The Herd with Colin Cowherd - HOUR 2 - Trey Lance, Warriors

Episode Date: July 19, 2022

Is QB Trey Lance ready to start for the 49ers? The Warriors believe they can dominate the league   Guest: Tom RinaldiSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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It is the herd, wherever you may be, and however you may be listening. IHeart Radio, Fox Sports Radio, FS1. All right, so Rinaldi, you've got to get our act together because Rinaldi's won a bunch of Emmys. He's a grown-up, so we can't do our shenanigans. We have to behave ourselves now. I mean, he's got bestsellers and he's an adult, so we can't be screwing around here. He's got a fascinating documentary podcast, but I can't wait to listen to. and we're talking 70s baseball in the back, and it's ridiculous.

So Joy Taylor is joining us today. So I'm going to throw a theory at you. Okay. This is not necessarily true, but I believe it to be true. So there's a story out there today. The Warriors owner, Joe Lacob, goes out, and he says, we're not slowing down. We're going to dominate basketball. We've been to six finals in eight years.

It's not slowing down. And I believe, and I've always believed this, you become what your market is in sports. There's never been a good Pistons basketball team that wasn't tough, bad boys. Why? Automotive center, the city's history. Detroit's tough. It's tough money. A lot of musicians.

Blue-collar workers. Tough city. There's never been an L.A. team that wasn't flashy. Like the Lakers are flashy. The Rams are flashy. You play to your market. You become your market. New York is rich and powerful.

If you look at New York teams, the Yankees spend the most much. money. The giants spend money poorly, but they've always been a team that leans into the wealth. And so I was thinking, now, Boston's a great example. So Boston's a highly intelligent city. MIT, Harvard, I think there's like 30 or 50 universities within the footprint around Boston. It's one of the smartest cities in the country. What does that mean? It's important to be smart. It's a historic city politically and in sports. A lot of power brokers. I think. I think Ben Franklin at some point was, I think he was from there, wasn't he? Anyway, let's move on.

The point being is when you win in sports in Boston or politics, intelligence is really valued. Red Sox went early on analytics. Belichick and the Patriots always valued intelligence. Similarly, the Celtics. You got to win the trade. Draft and develop. It's not about spending the most money, and they have a lot of money. But what's valued in Boston is intelligence and passion.

And so back to the Warriors and Joe Lacob. So San Francisco. So what is San Francisco known for over the last 20 years? It has created more disruptive economies than anywhere in the country. Tesla disrupted the auto industry. Airbnb disrupted the hotel industry. Uber disrupted transportation. I was in Chicago over the weekend.

I didn't see a cab. Four days didn't see a cab. DoorDash. Facebook. Facebook. Let me, Netflix, totally disrupted, created streaming, disrupted television. Fitbit, GoPro. And I think Joe Lacob, because he's in that world and has had his wealth, a lot of it, as a disruptor, and that's what really Silicon Valley is. It's an economic disruptive hub. They create businesses that shatter, recreate, reinvent, or blow through taxis and hotels and things we always thought to be true.

So if you look at sports right now, outside of baseball, there's a salary cap for the MLS, the NFL, and the NBA. And Jake, Joe Lakeb looked at it and thought, wait a minute, I'm in the disruptive hub of the world. Let's be a disruptor. We're not only going to, and most owners in the NBA in all sports, are reticent to pay a luxury tax. It's like a double tax. And California's got enough taxes. He says, we're going to do a different thing. We're going to blow through it.

We're going to become the only pro sports franchise, not in baseball, to act like there is no salary cap. And we're just going to spend whatever it takes to win. So we can keep Draymond and get Wiggins and pay clay. and keep staff and go after Kevin Durant. They were in the Kevin Durant chase. And so I think you become what your market is in sports. You're a part of it. You live there.

You go to schools. You're talking to people. Detroit teams are going to be tough. L.A. teams are going to be cool. New York's going to spend money. Boston's going to be smart. And I think what the Warriors are is a disruptor. We're not only going to go through the luxury tax.

It doesn't exist. they spend more money on the luxury tax, I believe I read this, than everybody else spends on their roster. It's insane. And I think they are what the market is, disruptors economically. I don't know if that's right. I like it. I think you're on to something there. Hey, I blew through six minutes.

It's July. Let's be honest here. All right. He's like the adult in the room. He's one of the most talented people in our industry. He's a friend. 16-time sports Emmy winner. I don't even know where they hold the event.

