loves? Drew Locke.

Wait, come on. The cool factor to me is like, are you a winning leader? Maybe Cool wasn't the right word. But like leader in the locker room, when he walks in, everybody kind of gathers around and he's that dude. Treg Toper's been on the show talking about this thing for years. I'll push back on the, I think what matters in the league is winning. Andrew Luck was the opposite of cool.

Yeah, no, no, for sure. But in a situation like this where it's Russ who can. can be polarizing. And Justin Fields, who's like kind of a cool big dog. People really like him. The guys in Chicago loved him. Just be careful. There could be a divide in Pittsburgh.

There's our quarterback drama in the off season. Well, no, no, I think it's legitimate. I think I think Russell's the clear one. But I think your point is real. But I think Justin is the classic, you know, Cam Newton could struggle, but there was something about Cam in the locker room that players loved.

And I've seen this before, where you get a guy that, he's just kind of loose. Jay Cutler. Jay Cutler had a lot of buddies. Aaron Rogers is sort of a cool guy, the way he throws, the way Aaron hasn't been that successful when it matters in big games in a lot of years.

But Aaron's got ultimate loyalty, the it factor in the locker. Jets love him, Packers, love. When's Aaron's last big playoff win? Jordan Love just had one in one year's the starter at Dallas. Hammer the Cowboys. Well, we know this is a young league. Justin Fields walks in the locker room. Hey guys, who's up for weekend? Let's Saturday night. Let's hit Pittsburgh. Let's tear it up. Let's do some, let's have some fun.

Russell Wilson's hanging out with his celebrity wife in the suburbs, 14-room mansion. They're not clubbing. I'm just saying, fields are just going to relate. So now my quarterback has to go clubbing? It's a locker room thing. You know, as an athlete, you know, you'd know this. Anyways, let's move on to the Lakers. We've got to wrap up with DeAngelo Russell. I mean, Lakers, again, I'm watching March Madness all around. So I look up and the Lakers have 150 points last night. I mean, my daughter, an NBA scout, if she wanted to be, went to the game and said,

Dad, this officiating is totally uneven. She said the official. My daughter, her takeaway was Indiana's getting hosed on the officiating. And she, you know, my daughter, she likes all the lake. I see 150 to 145 and I'm like, ooh, that's a fun game. Anyways, DeAngelo Roussel had a good game. Oh, we'll get a D.D. Daniel Russell did not play was Anthony Davis who had 36 and 16.

You know what? What's funny about Anthony Davis is I think you and I were on this, is that we thought he was really talented in New Orleans. His reputation was he was a little soft, didn't play through injuries, came to L.A., initially we're like, they get a title inside the bubble, and then for about a year and a half, dude could not stay healthy, would not play hurt.

And I was just done with him. We've got to be fair here. The last year, he's been unbelievable. I would argue outside of Yokic, and Janus, he's been the best big in the league. Hold up. Now, Embeddead's not healthy. I'm not allowed to mention him on the show, but there's another guy who dominated Anthony Davis head-to-head.

Who? He's on the beam lighting team. DeMontasabonis, oh my gosh. He can't shoot. He owned Anthony Davis head-to-head. I don't think you can call AD the second best center. No, I said, I said, no, I said Yokic is the best center. Yonis is the most physically gifted.

And then I... M. Beam. Embed's never healthy. Fair. Anthony Davis is... You're going to take Bama to Bayou over AD. AD is the best defensive player in the league. And on offense, three out of four nights, he dominates.

He's a little less consistent. AD has been great this year. AD has had the last year of AD, we have to be fair on this show. He had a year and a half stretch. I was done with him. You play him against American centers. He eats him up. I mean, he just dominates.

And unlike M. Bid, unlike M. B., he has pivoted. to staying healthy, whether it's diet, work, whatever it is. I think he doesn't quite slash as much. Maybe that's it because he doesn't hit the floor as much. But AD has had a great year and a half. You know, I don't know if the audience noticed, when you open the show talking about the Warriors in danger, you didn't mention the team that's creeping up on him.

Houston Rockets, if they take that seed from the 10 seed from the Warriors and the Rockets play the Lakers, that's a great matchup for the Lakers. Oh, they'll hammer Houston. Yeah. A bunch of kids. Well, remember who gave out Houston as a team on the rise team total. No, they've got a zillion young players.

I'm not doubting their fun to watch. Houston's fun to watch. They play fast. They're a good team. But the Lakers will beat them. Colin, Lakers, though, in that play-in game to get the eight seed, if it's against the Kings or the Mavs or the Sons, they're in deep trouble. And Lakers could miss the players.

