The Herd with Colin Cowherd - HOUR 2 - Arians, Bucs

Episode Date: March 31, 2022

Behind the scenes of Bruce Arians retiringThe differences between Bruce Arians and Todd BowlesGuest: Sam Farmer Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee 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. 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. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what you're saying. Yep, that's me, Clifford Taylor the 4th.

You might have seen the skits, my basketball and college football journey, or my career in sports media. Well, now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The 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 IHeard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok podcast network on TikTok. 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.

Or stream us live every day on the iHeart Radio app by searching Heard. You're listening to Fox Sports Radio. Here we go, our number two. We're live in Los Angeles on a Thursday. It is The Herd, wherever you may be, and however you may be listening. Iheart Radio, Fox Sports Radio, and FS1. Sam Farmer, L.A. Times and Studio. He'll probably push back on my conspiratorial theories.

I don't think there are conspiracy theory. I think you're more connected not. Well, I mean, there's always shifts in sports. There shifts with everything. And when something becomes, especially a power shift, people are going to follow suit. Yeah, I mean, we've had a... Well, Bon changed mobility for the NBA. No, no, no question.

He changed it. And I contend that Brady and Belichick's divorce, when Brady immediately won in a pandemic, and Belichick hasn't won since, big, it weakened coaches and empowered quarterbacks. And I think the whole league now is feeling it. Well, we also have two years of evidence of that. Yes. Because Matthew Stafford did the exact same thing. and just won a Super Bowl in his first year with a new team.

In a tough division. In a tough division, yes. So we have more evidence than just Tom Brady that this is what's happening. Russell Wilson is in Denver because of... He wants to be there. Well, yeah, but also because of Tom Brady and Matthew Stafford. That's right. Why wouldn't Denver think let's bring in Russell Wilson and we can possibly win a Super Bowl this year?

Yeah. I mean, Denver didn't have a coach. They went and got a guy who's never been a coach. I wonder about that. They just wanted an offensive. guy that would be attractive to potentially big quarterbacks, be at Aaron Rogers or Russell Wilson. Especially when it's a name like Tom Brady or LeBron James, when they do something that is

dramatic and immediately has success, that's going to shift the way the rest of the leagues go because they're the faces of those leagues. When LeBron went to Miami, everyone hated him, right? Yes. He went to four straight finals and won two championships. Okay, maybe it wasn't the worst decision to go to Miami. and in the future, superstars are going to ask leave, which is exactly what's happening now. You know, it's funny.

Aaron Rogers is a really big name, but he doesn't own much. I mean, he has some money with a Milwaukee box, probably half of one percent. Peyton Manning and Tom Brady, like Peyton Manning has a company called Omaha Productions. It's going to sell for $500 or $600 million. Peyton Manning owned stuff, like all over the country. The Manning family is, you know, billion dollars. You add all this stuff up. Brady owned stuff.

It's totally different. Rogers just makes a lot of money. A lot of people, a lot of attorneys, a lot of athletes, they make a lot of money. They don't own anything. Oh, they may have a little stake in this soccer team or a little stake over here, but they don't own their own companies. And so Aaron's really publicly, ooh, he's very popular. Peyton Manning and Tom Brady last 20 years are the two most important quarterbacks in

league history. And they're the two studs. They're the guys. And the Kobe Michael relationship was really unique. and that Michael was old and then here came this wildly respectful kid Kobe that worshiped Jordan. It was a very almost like brotherly relationship where it wasn't feisty. They weren't competing against each other. But generally speaking, these rivals are really petty.

Like Brady and Peyton publicly, it's all chummy because they're good guys and it's all buddy, buddy. We got Brady's phone during the Flakegate. he's pokey. At Manning guy ain't me. And remember the story that came out last week where Peyton Manning, after Matt Ryan won the NFC championship, he went to dinner with his family that night.

The first phone call he got was from Peyton Manning. He said, how are you going to beat Brady? I read that story this morning. That wasn't about Peyton helping Matt Ryan. It was about Peyton keeping Tom Brady from winning another Super Bowl. They're wildly, by the way, they're friends, but behind the scenes, they're paddling like crazy.

Because they are easily, I mean, Big Ben, Aaron Rogers, they don't own anything. These guys are legends. They own stuff. They own their own companies. Those companies are going to sell for a billion dollars. Aaron just gets a check from IZod and State Farm. That's a whole different ballgame. These guys are generationally massive.

I mean, you say the name Manning. It's the American royal family in football. It's our royal family in American football. The Mannings. Tom Brady? doesn't have any other brother or sisters playing all these sports, but it is the most significant player in the most popular domestic league ever. And so Brady played the game in New England.