He's won 16 of them. He's got a house there, whatever city it is. Seven-time Edward R. Murrow Award winner. New York Time bestseller. Incredibly humble, so he's probably blushing with this. Let's bring him on Tom Rinaldi. Love Tom Rinaldi. How are you, my friend?

I love having you on the show a couple of times. They told me I had you as a guest today. I was giddy. I couldn't sleep. I was so happy. Great to be with you. Joy. Always great to see you.

The greatest shirt I've seen this year. Oh, thank you. I love the colors outstanding, as usual. So thanks for tolerating my six-minute rant on disruption. I appreciate that. Not at all. I love it. Okay, so you are doing a documentary, a podcast documentary, and it's an eight-part podcast.

It's called Wesley. So you're saying to yourself, Wesley, Matthews, Wesley, what is that? So when I first heard the word, I said, what is it? And then I find out that's the middle name of Lyman Bostock. So like many Americans in the 70s, I was a massive baseball fan. We didn't have cable that I knew of. I watched baseball.

I can remember the opening on NBC game of the week. Baseball was a centerpiece of my life. My first job in broadcasting was baseball. And I remember these teams. I remember Rod Carew and Butch Weinegger and Larry Heisel. I know. It's weird. But I remember Lyman Bostock.

Do you? He was a great hitter. There was an argument to me made that Rod Carew and Lyman Bostock for a two-year period with the two best hitters in baseball. Karu was. But I remember him getting murdered, and I was a little kid. I couldn't contextualize it. But I remember the picture of a car.

Take it from there. What do I remember? You're exactly right, Lyman. It's incredible to think about that, Colin, that that's the picture that comes to mind because that picture lodged in your mind is accurate. The only player, active player in the more than 150-year history of Major League Baseball, to be murdered during a season. And this isn't ancient history.

It isn't a story from a century ago. It's from 1978. I realize that's not immediate, but it's also not terribly distant either. And the reason that pictures in your mind is because Lyman Bostock was riding in his uncle's car, Tom Turner, in Gary, Indiana,

where he had spent a part of his childhood and where he would go back to after playing games at Chicago to spend time with his aunts, uncles, and cousins, his extended family there. He was giving a ride, along with his uncle, to two women who wanted to be dropped off across Gary on Lyman's way back to Chicago

to finish a visiting series against the White Sox. And an enraged, jealous, and estranged husband of one of the women, a woman who he had read to as a child while he lived in Gary, Lyman. Absolutely nothing going on between them romantically, nothing untoward at all. That estranged husband pulled up

at a red light on a Saturday night and Gary fired one shot through the backseat opera window. If you remember cars of that era. That's the picture I remember. Aiming at his wife, but he shot Lyman. And very early the next morning,

Lyman Bostock, who had finished second in the American League in hitting, a career 311 hitter. 336. awesome amazing that now listen he was 80 i mean as the 50 points behind karoo and one of the great seasons of all time but on the absolute cusp of stardom and i ask you i ask joy if this would happen today oh you can't there's nothing to compare it'd be unbelievable so did they

know immediately how long did it take until they discovered who did it immediately his wife identified him. Tom Turner, the uncle, identified him. Hours later, maybe five hours later, Gary, police detectives six blocks away to the apartment where Leonard Smith, the killer, lived, arrested him, and as one of the detectives recounts, pardon the language, that it was all about that bitch. That's what Leonard Smith had said. But really what we want people to know here, Colin, is there's so much more to Lyman Bostock than how he died. Well, was he politically active? Okay. Because I remember that he's also, he was from the South. Originally.

Okay. So does any of that stuff, is that addressed in? Because when you, when I heard you were coming on, I'm like, was it a political thing? Was it a, did his political activism, and I don't remember a ton of athletes, especially baseball players being politically active. Was it front and center? Was it discussed? Was it known about him? It was a key part of his background. He is born in the South, lives in Gary for a period of time, comes out $7 in his mother's pocket on a Greyhound bus to come to L.A. for a better life. Can't make it up. Outstanding baseball player in high school goes to what's then San Fernando Valley State College, which is now Cal State Northridge, on a baseball scholar. $75 scholarship, by the way.

Doesn't see the field for the first two years because he's involved in student protest in 1968. He's part of the takeover of the administration building after a coach, a white coach, assaults a black player, a football player. Lyman as a fellow athlete is involved in this protest, ultimately finds himself arrested, facing felony charges, being pressured in all kinds of ways not to return to baseball. But he ignores that, he finds his way onto the field, has a terrific collegiate career, and ultimately flies through the minors to make his way to the majors.