They're not a lot to make the playoffs. Well, think about this. And you and I both really like the NBA. Like, we both watch the NBA. So we're kind of an NFL college football NBA show. March Madness, too. I watched it. By the way, Saturday, I spent three and a half hours in front of a TV.

USA, Mexico Soccer, you watch that game? I watched it on a second TV. Yes, I did. But I would say this, is that the NBA, as we talked about to start the show, is still kind of beholden to its domestic stars. It needs Tatum in the playoffs, Steph in the playoffs, LeBron in the playoffs. And that's nothing against Houston or light the beam or all these teams. That's why I've said when New York didn't make a move at the trade deadline, because I think Jalen Brunson has some TV.

I think people like when the Knicks are good. NICs, yeah, yeah. The NBA could really use the Knicks getting another star. They could really use it. Because I think if LeBron and Steph do not make the playoffs, you and I are diehards. We watch a lot of basketball. Denver is not a national team yet.

They're like San Antonio with Duncan. You know they're great. You don't resent them. What about Luke can Luca and Kyrie carry the torch for the West? I think Luca and Kyrie are interesting because they're both kind of polarizing. Exactly. They're in that LeBron. No, I think I think Luke and Kyrie are, and they're both absolutely offensively gifted.

I mean, like next level gifted. One men, Yama is, no, 10 wins. J-Mack with the news. Well, that's the news. And thanks for stopping by. The Heard Lie News. You know what is really amazing in college basketball, when I watch it. It's being dominated on the men's side by senior, junior, senior

dominated teams. And Calipari is doing all this one and done stuff. So it's a bunch of 18-year-olds against 22-year-olds. But isn't it amazing how good Gonzaga is year after year after year? Little Spokane, Washington, small conference. I mean, there's no players up there. They don't have any players, you know, in their area code or in their state. They have maybe one or two guys they can recruit. I'm always amazed. Like, why is Arizona been good since? the mid-80s. They've had four or five different coaches. Why? Why is, now, you could say Gonzaga's good because of Mark Few, the coach and the system. But like Arizona to me, it's what's great about college basketball. Duke was great forever because of Shoshesky. And then Carolina's got,

in my opinion, probably the biggest brand in my life from Dean Smith to Roy William. And Caroline is always good. Same with Kansas. Roy Williams, Bill Self, the power of coaches. But Arizona's, why would Little Tucson Arizona be this great? They've had multiple coaches. They've had controversy. I can't think of a four-year stretch they've been bad since the mid-80s. Started with Lude Olson. Now they've got, but it's just like what's fascinating about college sports is why certain programs, I mean, Arizona doesn't have a lot of money. They're in debt.

Why are they always so good? You want me to tell, okay, so this is a theory. I forget which NBA player told me this. So when former NBA and NFL players retire, they love to go to Arizona because of the weather and the taxes. Yeah. Well, guess what? They end up having kids.

A lot of them are former athletes. And now they're growing up in the Arizona area. They're high school players, and they want to stay in state and go to Arizona. So Arizona for like two decades has been really, really good. I mean, they're not rich. It's not a rich state like a Connecticut with Yukon. Or it's, I mean, even Yukon, you can make an argument. Calhoun, Kevin Ali, Hurley.

They just kept winning national championships. There's no players in Connecticut. I was there. Stores is like out in the farms next to cows, the middle of nothing. Why is Connecticut always this good? Why? I mean, they've had different. Now, Jim Calhoun's the most underrated coach in college basketball history.

Go ask Mike Shoshchewski who gave him trouble. It was Jim Calhoun and Yukon. It wasn't always Carolina. It wasn't always Syracuse. It was Yukon. But I'm always fascinated. Why is Stores, Connecticut, Yukon, oh, was this good? Why is Tucson, Arizona?

I get Duke and Cheshowski. I get Kansas. Wilk Chamberlain. Like, the basketball was invented, created. James Naismith. Carolina's a factory. They had one of the first big arenas. The money they had pouring into that basketball, plus Michael Jordan went there.

Like I get some star programs, Beheim, Syracuse. But little to Arizona, Yukon, Gonzaga, year after year, I turn on Yukon. I'm like, they always just figure out ways to get into the elite eight. You know, one of the states, New Jersey has like some of the best high school basketball players right outside New York City, and I worked at a newspaper in Jersey. And every year, why isn't Rutgers any good? We've got some of the best athletes in the country in New Jersey. and basketball, and they always stink.