Like all of us have to do at work. You suck up to this boss. You work a little extra time on this project. You play the game to hopefully get your way over time. Brady, just like the rest of us, had to do that in New England. The version of Brady were getting in Tampa, a much more authentic version. Now he's wealthy and powerful. And what he wanted was what happened. This is what he wanted. Believe me, if Tom wanted Ariens back, Bruce Ariens as a coach.

That doesn't mean he shoved him out the door. I'm not saying that. But Tom was always this guy. He was a killer. He was intense. He just didn't have the power. That's why he negotiated his way to get out of there. Because he wanted more say. We saw that on tape. He wanted more power. Now he's got it. You know, they always say alcohol is a truth serum. So is money. Because the rest of us in society, we all have to play the game to get what we want. And it's gradual and it's slow and it takes forever.

And it's this boss and that's boss and that project. You work overtime. And then you get the upgrade, the corner desk. We all have to play the game. Tom had to play it for 20 years in New England. And they didn't have to play it anymore. Alcohol and money. They're the truth serum.

This Tom is the way more authentic Tom. you watch Tom versus Time. He's a killer. I mean, he is just obsessed by this stuff. By the way, Peyton Manning is a killer. And that's why I love seeing Peyton Manning go to Denver. He literally changed the culture of the franchise. He was the first guy since Elway.

It was like Elway's town. They had a bunch of good players. That was Peyton's town. So much so, Peyton moved there. That's where he lives. So I think Brady ultimately, this is what he wants. he's going to get what he wants. And I think he's in a power position.

He knows he's not going to be in it in a couple of years. He's going to be out there with TB12 and, you know, doing podcasts like a zillion other people doing podcasts. And his won't be any more popular than a million other people doing podcasts. And TB12, well, get bought or gobbled up by some gigantic zillion dollar company. And he'll be a little closer. I mean, he'll be married to a supermod. I'll have a lot of money.

But Tom's in a power spot now. And when you're in these power spots, like LeBron James was in a power spot in Cleveland and in Miami, back in Cleveland, LA. Tom's still in a power spot, year left, maybe two. LeBron's no longer in quite that power spot. So when you get it, use it. Because the corporations do. The owners do.

You got to use it. I'll never hold, I have no problem with my great athlete. I mean, Kobe Bryant said, I'm going to Chicago. Get me another player. Like yours are like, okay, okay, okay. We get Paul Gasol. got to use the power when you have it because as a performer, you almost never have it. The owner's got it.

The boss has it. When you have it, use it. They'd use it for you. I saw this story this morning. You know, if I didn't do this for a living, my dream is to be an NFL GM. Now, it's not going to happen, and I've given that dream up. At one point, it was a screenwriter, but I gave that one up when I was like 24. I've given this one up.

But there are times that executives say things, and I'm like, come on. So an executive in the NFC told fan-sided Matt Lombardo, he thinks Mayfield, two things about him, Seattle's the fit, and he thinks he has a chance to be the comeback player of the year. Okay, so the Seattle fit is obvious. The comeback player of the year is not going to happen. and I'll tell you why. And I'm not anti-Baker here. The last three winners of the comeback player of the year, all incredibly likable. Joe Burrow, carrying a wobbly franchise, has two massive injuries, comes back, leads them to the Super Bowl. I mean, if you don't like that story, I can't help you.

That's a great American overcoming success story. Joe Burrough is as likable as anybody in the league. That story's amazing. Before him, it was Alex Smith, one comeback player of the year. we thought he was going to have to have his leg amputated. He played football games. And we all watched those games and we're literally on our couch watching it, like freaking out watching it.

Easy to vote for. The third was Ryan Tannahill. Goes to dysfunctional Miami. We've cast him aside. He's no good. Goes to Tennessee. Literally there is life preserver gets to the AFC championship. Again, these are incredibly likable stories.

A, what's Baker Mayfield coming back from? The last three winners were likable. Baker's a lot of things. I don't think likeability is one of them. And Seattle's got a terrible roster in a great division. So they're not winning very many games. I think what Baker's story right now, and it's not a good one is he doesn't have a market and he got dumped.