All of these fascinating parts are what we describe and talk about through the chorus of voices in this first ever episodic podcast that Fox Sports has ever done. Yeah, back in the 70s, I can remember on a daily basis in my newspaper, you would read batting averages, home runs. I mean, that was what we did as kids. The agate page, yeah. Yeah, so, I mean, that was, Lyman Bostock was, and Rod Carew. Carew was the best hitter in baseball. He was like the Ted Williams of the Tony Gwyn.

He's the best pure hitter. He had that, like, a little weird stance. And then there was Larry Heissel and Bostock. And the twins, you know, played in cold weather, but they had, they were really kind of a fascinating team. It was one of the great collections for them in the history of their franchise was back in the 70s, and all of a sudden a guy is murdered. And they had ownership, which was penurious to put it generously. They didn't pay.

So Lyman, who'd made $20,000 a season, his first three seasons, $20,000 for a season when you finish second in the American League, he leaves. He gets one of the biggest contracts in all of sport playing for the then California Angels. He has a terrible slump after signing the contract this first month. He goes to the owner, Gene Autry at the time, the singing cowboy, and says, I haven't earned my salary, don't pay me. Autry says, if you hit a home run every game the rest of the season line, and we're not going to pay you anymore, take the salary. He does and donates every dollar to charity. $50,000 when he'd never made more than $20,000 in a season. yet another episode which draws almost no analog or comparison for us.

That's Lyman Wesley Basta. So it's an eight-part podcast. Who do you talk to in this? Is Rod Caru? Rod Caru, George Brett, Carney Lansford. Many of the, Carney Lansford took Lyman Bostock's place, Colin, in the batting lineup. Incredibly, the angels played the same day that Lyman died. Think about that.

That would never happen now. Lanceford takes his place, can't make it up. First at bat. Home run. Runs around the bases with tears falling out of his eyes and breaks down as he recounts that memory in the podcast. All parts, and we haven't even gotten into what happens to the killer, Leonard Smith. Let's get into that.

And how he goes free, incredibly, after a second trial, he goes free. He's found not guilty by reason of insanity. We tell that whole story as we get into sort of the true crime dynamics of Lyman's, the aftermath of Lyman's death. That is a fascinating story. Who gave you the heads up on it? We did the story 14 years ago in a much more limited way at ESPN. We did it as an outside-the-lines feature, but there was so much more to Lyman. that we weren't able to get into.

And I encountered Leonard Smith. Thirty years, I found him after he'd shot Lyman, living in the same place, six blocks down the same street from where he'd killed Bostock. Now, if it's reason of insanity, he's out living amongst us? Totally. When you met him, was he of right mind, sane? A big part of the podcast in its later episodes,

is me revisiting that encounter and how it's been a regret of mine in my career for the last 14 years because I botched it. I botched that encounter. The only time I ever had with Leonard Smith, the man who killed Lyman. Yeah. I wonder why we haven't told the story. It feels bigger. As you tell the story, I think that's fascinating.

I can't believe we haven't told the story in its proper length before. Is it because it's macabre? Because, I mean, we talk about activism. We love stories. I mean, we're living in a streaming world where all Netflix does is true crime. And in so many ways, anyone who went through 1968, the late 1960s, can certainly relate to the early years of this decade, of the 2020s. And the tumult and chaos and unrest, how voices of people of color, the activism from athletes, all these things which resonate so much right now. in terms of the quest for social justice and equality and inclusion.

So much of Lyman's story resonates and what the world lost when at 27, one man fired one shot and took his life, a story which is remarkably overlooked. You've covered, I want to pivot now, you've covered so many different things. All-Star Game tonight, you have an interview with Aaron Judge. I was talking, who did we have on yesterday? Who was the baseball person? We had a...

Joe. Joe Davis. Joe Davis. And a Dodgers voice, talented kid. And I said, there's a Paul Bunyan quality to Aaron Judge. He's so big that despite his injury history, you almost have to sign him. Like, he feels like a Yankee, right? But he's got...

There's some real injury. concerns, the market's now exploding. They couldn't work it out. He's got one year left. He's got half a season left. They couldn't work it out. Is he bitter? You interviewed him.

Is he resentful? How did it land for him? Well, when at the end of the interview, I suggested, whether it's his characterization or others, that he bet on himself, Colin, you know, he gave a smile and sort of said, hey, I quipped and said, how's that working out for you? And, you know, and he gave a smile and said, listen. to be on the best team in baseball right now at the break, and I think it's working out pretty well.

