The Herd with Colin Cowherd - Hour 2 - Kristian Winfield

Episode Date: June 20, 2022

Hour two Colin opens the show with his infamous "Colin's Picks". Kristian Winfield joins to talk about Kyrie Irving and the Brooklyn Nets future. The crew also talks about the legacy hit that possibly took place for Kevin Durant after Warriors win the finals.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is an I-Heart podcast. Guaranteed Human. Another podcast from some SNL, late-night comedy guy, not quite. Unhumor me with Robert Smygel and friends. Me and hilarious guests from Bob Odenkirk to David Letterman help make you funnier. This week, my guest, SNL's Mikey Day and head writer, Streeter Seidel, help an a cappella band with their between songs banter.

Where does your group perform? We do some retirement homes. Those people are starving for banter. Listen to humor me with Robert Smigel and friends on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal, but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast's superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year.

Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the IHard 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 a year, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it.

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

I don't care what you're saying. Yep, that's me, Clifford Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, my basketball and college football journey, or my career in sports media. Well, now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifers Show. This is a place for raw, unfilled conversations with athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. So let's get to it. Listen to the Clifford show on the IHeard 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. Thanks for listening to The Heard 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 herd at Fox Sports Radio.com or stream us live every day on the iHeartRadio app by searching Hurd.

Listening to Fox Sports Radio. Ah, here we go. Hour number two in a Monday. Live in Los Angeles, it's the hurt. Wherever you may be and however you may be listening, iHeartRadio, Fox Sports Radio, FS1. Nashville's joining us today, the fan in Nashville. We're on.

So Nashville, you're joining us in the next six weeks, which are a lot of NBA. Then we segue to college football in the NFL, but we've got the NBA championship just decided. We got free agents happening, a lot of rumors. We have the NBA draft happening. And for people in Nashville who love their football, just give us until

August 1st. And then we go heavy into college football and pro football. I don't know if you noticed yesterday, Joy, Lincoln Riley, four different commits over the weekend for USC. I'm not going to get into it and waste everybody's time, but four fight-ons on his

Twitter page. I was talking to somebody over the weekend. They were like, you know, Colin, he used to be such a big USC homer. I was like you don't listen to the show that often. It's still a big USC homer. I've pivoted back to that.

Which is fine. Every host in America that's doing syndicated. If you're a local host, that's different. But if you're doing syndicated, I always feel like you get one team. Yeah. You can just be an absurd fan.

One team. Well, yes, that you can be a fan fan of. Yes. Because you have some, you know, you lean Seahawks. obviously, because that's where you grew up. I leaned Brady and Russell Wilson. Now they've changed teams. I don't give

a rip. Yes, I'm saying. But like when the Seahawks were good, you know, you gave them a little extra love. Well, my sister doesn't like sports, so she loved Russell Wilson. It was the first time in my life. My sister and I text about sports. And so now, I hate to tell her, but Marlene,

we're going to be bad for a long time. Is she going to pivot to the Broncos? Russell has that power, perhaps. But I rooted for more for Brady. And Russell, I just like their quarterback yield, their presidential feel for it. I'm a Broncos fan today because, and I like the Buccaneers because I like those guys. Yes. But I think that's actually most fans now.

You think so? Young fans, for sure. Yeah. Like the players more than teams. Yeah. I mean, it's nothing against the laundry. I understand rooting for laundry. But we all get, you have a team.

Yeah, I have the heat. That's the only team that I allow. I will say this. It's the only team I allow to hurt me anymore. Now, things are changing. That's a good way to put it. Because I have nephews who are playing college football. Right, right.

So when my family is playing, then I have a little more allegiance, obviously. I'm going to care about those teams. That's a good way to put it. The Miami Heat are the only team that you allow to hurt you. Yes. Okay, that's USC. Everybody else has boundaries. Everybody else for me, it's like people say this all the time,

how could you be a sportscaster or not a fan? Do you think chefs are rooting for carrots or they just want fresh produce? Does a chef have to root for food? I come in with a job. Yeah, maybe if you're like a, you know, if you're a renowned seafood chef. Does a tech engineer root for chips or does he just want functional chips? Is that engineer talk? I just show up and I want either a hazmat spill or interesting, unique, fun topics.

I don't give a rip who wins games. Well, yeah, but also you just can't do a show like that. Like you can't just walk in here every day and you're going to talk about only the team that you want to talk about whether they're good or interesting or not. Because we do a national show. If we did the local show, then we're going to talk about the team regardless. And actually, you talk. You talk Titans, Predators, Atlanta Braves, those are your teams. And you should talk about them every day.

