The Herd with Colin Cowherd - HOUR 2 - Giants, head coaches

Episode Date: February 4, 2022

The Flores lawsuit is a bad look for the GiantsJoy grades the new NFL HC hiresGuest: Josina Anderson Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Thanks for listening to The HARD podcast. Be sure to catch us live every weekday from 12 to 3 Eastern, 9 to noon Pacific on Fox Sports Radio and FS1. Find your local station for the Hurt at Fox Sports Radio.com or stream us live every day on the iHeartRadio app by searching Hurd. For listening to Fox Sports Radio. It's the Herd with Joy Taylor. Colin Cowherd is out today alongside Alex Curry. Thanks for hanging out with us on the Friday before Super Bowl Week. You can feel it in the air here in L.A.

It's almost here. You can smell the celebs on their way here. Oh, they're here. I feel like it started officially. It has. It's exciting. Super Bowl Week is fun for everyone in the business. It's a big networking event.

It's fun for fans. They have obviously great fan festivities plans here in L.A. If you are coming to L.A., I would suggest you look up the COVID situation here. You're not from here. You might have a different where you're from. We're not terrible, but it is different than the rest of the country. So look that up. It's like traveling internationally now.

You're like, what's the policy in this country? You have to look this up. What proof do I need to enter here? We'll talk to Justina Anderson in just a few minutes, get her thoughts on some of the hires and a lot of the drama going on this week in the NFL. But it is exciting for Super Bowl Week just around the corner here in Los Angeles. We got some news on one of the hires, well, potential hires in Minnesota. Harbaugh was rumored to be basically a lock for that job.

And then it turns out he's not. And they're probably hiring the offensive coordinator for the Rams, Kevin O'Connell, obviously not officially yet until after the Super Bowl. But Harbaugh came out and said that he is. is going to stay at Michigan. He said he's an honest person. There was a large pool there for the NFL, but I didn't feel it,

that it was both ways for both parties, and that's it. That's my mindset now. He is 100% dedicated to Michigan. He said, yes, I actually told Ward from here and out, I'm working at the pleasure of the University of Michigan because that's in my heart where I want to be. It sounds just wonderful.

And I do believe Harbaugh that he wants to be at Michigan right now. I believe him. Right now he wants to be at Michigan. This is a situation. Also kind of helps that Minnesota didn't seem to be that interested in hiring him. So obviously you're going to keep a job that you have. And certainly he's dedicated to Michigan at this particular moment. I keep saying right now in this particular moment because what happens next year if the Dallas Cowboys job is available and Jerry Jones calls? Are you still dedicated to Michigan? Because the interesting thing is that he said he had that itch. He had that feeling that he wanted to go back and finish that unfinished business and win a Super Bowl. That's the highest thing that

you can win in the sport. Winning a national championship is great. Super Bowl is the ultimate prize. So if that's in you, is he really going to be comfortable being at Michigan for another 20 years? What if he loses to Ohio State three years in a row and they're back in the hot seat conversation. Is he not going to explore his options in the NFL again? I do think temporarily this is solved, but a couple of things happened with him doing this. One, he did this interview

on National Signing Day, which was optically not the best thing to do. You have commits, you have recruiting that you have to pay attention to. People that are recruiting against you are going to bring that up. They're going to mention that you were there. They're going to mention that at any point you could leave.

So you have to do a little bit of damage control to prove how dedicated you are to this particular place because we know with the transfer portal and the way and the power that these young athletes have now, you really have to know who it is you're going to and what it is that you're walking into with the situation at the head coach and the school that you're going to. And if it's possible that at any moment, Harbaugh, who you're likely committing to over Michigan, Michigan is a great school obviously, but there's lots of great schools. If you're going there with the intention of moving on to the NFL, you're probably going there

for Harbaugh. If he's not there, it's not the same place. So I do think that he means this now. We've heard coaches say this before many times. I'm not going anywhere. I'm not leaving. I'm not taking the Alabama job. And then the next day they do.

