The Herd with Colin Cowherd - HOUR 2 - Blazing 5, Steelers, Jordan

Episode Date: January 14, 2022

Colin's new Blazing 5 picks for the weekendDo the Steelers have a chance against the Chiefs?We will never forget Michael JordanGuest: Eric Mangini Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Joy Taylor is joining me. Usually Joy with Blazing 5. I've got 14, 15 games to choose from, and I pick 5. This week I've only got six games to choose from, and I'm going to pick 5. So the chances of me acing all these is very low because I have. have not much to choose from. I'm just going to bet all the games except the Chief Steelers, which I don't like big lines.

I don't like never have. I stay away from big line games. You're ready for this? Let's do it. I'm excited. Wildcard weekend. All right. So a lot of things, you know, these games are usually closer than we think.

So let's do it. Our Blazing Five. That's a hot one. Let's blaze it up. Fire it up. It's Collins. Blazing Five. Raiders at Bengals.

I'm going to take the Bengals minus 5.5. Matchup at the team with the most penalty yards in the league, the Raiders, and a matchup of the team with the fewest penalty yards in the league, the Bengals. I also worry that the Raiders defense was on the field for 90 snaps, and then they lose a day with travel. And Joe Burrell this year, you can look at the numbers, has been absolutely unbelievable. Completion percentage number one in the league.

Passer rating number two in the league. The Raiders are the first team in NFL history that end a season with four straight wins or four points or fewer. I kind of feel like the gig is up. They've also only scored 17 offensive touchdowns over the last 10 weeks. That's the fewest among all playoff teams. I think a worn down defense gets exposed in the second half. Bingles win and cover 32 to 26. Patriots at Bill.

Well, I'm going to take the points here with New England. Belichick gets Josh Allen for a third time. New England has 24 rushing touchdown, second most in the league. It's zero degrees. I don't think there's going to be a ton of points, and I like four with New England. The bills, by the way, are 0 and 5 in games decided by one possession. I told her there, Mike Tyson. They'll knock out earlier, lose close.

And Josh Allen against the Patriots has not been very good. 57% completion percentage. In fact, he's only completed 63 on the year. That's the second lowest among all playoff quarterbacks, and that includes good weather games. I think it's ugly. I think it's low scoring. It's going to be low scoring, so I'm taking the four.

I'll take the bills to win in a late field goal, but this is my strongest play of the weekend. I like New England plus the points. 28, 27 bills win. Eagles and Buccaneers. This is my second strongest play of the weekend. I like the Eagles plus eight and a half. They don't make mistakes, and Brady does.

Philadelphia right now, I think yards, this is a fascinating one. If you look at the Eagles offense, they average almost three and a half yards a carry before contact. That leads the league. That means there's holes open. They open things up. And they have 16 giveaways this year. Third fewest among playoff teams. Whereas Brady has 15 giveaways this year.

year. That's the most for him in 12 years. Tampa Bay is still banged up, does not have a consistent run game. The weather could be windy. That hurts the more vertical passing team. I think Tampa wins here, but eight and a half against the team that consistently gets over 10 yards a carry. I think it's close. Tampa Bay 27, Philadelphia 24. 49ers at Cowboys. Went back and forth. I got to go with my initial instinct. I'm taking San Francisco and the points and the upset win. Listen, the road teams won 10 of 14 wildcard games over the last three years. It's the majority.

And the offense for San Francisco leads the NFL. Huge stat, yards per play, 6.1. 49ers offense, hottest it's been all year. Three of the last four games, 150 yards rushing plus. And oh, by the way, all you Jimmy Garoppolo haters, it's insane. Here are the numbers post- Thanksgiving for Jimmy Garvey. Ropolo since week nine, second in the league in completion percentage, first in passing yards per attempt, first in big passing plays.

Since Thanksgiving, he's a top five clutch quarterback in the league, and the Cowboys are one in five when they're held under 100 rushing yards, and it's hard to get to 100 against the Niners defense. I like the Niners to win. 28, 27, take the points. Cardinals at Rams. This is my weakest bet of the weekend. I'll take the Rams minus four.

A couple of things worry me. Arizona's defense has not been good. Six yards of play surrendered in their last five games. And the Rams, 10 of their 12 wins by seven or more. Like Buffalo, they get it going. They get a lead. They rarely lose. Kyler Murray is one and four over his last five games,

and he has struggled against this Rams person. regardless of who is the coordinator. Not only one win in his last six, but nine giveaways and a passer rating barely above 80. In this division, the Niners give the Rams fits and the Rams tend to control Cliff Kingsbury and Kyler Murray. It's my weakest play of the week, but I like the Rams to win in cover 31 to 26.