Now, it just happens. We live in California and our teams keep winning all the championships. So we do feel left coast leaning, warriors, Dodgers, Lakers, Rams. We're kind of on a hot stream. We talk about teams that are good. And if you're not good, then you've got to be dysfunctional. It's not our responsibility for your team to be well run. Ours happen to be.

All right, here we go. Colin right, Colin Monday, on a Monday. Here we go. Where Colin was right. All right, I picked the Warriors to win the championship. I also picked them to win in six. I said, I didn't think the Celtics had enough offensive ammo. And that was the case.

The Warriors had Jordan Poole could give them big points. Gary Payton the second. Clay Thompson, Steph Curry, Andrew Wiggins. They just had more ammo. And their defense, like the Celtics, was an elite defense. So whereas the Celtics elite defense, maybe made the Warriors less efficient. They still had more ammo.

Celtics shot only 43% in the series, so it ended like we thought it would, when we thought it would. Where Colin was wrong. Trade rumors, the Sixers are going to re-sign James Harden to a long contract. Don't get it. Listen, he can play, but you had leverage. Because of his lousy playoff performance, you had leverage. I just don't think he's a winning player.

I also don't think he's great as a mentor or example for younger players like Maxie. I think in the NBA, you've got to be brutally honest. Do you have players that not only make the team better, but you're emerging young stars better? Do you think Hardin makes Maxie better, Thibel better? I don't think he's a very good example, and I thought they'd move off Hardin and they're not. Where Colin was right?

I laughed at the critics who were questioning, Steph Curry's ability to win MVP. Give me a break. He should have won the 2015 MVP. It's the best shooter in the history of the sport. His impact and influence are Mount Rushmore stuff of NBA basketball. His IQ, his leadership, his selflessness, his scoring, his ability. By the way, he had a very good series defensively. He has his moments.

He's not a lousy defender. He's just small, but he's gotten stronger since he entered the league. The Steph Curry critics to me are looking for attention over. the truth and he delivered. Where Colin was wrong. But I have massively underrated Jalen Brown who actually led the finals, the Celtics in scoring during the finals. Before the

playoff started in the NBA, I had a top 10 list of most influential players. He didn't even make that list. He was a 23-7 player, shot 47% from the field, and I always liked him as a player, but I always feel like, yeah, he's kind of a three. on some of the nights in this series, especially in the fourth quarter, he was the one.

And my bad, I was wrong on Jalen Brown. Where Colin was right? But I said this about Jason Tatum, and I love him. When you start verbalizing things, they're in you. I'm not a superstar. Who said I'm a superstar? He acknowledged that he questioned whether he could lead this franchise. Some of that stuff you should keep to yourself.

You don't need to go to Twitter or a microphone every time you think. things because I think the warriors deep down heard that and believed let's bring that self-doubt out of him and the way they defended him put multiple players on him I like Jason Tatum I do but there were a lot of moments late in this series and late in these games he felt like a two to Jalen Brown it doesn't mean I don't like him it doesn't mean you can't win a championship with Jason Tatum but I had doubts going into the finals and those were realized on many occasions where Colin was wrong. I thought the Dallas Mavericks in the offseason

needed to go get Luca a great defensive player. He's bad at it. He's not going to be great at it. I've seen four years of it. He's not a great defensive player. The Warriors have always understood this about Steph Curry. Surround him with great defenders. Instead, the Mavericks went and got Christian Wood, a thin, lanky

6-9 forward-center guy that's a bad defender, gets pushed around by Biggs. Now, I do think Christian Wood's a nice player on this team, but between Luca, Jalen Brunson and Christian Wood, those are suboptimal defenders. And I think if you look at the NBA finals and the last three or four teams that played, let's be honest about it. Milwaukee defends.

Boston defends. The Warriors defend. Phoenix defends. I think the Mavericks right now are fascinating and a lot of fun offensively, but kind of weak defensively. Where Colin was right? The Brooklyn Nets are reported to be at an impasse. with Kyrie Irving. When the season ended, I said,

Kevin Durant needs to go upstairs privately and say, I'm out. This is not working. They need size against Janice, M. Beamed, bam out of bayou, Robert Williams. You need size in the east.

The West is a lot of small ball. It's not driven by centers. In the east, it often is. And Kevin Durant, I said, needs to go upstairs and tell the guys, uh-uh.

It's not going to work. Let's move him. because I think Kyrie still has value. He had a great year shooting the ball. He's a tremendous small finisher at the rim. So this tells me they would not be doing it without KD knowing what they're doing. And it's felt multiple times. Remember, they went public with this.