And I don't care. It doesn't bother me that they're speaking in absolutes. There's a reason he's speaking in absolutes in this situation. One, he did it on National Signing Day. Two, he sort of started this immediately after the season ended, partly out of spite for them cutting his pants. which he has every right to do. They put him in that situation

and put themselves in that situation by asking him to do that. So I believe that he is going to stay there temporarily. But at any moments throughout the season, this could change. If the Cowboys job becomes available, I mean, there's lots of jobs that could become available in the NFL that could be really interesting to him,

especially if he was thinking about going to Minnesota with Kirk Cousins, who is a little, little bit above average quarterback. So I believe him. If you're going to Michigan, I think it's a good spot. I'm sure Michigan boosters are happy. I'm sure Michigan alum are happy. The players are happy. And from all accounts, the players understand it. Players are actually much more reasonable about this than probably the media and fans give them credit for. They're trying to go to the NFL too. So they understand that this is a bit of a transactional space now. We're all kind of moving into the reality that, you know, that nostalgic loyalty thing no longer applies to college sports as well.

And it hasn't for a while, but everyone's just kind of moving in the direction of that reality. I'm sure he's there temporarily. We'll see what happens next year if there are a couple other jobs come up. Or if he loses badly to Ohio State and the heat turns back up again. Let's go out to Josina Anderson, senior NFL insider USA Today, NFL insider for CBS Sports, and hosted the crew and Undefined with Josina Anderson. Josina, thanks so much for joining us. Really appreciate it.

Hey, Joy, thanks for having me. I'm so proud of you doing everything that you're doing. You know, obviously there's a lot going on in sports. So we got a lot to talk about, girl, right? We sure do. So I opened the show talking about the giant statement regarding Brian Flores, which I felt was pretty tone-deaf and aggressive considering the situation. Obviously, they're accused of something very serious, but this is still a problem all around the NFL.

And you as an organization have never had a black coach in 97 years. In fact, you've only ever had five black coordinators in almost a century. So it felt a little tone deaf considering the circumstances, not only surrounding the organization, but also the NFL. What was your reaction to the giant statement? Well, I think you have to go back to the initial statement from the National Football League that ended. without saying that they have no merit, you know, that these allegations have no merit. And I think that in and of itself was hasty, right? Even if these allegations end up being proven that, you know, they're not substantive or they're not accurate, they're still worthy of review.

And so for a league that has done so much to try to increase diversity and done that, you know, in conjunction with the formulation of the Fritz-Pykeye, Pollard Alliance and done that with the construction of the Rooney Rule. All of those things coming together are positive, right? But when somebody brings up claims that are troublesome, that are concerning, they are also worthy of review. Now, I understand the points that the Giants are trying to make that the text from Bill Belichick allegedly, obviously are not connected to their organization. Bill Belichick did not participate in the hiring. But the question still stands, you know, as far as if you were to go down a line of questioning with Bill, where did he get that information from? Where did he get that notion from? That is what, you know, all of us would

like to know, because the fact that, you know, Brian Flores comes in there. And to him, it feels predetermined before he even interviews is not a feeling that you want to have, let alone of the fact that it would seem that it's inauthentic. Yeah, and they hired Joe Judge as their last head coach prior to Brian Dable. So I think you've talked about Bill, you've talked to Bill Belichick about, you know, coaches in the past not so long ago. It's not that outrageous. And while that might not hold up in a situation in court. We all know what really goes on here. And I'm sure you can relate to that feeling as I can where you're in a situation where you feel like no matter what you do here, there really is no hope. And that is, you know, the word he used in the interview that stuck with me is

you feeling humiliated. And that's part of the reason why this is such a big deal. Because we've heard black coaches talk about this for years regarding the Rooney Rule, which at its intent is good. But the exercise of it is not really being enforced. And as we can see, it's not having the effect it needs to have. We just saw another hire today in Doug Peterson. So if the rest of the vacant head coaching spots are filled by black coaches, assuming that Kevin O'Connell has the Vikings job, that means there'll be a grand total of four black coaches in the NFL. So what is, what is a solution that you have for this particular predicament? Well, I think, you know, you hear a lot of talk around the Rooney Rule and, you know, everyone has their opinion as to how effective it is.

But what I don't think is up for debate is the intent of the rule. And I think sometimes when you're trying to qualify how productive something is, is to consider the inverse, right? What would it be like without the Rooney Rule? Would we just have a parade of people that are not of color doing these interviews, would it be less transparent? You know, so, and I kind of use it and, you know, kind of put it to the analogy of when a team is, you know, considering another quarterback, you know, you're only as good as what your options are, right? So if it's not the Rooney Rule, then what is the option to make it better?

Now, I've been talking to some coaches, you know, just trying to get their feeling of their reaction to the Brian Flores lawsuit. And while I don't feel this big sense of wanting to come to arms, and even I was talking to a source this morning that said that, you know, per their information that Brian Flores and their legal team is trying to talk to different coaches around the lead to see, you know, what their stories are, vet it, if they want to participate in the class action lawsuit. But even still, you have this, you know, fear. And what is the end goal? You know, that's what a coach said to me. What, where are we going from here?

