The Herd with Colin Cowherd - HOUR 2 - Derek Carr, Nets, QBs

Episode Date: July 5, 2022

Derek Carr doesn't get the respect he deserves  Colin ranks the 10 best QBs in the NFL The Nets couldn't rely on Kyrie IrvingGuests: Ethan Strauss, Dan WetzelSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Ah, here we go. Hour 2. It's the herd live in Los Angeles. Wherever you may be and however you may be listening, IHard Radio, Fox Sports Radio, FS1. Alex Curry's joining me, Joy Taylor off today. You know, it's interesting. We are in the opinion business.

Our job is not to cover all the sports. That's not we do. We're not a newspaper. We're not sports center. we have big, strong opinions on the biggest stories in our eyes of the day. Now, this is a very, very slow time of the year, right? Like, this is the slowest four or five weeks. Little NBA stuff, some college football stuff, some NFL stuff.

But, you know, I was thinking about something Brett Farv said a couple days ago. And what he said, I believe the opposite is true. And I don't think it's controversial. I think what he said would be more controversial. So Brett Farb came out and said, Devonte Adams is really going to miss Aaron Rogers. And my takeaway is, no, that's not true at all. Devante Adams is going to crush with Derek Carr and the Raiders. Aaron doesn't have a number one receiver on his team.

Tampa's got like three. Rams got a couple. And so the opposite of what Brett Farv is true. Now, and I think a big component to this is Derek Carr. And it's got to become a running joke on the show. I think it's obvious he's a top 10 quarterback. Just like I thought it was obvious. I never once thought it was controversial to say that Baker Mayfield was not talented enough to be a number one pick.

I always said he was a franchise quarterback. I wouldn't draft him as a franchise quarterback, but he is a franchise quarterback. But he's not a number one pick, his size, his arm, his athletic ability, even his personality. He's not a number one pick. I don't know how that became controversial. It's not controversial. He's not. He's not close to an elite quarterback.

But he's good enough to start in the last. league. And I also don't think saying Derek Carr is a top 10 quarterback, it's amazing how much pushback I get on it. I think it's obvious. Now, is it as obvious as Mahomes or Josh Allen is a top 10 quarterback? No. But I think a lot of it is because we have to see things for them to be true. And his size is okay. His mobility is okay. His arm is good. It's not great. And we like something to be unbelievable. I think his unbelievable ability is fourth quarter comebacks. I think he's very cool, very collected. He leads the NFL in fourth quarter comebacks. He does. Derek Carr, surrounded by mayhem the last seven years.

So I thought this morning, I thought, you know, instead of just talking about this, and I always get all this pushback, I'm like, I would just tell you my top 10 quarterbacks in the league, I think it's fairly obvious. I haven't done this list. I don't think in a long time, top 10 quarterbacks. I think Mahomes is the best. He has the highest pass rating in league history, and he's won Super Bowls. So, I mean, his come from behind game against Buffalo, that's very rare space. I think number two is actually more talented than him,

but he hasn't won enough big games yet, Josh Allen. High-ass pass rating a single postseason last year. He's bigger than Mahomes. He's more mobile than Mahomes. I think he's a combination of Ben, Cam Newton, but better than both, Josh Allen's two. I'd put Brady at three out of, respect. He did lead the NFL in passing yards and has since he joined the Bucks. I think he's the best

pre-snap quarterback along with Peyton Manning and League history. Nobody is cooler late in games than Tom Brady. I'd put him three. Aaron Rogers four. Aaron's not very good in crisis. He doesn't have a lot of come from behind wins considering how many years he's been in the league. But he's a back-to-back MVP. He looks different when he plays. He throws the most beautiful ball. He's wildly gifted. but he doesn't he's not great trailing late and he's not great in big games. I put Russell Wilson five. I think he's going to crush. And the other thing about Russell Wilson,

he's the only quarterback in the last four years in the NFL with a pass rating over 100. That was with a defensive coach and a shaky offensive line and a shaky defense. And he's it. Number six and seven are Matt Stafford is number six. And I put him ahead of Joe Burrow, who he beat in the championship game. Stafford had 50 touchdown passes. last year. And then Burl is amazing. Burl led the NFL in completion percentage and yards

per attempt last year with a bad O line. That is unbelievable. A number eight, Justin Herbert, in the history of the NFL, no quarterback has thrown for as many yards or as many touchdowns in their first two years. Again, his first year was with a terrible offensive line. So, and a defensive coach is for, well, no, no, a fired coach. So I'd put him eight. I put Tyler Murray 9, closest thing to Russell Wilson. He's gotten better every year, a total playmaker, one of the hardest guys to defend in the league. And then I would bet 10 Derek Carr.

