The Herd with Colin Cowherd - Hour 2 - Antoine Walker

Episode Date: July 4, 2022

In hour 2, Antoine Walker joins to talk the possibility of Kevin Durant going back to Golden State. USC and UCLA are leaving the PAC 12, USC has been unhappy for awhile. Aaron Rodgers now needs a #1 WR, Davante Adams may've won the trade.See 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 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, my basketball and college football journey, or my career in sports media. Well, now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifers Show. This is a place for raw, unfilled 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 I Heart Radio app,

Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok's podcast network on TikTok. On the Look Back at it podcast. From 1979, that was a big moment for me. 84's big to me. I'm Sam J. And I'm Alex English.

Each episode, we pick a 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. I don't think there's a more important year for black people. Listen to look back at it on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Thanks for listening to The Heard podcast. Be sure to catch us live every weekday from 12 to 3 Eastern, 9 to noon Pacific on Fox Sports Radio and FS1. Find your local station for the herd at Fox Sports Radio.com or stream us live every day on the iHeartRadio app by searching Herd. We're listening to Fox Sports Radio. Here we go. It is our number two on a Monday, Independence Day, Fourth of July. Thanks so much for choosing us. It's the herd in Los Angeles, wherever you may be in, however you may be listening. Iheart Radio, Fox Sports Radio, FS1.

Alex Curry is joining me today and this week. Joy is in the Bahamas. Yep, taken after you. You guys just tap your turn, my turn. Vacation time. She's in the Bahamas. Of course, she spent years and years in Miami. So I will say the afternoons in Turks are really hot. And as a kid from the Pacific Northwest from one to four, I would go into my room, take naps, turn the AC on.

Perfect. Yeah. No, but it is wonderful. That part of the country is wonderful. Antoine Walker is going to be around the corner. But we do it every Monday, second hour, top. Colin right, Colin wrong, plenty of both. And here we go. Where Colin was right? Well, I said Kevin Durant leaving the Warriors for Brooklyn was an egregious error in judgment.

It wasn't just leaving a winning basketball team. It was leaving that coach and Steph Curry and Draymond and Clay in that culture. Folks, you can't just on talent alone overcome coaching and bad teammates and shaky ownership. I've said before if Patrick Mahalm said I'm leaving Andy Reid playing for the Jets because I want to play. with a buddy, we'd ask him to get therapy. It makes no sense. I never thought this would work. There were moments I really liked the team when they were healthy,

but I said he would regret the move, and now he wants out. Where Colin was wrong. The Pelicans and Zion are now long-term partners. They sign him to a $230 million deal. That is more than I would spend on somebody who's played 38% of his games. and frankly, I never thought he was committed to the franchise. But you know what I think happened? All these injuries, Anthony Davis did this.

He's like, I'll take the long-term deal. I think Zion knows. I don't know if I trust my body. I don't know if I can stay healthy. It's a football city, bottom third in attendance. I think he'll get lost there. As much as I like him, like seeing him play. I think he'd be much better served.

The NBA would if he's at a bigger basketball-centric market. But I'm wrong on this one. They are partners for the foreseeable future. Where Colin was right. Had buddies texting me this. I said two weeks ago on this show, watch Kyrie and the Lakers. Before any reports, I said, keep your eye on Kyrie to the Lakers. The Lakers are awful.

They're desperate. Kyrie admitted Cleveland was his fault, not LeBron's, and Westbrook just simply doesn't work for LeBron's game. This makes a ton of sense. Kyrie is reportedly in Los Angeles. And as Rick Buecker just told us, he's not leaving until a deal is done. It's not perfect. I don't trust him.

But folks, sometimes desperation creates partnerships. And I think Kyrie's a little desperate. I think he knows he wants to redeem that LeBron mess that he created. And I will say this. I don't think they're a title team, but LeBron and Kyrie to me are a playoff team. When you take what they are now and compared to that, it's a huge bonus win for the Lakers. where Colin was wrong. I would not resign James Harden.

The Sixers are going to resign him at a lower level. But here's the thing. He's not good for chemistry. He has no history of doing anything in the playoffs. He's not an ascending player. And I think Tyrese Maxie is going to be an all-star by next year. So I don't agree with it. Now, he is taking a pay cut, so there is some self-awareness here, and that's helpful.

And I still think there are nights he can give you 20, but he's never taken great care of his body. He can't beat anybody off the dribble like he used to. He's not the same player, and it's not the move I would make going forward. I think the team actually could move him, get nice pieces, have M-Bed and Maxi is their star, and could get to the Eastern Conference title,

but they see it a different way. Where Colin was right? Finally, the Lakers are acknowledging what every single person watching knows. Westbrook doesn't work. Darwin Ham said, oh, it's going to be excellent. Westbrook doesn't work. He can't play off ball.