Right outside New York City. Well, look at Villanova. Villanova is this small school. How in the world is Villanova college basketball power for most of my life? How is that possible? It's the power of Jay Wright, Raleigh Massimino, the commitment by the administrators, absolutely having a brand and knowing how to recruit that D.C. area very well. I mean, a lot of it's the power of Ralee, and Ralee's favorite assistant ever was Jay Wright.

It's the power of personality, the power of coaches. I'm always fascinated. There are certain things in this world that we live in. Like, baseball is all about money. You can't, I mean, the Dodgers money, the Braves money, Houston money, New York money. It's just bigger. Kansas City, Cincinnati struggle to compete.

But in college basketball, I'm almost fascinated by why little Yukon, Arizona, Gonzaga. Sometimes it's just the coach, but then Arizona and Yukon have been multiple coaches. You said the word brand, Colin. I know this is going to sound buzzy, but brand and culture are two things that you can build and develop. And even in the NFL, we see this. Pittsburgh Steelers, you know what their brand is.

It's been that way for three decades. Villanova, you know their brand and their culture. Some of these other schools, it's tough to develop. But I feel like Pittsburgh Steelers aren't really a Super Bowl threat, and they always have one or two or three coaches. Yukon, Arizona, they go through coaches. It doesn't matter. Now, it's been a while since Arizona won a title,

but, you know, being in Connecticut, I was always fascinated. When I went to Stores, Connecticut, I'm like, how is this a power? Who's coming here? Who's coming here? And they just, I've said, I don't think you have to sit and watch college basketball all day to figure out who's good. There are very few great players now in college. Very few great players are teams.

The two best teams I saw, UCon was the best team I saw. I saw I played two or three times. The second best team I saw this year was North Carolina. They're both blowing out everybody, and I think they'll continue to do so. But I'm always fascinated by that part of college basketball. Well, shouldn't you be, wouldn't you think USC, UCLA every year dominant? It's L.A. They're the two biggest brand.

We have Mick Cronin on later. And, you know, it's just, it's funny how Gonzaga and Spokane can be consistently greater than these big city teams. Shouldn't St. John's be better? You're New York City. Yeah. If you said, okay, you can have a basketball program in college. Where do you want to start? New York City or Spokane.

And the Spokane School crushes year after year after year. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays in noon Eastern 9 a.m. Pacific. Hey, gang, this is Jay Glazer, host of Unbreakable, a mental wealth podcast. And every week, we will have on leaders from sports, entertainment, like Sean McVeigh, Lindsay Vaughn, Michael Phelps, David Spade, Guy Fiamy, and also those who can help us in between the ears. Anyone from a therapist to someone like Ed Milet or John Gordon. We've all been through some sort of adversity to get to the top. We've all used different tools.

Listen to Unbreakable with Jay Glazer and Mental Wealth podcast on the I-Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get 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 what you're saying. Yep, that's me, Cliver Taylor the 4th.

You might have seen the skits, the reactions, my journey from basketball to college football, or my career in sports media. Well, somewhere along the way, this platform became bigger than I ever imagined. And now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfiltered conversations with some of your favorite athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated.

One week, I'll take you behind the scenes of the biggest moments in sports and entertainment, and the next we'll talk about life, mental health, purpose, and even music. The Clifford Show isn't just a podcast. 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.

Hey, this is Robert from the Stuff to Blow Your Mind podcast. Joe and I are both lifelong Star Wars fan, so we're celebrating May the 4th with a brand new week of fun, thought-provoking Star Wars-related episodes. Join us as we tackle science and culture topics from a galaxy far, far away, such as the biology of tauntons and wampas on the ice planet hot, or the practicality and corporate business sense of the Sith rule of two. Listen to stuff to blow your mind on the iHeart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. This weekend, pro football is back on Fox as the UFL kicks off on Saturday

with the USFL champion Birmingham Stallions. taking on the XFL champion Arlington Renegades and kickoff weekend continues Sunday on ESPN. So I have mostly defended Dion Sanders. He talks a good game and was a great player, but he said something last week in a podcast that was sort of eye-opening. He said his son, Shadur Sanders, a good college quarterback,

and Travis Hunter, a really talented receiver corner, but he'll be a corner in the NFL, could pull an Eli Manning and tell teams, pass, I'm not interested. So first of all, Travis Hunter as a corner is not going to tell any team anything. You just get drafted as a corner. It's not

that crucial opposition. Many people overspend for corners. There are corners who are excellent on bad teams all through the league. No corner is telling NFL teams, no thanks. Total turnoff to the league. He'll bounce to the second or third round if that's

kind of the side he takes. And that's what Dion is saying. It's not what Travis Turner has said. In terms of Shadir Sanders, I think he's a really good college quarterback. I think you can make an argument he would be the second or third guy drafted this year. But he's not John Elway, who's the best

college quarterback prospect ever. That's why we still reference him. And Eli Manning, by the way, the Manning family is like the royal family of American quarterbacking. And secondly, Peyton Manning was an MVP the year before that. So many people saw Eli Manning