What is the plan B? I had another coach who said to me, you know, how much can you really press owners to make a decision that they don't want? You know what I'm saying? And is the solution to have expansion teams where you can get maybe more of a funnel of diversity on those expansion teams? That's what someone else was saying. And then the other thing that they said is just as a commentary is that

they would like to see Mike Tomlin, who is the only black coach in the NFL right now, to speak up more on this situation because of his tenure, because of his security within the Steelers organization, and also his economic security. So even if you don't have him speaking up, even more so, that, you know, that is somewhat problematic. You know what I'm saying? for at least the people that I was talking to. We've had some coaches start to talk at the senior bowl, what have you. You heard from Terrell Austin and some of the other coaches that have spoken up to a degree. But like you said, what really, where is this going?

Where is this going as far as Brian Flores' lawsuit? And how much can you actually tie it to whatever happened to him because of race specifically? Joy Taylor in for Colin Cowher. We're talking to Jacina, Anders. So the other side of this lawsuit, which is very explosive, is a situation with Stephen Ross and the Dolphins and allegedly offering Brian Flores money, $100,000 a game to lose, which to me, if that ends up being proven true, I don't know how he can maintain ownership of the team. But what are you hearing regarding the NFL's investigation around Stephen Ross and the dolphins in these accusations? Well, first of all, like I said, so the NFL said that, you know, in their initial statement that his allegations were without merit. And then there was reporting from Chris Mortensen following that saying that the league did intend to have an investigation, even specifically into that allegation, which, you know, obviously have proven true.

We don't want to have any connection to sports bribery in the National Football League, which would obviously be very problematic. I mean, it's going to come down to evidence and what Brian Flores can tangibly show, shows that this actually occurred beyond just him saying this. And I know that there's a report from NFL Network saying that, you know, there's a witness to this conversation happening. All of those things will play out, you know, as this lawsuit unfolds when it comes to discovery, further interviews and what have you. You know, I don't have anything to say whether it was definitively,

true or not true, but it is good to hear that now the NFL has taken the step to say that they will at least acknowledge and vet, you know, that specific claim. And to what degree that they do that well remains to be seen. Jack and Josina Anderson. So we found out that the Jacksonville Jaguars have made a hire at head coach. It's Doug Peterson. I thought he was the best candidate on the market. One is Super Bowl, did it with Nick Foles, very experienced on the offensive side of the Andy Reed Tree. Was it a priority for Jacksonville to hire an experienced head coach? Well, you know, the coaching search started with Doug Peterson. I mean, you can't argue with the fact that he's a head coach that has a Super Bowl ring as a head coach. You know, so obviously

he has his qualifications and nobody is taking away from that. I think what's more troublesome is how, you know, things have seemingly fallen apart in their talks with Byron Lefidge. I mean, for all intents and purposes after they interviewed him the second time and he was in person. That Tuesday, there seemed to be momentum building towards that. And, you know, just from the conversations that I've had with sources in the midst of negotiations and all the granular details that you go into once you start trying to really figure out if you are a fit, you know, from what I'm hearing, you know, demands and certain things are asked for. And I don't even know if the word is best to say demands, but, you know, things that you feel like you need to be comfortable in coming to an organization.

And, you know, my understanding is that there was some umbrage taken to that. And it led to the situation where the Jaguars put out that they had another interview that they were interested in having with Nathaniel Hackett and Matt Eber Fluse. And obviously now Byron Lefich is, you know, not in the fold. And they have Peterson as the new head coach. coach. But that is troublesome when you consider the fact that the Jaguars fan base was very much behind Byron Lefwich. This is a coordinator who has won a Super Bowl. We can have the debate as to how good of a coach you think he is when he already has Tom Brady. But there are a lot of coaches Nathaniel Hackett who have benefited from having even Aaron Rogers as their quarterback and what have

you. So I do find that troublesome when you couple that with the fact that out of the nine vacancies that they were at the head coach position that none of them so far have been filled by a person of color. Yes, that is extremely troublesome. And disappointing considering the situation. I think that I would have loved Byron Lefich for that job and it seemed like it was a done deal,

but I think Doug Peterson will do a good job there. If I'm Byron Lefletch though, and we've heard some of the reports about why he ended up not getting that job because of the concessions that he wanted. I don't want to go to an organization that has a history of losing that's also not going to let me come in and do things the way that I want to do them. So in some ways, it may be a blessing in disguise. I think Byron Leffwood would be a great option for the Saints.