One of the things we hope people do pay attention to in the interview, I've asked this question to many athletes over the course of my career. What piece of criticism has motivated you? And he sort of brushed that off for a moment. I said, but if there is one, he paused and said, I'll go back to high school, and he tells a remarkable story of going to a week-long baseball camp, Colin, and the report card that he was given at the conclusion of camp,

and how he still has that report card now, where among other things, he was rated a four or five as a hitter. And he's still bothered by it. Isn't it right? So after the home run derby last night, ESPN aired the Jeter doc. And I said, they always tell you with your kids,

don't compare your kids. Everybody wants to compare, everybody's overrated or underrated. And I argue that Jeter, is what a lot of people are, like Tom Cruise or Denzel Washington, he's appropriately rated. He's cool. He's a Hall of Famer in the most pressurized situation in baseball. He was often better than he was in regular season games. Kershaw hasn't been, Bonds, A-Rod, really hard to do. Because golf and baseball have long stretches of inactivity. So the sports get into your head.

We've seen golfers and baseball players cave because you can sit and ponder and reflect. You know, basketball player, take another shot. Tom, another snap. Boxer another round. When I say Jeter to you, you have so many memories, and I have said this before, I've lived all over the country, I do miss the falls in the Northeast. The principal nature of it, the history, the churches, baseball, the tradition, the weather. When I say Jeter to you, is there a memory or two that sticks out to you as a performer,

as a single playboy, as the great Yankee shortstop, what sticks out to you? I think two things. The flip will forever be. I was there covering that game incredibly for CNN Sports Illustrated. Yes, in the A stadium, the flip, which was just, again, you stated it perfectly better when it mattered more and best when it mattered most. That's Derek Jeter. And the other is, of course, how does he get the seminal hit of his career?

he hits a home run, right, for 3,000. I mean, it's just, it's an incredible, incredible career. And the grace with which he handled the scrutiny and the spotlight of the New York stage, you can make the case as unequaled. Well, I would say that the Manning family's American football royalty, they're all really bright. Cooper, Eli, Arch, Archie, Peyton, that Manning looked at Jeter as sort of an archetype or arch type that's how you handle the New York press.

That's the template. That's how you do it. I think Eli and Derek Jeter in my lifetime, and maybe Brady in New England, have deflected any controversy. I mean, for God's sakes, Brady had a MAGA hat behind it. It's like, don't characterize our relationship. We just golf. Jeter may be the best I've ever seen at it. He is.

And you said it really well, the art of deflection because he saw it as distraction. And I'm not going to let anything become a distraction. Even though toward the very end of his career now, remember, and I'm sure they'll visit this powerfully in the series, it was distracting at the end, the relationship with Cashman and how ultimately that unfolded and some of the turbulence there. It'll be interesting to see how Open Jeter is about that.

So Clayton Kershaw, once again, very good, Dodger Stadium tonight. Kirchaw could be compared, some say, favorably to Sandy Coney. as one of the great left-handerers, although Kershaw's career, Sandy's was very brief. Clayton, maybe not as spectacular in that brief time capsule, is a much bigger, larger profile and resume. He's a fascinating guy. He's all about winning. I remember when Ysiel Pug was in the locker room, he had no time for nonsense.

I mean, does he compare? Is he a prototype for somebody? I don't know him. I've met him before. The story of he in Stafford High School, well documented. What is Kirshaw to you in baseball history? Can I tell you something that I really thought stuck out just of the moment right now? Clayton Kirshaw in some ways, that intensity is like an armor.

And it's a repellent, if you will, right? That intensity keeps people away. That he's a star in the real sense. We really don't get to know him that well. And yet, when he talked about what it meant to him to be the All-Star starter, there was a different glint in his eye and tone in his voice. how much it means to him to be able to start this game in his home stadium as he gets toward the backstretch of his career. And that voice not only carries across the country, that voice

carries in the clubhouse in a game where some people suggest it doesn't mean as much as it should. To hear Clayton Kershaw talk about it that way really resonated with me. And I think we'll resonate with players. Okay, we've got a podcast series, eight-part podcast, Fox Sports, first four episodes are out now. It's called Wesley on Lyman Bostock, a tragic murder in the middle of a season. At the end, at the end of the 78 season, yes. Which has never happened in the history of baseball. It feels like a very layered story. When you had done it the first time, and then you said, you came back to it. Was there something that surprised you the second time around that you just simply didn't know?