There you go. all of our odds provided by a Fox Bet sports book. I like three dogs and two favorites. And I will say this. I really worry about the Raiders defense wildly energized atmosphere, almost 90 snaps, and then you lose a day traveling. I think you won't see it early. They'll play with a ton of energy early,

but I would not be surprised if in the second half, you just get a fairly uninspired Raider defense, especially if the Bengals come in and they can get the offense rolling, pick up first downs, keep the Raider defense on the field. That is a lot to ask. And the Raiders also have done something that they keep winning all these close games. It doesn't work like that. It just doesn't.

You don't, it's a coin. It's like fumbles. like sometimes you'll have years you fumble and you recover all of them and then there are years you fumble and you don't recover any of them it's a random stat you're not going to keep winning all these close games Seattle did two years ago they like won every close game this year they lost the close games so let's bring in Eric Manjini all right the obvious question is Bill's Patriots played two games split now you face a team for the third time now I would think it's advantage Belichick. Belichick gets a third look at Josh Allen, who is talented but a little wild. You tell me, you face teams when you were with New England a third time. Advantage Bill?

Well, Colin, I faced Bill a third time when I was the head coach of the Jets. We had the same situation. We split during the course of the season. They beat us at our place. We beat them at their place. And then we had to go a little different. We had to go to New England to play them. I'd say the other difference that they, advantage that they had, that situation has actually changed out the field after we beat him during the regular season and went to turf.

So that was a little different environment. But I'd say the main thing that he did and he did really well is we had done a lot to confuse Tom, to attack their rules. And they came out with a high-tempo, no huddle offense that didn't allow us to do any of those things early in the game. And then if they hit a play, they came back and they hit exactly the same play again. So that first drive, they did actually create an advantage and ended up scoring. So there's going to be something like that that the bills are going to have to deal with early in the game. And how well they deal with it is going to go a long way in terms of how well, you know, whether or not they're able to win. So you have in the last four years, there's been one kind of blowout in the wild card round.

That was the Saints over the Bears last. year. So underdogs do well. We're going to have upsets. We may have an overtime game. I think Philadelphia keeps it close with Tampa. What is your underdog to keep an eye on? Look, you and I always disagree on Big Ben, and I like Big Ben, and I love Big Ben in this situation where he's literally fighting to play another week. And when you look at the last time they played, the game couldn't start any worse than it did, where, you can't see. city goes down and scores, and then Pittsburgh tries a flea flicker, gets intercepted, and then the whole thing goes south pretty early on.

I like the Steelers. I like the Steelers. I like where they are. I like their attitude. I like the fact that they're playing with no pressure. And I'm interested to see how that plays out. Mike Tomlin is one of the great underdog coaches in league. He is.

You know, the knock on him is like, yeah, he's all about motivation. well, that's really good when you're an underdog because his teams come in, their offense is so unwatchable, but yet I've seen this happen by five times this year. You think they're overwhelmed, and they play great. And they just have a great three hours. And you underestimate your opponent,

which it's easy to do in this situation. Colts did it last week. Rams did it against us in New England in the Super Bowl. It happens, and it's a, you know, it's a terrible way to end your season. What concerns you about the Dallas Cowboys favored to win at home this weekend? A lot, a lot concerned me.

I've watched them a ton throughout the course of the season, and it's a self-inflicted wound. It's being last in the league in penalties. It's at one point they were last in the league and drop passes, mental errors with the offensive line, mistrothed, all those things, the time management issues, where they get in the way,

of themselves. And that to me is a problem. And then you also look at it and how well are they going to protect if they turn this into a passing game? Are they going to do things to not let Nick Bosa ruin the game? Or are they going to just count on their offensive line? And I don't know. When you look at Dak's record where he's thrown 40 or more times when it's that situation, it's not very good. I think it's like three and 13. Hopefully they'll be balanced. Hopefully they'll they'll get out of their own way. But those are my biggest concerns, and it's been a concern all season.

So Derek Carr, I said earlier, I don't know what award I would give him. If I was the league, I'd make one up. The Life Preserver Award, because he's like, this franchise feels like it's been, like, drowning for about, you know, six, eight weeks, and he just keeps making these miraculous plays.