Yeah, I mean, obviously you want to have everything that makes you comfortable, but I still think it begs the question. I mean, listen, just to be quite frank, a lot of people around the league are just talking about the presence of general manager, Tram Falky, and how, you know, synergistic is that relationship, you know, with him being there with the organization and how that impacted candidates and their desire to be there or obviously not end up being there. So that I think that's something that Shod Khan really has to further dig into.

There are reports now that Rick Spillman, you know, potentially may end up joining the organization, obviously not in the GM. capacity. We'll see if eventually over time Trent ends up reporting to Rick or how that, you know, front office structure could look if Spielman joins. And that obviously would provide another sounding board within that organization. They have great pieces to work with. You need to build with the quarterback. But I would be remiss not to mention that a lot of people around the league are talking about Trent's presence and the impact on the hiring process this time around. A lot of people run the league and Jacksonville fans.

They go on Twitter. They are not happy about it. You know, some of them wanted to burn it down on Twitter. You know, they are not happy. You know, they're tweeting at me like Joe Stina's, you know, what can you do and all this other stuff? And they are not happening. You know, when that fan base gets into a lather, they're not going to let you forget

about it. So listen, that owner needs it to work out after everything that happened with Urban Myers. So you're not going to argue with Peterson there. And hopefully for the quarterback. say this moves in the right direction. But really, too, Joy, I just wanted to kind of go back with the Brian Flores thing. I just wanted to get even your thought. We could talk about this. When people continue to talk about, you know, the lawsuit with Brian Flores and vocalizing this

notion, which obviously is historically rooted, and it's not like we don't understand where it's coming from, just talking about the risk. And even Brian Flores knowing that he has put his career in jeopardy. But I'm curious, like, even what do you think about just how much we vocalize, you know, oh, you know, he might, you know, never coach in the NFL again or his career is in jeopardy. How much do you think just even our vocalizing of that further embeds it into all of our consciousness, you know, to kind of perpetuate that? You know, the notion of there being life in the tongue and all those other things. I just that when I hear people go on and on about that, regardless of whether it's accurate.

To me, it's just bothersome. I feel like when we're vocalizing that, we should focus on what we feel should be the positive outcome, what we feel should be the substantive review of these claims, rather than constantly repeating the consequence of trying to, you know, analyze whether something is wrong. You know what I mean? Yeah, I think that's a really good point, Justina.

I mean, we talk about this behind the scenes in many regards in this business and others about the consequences. of speaking out against power, speaking out against traditional practices, discriminatory practices, or if you yourself have been in a situation like that, what's going to happen if you actually speak up about it? And then when you do speak up about it, your chastised for speaking up about it because you're probably risking your career. And then you're immediately called a liar and examines and picked apart and the credibility of your statements are picked apart and the credibility of your characters picked apart as if the entity or the person that you,

you're accusing is to be protected first rather than the victim or, you know, the alleged victim in the circumstance. I agree with you. I do think there is something to constantly affirming the idea that Brian Flores will never have another opportunity to coach because of the challenge that he has presented. I mean, I'm speaking from my perspective. I would not hold this against Brian Flores, particularly because we saw the reports before the lawsuit came out about why he was let go and a big, a lot of the reports backed up what his lawsuit is saying, which is that he refused to give into the owner's demands and compromise his integrity. Now, we didn't know it was this far, but this is a man who lost his job, by all accounts

before the lawsuit, for not compromising his integrity. And now that he has the lawsuit and is making these accusations, his integrity is in question. Like who you are and where you come from, obviously should matter in these situations. But what you're saying should also matter. And that was my issue with the giant statement, which is, you're being so aggressive and dismissive and everyone is just, this is outrageous and defamatory, and there's no merit. But we have the evidence. Like, we have the evidence, as you just mentioned, that there's been no black coaches hired in the middle of this situation, not that anything should be forced, but no one is really looking at this situation, at least publicly, and saying,

hey, it wasn't us that participated in this, but this is a problem and we would like to help. We're not guilty, but we would like to help. Yeah, just acknowledge the situation. And I think that's important. Justina, thank you so much for joining us. I really appreciate you coming on. My sister, senior NFL insider for USA Today, NFL Insider, CBS Sports.