That's his story. Now, he can turn that around by going to like a Seattle and crushing. But I think Baker's going to realize, and a lot of us in life realize it too, late. You break it with a girlfriend and you realize, I made a big mistake. Yeah. She's, she kind of upgraded and I'm out here at the hanging around the garbage dump and being a schmuck. I think Baker's smart enough because I do think Baker's smart. I think he can be sometimes immature, but I think he's smart. I think he's going to realize really quickly,

boy, that was good. Because if you look at Seattle where he could go, and he does fit there, and you look at Cleveland, Cleveland's got the much better O line, much better running backs, arguably the best pass rusher in the world in Miles Garrett, an offensive coach, and they really believed in him. And he kind of screwed it up. And Seattle is in a brutal division with easily the fourth best roster and a 70-year-old defensive coach and a bad old line and B-level running backs. And they haven't had a good pass rusher consistently.

And Bobby's gone and Russell's gone. And D.K. Matcalf could be on the block. And he's good, but he's probably a 1A, not a 1. And I think Baker's going to realize. Damn it. I mess this up. I think Baker's better than Drew Locke, but my staff, this is what they do, I said this morning, yeah, Baker would beat out Drew Locke. Because I think he's better. I think they both have good arms. And they can both move. Drew Locke's arguably a better athlete. I just think Baker works in this league if you give him pieces.

But my staff put it up there and said, yeah, I don't know. Last 14 starts, numbers are virtually the same. Now, here's where I would defend Baker. So the staff does this sometimes. They try to manipulate me. But you guys are using the last 14 starts. He's been hurt in seven of them. Why don't you give me the last 25 stars? And the numbers don't look the same.

So that's not fair because the last 14 starts, Baker's labrum, knee, and ankle should not have been on a football field. okay, okay, okay. They were self-inflicted. Nonetheless, Baker's better than Drewlock. He is absolutely. He's one of the 32 best quarterbacks in the world.

In fact, I would say he's probably one of the best 25 in the world. I'd have him closer to 2025 than people in Cleveland would have. We don't need to argue about that anymore. But I do think Baker will have a moment if he goes to Seattle. He will have that moment of clarity with his beautiful wife and maybe his dad. It'll be the fifth or sixth practice, and he'll look around and go, yeah, there's no, there's no Miles Garrett here. And that O line, none of these guys, not even Dwayne Brown could start in Cleveland.

And ain't no, Nick Chubb is not in this building. So it's sometimes it happens too late, but I think if he went to Seattle, he would absolutely realize it. I think Cleveland's a Super Bowl roster. Now, I think Deshawn Watson could win a Super Bowl in Cleveland. I just think if there were not 22 civil cases, I think Cleveland wins the division. I really do.

If you took all that stuff out and he was just going to Cleveland with this roster, I'd pick Cleveland win division. Over Cincinnati, I really would. I love their roster. This is going to be a legal PR, doesn't play, suspended mess, I think. How if Baker was going to have a moment of clarity, would he not be having it already? Fair point.

I don't think he needs to go to another organization to understand what the circumstances are. Well, he could be, he could be getting pumped up by, you know, people around him now in his hometown telling him you're going to prove him wrong. And then he goes to, what would you say, Ryan? Yeah, he doesn't quite know. You need a comp, right? Like, you can know, like, if you, let's say you break up with a girlfriend and she starts

dating kind of a hunky guy and you're like, yeah, whatever. But, uh, it's wait and see what's around the corner. for me. And then you're on your couch eating Fritos and like six months in, you're sitting on your couch eating Fritos. And then finally you do start dating somebody and you're like, chain smoker who throws lamps at you every time she's mad. And then you're like, you might have a point. You might have a point. He could still be in that place where he feels like this is just another thing he has to overcome. You're right. Chain smokers who throw lamps at you. You don't want to be there. That doesn't that sound like a healthy situation? I got out of

of mine fast. No place you want to be. It's March and if you're like me, you are not leaving the house month. How good is, God, this weekend's going to be unbelievable. Duke Carolina. Hey, tomorrow's the World Cup draw. Yes. That's going to be fantastic. It's on FS1. You better watch that thing. I'm not going to be here. I'm going to be watching it. It's going to be great. You can't leave the house. One more herd? The herd streams 24 hours a day, seven days a week, within the The I Heart Radio app. Search Her 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 IHard Radio app,

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

Well, somewhere along the way, this platform became bigger than I ever imagined. And now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for Raw, filtered 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. 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 Kim? Well, you can find out on the Look Back at it podcast. I'm Sam J. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick a here, unpack what we. went down and tried 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, so. Thank you for finishing that sentence. Yes. I don't think there's a more important year for black people. Really? Yeah. For me, it's one of the most important years for black people in American history.