That's why it's difficult for him with KD or LeBron James or James Harden. Because sometimes with star players, you've got to play off the ball. And Russell can't because he can't shoot. So Russell Westbrook's at his best when you put him on a bad team with young guys. You give him the ball. He'll have a bunch of turnover, a bunch of points and a bunch of assists. And he can just lead the team and not worry about anybody else. else. He once said his best friends the basketball. He plays like it. But, but, I mean,

let's, let's stop pretending Westbrook, AD, and LeBron just need more time together. Nobody thinks that. Absolutely nobody thinks that. Where Colin was wrong. Well, I didn't predict that USC and UCLA wouldn't go to the Big Ten. But I said Lincoln Riley was going to dominate for the next five years the PAC 12. And so now he's just going to dominate the PAC 12 for a couple and the big 10 for a few. So I am wrong there. I'm a little surprised, although I think it's the right move, that UCLA joined the Trojans. I have been over the last year in multiple discussions with people at USC.

They were not happy with the PAC 12, how they were treated. USC and UCLA are both great basketball programs, but it's USC football that when it's really rolling, drives the bus economically for the conference. And not a surprise. But UCLA, I think joining is the right decision. I think with two NFL teams in Los Angeles, it's getting hard for consumers to give both Saturday and Sunday to college and pro football. You've got to make choices.

So I think UCLA playing Michigan, Ohio State, Penn State, Wisconsin, Iowa, Nebraska. Those Big Ten teams travel, 30,000 strong. So I think it's a great move for both schools. but maybe even more beneficial for UCLA football. Where Colin was right? Steve Sarkeesian has the number one recruiting class in the country at Texas. He landed the number one high school quarterback, Arch Manning, who was considered the top quarterback prospect ever.

I've never understood the people that don't get Steve Sarkeesian. He went to Washington. They were 0 and 12. He left. They had eight wins. He went to USC, was 9 and 4, and then had a personal setback. He worked in the NFL as a coordinator. He won coordinator of the year in college football at Alabama.

Steve Sarkesian's a great coach. He had some personal demons he had to work through for a while in his life. But they have the most five stars committed. Arch Manning's a home run quarterback. And Texas football is going to be really good going forward. Really good. Where Colin was right. USFL first season of success.

The USFL made money for both networks. The ratings beat high. hockey and baseball, 100-year sports with history regularly, the quality was pretty good. And Fox and NBC are both committed to a second year. Colin, what about the attendance? It was played in one stadium and one small town. That was not the goal. The goal for the USFL was profit, quality, and ratings on television.

This league is going to make their money in television ratings, which were incredibly encouraging, and they're also potentially going to make their money in having a relationship with a gambling company down the road. But both Fox and NBC see it as a hit. There is plenty of room for an eight to ten week spring football league in America. In fact, the league before this, the XFL had a pandemic not struck. It would have survived. So USFL was absolutely a hit.

Congrats to NBC and our colleagues here. at Fox. Way to go. Champion crowned yesterday. Antoine Walker played in the NBA for 12 years, has himself a championship. So let me ask you, sometimes as you know in the NBA, when you're winning, it's just way easier. It doesn't matter if the weather's bad in Milwaukee, if you're winning and you get off that flight, it feels good to win.

Golden State would be perfect for Kevin Durant. They wouldn't have to gut the franchise. They'd win. He's been there before. Steph and he got along fine. Do you think he would go back there if he was traded? Do you think he'd be happy? Could he stomach a team that doesn't need him? He needs them, arguably more than they need him. Do you think KD would say, okay, I'll sign off.

I'll go to the Warriors. I think he'll go back in the heartbeat. I think this is the type of situation he's looking for. You think right out right away, as soon as the rumor came out, he said the Phoenix Suns who won 64 games, the Miami Heap, who lost in the game seven in the Eastern Conference Finals. So obviously he wants to be with a team that's fighting for championships or in championship contention. So I think he'll go back in the heartbeat. You know, Antoine, he's a unique personality.

I said I'm not a psychologist. I'm not going to try to figure it out. Okay. But he left, suddenly left Golden State. Now, suddenly wants out of Brooklyn. And I said he's more of an enhancer. Steph, Luca, Tatum, Janus, I would build around. They're predictable.

He's just super talented. He can enhance me, but I'm not gutting my franchise for him. I'm not. He's unpredictable. I just don't know what he thinks when he wakes up. Is that fair? I think it's fair. I think one thing that's unique about KD's situation right now,

he has four years left on his deal. usually guys, you know, make decisions like this, maybe a year left on their contract or two when the team has to step up and max him out. He's already pretty much maxed out. So any team that takes a chance on him needs to be fight for a championship right now. They're not in the rebuilding mode. They're trying to win right away. And he's a quick fix. For me personally, I know you hear about all these teams.