And of course, check out her show. She's the host of the crew and Undefined with Josina Anderson. covering this league for a long time. It does an excellent job. Thank you, Josina. Thank you, Joie. Have a good show. Thank you. One more herd? The herd streams 24 hours a day, seven days a week within the IHeart radio app. Search Herd to listen live or on demand whenever you'd like.

Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast's Superhuman documented it all, embedded in the the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the I-Hard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is a win.

A win is a win. I don't care which I'm saying. Yep, that's me, Cliver Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, the reactions, my journey from basketball to college football, or my career in sports media. Well, somewhere along the way, this platform became bigger than I ever imagined. And now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfiltered conversations with some of your favorite athletes, creators,

and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. One week, I'll take you behind the scenes of the biggest moments in sports and entertainment, and the next we'll talk about life, mental health, purpose, and even music. The Clifford Show isn't just a podcast. It's a space for honest conversations, stories that don't always get told, and for people who are chasing something bigger. So, if you've ever supported me or you're just chasing down a dream, this is right what 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. Hey, this is Robert from the Stuff to Blow Your Mind podcast. Joe and I are both lifelong Star Wars fan, so we're celebrating May the 4th with a brand new week of fun, thought-provoking Star Wars-related episodes. Join us as we tackle science and culture topics from a galaxy far, far away, such as the biology of tauntons and wampas on the ice planet hot, or the practicality and corporate business sense of the Sith rule of two. Listen to Stuff to Bole Your Mind on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. 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 kill? Well, you can find out on the Look Back at it podcast. I'm Sam J. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick a here, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it. Including a recent episode with Mark Lamont Hill, waxing all about crack in the 80s. To be clear, 84 is big to me, not just because of crack.

I'm down to talk about crack on day, but 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. Thank you finishing that sentence. Yes. I don't think there's a more important year for black people. Really?

Yeah. For me, it's one of the most important years for black people in American history. Listen to look back at it on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. 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 bushlight clash at the Coliseum. Sunday coverage begins at 5 Eastern only on Fox. Welcome back to The Herge. Joy Taylor in for Colin Cowherd today alongside Alex Curry. I'm going. Are you going? Yeah. I am so curious, like, been to the Coliseum so many times.

Obviously, you've seen NASCAR racetracks. How is it going to be? It's small. It's like half the size of their smallest tracks they're used to. I've been to a couple of NASCAR. events in Daytona, Homestead, in Miami. So I'm going to check out the Colise on Sunday.

Looking forward to it. Thank you to Jay Glazer for joining us earlier. Make sure you check out his book Unbreakable and Josina Anderson, who just hopped down with us from CBS Sports and USA Today. It's an amazing job. But let's get to Alex Curry with the news. No, no, no, no.

Turn on the news. This is the herd line news. Well, Matthew Stafford has felt the pressure this offseason, winning his first playoff games of his career. he said he understands that there's a different level of anticipation going into the Super Bowl. I think you treat it just like every other game when it gets to that day. You got a job to do. You got a job to go out there and execute and try and lead your team to help us win. Once the ball snapped, I mean, it's going to be football. You know, settle into the game as quickly as you possibly can.

And, you know, trust your eyes, trust your teammates and go play. I think that part of it, once the ball snapped is hopefully going to be the part that's, you know, the easiest to do. just eliminate all distractions and go out and play. I'm of the mind of do whatever it takes for you to be the most comfortable and be at your best. And if that's downplaying a big situation, you go and do that. This is the biggest moment of his career. It's his first year with the team. He's taking him to the Super Bowl.

I feel like a proud mom, too, just like, you can do it. But it's, this is big. Yeah. And it's interesting he says that because most players that have played in this game would say the same thing. would say the same thing, that you need to treat it like the same game. But it is different. You're dealing with different media all week. You're dealing with different schedules all week.

There is a different amount of pressure. And look, we're all human. We know you're playing in the Super Bowl and not a regular game. But you're absolutely right. And interestingly enough, Sean McVeigh, after his first Super Bowl loss to Bill Belichick said that he was overprepared. Like he was over-analyzing every decision. He did too much.

And now that he has that experience, as a head coach, having played in the Super Bowl. I think he will come to this game, come into this game with that mentality. And it's good that Matthew Stafford is having that mentality as well. I'm very impressed with Matthew Stafford. I had a lot of questions about him during the regular season with those turnovers.

He never won a playoff game before this year. And now he's playing in the Super Bowl. I think it's obviously an advantage that they are playing in SoFi. They don't have to travel. Huge advantage. And, you know, they're not going to get caught up in all the L.A. stuff that's going on because they live here. Yeah.

