The Herd with Colin Cowherd - HOUR 2 - Herd Hierarchy, LeBron

Episode Date: April 5, 2022

Colin's NFL free agent Herd HierarchyMore on Magic Johnson's critical comments about LeBron JamesGuest: Mark Medina Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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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 herd at Fox Sports Radio.com or stream us live every day on the iHeartRadio app by searching Herd. You're listening to Fox Sports Radio. Here we go, live in Los Angeles. Hour 2, it's the herd, wherever you may be. And however you may be listening, IHeart Radio, Fox Sports Radio, and FS1, Lakerland Magic Johnson coming out. A day after Kareem Abdul-Jabbar had been critical of LeBron James, Magic Johnson, a day later. A couple days later is very critical of LeBron James.

a line in the sand has been drawn between LeBron and his camp and the Lakers. Lakers side now going public, very interested in the reaction. I'll say this. LeBron has said before, if you trade me to Orlando, I'm going to retire, but LeBron's not going to retire for two reasons. Number one is he's going to pass Kareem in the all-time scoring list. That's pretty cool, and it means something to him, and it should. And he wants to play with his son, and that's pretty cool.

And that means something to him. LeBron's not going to retire. He's still really good. Now, he's not going to give you 82 games anymore, but in any singular game he's in, he can be the best player on the floor. And there's very few guys that can even compete with him. So he's not retiring.

He's got way too. This gas tank is still got a lot of fuel left. He's going to be fine. But when you go and play for the Yankees or, you know, Ohio State football or Duke basketball, you know, or the Lakers, they write books about these friends. franchises. How many books were written on Belichick Brady? How many books were written? So these are big billion-dollar brands. Okay, if the clippers were falling apart, they barely make my show.

This is going to be a book. And so you're getting a lot of big brands positioning. And what the Lakers are basically saying is, hey, Kareem, magic, we've been getting beat up here by the media for a year and we're tired of it. Now, now, the LeBron side's going to complain, hey, these guys, this is a bunch of nonsense. We inherited a mess and all we did was bring you a title. And the Lakers are going to say it's the Lakers. We got titles. We got 15, 20 of them. Yeah. Everyone is positioning right now. Yes. Which is what is happening. We talk about this all the time. Who benefits from the story that Magic told on ESPN? Lakers. The Lakers do. Front office and the ownership.

Yeah. Yeah. So they said, hey, we're tired to get beat up. Now we're going to send out our most popular player and he's going to bang on those guys. I'm, you know, you can't criticize magic in LA. So LeBron and Clutch sports are not going to criticize. First of all, they respect Magic. Everybody does. Magic in LeBron, that was, that was the catalyst that got LeBron here. I mean, Lauren obviously wanted to come to the Lakers, but no, magic played a big

role in that. This, it's been, it's been a television show, this whole situation, and it hasn't been an unsuccessful one. They did win a championship. Yes. But because of the way that this year has gone. for a multitude of reasons. Everyone is now staking their claim on their position and their responsibilities.

And I maintained from the beginning, if there had been just a little bit more transparency from everyone, it probably wouldn't have gotten as messy as it is. Yeah. And I've said for the last two years, I would have moved off AD. I would not have brought Westbrook in. I would rather build around LeBron than without him.

I would go to LeBron and say, but you've got to adapt, big fella. We're going to bring in, listen, We made Kareem adapt. We made him, hey, we're going to go get a young guard, and that young guard's going to control the offense. We're not going to walk it up the court. Give it to the big fellow to score 30.

Lakers went out and said, Kareem, you're the best player in the world. We're going to challenge your game and change your game. And by the way, you know, Kareem can be a little prickly. If you watch Winning Time on HBO, that's a very, I think, accurate portrayal of Kareem, very smart, very stoic, can be a little prickly. and the Lakers have done this before with their stars. It's our franchise, not yours.

So what they're telling LeBron is, hey, it's still our franchise. We think you're going to own a franchise one day, and we're cool with it. It's just not going to be this one. You know, Michael Jordan had to go with the Wizards. He didn't buy the Celtics. Players that buy a franchise, they ain't buying the Yankees. They're not buying the Lakers. They're buying lousy teams that are worth a third of what the big franchises are worth.

Well, the other issue is they did win a championship. Yes. And rather than tweaking things, they kind of blew it up and brought in someone in Russell Westbrook that has been the catalyst for a lot of drama and issues on and off the court for this team this year. So someone has to take accountability for that move. And as we're seeing now playing out very publicly, people are moving the pieces around. It's a chess game at this point. My job is to watch what happens and have an opinion on it.

