The Herd with Colin Cowherd - Hour 2 - Beli-checklist, LeBron's Immortality

Episode Date: July 17, 2024

Bill Belichick still wants to coach in the NFL and there are some teams he is interested in. It's impressive how LeBron James can still play at a high levelGuest: John MiddlekauffSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Be sure to catch us live every weekday on Fox Sports Radio in noon to 3 Eastern 9 a.m. to noon Pacific. Find your local station for the herd at foxportsredio.com or stream us live every day in the IHeart Radio app by searching Fox Sports Radio or FSR. Thanks for listening to The Herd podcast. All right, it's hour two. It is a Wednesday. We're live in Los Angeles. It's the Herd, wherever you may be. and however you may be listening, thanks for making us part of your day. I'm telling you, J-Mack, you got a dress for success. Today is a day I wanted to be optimistic. Now, I haven't been yet, but I think this shirt is an optimistic shirt,

and at some point today, I will pivot to being more positive. I thought you were making a reference about my shirt. I've never worn this. Fox just got me some new gear, you know, and I thought you were going to say, like, you look good in your shirt, but... That reminds me of a shirt you wore when you had dual earrings, and you were given out phone numbers in New York. It's very...

No, no, no. I wasn't giving out. I was securing phone numbers from the ladies. We were trying to be cool back in the day, you know? It was fun to be young. You're still young. In my mind, my body says otherwise when I play hoops all the time. So there's a story here.

Tom Pelliserra, who we've had on the show before, was on Rich Eisen's show yesterday, and he said that Bill Belichick is still very engaged. in the game and he wants to coach next year is that he's going to do some of this media stuff inside the NFL and you know he wants his name out there and you know he's going to constantly because his career did not end well in new england and his draft and developing was atrocious so what's he got to show for it he's old bad track record on drafting he's a kind of a power driven guy who wants to do what he wants to do i would have a hard time drafting i I would have a hard time hiring Ballachek

unless he was completely willing to allow the front office to do the drafting. Bill's not good on it, but he's too arrogant at this point in his career to acknowledge he's not good at it. He's atrocious at it. The last seven drafts for the Patriots have been among the worst in the league, and Bill has absolutely controlled those. The reason he didn't get a job wasn't his coaching. That wasn't it. it was his inability to disengage from the drafting and the personnel stuff.

And I've heard that from two people in the NFL that know a lot about his coaching interest. Teams do not want to hand over anything to Bill, but the coaching whistle. That's what they want him to do. But a lot of these coaches, you get into a Greg Popovic situation, older in their career, They got stacks of money. They got the rings, the legacy, the power, the ego. They want, you know, as Bill Parcell said, if I'm making the food, I want to pick the groceries. And that's where Belichick is.

So the teams that would be willing to relinquish all that power are mostly lousy teams. Even a team like Atlanta, which is so-so, was not willing to do that. So, but Tom Pelliserro is saying he's hearing, Bill, it doesn't matter if it's roland, He hosts, football talk shows. He is staying engaged. So the Bella Checklist, in my opinion, from what I've heard, are three teams. Philadelphia, Dallas, and Buffalo. I've heard two things about Belichick, and I trust my sources on this.

He would rather stay out east. He's got his place in Nantucket. He golfs down in Jupiter, Florida. Bill doesn't have any interest moving everybody out west. The second thing, he would like the quarterback situation to be stable, the instability post Brady was his downfall. There's nothing more stable than DAC and Josh Allen. Jalen Hertz will wait and see.

My guess is he'll rebound and have a better year. But I will tell you this is that the Buffalo one is really intriguing to me, not because Sean McDermott's not a good coach. Andy Reid was a great coach, and Philadelphia moved off him. But you get to a point with McDermott now is that the receiving core seems light. the offense has been productive with Josh Allen, but we worry about that side progressing. OC hires, O-line, lack of run game. And you got Houston's rising.

Herbert's got Harbaugh. Ravens are still elite. Here comes Joe Burrow. Trevor Lawrence has his best roster. I think Sean McDermott, without being on the hot seat, I think there is a sense that you can't just win the division again. It's got to be more than that. You've got to have higher standards.

And I know Buffalo is a small market. And if they win 10 games and go 10 and 7 and lose, you know, they win a playoff game close. Everybody goes maybe next year. But I feel like there's an underlying heat on Sean McDermott. I don't care what his contract status is. All those contracts are rounding errors for billionaire owners at this point. The Buffalo won, and he could also come back and rub it in the Patriots face. And we know Belichick can hold grudges.

You don't think he wants to face the Patriots twice a year? and rub it in Robert Kraft's face, you're out of your mind. I even think as a long shot, keep your eye on the jets, but that would be like 100 to one long shot. I don't think he'd take the Giants. People have suggested that, but that quarterback situation's a mess. With that, former NFL scout, he's at the volume. He's my buddy.

