The Herd with Colin Cowherd - HOUR 2 - Brady moments, USC, Harbaugh

Episode Date: February 1, 2022

Colin's favorite Tom Brady momentsCaleb Williams has transferred to USCJim Harbaugh might be close to leaving Michigan for the NFLGuest: Bill Polian Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Find your local station for the herd at Fox Sports Radio.com or stream us live every day on the iHeartRadio app by searching Herd. You're listening to Fox Sports Radio. Oh, here we go. Live in Los Angeles, it's the herd, wherever you may be. However you may be listening, IHeart Radio, Fox Sports Radio, FS1. I am beside myself with glee. Caleb Williams is now a member of USC, Lincoln Riley,

with a complete transfer portal hall, the number one transfer portal class in the country. It's very exciting. You only gave one fight on. I thought it was going to be two fight on. Well, I did not. I was told last Friday I put up, I'm hearing things. I was told last Friday to keep it quiet, but it was inching toward 85, 90% Caleb.

There were things happening in administration, but that Caleb was going to probably control it during, in this NIL world we live in. Yeah, he wanted to make the announcement. And so I just stayed away, moved to. way. Sometimes you have. Also, Caleb Williams going to make his announcement, but Tom Brady can't make

it an announcement. No, it's very exciting. Welcome to Hollywood. Welcome to Hollywood, Caleb. I mean, there's nothing wrong with the plain states. But, you know, Oklahoma's a wonderful place.

And I do think Oklahoma should have been his second choice. The Wisconsin stuff was nonsense. I didn't buy into that. It was silly. It's a bad fit. It was going to either be Oklahoma or USC. And I figured, you know,

you go with your mentor. You go with your king maker, Lincoln Riley. But a good 1A would have been staying at Oklahoma. It's a great program. It's great facilities. You know, you got your way around town. All right.

So Tom Brady is retiring and it's official. He announced it today, although the media broke it a couple days ago. And, you know, I was thinking about what's the first stuff that pops into my head with Tom Brady? And it's not games with a couple of exceptions. And I'm going to tell you that the five things that really the story. morning. Now, it may be down the road, it'll be different. But when I was told this morning, I was in the middle of prep with the team, and Orion said, this just came down, and I'm thinking,

what's popping into my head? So I'll give you a list of the four or five things. When I think about Tom, they define Tom. And number one, in no particular order, but number one, it's that moment in the documentary with his gorgeous supermodel wife in the next door, and a great family. It's the off-season, and here's Tom. I watch tape all day Monday, all day Tuesday, and Saturday before the game I watch film, and then Sunday morning I watch film. I don't know why I can sit here and watch it

and, you know, process information quickly, but I can. Running and lifting has been much harder to develop than this. This has kind of been in me. I mean, I could literally, like, just watch film all day. Dogma over duty. He never saw it as a duty.

watching film defined him. He wasn't the biggest, the strongest, the fastest, but he was the most prepared, and it started not at work, but at home. Dogma over duty. The second thing I think about is actually an awkward moment. And it speaks to mentor and pupil. It was the game ball moment.

It's a really good job offensively patching it together. I've got to run short of bodies there. but you guys really sucked it up and did what we had to do there. It's a nice job. We had Tom, second on the all-time passing list now. Almost awkward. And sometimes the mentor-pupil relationship is. They never went to dinner in 22 years. And you don't have to. You never have to. You don't have to be best friends.

But they shared a passion and a love for great football. and that was more than enough to create the greatest dynasty of all time. The third thing I think about, which I think defines Tom, and it's a memory I just can't ever get out of my head, is when he wasn't on the field. It's when he had done his job with four touchdown passes. He was on the sidelines when Malcolm Butler picked off Russell Wilson. Play clock at five. Pass is answers.

They tried to pick play out. They tried to go here, but he beats him to the punch. And I'm sorry, but I can't believe the call. And there is Brady as demonstrative as ever. Brady looks like a 12-year-old. And that is a big part of Tom. Never bitter, never cranky. Tom played football in his mid-40s like it was junior high football.

He's jumping around with all the money, all the life, all the accolades, all the fame. like a 12-year-old on the sidelines. He never was above it. He was never too cool for it. It was about the love of the game. A fourth memory. And now we get into a moment. It's the Atlanta Super Bowl and the Julian Edelman catch.