What I've watched happen is Magic Johnson come out and call out LeBron. That was not an accident. He's had that information for nine months. That was not, or six months. That was not an accident. We're going to bring out Mark Medina in about five minutes to talk about this. First though, I promised I'm going to give you, before we get to the draft, this is my top 10 post-free agency, herd hierarchy.

Here we go. Heard hierarchy. Time is now. Let's go. The top 10. NFL teams according to college. Number 10. San Francisco, really, this is about respecting their head coach and their culture.

I think Trey Lance can play. I'm not saying he's top 10. They did shore up the cornerback and safety position. They are one of eight teams without a first round pick. But they've got plenty of picks. It's a good roster. If Trey Lance is good, not spectacular. This is not a situation like Trevor Lawrence has to save the Jags.

Jimmy Garoppolo got to a Super Bowl with this roster and this coach. coach, I put the Niners at 10. Number nine. Out of respect to the Ravens organization, owner, GM, coach, and quarterback, I put him nine. They fell apart last year. I mean, good God, I looked at the list of players who got hurt last year. It was insane. They did get Marcus Williams, the number one free agent safety on the market, and they needed

him. They didn't get to the quarterback enough last year. Their pass defense was, as Joe Burrow was emerged as a real star. They got to get better in that space. But again, like the Niners, this is out of respect for the. roster, the coach, the quarterback, the GM. I just put the Niners at 10 and the Ravens at 9. Number eight. I think what the Raiders did in the offseason is the best offseason for the Raiders in the last 20 years. Devante Adams, now with Hunter Renfro, Darren Waller, Josh Jacobs,

and Derek Carr, that's going to be a top five offense. I'm not sure anybody in the league's better at quarterback, running back, tight end, slot receiver, big player receiver. Also, they went and got Chandler Jones with Max Crosby. Now, I don't love parts and elements of their defense, so I put them at eight. Number seven. And I put the Chargers one spot ahead because I like the Chargers' back end. I like the Chargers offensive line much more than I do the Raiders. I think the Chargers have a great O line.

I also think Justin Herbert has a higher ceiling. They went out and got J.C. Jackson at Corner. Khalil Mack to add Tobosa. So I think they have fewer questions. Maybe not as powerful in offense, but fewer questions overall. Number six. I mean, what do

we say about the Bengals? I mean, the weakness was the offensive line and they shorted up. Lyle Collins, Alex Kappa, the Guard, Ted Karris, they went and got Hayden Hurst. Listen, I know Super Bowl losers historically go backwards,

but I think Joe Burrow is different. I think it's an offensive league and Zach Taylor's a smart young head coach. I put the Bengals at six. Number five. Listen, let's slow down on the Kansas City Chiefs are done forever. Markis Valdez Scantling is a deep threat. Juju Smith-Schuster should be a 90-catch or 80-catch slot receiver. Justin Reed's a great safety. They still don't generate a consistent pass rush, in my opinion. But the offensive line, which they threw together last year, will be in year two. I got Mahomes. I got Andy Reid. I got. I got Andy Reid. I got playmakers. I'm good. Chiefs at five. Number four.

Well, well, well, let's give the Denver Broncos. I've said I think they're going to win the division. I think beyond Russell Wilson, the acquisition of Randy Gregory and DJ Jones, along with Bradley Chubb and the defensive front, is staggering. This is going to be a, not good, a great defensive front. Interior on the edge. And now I get Cortland Sutton and Tim Patrick and Yvante Williams are running back and Jerry. Judy, and now we have the catalyst for it, a quarterback. When you watch this team lose the last couple of years, it was always like they just couldn't win by track meet.

I mean, they had to win a certain way. Now we got an offensive coach, a superstar quarterback, got the Broncos at four. Number three. Tampa Bay. I don't know if Gronks going to play. He may come in late. But I will say this, they lost both their guards and went and got Shaq Mason, so they solved their issue.

I think they'll draft a running back. Lenny Fernette's going to come back. I think you have to give respect. I don't know. Todd Bulls would not have been my hire. I probably would have gone with Byron Leftwich because of the way the league is moving. I put them at three and number two being number two. The Rams beat him twice last year and frankly blew him out in L.A. and blew them out for the first half in the Super Bowl.

And if not for a Camakers fumble, they would have run away with that thing. Rams are better and they added Alan Robinson a wildly underrated wide receiver. and Bobby Wagner, who's going to be a first ballot Hall of Famer, arguably first or second best Mike linebacker in the league. Their offensive line, they need to go draft this draft. They've got to

go war like the cowboys. They're getting a little long in the tooth. They're going to get a little expensive at right tackle, but I put them at number two. Number one. I thought Buffalo was the best team in football at their best last year. I still thought they had Kansas City beaten, and they've added Vaughn Miller and

O.J. Howard and Shaq Lawson and Jamison Crowder and they just keep getting better and better. Josh Allen was sensational in the playoffs. So the best team does not always win the Super Bowl. It is attrition and health and momentum and where are you playing? You know, they don't lose to the Jags. They don't lose to the Steelers early. You know, maybe they're playing, you know, they're running through Buffalo.