So I think it's great. I love that the Rams are in the Super Bowl. I'm looking forward to seeing what Matthew Stafford does in this biggest moment. Oh, same. Like I said, I feel like a proud mom. No, you have to be happy for Matthew Stafford. You have, you know, he paid his dues. Yep.

In Detroit. And listen, I love the city of Detroit. Okay, I spent a lot of time in Detroit. My grandparents are from Detroit. I practically grew up there. So it's not Detroit. I don't even like saying Detroit. It's the Lions.

Like, he spent time with the Lions, which is not a winning organization. I like what Dan Campbell did this year. I know Lions fans were very excited to tell me all about how everything. things changing after their three-win season. But, you know, he's, he paid his dues and now he's in a good situation. He earned it. And I'm excited to see him play. All right. Well, let's stick with the Rams because they are in their second Super Bowl since relocating to Los Angeles six years ago.

And C-O-O-C-O-C-Demoff thinks that the team can definitely compete with the other-star franchises in the city. I absolutely believe that we can be at the level the Dodgers and the Lakers happen. You cannot get to be at the pinnacle of this market by having. by having one great season. You get to the pinnacle at this market by having great season, after great season, after great decade,

after great decade. All you have to do in L.A. is win to get fans. I'm born and raised in L.A. I jumped on the Rams bandwagon. I did not have a solid NFL team that I was a fan of growing up.

I was a fan of players, but the big franchises we had here were the Lakers, the Dodgers, and USC football. And that's what you followed. I am so excited to finally have a team here that actually feels like they're going to stay here, especially with the Rams, building that beautiful SoFi Stadium, getting to the Super Bowl for the second time since they've been here.

But Lakers and Dodgers, both just recently won championships in 2020. And here in L.A., in Hollywood, the saying goes, you're only as good as your last gig. So this game is going to define the Rams for fans. in L.A. I want them to win. I'm going for them to win. I am jumping on that bandwagon, Rams, I am here for you and I am here to stay. Well, when you think about it, it's kind of laughable that a city, the size of Los Angeles, did not have a professional football team, and now we have two. And that's even more important for the Rams to win, because if you really want to take a stranglehold on this city and the fans in this city, you can steal even more equity from

the Chargers who are here as well by winning. winning the Super Bowl. I'm with you. L.A. is sort of like, it's sort of like Miami in that way. Like there's a lot going on. There's a lot to be distracted by. Yeah. There's a lot of transients. So people already have other affiliations. You saw the Niners game. I mean, you saw several games at SoFi throughout the year for the Chargers and for the Rams that were filled with Steelers fans. And there's a packers fans. It was a road team home game. For a lot of teams. For a lot of teams. And that's just because L.A. is a very transient city. Yeah.

If you are going to go see your team on the road, why not Los Angeles? That's a big appeal to the Raiders being in Las Vegas. So I'm with you. I think I might talk about this a little bit later, but I do think they have an opportunity here. They do. If they win. They got a win. Big if.

It's one thing to get there. And it's important. It is important to build up equity in winning in general. And being in the game is big. But winning the game is going to start separating you. not only from the Chargers, but also will put you in that category of the Lakers and the Dodgers who have obviously decades and decades and decades of equity with fans here. And just one back-to-back championships in 2020, Lakers and Dodgers.

So it's time. Yeah. You can do it, Rams. All right. Well, let's move on to Kyrie Irving's. Commitment has been much discussed this season. And a recent article from The Athletic put it back into the spotlight. One of Kyrie's family members disclosed to Joverdum that Irving doesn't see,

being an NBA player as a glorious career, but more or less just a job. Now, this is not what you want to hear from your star player being a professional athlete has a time limit, unless you're Tom Brady, it's usually in your 30s. So when you have a star player that you're paying millions of dollars to play a game, it should be the most important thing of his life right now during this time. Well, yeah, you would think that. But here's the thing with Kyrie. think he's shown us this is absolutely who he is. Oh yeah. He's just like the rest of us.

All of us have had a job that we just show up to and do to get a check. We aspire to have a career that we are passionate about. But at some point in our lives, we probably have had or still have a job that we're not necessarily passionate about, but we got bills to pay. Yeah. And for Kyrie, it's very obvious that he treats that this way. I mean, he's not all in. He chose not to get vaccinated, not because he doesn't believe in vaccinations, but because he doesn't believe in mandates. And then that prevents him from playing half of the games for the team that he plays for. So whatever you feel about vaccines,

and I don't care if Kyrie gets vaccinated or not, it doesn't matter to me. But you can't on one hand say you're all in. And then on the other hand, do that. And we have enough evidence with Kyrie at this point that this is the kind of guy he is. He's not a winning player. He is a spectacular player when he is on the court. It's disappointing to me as a fan only. I don't care about Kyrie's personal life.