Covered the NFL for 15 years, John Middlough, scouted with the Eagles. You know, it's interesting. You know the Eagles really well. and I put them on the Bella checklist is one of the things I've always appreciated about them is they've moved off winning coaches, Chip Kelly, Doug Peterson, Andy Reid. I was told there are concerns about Nick Seriani

that if you take Shane Stike and now in India out of his career, he's struggled with his side of the ball offense. You tell me your take on Jeffrey Lorry John and what if Siriani, what if they're good, not great, and what if Jalen Hertz? you know, continues to be a little bit less than we thought he was when they paid him. Well, I think they thought long and hard about Bill Belichick last year. You know, after the ending of that season, historic collapse,

I think it was a very real possibility. Now, it would have been the first defensive coach that Jeffrey Lurie has hired. He has an offensive, just the, you know, if you think about it, Andy Reed, Doug Peterson, Siriani, Chip Kelly. It would have been a little out of the norm, but Jeffrey Lurie's a Boston guy, and there was a NBA finals game where Jeffrey Lurie was there with about 25 players. I don't think the 25 players drove. I think he brought them all.

So that area, he's obviously played Belichick twice in the Super Bowl. So I definitely think that's a possibility. I just have a hard time now that you get Kellyn Moore and Vic Fangio, who clearly they wanted last year. I don't see how they're not good. Now, Super Bowl good? who knows, but I think they're going to be in the playoffs. And this gets to the Giants' conversation with Saquan Barclay.

A little like Christian McCaffrey, you know, you put them there. They have so many pieces. I'm not saying you and I can lead them to 10 wins, but I think we'd be pretty competitive. Now you add Fangio, one of the best defensive coordinators. Listen, Siriani, a little bit of a hothead, motivator. He's a CEO, but I kind of like my CEOs to be a little older. He's a younger CEO, but he doesn't have to call the offense. a couple years ago, like you said, Shane Sykin.

Now he's got Kellan Moore. He's ran an offense forever in Dallas. Hit some speed bumps last year, but anyone would working for Brandon Staley. I expect the Eagles to be pretty competitive. Now, if they lose in the first or second round because of the expectations of the city, a little like the Lakers or the Yankees, like it doesn't fly, especially with a payroll like they have and the talent. You never know.

They're definitely a wildcard. I would disagree with you a little bit, though, on the Giants for Belichick. I do think they're a team. They have some defensive pieces. You know, the owner, pretty old school. Bill's obviously been there. They have a relationship. I don't think there is any amount of money in the world to get Belichick to go to the Jets.

But I do think the Giants would be lingering out there if they have a bad season that when you look at their roster, I don't see how they're going to be any good. So I'm watching HBO Max. I'm watching the Mara conversations with Joe Shane. and I've got to tell you, there's a couple of moments. I know a lot of that stuff, it's people acting for the cameras, but there are these body language moments every year on Hard Knocks. You know, when Des Bryant was in Dallas chewing out a coach,

his career basically, his market disappeared. Antonio Brown, you know, freezing, cryo freezing his feet. Like his market, like he got a crazy label. And I've watched that. I want to play this, the Hard Knocks video. you got the owner covering his head, the Sequin Barclay move, Joe Shane smiling. The middle management guys around him won't make eye contact.

Let's play the tape. What's the latest? Just on the Saquant thing. I just got a text that Chicago's driving the price up and Philly's out. I don't know if that's true or not. Which I don't know if I'll make a couple of calls. I don't even know if that's going to happen. I have a tough time to sleep, and if Sequin goes to Philadelphia, I'll tell you that.

As I've told you, just being out. I had been around enough players. But he's the most popular player we have by far. By the way, his source said Philly was out. Also not great telling your boss, yeah, I don't know. I watched that, and I thought to myself, Sequin Barclay is going to crush for the Eagles, come back to haunt the Giants.

What do you make of New York football teams right now? There's talent everywhere on both defenses. Giants, Jets. What do you make of that interaction there? I just can't see less Sneed and Stan Cronky having that moment. Well, I would say the number one thing, having been around Howie Roseman, a GM has to have just locked down is information because your entire job, it's a little bit like a stock trader, right? When it comes to coaches, when it comes to players, when it comes to trades, you have to have an understanding of the market. That means knowing what other GMs are thinking. That means knowing what the agents are thinking. That means no understanding the

value of contracts. They made this big deal about Sequin Barclay not paying him. Well, a couple years ago, let's say four or five, the running back contracts were just a little out of whack and they were backfiring. Well, now they're a bargain. One day a house is overvalued. The next day, it might be undervalued. Things change. The Eagles got Seekoine Barclay for $26 million guaranteed. His cap hit this year is $3.8 million. For example, to contrast that, Daniel Jones, $92 million guaranteed. His cap hit this year is almost $50 million. I think there are two teams. If you're going to lose Sequin Barclay, listen, if he goes to the Cardinals, if he goes to the Vikings, if he had gone to the Bears, who cares? Under no circumstances, could the guy go to the Cowboys or the Eagles,

but especially the Eagles. You saw John Marr's face. You know why? He knows. He knows. he's going to be successful there. How's he not going to be successful there? It's a little like once McCaffrey got to the 49ers. Now McCaffrey's a better player, but it seems like it's going to work and it's going to work really well. And they didn't pay him very much money. So Joe Shane, I give them credit, even though I think the NFL kind of forced him. They have been very open in terms of the editing of this. We've got a lot of good inside information in terms of how he connects with the agents, how he talks with his staff, but seems like a nice guy, seems a little over his head.