Listen to look back at it on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, this is Robert from the Stuff to Blow Your Mind podcast. Joe and I are both lifelong Star Wars fan, so we're celebrating May the 4th with a brand new week of fun, thought-provoking Star Wars-related episodes. Join us as we tackle science and culture topics from a galaxy far, far away, such as the biology of Tontons and Wampas on the Ice Planet Hot. or the practicality and corporate business sense of the Sith rule of two. Listen to stuff to blow your mind on the Iheart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Oh, my, my, my, real credit card questions require real people. Somebody who understands your issues, works to resolve them, discover exceptionally common sense.

It's so crazy this weekend. Duke, Carolina, Villanova, Kansas. This, you know, it was the only sport that got canceled. was March Madness, right? So like, I'm so hungry for it. I miss the... Well, because there's no way to duplicate college rivalries in anything else. They can't.

Like, the NFL has storied rivalries, NBA, but there's nothing like college sports rivalries. And the two greatest parties in sports in America are March Madness for three weeks and the World Cup for three weeks every four years. And you don't have to love soccer, but the TV ratings are great. Like, it's an incredible event.

It's Marty Gras with a ball. It's the best, like, in-bar experience. Oh, my God. I've ever had. Oh, incredible. And it's hard to get that. It's hard to get everybody in a sports bar rooting for the same thing. You know, the second best in-bar experience is tequila.

But first is the World Cup. There might have been to tequila involved in that in-bar experience. Joy with the news. No, no, no, no. Turn on the news. This is the herd-line news. I was going to lie to you and tell you that I was going to put down a couple beers this weekend, but it's likely going to be tequila. Yeah, you know, all the girls in the makeup room are, they just tell me about their stories of tequila.

Well, tequila is delicious, and I can't drink more than one beer. I love medello. So, like, maybe, like, if it's really hot out on the boat, I can put down two medellos. Yeah. But other than that, it's just... If you try the hazy herd IPA, it's really good. Oh, yeah, I heard that's very good. I can have one.

I'll try it. All right, all right. So Bruce Ariens shocked the NFL world last night by announcing his retirements and transition into the Buck's front office. With Ariens stepping down, defensive coordinator Todd Bowles will step in as his successor. And Ariens made it clear that he wanted to set up Bowles to succeed. He said, succession has always been huge for me with the organization in probably the best shape it's been in history. I'd rather see Todd in a position to be successful and not have to take some crappy job. I'm probably retiring next year anyway.

So I control the narrative right now. I got 31 coaches and their families that depend on me. My wife is big on not letting all those families down. I really like that he said this because this is what Bruce Ariens is really about. Obviously, his persona is, you know, cocktails and fun, and he's very blondes and the hats and all that. But at the core of what Bruce Ariens is, he's really about his staff and the people that he has around him. He didn't get his head coaching chance for a long time. He was one of those assistants.

And he's really a people guy. Yes. And not in the sense that, you know, it's chaos and everybody can do whatever they want. He just really likes for the people around him to succeed. And this is a great example of that. And it's the right thing to do for the organization as well. And I don't think he got pushed out. That's not my takeaway.

My takeaway is quarterbacks now get what they want. Right. And once Left Witch and Brady, like, really started humming. It's like it's not quite as necessary. But Bruce is not a rigid guy. No. That's why I think part of what you're saying is true. It's not part of it's true.

It is true. It's not a conspiracy. This is the reality. This is the shift that the sport has made. It's going to take a while for everyone to catch up because big dramatic changes in sports. Obviously, people are resistant to change. They did it when LeBron went to Miami. And now it's normal.

Now fans get mad if you don't ask to get out of a bad organization and go to a better one. So the shift just takes some time to adjust to. I think Bruce Ariens is telling the truth. He was going to retire next year. That's what he was likely going to do. He had already retired once. So why not set up Todd Bowles, someone who has been great for him and the organization, who deserves another chance, who likely would have to go to a crappy organization next year when Bruce retires?

Right, right. For success right now with Brady. And he has left which Todd Bowles doesn't need to mess with the offense. And when you have defensive coaches that are successful, what do they have? A Josh McDaniels and Tom Brady, you know, a strong, you know, a Brian day. and Josh Allen. You know, you have the offensive side not to be meddled with. Yeah, I mean, if you really think about it, Todd Bowles is getting a job that his resume probably wouldn't get him, right? Like, I mean, it's a super...

When you look at the job openings, when people, when they go off. But also generally, when you're looking for a new head coach, it's because things have not gone well. Very rarely is it because someone has retired or moved on and left the organization in a good space. Like even, even Sean Pate. and I wouldn't say the Saints are in a great space. Oh, no. No, they're not. I don't even know what the Michael Thomas situation is. What is that situation?