And I've always liked Derek Carr, way more than the average fan. I think way more in the media. I like him. I think there's something there. I would give him an extended contract. I'm a big believer in Derek. But I do worry about playing in a game of that magnitude with the Chargers.

Your defense played almost 90 snaps. Now you've got to go on the road and face a high-powered offense. And I feel like, all right, the gig is up a little, right? They can't keep doing this? Well, what's been normal about their season? What has they lose their head coach in the way that they do? They have personal tragedy. They have four overtime wins.

This is Derek Carr's first playoff game. There's nothing that's been normal about this season. So they're used to operating in this environment, and then they built up a callus. And again, you look at their first game, and it's a one-touchdown game going into the fourth quarter. I'm with you. I like Derek Carr a lot, and I like the Raiders story. And sometimes you've got to be lucky. And sometimes the football gods shine on you, and hopefully for them, it'll continue.

the way it has. Yeah. All right. So what was your Super Bowl prediction? I think didn't you have Packers bills before the year? I did. I had Buffalo Packers with Buffalo winning. And look, I still like Buffalo a lot and I like Green Bay a lot.

But to me, the Titans, it's hard to not appreciate what the Titans have done all season long. And I think that they have a resilience and a toughness and a quothness and a quoth. quality to them that's going to be hard to deal with and with potentially Derek Henry coming back. It's hard. It's hard to bet against them right now. And look, I love their head coach. He's one of the smartest guys that I've ever coached in my career. And I think they've got as good an opportunity, if not better, than anybody at this point.

All right. A couple of coaching questions. Seven coaches out of work, all for kind of different reasons. Is there any of the coaching firings that just. don't make any sense to you. I'm never a big fan of firing people in their first year. I'm not a big fan of firing people in their second year. There's this idea of they want this turnaround right away.

And I always say it's like asking you to cook a turkey, but they want you to cook it in the microwave. And it's just not realistic. And you look at Brian Flores' situation, I know that you and I talked about whether they should move on with them, when they're going through that down streak, but he sweeps the Patriots and they have a winning season, and there's a lot of things that you like about them.

And yeah, is the environment tough? Yeah, it's tough. That's what you signed up for when you signed them. And is there going to be turbulence? Yeah, but if you want to be able to win on a consistent level or compete for a championship on a consistent level, it's hard to do. And look, you also need a good quarterback.

And we don't know where it's two is. But I thought that was rough. Now, of all the current openings in the NFL, is there one that you would look at and say, I could turn that around pretty quick. There's a few that you like. Miami, if you like Tua, they've got a ton of cap room. That should be a good situation.

And that they're coming off a winning record. You look at Jacksonville. If you like Trevor, that should be a great situation because I think they've got the most cap room to do something, and obviously the highest draft pick. Minnesota's got real offensive talent and should be able to win there quickly, but how do you feel about cousins? The Giants, if you want drafts, they've got two picks in the high.

Typically, historically, they've been a patient organization, obviously not in recent history. And then if you're Josh McDaniels, Houston's a perfect place. Brian Davel, Houston's a perfect place. You're fundamentally aligned with the GM.

Yeah. All right. So you're sticking your neck out there with the Pittsburgh Steelers. You're the only man in America willing to go on TV. Look, I like Ben Rothsberger. I like the storyline.

I think the game, you know, started horribly, but it doesn't really matter what happened last time. but it is it is a little bit it doesn't it doesn't fall in line with how competitive it could be this time yeah good seeing you coach have a great weekend

all right you too yeah the um the way this league treats coaches is just crazy I remember when I got into this business I can remember this I was standing in the desert inn it was a casino it was a golf shop I love how your memory works, by the way.

The Desert Inn Golf Shop. And I was probably the 10th time in my life to that point, I was going to try to fall in love with golf. I've done it 100 times. I never do because I'm so bad at it. And I was at the Desert Inn, and I was a local sportscaster. And a guy said to me, boy, I think it was in a moment where I was ripping Tark and people were ripping me. And he goes, boy, that job, that broadcasting job, boy, oh, boy, oh, boy. he goes, you're just, I hear that's, you got to move around the country and you get fired all the time.

And I said, not really. I said most of the people, like at that point, I loved Al Michaels and Bob Costas. And I was like, you know, Vince Scully. I was like, none of those guys are getting fired. And in my career, I have controlled, regardless of anything you read, every entrance and every exit. NFL head coach is the worst. this is why Matt Rule probably should have taken, waited a year, and then been the Oklahoma coach.