Their GM and said, things got to get better. I think KD was given a heads up on that too. Though Katie has gone out of his way to let us all know that he has no idea what's going on. I'm just a hooper. Kevin Durant's more than just a hooper. Where Colin was right? Been my concern for the last several years. Defensive coaches do not understand the urgency and the change,

the pivot that's happening in football. Pete Carroll said yesterday, yeah, we're good with Gino Smith and Drew Locke. We're in great shape at that position. No, you're not. Andy Reid moved off a very solid quarterback Alex Smith. Kyle Shanahan wants to move off a Super Bowl quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo. Sean McVeigh moved off a Super Bowl quarterback Jared Gough.

They understand how valuable the positions become. Mike Tomlin, we'll do it with Trubisky. Mike Zimmer, extend Kirk Cousins. Pete Carroll, we're good with Drew Locke. No, you're not. This is my concern with Ron Rivera, who I like personally and professionally. They waited too long. Remember last year we kept saying, Taylor Heinecke's not the answer.

If you've got to get through Aaron Rogers, Matt Stafford, and Tom Brady. I believe defensive coaches, we're seeing this over and over, are not embracing a fundamental change in the sport. The rules and legislation now are going to get Zach Taylor to more championships than a Hall of Fame coach, Pete Carroll or Mike Tomlin. Drew Locke is not good enough. Period. He is not good enough.

All right. Colin right. Colin wrong on a Monday. Christian Winfield, a great reporter on the Brooklyn Nets, been covering them. Daily News since 2019, and he is now joining us live. All right, Christian, I saw this story this morning. I thought it was fascinating because I believe that Kyrie Irving has value. He had a tremendous shooting season, but I do think what Brooklyn needs is not always what he delivers.

A versatile wing defender, size. So I threw this out there, Christian. you'll think I'm crazy. But I said, what LeBron needs is a perimeter shooter. Lakers were second in the league in open threes. Nobody could hit them. Nobody. What Brooklyn needs is size and defense against Janus, against Embed.

They don't really have it. And so I said, I don't think it's nuts for two stars, Katie and LeBron. They're running out of days here, Christian. I read that story about the impasse. It doesn't feel like Kyrie is long for the Nets. What's your takeaway? It's tough because from a salary cap standpoint, if Kyrie leaves in free agency,

the Nets can't just go ahead and resign another max player. They don't have the cap space. And it's also tough because we don't know what could be if you get a full season from Kyrie and KD. You know, last season, when COVID hit the Nets, I've watched KD take on Joel and Bede with four rookies on the floor alongside him, and they won that matchup. So it's a hard sell for Nets fans and even for media like myself to kind of pull the string

on this team right now when you kind of have that. You have to understand you can, you never really get a duo like KD and Kyrie on the same team like you have right now. And I think they really need to strike while the iron is hot. You can still re-sign them. I think if you build around the team the way it's currently constructed, you can compete with the Sixers. You can compete with the Bucs.

you can compete with the Celtics, you just have to get a full season from your stars. Listen, they wouldn't, this stuff would not go public, Christian, if Katie didn't want it to go public. I mean, it feels like to me, they went upstairs and said, Katie, what do you want? And he's like, pressure on Kyrie. That's what it feels like to me. You just wouldn't go out there and this stuff wouldn't hit the marketplace if Katie didn't have a little heads up. Is that reasonable for me? I think that's under most circumstances reasonable, but right now,

I think what we're seeing is a bit of posturing from both sides, right? We saw Shaw marks come out. Basically, as soon as Kyrie said, I want to be here for the long term at the end of the season. So Mark says, hey, we want players that want to be here full time, that can be here full time, which is basically a shot at Kyrie. He said that two times in a week span. And now you're seeing kind of, you're seeing the heat go up right now, right?

Like, if the Nets don't come to an agreement with Kyrie, the alternative is worse, right? If you're telling me you're trading Kyrie for pennies on the dollar and you're getting back role players to play with Kevin Durant, who's in year 17 and Ben Simmons coming off back surgery, I mean, good luck. The goal is a championship in Brooklyn, right? And your best bet of a championship is putting KD and Kyrie on the floor together. If you trade them, you don't get equal value. I don't think we see a championship in Brooklyn. How concerned would you be, though? It's one thing to cross your fingers that Kyrie is available and it's another thing to cross your fingers and hope Ben Simmons and Kyrie both are available.

It's hard. I mean, it's, I look at that and I think people show you who they are, believe them. If I'm KD, Christian, can I wake up in the morning and go, okay, I'll deal with one. I'll deal with one guy who's a little unpredictable. I don't know if I can handle two. Is that realistic? That is realistic and that's tough right now, right? You've got, we know the history with Ben Simmons. We know the history with Kyrie Irvin.

I think both of those guys have something to prove right now. With Kyrie, you're considered to be one of, if not the most skilled player in basketball history. You can't go on like this. And for Ben Simmons, I mean, just the year or two that he's had to deal with of just off the court stuff, he's still a high caliber player. And people have forgotten that because of all the stuff that's gone off the floor. So, you know, in one respect, yeah, I feel for Kevin Durant because he's attached his himself to players who are not available on a full-time basis right now.