With a football, and they're saying it's a catch. Alford knocked it up into the air, and let's see who comes down with it. Oh, that's a catch. Oh, my God. That's incredible. Part of Brady's career is defined by Eli Manning, the Mario Manningham catch, and the David Tyree catch. And though Brady's success was always earned,

this was his lucky break in the Super Bowl. Almost everything he ever accomplished, he gets credit for. But sometimes you do need a ball to bounce your way and a collection of bodies to give you the break of a season. And in that one, he got it. And finally, not even a pandemic could stop Tom. The image of the helicopter footage in a global pandemic and Tom gathering teammates most he had just met on a high school field,

this is Brady's essence. Nothing will stop me to get an edge. remember what the country was going through. We couldn't leave our houses at this time. We weren't sure if this was legal. Was he crossing a line? It was, to me, the essence of Tom is leadership, communication, getting an edge, doing every little thing. We didn't see a single quarterback in America doing this.

Many may have, but the fact that you could immediately change the culture, he got no preseason, he got no OTA, He got no camp. This was it. And I think that defines Tom. Every little tiny edge possible, he uncovered it, drilled down deeply in it, and got the most out of it. And with that, a Hall of Fame, former exec, Bill Paulian. Three straight Super Bowls, by the way, with the Bills.

And now he is joining us. Well, you know, it's funny, Bill. Nobody knows Brady, who didn't GM him better than you. new Brady, and you had your own sort of Brady with Peyton Manning. But let's go back to the years going up against Tom. And one time I had a defensive coordinator tell me one time, he said, the greatest respect I could pay Peyton Manning is it was the worst week of sleep I got all year, is that when I face Peyton Manning, he literally kept me awake at night.

Facing Brady for all those years, were those games different, Bill? Oh, yeah, very different, very different. It was a rivalry that really marked both teams. That was the team. There were three great teams in the AFC during that period of time. The Patriots, the Steelers, and ourselves, the Colts. We won 115 games in 10 years, I think, regular season games. And we'd always run up against them once a year in the regular season. And then we'd always run up against them. It seemed in the playoffs. And if it wasn't them, it was the Steelers. So, you know, facing him every year was the biggest challenge of the year. You know, are you surprised that Peyton and Tom had a friendship when they played and it's blossomed even after? I saw him as such rivals, but it's, there is something about their personalities. I think Peyton entertains Tom. I think Tom thinks Peyton's genuinely funny. And they've also lived these aspirational lives. It's almost royal family, Bill. Very few Americans have experienced that? Oh, that's very true. I asked Tom Moore, who's the link between the two.

Tom Moore, of course, with us all those years in Indianapolis and now with Tom in Tampa Bay. And I said, Tom, Tom Moore, what's what's TB like? What is 12 like? He said, compared to Peyton. He said, same guy. Tom's a man, a few words. Same guy. You know, so I can see why they're friends. Yeah. No, it's interesting. So as you look, what One of the things that I really appreciate, and I really do for my life, I think of Magic Johnson. I think of Larry Bird. I literally think of Larry Bird.

I think of Tom Brady. I think of Peyton Manning. And Peyton got the best of a few times, especially at the end. When you were pursuing Brady, because I always felt teams in Tom's division and your division built their defenses to stop Peyton and Tom. Did you ever in an offseason think to yourself, well, I think we're going to win our division. you know, this player in the draft or free agency may help us against New England. Is it that kind of effect?

I don't know that it's exactly that, but you really do focus on that. As I said, there were three teams, maybe four, the charges were the other one, that really gave us trouble. And so those are the ones we looked at, and those are the ones where we said, well, we've got to match up against them. but the Patriots were the ones that seemingly we played most often for the highest stakes. And you have to match up with them. If you don't, you're foolish. You know, Bill, you had a hand in the Chicago Bears situation, and they went with a defensive coach.

There's a possibility there'll be 20 offensive coaches here in the next two weeks, depending on what happens in Miami and a couple of the other situations. The rules have changed. We now have McVeigh against Zach Taylor in a Super Bowl, and Kyle Shanahan was in the battle, and so was Andy Reid. The league has decided, for a variety of reasons, it's more offense-leaning. Does it concern you for defensive coaches, that we've marginalized the sport for some coaches in this industry? It's almost as if all the advantages go to the offensive side.

