The Herd with Colin Cowherd - HOUR 2 - Warriors, quarterbacks

Episode Date: May 26, 2022

Warriors should close out the series tonight against the Mavericks Teams aren't looking for immature quarterbacks because the position matters the most Guest: Stephen JacksonSee 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,

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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 I'm saying. Yep, that's me, Clifford Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, my basketball and college football journey, or my career in sports media. Well, now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifers Show. This is a place for raw, unfiltered conversations with athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but the show. celebrated. So let's get to it.

Listen to the Clifford show on the I Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok's 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 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. 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. 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 Heard. You're listening to Fox Sports Radio. Here we go. It's going to be a very good hour. Live in Los Angeles, it's the hurt. Wherever you may be. However you may be listening. IHeart Radio, Fox Sports Radio, FS1.

A real treat today, Joel Clatt last hour. I love to teach him football. Jeff Perlman, multiple-time New York time bestselling author, on the Laker dysfunction. And he knows it. He knows inside this organization. so well. Did you finish winning time? Yes, I did. I like the first six episodes more than the last couple.

I like the building, the arc of Kareem and Jerry and how they, now those guys didn't like how they were portrayed, but I thought that was fascinating. And then once we got into it, it wasn't quite as interesting. But I mean, the guy who did it, Adam, what's his name, the director, is a talented guy. Adam McKay's a talented guy. So he's got a definitive style the way he does stuff. I liked it early, not as much late. It's okay. I thought was entertaining. I liked it. Yeah. Listen, I don't watch, I don't read a lot of sports books.

I read other books. And you're not a big sports movie guy either. I don't, I think they're mostly nonsense. I liked, feel the dreams with Kevin Costner. I thought that was great. And Ray Leota, who passed away today. And I loved Ray Leota. Can I tell you my two minute Ray Leota story? Yep. So, one time I was

visiting Los Angeles before I lived in the city. And, you know, you go to all the different places. And so my wife, we stayed in a very very bougie, Beverly Hills Hotel. Mm-hmm. And I forget where it was. It was right on Rodeo Drive, and they had a very nice little cool bar, very international.

You'd sit down and there'd be people from Portugal and Germany and it was kind of, it felt kind of cool, right? And so I'm sitting there and my wife goes to the bathroom. And so she doesn't believe this story because she can't confirm it. And Ray Leota, you know, Goodfell is my second favorite movie of all time. Yes, excellent film. Ray Leota sees me and moves toward me quickly. And I'm thinking I'm going to end up in a trunk of a car. You got nervous.

I got like sweaty nervous. Ray Leota was very intense looking and in very many intense roles. And he came over and he's got this voice with a big smile. And this is, it was one of the great moments of my career. He said, how do you talk to yourself for three hours a day? I'm fascinated by that. And I said, don't hurt me. Please don't put me in the trunk of a car.

please please don't hurt me and he could not have been more warm and wonderful and gracious and i loved raleo and he passed away and for a kid from a small town that little two-minute interaction yeah it meant the world to me he could not have been more gracious and i'm telling you a tremendous talent he is one of those actors i don't care if he talked or not when he was on screen you could not take your eyes off him he was yeah he had a very captivating presence yes he really did speaking of captivating presence. Stephen Jackson is now joining us live 14 years. Everybody's got an actor like that. I always told you if Don Cheatles in a movie, I go to see the movie. If Don, there's certain got Michael Keaton to me can play crazy, can play heroic. There are certain actors I'm drawn to.

Ray Leota was one of those and Stephen Jackson is now joining us. Okay, I didn't get the heat all year. I don't understand them. I think they need more dudes. Are you disappointed where they're at? Did you expect it? What did you make of it, Stephen? Rest in peace, Ray Leal, the Henry Hill, man. One of my favorite actors as well, man. Henry Hill was that guy and Goodfellas. The heat has really surprised me.