But if you are able to get those players full-time healthy, no-vax mandate preventing them from getting on the floor, I think that the Nets are still favorites to win. I mean, you talk about putting Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irvin, Ben Simmons, the Nets have traded player exceptions they can use to add players to the team. If you build around that core and everybody's healthy, I don't know who has a better three in the East.

And you talk about size from the Celtics. You talk about size from the Bucks and the Sixers. Talk about talent, right? You've got KD, Kyrie, Ben Simmons, the All-Star appearances. You've got Ben Simmons with the defense. I think if they're just healthy, I don't want them to pull the plug on this experiment because you don't have an opportunity to do this again. There was a, and I think it was about a month ago, maybe it was longer, shorter, that Kevin Durant said he hadn't talked to Kyrie in a while. What is their relationship?

How would you, how would you frame it, Christian? They are, you know, I'd like to think they're best friends, right? You know, this is something that they built together, right? And even just purely from a basketball talent respect level, I mean, there are not very many players that can do what Kyrie does. And there are certainly not very many players that can do what KD does. And they have this level of mutual love and affection for each other's talent where it's just like these guys at times appear to be inseparable. I mean, the end of the season press conference right after the Nets got swept, they did their signature handshake right in front of the media before they left. Those guys are tight.

So, and Kevin Durant has defended Kyrie's decision not to get vaccinated, almost. at every step because at the end of the day, it is a personal decision. And you only spend a fraction, these players spend a fraction of their time on the basketball court. If Kyrie doesn't want to get vaccinated, I mean, ultimately that's his choice. But at the same time, now we're talking legacy, now we're talking championships. You're watching Stefan Curry get another ring. You're watching the Celtics go back to the finals.

And here you have KD and Kyrie sitting at home watching their old teams go. That can't feel good. So I think there is a level of we need to get this done. but I also think these guys love each other so much that they're going to ride for each other no matter what. When will we have closure on the Kyrie story, which now for the second time, it's been sent out to guys like me to talk about a second time impasse. It's not going to work. You know, whenever I see those signals, there's unrest somewhere. When do you believe we'll have a closure, Christian, on this story?

I think we'll see some things start picking up closer to the draft in these upcoming days. I think that if the Nets are truly willing to trade him, that you're going to have to do it soon. And then if it doesn't happen on draft day, we've got time. I mean, he's got to opt into his player option. He's got to make a decision on that pretty soon. So once he makes a decision on that, then we'll know if he's actually going to test free agency, if he's going to opt in and basically sign a one-year deal in Brooklyn, which I don't think is feasible for him, given his injury history.

The clock is ticking. You know, these guys all have to make decisions. And if Kyrie ends up opting out, then that's up to figure out what they're going to do without him. So there's a whole bunch of moving parts. I think in the next week we're going to see stuff start really going over. All right. He's got a podcast called Certified Buckets,

presented by uninterrupted covering the Nets, Knicks, NBA. Since 2019, he's a young guy. Love seeing young guys crush. Christian Winfield. Good seeing you. Congratulations in your success. Thank you for having me anytime. You bet.

So he thinks it's going to all wrap. up and it's going to be fine. I think when stuff gets out there, watch out. Unless it's like Aaron Donald, I may retire. We got three years left in your contract. You're just going to get a new deal. This one feels very public.

When stuff goes, now the Lakers make everything public. So the fact that their names in this, of course it is. Everything with the Lakers is public. They don't do anything privately. But this feels like it's getting very public to me. there's a little slow drip towards something, not quite sure what it is. But look, if Brooklyn's going to run it back,

that's going to be a lot of pressure on everyone there as well. There's a lot of question marks on that roster. Yeah. That's a lot of stuff. Hey, I'm Doug Gottlie. The podcast is called All Ball. We usually talk all basketball all the time, but it's more about the stories

about what made these people love their sport and all the interesting interactions along the way. We talk to coaches. We talk to players. We tell you stories. You download it, you listen to it, I think you like it. Listen to All Ball with Doug Alib on the IHeart Radio app,

Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. 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 love. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal, but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque.