Oh, so many things, Colin, in particular about what happened to his life in college, when he is arrested, when he is cut from the team, when it looks like his baseball career is over before it even begins. And then some of the things that happen with the twins, what happens in his life as an angel, so many dynamics, as well as what happens regarding not the one, but the two trials that Leonard Smith goes through. and how ultimately that verdict changed the law in the state of Indiana and many other states across the country, that that's a part of Lyman's legacy as well, that not guilty by reason of insanity, no longer led to freedom if someone was no longer judged to be mentally defective or ill, but they would be remanded back into custody. It used to be that you went free. You know, Rinaldi, I could do, someday when Joy retires,

How about Cowherd-Rinaldi and Friends? We'll do a morning show and just talk. I can talk to you forever. I think you're a fascinating guy. You're an adult in the room, and you have tolerated me for years. I love everything about you coming to Fox. Nothing against the other team. Fine team.

Missing some real talent now, but a fine team over there. We love having you, the All-Star Game. Is it 7 o'clock tonight? Is that what the starting time is? Correct. You've got your Aaron Judge interview. and I like having you out west. You know what?

Have you noticed this? You lost a few pounds out here? More avocado. I'm still out east. I'm still Jersey, pride, and strong. But I love coming out west. I understand. Great seeing you, buddy.

Thank you. Thank you, Colin. One more herd? The herd streams 24 hours a day, seven days a week within the IHeard 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 is a win. I don't care what you're saying. Yep, that's me. Cliver Taylor the fourth. You might have seen the skits, the reactions, my journey from basketball to college football, or my career in sports media. Well, somewhere along the way, this platform became bigger than I ever imagined. And now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfiltered conversations with some of your favorite athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. One week, I'll take you behind the scenes of the biggest moments in sports and entertainment. 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 Jek. 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 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 IHeartRadio app Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcast Welcome to my new podcast, Learn the Hardway with me, your host, and your favorite therapist, Kear Games. And in recognition of Mental Health Awareness Month, I'm bringing over a decade of my own experience in the mental health field

and conversations with so many incredible guests. I'm talking, Tripp Fontaine, Ryan Clark. Sometimes when we're in the pursuit of the thing, we get so wrapped up in the chase that we don't realize that we are in possession of the thing. And we're still chasing it. And we don't know when we've done enough. Because people scoreboard watch. Life becomes about wins and losses. Steve Burns, Dustin Ross,

because you find it important to be a good person while you hear on earth? 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. Tonight, Judge Otani, Machado, and the biggest names are coming to the City of Stars for the Midsummer Classic. It's the 2022 All-Star Game from Dodgers Stadium. Coverage begins tonight at 7 Eastern on Fox. Can't wait.

Home Run Derby was great last night. This is the only All-Star game that matters. There are a ton of stars. Shohei Otani is literally, as Joe Davis said yesterday in our show, he is, he compares favorably with Baylorably. Babe Ruth, that he is starring as a pitcher and a hitter simultaneously. And I'm not a baseball historian, but Ruth starred as a pitcher, had a brief overlap of pitching and hitting, then goes to New York and becomes a hitter. What Shohei Otani is doing, as the sport is now better and more global and more talented,

he dominates as both a pitcher and a hitter. It's okay. I know we're all reluctant to ever criticize Babe Ruth. What he is doing is greater than Bay Ruth. The sport's now global. It's a global sport. So he's doing against the world's best baseball players. Joy Taylor with a news.

Turn on the news. This is the herd line news. Well, sticking with Los Angeles, the Lakers have been involved in plenty of rumors regarding potentially moving Russell Westbrook and a possible Kyrie Irving swap all offseason. But the latest rumors indicate that they might be sticking with Russell Westbrook, keeping him in the fold.

Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports, saying that LeBron, Anthony Davis, and Westbrook organized a phone call at the start of Summer League to commit to one another despite the uncertainty and make sure everyone was on the same page heading into this season. So how come LeBron and Westbrook did not sit next to each other? I don't believe. I'm not trying to be Mr. Negative with the Lakers, but it was clearly an issue. I mean, we both went, okay, that looks different. They sat on other ends of the floor.

Yeah, you would sit together. Well, with any of these kind of reports, and listen, it's been this way and that way and this and that all off season. Who does this report benefits? Who looks good here? Well, the Lakers make it sound like we're not desperate. The Lakers look good like they're not desperate. Certainly LeBron looks good. He's, you know, having conversations with his teammates.