Like if you want to, if I'm Lincoln Riley and I'm looking at this, I'm like, now I'm going to stay at USC for a while. If I'm Nick Saban, it's like Jim Harbaugh, I'm like, I know college football isn't perfect. And I know the NILs, the Wild Wild West and the transfer portal. They'll probably tweak those things, get them a little tiny bit more regulated. But the way owners, I mean, Brian Flores won eight of nine. games and a good division with Tua.

And because, quote, he was hard to get along with. Deal with it. That excuse to me is embarrassing. Pitch me that it was something that happened with football because the idea that you all can't seem to get along, if I'm an owner

and you come to me and you're like, we just can't get along. I mean, I'm putting you two in a room. I'm like, come out, getting along, or everyone's fired. I don't have time for this. I'm a billionaire. I have to hear about how you don't get along. Everybody's talking about David Cully being let go and they're disappointed.

Totally get it. The Brian Flores one. Ask yourself this, league history. League history. I don't have it in front of me. A coach won eight of nine games to close the season and on his side of the ball has done a spectacular job. Vic Fangio, because Vic and Brian are very similar, great on the defensive side and did

what was asked of him. Their side of the ball they mastered. If Vic Fangio had won eight of nine in that division and he was fired, you'd be like, why aren't people outraged by Brian Flores? If Vic Fangio got fired, you'd be like, would you say, well, he didn't get along with people? You would, we're giving Miami a pass on this. You do not win eight of nine games in a good division with what is viewed by almost every reasonable person is a low-ceiling quarterback.

I just think that teams need to get to a place where they stop being so reactionary and have a little nuance and perspective on the decisions that they're making. Listen, I'm going to tell you a true story, opposed to the ones that aren't true. But true story, I talked to a coach about the Jets ownership. And I've known a couple of different, I've known a lot of Jets coaches. I've known Mangenia. I've known Herm Edwards. I've known a lot of people in the Jets building through the years.

And one time, the jump. family, it was Chris Johnson, Woody Johnson. They came up on like a Friday and they, one of those owners said, we need to pass the ball more on Friday. And the coach said, well, we're facing a team with the worst rush defense in the league. And one of the Johnsons, Woody or Chris, said, don't confuse me with stats. That's what a Jets owner said. Don't confuse me with stats. As the coach sat down and said, this is the worst rush defense in the league.

We're pretty good at running the ball. We're going to control the clock. I want more passing on a Friday. Not Sunday you duck your head in or you're flying back say, hey, can I want to give this, whoever the quarterback was, Pennington, Far. On a Friday, I'm just going to stick my head in. I know the game plans are set because you pass more and don't confuse me with data. Can you imagine if one minute before I went on the air, one of my bosses came down and said,

I want you to lead with this. And I'm like, well, I haven't prepared for it. I don't want to ad lib for 15 minutes with no notes. Don't confuse me with preparation. You'd be like, oh, he's a crazy person. That is what happens. I had another head coach in the NFL tell me this. Another true story that he got a job with a, let's just say, a bottom,

five franchise in the league. He was in his first year, and they were playing the Baltimore Ravens, and this was the Ravens with Ray Lewis and Ed Reed. That was the best defense in the last 10 years. He had a bad team he just taken over. It was later in the year. So the owner came in on Thursday or Friday.

How do you think we're going to do? And the coach said, we're going to struggle to move the ball. They have like the best linebacker, the best safety, a great pass rush. And, you know, we've got a really, I think it was like a rookie quarterback or a second year quarterback. The owner was furious. And the coach had to walk around the facility for two hours and talk the owner off the ledge. Those are just two stories that I know of.

You were facing the Ravens. Brady struggled moving the ball at home against that Baltimore defense. I mean, I said it earlier this week, just because you are a great or a genius at one thing, that doesn't necessarily make it transferable into another. That's just us. We're the only ones that can do that. I mean, but fans don't put the onus on the owners. They see the coach, so it's got to be the coach's fault.

The coach picks the players according to them. The coach makes all the decisions. And the coach is the easiest one to move out. You can't just wipe your entire roster. You have contracts that you're owed. You can't just go pick new players from other great teams. and you can't change the ownership. Really, the GMs are probably the ones that should be on the hot seat more than the coaches,

but that's not sexy. Yeah. One more herd? The herd streams 24 hours a day, seven days a week, within the IHeart radio app. Search Herd to listen live or on demand whenever you'd like. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal, but encouraged. It's the enhanced games.

Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast's Superhuman, at 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 I'm saying. Yep, that's me, Cliver Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, the reactions, my journey from basketball to college football, or my career in sports media. Well, somewhere along the way, this platform became bigger than I ever imagined. And now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfiltered conversations with some of your favorite athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated.

One week, I'll take you behind the scenes of the biggest moments in sports and entertainment, and the next we'll talk about life, mental health, purpose, and even music. The Clifford Show isn't just a podcast. It's a space for honest conversations, stories that don't. 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 bit? 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 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 yeah, yeah, yeah. But just so you all know. I mean, at this point, Mark, this is the second episode where we've discussed crack.

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

Listen to look back at it on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Welcome to my new podcast, Learn the Hardway with me, your host, and your favorite therapist, Kyr Games. And in recognition of mental health awareness month, I'm bringing over a decade of my own experience in the mental health. field and conversations with so many incredible guests. I'm talking.

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Open your free iHeartRadio app. Search Learn the Hardway and listen now. Sunday on Fox, Jalen Hertz and the Eagles look to dethrone the reigning champs as they take on the goat, Tom Brady, and the Bucks. It all kicks off at one Eastern with pregame coverage starting at 11. AM only on Fox, all part of the Super Wild Card weekends. Sunday, don't miss your chance to win $100,000. On the Fox Bet Super 6 app, scan the QR code and enter your picks in the wildcard contest, featuring Eagles bucks for your chance to win. One question is which team will win by how many points? Colin, what do you think? I think Tampa Bay wins close. I think the weather's a factor. It limits it. The only thing I worry about if I'm Philadelphia,

Brady has been great in the red zone this year. A lot of touchdowns, very few field goals. So Philadelphia is going to have to play, and they've got one great corner. Philadelphia is going to have to play really good situational defense in the red zone. I think they will. And so I think it's going to be a close game. Now, it should be noted. And if you go back to these playoff games with Tom, take out last year's Super Bowl.

That Washington game was close. That Green Bay game was close. So Tommy has been in some close playoff games since he arrived in Tampa. and many of his New England playoff games were close. Joy with the news. No, no, no, no. Turn on the news. This is the herd line news.

Remember when we were like, yeah, that's not like it'd be probably maybe three head coaching positions. Oh, that was a month ago. We were Gruden, Urban, and Matt Nagy we felt was maybe. Maybe. Like this, possibly. Now we're at seven and the Matt Rule thing still doesn't feel complete. No.

Matt Rule got let go, by the end of the weekend, I would not be shocked. We'd be at eight, which is the league average every year. Well, the Texans fired David Cully yesterday after one season. GM Nick Casario released a statement following the release. He said, I came to this difficult but necessary decision after reviewing our football operation. While a change after one season is unusual, we had philosophical differences over the long-term direction and vision of our program. We appreciate Coach Cully for helping us navigate through a difficult season.

But it is my responsibility to make decisions that I feel are best for our organization. Collie did match last season's win total of four games. They beat the Chargers, Titans, and Jacksonville twice. Yeah, they got, if I recall, I don't have it in front of me. I think they got crushed by Tennessee twice, which is... No, they beat the Titans once. Oh, they did? Yes, they beat the Chargers, Titans, and Jacksonville twice.

Okay. Yeah, I would have given him a second year. It's funny, he said, we have philosophical differences. I don't even know what his philosophies are. Like Brian Flores, I can see that he can beat Brian's Purdy. You can see at the podium. Not a lot of nonsense with Brian. David's like known as a really likable.

Everybody in the league likes David Cully. Neither one of us loved this hire for the Texans, but it also felt like, to your point, he's a well-liked guy. He's going to come in and bring at least some stability to what is a completely dysfunctional organization. By the way, I still don't think. So this is why I would have enjoyed given David Cully a second year. I still think of all the openings. It's the weakest.

I have the weakest owner. Absolutely. It's the weakest roster. Houston. Yeah, so it's still not, why not give David Cully one more year next year's draft, by the way, because reportedly Houston's not going to take a quarterback. They're just good because they don't think the quarterback draft is good enough. And Davis Mills has, let's give him another year. Yeah. So if you're going to give Davis Mills a second year, why not give the coach a second year with him? I don't, I don't understand the move. To me, it looks like Houston is just looking for an upgrade at the coaching position. Because there are a lot. of good candidates this hiring cycle. A lot of good coordinators up. There are a lot of former head coaches that are deserving of a second chance that are available right now. But again, if I am a top candidate, why am I even considering Houston? I'm not considering Houston. I understand there's a limited amount of these jobs. But as we know, because we say every

single year, there will be openings next year. Well, give me every job opening and there's at least, Okay, Giants and Texans, can we admit this? Those are the two worst job opening. Yes. Miami? I get a really good defense. Miami is right there with it, though. If you don't turn it around the next two to three years, you're fired. So Miami is right there with it.