So this is a actually, he's right. He's left organization in a great space. And this is, you know, this is what Bruce Ariens has always done. He had a coaching staff featuring a league high, 11 black coaches. All four of his coordinators were black and had two women. He hired the first female coach in the NFL, Dr. Jen Welter. He was the first NFL team to have two women as coaches on his staff. Like, this is what he's about.

is about people and elevating people, and it will end up being a big part of his legacy once he does move on, make the transition into the front office and speaking and all of that because he's also shown that you can have diversity and success. It's not just a box to check. So following the trade of Russell Wilson,

the Seahawks are now in the market for a new starting quarterback. They did bring in Drew Locke in the trade for Wilson, and they also have Jacob Eason on the roster. And are expected to re-sign, Smith, who had a bit of a moment last year, but... I think the moment's about three quarters. I don't know if I'd call it a moment.

But Pete Carroll fully expects it to be an open competition, and he's not opposed to adding another quarterback to the mix. He said, I'm going to look at this thing very much like we did years ago and structure it so everybody gets a shot at it as best we can. That's what competition is all about. I've got to give them an opportunity by presenting it. We are totally in that mentality that the fourth guy might be important to us. We're definitely still in the quarterback business.

they have the ninth and 40th overall picks. We talked yesterday that the Lions could be open to moving from the second overall pick and what teams would be interested in moving up in the draft because this isn't a superstar draft. Seattle's in a weird spot. They need players. They don't need a body. They need bodies.

Like lots of bodies. They need a corner, another receiver, two interior alignment. But it's such a peculiar situation because it's not as simple as a full rebuild. Pete Carroll is not a young guy, and he's the one who's in control. And you've just moved on from your franchise, not just Russell Wilson, not your quarterback.

Like he was Go Hawks. He represented the community. I mean, you talk about it all the time. Your sister got into the Seahawks because of Russell Wilson. That is a massive personality to replace. How do you do that? It's not Drew Locke and Jacob Beeson, Gino Smith. I think that they should move up and take Malik Willis.

Yeah, I would if I was Carolina. If I'm, it's six, I take him if I'm Carolina. Right. So I don't, if Seattle wants to move ahead. But like if Seattle doesn't get him, they're going to be awful. So they get a quarterback next year in a stronger draft. But they're probably going to be awful with him too. Yeah.

I mean, I don't know if I'd give up picks for Malik, but I would draft him if I'm Carolina or Seattle and he's there. And I think both will, but I don't think, I don't think Seattle's going to have a shot to get him. I think Carolina is absolutely, he's in their footprint, collegiately. They've seen him probably. If he's there at six for Carolina, I think you take him if you're Carolina. I don't understand why he wouldn't. Yeah.

I think it would be a mistake not to. Right. By the way, you can whiff on a quarterback like Arizona and still go. Yeah. That argument is nonsense to me. Who cares? You move off of top picks all the time that are not quarterbacks. What difference does it make?

This is the position you must nail. Draft a quarterback in the top 10 every single year if you keep messing up. Yeah, yeah. Who cares? That's what, by the way, the Colts, six years, six quarterbacks. Just keep bringing them in. You got to figure it out. So the Lakers are just holding on to a play-in spot,

sitting a half game up on the Spurs for 10th in the West. But it's looking bleak. LeBron James is out tonight. He continues to work back from Sunday's ankle injury. They could get some help from Anthony Davis, who is eyeing a return tomorrow after missing the last six weeks with a mid-foot sprain. But there are seven games left in the season, and every matchup for L.A. is a must win.

I'm with you. I think that the Lakers are in a very decedestinal. space right now. We're probably going to see a lot of changes in the off season. I do think that, I think Jeannie Bus has done a tremendous job since she's taking over, she's taken over the organization, certainly business-wise. Lakers are massive international brands, but this was an experiment that failed for everyone that was involved. So here's what's going to happen. They're not going to make the playoffs this year. Right. What's the old Einstein definition of insanity?

Doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result. So am I supposed to really bring A.D. and LeBron, brittle and old guy back for the third straight year after the bubble and say, if they're healthy, we're unbelievable. If I was a Laker fan, I am so over this thing. I would absolutely not move off of LeBron James. I would prefer never. I would not move off of LeBron James. But you have to convince him. LeBron, we're going young.

Well, I don't know if he's even convincing. I don't think it's up to him anymore. This experiment was a large part due to LeBron's wishes. Yeah. He wanted Russell Westbro. He wanted to get rid of all. Abject failure here. Totally. Bust.

Anthony Davis also been his guy. While they did win a championship, you can't take that away, has not been healthy. So I don't think it's a matter of if he wants to work with other players. It's not, I don't think it should be up to him at this point. Yeah. You've exercised that power and it was a failure. So if I'm the Lakers, I have to do what's best for the Lakers at this point. It's not about, it's not even about winning championships.