I wouldn't mind if he's going to leave and play somewhere. I went mind seeing him with Memphis with a John Moran who's going to probably struggle to get another big time star there. I look at New Orleans probably joining those guys or maybe one of those guys. I know you probably won't be able to keep both of them.

But I like to see him in one of those situations. I don't want to see one of these super teams put together because I don't think that's going to be great for basketball. I would like to see him go with maybe a team that has one star on it and he can try to get them over the hump. And it makes more interesting basketball for me.

So Kyrie to the Lakers, it does make a lot of sense. He can play, I mean, he really is a perfect teammate, and we saw it before, he can play off the ball. So LeBron's a great passer, and he can take those LeBron passes and make threes. He can play on ball. He can beat the point guard when LeBron misses games or is not on the floor, and the Lakers don't really have a point guard, because Westbrook's not, it doesn't work. So I think Kyrie's perfect. Do you trust Kyrie if he's a Laker? Do you say to yourself, okay, I'm going to sign him, I'm going to bring him in and sign him to a long extension.

I don't, but I do think he's a magic pill here to make the Lakers relevant again. So he does have some leverage. He'll be, you know, the first day on the floor with LeBron, you'll be like, oh, that works. It won't be hard to figure out. But at some point, would you extend him in Los Angeles? The thing is the franchise. We know the franchise is about winning championships. It's got to be where LeBron's head at and what he wants to get done.

over the next couple years. If LeBron's saying, hey, we want to win championships, then obviously I'm going to lock in the Kyrie Irvin. And not saying that I'm living huge, the biggest Westbrook friend in the world. I think differently than a lot of people like yourself calling about Westbrook, but if the move is made,

I think you do have to lock into him. I am worried about Kyrie Irvin and what he believes off the court and the things that he has going on. You don't know when he may break down on you. And I don't know if basketball is number one in his life. So that's something that, you know, have to think about. But one thing we know for sure is that him and LeBron James plays really well

together. Kyrie's still an elite player in this league that can arguably be known as a top five point guard in this league easy when he's playing basketball. So he does give you the best chance to compete for championships. So I would love to see it as a basketball fan because those guys had great success together. But if it doesn't happen, I'm not giving up on Westbrook and them being able to get it done with a Westbrook either. So, you know, it's funny from the Warriors' perspective. So I have said this. If it was just Wiggins and Wiseman for KD., I'd make the move.

But if you made me give Wiggins-Wiseman pool and a draft pick, I wouldn't make the move. I'm not gutting my franchise. But, I mean, Wiseman, I haven't seen play. And Wiggins is a very good player. Katie's great. But Katie's older. Katie's had more injuries. How much would, if you were the Warriors, because I do believe there's

reports now that they are sniffing around at KD. They're talking about it. How much would you give up for him? Of the Golden State roster, I would give up Draymond Green, Jordan Poole, and if I had to give Wiggins away, I wouldn't want to part ways with them, but if that was the deal breaker, I'll take that chance. I just like those young guys, Kaminga, Wiseman, Moody, and you put them with a Steph, Clay, and KD, they can get the best out of those guys because it wouldn't be a lot of pressure on them. All they would have to do is contribute. But if you put step and KD together the way both of those guys are playing right now and Clay is getting back to his old form, I mean, they're looking

at continuing for another two, three titles. Yeah, that's kind of how I look at it. So you'd let Draymond go. Heart and Soul, you'd let him go. Yeah, at this point, KD's in the prime right now of his career. KD can give you 36 to 40 minutes a night. You don't necessarily, Draymond's inability on the office event starts to hurt you after a while. So you get rid of that problem. I know the hard and soul and the little things that he does for the team. But I like Kaminga. I like Moody and Wiles and those guys can step in and do some of that dirty work.

But with that elite three guys, those three guys can put together, I like those state with them. Antoine Walker, Fox Sports, NBA analyst. Great seeing you, man. All right, thanks for having me. Good Fourth of July. Yeah, it's one of those things. Golden State would make the move, but we're not gutting the franchise.

And Golden State's in a very unique position. I didn't think they'd win the title when the season started because I thought they're older players. Clay was off an injury. Dremont's passed his prime. And Steph, you know, again, great player, but they'd been, he had injuries. And then the young guys weren't ready to me, Caminga, Moses Moody, James Wiseman. They weren't ready. They're like 19, 20-year-old kids.

Those guys aren't going to make an impact on the playoffs. So to me, the Warriors did an amazing job to take a too young group and maybe a too old expensive group, bridge them and win and really win convincingly. Boston already wasn't that competitive last couple of games, even when Boston was at home. So to me, Warriors are a surprise. And I say this all the time in sports. People win, and a lot of teams win, and they think, okay, we did it. You got to keep building. I mean, the Big Ten has been really good the last several years in football.