And I'll just give you my Derek Carr numbers. Leads every quarterback in the NFL last seven years. And this is with the Raiders and the shaky coaching and the chaos. And battle lines leads every quarterback with 30 game winning drives. Since entering the league in 2014. He had the highest completion percentage. All quarterbacks in the league last four years. He's the most accurate quarterback, and he's the only quarterback last year, top five in passenger yards and completion.

I don't think it's controversial. I think it's obvious. In fact, there's arguments to be made. You can put him in the eight, nine spot because he completely carried a team and beat Justin Herbert head to head in the game where the winner goes to the playoffs. Now, I think he's more mobile than Matt Ryan, who you could. argue as number 11. He's more accurate than Dak Prescott. You could argue is number 11. He can play from behind. I don't know if Lamar Jackson can. And Kirk Cousins, to me, shrinks in big games. So that's why he's 10 and they're not. But I don't think it's that. I don't think it's, I mean, he moves better

than Matt. He's more accurate than Dak. He's a prettier thrower of the football. That sort of matters. I think he plays brilliantly from behind. We don't know if Lamar does at this point. A lot of doubters on that. And Kirk Cousins has been the quarterback who we all think is talented, but shrinks in big spots. Derek's the opposite. Leads the NFL and fourth quarter comeback since he entered the league. So there you go. And when I say it, it's like the Baker argument. I don't think it's that difficult. I don't think it's that controversial. When you can carry a team that is in utter chaos to the playoffs in a good division, I don't know. I thought all the doubters, I think just people don't want to be wrong on it.

and I think he went to Fresno State and you didn't watch him in college and he got hurt and he hadn't made the playoffs a lot and he doesn't jump off the screen with his size or his arm. Those are your 10 best in the sport. I don't think it's that arguable.

I may have Stafford too low or burrow too low. You can argue that. Herbert too high. That's your 10 best. Ethan Strauss is a host of the Warriors NBA podcast called House of Strauss. He covered him for years. he wrote the victory machine, the making and unmaking of the Warriors dynasty. So when you read these stories about KD to the Warriors,

and I said yesterday, listen, if I could steal him, if it was Wiseman and Wigan for KD, I'd take him. But you know this organization well. You and KD had your battles. Are you rolling your eyes at these reports, or do you think there's something, Ethan, too? I'm not rolling my eyes at the reports, right? Because a lot of people did that in 2016, if you remember. It just seemed like it was too decadent for Katie to come to the lawyers, just like it is now. But I'll tell you what's funny about it, Colin.

This is the one situation in basketball where it would represent a maximizing from both sides of winning a title. And yet none of us think it will happen. Every other situation, we're thinking about how do the Lakers maximize their chance of winning a title? How do the Nets maximize their chance of winning a title? from both sides. How does LeBron get a title? This is the one situation when we look at it and we go, this is probably the best path for KD winning another title. It's probably the best path for the Warriors. It always worked when he was on the court with them until he got hurt. And yet, Colin, it just feels like getting remarried to your second wife. It's awkward. It's weird. Nobody wants it.

It's not good show business. And those factors seem like they outweigh the factors of winning. a title as much as we say it's all about winning a title. Some titles matter more than others. You know, when he decides, I said this, there are there are franchise players that you would build around Janus, Magic, Bird, Steph Curry. There's a personality, Tim Duncan, D. Wade. And it's not always just talent. It usually is. And then there are guys that I would call franchise enhancers. Kawhi Leonard, A.D. Kevin Durant is that they're flighty, they're impulsive. They're often not, they keep things to themselves. I don't trust that I can build around them. I think KD. by leaving the nets abruptly, he's becoming a little Kauai Leonard to me.

Is that unfair? I don't think it's unfair, but we should remember that that's most superstars in the NBA now. I mean, there's one guy, one guy. If you want to be really in control of your basketball team, your organization will have had to drafted, had to have drafted Steph Curry in 2009. And maybe, maybe, maybe honest, right? Maybe Okic, but for the most part, these superstars want what they want. They're not loyal to any situation. And it's really funny, Colin, to see Joe Sy, the owner of the Nets throw this tantrum, put his foot down, say, no, I don't want Kyrie. Well, what happens? Then KD wants out and he has to cater to KD. AD kind of called his bluff.

You know, none of these owners are in control. It speaks to something about the NBA that a lot of fans don't like and some fans like, which is that it's a players league, the players are in control, they are your boss, and you just have to hope you have a once-in-a-generation superstar like a Steph Curry or a Tim Duncan because then you can build around, then you're allowed to do your job. Otherwise, your job is just placating the superstar and that's how it goes. You know the Warriors very well. And we've said there's an argument they lost Gary Payton, who was a very valuable, versatile defender.