And I just know Howie Roseman, I mean, would have flipped a lid at this point in time in the process if he doesn't have all the information. Now, obviously, you don't know everything the other teams are going to do, but his right, you know, Joe Shane's right-hand man, Brandon Brown, worked for Howie for years. So for them not to understand that the Eagles weren't just, I mean, they kind of knew they were interested, but they were really interested. And it was pretty clear. And then they signed them.

So you saw John Morris face. Listen, they have now a history post-Tom Coughlin of firing a lot of people. And I don't see how the Giants are going to be very good. And if Sequin goes to have success, the writing's on the wall. I mean, all these guys are going to lose their job. You covered, you were with San Francisco in that area for years. So Brandon Ayyuk, and Debo Samuels said he wanted out. and they signed him.

Brandon Iyuk's been a bit more forceful in social media and leaks. But now Ricky Pearsall, the first round receiver gets hurt with a non-football injury. Not ideal. What do you make of that and what do you make of Iyuk? My take is Brock Purdy's not a big arm guy. I think you could get a first rounder for Iyuk if Pearsall hit, but that's a dubious early injury. What do you make of that IUC situation, John? Yeah, I think the problem of trading.

IUC at this point for a pick is the 49ers aren't in big picture mode. I mean, let's face it, they're kind of Super Bowl or bust this year. Last year was pretty devastating. This team, I mean, George Kittles is 30 years old. Trent Williams is 35 years old. You know, Debo just has a lot of wear and tear on those tires. I think the situation became complicated. You know, once they signed Debo Samuel, they could have afforded IUC at a large number if Christian McCaffrey didn't exist. But then they traded for Christian McAfrey. Caffrey and he immediately became, I don't know, L.T or Marshall Falk 2.0, and Debo's already under the contract. If they were both in this situation, I think they would choose IUC over Debo.

But Debo's under this contract, and he's on the team. And I think the 49ers, the way they build their offense or scheme their offense and play, Iyuk's never going to be a 10510 catch guy, like Amman Rae St. Brown, which he saw the money he got. and he wants that. The problem is they're never going to throw him that many balls, so does it pencil to pay IEUk this much money? They had a deal on the table for $26 million a year, and then the market exploded, and then it got really complicated.

Here's the other thing with the 49ers. Barag Marate, who's their contract guy, is a very, very tough negotiator. And they always pay their guys, but look at Nick Bosa, who I'd argue is the second best player on the team, if you consider Trent the best player. he did not sign his contract

till the week before week one last year. So they don't just hand over money just because you're a good player. And I also think they're very, they understand the big picture of this operation. They like this player a lot. He's a winning player. He's a talented player.

He's a productive player. I do think it just gets complicated the way they've constructed. They have a lot of high-priced guys. I mean, George Kittle makes a lot of money. Fred Warner makes a lot of money. Trent makes a lot of money. Trent makes a lot of money.

McCaffrey makes a lot of money. And obviously, Purdy next year is going to get paid, but a lot of Purdy's success has been with Ayyuk. It's just a complicated situation. I can't envision them trading him for a pick because that does not help them this year. Now, I don't care what you do. You've got a price for whatever you have

if someone blew them away, like offer two first round. But who's doing that, Colin? I think two years ago they thought about trading Ayyuk because they could see this coming. And that year when Zay Flowers and Jordan Addison, those guys in the early 20s were drafted. But ultimately the Giants, or excuse me, the Vikings and the Ravens drafted those two players, and they're really good players, and they're cheap.

So how does it make any sense for these teams to trade, you know, the playoff-level teams, a first-round pick that's going to be in the 20s, when they can draft one of those players? Brandon Ayuk was the 27th pick in the draft. right that's where you could get these type talents at three, four million dollars a year for four straight years so you have to deal with the fifth year option. So I think this is going to go into camp. I think it's going to continue to get ugly,

and I think Iuke is going to continue to express his frustrations. So finally, I did a top 10 coaching list yesterday, and one of the reasons I thought about it because you, at the volume, and on your podcast had done it several days earlier. So we both have Sean McVan-Man-Annie, read near the top. My list is Reed McVeigh, John Harb. I didn't count Jim because I haven't seen him in years, but my guess is he'll be top five very quick. You did not have Sean Payton anywhere in your top 10. I had him very high. You had Shanahan won. I think he's had too many meltdowns

and high leverage games in the fourth quarter, but I do acknowledge that if he gets a trophy, he'll go right back up. I just feel in those big leverage spots, he's had some real disappointments. and often Andy Reid has been at his very best in those high leverage moments. Belichick at his best, John Harbon is best in those leverage moments. But you don't have Sean Payton anywhere in there, and we mostly agree outside of that. You like Dan Campbell more than I do situationally. I think he's a bit too emotional, but I do love him. Give me your take on Sean Payton in Denver this year,

and despite the fact that he turned around at the time the worst franchise in America in any sport the Saints. You don't have him top 10. Why? Yeah, I think it's a fair argument, Sean Payton and Kevin Stefansky, who did something similar in Cleveland. You know, he hasn't been to the playoffs in a while here, Colin. He took a year off.