I think they've had some really good bowl seasons, bowl trips, and bowl wins. They're not resting on it. The SEC is the number one conference in the country. They added Texas, Oklahoma. This idea that, like, there's a destination in sports. You win the championship and you're fine. It's like, no, Boston added Malcolm Brogden. They need more shooters.

And I think Golden State looks at it and thinks, listen, we could probably bring this group back and assure ourselves the Western Conference finals. We could be there. But the Clippers are getting better. Kyrie goes to the Lakers. Denver finally gets healthy. Milwaukee has now Joe Ingalls and Middleton.

Philadelphia could be better. Boston will absolutely be better. What if Phoenix gets KD? So I think the Warriors are smart to kick the tires on this because I think they should be favored to win next year. But, I mean, you know, Draymond and Clay and Steph, we got injuries piling up here. They're older players. And so Moses moves Moody is Jonathan Camilla.

They're not ready to lead you in the playoffs. Not that you have to consider worst-case scenario, but this idea, like you win a championship, Milwaukee, I thought, made one of the best moves of the postseason that nobody talked about. They went and got Joe Ingalls from Utah, who's a great three-point shooter. So next year they get Middleton, who missed the Boston series, and Ingalls. and they were going to be favored to beat Boston anyway with Janus. So like that's a move like Milwaukee could just say, hey, we get Middleton back, we're good. They're like, no, we're going to add another three-point shooter on top of Middleton coming back and Janish, Andrew Holliday.

So you just got to keep kicking the tires on this stuff. Just because you get to a destination, don't kid yourself. People are gaining on you every day. It's okay to be paranoid. People do want your job. If you got a great job, people want it. And if you are a great team, they want your stars. It's okay.

Be a little paranoid. That's okay. It's good for business. If you want exclusive insight from the biggest names in the sports game, what's good? This is national champion and former pro baller Chris Johnson. Let me tell you a little bit about my new series, KJ Live. KJ Live is the only show featuring me going one-on-one with the brightest basketball

minds on the planet to get the real. And when I say real, I mean that real. I got legendary Hall of Famers, elite coaches, and the top basketball insiders bringing you a unique perspective on all things who's culture that you will not find anywhere else. To make your next move, your best move. And tap in with me on KJ Live, wherever you get your podcast from. One more herd? The herd streams 24 hours a day, seven days a week within the IHeart radio app. Search Herd to listen live or on demand whenever you'd like.

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, Clifford Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits,

the reactions, my journey from basketball to college football, or my career in sports media. Well, somewhere along the way, this platform became bigger than I ever imagined. And now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfiltered conversations with some of your favorite athletes,

creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. One week I'll take you behind the scenes of the biggest moments in sports and entertainment and the next we'll talk about life, mental health, purpose, and even music. The Clifford Show isn't just a podcast,

it's a space for honest conversations, stories that don't always get told, and for people who are chasing something bigger. So, if you've ever supported me or you're just chasing down a dream, this is right where you need to be. Listen to the Clifford Show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast.

And for more behind the scenes, Follow at Clifford and a 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 was big to me, not just because of crack. I'm down to talk about crack on day, but just so you all know. I mean, at this point, this is the second episode where we've discussed crack.

So I'm starting to see that there's a through line. We also have AIDS on the table right now. Thank you for finishing that sentence. Yes. I don't think there's a more important year for black people. Really? Yeah. For me, it's one of the most important years for black people in American history.

Listen to look back at it on the IHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Welcome to my new podcast, Learn the Hardway with me, your host, and your favorite therapist, Keer Games. And in recognition of mental health awareness month, I'm bringing over a decade of my own experience in the mental health field and conversations with so many incredible guests. I'm talking, Tripp Fontaine, Ryan Clark. Sometimes when we're in the pursuit of the thing, we get so wrapped up in the chase that we don't realize that we, are in possession of the thing. And we're still chasing it.

And we don't know when we've done enough. Because people scoreboard watch. Life becomes about wins and losses. Steve Burns, Dustin Ross, because you find it important to be a good person while you hear on earth? Are you a good person because you're afraid? Because that's two different intentions, bro.

Absolutely. And that's two different levels of trust. I want you to just really be a good person. Join me, Kear Gaines, as we have real conversations about healing, growth, fatherhood, pressure, and purpose on my new podcast, Learn the Hardway.

Open your free, our Heart Radio app, search Learn the Hardway, and listen now. Something that was important to remember when Texas and Oklahoma decided to go to the SEC, they're not going immediately.