You know, Otto Porter, that's fine. That's not going to be a deal breaker. Generally, I am a believer that even if you win a championship, the Rams, for instance, they win a championship. They move off Robert Woods. They get Alan Robinson. They feel that's an upgrade at wide receiver. They get Bobby Wagner. They are not going to stand pat.

They are going to make moves. And so with the Warriors, do you think deep in the reservoir of Bob Myers and Steve Kerr? Are they sitting there thinking, listen, we got a little lucky, Kauai got hurt, AD LeBron got hurt, or do you believe right now Kerr and Bob Myers think we don't need KD? We should be an overwhelming favorite next year. It's a great question. It's a great question. I don't know if Steve Kerr wants to go another round or two with KD.

That was a story that had really run out between those two. He was taking shot after shot at Steve Kerr in those press conferences, mocking the idea of playing with joy, saying sarcastically, oh, we're supposed to play with joy. He was completely trying to subvert whatever Kerr was doing towards the end. So even if, and he would never say it publicly, but even if that would give the Warriors an edge, there's something called the Iron Law of Institutions, Colin.

We see it in sports all the time, which is that people care more, about their power within an organization, then the power and effectiveness of the organization. Nobody admits it, but we're all built that way. So I don't see Kerr wanting this, even if it might give the Warriors an edge. And if he can tell himself that the Warriors can win without Katie, then I just think he just wouldn't want that. And then you also have to remember, Colin, the Warriors really prioritize building from within with these draft picks. It's the VC mentality. We get something that nobody else wants or doesn't have that much value. We get it. and on the cheap, we build.

So yes, it's hard. They might be losing some guys they need. But I think the mentality from Joe Lake of the owner is, we've got Moody, we've got Cominga. It's next guy up. It's next generation. Let's go. And that's why they're saying goodbye to maybe some of these role players who have helped

them win a championship. Draymond Green has obviously been good for my business, the podcast business. And I love him and he's great. But it was interesting. He did get a lot of push. during the finals and the playoffs for doing a podcast, even though I thought it was silly, that's my view. Do you think that ever, you know, after a loss and Draymond, because we had teams saying

they would listen to Drayman's podcast, they were listening to it and listening to it for clues on what the Warriors were going to do? Do you think anybody in the walls of the Warriors was uncomfortable with Draymond's public podcasting assertions and proclamations during the run? Oh, certainly, but nothing succeeds like success. I mean, that's what's so great. That's why your guy is on a world tour and he's telling everybody to eat it is because he knows that they were all waiting with the knives out to crush him if the Warriors lost while he was podcasting and invoting so much time to podcasting. But what do we do, Colin? We play the result in sports. We say, I know you shouldn't have gone for it on fourth down or whatever. We just wait for the result and we judge you on the basis of it. I think it's great for him. It's great for you. that he has proven. He has broken the podcasting barrier, Colin, and shown that you can win a championship while having a second job in this way. I don't think the Warriors wanted it. I don't

think it's what they really were cheering on. But hey, he was amazing in those last two games. He was essential. And it's the story of Draymond and the Warriors. He might drive them crazy, but in the end, he's worth it. You know, I said this. The NBA playoffs ratings were pretty solid. The finals were a mess. I don't particularly. know why Celtics and Warriors, I thought, were likable, they're good brands. Some of it, I thought, was America had been locked inside during COVID. The minute kids got out of school in late May, parents just left. You couldn't get on a plane. Hotels were full. Now, that's my interpretation of why the ratings went down, but you've been on this for years and years, is that, and sometimes

you've talked about this, and it makes NBA people uncomfortable, the NBA has got a ratings issue. And it's not good. College football, NFL, baseball's had a bit of a renaissance. USFL, actually, for year one, beat actually occasionally an NBA game. Hockey. What do you make of the disastrous rating finals? Because I love the finals, but again, I live in my bubble. That doesn't mean America viewed it. Do you think the league cares about it? How do you explain it? Oh, the league deeply cares about it. You know that. They yell at you. And, hey, to be clear, clear, the league is going to make a lot more money. When they sign the next TV deal, it would be for a lot more than the last one. But if they were going gangbusters, if they were growing in

viewership, then that would be tens of billions of dollars extra into their coffers. So they definitely care. What do I make of the ratings being solid up until the finals? What I make is this. I think the NBA die hard has not left. So they have a certain floor. But the casual, so many casual fans have abandoned them because you have a dream matchup right there of the Warriors versus the Celtics and it's about half of what you would get for Warriors versus Cavs in 2016, 2017, maybe a little bit more than half. And it's a combination of factors. One of the factors we're seeing, which is that Kevin Durant says, you know what, let me out of here. You know, I chose all my teammates. I chose my coach. I chose my whole situation. I don't want it. I'm gone. I'm loyal to