This is obviously a big next couple of years, what he can do with Bo Nix. He could easily jump back in. I think the Dan Campbell situation, a little like Sean Payton when he got to New Orleans, right, he takes over the Lions. Anyone who goes to Ohio State or Alabama is going to have success. But what Lane Kiffin's doing at Ole Miss is remarkable.

And that's kind of how I look at Dan Campbell. To me, Sean Payton, we'll see. Obviously, his resume speaks for itself, but part of it I was drafting for the next three or four years. And I'm a little dubious. I think that division is going to be very, very difficult. And clearly his squad, not his fault, because of the Russell Wilson situation.

They're not going to be as talented. I had Jim Harbaugh, I think, is my third. Anyone looking at that graphic, I removed Andy Reid. It's like drafting the best NBA players in the 90s and taking out Michael Jordan. So I just removed because he's the lock number one pick. I just think, if you wanted to argue John's over Jim, I personally would take Jim.

I expect Jim to be awesome. I think the Chargers are going to make the playoffs this year. So you look at Sean Payton's division. Obviously, the Raiders are a mess, but in terms of Jim Harbaugh and Andy Reid, I would have him as the third best coach in the division. So I just think it's going to be difficult. I'm also kind of betting on the future on some of these guys. I think LaFleur last year proved he's a star, what he did with Jordan Love.

I know you and I are very, very high on Shane Seichen. You know, Tomlin, if you wanted to remove Tomlin and put in Sean Payton, I wouldn't argue. But part of this was like, you know, betting on the next five years. I'm super high on Domeco, super high on Steichen. I think Sean McDermin, I know you've been critical of him. He's dominating that division. And we'll see what happens this year with the health of the jets. I think the dolphins are going to take a step back.

But if he wins it again, that's five straight years winning the division. We can quibble with his success in the playoffs, and that 13-second loss to the Chiefs is an all-timer. But just in terms of last year, to me, he earned a lot of equity with the fans and just like his resume in terms of they're six and six. They had no business winning that division. They had a million injuries. And when the dust settled, what happened?

They were hosting playoff games because they won the division again. So to me, Sean Payton, you make the playoffs this year, which I think is going to be pretty difficult with a rookie quarterback. But it's not like I think the guy is not good. I just think the last three or four years, you know, it hasn't been as good. John Middilkoff, three and out the podcast at the volume, former NFL scout for the Eagles is always good seeing you buddy you see you gone yeah i i think i've told you this jac denver broncos minnesota vikings i think are much more compelling teams

offensively than people give them credit for i think both coaches are really smart uh i think we all acknowledge that football i don't care if it's high school college or pro football is a coaching sport where you can literally change results i don't think that the texans even with cj stroud are that good without demico ryan's i think shane's i think shane's i think shane Steichen. I think the reason we like Indianapolis, we don't know what Anthony Richardson is. We love Shane Steichen. I think people are, because I think

Sean Payton sometimes can be gruff and direct and not likable. That was the worst organization in America in any sport were the L.A. Clippers and the New Orleans Saints and he made them a power. And that was dysfunctional ownership, bad front offices, terrible quarterback play.

So I don't, you know, last year, I did not get, I said last year on the Rams, how can they be a bad team with Stafford and McVeigh? That's impossible in Cooper Cup. How can you be a terrible team? If Bo Nix can play, and I really feel strongly, he can't. I've texted Sean really feel strongly.

We've got too many good players, left tackle, receivers. Too many good players for what? Like seven wins? What are we talking? You think Sean Payton really taking this team to like wow card contention? Yes. This year? Yes.

Just like I thought the Rams would be taken to wildcard. contention last year. And everybody in Vegas had them at 5. Vegas does make mistakes. Colin, AFC's so stacked. So many good teams. It would be one of the biggest miracles in the last decade in the NFL if the Broncos sniff the playoffs.

Sniff the playoffs. That's a very hyperbolic. Have you seen? You might as well just go to the Republican National Convention with that sales job. I got to flight to Milwaukee after the show, actually. Fox Sports Radio and Tyraker giving away a set of

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What you don't know is for my entire life, I have lived in something I refer to as the gray. Depression, anxiety. So now I'm coming out with a new podcast. Unbreakable, a mental health podcast with Jay Glazer. Where each week, while we talk about mental health, I hope to describe it. Give it words. Listen to Unbreakable with Jay Glazer 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, Cliver Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, the reactions, my journey from basketball to college football, or my career in sports media. Well, somewhere along the way, this platform became bigger than I ever imagined. And now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show.

This is a place for raw, unfiltered conversations with some of your favorite athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. One week, I'll take you behind the scenes of the biggest moments in sports and entertainment, and the next we'll talk about life, mental health, purpose, and even music. The Clifford Show isn't just a podcast, it's a space for honest conversations, stories that don't always get told, and for people who are chasing something bigger. So if you've ever supported me or you're just chasing down a dream, this is right where you need to be.