It doesn't. I know who Kyrie is because he plays basketball. I want to see Kyrie, James Hardin, and Kevin Durant play basketball together. Yeah. That's what I want to see. We're not going to get that. And it will likely all blow up after this season. Yeah.

And part of it is because, yes, Kyrie does treat playing in the NBA like a 9 to 5 job. It's something that pays the bills. What Kyrie is truly passionate about, what he really wants to pour his life into, we will see. And he does do great things for the community. He does do great things off the court. He's not a bad guy.

But we see this all the time in sports. Some guys, I talk to friends of mine who played in the league. Why wasn't this guy really successful? This guy was so talented. What happened with him? And often what I hear is, look, everybody doesn't want to be Michael Jordan. Everyone doesn't want to be Tom Brady.

Everyone doesn't want to be the pinnacle of their sport. Some people are just happy just getting drafted and getting that quick bag buying their mom a house and setting themselves up for their future. Like this is just a vehicle for them to get ahead. It's not really something that they're particularly passionate about. They just happen to be talented enough to go pro. And to us, you know, mere mortals, we're like, what are you doing? You're squandering your opportunity.

Like everyone's passions are not the same. So I don't necessarily judge Kyrie for that in the sense that he is entitled to treat the league and this opportunity, however it is he wants to. He's not a bad guy. But at the same time, you can't claim that you're like a winning player and you're the alpha and you're the guy when this is how you treat something that we all know you have to be passionately all in on to be great. This is the mentality that separates great players from the best players out there. Also, side note, why is a family member sharing a conversation with the media, that family member? Well, I don't know. I don't know.

trust tree. I think, yeah, I think that's kind of part of the thing is that he was trying to find out who he can trust. I mean, look, it's not, it's not that outrageous, though. It's not a, I don't even think it's an indictment of Kyrie. It's exactly what we see. It's exactly how he's carried his career. He wants certain things, but he's not willing to put in what it takes to get it.

And now, these are the results that you have. Now you know. And for this year, I think it's going to lead to, then that's big three, which we've not even seen together, ending after the year. That's Alex Curry with the news. Well, that's the news. And thanks for stopping by.

The Heard Lye News. Well, coming up, we have some coaching hires, so I will give some grades on those hires. And we might talk a little bit more about the Rams and how they can take control of the fan base here in L.A. Need a gift that's guaranteed to Wow. 1-800 Flowers has you covered. order their 18 stem enchanted rose medley for 399 or upgrade to 24 red roses.

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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. Taylor the fourth. 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.

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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 a here, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it. Including a recent episode with Mark Lamont Hill waxing all about crack in the 80s. To be clear, 84 is big to me. Not. just because of crack. I'm down to talk about crack on day, but 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 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. Ferity was founded by twin brothers and their family businesses to make the best-looking clothes backed by a lifetime guarantee of quality. For the herd listeners, Ferreity is offering 20% off with code Herd 20 when you shop Faritybrand.com slash herd. Joy Taylor in for Colin Cowherd today alongside Alex Curry. So there have been some coaching hires. There's still three completely open, one that we have assumed has been hired, but we're going to have to wait and so after the Super Bowl, which is the Vikings.

But I'm going to hand out some grades. Professor Joy. Let's get out some coaching grades, Alex. You ready? Yes, let's do it. All right. What grade would you give the Raiders hire of Josh McDaniels? I give the Raiders hire of Josh McDaniels

a B-minus. I like the accountability from Josh McDaniels. We had him on the show earlier this week. I thought the perspective that he had on his mistake, in his tenure with the Broncos. Obviously, he notoriously accepted the Coltshead coaching job

and then review from the position right away, which was not a good look, especially considering some guys that he was hiring had already gone there. 18 of his 21 seasons have been with the Patriots organization. I think that he will do a good job here. Obviously, this is a very tough division. Derek Carr is a great player, so he's walking into at least a quarterback,

and we know what he has done with quarterbacks in Josh McDaniels. The other issue is the Raiders organization is much more of a losing organization than we give them credit for, similar to the Cowboys. The Raiders brand is bigger than they are on the field. They had a really nice season considering all their dysfunction this year. But it's the six different head coach for Derek Carr, seventh from Mark Davis since 2011. It's actually remarkable his ability to go through coaches. But I think he will do a good job there, and I think it's a nice hire by the Raiders.