Nothing. Fans see that. They're not into it. The load management, I think, has worded some people away. And then this is the one that's the most fraught, even though to me it's the most obvious. It's the one people don't want to admit, which is, yes, the politics. Even when people agree with the politics, they don't necessarily want it. There was that horrific shooting before the NBA finals and much of the ESPN leading coverage was about that. That's something where if you have a certain politics or offended by it, and also, even if you agree with it, with the messaging. Maybe it's not what you want to be thinking about when you're getting ready for the NBA finals. Yes, that is also a factor in what has happened, I believe. Yeah, well, a lot of people think sports is an escape. It isn't for me, but it is for a lot of people. They want to go, whether it's to the movie theater, to an NBA or NFL game, and they want to get out of the bad news. They want to get into the fun. Ethan Strauss has a podcast, House of Strauss. I think it's as good as any podcast on the market. It's great seeing you again, my friend. We'll talk soon. anytime Colin love to do it you bet um yeah it it was interesting because generally i always feel outside

of the home run derby in baseball and the pro bowl in the NFL which i don't care about at all uh and america loves them i kind of feel like if i like it you like it if it's uh the masters and it's a great sunday i'm watching you're watching NFL big college games march madness by the way had fantastic ratings and the quality of college basketball is it nearly as good as the quality of NBA basketball. So it's interesting. If you look at pro and college sports, the pro sport always beats the college sport. NHL, Stanley Cup, crushes college hockey.

NFL beats college football 4 to 1. Baseball, Major League Baseball trumps easily the World Series, the college World Series. And then in basketball, it's different. March Madness gets consistently this year bigger numbers than a lot of NBA playoff games. So what is the rub? Is it politics? Is it the COVID people in, you know, the NBA season goes later now. So when your kids are out of school, a lot of parents don't care. They were trapped for two years.

They got in their cars on a train, on a plane, and they left. And how do I know that? Because the travel business, despite the fact we're in what many believe is a recession, is exploding. It's exploding in Europe. It's exploding in America. Hotels, flights. You can't get them. You can't book them.

So I don't have the answer for a lot of this. but I think the question is always interesting. I think what's at stake is also there too. March Madness, one and done. Everything's on the line that one game. And then you're watching these NBA long playoff series. Not every game matters as much as the next. And we saw in a lot of these games, it was either a really close game or it was a blowout

by halftime. And it was just like, okay, well, I'm going to leave now. Yeah, the three-point shot, you know, it's funny about analytics. I don't think it's help baseball. It's home runs or strikeouts. I do not think analytics has helped baseball. I do not think it's helped the NBA. It is a three-point shooting contest.

I think people like dunks and they like situational basketball and they like mid-range jumpers. And too often the sport is just walk up and launch a three. It's not aesthetically very appealing. The NFL has been very fortunate in that I think analytics has helped the sport, less punting. More going for it on fourth down now. Like you're mocked if you don't go on fourth down. You're like an old dinosaur coach. So I think sometimes analytics can help you.

Sometimes analytics can hurt you. And I think the NFL is fortunate that it's made their game more daring. Fewer punts. More fourth downs. More going for two. That makes the game more exciting. Baseball basketball, I don't think, have been served nearly as well by analytics. One more herd?

The herd streams 24 hours a day, seven days a week, within the IHeart radio app. Search heard to listen live or on demand whenever you'd like. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque. Others say

it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast's Superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days I'd put on 10 pounds, I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth.

Listen to Superhuman on the IHard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what you're saying. Yep, that's me, Clivert 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, Unthinker. filtered conversations with some of your favorite athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. One week, I'll take you behind the scenes of the biggest moments in sports and entertainment, and the next we'll talk about life, mental health, purpose, and even music. The Clivert 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-tapped 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 a podcast. I'm Sam Jek. And I'm Alex English.

Each episode, we pick a here, unpack what we. went down and tried to make sense of how we survived it. Including a recent episode with Mark Lamont Hill, waxing all about crack in the 80s. To be clear, 84 is big to me, not just because of crack. I'm down to talk about crack all day, 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 the table right now, so.