They got two or three years of recruiting classes to get ready and build up their rosters. USC and UCLA aren't going to the Big Ten tomorrow. Lincoln, Riley, and Chip Kelly can build their rosters up for two years, create some recruiting ties

in the Midwest, although they don't really need them. They recruit Southern California, Nevada, Arizona, and Texas more. But I don't think it's that complicated. To watch fans hyperventilate and overreact, there's been three times that USC in the history of its program got the right coach. They dominated the sport when they had it. John McKay, John Robinson, and Pete Carroll, they're going to be really, really good. In fact, if you take the new Big Ten, I would say these would be your top four teams

based on the coaches, the tradition, the history. Ohio State with Ryan Day, Lincoln, Riley, and USC in few years, Jim Harbon, Michigan, and Penn State and James Franklin. That's the top four programs. The next four, and there'll be years these teams beat those teams, but Michigan State, UCLA, Wisconsin, Iowa. Now, Wisconsin and Iowa are in states that don't have a lot of players. That's a disadvantage.

UCLA is viewed as more of a basketball school, and they have a great basketball coaching program. Michigan states always felt like number two in their own state to Michigan, but Mel Tucker's a great coach. So if that is your eight, if that is half your conference, that is a hell of a conference. That is a great football conference second only to the SEC. And remember, I didn't mention Pat Fitzgerald at Northwestern, P.J.J. Fleck at Minnesota. Those are very good coaches. They get to bowl games. So that'll be 10 of your 16 teams are like big boy football.

And Notre Dame, don't kid yourself, the Big Ten wants Notre Dame. And Notre Dame is clinging to this independence, but even Notre Dame acknowledged that years ago by joining for football, the ACC. So the Big Ten would like to have Notre Dame. Oregon, Washington, Stanford, Cal, there's no reason to give away revenue to those you don't believe can elevate revenue. They're either not big enough TV markets, they're not dominant enough. So this is all about the LA market. 40 to 45% of television revenue in the entire conference was from USC and UCLA. And I know I can tell you personally that USC had been frustrated for years.

And Lincoln Riley knew that when he came to USC, they were going to take some moonshots on this stuff. They were going to swing big. So this is not a shocker to anybody's system in Southern California, other than like older fans who just don't like it at all because, you know, They like going to work and making fun of all those Pack 12 fans. They've been crushing for years and years. But if that's the conference, if you added Notre Dame to this new conference, then I think you can go toe to toe with the SEC.

I don't think they're quite there yet. But, I mean, again, I'll say it. To me, the top four are Ohio State, Michigan, Penn State, and USC. The next four are really, really good programs. And I think they've all got Nick Ferrens, a great coach, and Chip Kelly and Mel Tucker, Paul Chris doing a good job at Wisconsin. If that's Kurt Ferrence, if that's your top eight, it's a great conference. You got everything.

That is a great football conference with all these programs put a ton of people in the NFL. Alex with the news. No, no, no, no. Turn on the news. This is the herd line news. Well, Anthony Davis joined the Lakers in 2019 and immediately helped the team win an NBA title. But injuries have taken him out of the game a lot since that championship run, and the Lakers desperately deem more from AD if they're going to contend for another title.

And Kevin Garnett issued a challenge to him this coming season. If I'm talking to AD right now, bro, get lost. Go to Hawaii somewhere, straight up and down. When you come in the camp, come in the camp, better in shape than anybody and everybody. That's what you should be focused on. You should go for the MVP for the 22nd, 23 season. AD came to the Lakers to be an MVP

and to take the torch from Bro and carry it. He should be MVP of the league one time. He'd ask you. Well, I like that Kevin Garnett is acknowledging what everybody in the league now knows to be true, which is Anthony Davis is really talented, but he's not a grinder. And I, you know, this is something, Alex, we see all the time,

is that the magic number is about 32 years old. If you don't commit James Harden now is there. If your game doesn't grow or you don't take care of yourself, Cam Newton, if you don't grow as a player, Westbrook, you get to 32, 33, and you're just not the same player. That's the number. You can't rely on that youthful 20-year-old energy.

And I think with AD is what you're seeing in years and years of not being totally committed, he's falling apart. And it's already difficult because he's a big body and he's a slasher, like a Porzingis, like a Durant. So his game is built to hit the floor hard. And some of these accidents are, there's nothing you can do. You're going to get hurt with his style and his size. But in the end is this is now a narrative that everybody, a chorus has been created.

Dude, you got to get in the gym. You've got to come into a season in shape. Yeah. Because in recent years, he has not. And now everybody's talking about it. Well, yeah, even in June, a video came out of 80 saying he hadn't touched a basketball since the Lakers last game. I think that was in April.

So it was two months. Yeah. Two months he had not touched to basketball. Yes, obviously you have the natural talent. That's why you're a professional athlete in getting paid millions of dollars to play a game. But there's not a crazy, it's not a crazy solution of how to stay at the top of your game. Yeah. You eat well.