I didn't think that he was going to make it this far, actually. Jimmy Butler's had a great year, and they definitely overachieved with not having a second star on his team, not really having no scores or really a playmaker on the team besides Jimmy Butler. it's just surprising to see them make it this far, but this is the end of the role for them. You see Boston is just a better team. Boston has way more playmakers, way more defenders,

the best team, defensive team in the league. And this is where it stops. But after this season, it's showing a lot of holes in Miami and what they need to go forward because that's not the team to even get back to this point again next year. Yeah. So listen, the series is not, it's 3-2 Boston, so they still have to close it out at home.

And they have had some bad quarters. Do you see a hole in the Celtics game? Do you think they're pretty complete? Or do you see something that does concern you maybe next game against Miami or against like a Golden State or Dallas? What bothers you about Boston? Yeah, to say they're a great defensive team, they make a lot of mistakes on switches and stuff like that. Being the same-sized team and having Al Horford protecting the tank and also wins protecting the bank, you shouldn't have that many

defensive mistakes, especially when switching with the same-sized team. I think this team could be even more of a better defensive team if they pay more attention to detail. They do it for the most part. I think EMA Udoka brings that Sky Report, that same style of Sky Report that San Antonio has that's getting the guys ready for the game

and knowing what the other team likes to do. But if they can kind of limit those little mistakes like that, this team will be even better than what they are already. Yeah. So do you expect the Warriors to close it out tonight. And if you do, why? I do. I expect Luca to put up a great fight, but really this is supposed to be a sweep, right? If you have to have get Dallas's best game at home and game four and they have to shoot the ball like they did, like they shot the ball to win

the game and still almost come back and lose it after being up 20-some points, yeah, I said they'll get one. But Warriors are experienced team. They've been here, the championship, team. They know what it takes and they've been in a situation where, you know, Bron and them came back and beat them after they was up in the series. I don't think they going to let that happen again. They understand what's at stake. Like I said, this is a different team, man. They're happy to be back together. And I think this team knows they need to finish Dallas and get to the finals because they don't know if they're going to ever get back to this position again. You know, I said this. You played with a great player, Tim Duncan.

Not all great players, Stephen, are easy to play with. Listen, Kobe and Shaq won titles, but I just read a book about that. Man, they were, that was cats and dogs living together, man. That was a lot of debate and a lot of arguments. Luke is great. His ball usage is through the roof. It's very James Harden. And guys don't want to go to a team and sit around and wait for the shot clock to expire.

And if you get it, there's one or two ticks left. That's why KD left Westbrook sitting in the corner waiting for the ball. So I said the other day is, I wonder if you don't build the team a little bit like Boston, where you get athletes and defenders, you may not attract another high-scoring free agent. They may not, like a Dame Lillard may not want to play for a team like that, or Donovan Mitchell. What do you think is the best kind of player you put alongside as a two with Luca?

That's a good question. I think you need a hybrid type. You need a 3-4 type, a guy that can play center some nights, you know, when are you going small? But he has to be a solid 3-4 where he has to be a solid 3-4, where he can go on multiple positions, but also get 25, 30 a night. And, you know, I don't know if that guy's in the league right now.

That's right. You know what I mean? And I really don't know if he's available, to be honest, you know, he needs a, he needs a LeBron KD type, you know, somebody that can, or Anthony Davis type, somebody like that that can come in and take the load off of him. Well, Luca won't mind passing the torch to him sometimes, sometimes in the game and let him take over.

But he didn't see that with KP, and he wasn't comfortable with KP because KP wasn't vocal enough. And I don't think he's as passionate of the game like Luke is, and I don't think they saw eye to eye. Luca needs somebody that really loves the game that play with a lot of passion, and that can kind of add to his cockiness and put a little swag to that team, because that's what Luke is trying to bring. He's bringing a lot of swag to the team.

And being one of the top five players in the game right now, in my opinion, you have to get somebody of that caliber to play along with Luca for them to be successful. I'll throw a guy at you. I'm just going to throw this out. Because I think he's an expensive guy, and the team he's with isn't quite sure what to do with him long term. He's a very good defender. He's a former number one pick, but he doesn't have a lot of dog like Luca. He's definitely a two to a three.