Thank you for finishing that sentence. Yes. I don't think there's a more important year for black people. Really? Yeah. For me, it's one of the most important years for black people in American history. Listen to look back at it on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. 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 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,

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fatherhood, pressure, and purpose on my new podcast, Learn the Hardway. Open your free I Heart Radio app. Search Learn the Hardway and listen now. Saturday, it's baseball night in America. On Fox, Aaron Judge, looks to continue his MVP season as he leads the Yankees against the rival Red Sox or the Giants Battle the Padres.

It all begins to 7 Eastern on Fox. Check for the game in your area. Good stuff. Dan Wetzel, there's a, unbelievable story out. How fast this Big Ten thing is working and what's happening to the Pact 12? Wow. It is lightning fast. We'll get to that in a little bit. Here is Alex with the news. No, no, no, no. Turn on the news. This is the herd line news. Well, the nets are not rushing to trade Kevin Duran and are reportedly exploring all of their options to get the best deal. Now, the

Sons have been one of the top teams mentioned as a potential landing spot for KD. And according to Fox Bet, they have the best odds to get them at plus 200. Then you have the Raptors at plus 350, 76ers, plus 750. The Warriors are down at 8th. I know we've been talking a lot about that today at plus 2,200. Well, the Sons make so much sense. So much sense. Because the Nets get foundational pieces in return.

And what I like about the Sons is Chris Paul is the leader of the franchise. He's the most verbal guy. He loves that. He embraces that totally. and Kevin Durant and Devin Booker, they just want to hoop. So listen, if he landed on the sons today, you would have to put the sons in the top three or four in the NBA with the Celtics, with the bucks, with the Warriors and the Sons.

So he absolutely enhances their chances. And the Phoenix would not ask him to do what he appears to be not interested in doing, which is being the go-to verbal guy. Yeah. That's not, you know, Kevin acknowledges, I want a ball. Phoenix is a place he can go. The nets get good pieces. And again, I would mortgage some of my future if I was Phoenix.

We've never won a title. We've gotten close. I would mortgage some of my future for Chris Paul, Devin, Booker, and KD. Yeah. And as you mentioned, Chris Paul is the verbal leader. But as we saw in this last playoffs, he's not that missing piece that can get them over that championship hump. He can get them there. You feel like with Phoenix, every time they play a great team, they don't have the best player on the floor.

If they play the Warriors, it's Steph. If they play Milwaukee, it's Yonis. If they played the clippers, it would be Kauai. If they play, I mean, if they play the Pelicans again, you could argue, depending on his health, it would be Zion. If they play Memphis, it would be Jha. If they played Minnesota, if they played Dallas, it would be Luca. It always feels like Phoenix, as well constructed as they are. When they play the best teams, they never have the best player.

No. And that historically, that was the difference between the Celtics and the Warriors. Steph was more consistently the best player on the floor. Jason Tatum was often the second best Celtic to Jalen Brown. Big fan of Chris Paul, but he only scored 20 or more points in one of those games against the Mavs. And in two of those games, single, only scored nine and five. So you need that missing piece. As you said, makes the most sense.

All right, moving on. The Jazz made a big trade sending Rudy Gobert to the Timberwolves. They got multiple first round picks in the deal laying the foundation for a rebuild. Now, Donovan Mitchell was thought to be the next player on the move, but the Jazz aren't planning to let him go just yet. Utah has reportedly shut down any team that is called about Mitchell and insisting that they will rebuild their roster around him. Now, when you're going to rebuild, nothing's off the table. And isn't this what you would want to say if you want to bring up his value a little bit? Well, I was thinking about this yesterday as I talked about

it. So Danny Aange, when he rebuilt the Celtics, they didn't bottom out. They were actually a decent basketball team. And I was sitting there where we're talking yesterday about Gobert. And obviously Danny Ains thought, I'm not going to pay Rudy Gobert what I would pay a star player. He's not good enough offensively. And Joe Ingalls was getting expensive. So with Gobert, you get five picks.

Danny wants to rebuild. But Donovan's their best player. He's an all-star level player. Is it possible that Danny Aange is going to rebuild? He's just going to keep this one. one piece. I mean, it's been proven in the NBA.

Boston did it. You don't have to be awful before you get to a finals. You can rebuild on draft picks. You hit a couple of draft picks. You get the right coach. So, and I'm not saying this from an insider's perspective, but I did think about this yesterday is, are we sure they're going to blow it all up?

I mean, can you find Donovan Mitchell on the market? There's not a lot of Donovan Mitchell out there. Rudy Gobert for that price. Could I get 70%? of a shot blocking rim protector without paying that kind of money. Plus, Minnesota gave you five picks. You have to make that deal. Yeah. That was an unbelievable deal for Rudy Gobert. That's a once in a franchise deal. Oh yeah. You can't duplicate that. No way. I personally think he's doing it to gain leverage, maybe drive up the price a little bit, but you think he's going to stay.