Well, that's been the way it's been in the National Football League forever. Way back in the 1930s, George Hallis and others who made. the rules talked about how can we tilt ourselves toward the offense, toward the passing game, long before it was even a staple in college football. So we've always been that way. The issue is, you know, can you find the right defensive coach if that's what you're looking for to try and command the entire team in a time when offense is predominance? We now play 53 and a third yards wide and 65 to 70 yards long in our passing game.

That's the difference. But we need defensive coaches more than ever now because you're playing, in addition to that geography, you're playing 11 on 11 with the mobile quarterbacks. So that's the argument for the defensive coach that you've got to find some way to try and slow these offenses down. Are you surprised how quickly Joe Burrow has altered the Bengals franchise, the quickness of it? No, not really, because I think they were doing a pretty good job of building up until he got there. However, he has made a world of difference. And he proves once and for all.

If you didn't know anything about football, and you just watch. the Bengals go from worse to first, he proves beyond the shadow of a doubt that's the most important guy on the field is the quarterback. He touches the ball every play. It's common sense. If you didn't know anything about football and someone said, who's the most important guy? He said, well, who touches it every play? It's the quarterback. But Joe Burrow has just made a world of difference. And the difference is that everybody in that locker room, believes every week that because of Joe Burrow, they have a chance to win. So they prepare harder, they study harder, they practice harder, and they play harder. That's what that guy gives you.

Matt Stafford for the Rams, you know, he had a large number of fourth quarter comebacks in Detroit. So we knew he had some bandwidth emotionally that he could overcome things in Detroit. You know, it's not your Colts. It's not your bills. They're more obstacles. It wasn't as elegantly run. It's surprised at all at Stafford's ability to, I mean, Robert Wood's got hurt. Now the tight ends hurt and OBJ is in and they lost camakers. There have been a lot of things thrown at him. He's just kind of handled all of it.

Any of it's surprised to you? Oh, no, not at all. If he could do as well as he did in Detroit, what went on there, except for the brief time that Jim Caldwell was with him, he can handle anything. So I wasn't worried about that. He's as tough as nails, and he's faced every obstacle there is to face. And Jim had nothing but great things to say about him. So I'm not at all surprised and I'm happy for him.

Finally, there's a couple. Jim Harbaugh is up for a job, and Josh McDaniels just got one. So McDaniels took the job in Denver, and he wasn't quite ready for it. And I was talking about this an hour earlier, Bill. I said, you know, is it possible that actors really peak their peak is in their 50s or 60s because they're artists with all this experience. And I said, is it possible a coach is really in his peak close to 60? He's been fired.

He's been hired. He's the evolution of the game. And is it possible that Josh McDaniels was hired too soon? And this really should be about the time he's getting his first job. Or were you be a little reluctant on somebody that had a job and really flamed out? Does that scare you at all? You have to take it into consideration. I think you'd be foolish if you did not.

However, enough time has gone by and enough education has taken place, self-education, I'm sure, for him. And the game has evolved. So he's now stepping into a situation where he's had a chance to grow and develop. And B, most importantly, he's got a quarterback. And C, he's got a great defense. So this is a really good job. This is a playoff team. Finally, Jim Harbaugh, would you hire him if you had the chance?

Your thoughts on him, his personality, his demeanor, and how he fits in the NFL? First of all, he's great for the NFL. He's great for the NFL. And in the right situation, I'd hire him in a heartbeat. And now, I think for the first time during his time at Michigan, because he's going back for the second interview, I think he's serious about coming back to the National Football League and trying to win a Super Bowl. prior to this, I think he's been somewhat conflicted, and I don't blame him.

He's got a great program there. But I think he's now serious about coming back to the NFL, and the NFL will be better for his presence without question. Yeah. By the way, a six-time executive of the year, more than any in league history, he's got a book called Super Bowl Blueprints, now available on Amazon and triumphsbook.com. Bill Pullian's not sitting around his house. Are you kidding me?

that brain's clicking going a thousand miles an hour. And love to talk to you again. Buy the book. I'm going to get your publisher to send me a book, autograph. I don't ask for autographs, but a Bill Pollian autograph would fit nicely into my bookcase. It is great seeing you know how much I, what a fan I am of you, and I appreciate you stopping by. My pleasure in the book will be in the mail. Thank you.