The Super Bowl's running through Buffalo. But in the end, I think this is the best team in football and the Rams second, buck's third. There we go. And with that, that's my post-free agent. Herd Hierarchy. Mark Medina has been covering the NBA for a long time. NBA.com. NBA writer now is joining us live on the set. From the Times to the USA Today, the daily news.

It's great. We were going to have you on yesterday. You were probably very busy breaking stories. Not to lose the dramatic appeal, but a doctor's appointment. But you know what? Two years since pre-pendemic, since I've been here, it's amazing to see you. enjoy in person like all times. It's great to have you. So I, you know, I said this. I'm already getting some pushback from the LeBron camp, which is fine, but I said, listen, LeBron didn't have to go on ESPN and say that. Okay. That was, to me, that was pretty clear. He went on that show, and he was going to make a statement from Jeannie Bus, his good friend, that we're tired of getting dumped on here. Right. That's what it felt like to me. Look, no one's blameless with this

season. The Lakers thought that they were going to be at least competing for an NBA championship. They might not even make the playing tournament call it if they lose tonight against phoenix and san antonia beats the nuggets they are officially out of the playing tournament but in my mind i think what magic's been saying has been revisionist history he had a tweet when the westbrook trade happened lauding it saying hey the lakers are going to be in the hunt for championship and uh as far as lebron goes uh look put his game to the side he's been playing out of his mind at 37 years old 19th season that's been amazing uh everything else. Sure, there's things that you can criticize him for as far as his vision with the roster.

But the end of the day, the Lakers front office are the one pulling the triggers. And when he's given feedback to the front office about players, whether it's Russell Westbrook or DeMarre Rosen or Buddy Healed, he's sharing his basketball intel and what he thinks about them as players. But he's not saying, do this, do this, do this. And he's also not saying, oh, be willing to give up this player and this player and this player to make it happen. that's what a front office is for, so they have to take responsibility for that. Well, we've been very critical of the, we have said, this team has had seven losing seasons in nine years. So, as I said about 30 minutes ago, I said, listen, he saved them.

They were a mess. Yeah. I mean, they, I like Kuzma more than everybody else. I like KCP and Alex Caruso. I would not have moved off them. So, but I do think there's a thing happening here is, you know, LeBron, even with Shabazz Napier in Miami, was like, I like that guy. And like Pat Riley is like, all right, we want to make you happy.

When LeBron comes to a franchise, we have four different examples. You move off young players. You win now. I mean, he did that Cleveland, Miami, Laker. I mean, we've seen this. Can I not argue this? Okay, we got the championship. But LeBron, you've got to evolve as a player.

We've got to get younger. And you've got to be willing to play with some young guys. Because you and I know, he doesn't love them. that. He didn't want Andrew Wiggins. He wanted Kevin Love. He didn't want Lonzo Ball. He wanted, you know, he wants mellow. Doesn't LeBron hold a certain responsibility that as

he has aged, he can no longer carry an average roster to anything. Sure. He has to bear responsibility, and I think you can argue he bared his responsibility with his production on the floor this season. I mean, the numbers that he's posted this year are in line with

his primaries in Cleveland. To your point, though, that hasn't been enough. to carry and cover up the Lakers flaws. But when I'm looking at the percentage of the blame pie here for why the Lakers are in this mess, I put number one, the front office with the roster construction. I put number two. I put Russell Westbrook, even though we knew his strengths and weaknesses. The bottom line, there was at least this expectation that he could be the number one guy

and carry the team in the event that LeBron and AD are out because of injuries are just rest. Russell hasn't been able to check the box on a consistent basis as a number one, number two, number three option on off ball. With exception to him coming off the bench, they've tried to push every button there, and it hasn't worked. Number three is the injuries. There's been a lot of them to AD, LeBron, role players. That's obviously complicated.

But I think the two main things that explain why the Lakers are, where they're in is roster construction and Russell Westbrook and his inability to make the best of what he's inherited. So I said when AD, after they won the championship in the bubble, So much of sports is buy, low, sell high. Like Belichick mastered it. The minute you fall in love with the player, outside of Brady, move on, get value. And it worked for 20 years with Brady.

So when AD came after the bubble championship, and it was kind of, LeBron was saying, listen, I need you to play 38 minutes. I'm going to play 30. And he came in out of shape. And he's always had a reputation. He doesn't grind it in the weight room. AD's not that guy. You know, guys, he's just gifted.