It's about stabilizing the organization and giving the fans and the city something to be optimistic about. The oldest roster in the league, which has not turned out to be a success in any capacity. Yeah, oldest roster ever. Ever. League history. Not a success in any capacity. You can't rely on your other star, which you must have in order to win in this league.

I don't think it's an option anymore. You have to be aggressive. Yeah. Joy with the news. Well, that's the news. And thanks for stopping by. You know, we don't talk Clippers ever. I still think, I watched the Clippers the other night beat Utah.

And even when they were down, they had a terrible first quarter. I still contend the only team that really matches up with Phoenix is the Clippers. But whereas AD's coming back, I'm told, I mean, everybody in the staff here is tell me Kauai's not coming back. I've looked it up twice. He's so private. If he's coming back, you wouldn't know. He doesn't do anything on Instagram or social.

I also think that was a part of Kauai's deal with them, that like everything about me has to be quiet. Because I'm telling you right now, I get Tailu, I get Paul. George is a great player. He may be a 1A, but he's an A. If I, and I, they got, they have all sorts of pieces I love. They got Zubak, the guy that can run the floor, a big. Now, historically, you don't emerge in the last week of the regular season and capture the championship.

But I watched some here and I'm like, man, they got everything. They just need Kauai. But you, he is the, in a, it's fascinating. In a league of glamour, he is like, what were those old comedians in the movies where They didn't talk. What were the other, Charlie Chaplin? No, Charlie Chaplin was, it was like this silent movie. He's like, I mean, literally, in the movie industry.

Yeah, like these guys. It just, he doesn't talk. He doesn't, in the most glamorous league, Klein Leonard, one of the great players, you have no idea. That's his personality, though. He's just, he's an assassin. He comes in and does what he's supposed to do and goes home. By the way, we have something here. we were talking about this buying or selling.

Do we have time for? I don't think we have time for it here. Do we? I don't think we do. No, it's too good. I'm not going to do it here. I'm sorry. I'm producing the show as we talk right now.

We're going to bring in Sam Farmer. He's one of the people that broke this story on Aryans moving up, stairs, bowls moving over to coach, left which stays. Brady comes back. It's a lot of moving parts with this stuff. I do think that there are LeBron and Brady are similar that they're moving levers behind the scenes

and when things go great they are viewed as a big component to it and if things go badly Westbrook to the Lakers which LeBron was the lever for that they distanced themselves I don't think Brady wants to be viewed as a bully or he pushed anybody out I don't think Tom has ever caught by surprise

I don't believe that's the way it works in the world. The greatest football player of all time walks into a building. Bruce is retiring? Nobody gave me a heads up. I don't call me nutty. I don't think it works that way. But that doesn't mean he, I don't believe in pushing people out. I do think there are discussions on, you know, I think I work better with this guy than that guy.

That's not pushing people out. There's politics in every business that are a play behind the scenes. If I interviewed, if I was Jason Light and I talked. to Tom and I wanted honest feedback. And it's been a little turbulent. Yeah, I think I'm with Eric Mancini on that, though. There's always a little bit of turbulence. There's always a little, I mean, we know what the relationship was with Belichick and him.

So I don't think it was the turbulence that changed things. Isn't it kind of weird to never have dinner for 22 years? Maybe it's not. No, I don't think it's that weird. I've never had dinner with our boss. We've never had dinner. That's icy. I mean, no, it's fine.

Yeah, dinner's kind of personal. Yeah. Coffee's not personal. No, we go to dinner. Yeah, like dinner is you have a couple cocktails. You know, you really, it's a, you know, and Tom's got a lot of kids and Belichick's, you know, he's out there watching film. I mean, I think 20 years is excessive. I know you think if we worked together 20 years, we'd go to dinner.

I think we would accidentally have a meal together. But we live around the corner. That would probably, we bump into each other at Tuscana or something. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd. days in noon Eastern 9 a.m. Pacific on Fox Sports Radio, FS1, and the IHeart Radio app. Mike check. Do 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. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque.

Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast Superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the I-Hard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what you're saying.

Yep, that's me, Cliver Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, the reactions, my journey from Bats, 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.

Do you remember when Diana Ross double-taped 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 you all know. I mean, at this point, Mark, this is the second episode where we've discussed cracks. I'm starting to see that there's a through line. We also have AIDS on the table right now. Thank you finishing that sentence. Yes.