Bill Pollian, one of the smartest guys I've ever met. I learned more football at the current, at my former place, from Bill Pullian, on the air, off the air, as smart as they get, the blueprint for football. Personnel is hard. I mean, there is, it is hard. I like Joe Burrow. I don't think I'd see this. A lot of people that I respect like Tua more than Justin Herbert, not a couple, a lot. It is hard to figure out who's going to work, who's not going to work.

By the way, where was your brother drafted? Third round. Okay, there you go. Jimmy Johnson. He's pretty good. That guy's pretty good. He knows personal. Yeah, no, but it is interesting, right?

Tom Brady's a six-rounder. Joe Montana's a third rounder. Russell's a third rounder. Your brother, half of this league is undrafted. So when anybody says, well, you know, when Bill Pollyan was like, I don't know what you do with Lamar Jackson, I'm like, you guys understand. This is hard. Yeah, I think, I mean, obviously all of us were talking about Tom Brady and like, you know, what we felt when we heard the news and all of that. one of the biggest things, and I think it was

Christina Pink that said this, is like when you think about just the fact that Tom Brady is the greatest player to ever play, and he was a sixth round pick. Like we say it kind of like, you know, like, oh, it's a, like he went from a sixth round pick who none of us would take seriously at any

point right now if we were talking about a six round pick to the greatest player of all time. Like there's so many layers to his career, but the fact that he took that opportunity, which is what it was, you have an opportunity as a six round pick, and turn it into the career that he has is remarkable. And there's a certain level of confidence.

He always straddled it. Burroughs straddles it very well, where it's not arrogance, but it's confidence. There's a story about Tom Brady telling Robert Kraft as a six-round pick, telling him when they first met, I'm going to be, this true story, I'm going to be the greatest draft pick of your life. As a kid that just met Robert Kraft,

he really believed in himself. That never went public. He never had to say it publicly. It's the old inner scoreboard, outer scoreboard. People that truly believe in themselves don't have to advertise it. And there's Joe Burrell walks that line where it's just like, yeah, yeah, we're going to win our division. It doesn't need to say it at the podium. It's understood.

That's why when people talk too much at the podium, that's insecurity, not confidence. If you're truly confident, you don't have to spread the news. You don't have to give your opponents message. material, you know deep inside. Want more herd? The herd streams 24 hours a day, seven days a week within the IHeart radio app. Search Herd to listen live or on demand whenever you'd like. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast's

superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days I'd put on 10 pounds, I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the IHard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what I'm saying. Yep, that's me, Cliver Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, 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 J. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick it here, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it. Including a recent episode with Mark Lamont Hill, waxing all about crack in the 80s. To be clear, 84 is big to me, not just because of crack. I'm down to talk about crack on day, but just so y'all know.

I mean, at this point, Mark, this is the second episode where we've discussed crack, so I'm starting to see that there's a through line. We also have AIDS on the table right now. Thank you for finishing that sentence. 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, Keer Gaines, is we have real conversations about healing, growth, fatherhood, pressure, and purpose

on my new podcast, learn the hard way. Open your free iHeartRadio app. Search, learn the hard way and listen now. Sunday, a storied venue that's seen everything, has never seen anything like this. NASCAR comes to the Los Angeles Coliseum for the very first

Bush Light Clash at the Coliseum. Sunday coverage begins at 5 Eastern only on Fox. That's kind of crazy. Right? One of our execs was going over there yesterday. That's a picture of the Coliseum. USC plays football there. It's been quite a day for USC football.

I do not want to waste any more time. Let's talk about things I love like Trojan football. Joy with a captivating news. No, no, no, no. Turn on the news. This is the herd line news. Well, fight on. Fight on.

Former Oklahoma quarterback Caleb Williams. As announced, he is transferring to USC. He will reunite with Coach Lincoln Riley, who he thrived with during his freshman year last season. William said, I wanted to go somewhere I thought would provide me with the best development both on and off the field. Getting to know Coach Riley and gaining familiarity with his offense, definitely played a part in my selection. I want to get to work right away. Earn the trust of my teammates, win championships, and help bring USC back to being a top-rated program.