Andrew Wiggins. So I'm not sure Golden State can afford him because they got expensive. He's not a one. He don't want to be a one. But that guy can defend. He can be athletic. He can give you 24, but he doesn't need to to be satisfied. Is it that?

What do you make of that? Nah, you need more of a go-getter, Kyle. You need more of a dog or more of a go-getter because Luca can only go-so far as far as his personality. You know, it's more of on the court making faces at the crowd and at the players and stuff like that. You're going to need that other star to be able to getting guys' face. You know what I mean?

Not only your team, but the opposing team as well. You got to have somebody that gets getting that face and the other team respected. And like I said, that guy might not be in the league right now, but then again, you know, you always find a dominant in a rough somewhere. Yeah, and it's going to be interesting. The, we got a lot of blowouts in the NBA playoffs. And, you know, my takeaway is, listen, man, the three balls changed it.

So one team gets hot. The other team has to chase them. And if one team's hot and one's not, six-point lead becomes 21 real fast. So I have this theory about what I would do to the three-point shot. I put it up before where I put up a graph. I'll show it to you right here. I would eliminate the corner three because I think it's virtually impossible

to defend the three if you have to defend the corners. This would force, it would be a benefit to a defender, and it would allow defenders like you and elite defender a little easier time just to defend a smaller area on the three, meaning more guys would move in

and you'd get more of a mid-range game, which I like. I like dunks. I like mid-range games. I like the floaters. I think it's becoming two, three, dependence and once you fall down against the hot team Stephen you have to jack them up and pray you hit them so is that idea nuts or where do you land on all these blowouts because of the three-point shot yeah I just I mean you know it's always different different things you can come up with to try to try to fix that but for the most part

it's just it comes with competing I don't think these guys are competing like that you know what I mean to be getting blown out having so many blowouts in the postseason And it just doesn't make sense. And then if you take away that corner three, it's a lot of guys that's not in the NBA right now. A lot of guys. Bruce Barnes, one of the best defenders in the game. But if you took away that corner three,

I don't know if he would have scored a point, right? That's my big brother. I learned a lot of defense from him. But that corner three was his go-to. And Pop told him, don't shoot the three unless you win that corner. He's going to make eight out of ten. Right. PJ Tucker, too.

If he can't get a three-point shot in the corner, I don't know where his offense is going to come from. So taking that out the game, it'll really affect the game for sure. Okay, finally, Warriors Celtics, if they were to meet, I think I like Golden State because I think you can put Wiggins on Tatum and just make it a little more difficult, whereas I think the Warriors have more offensive players. I think I like the Warriors in about six or seven. Where would you land if they met? I'm torn.

I like Boston because they're a bigger athletic team, but I like Golden State because experience. You know, experience can win you games. Series is a toss. If I had to pick a team, I'll go with Golda State because I'm family. But Boston right now, the way they're playing defense and offense on both ends of the ball right now, they're looking like a championship team. Yeah.

Peyton will be back for the Warriors, I think, which helps. He's another versatile defender for Golden State. Stephen, it's an absolute pleasure. Congrats. They've got a podcast. It's fantastic. All the smoke with Stephen Jackson and Matt, Maddie Barnes. He's great.

See you, buddy. All right, my man. I still contend that my brilliant three-point shooting alteration will be at some point embraced by Adam Silver and the NBA. Maybe not now. I mean, he is right. That is. Oh, it would take a lot of people out of the game. PJ Tucker would be like, can I protest?

They would also, I mean, you. You look back at moments that Ray Allen shot. I'm not saying it's perfect. I'm just throwing something. No, I don't, but you have to adjust the game as things change and evolve. And it has become a three-point shooting league. The heat can't buy a bucket. And as teams start to pull away, and it's not just when the heat ever saw it with Golden State the other night,

saw it with Golden State against Memphis. When a team gets hot from three and you try to keep up and you are not making your shots, it is impossible to get back in it. The blowouts are a real thing. I don't want the CFL. I don't want to throw on every down. I like the fact that Tennessee could be a number one seed. I think that's good for the league.