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

A win is a win. I don't care what you're saying. Yep, that's me. Clipper Taylor, the podcast. forth. 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 at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. Do you remember when Diana Ross double-tapped Little Kim's boobs at the VMAs? Or when Kanye said that George Bush didn't like black people. I know what you're thinking. What the hell does George Bush got to do 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 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 Welcome to my new podcast, Learn the Hardway with me, your host, and your favorite therapist, Keer Games. And in recognition of Mental Health Awareness Month, I'm bringing over a decade of my own experience in the mental health field and conversations with so many incredible guests. I'm talking, Tript Fontaine, Ryan Clark. Sometimes when we're in the pursuit of the thing, we get so wrapped up in the chase that we

don't realize that we are in possession of the thing. And we're still chasing it. And we don't know when we've done enough. Because people scoreboard watch. Life becomes about wins and losses. Steve Burns, Dustin Ross, because you find it important to be a good person while you hear on earth? Are you a good person because you're afraid?

Because that's two different intentions, bro. Absolutely. And that's two different levels of trust. I want you to just really be a good person. Join me, Kear Gaines, as we have real conversations about healing, growth, fatherhood, pressure, and purpose on my new podcast, learn the hard way.

Open your free, our heart radio app. Search learn the hard way and listen now. Bye. The inaugural USFL playoffs kicks off this weekend on Fox as the Philadelphia stars face off the New Jersey Generals for a birth in the title game. From the Pro Football Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton, it's the USFL playoffs Saturday at 3 Eastern on Fox. You know, I was watching the U.S. Open a little bit yesterday, and it is remarkable how much my golf interest is driven by the golfer. I said this last week about, you know, the live, the Saudi Arabian money. and people are pushing back.

But the truth is, if you moved over Brooks Kepka with Phil Mickelson and Dustin Johnson, there are a lot of guys. I don't root for boxing. I don't root for golfers or boxers. And it is outside of Rory McElroy, who was in that final group. You know, I'm watching him yesterday. There's a lot of guys that I don't have an emotional connection to. And so I would say this about the PGA.

You can try to block those golfers. you can try to roll your eyes or mock those golfers or make them feel guilty. But nobody roots for golf. We root for golfers. We have stories and connections to people, not logos. And I think increasingly young sports fans, the research shows, really aren't even sometimes into teams. You know, Laker fans that were young were into Kobe. Not necessarily the Lakers.

They'll move on if they find a Janus that they like or a Jha Morant or a Luca. They'll just move on. That's why there's so many fans of other teams in the town you live in. And so as I watch golf this weekend, outside of Rory, nobody I had really a rooting interest for. That's what makes the UFC. I now have greater connections to UFC fighters than boxers. Right? Because boxing took its place.

It's standing for granted. I think the PGA has taken it standing for granted. The PGA doesn't control the Masters, the U.S. open. the PGA Championship, the British Open and the Ryder Cup. In golf, that is all I care about in a handful of golfers. Joy with the News. No, no, no, no. Turn on the news.

This is the Heard Line News. Well, KD has a pretty solid legacy already. One of the best basketball players in the world, two titles, two finals MVP's, league MVP. But his former team did just win a championship without him on the roster. and Charles Barkley thinks Katie has a little bit more to do to totally solidify his legacy. Before Katie gets that great respect from all the old heads, he's going to have to win a championship as a guy as a bus driver. Listen, he joined that team that already won a championship. So no disrespect, that's just a fact.

The old guys like myself, hey, Katie's an all-time hell of a player. but until he is de-guide on a championship team, we're not going to ever give them the respect, I mean, that he probably deserves. No. He was the finals MVP on those Warriors teams. He kind of was the best player on those teams. Yes.

But I do understand what Chuck is saying, and I predicted that this was going to be the point of conversation for this week. After we gave the Warriors their due for their championship, it was going to pivot directly to Kevin Durantz, what does this mean for KD's legacy? I do think it's something to have him be

the catalyst for a championship group. Now, to Chuck's point, they won a championship with the core group before KD got there. And after. And now after. Right. So

you could make the argument that it was really about the core group. It was really about the team. It was really about the coaching, the organization. I wouldn't because I watched it and he was the best player on those teams. There's a reason that they wanted to bring KD in. They needed him at that time. And he also felt trapped Westbrook, who we now all realize is hard to play for. Kevin's like, I got to get out of here. And so he made the choice. We don't blame Max Scherzer because he chose the Mets. We don't blame Freddie

Freeman because he chose the Dodgers or Garrett Cole because he chose the Yankees. We don't blame baseball players going saying, I want to play for the team that going to a championship. We don't blame high school football players who say, I want to play at Alabama or Ohio State because I'll be surrounded with a better chance to win. We don't blame NFL players. Randy Moss goes, I want to go, tells his agent, I want to go play with Tom Brady. We never blame any athlete except the basketball star who says, I'm playing with Westbrook, we don't really work. It's driving me nuts. I don't like limited in Oklahoma City. These guys, for the record, Warrior players flew to him and recruited him, and he's like,

I kind of like it. Why do we crush NBA guys who go to better situations? I don't know. I think probably because NBA players are extremely visible. There's not, baseball doesn't really celebrate its stars the way the NBA does. That's true. That's true. Football players, it's very much a team game. You don't see their faces. You know, we give a lot of attention to the quarterbacks. It's not the same as a different culture when it comes to the NBA. So maybe we put more on the stars. I'm with you. And again,

I don't get the outrage. When you talk about even LeBron leaving for Miami, like the way that these players were crushed for leaving, people, it's not like they came into the league and year two, they were like, I just don't like Oklahoma City. I've just had enough.