He doesn't grind it. He struggles, and many have said that's why he's hurt all the time, but whether that's fair or not. I would move off AD. Westbrook's an obvious. I would move off AD. My question becomes, can you get anything for him unless he's great in the first half? What do you do with the AD issue, which is the dude gives you 50 games a year, 60 a year?

That's what he is now. Yeah, philosophically, I'm with you that they at least have to entertain the idea. As far as what I make of AD as a player, I view it a little bit differently. There's no disputing the games and the games that he's missed, his injury history. But I have attributed that more to his body and freak accidents happening as opposed to it being any sort of indictment on his training or his attitude. I mean, you look at last season with the Lakers' son's first round matchup, he was trying as best he can to gut it out and play. His body just failed him.

same thing here recently. So because of that, I don't have concerns about his desire to be better or his competitive level, but injury histories are injury histories. And as you know, Colin, covering the NFL in any sports, the best ability is availability. And he's not there. And he's not there. And if the Lakers don't know what they're going to get, you have to at least entertain the idea. But I think where it's different with Russell Westbrook, I think regardless, they have to just cut their losses with whatever they can get.

even role players, first round picks, contract buyout, as opposed with AD, it's really about, okay, what is there on the market that could make this a better solution? But there is a pathway of still making the best with LeBron and AD as long as they address the rest of the roster and easier. Let me throw this out, the Westbrook piece. So when he came, I said, I don't love it, but their 80 gets hurt a lot. LeBron's older. He'll be productive. Somebody's got to give him 25 a night.

Yeah. And I didn't know the Westbrook. Westbrook thing would go sideways this quickly. But my takeaway was, I've never been a Westbrook fan. I'm more of a Chris Paul point guard guy. I was never a Wall fan. But I did think, who's going to score when 80 and LeBron are out? They need points.

So tell me, give me a magic solution because in the NFL, I can just cut guys. I don't have to have matching salaries. NBA makes it very hard. When you're bad, you're often bad for a decade. It's really hard. How do you dig out from the Westbrook? Give me a team. Give me a scenario that makes any sense.

I don't know any specific teams, but the scenarios, the Lakers are going to have to move the goalposts, and it's about accepting a deal that involves a handful of players that might meet and fulfill these positional needs that they're lacking, and some draft picks. There's no trade out there that's going to result in getting some all-star caliber players. So that's scenario number one, role players, draft picks, and scenario number two is convincing Russ to accept a buyout, where, hey, look, you saw what this last season, was all about with the awkward fit and fans heckling and fans heckling and a lot of i think you know it goes without saying unjustified personal attacks in terms of his family and death threats and all that but the bigger thing is is the basketball fit and if they're able to have those conversations and sell look this is your ability to join a team that you think is a better fit maybe that can work

but that's going to have to involve some negotiating some tough conversations but those two scenarios are much more realistic than this idea that, okay, now the summer's hit, we're going to be able to trade them. They tried trade them during the trade deadline. The only option they really had was Houston with John Wall, but they didn't want to pull the trigger on that because they're giving up a 27 first round pick. You had a Q&A with Kareem recently. I defended LeBron on my podcast in regards to the Kareem criticism. And I said, you know, despite what conservative of news outlets will tell you. LeBron has done a good job in his career.

His intent is always good. It's to help others, the school thing. I think Kareem, who can be prickly and idealistic, Kareem was no day at the beach as a player. He was very difficult to deal with. That's why he's never gotten the job that I think he perhaps coveted at one point. And I love Kareem. But Kareem comes with his own baggage.

So I think it's totally unfair to criticize LeBron on any of the things he's done for social justice or his belief. I think his intense good. I think his passion's good. And as much as I like Brady and Michael Jordan, what they do is sort of stockpile their brands. It is elevation of themselves. LeBron's done a lot for other people. I'll defend LeBron to the end of the earth on that stuff. I think he's really done great things for kids, poor people and people that are overlooked in society. Somebody told me Kareem backtracked a little on his criticism. He did a little bit, but I think when you look at the totality of his Q&A that he had with reporters and the subsequent 101 that I had with him

afterwards. His comments about LeBron from the beginning were very candid, but very nuanced. He was very laudatory about what LeBron's done in the social justice space when it comes to the I promise school in his hometown in Akron, Ohio. It's amazing. It's amazing. I mean, the impact that that's going to have on students, it already has, but the next generation of their ability to turn that into a scholarship for college or whatever career afterwards. It's amazing. Changing lives. Changing families cycles forever. So undisputed praise there, praise for, you know, LeBron's initiatives to increase voting turnout for the 2020 election. His overall voice when he's been addressing the different systemic racism issues in our country. Where Kareem took issue with

LeBron was simply the vaccine stuff of look. He's a guy who got vaccinated, so does his family, and he is obviously one of the most visible players in the NBA. Why not use that to talk to other people about the safety and effectiveness? And Karim's coming out from the lens of he was a guy as well as other former legends that were part of this promotional campaign that the NBA did. So that was the criticism. And I think since then, as you noted, he then released subsequent statements trying to reiterate the positives. So with that, what I take away, I don't think there's going to be any like public war awards. There's a lot of respect.