Listen to the Clifford Show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. in an Olympics where doping is not only legal but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast's Superhuman documented

it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days I'd put on 10 pounds, I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

What's up, fam? Isaiah Thomas. And I'm CJ Toledano and our podcast Point Game is about defying the odds. Like LeBron heading into the playoffs without Luca and Austin Reed. And finding ways to win no matter what. He's the smartest player to ever play the game. His IQ is at a

level that we've never seen before. And he knows without Luca and Austin Reeves, I got to manipulate the game. We get a player's perspective on the challenges of the playoffs. I think Joker's going to be exhausted this series because when they don't have Rudy in the lineup, he has to

really guard guys like Nas Reid. He has to guard Julius Randall. And then he has to give us everything he gives us on the night-to-night basis on offense. And when IT's friends stop by, like Quentin Richardson, we dive into some playoff history too. Steve Nash will get that thing. That man, hell get the flying. He running up the court licking his fingers why he got the ball. Like, you go through a training camp with that, Isaiah.

You figure it out real quick. Get your ass up and down the court, and you're going to get the ball. So listen to Point Game on the IHeart Radio. Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, it's Edwin Castro, also known as Castro 1021. And I'm Kunky, his best friend, and business manager. And we've got a new show called The 1021 Podcast. I'm taking you behind the scenes on how I became one of Twitch's most popular streamers.

We also love sports. And with the World Cup right around the corner, we'll be breaking down the biggest storylines ahead of the big tournament here in the USA. Listen to the 1021 podcast on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. By the way, isn't it amazing? LeBron's 39 years old and he's crushing it. I just think it's a crazy. Well, nobody's watching USA Serbia, obviously. USA started to pull away, not close.

Yeah, LeBron, decent basketball player. Anthony Davis, though, is the story on this team. He is playing out of his mind. Okay, no, Anthony Davis has been playing out of his mind. for two years. I thought last year he was sensational and I was selling my stock three years ago.

But here, we were talking about this in the morning preck meeting. We never really did anything on it but I was thinking about this. I keep being told what Joel M. Bid's going to be. And I keep seeing what Anthony Davis is. I'm kind of over Mbid.

Like I keep, whenever you keep selling me on something, like Aunt Edwards, he's not quite there yet, but that's age. My take is Anthony Edwards, he'll learn so much from this playoff loss, he'll pop next year. Same with Wemby, Chet

Holmgren, SGA. But when you're selling me on a guy for like seven, eight years and he can't really fit with any of the teammates, then he goes to the Olympic team and kind of ball stops the offense. Anthony Davis, nobody has to sell me on what he is.

because what he is I see every night with the Lakers. And again, I've always been willing to pivot into and off of guys. I was not an AD guy after they won in the bubble. He came back out of shape. It's like, dude, grow up. You're a professional basketball player. You can have problems. You can't be out of shape.

His last two years and last year specifically, he was unbelievable. So he's thriving on this U.S. team behind Embed. And there is like a discussion. Should Embed not be the starter? here's why. The U.S. had to convince Embed, hey, join our team. Remember, because he's got the citizenship where he could play elsewhere. And they needed Embed. So now AD comes off the bench in an amazing role with Bam at a bio. So Bam guards Yokic and AD's roaming on the back line. He's just swatting every, he had a possession with three blocks against Serbia today. He's been the most dominant physical player in the Olympics. He's in a great spot. He really is something. And I mean, I would say this. Whenever you, the litmus test on all this stuff, if I said tomorrow, you can start a team with AD or

Embed. For me, it would not be close anymore. Because you keep selling me on something. You start a company you're seven years in and you're like, this year we're turning a profit. Bro, you've been telling me that for five years. I got to see profits. I don't care how the baby's made and the sausage

is made. You've got to show me the baby, as they say. Like AD, the last two years, productive, best defensive player in the league, great teammates. swatting shots, healthy. He's been unbelievable. So the Lakers have not delivered necessarily, but AD hats. Oh, he's been great.

So just like in those businesses, hey, man, I'm showing you, I've delivered in the last five years. Maybe you're not selling the product well enough for us to reap the benefits. Yeah, you don't have to sell me. I don't think the Lakers front office is elite. But my takeaway on this whole thing is of all the great players in the league, the one I, and I think Philadelphia is going to be really, really good. We'll see. Paul George will give them continuity in three-point range,

and I like their roster. They went and got somebody from Miami. I like what Philly's doing. Well, by the way, we weren't together when this went down. I'm just asking. Sixers go on a three-game losing streak against elite teams. Who is getting the finger blame? Hey, you're the problem.

Paul George. Oh, how's that going to go over? Paul George, you went to Philly where they drafted at Maxie. They drafted in Bede. You know how it's like to be the scapegoat if you're Chris Bosch, right? With LeBron. Kevin Love in Cleveland was a scapego. The third guy is always the one who gets the blame.

How's Paul George going to handle that in Philly? J. Mac with the news. No, no, no, no. Turn on the news. This is the herd line news. All right, one of your favorite quarterbacks in the league, Josh Allen will enter his first full season under O.C. Joe Brady, but no Stefan Diggs and no Gabe Davis.

One thing Brady hopes Alan will do is trying to not make a highlight real play every single time. Josh is, you know, is a great quarterback, but just seeing his thirst for wanting to get better. You know, when you show him clips that, hey, you might have made an incredible play right here, but you didn't have to make an incredible play. Like, you know, how can we make it easier for you? You're going to do, you can make plays that nobody else in this world can do, but we don't need you to do that every single snap. Yeah, I mean, I thought Josh got a little better with that last year about kind of reeling back.