It was there for nine years. LeBron was in Cleveland, Cleveland, Ohio for seven years. Like, did they not put in this? they're due to be able to control their career? Think about Kevin Durant's career. So he gets drafted by Seattle. The owner tells him, I'm not leaving.

The owner lies to him. He then goes to Oklahoma City and the GM says, I will not break up you, Hardin and Westbrook. Oh, they lied to him. And they fired his coach. So KD's reality in the NBA is, the owner told me one thing, didn't happen. My GM told me one thing.

That didn't happen. And Katie then sort of figures out, rightly so, this is kind of an every man for himself league. I'm going to take care of me because the owner's going to do what he wants to do. The GM is going to trade who he wants to trade. I'm going to take care of me. That's why I'll always defend pro athletes. You guys got to understand that you're banging on athletes. The owner's doing what's good for the owner.

And the GM's doing what's good for the roster of the GM. Players got to do what's good for them sometimes. Yeah, I mean, I don't blame him at all. Now, I do say him going to Brooklyn put a little extra... I didn't like that at all. Put a little extra pressure on him. And that's what Chuck is talking about, where he's, you know, now you're in Brooklyn. This is clearly your team.

There is no stuff here. This is clearly your team. You obviously, along with Kyrie, have a lot of say over what goes on here. So there is an expectation of a championship. And I think that's fair. I think he should have championship expectations. If he doesn't end up winning another championship, it's not going to change how I feel about Katie's career, but it would add a little something extra.

Just like with Steph. Seth didn't need this finals MVP, but it added a little something extra. Brady was the goat. Tampa made him the goat plus. Yes. Right. It's just a little layer of invincibility all time. Yes.

So the goat conversation, speaking of that, is really a big conversation in the NBA still, not so much in football with Tom Brady. But Hall of Famer Grant Hill gave his opinion on the topic. And while he's picking Jordan is the greatest of all time, he thinks LeBron deserves a little bit more respect. Jordan's the go. But I hate the conversation because in order to justify it, we put down the other.

And so it's like, like LeBron's incredible. Like what he has done, the pressure from a very young age, how he's lived up to the expectations. And what he's had to endure that I don't think Michael Jordan had to endure. Those old heads who love like Jordan, I don't think we fully appreciate like what LeBron has done in this environment that he's in. No player has ever endured, in my opinion, as much vitriol and just abuse and slander that LeBron James has endured. That part he is absolutely right about. And that's why I've always held LeBron in a different, a different category legacy-wise,

because I think he is the greatest superstar that we've ever had in the history of sports. When you consider what Grant was just talking about, which is he became a superstar, really he aged into it with the emergence of social media, which older players did not have to deal with. And whether you like it or not, it is a reality, along with the explosion of media coverage that we have now.

We have so many outlets and so many podcasts and so many radio shows and television shows. the amount of coverage that you get as an athlete is next level. And he's been in the spotlight since he was 16 years old. For him to manage his career to be a billionaire while he is still an active player is astonishing. Like, whatever you think about LeBron, unless you're just one of those weirdos that wants to talk about China, which like, look, you know, enjoy Reddit. It's astonishing what he's done. Like I don't think we really give him the credit that he deserves in that space.

I mean, I think it's just, I think it's amazing. I think reasonable people. I think reasonable people. Yeah, reasonable people. Yeah. People that, you know, don't have time to spend hours on Reddit. So Baker Mayfield, his future remains in limbo as he waits for trade from the Browns. Carolina's been viewed as the favorite to get him, but they have yet to make a deal.

And the biggest obstacle has been Baker's contracts because they picked up his option. Well, now the Browns are willing to pay half of Baker's salaries to facilitate his trade reportedly. And less stubborn. All right. Okay. But obviously the Panthers would rather get him at more of a bargain. Now, here's the situation, as I see it with the Panthers, because there was a report last week that they would actually like to get him in house sooner rather than later, which makes sense. If you're in on Baker Mayfield, you probably do want to get him there.

He's still rehabbing, but there's different things that he can get accustomed to by being in the building. Like there's an adjustment period that you can take advantage of now in the summer before the season starts, before everyone gets desperate, that he can, you know, start meeting people and building relationships and be in the building and, you know, adjust his life. he's going to be there and be your franchise quarterback, you'd probably want him there. So I do understand a little bit of sense of urgency on Carolina's side if they are really in on Baker Mayfield. But that's what makes this whole situation so murky. If you're not in on Baker Mayfield, like who cares? You're paying Sam Darnels, what, 17 million, whatever it is.