Well, I don't know. I'm not saying it from a place of knowledge. Yeah. But Danny Age's history is, I want to be, it's hard to find players as good as Donovan Mitchell in the NBA. Think of all of Danny. Think of all of Danny Aege's draft picks. Jason's a star. Jalen Brown is considered a really good player and Marcus Smart's good on defense. All those picks, a lot of them didn't work. A couple of his big moves. Kyrie didn't work. Gordon Hayward didn't work.

So, I mean, again, your percentage in the NFL, it's different because I have at least three years of tape, sometimes four years of tape. In the NBA, you don't want to have, I had an NFL GM tell me this not long ago. He said, I don't want to give you a star and get six draft picks. I'm going to miss on three of those. You're guessing by the fourth round, right? It's just projection. So my takeaway is, I love the, once you get five picks for Rudy Gobert, what do I need more picks for?

It's true. I need a good player, and I don't think there's a good player. and I don't think there's a lot of Donovan Mitchell's out there. We'll see. That's a good point. All right, switching gears, Baker Mayfield is still waiting for a trade from the Browns, but no deal seems to be on the horizon. There have been plenty of rumors of potential trade destinations for him.

The Panthers and the Seahawks have been two of the teams mentioned the most. But now the Browns are in a holding pattern with Deshawn Watson. We're all waiting to hear the outcome of that. There's talk that staying in Cleveland could be Baker's best option if Deshawn is out for a while. remember NFL training camp people are reporting in two to three weeks veteran date for a Browns is July 26th I still think Cleveland is the best landing spot for Baker Mayfield. Yes, he would have to swallow a lot of pride. A lot.

A lot of pride. But he did not have a great ending there. He could kind of get a little bit of redemption and build a market back up for himself. Because obviously right now, no one's wanting you, no one's coming after you. There's no market right now. Create a market for yourself again. Fans are going to be more receptive because of the whole Deshaun Watson situation. Alex with the news.

Good stuff. Well, that's the news. And thanks for stopping by. The Heard Lye News. Woj at ESPN reports today. The Lakers have not put in an aggressive bid for Kyrie Irving yet. The truth is the Lakers are probably negotiating against themselves. And, you know, the old law of the land is don't negotiate against yourself.

slow play it, be stubborn. So two things, Kyrie wants to play in L.A. We know that to be true. And Kyrie's got the kind of personality and has talked about retirement. If you traded him to a team he didn't like, he may just close up shop. And everybody in the league knows that. So the Lakers also have a couple of things going for them. They have LeBron and AD. They have two stars. They're not star desperate. Like a third of the teams in this league, like don't even have one star. The Lakers have two. Be that as it may, they get hurt. They're not always available. two stars. Second of all, the Lakers brand in Los Angeles is powerful. They could keep Westbrook for another year. It's not like nobody's going to show up. They got LeBron. It's the Laker brand.

It's very powerful. A lot of season tickets. So they could slow play it. You know, the other thing to think about is with the Anthony Davis deal, everybody looks at it as a big win with Anthony Davis because they got a championship. Well, if you get a championship in Phoenix, it would be worth a mess after. But the Lakers are a mess after. they've got a bunch of championships. So they gave away too much for Anthony Davis. They gave away three firsts, Brandon Ingram, who's become an all-star, Josh Arr, Lanzo ball. And it's why, frankly, the pelicans are so viable right now. They got a lot in return.

So I would say this, tell me outside of the Lakers where Kyrie Irving works. Let's start with nowhere and go from there. So if I'm the Lakers, I slow play it. Woz is saying there's not a deal on the table. But, you know, Kyrie checks a lot of those bad boxes, which is he's toxic. He's impulsive. He's unpredictable. He's not available. He gets hurt. Now, he has not declined. That's the one thing I'll defend Kyrie. He is still an absolutely doesn't need a screen, doesn't need help. He'll get a great shot. Most guys in the NBA, even the great players, need a screen to get a great shot. Kyrie is not. He is just absolutely incredible, but he doesn't fit because he's a lot of bad boxes. So I think you slow play it and see what pans out. I wouldn't be shocked if nobody bit on. him and the Brooklyn Nets are stubborn, but my

guess is they're going to make a deal with Phoenix for KD, and after they get that deal, they won't be as stubborn, and they'll probably take what they can get, which is Westbrook's expiring contract and maybe a draft pick. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays in noon Eastern, 9 a.m. Pacific.