But in fairness to Josh Allen, he had no run game until last year. And his wide receiving crew has been light every year he's been there. So let's not make it out that Josh Allen has this surplus of weapons and he's sloppy. Let's make it that he's had a revolving door on the O line outside of left tackle, not much of a run game, a defensive coach, multiple coordinators, and a lot of times he has to put a cape on because that's the only way they win. Well, you saw those stats on the screen. Last three seasons, he's been a turnover machine.

Also a touchdown machine. What's the difference between Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson? Tell them. Lamar has two MVPs. Well, I think that failed miserably in the playoffs. I think they're both great. Josh has had more playoff success, but they're both great. And I think Josh is better from the pocket.

I think Josh is the better quarterback, but they're both top five in the league. There's not a big gap. They're both franchise guys. Lamar's looked at as a failure in the playoffs, where Josh Allen has been in a bunch of high leverage games, and he always seems to come out on the losing side. And I know some of it's against Mahomes, and he did beat Lamar head-to-head at home,

but I don't think there's that much of a difference between these two. Like, you can't tell me definitively Allen's way better, can you? Well, I think I would choose Alan over Lamar, but I have defended Lamar basically every week in the NFL since he arrived. I had my doubts in his first two years, because he was very run-centric, but I pivoted very quickly after I watched him live play, and watch them play every week.

But I think Josh Allen's better. I mean, Allen's had the better receiver. No doubt, Diggs is better than anybody. Lamar's had, correct? Well, and Josh has a bigger arm. Josh, you know, I think, you know, John Harbaugh is considered the better coach. Lamar's had better offensive lines, better run games, the better coach, the better organization. Josh has had a very good pass rush, some stability, but I think Josh has had to overcome more than Lamar.

Lamar's played in a tougher division, for sure. I know Allen's had to go up against a Patriots, but that was near the end when they weren't good. And the jets have been terrible, and the dolphins are trash. So that's an interesting one. Josh Allen or Lamar, who are you taking for the next five years? I think 90% of GMs would take Josh. But he is prone to mistake.

Yeah, I think it's pretty high. I think Josh is considered top two or three in the league. All right. Next up, oh boy, we've heard a lot of chatter about a Devante Adams, Aaron Rogers reunion. For my Jets, DeVante's agent, so, have come out and tried to squash the baseless reports. NFL legend Randy Moss believes the all-pro receiver should go chase a ring with his old quarterback. Go back with your quarterback, man.

And Aaron Rogers, they made some great things happen. I mean, that would look good at him at the jet. The advice for him, just keep me and yourself, man, and go get a ring. If he has an opportunity to get it, you know, I don't know if he's at, I don't think he has had an opportunity to be in the big game yet. And I think that when you sit up here and work so hard to get to a point, there's a lot of guys that has put in some great work in the National Football League that has never seen the Super Bowl state.

So I wish him well and I want him to go get it. Not interested. Jet should not be interested? Do you know how much you'd have to give up first round picks? You'd have to give up. Wait a minute. Your Raiders apparently gave up a first and a second for Adams a few years ago. So you want to get Antonio Pierce has the worst quarterback in the division.

You want to give us one elite offensive piece away with Gardner Minshu? Well, if you're failing and you're 2 and 7 at the deadline, yeah, I'm looking to ship Devante Adams. Get picks. Built for the future. I'm not doing anything this year with him. No? You have picks. Remember, Adam was prickly last year.

He didn't like it. He would go to the podium and be like, it stinks. The Raiders aren't going to have a problem getting picks because they're going to have a top three pick. They're a bottom team in the league. They're going to get picks. Remember, if you have a top pick in the first round, you'll take your quarterback. If you have a top pick in the second round, you start moving down. Those top of the second round picks, teams sleep on the first round.

They wake up in the morning and they want to move up and get picks. Raiders, picks won't be an issue. Getting the right quarterback's an issue. I'm not giving up my best player. I got two players. I'm not giving up. Max Crosby, Devonthe Adams. I'm not, when you, you spent all this money to get him.

You made all these moves to get him. Why am I giving him up? You put so many hours in to acquiring him. So should the Jets go after him? I mean, the Jets have currently, Garrett Wilson, who's elite, he's a top 10 receiver league. How about hire a grown-up offensive coordinator? Mike Williams?

That's not your issue. Xavier Gibson? You're fine at wide receivers. Okay. You're not fine at offensive coordinator. What about keeping the quarterback happy, the petulant darkness retreat going on quarterback? Keep him happy.

You know, the Fox wants to keep you happy here, right? Oh, they take you out to lunch all the time. They don't do anything for me. I got salmon yesterday. Salmon, yeah. Nice. Little overcooked. So they try to keep you happy.

Should the Jets try to get Aaron Rogers happy? Oh, God, he's 40. He's an old man. Just let him play and then move on. Final story to the NBA, the MADS announced Kyrie Irving broke his left hand earlier this month during training and had to go undergo surgery. Dallas provided no timetable for return, but they expect him to be good for training camp in two and a half months.