But I think it's going to be one of those things of, you know what, agree to disagree. I think from LeBron's perspective, he looks at that issue differently. He doesn't feel comfortable telling people what to do with the vaccine. And that's that. I never had, Draymond Green did the same thing. Like I would have liked Dremon and LeBron to go in the vaccine. I'm not a fan of mandates. Listen, the CDC's made mistakes.

A lot of this stuff is theater. Now we're on a fifth booster shot. So listen, and I've said this before. A professional athlete at 30 years old is literally bulletproof to almost everything that I'm not. So I understand I can't. I'm not LeBron. I'm not a professional athlete. And a lot of those guys had questions and cynicism.

It's just I don't like criticizing professional athletes because they don't jump on board with a campaign, whatever it is. I like them when they spread disinformation or are, like Aaron Rogers, wiggle around the truth. I think LeBron's just like, I'm not sure. So I'm going to give them a little bit of a pass on that. It's not what I would have done. But these pro athletes, they're kind of physically bulletproof. And a lot of them thought this is nonsense.

But let's go back to this, though, outside of the social justice, is that it's genie and Magic are tight. Like really, really tight. And I've been, the Lakers know that LeBron's going to own a franchise at some point like Michael, if he wants to. I think Michael, just not going to own ours, right? Right, that's not the way it works. You don't get to, as a baseball player, Jeter can't, he can go to the Marlins. They're not going to own the Yankees. This is public. Magic talks. This is going to reverberate. I've already had people reach out to me from LeBron's camp. They're not happy with me. what do you how do you how does this end how does this play out the lakers are always unpredictable uh their soap opera always has twists and turns and that's partly of what the appeal is we don't know how it's going to

play out but as far as this off season goes assuming that they don't make the play in tournament or at least don't get past the first round there are changes it seems inevitable because their expectation was they're going to compete for a championship if not win it that's the obvious answer but the complicated development with this is there's not an easy pathway to get out of this there's some low hanging fruit of there's eight free agents that are on veterans minimum deals by default those players aren't going to be back but that doesn't dramatically change the roster when you're looking at frank vocal i'd be very surprised if he's back because that's just the nature of the league professional sports and the NBA the head coaches are usually

the first ones to be fired and looking at frank Vogel specifically, sure, you could microanalyze a rotation here, rotation there, adjustments, but it doesn't answer the bigger problems of the roster construction and the fit. And the unfortunate reality for the Lakers is that they don't have any cap space to work with. And to get cap space, it's moving off that rust contract. And that is easier said than done because there's not really a strong market for him. Yeah, there's, it is, I mean, there isn't a market for him. It is just somebody figuring out a way.

I guess I shouldn't say that. I mean, good God, there was a market for Ben Simmons. I mean, that story. By the way, off the Lakers for a second. Joy and I are perplexed. What is up with Ben Simmons? Is it now shoulders up? Is it physical?

The Nets say it's physical. And look, there's a lot of uneasiness about this because there's going to be an adjustment period whenever Ben Simmons comes back. he doesn't play basketball all season. And this idea that you can just plug and play him the same way that Kyrie Irving was as a part-time player before the mandate was lifted, I think it's apples to oranges, because at least Kyrie was playing on road games.

At least there was a familiarity he had with Kevin Durant and everyone else on the roster. Here with Ben Simmons, everything's new. So even if it is a net positive for the nets to have Ben Simmons, because the James Harden experiment wasn't working. There was tension with him and Kyrie Irving. I don't know what version of Ben we're going to get. And then you also add the context of last year with the disappointment, with the Sixers' playoff exit and his role with that.

Is he able to shake that off and funnel whatever frustrations he has for the greater good of bettering his game and bettering the next chance as a playing? I mean, I don't have real good confidence in all those questions. Mark Medina, great to see you again. You're always welcome. Again, he had a doctor's appointment. I don't even want to, you know, there's a privacy, HIPAA laws or whatever they call those things, so I don't want to know about that.

But it's great seeing you again. Likewise. Hey, I'm just trying to get ready for the NBA playoffs, so I'm 100% when the games go. There you go. One more herd? The herd streams 24 hours a day, seven days a week within the IHard Radio app. Search Herd to listen live or on demand whenever you'd like. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only.