With the two of them there, it's a franchise quarterback. That's what you pay quarterbacks. Yeah, that's the budget. So I don't, I don't feel like Carolina should be desperate. but also if you're going to make the move for them, make the move, especially if the Browns are willing to negotiate on the money. Now, again, I always, I just, I find the way that the Browns do business to just be absolutely fascinating.

It's like they do the opposite of what successful people do. Well, yeah, everything's panic. Everything's impulsive and panicky. Like the opposite of well-run organizations, it's panicky and impulsive. I don't, look, I feel really like I got got by the Browns, which really bothers me, especially being from Pittsburgh and, like, maintaining my opinion about that organization for as long as I had. I really thought that they were on the right track.

Like they were doing things differently. They were, like, establishing a culture. And then they just pulled this move with Deshaun Watson. And I'm like, no, it's the same old rounds. Like, it's the same, it's the same organization, do the same things over and over again. The other thing is great businesses are humble. There's humility.

Nobody's more arrogant than Brown fans who want to tell you how much they know about NFL and how little everybody else knows. It's like Pittsburgh has 75% more humility and 95% more success. Go look at the great teams in sports. They're usually self-evaluating, self-critical, self-policing. Brown fans know it all. And how dare we acknowledge, how dare we think Deshaun was a weird move to guarantee all of it? Like, I get you like his talent.

And the Baker thing was a mess. How dare we? Even if you look at the way things ended with Baker, which is a disaster. and then bringing in Deshaun, even if you have to look at it objectively. Like there was a obvious chance, right, if you use your brain, that Deshawn Watson would not play all season.

Yes. So that means he's not going to play football for two whole season, for two years. Yeah, yeah. And aside from everything else that's going on, how talented is he that he's just going to walk onto the field and take over this division after not playing football for two years. Listen, Cleveland had like an hour in the sun that felt good about itself,

but we can officially say there's a very high probability. Pittsburgh, Baltimore, and Cincinnati will run this division for the next seven, eight years. I have no anxiety saying that at all. Neither do I. No whatsoever. Joy with the news. Well, that's the news. And thanks for stopping by.

The herd lie news. I noticed something this weekend. And when I notice stuff, I talk about it. And I will next. why the NFL remained king. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays in noon Eastern, 9 a.m. Pacific. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal but encouraged. It's the enhanced games.

Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast's Superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the IHard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is a win.

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

One week, I'll take you behind the scenes of the biggest moments in sports and entertainment, and the next we'll talk about life, mental health, purpose, and even music. The Clifford Show isn't just a podcast, it's a space for honest conversations, stories that don't always get told, and for people who are chasing something bigger. So, if you've ever supported me, or you're just chasing down a dream, this is right where you need to be. Listen to the Clifford show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast.

And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. Do you remember when Diana Ross double-tap Little Kim's boobs at the VMAs? Or when Kanye said that George Bush didn't like black people. I know what you're thinking. What the hell does George Bush got to do with Little Kim? Well, you can find out on the Look Back at it podcast.

I'm Sam J. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick it here, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it. Including a recent episode with Mark Lamont Hill, waxing all about crack in the 80s. To be clear, 84 is big to me, not just because of crack. I'm down to talk about crack on day, but just so y'all know.

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

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

And we don't know when we've done enough. Because people scoreboard watch. Life becomes about wins and losses. Steve Burns, Dustin Ross, because you find it important to be a good person while you hear on earth. Are you a good person because you're afraid? Because that's two different intentions, bro. Absolutely. And that's two different levels of trust.

I want you to just really be a good person. Join me, Kear Gaines, as we have real conversations about healing, growth, fatherhood, pressure, and purpose on my new podcast, learn the hard way. Open your free, our heart radio app. Search Learn the hard way and listen now. Welcome back. I was thinking about something. I always think that hope and optimism are powerful tools in life. I think a president should create a country in which the majority of people have hope and optimism, very hard in these polarizing days.

As many of you know, I love college football. And in the South, it's become so insular, so Alabama-Klemson-driven, it's hurt the ratings. The SEC's always going to be great in college football, but we need a broader spectrum of teams. We need the Miami Hurricanes, USC, Texas. We need schools, Notre Dame, Wisconsin, the most. The more the merrier, the more hope, the more optimism. It's a powerful tool in growing a sport. And I was looking at this weekend in baseball.