I don't think there's a more important year for black people. Really? Yeah. For me, it's one of the most important years for black people in American history. Listen to look back at it on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, this is Robert from the Stuff to Blow Your Mind podcast. Joe and I are both lifelong Star Wars fan, so we're celebrating May the 4th with a brand, new week of fun, thought-provoking Star Wars-related episodes. Join us as we tackle science and

culture topics from a galaxy far, far away, such as the biology of tontons and wampas on the ice planet hot, or the practicality and corporate business sense of the Sith rule of two. Listen to stuff to blow your mind on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. So Eric Mangini said, I'm not a tinfoil hat guy. I'm a saran wrap guy because I don't think it was as nice as all the press releases and the Instagram. Sam Farmer, it's hard to keep track of all the stories he breaks. He was front and center on this with Bruce Ariens. So let's start with this.

I don't think Brady shoved anybody out. Ariens is 69. He was moving quick. But there's been a little turbulence in this relationship. Tom and Bruce. That's fair, isn't it? Oh, yeah. And I think Bruce will tell you that there's turbulence in every relationship with

quarterbacks, his quarterbacks over the years, whether it was Peyton or Ben or Tim Couch or Luck or Brady. He cusses the guy out. He's an emotional guy and there's going to be friction there. So that's not a surprise.

Did Bruce become more disposable when Leftwich and Brady started really clicking personally and professionally? That's interesting. Yeah, I think, you know, Bruce wanted that. He brought Byron Lefurtch. He really helped create his coaching career.

And sure, a guy becomes more expendable. And, you know, when you've got that going, you also have Clyde Christensen there. Great offensive guy, great quarterbacks guy. So that's a steady hand. So that's a lot of cooks in that kitchen. Listen, we have every single NFC playoff team last year at an offensive coach. I mean, we have a cultural change. It's like the three-point shot in the NBA.

can't have two guys on the floor that can't shoot. Bowles is a pretty conservative defensive guy. I'm interested in his style. Can he pivot? Do you think it's an interesting choice with Tom? Yeah, I think Todd would tell you that, you know, he was conservative with the Jets, largely because the quarterbacks he had. You can't play that way with Todd.

He's really the anti-Brusarians in a lot of ways. So it's a funny pairing that these guys are lifelong friends. it's the odd couple because, you know, Bruce is the no risket, no biscuit, no biscuit, fast and lose, put it all on the line. And Todd is very conservative, quiet, not a great quote, really good guy. But different than Bruce, he's going to have to coach different with Todd. Yes. With Tom Brady, rather.

But Tom's had the defensive coach. He's had great success with the defensive coach. And I think as long as Todd isn't, you know, it's going to be the same left-wich combination that we referenced earlier. Tom loves that. Yeah. So I think they're in good shape. And really, Bruce has long talked quietly about Todd getting a head coaching job. I really love to have Todd coaching.

This is not a last second thought, spur of the moment thing. has always wanted Todd to be a head coach again. Yeah, they're very close friends. Yeah. You know, it's interesting. We were just talking about this earlier. Matt Stafford got what he wanted. Aaron got what he wanted. Russell got what he wanted. Deshawn got what he wanted with 21 civil suits. The world's changed.

Dak got what he wanted. Kyler's going to get what he wanted. All these quarterbacks, some with legal issues, some with ego issues, some with an experience injury issues. The league's changed. It has. It's not the way it was. This has been percolating. This has been percolating for a few years. This is the age of

player empowerment. We've talked about it before. It didn't just crop up this year, but it's been the last few years we've seen players getting more and more leverage and exercising that. And that's why I think we've had such a crazy offseason. A lot of

that is player empowerment. And the fact that a team like the Rams has done so well in mortgaging its future and giving away draft picks, for players who can get it done right now. Have you ever covered anything like the Rams,

the culture, the empowerment? I said the other day, it's a rehab center. If your image is taking a beating, Dante Fowler, come here, we'll clean it up, you'll be good, go get money. Von Miller, you're old, you're injured. Come here, star, go get your money. It's a rehab center without the, you know. I've covered that, but I've actually covered

the reverse car wash of the Raiders. Exactly. You know, in the 90s. But the Rams are very unique culture. That was a unique culture. But this, this to me, feels like the 94-9ers, what the Rams were able to do in the Carmen Polity early part of the salary cap when it was all those sort of buy now pay-later contracts.

And they created this all-star team. Couldn't hold the team for very long, but they rolled the chargers in the Super Bowl. And, you know, it would be interesting to see how long the, the Rams can hold this thing together. But yeah, that is true. One of the real challenges of repeating a Super Bowl champions is everybody wants to get their money after the, you know, they've got the iron has never been hotter for every person on that team. Joy and I are flummoxed by this.