Multiple championships. Yeah, they've cleaned up. So if you follow the transfer portal, they just got the best quarterback in it. They've upgraded it wide receiver, offensive line, and running back. So they're going to score a bunch of points in the PAC 12. They're going to score 35 a game in the PAC 12.

Caleb Williams was the key because you don't have to teach the office. to the quarterback. So you're going to bring in basically the Oklahoma offense and USC now, they've always had players. Their big issue is defensively in the front seven where they're not a championship level team. They're not going to beat in Ohio State Clemson, Alabama, Georgia next year, even with some really nice upgrades on their defensive side. And then, again, the transfer portal, Los Angeles is a very attractive place for upperclassmen who are worn out at their school, want to finish strong. But this is a huge get. And offensively,

you get the kind of the acumen and the intelligence of Caleb Williams and Lincoln Riley, really bright kid, totally understands the offense, runs it brilliantly. And remember, this is not a very good conference. The PAC 12 is the weakest it has been in probably 15 years. So you're getting the best coach, the best offensive mind, in an increasingly offensive sport, and a star at quarterback. USC's offense will be engaging. It's not going to beat Alabama tomorrow, but it will be a very, very profitable year one.

It will do very well. They've already had 3,000 season ticket holders. They'll probably have 10,000 by the end of the week. And it will be once they start winning games, which they will, it'll be the place to be in town again. I mean, you saw the Rams game this weekend. Yeah. And that's kind of a little bit of what L.A.

is and that's what it was when USC was dominant. Like, you're just going to have the stars out. And that's a big part of what is also intriguing about USC. I mean, we've talked a lot about this, that USC is really the it's the football team here in L.A.

Obviously, unless we want to UCLA. But this is exciting. This is what we were waiting for. It kind of felt like this was going to happen. But this is a huge get for Lincoln Riley, and it's part of the reason why they brought Lincoln Riley here. He has that kind of power. Very satisfying. I wish Oklahoma the very best. They're melting down today. But, you know, not every day goes your

way. And Oklahoma has had a lot of days go their way. It has. A lot of day. And they'll be fine. Not today. Well, Tom Brady announced his retirement officially from Tom Brady. Officially. From the NFL today. And the sports world is congratulating him on an incredible career. Peyton Manning released a nice statement saying congratulations to my friend, Tom, on an unbelievable football career to do it as long as he did at the highest level. It's absolutely incredible. It was an honor and a privilege to compete against him on the field, and I truly appreciate his friendship off the field. I've always admired and respected his competitiveness, his dedication, his discipline, and his commitment to being the best. I wish him the best in his next chapter. Congrats again, pal. Uh, the New York

Jets and NBC New York had a little fun. The New York Jets said this better be real. But seriously, congrats on the first bell hall fame career, Tom Brady. We may not miss seeing you on the field, but the entire football world will. And then, uh, NBC New York said, Tom Brady, who, who lost two Super Bowls to the Giants. During his legendary 22-year NFL career retires, see his full message here, so they're having a little fun with it. The Patriots tweeted a privilege to watch

and a dream come true along with Kraft's statement. And Brady responded, thank you Patriots Nation. I'm beyond grateful. Love you all. So there you go. He didn't forget that he played for the Patriots, you guys. Yes.

No, we talked about this a little bit yesterday. The report broke on Saturday. and I had never spent any time in my professional career as a broadcaster thinking about or trying to put together any kind of farewell to Tom Brady because it's a waste of time. It's just how many years have people been speculating about when he was going to retire? He's not going to retire. He's going to let us know and then we will deal with it as such. And there's just so many layers to Tom Brady's career.

There's so many reactions you can have. I thought your list was a great one. I would add that that thumb. moments from the documentary, just seeing that open gash wound. And he played through it. Played through it. I think of so many different moments. But the thing that pops into my mind with Tom Brady is my own personal moment.