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

Listen to Superhuman on the I-Hard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is a win. A win. A win is a win. 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 entertainment, and the next we'll talk about life, mental health, purpose, and even music. The Clifford Show isn't just a podcast. It's a space for honest conversations, stories that don't always get told, and for people who are chasing something bigger. So, if you've ever supported me or you're just chasing down a dream, this is right where you need to be.

Listen to the Clifford show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. This is Robert from the Stuff to Blow Your Mind podcast. Joe and I are both lifelong Star Wars fan, so we're celebrating May the 4th with a brand new week of fun, thought-provoking Star Wars-related episodes. Join us as we tackle science and culture topics from a galaxy far, far away, such as the biology of tauntons and wampas on the ice planet hot,

or the practicality and corporate business sense of the Sith rule of two. Listen to Stuff to Blow Your Mind on the iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. 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 with Little Kim? Well, you can find out on the Look Back at it podcast.

I'm Sam Jett. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick 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 there's a through line We also have AIDS on the table right now

so Thank you finishing that sentence I don't think there's a more important year for black people Really? Yeah for me it's one of the most important years for black people in American history

Listen to look back at it on the IHeart Radio app Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts The USFL is coming starting on April 16th and kicks off with a historic inaugural game as the New Jersey generals take on the Birmingham Stallions and primetime on Fox and NBC. Good stuff. Let's not waste any time. Joy Taylor with the news. No, no, no, no, no.

Turn on the news. This is the herd line news. Fred Cupples said he got a text on Sunday night from Tiger Woods, telling him to meet him at Augusta yesterday afternoon for a round, and he said that Tiger looks just as good as ever. Yeah, he looked phenomenal. You know, he's my favorite guy. I mean, what impresses me the most, you know, is he was bombing it, for one. If you want to talk golf, he was bombing it.

He didn't put much, but he's Tiger Woods. He knows how to put. He knows how to play this course. But irons, yeah, and the driver was a machine. I mean, he, you know, he hit it in a bunker on two, but he smoked. it drove it pin high almost on three and you know he looks great well tiger said as of today he feels like he's going to play and he was asked if he thinks he can win and he said he does he showed no signs of injury when he was playing with couples no grimacing or limping and he predictably had a very

huge crowd for his practice round yes he had uh he had quite the quite the audience yeah you know i mean We do a television show, so sometimes, I don't know, I just forget, like, people are watching us do this. You don't have that luxury when you're playing sports. I mean, obviously, you know, you focus in and you kind of like block everything out. But with golf, it's so intense and so precise to have a crowd like that around you. As you practice. As you practice.

Yeah, just practicing is staggering, but also not surprising because it's Tiger Woods. He hasn't played in a professional golf event in over a year. He said it'll likely never be a full-time player in the beach. PGA tour, but he is currently listed on Masters Twitter as part of Group 14 teeing off Thursday at 1030 AMA. Well, LeBron, Tiger changed golf. You know, you used to play, Nicholas, you know, you'd play all these events. Tiger kind of changed that.

He started winning and dominating so much. At the end of his peak, he started cherry picking. Like he didn't go to a tournament once in Colorado and it folded. So golf has is. is changed. There's so much money in it now, endorsements that you, playing a full, you know, schedule is like you go to the big ones that you want to be for your brand. And also, I think these guys look at it, travels difficult, even in private jets. And these guys, they want to be good. The Dustin Johnson's and the Brooks Kepkas, there's like six tournaments. Some of these now

increasingly are overseas, you know, when people pay big money for your appearance. So, So listen, if Tiger could give us three to four tournaments a year and be competitive. As a golf fan, I'm good. Right. I mean, if you're a young guy trying to establish yourself in the sport, like that's a different situation. But obviously, that is not the situation surrounding Tiger. And forget all the other injuries that he's overcome. This is him coming back from a near fatal accident where he almost had his leg amputated.

So for him to be out there is even more remarkable. And he still shows the power that he has. Oh, God. with that crowd just for a practice round. So Kansas was down 15 points at halftime to UNC, but that did not let them get them down. Jay Hux came out and put on a show in the second half, beating UNC 7269 to win their fourth national title

and first since 2008. It was the largest deficits ever to be overcome to win a championship, surpassing the previous record of 15 points set by Loyola, Chicago, against Cincinnati in 1963. So very impressive comeback by Kansas. According to the NCAA, North Carolina's 15-point lead at the break was tied for the fourth biggest half-time lead in championship game history. So it was quite a historic night for Kansas. It was an incredible game.