So you gave all those picks for Tray Lance. and you didn't steal Jimmy Garoppolo, but that used car was a heck of a ride. You got a Super Bowl, 33 wins, division titles. You hit a home run. There's no reason to get a great pick on Jimmy. You kind of stole him for a second round pick, but he's expensive. Why don't they just get the cap space, let him go? Because is Tray Lance a concern now, Sam?

Well, you don't know what you have in Traylance. And so they need to know what they have. And they, you know, moved heaven and earth to get into position to get Traylance. And I think you've got to let it ride now. And there's a market for quarterbacks still. Carolina, what are they going to do? You know, we hear about all these teams that need quarterbacks. I think you have to let Jimmy go.

That's what we think. Yeah. I mean, literally, I need him. He didn't play college the last year. He just hasn't taken snaps. Yeah. I just want to see him live bullets. Let's go.

Let's get him out here. You know, I watched him last year. We both watched him. I said, I don't love his wind up. It's clunky, and you got to refine it. But it is interesting with the Niners, Sam. It's not an off. It's not a quarterback dependent franchise.

Like Arizona with Kyler, he struggles, they struggle. You didn't ask. Apollo to do a ton. Right. And weirdly, because it's a quarterback city if there ever was one, you know, the guys who poured the foundation in Joe and Steve. But yes, I think you can win other ways in that chain and offense. And they can figure out ways to make that work. But I think you have to trust with what your gut feeling was from the start with Tray Lance and let it ride. You have covered this league for so long. You know, we talked about the downside in baseball to the analytics is that there's no cat and mouse on the bases anymore.

Strikeout home run. There's less activity. I don't think it's good for the sport as a consumer. NBA, you can't have a back to the basket big. There is no Kareem. I mean, if you're a seven-footer, I got to face the bath. It's all threes. So there's layering the mid-range game, which I loved.

has been reduced. In the NFL, I could argue, analytics is good for the sport. Fewer huddles, go for it and fourth down, less punning, more aggressive. I do think this is a little bit of a concern.

The league is now so pro offense. It's becoming a league you can have and have nots. If you don't have a good quarterback, last year, the best quarterback won every division. Well, the problem with that, you're becoming college football.

I can write who's going to win the divisions. do you think I mean what is your take on the league has become so we don't want to become Canadian football do we No and that's a really interesting point you bring up because one of the

most attractive things about the NFL is the competitive balance and the fact that you could as a fan feel like your team could win the Super Bowl year now it's about 10 teams and you have to have the quarterback that's why Denver you know George Peyton went out and got

Russell Wilson. He has one. He now has a quarterback, so he's in the mix. And if you don't have one, you're dead in the water. I mean, we did this the other day. I can tell you who's going to finish fourth in almost every division. Right. I mean, if you have the fourth best quarterback, it's over.

And the league does not want that. That's been the hallmark of the NFL, is that anybody could, you know, think about, in all those years you had a different NFC team in the championship. game or all the variety that you had and you don't want to become too predictable. And that's a bad road to go down. Circle back to Tom Brady. Trying to predict when Brady is going to retire is a fool's errand. It does not.

I'll tell you, this move, though, I don't know. It doesn't feel one and done to me. This feels like a substantial franchise move for everybody. Yeah, and him retiring when he did, when he was in the MVP conversation, this is a guy who picked up velocity when he came to the Buccaneers. Yeah, whereas we saw the end of Peyton's career, we saw the end of Drew Rees' career. He lost the fastball a little bit. Yeah, a little bit. They found new ways, as Peyton would say, had to find new ways to make par.

You know, with Brady, it hasn't been that way, and he's a freak. And it doesn't feel like one and done if you can stay healthy. Sam Farmer, L.A. Times covering this league as we put on the screen for 25 years, pro football Hall of Fame, the Dick McCann Award winner. It's great to see him again. Hour 2 is done. Hour 3 is around the corner. Live in Los Angeles with Joy, it's The Hurd.

Another podcast from some SNL late-night comedy guy, not quite on humor, 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 I-Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal, but encouraging. 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. A win is a win. I don't care what you'll say it. Yep, that's me, Cliford 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. work on TikTok. On The Look Back at it podcast. From 1979, that was a big moment for me. 84 was big to me.

I'm Sam Jay. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick a year, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it. With our friends, fellow comedians, and favorite authors. Like Mark Lamont Hill on the 80s. 84 was a wild year. I mean, 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 give your podcasts. This is an I-Heart podcast. Guaranteed human.