Manning's brother dominating and thinking, we got ourselves another Peyton Manning in college football. So Shadur Sanders is very talented, but let me give you a comp with Caleb Williams. Caleb Williams is a much better prospect than Shadur Sanders, and I like Shadur. But Caleb Williams, the last two years at USC in a total rebuild like Colorado, has had two bad offensive lines and one star receiver. Caleb Williams produced the number one offense in college football. with 72 passing touchdowns, 10 picks, and 21 rushing touchdowns. So 93 total touchdowns in two years with bad O lines.

Shadour Sanders, with a bad O line this year in Colorado, had six touchdowns in his final four games. They are not close as prospects. Not close. And that is not to say that Shadur couldn't be, arguably, in the Jaden Daniels' argument for third or fourth best quarterback this year. I'm not disputing that. But there is a massive gap between Caleb Williams and Drake May this year.

A huge gap. When I talk to scouts, any NFL executive, they're all loving Drake May's traits, but concerned about his consistency, which is all over the map. So, you know, I think it's okay for Dion to say whatever he wants, but you have to have context. Caleb is a much better prospect. Elway is the greatest prospect ever. And Mannings are different.

I mean, Mannings literally end up on our network Monday night football games doing a telecast. It's a different dynamic completely. And Peyton was the MVP the year before Eli Manning was going to get drafted. So obviously, the feeling was, oh, my God, the next great quarterback's Peyton. We got to get his brother who was also kind of taking an average old man. miss program at the time and winning games, a lot of games. So there you go. So I saw this over the course of the weekend. I'm going to spend more time on this. In fact, I'll do this next hour. J. Mack, we both like Dion, your take on saying his two best players could pull an Eli.

So I got to be careful what I say. I did talk about this on my podcast and I was harsher. I could say harsh stuff on there. I don't want to be too critical here. But I think Dion's doing a terrible disservice to his son, a year out. And he's been now doing this for like two weeks. I don't want to go to him to him. He's not playing in the cold weather. Like, you can't be saying that stuff. Like, what are you narrowing it down to?

I want him to go to this division. I want him to go to Miami or Arizona. Dallas is cold in the winter. Yeah. And oh, by the way, if you want to draft Shadur Sanders, just know this. The coach instantly goes on the hot seat because Dion Sanders is going to be rumored to coach his son in the NFL because I don't think that's ever happened, right? A guy coaching his kid in the league at quarterback,

I can't recall that ever, but you know Dion is itching for that. And whichever coach drafts Shadur just better be on notice that Deon's coming for your job. Well, also, yeah, I mean, listen, just for leverage in negotiations with Colorado, Dion Sanders obviously would love an NFL rumor. But I think, and I think Shadour's talented. I'm not disputing that at all. But I think we're forgetting a lot of people think Caleb Williams is the best quarterback prospect since Andrew Luck.

Andrew Luck went to a horrible team and won 11 games, 11 games and 11 games in the AFC. During Brady and Manning and Ben Rothersburg. The first three years, okay? Let's, yeah. Shedur Stander's very good player. I like him and I like player empowerment.

But Colin, this is nonsense what Deion's doing right now. Our number two on a Monday. Good argument coming up next. Another podcast from some SNL late-night comedy guy, not quite. Unhumor me with Robert Smygel and friends. Me and hilarious guests from Bob Odenkirk that David Letterman help make you funnier.

This week, my guest, S&L's Mikey Day and head writer, Streeter Seidel, help an a cappella band with their between songs banter. Where does your group perform? We do some retirement homes. Those people are starving for banter. Listen to humor me with Robert Smigel and friends on the I-Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal but encouraged.

It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast's Superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the I-Hard Radio app,

Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, this is Robert from the Stuff to Blow Your Mind podcast. Joe and I are both lifelong Star Wars fan, so we're celebrating May the 4th with a brand, new week of fun, thought-provoking Star Wars-related episodes. Join us as we tackle science and culture topics from a galaxy far, far away, such as the biology of taun-tons and wampas on the ice planet hot, or the practicality and corporate business sense of the Sith rule of two. Listen to stuff to blow your mind on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. This is an IHeart

podcast. Guaranteed Human.