Yes. Although this would not really reflect the actions of not sitting together, but maybe they just had different cruise groups of people that they wanted to sit with. Potentially. Anthony Davis. I mean, everybody looks good here. Well, why does it ask yourself this? Westbrook doesn't talk to the press.

AD's never around the press. Why would it get out? It's getting out because my gut feeling is the Lakers tried to move Westbrook, couldn't, and now not to appear desperate on the market, they're leaking the story that, you know what? We're the three musketeers. These guys love each other. don't think there's a market for Westbrook, and it might just be that they're going to have to run it back with him. And rather than making things more toxic, they're trying to reverse course a bit and try to make it work.

There's been some conversations that different coaching might help Russ. He's been on four teams in the last four years. So I don't know how many coaches you need. They're running through them. But, you know, like that argument to me is just like it's, oh, it's not the right system. Well, what system is? It's just how many teams do you need to be on? for a system to work.

Not that it's all been a disaster for Russ over the past four years, but if you're on four different teams, obviously, those teams didn't feel like it was working. Well, Westbrook, I just don't want to keep picking on it, but he has three things right now that you never want to have as a pro athlete. He's wildly expensive with diminishing skills, and I'll put it kindly, lacks a little bit of an understanding of what he currently is.

No, he does not understand what he currently is. There is not a little bit of understanding. We all watched the season last year. I did not watch a different Lakers season than you did. It's not about picking on anyone. I have eyes. We watched the results. It was a cataclysmic season for the Lakers.

The coach got fired. This was bad. The end. Now, can there be other reasons why it went badly? Sure. Anthony Davis needs to stay healthy. Your second best player needs to be available. Yeah, if he is, they'll be good.

We would be having a different conversation. Pretty good. Can't put it on LeBron James. I'm sorry. LeBron James has spent millions on his body. He is aging. He has played in so many games, so much wearing terror on his body. I will allow LeBron James to miss some games occasionally for injury at this point.

He's been Superman for his entire career. There's no question LeBron's taken care of himself. So is it partly on Anthony Davis? Sure. Could the front office have been better at managing all the toxicity? Sure. But this is also on Russ. If you are going out and being defiant when you had an opportunity really to be the leader

because LeBron and AD were injured, it's also on you. So how this is all going to work. going into next season if they are on the roster, I think he's really just going to depend on health. And then if Russ is doing what he did on the court last year, then they're not going to be very good again because it didn't work. So Deshaun Watson and the Browns are still waiting on the judge's decision on whether to hand Watson's suspension for his sexual misconduct lawsuits. So in preparation for the decision, Charles Robinson of Yahoo Sports reports that the NFL Players Association and Watson's camp have decided to sue the league in federal court in

if he has handed a full season suspension. Now, that's viewed as very difficult to win because the NFL and the NFLPA revised their approach to the personal conduct policy in the CBA in 2020. So to win a lawsuit against the league, the NFLPA would need to show that the NFL violated its own rules and regulations. Justina Anderson tweeted this morning that she's told, as of this morning, Sue Robinson, provided no indication

her decision is coming this week. So there's... I thought it was coming a couple weeks ago, so she's taking her time on this. She's taking her time. It could be up until training camp starts. There's a report that she's waiting on the NFL and the NFLPA to agree on a suspension length. So they can negotiate a suspension, which would essentially eliminate the need for an appeal, which would drag this out longer. 6 to 8.

If the NFL is pushing for obviously a longer suspension, obviously Deshaun Watson's team wants a short suspension, but they can't agree on a certain amount of length. Then Sue Robinson will issue the suspension. to Sean Watson and his team would likely fight that, and then it would go on to Roger Goodell. So obviously the longer this goes on, the worse it gets, the Houston Texans just settled, 30 lawsuits. Now that doesn't have really any bearing on what's going on in these proceedings and what Sue Robinson is evaluating.

It just is another terrible look for the situation as a whole. But a source that reviewed the materials submitted last week told pro football talk on Monday that the punishment likely won't be a year. The range is two to eight games. So being that Tom Brady was suspended for four games for deflated footballs, if two games comes down for Deshawn Watson for 24 sexual misconduct civil lawsuits. You'd think it would be eight. Two to eight tells me eight.

I honestly, I have a terrible feeling about how this is going to end up. I've had it for several weeks, the longer that this goes on. If it's going to be two games, it's going to be absolute mayhem. And I really don't know who I would blame for that. Listen, all you need to know is he had like 30 masseuses. If you had many more than 30, many more, twice more. 60. What did they interview 60 women?