I'm going to give you the top eight records in baseball and the bottom eight records in baseball. And you'll notice a trend. The top eight records in baseball are almost all massive cities. The New York Yankees, the New York Mets, who have Steve Cohen, a Wall Street guy, who gets there and immediately buys his way to the top, which that's fine. major market Houston, Los Angeles, biggest city in Canada, Toronto, San Francisco,

biggest city in the South Atlanta. Now, the Padres are the outlier, but they are linked to the California economy, which has exploded in the last 10 years. It's now fifth biggest in the world and has pulled away from even Texas and New York. Now let's go to the worst records in baseball. Oakland, Cincinnati, low payroll, Kansas City, Pittsburgh, Seattle. Now, the Cubs are rebuilding. So in fairness, Chicago's a big city, but they are completely rebuilding, sold off the parts.

And the nationals who are, to some, inexplicably lousy, make of it what you will. But there is a clear financial halves and have-nots. And that's what's interesting. The NBA is always paralyzed by competitive balance, the ping pong balls, no tanking. I think next year you can make an argument. Milwaukee Bucks, small market Milwaukee should be favored in the east. I would have picked them to win the east this year if Chris Middleton didn't get hurt. And I think Memphis, many people believe I'm one of them, Memphis will meet the Warriors in the Western Conference finals, small market teams.

There's plenty of small market representation. The San Antonio Spurs were a dynasty. Oklahoma City for years until they broke up the band was really, really viable. This is why the NFL is king. Look at the best teams in the AFC today. Hope is a powerful tool. Small market Cincinnati can't even compete in baseball. They got to the Super Bowl.

Small market Kansas City. Baltimore. Pittsburgh and baseball doesn't have the money. Pittsburgh in the NFL, it's got what, five, six Super Bowls? Start looking at the AFC right now. In fact, the Greece fire is that team in New York, the Jets. Go over to the NFC, perennial powerhouse, Green Bay, Tampa Bay. And for years, the New Orleans Saints,

which are a small market that's also had to deal with natural disasters, which have displaced the team, they're still always really, really good. That is why NFL is king. And how do they do it? They do it with two things the media never roots for and I don't get it. A hard salary cap. And number two, no ridiculously long contracts. I see this all the time with the young media.

They root for the player to get paid. I don't. I root for Mahomes to get paid or a Josh Allen to get paid or a Steph Curry to get paid, Luca to get paid. Those are truly Janus to get paid. Those are truly transformational guys. And in most instances, Mahomes and Janus and Curry,

they're good guys. I'd love to build my team around Steph Curry or Janus or Luca or Mahomes or Josh Allen. They're good kids. They're in it for the right reason. They're culture setters. They're giving their great teammates. But the truth is, in baseball, you get locked into these awful. long-term contracts, but it empowers the player.

And in the NBA, you get trapped with James Harden. You're trapped with Ben Simmons, meaning basically a general manager signs one bad contract, and this stuff's hard. I mean, God in basketball, a kid plays one year of college, and you're supposed to guess how good he's going to be? He can't even drink at the hotel bar. He's a kid. I mean, the Lakers let go of Brandon Ingram.

The next year he pops in New Orleans. Of course, he's like 23. Jason Tatum's still not a fully developed player, and we think he's a top 12 guy in the league for Boston. That hope is optimism and hope are powerful. And stop rooting for everybody to get paid. The stars need to get paid, but the shorter contracts actually is the better for you, the fan, better for the organization. So you have the ability to be flexible, make mistakes. We don't want to punish our front offices.

Bill Belichick's a genius. The Patriots have had some of the worst drafts I've ever seen. Why? Because it's hard. Even Nick Saban at Alabama, every year in his recruiting class, he'll have six guys that can't play, four guys that don't make it maybe physically, maybe a couple academically. It's hard. So when I look at baseball right now, the long contracts, no salary cap, the sport is becoming

what you don't want sports to be. Now, I'm a sportscaster, so I like it when the Yankees and the Dodgers and the Braves and big markets are great. It's good for my business, but I don't think it's great for the sport. I don't think it's great for college football that just the SEC dominates. Ratings are showing that. And I don't think it's good for baseball, that you have to be a big city with a lot of money and a revenue. Canada's biggest city, the south's biggest city, New York, L.A., you've got to give people hope in Cincinnati in Kansas City. Home security's in Portland. Important. Simplysafecullen.com is where I go 20% off with interactive monitoring. Check it out. SimplySafecollan.com, hour three and a Monday.

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 I-Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal but encouraged. It's the enhanced games.

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

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

From 1979, that was a big moment for me. 84's 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. With our friends, fellow comedians, and favorite office. Like Mark Lamont Hill on the 80s.

It was a wild year. I don't think there's a more important year for black people. Listen to look back at it on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. This is an IHeart podcast. Guaranteed Human.