Because obviously, as the Jets are joking, like he's made so many teams suffer, especially in the AFC over the years, that there's a little bit of like when he left the Bucks like, thank you, farewell to get out of our hair. But, you know, so many people hated Tom Brady for so long. I think the Atlanta Super Bowl, when he came back from the 28 to 3 deficit, no matter what team you rooted for, how you felt about Tom Brady, that felt like the final submission. Like the Buccaneers Super Bowl was obviously like, okay,

now he's just the greatest player ever. But that moment to me was like, I'm going to, I'm just going to enjoy Tom Brady now. I'm not going to suffer. And fight it. And fight it. I just want to enjoy watching the greatest to ever play this game. do it and just enjoy it. There's no point in fighting this anymore. He's the greatest. And I think a lot of

people submitted in that particular moment in that comeback. Well, there's a lot of things in life. You can fight stuff. But I could fight the mask. I don't like wearing it. I've come to terms with it's almost ending. It's going to happen pretty close in California. But I just didn't want to fight it for two years because I realized there was, you know, there's just some things I'm willing to fight for, other things I'm not. It happens in sports, in life, in politics. Sometimes you have to ride the wave instead of fight it because it'll overwhelm you. And I think Brady's career was he had the best coach, they had the best owner, he was the best player, they had the worst division. You always had to go to their place. The weather always turned on you. It was just, you just like Alabama,

they're rolling when they won't be as good when Nick retires. Until that, they're going to be in the playoff every year. You just have to come to terms with it. Yeah, I think, I think, I think, riding the wave is a good way to describe it. Stop trying to fight it. And that's where I was. And it's been a nice wave ever since. Like, fine. I'm just watching Tom Brady. Tom Brady be great and I can appreciate him. So the Bears are entering the 2022 season with new leadership.

And they're hoping to build their team into a contender with Justin Fields with the quarterback position. And now GM, new GM, Ryan Poles, is confident that Chicago will be able to take the top spot in the NFC North. We're going to build through the draft. We're going to acquire young, fast, and physical football players. We're going to be selective in free agency, and we're going to connect evaluation with valuation. We're going to have a relentless approach to fix our weakness.

We're going to maintain great self-awareness of who we are. We're going to solve problems with open communication and candor. And we're going to consistently put players in position to succeed. And the last thing, the most important piece is we're going to take the North and never give it back. Yeah, I thought he was a little nervous. I wish him the very best. I wish people would read less at the podium. I wish stuff was more heartfelt.

Well, you know what? I don't judge people for reading. I never do that. Like even at weddings when people read the speech, because you and I communicate for a living. So I try to get people some grace, and we are excellence communicators. No question.

But we weren't always, and it's repetitions that got us to this point. So when you don't speak for a living, you got to give him a little grace. I would rather you read it and really articulate what you're going to say than ramble and talk in circles and, you know, sound crazy. Obviously, everyone reacted to the, we're going to take the North and never give it back. Look, if Aaron Rogers is there. The North is there for the taking. Like, King of the North, have at it if he's not going to be there.

I would say, you know, the Vikings are, you know, moving to the top of that list if he does end up leaving. Yeah. Because the Packers don't have a quarterback despite their, you know, really good roster. But, you know, I think that the Bears are in. an interesting position that they did make this change early in Justin Fields' career. Yeah. If you didn't think it was working with Matt and Ryan, he hired a new Matt and Ryan, and we'll see what direction it goes from here.

But Justin Fields is a really unique player. To me, what the Bears need to do in order to be successful is do what the Ravens did with Lamar Jackson. Lamar is a unique player. Justin Fields is a unique player. Build around what it is that he does best. Don't try and push him into something that. that he's not. And getting an offensive line should probably be your top priority.

Yeah, it was, I mean, they've got some interesting skill players. They have to redo their defense. It's too expensive and too much money's up front. But there's something to work with here. And every snap going forward is Justin Fields. I feel the same way in the Niners. Every snap is Trey Lance. You got a year to kind of mess around with it. It's yours. Give them support and let's go. Yep. Joy with the news. Well, that's the news. And thanks for stopping by. Lie News. Jim Harbaugh may be coming to an NFL team near you. That's coming up. Peter Schroger last hour. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays in noon Eastern 9 a.m. Pacific on Fox Sports Radio,

FS1 and the IHeart Radio app. 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 Superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the I-Hard Radio app, Apple Podcasts,

or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what 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 a little Kim? Well, you can find out on the Look Back at it podcast. I'm Sam Jett. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick it here, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it. Including a recent episode with Mark Lamont Hill waxing all about crack in the 80s. To be clear, 84 is big to me, not just because of crack. I'm down to talk about crack on day, but just so y'all know. I mean, at this point, Mark, this is the second episode. where we've discussed crack.