On Fox Sports Radio, FS1, and the IHeard Radio app. Mike check. If you want exclusive insight from the biggest names in the sports game, What's good? This is national champion and former pro baller Chris Johnson. Let me tell you a little bit about my new series, KJ Live. KJ Live is the only show featuring me going one-on-one with the brightest basketball minds on the planet to get the real.

And when I say real, I mean that real. I got legendary Hall of Famers, elite coaches, and the top basketball insiders bringing you a unique perspective on all things who's culture that you will not find anywhere else. To make your next move, your best move. And tap in with me on KJ Live, wherever you get your podcast from. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal, but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential.

Either way, the podcast's Superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the I-Hard radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is a win. A win is a win.

I don't care what you're saying. Yep, that's me, 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, so. 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.

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Well, he's written a lot of books about college football. He's a national columnist for almost 20 years with Yahoo Sports. He and Pat 40 do a college football podcast called College Football in Choir. there has been a tsunami of activity in the sport I absolutely love. So, Dan, first of all, thanks for coming on a show. And let's start with this, that I would argue this morning that Notre Dame is the only big national brand left in America, not in either the SEC or the Big Ten. I think Clemson tends to feel regional.

So does Florida State. So does Oregon, although they're terrific, terrific programs. But Big Bama. Ohio State, Michigan, USC. That's what it feels like to me. Am I right or wrong on that? I think the ACC's still got a few pieces. Clemson's much bigger now.

Miami, Florida State can still do it. But you're mostly right. This is very, very quickly becoming the big two, not the Power Five. Yeah. Dan, I read a story this morning, a tweet, actually, is the Big 12 is acting quickly. And they want to gobble up the Arizona

schools. They want to gobble up, Oregon, Washington. What is the PAC 12 if that happens? Pac-12 is dead if anybody else deserts. So the Big 12 is trying to get what they can out of it. They would take them all and figure it out. Or I think what they're really expect is maybe they can get the two Arizona schools, Utah and Colorado, and sell them on the idea this is a better fit. Oregon and Washington are going to jump the moment they can jump. And so even if you get them for five years or six years during some kind of TV deal, you know that the time is ticking where they're going to try to get out. So the PAC 12 announced today they're going to immediately start negotiating their next

college, their next television deal in an effort to kind of lock all 10 schools in and potentially add, you know, a San Diego state or a Boise, but I don't know if that's going to work. Certainly the PAC 12 would be busted up and quite, incredibly a league that dates back to 1913 could be essentially finished after 2024. So perilous, perilous times for sports on the West Coast. How do you think USC, UCLA work in the Big Ten? What's your takeaway? Some worry about the weather, the time.

I don't think the schedule is that daunting for the football teams. It could be for Olympic sports. But what did you make of it going forward? You know, it's just a moment where these schools said, you know, we're bringing way too much value to our conference. have to get in the big two and this is it this is our shot it fits better than going to the cc the travels a little bit easier and i think they'll do fine in football uh i think it in basketball as well but i think the obviously you know if you're UCLA baseball right now this is a you know it's a terrible thing but they don't care about baseball nobody cares about anything but the football

money and the amount of money they can get in the big 10 be 50 60 million dollars more than the Pact 12 per year. And so, you know, over four years, that's a quarter billion dollars up to. So you have to kind of do it at that point. I wish I didn't, but this is all business. This was the best option. It's either that or go to the SEC for UCLA and USC to get in with all the really good academic schools of the Big Ten, to get in with a lot of schools that are kind of like-minded. As weird as it seems, it was sort of a move they had to make. Yeah, Big Ten's a really good academic conference. What do you make in Notre Dame? Dan going forward?

Well, they want to be independent. They want to maintain their independence. Certainly the amount of money the Big Ten and SEC will get will dwarf what they have. That is a less of a concern at Notre Dame for the people I talk to. Notre Dame has a little smaller athletic department than say Ohio State or Michigan. It's about $150 million, not 210 or something like that, which is significant. Notre Dame has money.

No one has ever been on their campus and said, boy, these guys are broke. They painted the dome gold. Okay, so they got money. Their concern is access to the playoff. If you don't have access to the playoff, recruiting is drying up and you're done as a major thing. So if it gets the point where you essentially have to be in a conference, particularly one of two conferences, to play in this playoff, then Notre Dame's going to have to join. They were big proponents of the playoff plan that got rejected in January that essentially would have assured them a path to the postseason going forward when their teams are good. And that would have maintained their independence forever.

But for them, number one thing is access to the playoff. That keeps them as a major brand. But they prefer independence. If they get backed into some kind of corner with the playoff, they'll go to the big tent. Let me be glass half full guy. There's a seven-year ratings and attendance decline in the sport, that it needs a B-12 shot. It needs more good games. and I've said this.