No word on how he broke his hand other than during training. That's a little suspicious if you ask me. Why is that suspicious? So the season, long season, it's the summer. You're taking time off. You're training? What are you training for? You're a veteran.

He's a pro athlete. So he's training in early July? Season doesn't start for four months. We had Adam Wainwright on the show yesterday. Think about this. The baseball players now. They take seven to ten days off. They get back into training.

Oh, I don't know. Kyrie's old, man. He's in his early 30s. It's basketball. You're not going to go. You see all these videos of Steph Curry playing with, like, guys at the gym? That's not training. Let's pick up.

That's what I'm saying, but you can break your hand playing pickup ball. These guys don't take a month off. They're not like you going abroad over 15 minutes. Some of these people are grinders. Two and a half weeks in Rhode Island. That was labor intensive. Oh. I was working on

Rants every day. Luckily no hand injuries suffered there. J. Mack with a news. Well, that's the news. And thanks for stopping by. The Herd Lie News. Save Biggin' Your Water and Energy Bills. It's called Navian.

They're tankless water heaters. Don't take up space. Hey, laundry, dishes, wash the dog. Doesn't matter. Only heat it when you need it. Hot water never runs out. Go to TanklessMadeSimple.com. Navion.

of the herd weekdays in noon Eastern 9 a.m. Pacific. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care which I'm saying. Yep, that's me, Clifford Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, the reactions, my journey from basketball to college football,

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

One week I'll take you behind the scenes of the biggest moments in sports and entertainment, and the next we'll talk about life, mental health, purpose, and even music. The Clifford Show isn't just a podcast, it's a space for honest conversations, stories that don't always get told, and for people who are chasing something bigger. So if you've ever supported me or you're just chasing down a dream, this is right where you need to be. Listen to the Clifford Show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast.

And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. 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. great. Listen to Superhuman on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. What's up, fam? It's Isaiah Thomas.

And I'm C.J. Toledano, and our podcast, Point Game is about defying the odds. Like LeBron heading into the playoffs without Luca and Austin Reed. And finding ways to win no matter what. He's the smartest player to ever play the game. His IQ is at a level that we've never seen before. And he knows. Without Luca and Austin Reeves, I got to manipulate the game. We get a player's perspective on the challenges of the playoffs.

I think Joker's going to be exhausted this series because when they don't have Rudy in the lineup, he has to really guard guys like Nas Reid. He has to guard Julius Randall. And then he has to give us everything he gives us on the night-to-night basis on offense. And when IT's friends stop by, like Quentin Richardson, we dive into some playoff history too.

Steve Nash would get that thing. That man, hell get the flying. He running up the court, licking his fingers, why he got the ball like, After you go through a training camp with that Isaiah, you figure it out real quick. Get your ass up and down the court, and you're going to get the ball. So listen to Point Game on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, it's Edwin Castro, also known as Castro 1021.

And I'm Conky, his best friend and business manager. And we've got a new show called The 1021 Podcast. I'm taking you behind the scenes on how I became one of Twitch's most popular streamers. We also love sports. And with the World Cup right around the corner, we'll be breaking down the biggest storylines ahead of the big tournament here in the USA. Listen to the 1021 podcast on the IHeart Radio app,

Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Saturday, the four-time defending Olympic champs are back. LeBron Curry and the best of the USA tune up for the Olympics as they put their run for the fifth straight gold in Paris. USA takes on South Sudan Saturday at 3 Eastern only on Fox. So LeBron's now 39 in his 22nd year. It really is remarkable. He is on any given game or offensive possession, the most important player for Team USA.

Kevin Durant had a quote yesterday. He said, he's just meant so much to the game of basketball. I was in high school following him. He's almost 40 now. He's still playing in an elite level, which is just inspiring to me. And it's funny, you forget, Larry Bird was limping at 32, Barclay at 32, injuries piling up. Westbrook at 33, you saw clear regression. Tiger Woods is a golfer.

He won in 2008 a major. He started eroding. He's a golfer. LeBron is 39. He's played 13,000 more minutes than any active player. I think Chris Paul's next. He's gone through more chalk than high school school districts. The guy is just unbelievable.

He's played 287 playoff games, which is three and a half extra seasons, and those are intense minutes. He was very healthy last year, shot over 40% from Three Pointland. So one of the things about LeBron, and I really think this is important, is that where Kauai can't stay healthy and Mb, we're waiting for him to deliver. from day one in this league as a rookie to 15 years in his prime until now. The NBA is a league. The draft is basically all prospects. Whenby comes into the league, he didn't make the Spurs one game better. LeBron doubled the Cavs win total the minute he arrived in Cleveland out of high school.

Is that the NBA is really a league of hope and projecting and development. The NFL draft is not. The NFL draft is kids who are 23 years old. Some are married. It's a shorter career. You get more sort of mature kids who have been in a college campus. They're ready to come in, perform very, very quickly. Even at the toughest position.

C.J. Stroud, Ohio State to the NFL. Exemplary. Justin Herbert. Joe Burrow. These guys pop immediately. So you're not hoping. We're not talking about ceilings. People want things delivered, right?