It's not a good job. Such bad owners. It's not a good job. The issue with the coaching hirings and firings, which we just mentioned, is that there is a reaction to the fan base and the media that is probably too extreme. Like what we say, we give our opinion every day.

Fans are going to be fanatics and passionate. That's what they're supposed to do. You as ownership and management are supposed to listen to that, take it into consideration where you are, what your brand is, what people are saying about you, and then also evaluate what you're doing in-house.

And the problem is, I think, with a lot of organizations and companies, for that matter, they refuse to just hold up a mirror. It's always everybody else's fault. It's always this, this person, well, we can fire this person and bring in this person, and we got to go for the big fish. Like, why does the big fish want you? If year after year after year, you're filing through people, not to mention, when you fire a head coach, you're not just firing them.

You're firing their entire staff. So you have literally hired and fired hundreds of people, if you're some of these organizations. That's what I always say. How is that not embarrassing for you? I always say part of having a great team, part of Belichick's success has been he's had really good assistance. Anytime you're thinking about, like whenever I hear Brown fans get fidgety with Kevin Stefansky, I'm like, does everybody, do all you fans in Cleveland get that other coaches respect Stifansky? If you fire him, like after next year, you were lucky to get Stafansky. You get to a point where people in life, here's a rule. It doesn't matter if you're an actor, a football coach, or a broadcaster, talented people have options. The more coaches you find,

the talented people cross you off a list. And not only do talented people have options, they're also wanted. So if you're a top coordinator, why would you want to go to? Yes, you want to be a head coach. You want the opportunity. Of course, all of us have massive aspirations.

But we're not just, good people don't just jump to the, jump to the next opportunity because it's available. If Eric B. N.M. could stay in Kansas City for one more year or go to the Houston Texans. I don't know if I'd take the job. Absolutely. I stay in Kansas City. I'm the same thing. I'm not sure I'd take the job.

I think Eric B. Enemy has enough confidence in himself. He'd be like, I'm going to run it back with my homes. And Kansas City wants him. Kansas City doesn't want to lose him. That's right. You have a responsibility as an organization to make yourself a desirable location as well. Just because there's a limited amount of these jobs does not mean it's a good job. Just because it's a lot of money doesn't mean it's a good job.

And again, it's not just the head coach. The head coach has to bring in coordinators and a whole lot of staff. All of those people that aren't getting paid to sit at home have lost their job as well. it's a lot of turnover. Cully's the 13th coach fired in the NFL after one season since 2006. It's just ridiculous. Now listen, he's going to be paid.

He's going to be compensated for his time off. I will say he did say, I really appreciate the offer. He got a great deal. It's a great deal. They owe him $17 million over the next three years. So he's walking away with close to $22 million. We're not working. Yes.

But his contract aside and whatever's fair to him or not, the landscape of these coaching jobs in the NFL is outrageous. It's a mess. Like there's no way you can build any consistency with that type of hiring process. So Tom Brady will be facing off against the Eagles for the first time in the postseason since losing to them in the Super Bowl, 4133. Many Eagles fans were very petty, by the way, you Eagles fans. I don't mind it, but you are very petty.

They're hung up on the fact that Brady didn't shake Nick Foll's hands, remember? I remember that. You and I didn't like that either. I didn't love it. Didn't love it. Didn't love it. Well, Brady addressed Shakegate when he was asked about it this week. No, I'm not.

I'm not. I've shaking Nick's hand plenty of times, though. So I had a lot of respect for Nick. And, you know, I try to be a good sport as best I can. I know it doesn't always look like that because sometimes I get a little pissed out there. But for the most part, I try to be a good sport. The reporter asked him, are you aware of Eagles fans' fixations with you not shaking foal's hands.

I didn't like it. After the Super Bowl, you need to go do it. Like, you got to go shake hands. Like, that's just a respectful thing to do. He also didn't shake Nick Foll's hands after the Bears beat the Bucks 2019 last season, which is what spiral people were thinking, like, maybe he just doesn't like Nick Foles.