What grade would you give the Broncos higher Nathaniel Hackett? B-minus could swing to an A-plus, though, if they get Rogers. So if he puts in the extra credit in time, it's going to be an A-plus higher for the Broncos. He sent the last three seasons with the Packers as the offensive coordinator. Rogers won the MVP in 2020 and is expected to win it again this year. So that's a big deal. The Broncos have a lot of great pieces. offensively. They haven't made the playoffs since winning the Super Bowl in the 2015 season.

And this is, again, the AFC West, which is an extremely tough division. But again, if you get Aaron Rogers here, this is going to be a great hire and they are going to be a problem, even in that division. All right, what grade? Would you give the Giants hire of Brian Dable? That's going to be an incomplete. I think Brian Dable has the ability to be a great coach. I would have loved him in Miami before when I cared about what Miami did. But they're in the middle of a controversy now. Brian Flores and this accusation of a sham interview with the Rooney Rule, unfortunately for Brian Dable, he has now been caught in the middle of this situation. I think he did a really nice job with Josh Allen and Buffalo. He is widely respected and Josh Allen got better

every single year under Brian Dable. He was interviewed a lot of places and was considered to be one of the top options for head coaches this year. But the Giants in Giants fashion are now in the middle of some controversy, so I'm going to have to give them an incomplete. All right. What grade would you give the Bears hire of Matt Iber Fluse? I'm going to give it a C. It's the only defensive head coach hiring so far. And I don't think that it's a bad thing to hire a defensive coach. I would just have wanted the defensive coach to be hired a place that has a veteran quarterback because Justin Fields went two and eight in his rookie season and averaged the fewest passing yards amongst all qualified quarterbacks.

I think if you are a defensive coach, you have to absolutely need. nail your offensive coordinator higher and they have to be there for those development years with Justin Fields. Justin Fields is not only young, but he's also a very unique quarterback. So you really need to build around him. I would have liked them to hire someone who has the proven ability to develop a young quarterback, but the Bears, you know, they love their defense. It's the Bears. All right. What grade would you give the Vikings hire of Kevin O'Connell? They also get an incomplete because the hire is not done yet, but it is assumed that Kevin O'Connell will get the job, 35 years old, Rams offensive coordinator, McVeigh assistants that

have gotten head coaching jobs, Matt LaFleur, the Packers, a success, Zach Taylor, Bengals in the Super Bowl, and Brandon Staley, still ununknown, but, you know, is trending at least in a good direction with the Chargers. So I like this higher if you're not going to get Harbaugh. Kevin O'Connell has certainly done a nice job with McVeigh, and McVeigh's coaching tree seems to be pretty strong, but it's still an incomplete because it's not done. What grade would you give the Jags hire of Doug Peterson? I think this is an A. He's the best coach to take over a dysfunctional losing organization.

Obviously, won a Super Bowl with the Eagles in 2017. Has had some experience dealing with some front office controversies with Philadelphia. Has Trevor Lawrence. He was a quarterback, proven offensive guy from the Andy Reed tree. So I like this hire. Who should the Saints hire? Byron Lefwich. Byron Lefich was up for the Jaguar's job as we discussed with Josina,

didn't want to bend on the Trambulky thing. I wouldn't either. Saints is a really well-run organization. They have a great defense. Obviously, still deciding on the quarterback, could bring James back, who he's worked with before, and he knows this division. Who should the Texans hire?

Brian Flores. He's one of the three final candidates for the Texans head coaching job. It's basically Patriot South anyway. So this would be a great hire for the Texans. He's clearly a character guy, which they need is a culture builder. I think that's a good decision for them. Who should your dolphins hire? I don't care. I don't care.

I'm so over that situation in Miami. Despite I'm wearing Miami color. You know what? These will be Bengals colors today. These are Bengals colors today. Yeah, do it. Joy Taylor in for Colin Cowherd on the herd. More on the giant statement on Flores. Next.

Another podcast from some SNL late night comedy guy. Not quite. Unhumor me with Robert Smigel 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. On the Look Back at it podcast. From 1979, that was a big moment for me. 84 is big to me. I'm Sam Jay. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick a year, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it.

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Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast's superhuman. Human 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 Way with your favorite therapist and host Kear Games. This space is about black men's experiences, having honest conversations that's really not safe to have anywhere, but you're having him 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're 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 IHard radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast.

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