First, Labor Day weekend has 95 games, and there's two I have to watch. Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oregon, Georgia. Following weekend, there's 95 or so games. I have to watch one game, Texas, Bama. USC and UCLA to the Big Ten, and Texas, Oklahoma to the SEC, Dan, that gives me so many fascinating games.

And as a consumer, I don't care about the 76 Rose Bowl. I mean, that's part of me that thinks the sport's got a big game problem. There's too many blowouts and lobsided affairs. Yeah, I mean, look, the sports struggles to get games over 8 million, even 4 million, which is kind of the Mark television talks about as a big time college football game, 4 million viewers.

That's a paltry number for the NFL. So to get to 10 million, you're talking maybe a couple a year, in Ohio State, Michigan, a Notre Dame Clemson, a LSU, Alabama, SEC title game. To get more of those certainly has the appeal. think if you're a casual football fan, I can see where this makes a lot of sense. I don't need all these easy games. I don't need the non-conference games that don't matter. Play nine league games. Let's organize this. However, I think if you're a more hardcore fan of college football in general, you don't have to love the 72 Blue Bonnet Bowl or something like that,

but you can really appreciate that college football matters in Wazoo. I like having Boise State out there. like knowing that when, I don't know, you know, just to Arizona and Arizona State are playing it. The game matters. There's a lot of heat. There's rivalries. You want the entire circus of the 130 schools playing for one championship. So it's sort of a mix.

But I think if you're more of someone like, I only want to watch the big games, this is probably better for you and you could go half full. If you like the sport at all and the unique nature of it, though, this is tough because even though, you know, look, these schools will make more money. great you're going to get 70 million 100 million dollars a year from TV none of that is going to like lower tuition or the tickets or anything like that it's not going to help anybody it just means there's a lot more buyout money for coaches and things like that Dan wetzel columnist yahoo sports for almost 20 years podcast with pat 42 smart guys great senior thank you for coming on the show

thanks column talk to you soon you bet dan wetzel yeah i think for the die hard um you know it's funny because I didn't grow up in a, you know, child of divorce. I didn't have this traditional family. I mean, I did live in the same house for, you know, like 18 years, same high school. But I've moved around the country. So I'm not as beholden. And it's not always good. I'm not as beholden to this, you know, tradition.

And 40% of America never leaves the area code they grew up in. And that's okay. That's not me. So to me, I just want more good games. And that's what Texas, Oklahoma to the SEC is. And that's what USC uses. UCLA and potentially Notre Dame is to the Big Ten. It's just more great games than a Saturday.

Entertain me. I'm selfish. Entertain me. So are our school is going to be lost in this? Washington State, Oregon State, Colorado maybe, maybe. But the story out today, the big 12, the remaining schools, are quickly saying, get us the Arizona schools. It's in our geographical footprint because Arizona schools recruit Texas. Get us Colorado.

Get us Utah. Those would be very natural fits. And those are, you know, Utah's a great. college football program, terrific program. So, you know, I know I drive people nuts because, you know, oh, you're a casual. I've said this from day one. Love your life like your sports. Love your life.

There's a lot of life out there. I like my sports, but they're changing all the time. I don't root for laundry. Guys move. I've moved. I'm okay with it. I understand if you grew up in Boston, you live in Boston, Celtics for 40 years, you go to Fenway, you go to Martha's Vineyard in the summer, the Cape.

I get it. That's not me. To me, I want whatever's the most interesting, and that often means, you know, blowing stuff up, starting over and mobility and all that. CFOs that get it, get it, CFOs that don't, don't. Go to NetSuite.com slash herd one-of-a-kind financing. There's a downside to mobility. There's no question about that.

I'll talk about that around the corner. Hour three next, live in L.A. It's The Herd. 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 helped make you, funnier. This week, my guest, S&L's Mikey Day and headwriter, Streeter Seidel, help an a cappella band with their between songs banter. Where does your group perform? We do some

retirement homes. Those people are starving for banter. Listen to humor me with Robert Smigel and friends on the I-Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal, but 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. On the Look Back at it podcast. From 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 we.

went down and tried to make sense of how we survived it with our friends, fellow comedians, and favorite authors. Like Mark Lamont Hill on the 80s. 84 was a wild year. It was a wild year. I don't think there's a more important year for black people. Listen to look back at it on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is a win.

A win is a win. I don't care what I'm saying. Yep, that's me. Clifford Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, my basketball and college football journey. or my career in sports media. Well, now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show.

This is a place for raw, unfilled conversations with athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. So let's get to it. Listen to The Clifford show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok podcast network on TikTok.

This is an IHeart podcast, guaranteed human.