Like, why is he not shaking Nick Foll's hand? But apparently he has shaking his hand a bunch. That was also the game where he infamously forgot it was the fourth down, the four game. But he can make it up and shake Jalen Hurts' hand this weekend. Make it all good, I guess. That would be good.

Yeah. Yeah. I've got a huge, like this is a big deal in sports. Like, you don't shake hands, remember with the pistons. Like, it can be a lasting impression if you don't go over and be a good sport. In soccer and hockey, there is a kind of institutional protocol that you do it. Like, it just understood. Basketball and football.

Kind of for any kind of combat sport as well. Combat sport, Olympic sports. But I will say basketball and football. sometimes guys just walk off the floor. I agree. It doesn't make me outraged. But I do think after a Super Bowl, you owe the opponent the respect of a nod.

Like, you do. I think you do after the big game. After every single game, every week, it's not a big deal. But after that game, you do. So Super Bowl 56 is just one month away. And both NFL officials and local organizers say it is not leaving the Los Angeles area.

There was a story that they had. Dallas has a backup location for the Super Bowl, but the NFL has no plans to move the Super Bowl to Arlington, Texas, or anywhere else. Despite the rise in COVID cases, several officials confirmed this Thursday at SoFi during a media event. The NFL confirmed it finds backup sites for Super Bowl every year,

and that has no serious concerns about the ability to hold the game in Englewood. Ram's CEO, Kevin Demoff, noted that SoFi has extensive, coronavirus safety protocols in place for all the games played at the stadium, which will continue through the playoffs. It is February 13th for Super Bowl 56. This is not surprising news to me. It is a massive deal to have a Super Bowl in your city. There's millions of dollars that come into the city because of the Super Bowl. Yeah. And it would be a it would be a lifelong career mistake for any of these politicians to make a drastic move like that at this point. Yes. When it's a month away. Especially when you hear this variant and yeah. I mean,

Everyone's ability to be flexible with this particular variant is personally a little bit maddening. We live in a city with a lot of people that are vaccinated and boosted. You don't move the Super Bowl. No. And the protocols are what it is. Like, it's not, it's fine. By the way, the NBA, I'll give it a little credit. If you're vaccine boosted, the NBA just stop testing players who are vaccinated and boosted, like, as they should.

You're asking players to get in the NBA, get vaxed and get boosted. And they do, well, then they shouldn't have to test every day. It's not fair. Why get vaxed and boosted if you're going to do these protocols. If you want to be unvaxed, I'm going to have some protocols that are tougher. But if you comply, which 99% of the players have, shouldn't have to test them every day. This league now, the NBA's got guys on 10-day contracts all over the league. It's a mess.

And the NFL did adjust as well. It's just, you know, this has become so tribal. It's incapable for people to move off of their positions on anything, even though the situation has changed. All right, Joy with the news. Well, that's the news. And thanks for stopping by. The Herd Lie News. Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd weekdays in noon Eastern 9 a.m. Pacific.

Hey, this is Jason McIntyre. Join me every weekday morning on my podcast, Straight Fire with Jason McIntyre. This isn't your typical sports pod pushing the same tired narratives down your throat every day. Straight Fire gives you honest opinions on all the biggest sports headlines, accurate stats to help you win big at the sports book, and all the best guests. Do yourself a favor. and listen to Straight Fire with Jason McIntyre 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 I-Hard radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care which I'm saying. Yep, that's me, Cliver Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, the reactions,

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

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

Listen to the Clifford show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. Do you remember when Diana Ross double-tap Little Kim's boobs at the VMAs? Or when Kanye said that George Bush didn't like black people. I know what you're thinking.

What the hell does George Bush got to do with Little Kim? Well, you can find out on the Look Back at it podcast. I'm Sam Jette. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick it here, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it. Including a recent episode with Mark Lamont Hill waxing all about crack in the 80s. To be clear, 84 is big to me, not just because of crack. I'm down to talk about crack on day, but just so y'all know.

I mean, at this point, Mark, this is the second episode where we've discussed crack. So I'm starting to see that there's a through line. We also have AIDS on the table right now. Thank you for finishing that sentence. I don't think there's a more important year for black people. Really? Yeah. For me, it's one of the most important years for black people in American history.

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

Because people scoreboard watch. Life becomes about wins and losses. Steve Burns, Dustin Ross. Because you find it important to be a good person while you hear on earth. Are you a good person because you're afraid? Because that's two different intentions, bro. Absolutely. And that's two different levels of trust.