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

Listen to look back at it on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Welcome to my new podcast, Learn the Hardway 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.

Tripp Fontaine, Ryan Clark. Sometimes when we're in the pursuit of the thing, we get so wrapped up in the chase that we don't realize that we are in possession of the thing and we're still chasing it and we don't know when we've done enough because people scoreboard watch. Life becomes about wins and losses.

Steve Burns, Dustin Ross, because you find it important to be a good person while you hear on earth, or are you a good person because you're free? Because that's two different intentions, bro. Absolutely. And that's two different levels of trust. I want you to just really be a good person. Join me, Kear Gaines, is we have real conversations about healing,

growth, fatherhood, pressure, and purpose on my new podcast, learn the hard way. Open your free iHeartRadio app. Search, learn the hard way, and listen now. All right, great to have you in. A lot of different coaching hires. let me address the Jim Harbaugh, Minnesota Vikings story. He's interviewed now a second time, the guy in the front office that is now the GM for the Vikings, he has a relationship with.

My takeaway is Michigan football cut his pay, not a great move. They're a little trap now. So if Harbaugh left here in the next four or five days, Michigan would have no options. They would have to hire 38-year-old Josh Gaddis, the offensive coordinator. Never been a head coach. Is he ready? most people at 38 are not to take over a brand as big as Michigan. That would also mean then you'd need two new coordinators.

All the good ones are mostly hired up. Also, some of these recruits came for Harbaugh. With the transfer portal, people would start poaching Michigan big time. Now Harbaugh's 4419 and 1 in the NFL. I'd hire him in one second. I think this would be really rough on his alma monitor. it feels because of that pay cut, it feels a little scorched earth to do to your alma mater. I do think Minnesota has got a legitimate quarterback.

Kirk Cousins is very solid, more than we want to admit. They have Justin Jefferson, who's one of the great young talents in the NFL. They've got players there. But I also think, honestly, that Harbaugh can do better. And I'll give you an example. This is fine, but in one year, you're going to be looking for a quarterback. If Aaron Rogers returns for four or five years, you'll never have the best quarterback. So the NFL turns over its head coaches a quarter of the league every year.

Right? We know that. Just think about the jobs that could be open in one year in the NFL. If Harbaugh stayed, because I think if he left now, it does feel Michigan football would sort of be trapped. It's a little scorched earth feeling. in one year, Frank Reich Colts, Jim Hursay, will not, will not stand another non-playoff season. Tennessee's not getting worse. Houston, Jacksonville, probably get a little better.

Frank Reich doesn't get him to the playoffs, fair or not, he's out. Seahawks, Russell Wilson probably stays, but Pete Carroll cannot end up in third or fourth place again. And with the Rams, Stafford, and McVeigh, it's doubtful. they'll win the division, it's still rebuilding roster. And number three, the Dallas Cowboys. How many more clock management snafus is Jerry Jones going to take? So just think about that.

Colts roster, Cowboys roster, Russell Wilson, in one year, you think it's crazy. Okay, folks, we had three job openings six weeks ago. Now we have nine, and they're getting filled quickly. None of us thought Brian Flores would get whacked. The Gruden thing was out of left field. That shocked a lot of people. You know, Mike Zimmer,

Vic Fangio, we sort of saw coming, but I thought Joe Judge was going to, the owner said they liked him. And then one day they didn't like him. So I think, I honestly think that Jim Harbaugh can do better. And that's not a knock at Minnesota. I think it's a fine

job. But in this league, it's pretty obvious. You're as good as your quarterback. And in one year, they'll be looking for a quarterback. So I thought about this this morning. So I think it's fair to say that Tom Brady defined football for about the last 22 years. And so I was thinking this morning, if we looked at football and you and I had to predict, what would define football over the next 20 years?

and there's like four things I think about based on where the league is headed. The number one thing I think will define football going forward. You're going to see more young, smart, analytic coaches. The sport, the biggest fear the NFL has is like a death on the field. That's been documented. The sport has less hitting than ever, less violence, less harsh practice. young offensive coaches. Who do we have in the Super Bowl?