You need to train. Take care of your body so you don't have the injuries. And you not only need to do that during the season, but you need to be doing that after this. And take a couple weeks. Take a couple weeks to let your body recover after the season. But don't not touch a basketball for two months. Yeah, that didn't sit well when that went public. No.

Not at all. So hopefully, hopefully that's changed because we're in July now, maybe a month. He's picked up a basketball. We'll see. We'll see. Hopefully a lot of other interesting things are going to happen with the Lakers pretty soon here. But let's switch gears because Devante Adams made a big move this off season, leaving Aaron Rogers and the Packers to join longtime friend Derek Carr with the Raiders.

Adams and Rogers have been one of the more dynamic duos in the NFL for the past few years. And Brett Farb doesn't think Adams will be able to keep up his level of production in Las Vegas. Farve said, I think Derek Carr is a very good quarterback, but he's not in Aaron's league yet. He may never be. That's not to say Adam is not a great player because he is a tremendous player and we'll see that with Las Vegas, but it's just hard to shift gears, especially from a player as prolific as Aaron Rogers. I would be shocked if Adams has the same year he had this year. Now, Rogers is a four-time MVP. We know that. He's a generational talent. Only two players in the history of the NFL have done that. And it takes a while to build chemistry and trust

to know where your teammate is without even looking up. But Devante and Derek Carr have history. They play together at Fresno State. We heard Devante say this summer that he considers him one of his best friends, and it would be a dream to play with him. So the relationship is already there. Obviously, it wasn't working out with Rogers in Green Bay. That was very clear.

Also, we don't know how long Rogers is going to be in Green Bay. He's talked about retirement. You're not going to commit long turn to a team if you know your guy isn't going to be there. So I think this is good for Devante Adams. Yeah, so do I. Yeah, I think it'll work out. All right. Well, it has been months since Baker Mayfield

requested a trade from the Browns, but he is still a member of the team and Cleveland is waiting to see how long of suspension Deshawn Watson receives. And Robert Griffin III thinks the Browns should do what it takes to make things work with Baker if Deshawn is out for a while. In an appearance on the Rich Eisen Show,

he said, I think the Brown should offer the olive branch to Baker and ask him to stay if Deshawn gets suspended for a significant amount of time. Baker's proven in the city he can go and win a playoff game, get you to the playoffs. The bottom line is Baker is better than Jacoby Brissette,

and if you're going to have to play a full season with a guy, your best option is to go back to Baker and beg him to stay. Well, this is absolutely the right thing to do, but it's complicated. Very. And Baker feels the franchise lied to him.

Yep. And he doesn't want to be anybody's backup. And if Deshawn is clear to play at Thanksgiving, I've said this. I think for Cleveland, if you let Baker come back, he would flourish, and you could move him for real pieces.

Yes. I mean, and so to me, Baker, because at the end of the year he was injured, people tend to forget the healthy you. The healthy him got him to the playoffs. So I think it's a win for Baker. He would end up going to a legitimate team. I think it's a win for Cleveland.

But it's complicated because if you feel somebody lied to you and try to humiliate you, and leak stories on you. Yep. It's really hard. It's really easy for me to say as a talk show host, forgive and forget. Yeah. That's really hard.

That's a rough space for Baker. He feels he's been humiliated. We know he's a really prideful guy. So, I mean, sometimes to a fault. And so I just think it's easy for me to say, go back. I think I would do it. But I also don't feel I've been lied to. And I think Baker absolutely does.

So they'd have to. to make, they'd have to really offer something significant. And he was asked about it at a camp last week. I saw that. Yeah. And he said, you know, I do think it's time for both sides to move on. But if it were to work out, they would have to reach out. So there is a glimpse of hope. And he did give a kind of a blueprint and an outline of if it were to happen.

This is how you do it. And as you mentioned, I think it's going to help both sides. Baker did not have a good end of the season. There would be a market for him after this if he played. And I think the fans would be more receptive, especially now after this dumpster fire of the Deshaun Watson situation. And it's also interesting here is that Baker doesn't control where he goes. They can trade him.

Well, Seattle and Carolina are in total rebuilds. Baker at least knows if he goes back to Cleveland with that offensive line, those weapons, that is by far and away his best chance to win and look good. So even though you'd have to swallow hard, your dignity, your pride, in the end, you'd be an elevated player and the Browns would be looking to move you and get picks or a player. I'll say it again.