I want you to just really be a good person. Join me, Kear Gaines, as we have real conversations about healing, growth, fatherhood, pressure, and purpose on my new podcast, Learn the Hardway. Open your free iHeartRadio app. Search Learn the Hardway and listen now. Get fit and lean with MDrive, boost and burn,

supplement for driven men, free shipping. MDrive for Men.com. Check it out. Love Dwayne Wade, had him on the show a month ago. he was fantastic, had a new book out. It's a beautiful book. He said something yesterday. He was talking about all-time greats. And Dwayne Wade said, quote, the game continues to keep moving forward. We're going to continue to see things we've never seen before. That I agree with. The eyes are going to get younger and younger. We're not going to be the ones having a conversation

about the goats. Now it's going to be the younger, younger generation. And they're going to forget about Jordan like we forgot about Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Bar. I totally disagree. I think Jordan is totally unique. First of all, Kareem, I grew up with Kareem. I never felt connected to Kareem. I kind of watched him from afar. He had a unique shot that nobody duplicated. He was academic and stoic. I didn't buy his shoes or his apparel. He is the most underrated player of all time. I know that sounds weird, but most people that are fans didn't watch him. You couldn't stop him. He was great defensively. He was great offensively. He was great offensively. It's one of the smartest players in league history. But he was stoic. If Michael Jordan

and Kareem were actors, M.J's Denzel, kind of feel like, that'd be fun to go out and have a drink with him. And Kareem would be Jeremy Irons, regal, academic. You would never bother him if you saw him in a hotel lobby. That's Kareem. Magic, in fact, did an amazing job, and this is a credit to Magic's personality. Magic made Kareem a little bit more likable. And Magic would go give him big hugs, and the big fellow, Kareem would be like, what is this? This is odd. Even Magic's warmth with Kareem kind of felt like an odd fit. And I love Kareem.

When I was a kid in my backyard, Kareem was who I copied. I did a hook, a little boy. That was Kareem. He was nothing like him. But we wore Michael's shoes. Other athletes wear Michael's gear. When John Madden died, that was what was so unique. How the richest broadcaster of his time connected with a plumber in Iowa, a school teacher in Denver, regular American citizens.

Michael maybe didn't connect quite like that, but he was glamorous, he was cool, we wore his gear. He was never stoic. He was really emotional. He punched the teammate. He'd yell at Rodman. He was incredibly visceral. Kareem rarely did. Although he did once punch Kent Benson, I remember that.

You can look it up on YouTube. But I think Jordan lasts forever. When you wear them, when you can feel them, when his moments, I mean, right now if you closed your eyes and I said, think about Michael's five best moves. You'd go to the two-hand, you'd go to the Cleveland. If I said, Kareem, five biggest hook shots, they all kind of feel the same, right?

Could be in Seattle, could be in Los Angeles, in Dallas. And this is not a shot at Kareem. But as great as Brady is, Manning's more relatable. Peyton Manning eats Oreos. Tom's married to a supermodel and eats avocado ice cream.

Peyton Manning, and I don't know him well? And you all think I'm a Brady fan? But if I saw Brady in a bar, I wouldn't walk up to him. I would, Peyton. It just feels like he'd be, sit down, a beer. It's not a knock at Brady. It's just Kareem feels academic and distant and Tom feels bigger than anybody I know. My friends have attractive wives, no supermodels. But it's just different. And I think Michael's connectability and Peyton Manning's connectability and Brett Farv's connectability,

the best players are often forgotten. Oscar Roberts and we never talk about. Carl Malone's, the second leading score. We don't talk John. Stockton or Carl Malone. Jordan's different. Peyton Manning's different. Brett Farve is different. They had different brands, but Haynes Underwear, hot dogs, Oreos,

Wrangler, that's connectivity. Hour 3 next. Another podcast from some SNL late-night comedy guy, not quite. Unhumor me with Robert Smygel and friends. Me and hilarious guests from Bob Odenkirk 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 I-Hard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, this is Robert from the Stuff to Blow Your Mind podcast. Joe and I are both lifelong Star Wars fan, so we're celebrating May the 4th with a brand new week of fun, thought-provoking Star Wars-related episodes. Join us as we tackle science and culture topics from a galaxy far, far away, such as the biology of tauntons and wampas on the ice planet hot, or the practicality and corporate business sense of the Sith rule of two.

Listen to stuff to blow your mind on the iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. 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 you here, unpack what went down. and try to make sense of how we survived it

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

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