So, I mean, that tells you right there, something was weird. The Texans just settled 30 cases. 30 lawsuits. There are some things, the more people. involved in it, the sketchier it gets. It's far past sketchy at this point. I don't, I really don't, I don't look, I don't try to understand people that defend nonsense to begin with,

but it's just the longer that this goes on, the worse it gets. The idea that the NFLPA would sue the league for someone who has 24 sexual misconduct lawsuits. And then the idea that could be two games when, of course, and everyone is going to point to the Tom Brady deflategate situation, which was four games, it's just all bad. So NIL has been around for a little over a year now. It's had a big impact, lots of arguments. Everyone's bickering. It's chaos. What are we going to do? Wild Wild West. Nick Saban, Jimbo Fisher had a spat about it. Lane Kiffin, it's not shying away from the conversation. And he talked about the impact it has on recruiting during SEC media days yesterday. If you got boosters out there deciding who they're going to pay to come play and the coach isn't involved.

in it, how's that work? I mean, they could just go pick who they want. And then when they don't play, how's that going to work out? So, again, this was not thought out at all, in my opinion, and has created a massive set of issues. Bingo. It wasn't thought out. No, it shouldn't have shocked anyone because it's been in the works for, I don't know, when was the internet invented? We've been talking about it forever. It's been coming downhill for a while. NCAA just wasn't prepared for it. Not prepared. They just did not do anything.

It's one thing to not be prepared for it. No one was prepared for a pandemic. There are things that happen in life that we weren't prepared for. This was something we could have been prepared for. We've been talking about paying athletes forever. The conversation about monetizing your image has been, I mean, it's taken away wins. It's hurt people's careers. All people were, young people were not able to get food while playing for these,

these organizations that are making millions. This conversation has been going on for a while. It should have surprised no one that it was disorganized when it finally came to be. I will say, though, and I've been saying this since the beginning. And I talk to people in and around college sports who are directly involved with this a lot. There's no way this sustains. Like, everyone has to calm down. Millionaires and billionaires are not going to continue spending the amount of money they are

to bring in these recruits if it doesn't equal championships. That's right. It's not going to continue to happen. Now, that doesn't mean NIL will go away. But these numbers are not going to say the same. Yeah, it used to be a billionaire gave money to a program and they named a stadium after it. They're not doing that anymore. They're just buying high schoolers who, if they fizzle out, first of all, you can't put your name at your bottom so you don't get credit for that.

The second thing, if he fizzles out, I got nothing. At least you used to give money and you got a stadium name after you. Right. And the idea that they're buying players is, it's just a very, like, scary thing to say. They're not. These young people have no obligation to stay at these schools just because they take this money. They're not bought. They are not under contract.

They have obligations to do whatever advertisements or post whatever or wear whatever that they've agreed to with these said companies. But they can still transfer schools. These are not contracts. They're not under contract with these schools. If they want to transfer, it doesn't matter how much money they got in NIL to go there. they can leave. Now, I don't think a lot of that will happen, but it certainly can. What if a BMW dealership in Tuscaloosa gave me a million dollars, and then I decided after a

year I wanted to transfer and I leave, you spent a million dollars and I only redshirted. You didn't get anything. So that's going to happen a lot and people are going to be like, okay, time out. See, I don't think it'll happen a lot, but it will happen. Like, someone's still going to do that and they can because they're not under contract with the school. The school is not paying them. But that's what I'm talking about as far as the numbers go. We see this all the time in industry. Some huge explosion happens, and everyone's spending money and everyone's freaking out. It's going to crash the market.

It's going to ruin everything. And nothing's ever going to be the same. And then people realize spending $7 million on a high school player to come to your school and you don't want a national championship. It doesn't work. I don't know if I want to do that again. That's right. Maybe I want to spend $100,000.

Yeah. The market will reset. Yeah. It will reset. Joy with the news. Well, that's the news. And thanks for stopping by. The herd.

The HIRD, back in a second. Be sure to catch live editions of The HARD weekdays in noon Eastern, 9 a.m. Pacific on Fox Sports Radio, FS1, and the IHeard Radio app. Hey, 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, or 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 Superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the I-Hard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is a win.

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

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

Listen to the Clifford show on the IHeart radio app, Apple 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-tap Little Kim's boobs at the VMAs? Or when Kanye said that George Bush didn't like black people. I know what you're thinking.

What the hell does George Bush got to do with Little Kim? Well, you can find out on the Look Back at it podcast. I'm Sam J. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick it here, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it. Including a recent episode with Mark Lamont Hill, waxing all about crack in the 80s.