That's why we love Amazon. I call, I order. It's on my doorstep the next day at 10 in the morning. People want delivery, and they're loyal to it. And that's one of the things about the NFL is that you watch a draft. You've got six guys that can play. I mean, who do the Packers miss on? When's the last draft pick?

The Green Bay Packers, first, second, third, fourth round missed on. LeBron in a league of hope is certainty. Great year one, dominant in his prime. dominant is an older player individually, and here on this team, on any possession, the best player on Team USA. So, I mean, it's very Tom Brady. Tom wanted it more, spent more time on his body, was more disciplined with his diet. And, you know, the old saying is, nobody cares, work harder. Nobody cares about excuses.

And in a league of hope and ceiling and potential, I think LeBron delivers. And, you know, his haters, you know, they're going to point to, you know, he's lost championships. So much of this league is what you're represented by, who your front office is, what's the ownership situation. You know, I've said this about Michael Jordan for years. In hockey, I think Chicago played in the Western Conference, or does, had the Bulls been a Western Conference team because they're right in the middle of the country and not an Eastern Conference team, he would have gotten to finals early in his career, would have Michael in Longer. to Boston and Detroit. So I never, you know, Magic got to nine finals, one, five, lost four.

He had Larry Bird in the way, another dynasty. Jordan never faced a real dynasty. He did early in his career and couldn't get to the finals. Detroit was a dynasty. He couldn't get past him. Boston was a dynasty. He couldn't get past him. There was no dynasty out west during Jordan's best years.

There were good teams, Phoenix, Utah, Seattle, Portland, but there were no dynasties. People forget this. Michael couldn't beat the dynasties, but they were all in his conference. And that's the difference. But it is really remarkable that at 39 years old, the only comp is a football player, Brady. I mean, when Brady retired, we all felt he was still a – there was probably not three quarterbacks in the world that if you gave the football to with two minutes left, you would trust to win the game more than Brady. Maybe Mahalms, maybe a Joe Burrow, maybe a Stafford.

That's about it. that's how I feel with LeBron. There's about three guys in the league, just about three, that I trust with a ball in their hands with 30 seconds left, but not many. And I think a lot of it is even though he's polarizing, because he's taken some

political stands and cultural stands, it is remarkable. Even Brony, and I'm not sure Brony's an NBA player. Offensively, he's not. He's a G-League player offensively. I'm not sure he's a G-League player offensively. But even Brony's popular because he's, you know, he's his son.

I think LeBron James, and I think the Lakers see this with all their data and all their merch. If you get past all the stuff about the personality and the cultural and the political stuff, Jordan looked old in Washington. He looked

old with the Wizards. LeBron doesn't look old. I'm watching these USA games. He didn't look old. He didn't look old at all. He played a ton of games last year. So, So they're beating Serbia badly. They're beating the breaks off Serbia. But this could be troubling is now Serbia will use this motivation for the next meeting

when they meet here in a couple weeks. I do, I don't know how to approach you with this. LeBron putting undue pressure on Brani, naming him after himself, saying like four or five years ago, I want to play, you know, with my, that's my dream to play with my son. I just, you know, LeBron's son wins this call of duty tournament, you're the video game tournament in Vegas. I just wonder, whose dream is it for Brony to play in the NBA? Is it LeBron's

or his son, Ronnie? I don't know the answer to that. I'm not saying LeBron's done a bad job, but like, you're a parent. You want the best for your kid. And like, I just wonder if maybe the pressure has been a bit much, watching him kind of struggle as a 19-year-old. He is

not an NBA offensive play. Well, not yet. Yeah, I don't see much there. I think he's athletic. I think he can defend and I think that'll be a space in the NBA if he gets there. 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 I-Heart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. What's up, fam?

It's Isaiah Thomas. And I'm C.J. Toledano. It's our favorite time of the year on our podcast, point game, the playoffs. We're digging into the biggest surprises of the season. And I'm looking back on some of my greatest playoff moments. If we didn't talk ever again, I was hungry. You just understood. That's how personal it got.

Wow. Then after that game seven, Marquis come until he's like, you know I love you, dog. You know, it's all love. This was just playoffs. This was just basketball. So listen to Point Game on the I, Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. This season on Dear Chelsea, with me, Chelsea Handler, we have some fantastic guests like

Amelia Clark. When like young people come up to me and they want to be an actor or whatever, my first thing is always, can you think of anything else that you can do? Rather be disappointed in. Do that. David O'Yello-O. I love this podcast, whether it's therapy or relationships or religion or sex or addiction. or you just go straight for the guts.

Dennis Leary, Gaten Moderato from Stranger Things, Tana Monsu, Camilla Morone, Carrie Kenny Silver, and more. Listen to these episodes of Dear Chelsea on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. If you're watching the latest season of the Real Housewives of Atlanta,

you already know there's a lot to break down. Gorsha accusing Kelly of sleeping with a merry man. They hold him, Hey Michelle back from fighting Drew. Pinky has financial issues. On the podcast, Reality with the King, I, Carlos King, recap the biggest moments from your favorite reality shows, including the Real House Wise franchise,

the drama, the alliances, and the T, everybody's talking about. To hear this and more, listen to Reality with the King on the IHart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. This is an IHart podcast. Guaranteed Human. Thank you.