Winning solves a lot of hurt feelings. It solves a lot of issues for KD and Baker Mayfield. Those plane flights home, cross-country, you won a game, everybody's patting you on the back. And Baker, it should be noted, he had allies in the locker room. I've seen multiple stories in the last several months

of Brown's players backing Baker. Like he wasn't, he and OBJ didn't work, but OBJ maybe doesn't work with everybody either. Alex with the news. Well, that's the news. And thanks for stopping by. The Herd Lie News. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays in noon Eastern, 9 a.m. Pacific. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal, but encouraged.

It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast's superhuman. Human 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 what 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 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 for finishing that sentence. Yes. I don't think there's a more important year for black people. Really? Yeah. For me, it's one of the most important years

for black people in American history. Listen to look back at it on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Welcome to my new podcast, Learn the Hard Way with me, your host, and your favorite therapist, Kear Games. And in recognition of mental health awareness, 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. Tripp Fontaine, Ryan Clark. Sometimes when we're in

the pursuit of the thing, we get so wrapped up in the chase that we don't realize that we are in possession of the thing. And we're still chasing it. And we don't know when we've done enough. Because people scoreboard watch. Life becomes about wins and losses. Steve Burns, Dustin Ross, because you find it important to be a good person while you hear on earth, 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, is we have real conversations about healing, growth, fatherhood, pressure, and purpose on my new podcast, Learn the Hardway. Open your free, Our Heart Radio app. Search Learn the Hardway and listen now. You ever hear somebody famous say something and you think, Oh, the opposite is actually true.

Brett Farr came out this weekend and says, oh, Devante Adams, it's going to be rough for Devante Adams. He's not going to get a quarterback like Aaron Rogers. And I heard that quote and I thought, well, the exact opposite is true. Devante Adams goes to Derek Carr, who since he entered the league or at least the last seven years, he leads the NFL and fourth quarter comebacks. Derek Carr is a top 10 quarterback.

He carried a dysfunctional side show last year to the playoffs. In the AFC, the better conference. He can win. He's elevated no-name players. He's elevated rookies. Derek Carr is absolutely a top 10 quarterback in this league. Absolutely. For the doubters, he proved

it last year. That's what Devante Adams gets. And Josh McDaniels. Aaron Rogers loses Devante Adams, who's going to end up in the Hall of Fame. His number one receiver now is Alan Lazard. I'm not sure if he can make the Rams.

or the Buccaneers? Or is it the ghost of Sammy Watkins? Or is it a second round wide receiver from an FCS school? I mean, as great as Cooper Cup is, he's from an FCS school. He didn't get to a thousand-yard season until year three, and that was with Sean McVeigh. So Devante Adams is going to do fine. Devante Adams is going to chop it up with Derek Carr,

their first game together. Aaron Rogers does not have. a number one or number two receiver. I look at Lazard as a three or a four. I look at Sammy Watkins at this point as a three or a four. We know Aaron doesn't, he's got trust issues, be it family or football players. He's not going to let some rookie from an FCF school come in and throw the ball to him 145 times. It's going to take years for that to develop.

And I'm not sure Aaron's going to play for years, year or two maybe. So I think the winner by unanimous decision in this trade is Devante Adams, who's going to go into an offensive-minded program with Hunter Renfro, Darren Waller, Josh Jacobs, decent left side of the offensive line, and Devante Adams. Is the decision? Is the division tough? Yeah. It didn't stop Matt Stafford from winning the Super Bowl. I've said before, there are teams in this league that,

I think every year there's an NFL team that like doubles its win total. And we're always shocked by it. Okay, there's certain things we know about the NFL. Half the teams that made the playoffs last year will not make the playoffs this year. It's been 20 straight years. We also know eight coaches will get fired. But every year when I do my NFL predictions and I don't have a bunch of teams that made the playoffs, everybody's like, what are you talking about?

You're an idiot. Half the teams that made it last year won't make a lot. this year. And I think the most improved team in the league will be Minnesota. That's my bet. So I think they're going to double their win total. Last year they won seven.

Okay, so they won't double their win total. They'll come, they won eight games. They're not going to go to 16. They're going to win 13 to 14 games. I believe they're going to be the shock of the league. So we were talking this morning. So they won eight games. That's too much. Nobody's going to go 16 and 1. But do I think they can go

13 and 4? Absolutely. And I think that is largely going to be because Chicago still doesn't know what they're doing. Detroit's still not a great team. And I think Green Bay is going to take a massive step back. A massive step back. Aaron did not trust his receiving court after DeMonte Adams

playing with them for years in a playoff game. He didn't trust a number two receiver. You think he's going to trust Sammy Watkins? and a college receiver from an FCS program. Come on. So I think the team that's going to go in reverse this year is Green Bay and the team that's going to leapfrog them as Minnesota. I don't know what's going to happen to Devante Adams other than he's going to have a great year.