McVane, Zach Taylor. Who do they beat? Andy Reed and Kyle Shanahan. We may have, we have 19 of 32 coaches will be offensive minimum in a week. It could be up to 21 based on who teams higher. Increasingly, this sport will be shaped around the offensive coaches. The sport's getting younger. It's getting smarter.

And the coaches that embrace that, they're coming from college, they're coming as assistants. You've seen this over the last five, six years. Coaches are getting younger. They're more in analytics. And the second thing that will define the next 20 years is the quarterbacks they coach. Because of the seven-on-seven camps, because coaching high school quarterbacks is now an actual career, you're going to see more great athletes who would have played other positions play quarterback. And you'll still have pocket guys. There's going to be a lot of Matt Staffords who are high school baseball, and they got a big arm and they go to the NFL and they can move a little.

The pocket guy's not going away if he's supremely talented. Look at college football. There's plenty of guys winning games that are pocket quarterbacks. But I do think it'll be defined by young coaches and by the quarterbacks they, you know, embrace. Number three, because of the global wealth from tech, I think the league is going to be more about winning now. It's going to be more transactional.

I think coaches will be fired more quickly. owners now are all multi-billionaires. $40 million checks are rounding errors. We're starting to see it now. Coaches get in moods. Brian Flores doesn't work for me. He's 1-8 of 9. Boom, I'm starting over.

The sport's going to be more transactional. There'll be more free agencies. More players demanding, I don't want to play here. I want to play there. You're seeing it in college football with a transfer portal. You're going to see more of that in the NFL. And number four, I think you're going to have, this is a great. one for the fans. I think you're seeing it with the Bengals. I think you're going to have more

parity is that there's so many good quarterbacks and so many good coaches that we saw it a lot this year where there were so many games we thought, what a zany upset? And then Joy and I'd be like, is that an upset? The bottom's going to be small because there's just going to be four and five quarterbacks emerging on a semi-annual basis. The top is going to be good, but there'll be so many good quality quarterbacks at the top. They'll knock each other off, just like like this year. The league will be overwhelmingly about the 22 teams, 24 teams close to the middle. We're going to have more upsets, fewer dynasties, more parody, more Joe Burrow stories, more young coaches, more great quarterbacks, more urgency, more transactional. And the winner is

us. This was the best football season of my life. The last six football games are what the league is going to look like. Young coaches, amazing young quarterbacks, you can't believe the parody. Every game feels like it goes down to the wire and transactional. We're already talking about Aaron Rogers leaving and Russell Wilson leaving and that's

going to be the world we live in. If you're a traditionalist, you know, I've told friends this before is that you can ride the waiver you can fight it. You know, there's just certain things that are going to control our lives going forward. One of them is tech. If you don't embrace it,

tech, if you don't put your arms around tech, it's going to be a bumpy ride because it's built by the richest, smartest people to make our lives easier and more efficient. So if you're a humbug, get off my lawn, I don't like tech, you're going to be old school real fast. You're going to be outdated regularly. And I think in football, if you're a traditionalist and I, the same baseball, this sport has pulled away. I said this last week. The NFL ratings. grew in one year grew. The growth number is greater than the ratings for the NBA finals last year.

Gambling is jet fuel for this sport. It is now taking over the sports world. It was always number one. It's just engulfing everything now. Peter Schrager around the corner. Our number three, Caleb Williams to USC potty time. Another podcast from some SNL late night comedy guy, not quite on human. Remember 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 in cursory. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast's Superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year.

Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the IHard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, what's good, y'all? You're listening to learn the hard weight with your favorite therapy. and hosts Kear Games. This space is about black men's experiences, having honest conversations that it's really not safe to have anywhere, but you're having them with a licensed professional

who knows what he's doing. How many men carry a suit or armor? It signals to the world that you not to be played with. And just because you have the capability that does not mean that you need to. Listen to learn the hard way on the AHA radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. Joe and I are both lifelong Star Wars fan, so we're celebrating May the 4th with a brand new week of fun, thought-provoking Star Wars-related episodes. Join us as we tackle science and culture topics from a galaxy far, far away, such as the biology of tauntons and wampas on the ice planet hot, or the practicality and corporate business sense of the Sith rule of two. Listen to stuff to blow your mind on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. This is an IHeart podcast.

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