To be clear, 84 is big to me, not just because of crack. I'm down to talk about crack on day, but just so y'all know. I mean, at this point, Mark, this is the second episode where we've discussed crack. So I'm starting to see that there's a through line. We also have AIDS on the table right now. Thank you for finishing that sentence. I don't think there's a more important year for black people. Really?

Yeah. For me, it's one of the most important years for black people in American history. Listen to look back at it on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Welcome to my new podcast, Learn the Hardway with me, your host, and your favorite therapist, Kear Games. And in recognition of mental health awareness month, I'm bringing over a decade of my own experience in the mental health field and conversations with so many incredible guests. I'm talking. Trip Fontaine, Ryan Clark. Sometimes when we're

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

Steve Burns, Dustin Ross, because you find it important to be a good person while you hear on earth? Are you a good person because you're afraid? Because that's two different intentions, bro. Absolutely. And that's two different levels of trust. I want you to just really be a good person. Join me, Keer Gaines, is we have real conversations about healing, growth, fatherhood, pressure, and purpose on my new podcast, Learn the Hardway. Open your free iHeartRadio app. Search Learn the Hardway and listen now. When it comes to investing in gold to safeguard your portfolio

from the ever-changing stock market, try Legacy precious metals today. 866-674-Hurder, visit Legacy EM Investments.com. Two other stories today about people talking about Trey Lance, Fred Warner, great linebacker for the Niners, said he's ready for it. He's very mature. Robbie Gold says a lot more mature than you think. I never thought he was immature. Tray Lance is going to be a good NFL story for a lot of reasons. And I think he should succeed. There's not a lot of mystery here. He should succeed for four reasons. Number one, Kyle Shanahan's system works for everybody. Matt Ryan was an MVP. Matt Schaub was a pro bowl. It works for everybody. Secondly, the Niners roster is a Super Bowl roster.

Two of the last three years, they've been in the conference championship. Three, it's a quarterback friendly, but not a quarterback dependent system. It eases you in. And four, size, smarts, mobility, athleticism. He's got a lot of traits. He checks a lot of boxes. The one he doesn't, accurate throw over the football. It's not pretty.

He's completing like 57% of his throws. Can you get to 62 and a half? Then you can make it. My guess on Trey Lance, he'll be the third best quarterback in his division this year. It will go, Kyler Murray, Matt Stafford, or Matt Stafford, Kyler Murray, and Trey Lance. That's fine in a quarterback's first year of playing. You don't want that to be like a trait for seven years. And Kyler Murray's not going anywhere and Matt Stafford is.

So the dilemma is going to be, and it would be that if they drafted Mack Jones. Mac Jones would be the third best quarterback in their division. So when I hear, you know, Kyle Shanahan wanted Mac Jones. Well, Mac Jones, Justin Fields, Trey Lance, would all be the third best quarterback in that division. So the question isn't, is this a bad pick? They needed a quarterback. They felt Garoppolo was not dependable physically, although as we detailed yesterday, he's more dependable than you think. And my guess is, you will not be a superstar if you struggle throwing the ball accurately with ease.

Burrell throws it accurately with ease. Herbert does. Kyler Murray does. Russell Wilson does. Aaron Rogers does. Tom Brady does. Peyton Manning did. Throwing the ball accurately. Troy Aikman did. Throwing the ball accurately can't be a struggle. Now there are things you don't have to be fast or wildly mobile or you don't have to be giant. Delivering the football quickly and accurately is sort of a thing for a quarterback. So I don't think he'll be a superstar. I'll think it'll be the third best quarterback in the division for the foreseeable future. And that is not perfect. But I will say so far all the the quarterbacks have been what we predicted. We said Trevor Lawrence was gifted. Can he overcome the Jags? Zach Wilson, flashy, hero ball, make a lot of mistakes, but fun to watch. We said, Mack Jones ceiling, but what a perfect fit. He'll be good early. And we said, with Justin Fields and Trey Lance, they got all the traits, they're great athletes. Can they be great distributors of the football? Right now, we don't necessarily know the answer to either. So that's where we are. Our number, three. Greg Burhalter, United States,

man's national team as we get set in the fall for the World Cup. Tom Verduci, live from Dodger Stadium, all-star game tonight. In L.A., it's the hurt. 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 I-Hard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care which I'm saying. Yep, that's me, Cliver Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, 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 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. On the Look Back at it podcast.

From 1979, that was a big moment for me. 84's 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. This is an IHeart podcast. Guaranteed human.