He and Derek Carr are going to work. They're going to work immediately. It's going to be fantastic. And I wouldn't be shocked if he made the Pro Bowl. Wouldn't be shocked at all. The other thing I want to talk about is that big team. 10 deal. It's not going to happen for a couple years, right? Texas, Oklahoma, it's going to be a few years. USC, UCLA, you know, they're going to play in the PAC 12 for a couple years, build up

their recruiting and then head to the Big 10. But I think a big part of this, one of the reasons the NFL has always been so successful is that they understand they're a television show. And they have for years and years, the NFL has done a great job to steal real estate from other leagues. They move their free agency period. They've extended. their draft. They've added a game. Now the NFL's decided, we're going to put a bunch of great games on Christmas to go after the NBA. They've always been very calculated and very measured and very thoughtful. It's the difference between baseball and the NFL. The NFL looks at their schedule, almost like as a weapon against other leagues. They know how to extend stuff. It's all

real estate. And there's only about five, six weeks a year. We don't talk the NFL. One of the things that USC and UCLA looked at, and I think it was really smart, is when Pete Carroll was in Los Angeles, there was no NFL here. The Dodgers weren't as good. The clippers weren't as good. There was no L.AFC. And because of the explosion of Silicon Valley money, it feels like everybody in Los Angeles travels more. Every flight's full. People have second home. Some have third. Everybody travels. Coachella is the least of your travels. What does that mean? People are gone on weekends. and now with two NFL teams in Los Angeles, men and women have to make choices.

If you're married to somebody that doesn't love sports, she'll give you Sunday, but not Saturday and Sunday. Or she'll give you Saturday and not Sunday, but the NFL's much bigger than college football. And so Los Angeles now has two NFL teams. The Dodgers are unbelievable. The clippers are now good. LAFC's in town.

The economy's great. People travel more when the economy's great. They go out to dinner on a Saturday night. So you can't sell in Los Angeles. Angeles, USC Oregon State, nobody goes. You can't sell USC Washington State, UCLA Cal. You can't sell it. You cannot sell it in Los Angeles.

But you know what you can sell? Because LA is a transplant city? USC Michigan, UCLA, Wisconsin. Because Los Angeles is filled with transplants. Many of them went to school in the Midwest, but the better jobs are out west or out east. And that's where they live. You see as many Michigan hats as UCLA football hats in town. I see Ohio State, Michigan, Wisconsin gear everywhere I go in Los Angeles.

Maybe not as many as USC, but a lot. And that's how you fill your stadium. You're out of conference games and your conference games have to be bigger in Los Angeles. USC first game this year is against Rice. Nobody's going to be there. It's Lincoln Riley's first game. Nobody's going to be there. If they'll get 45,000, I'd be shocked.

There's too much to do here. And so I think what USC and UCLA came to terms with, and this is where the NFL has always been great, the NFL has always looked at the landscape and said, where is our weakness? What is our strength? NFL years ago looked at the NBA's social media engagement and went, you know what?

They do a really good job on social media engagement. We've got to lighten up and promote our players on social media. Now you see the NFL guys make as much news as, the NBA guys on social media. The NBA free agent wheeling dealing period has been great for the league. It used to be baseball had the hot stove league. NBA had its free agent frenzy.

We didn't really talk about NFL free agency that much. Now it's as bigger, bigger than the NBA. So I think USC and UCLA, both those schools looked at the NFL into their city and made an NFL-like decision. We got to fill our stadiums. Where's the better real estate? And when you live in Los Angeles,

I had a call with an administrator at one of these schools. And he called me in the last two months. And I was out in my back deck. And he said, how do we get the Coliseum full? And my suggestion to this administrator at one of these schools was, called Big Ten schools. Wisconsin, Iowa, Nebraska. They'll bring like 30,000 people in your stadium.

They'll fill up your hotels. They love the drink. They're great for the economy. So I think both USC and UCLA looked at the landscape and just said, it's not the Pete Carroll days. Pete didn't, the Dodgers weren't nearly as dominant. There was no soccer, like no L.A.F. The economy wasn't this strong.

There was no NFL. The Clippers were a joke. It was a one NBA town. Not anymore. It's really distracted and really competitive and really packed and everybody's winning. We make fun of the Lakers. They won a title three years ago.

Now the Rams are great. The Dodgers are great. Clippers will be one of the favorites. I think it's a really smart move. I mean, you just got to be honest. Look around. What's your competition? What are their weaknesses?

What are their strengths? The Big Ten is a must for the Bruins and Trojans in 2020 and beyond. 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, 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 IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not.

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-Hart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is a win. A win. Yep, that's me, Clivert 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. This is a place for raw, unfilled 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 Podcast, 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 it podcast. For 1979, that was a big moment for me. 84 was big to me. I'm Sam J. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick a year, unpack what went down,

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