Even when they were down, it did not feel like it was an insurmountable lead. Well, Caleb Love didn't shoot particularly well. So even when it was big, your takeaway was you didn't have a guaranteed two-point. from Carolina. Manick almost got knocked out early. Love wasn't shooting particularly well. And, you know, what you see in college basketball, I saw it multiple times from Kansas this year.

You don't have the guaranteed get-a-bucket guy. Like Kentucky had Devin-Booker one year, when they had Carl Anthony Towns and Devin-Booker, you had a great big and a get-a-bucket-goy. These two teams were, you know, hard-working, grinding, but Manick gets almost knocked out. Caleb-Love twist an ankle. the other big twist and ankle

and it was like they weren't everything was just for Carolina in the second half it was just off everything looked like and they looked tired with about seven eight minutes to go you're like that Duke game was going to beat it looked like it was going to find any they were going to lose to Duke

they lost a Duke they just lost a Duke against Kansas yeah and I mean look Kansas was a great team all season long is the reason why they were seated where they were and you know congrats to Kansas this great win and it was It was a great watch as well. The entire tournament was amazing.

Lots of parody. Women's and men's bracket was really exciting. Incredible all-time games. Great stories. And to your point, having college basketball back, people clearly missed it. I mean, also, I mean, guys, can we please, can we please stop with the NIL is going to kill college basketball and ruin the bracket? It's fine.

It's exhausting. It's fine. The ratings were great for both the women's bracket and the men's bracket. Unbelievable games. Great stories. Everyone just calm down. Take a deep breath. People forget this about the transfer portal.

Because I follow it religiously, the football, college football transfer portal. It's 1% of the players. Yes, yes. But, you know, people want to be hysterical about everything. Everybody's outraged by everything. Yes, it's going to be fine. It'll correct itself as it always does. Advertisers will figure out what these kids are, what's realistic to pay for NIL,

and it'll all be fine. The sports will live on. So the Eagles were set to have three first round picks this year. due to trades with the dolphins and the Colts, but they've agreed to another trade that will leave them with two first rounders this year and two more in 2023. So according to multiple reports,

the Eagles will be sending the 16th, 19th, and 194th picks in this year's draft to the Saints for the 18th 101 and 237th pick, as well as a 2023 first round pick and 2024 second round pick. Sorry, that's a lot. We have a graphic here that explains it much more clearly. So they still have the number 15 pick and the 18 pick in the first round this year. So the Saints are basically telling you, we need wide receivers and offensive linemen.

We think this draft will give us both. Yes. We're going to bet on James Winston. The Eagles are telling you, we don't think it's a great draft. What it has we don't need, but what we need to pick for next year if we bail on Jalen Hertz. So teams trade for different reasons. I thought Philly won the trade. But basically because Toronto Armstead, the tackle left to my

Miami, they need to tackle. And also Michael Thomas, a little bit of a wild card, they need a receiver, another playmaker. So they're just telling you, we think we can get both those early in this draft. Philadelphia is telling you, we made the playoffs with Jalen Hertz. We're not sure where we want to be eventually. Correct. So both teams got with everybody, everybody's always worried about who wanted, who lost it.

I like what Philadelphia did more because they're a playoff team. And I think with their free agency moves, they're going to be a better team next year. I'm not sure if they're a playoff team, but they should be a little better. You make it for reasons. Both teams got what they wanted. Yeah, I think it was a good trade. And you're right. Like, the Saints are sort of in a rebuild.

But James Winston was playing well before he got injured, whatever you think of James. And I don't know how it's going to go this year without Sean Payton. But James is a low-end starting quarterback in the league. He's productive. He's one of the 32 best quarterbacks in the world. Yes. Yes. But considering the market, you could do a lot worse than James.

and he was playing well before he got injured. So the Eagles want to make sure that they are set up for next year in case Jalen Hurts doesn't prove that he is capable this year. I think he will. But it doesn't hurt to have an extra pick next year anyway. So I think it worked out for both teams. Joy with the news. Well, that's the news.

And thanks for stopping by. The Herd Live. Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd weekdays in noon Eastern 9 a.m. Pacific on Fox Sports Radio, FS1 and the IHeart Radio app. It's Ben, host of the fifth hour with Ben Maller, along with my trusty sidekick, David Gascon, would mean a lot to have you join us on our weekly auditory journey. You're asking what in God's name is the fifth hour? I'll tell you, it's a spinoff of the Ben Mather show, a cult hit overnights on FSR.

Why should you listen? Picture, if you will, a world where we chat with captains of industry, in media, sports, and more every week, explore some amazing facts about human nature and more. Listen to the fifth hour with Ben Mather on the Iheart radio app, Apple Podcast, wherever you get your podcast. 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 podcast. 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, unfiltered conversations with some of your favorite athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. One week I'll take you behind the scenes of the biggest moments in sports and entertainment, and the next we'll talk about life, mental health, purpose, and even music.

The Clifford Show isn't just a podcast, it's a space for honest conversations, stories that don't always get told, and for people who are chasing something bigger. So, if you've ever supported me or you're just chasing down a dream, this is right where you need to be. Listen to the Clifford Show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at, Clifford and a 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 tontons and wampas on the ice planet hot, or the practicality and corporate business sense of the Sith rule of two.

Listen to Stuff to Blow Your Mind on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Do you remember when Diana Ross double-tap Little Kim's boobs at the VMAs? Or when Kanye said that George Bush didn't like black people. I know what you're thinking. What the hell does George Bush got to do a little Kim?

Well, you can find out on the Look Back at it podcast. I'm Sam Jett. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick it here, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it. Including a recent episode, with Mark Lamont Hill waxing all about crack in the 80s. To be clear, 84 is big to me, not just because of crack.

I'm down to talk about crack 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. They're 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 IHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Driveway.com, no transparent, no haggle pricing, auto done easy. 25,000 new and used vehicles, all inspected by experts, driveway.com. So Magic Johnson called out LeBron James on ESPN yesterday, and, you know, it was obviously done with real intent. This is going to go back and forth. You know, it is interesting right now.

If you look at the big brands in sports, let's look at the big brand. College basketball, Kansas, Carolina, Duke, they're all rolling. College football, you know, Notre Dame's rolling. Ohio State's great. USC just hired Lincoln Riley, Oklahoma. Most of your big brands in college football, Alabama, they're rolling. In baseball, Dodgers are good. Yankees should be good.

Mets are a mess. What's new? Everybody's falling apart. You know, it's a lot of the big brands. The Braves are a huge brand. They're viable. You look in the NFL, the Packers are viable. You know, the Dallas Cowboys, again, you know, made the playoffs.

Most outside of the New York Giants. Lakers are in a unique spot where they're a huge brand and they've kind of for the last decade outside of the bubble year been a mess. They're kind of a wobbly eroding mess. And, you know, LeBron and his crew are like, hey, we saved you. You guys were just teetering on the abyss. And the Lakers probably acknowledged that in the first couple of years, but now they feel trapped. The Westbrook Conradt is a disaster. So when magic comes out and puts it to LeBron and his people, they're not real happy with it. That was okayed by Jeannie Bus, probably to some degree initiated. And now it's brand protection.

The LeBron people are going to protect their brand. Lakers going to protect theirs. but in the end you've got to solve it. That's all it really matters. You've got to solve it. And the Sons and Milwaukee are going nowhere. And Golden State and Dallas are, you know, Dallas is going nowhere. And I'll say this, the Clippers, even without Kauai, if they get into the playoffs, you don't want any part of that team.

I'd make an argument. They're the only team in the West that matches up at all with Phoenix. So Kauai is going to come back next year. They're building their own. arena. I think they're turning the forum into something. The clippers are. So this is a very crowded sports market. The Rams just won a Super Bowl, full of stars. The Dodgers are favored to win the World Series. They just won it a couple years ago. It's like an all-star team. L-AFC, Chargers, USC hired Lincoln Riley. The teams are good. They're all, Chargers are the only one not winning,

and they're probably the best team that didn't make the NFL playoffs. So their Super Bowl odds are really high next year for a non-playoff team. So you've got a very crowded market. You have this gold standard franchise. It has been eroding for most of a decade. And now you've got a little power struggle. The Lakers now calling out LeBron. LeBron trying to distance himself from the Westbrook stuff.

Whoever's fault it is, you've got to solve the mess. We've got a mess here. You got to solve it. And, you know, the NBA is sitting there thinking, okay, the Knicks are kind of a historic mess. The Clippers were a historic mess. I don't want the Lakers to be a mess. So, you know, the NBA would like these big, you know, they're not rooting for the Lakers, but they're rooting for the Lakers to not be a mess.

So hour number three, Bruce Feldman stops by. Fascinating article on the NFL draft. Next. Another podcast from some SNL late-night comedy guy, not quite. Unhumor me with Robert Smygel and friends. Me and hilarious guests from Bob Odenkirk to David Letterman help make you funnier. This week, my guest, SNL's Mikey Day and head writer Streeter Seidel, help an a cappella band with their between songs banter.

Where does your group perform? We do some retirement homes. Those people are starving for banter. Listen to humor me with Robert Smigel and Friends on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. 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 went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it. With our friends, fellow comedians, and favorite authors. Like Mark Lamont Hill on the 80s. It 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. Now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show.

This is a place for raw, unfilled of 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 Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok podcast network on TikTok. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential.

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