Two things can be possible. If you run a league, you want it to be offensive leaning. And you also want great defensive play capable of winning a Super Bowl. Those two can exist at the same time. That's why the NFL, they're not going to allow you to hit the quarterback as much or intimidate receivers with like concussion bearing hits. You can still hit. It's still, guys get hurt.

It's still regulated violence. By the way, UFC did this. They understood that part of their attraction was the rawness of it. But if you go back to Dana White really took this over in the Fatita family, they took out some eye gouging. They took out stuff where they're like, like advertisers are turned off by it. Like some of our people are turned off by it. We understand we have violence.

But there's limitations. to what we are going to allow. Right. And they call fights when it goes too far and they have a responsibility. I think when you have team leagues like the NBA, like the NFL, you want to be, you want to

force people to build complete teams with high level stars at the important positions. Exactly. And that is what has kind of been eliminated with the three point shot because it's almost impossible to defend when you have these shooters that are the skilled. And when you have center shooting threes, then it's like,

you know, that's not a part of your game. Where do you fit into the sport? Yeah. You want to make it difficult, somewhat difficult to score because, as you pointed out yesterday, these athletes are all better than years ago. And now we're recruiting from an international pool. I mean, baseball's got players from all over the globe. NBA, same thing.

So when you're drawing from an international pool, it gets really good fast. So you're getting more skilled players. American players are more skilled. European players who were skilled but weren't real tough 20 years ago. Now they're tough and skilled. These guys are walking into this league. It's just too easy. When you're scoring 40 points as a young kid in an NBA playoff game,

maybe it's time to move it back four or five inches. I'm for offense, but I don't want to watch Canadian football. Like literally you can run in motion. You get a head start as a wide receiver. That ain't great. One more herd? The herd streams 24 hours a day, seven days a week within the IHeart Radio app.

Search Herd to live. in 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, Clivert Taylor the 4th.

You might have seen the skits, the reactions, my journey from basketball to college football, or my career in sports media. Well, somewhere along the way, this platform became bigger than I ever imagined. And now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw,

unfiltered conversations with some of your favorite athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. One week, I'll take you behind the scenes of the biggest moments in sports and entertainment, and the next we'll talk about life, mental health, purpose, and even music. The Cliverts 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 Clivert Show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. Hey, this is Robert from the Stuff to Blow Your Mind podcast. Joe and I are both lifelong Star Wars fan, so we're celebrating May the 4th with a brand new week of fun, thought-provoking Star Wars-related episodes. Join us as we tackle science and culture topics from a galaxy far, far away, such as the biology of tontons and wampas on the ice planet hot, or the practicality and corporate business sense of the Sith rule of too. Listen to Stuff to Blow Your Mind on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever

you get your podcasts. Do you remember when Diana Ross double-tap Little Kim's boobs at the VMAs? Or when Kanye said that George Bush didn't like black people. I know what you're thinking. What the hell does George Bush got to do 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 was big to me, not just because of crack.

I'm down to talk about crack all 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. Yes, I don't think there's a more important year for black people. Really? Yeah.

For me, it's one of the most important years. for black people in American history. Listen to look back at it on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Saturday, it's a USFL primetime showdown between the New Orleans Breakers and Jeff Fisher's Michigan Panthers. Kickoff is at 9 Eastern on FS1. Then Sunday, the league leading Birmingham Stallions

take on the Pittsburgh Mallors at 2 Eastern on Fox. Everybody is wrong, myself included all the time, but it's really bad when people lack the self-awareness to acknowledge their wrong and, like, move off it. Like, if you're wrong, I was wrong this morning. But stop being wrong on the same thing over and over. Here's a prime example. I'm going to say this.

I've said this for 25 years of doing this. Quarterback is different. You've got to be an adult because you're the face of the franchise. Turn your hat around at the podium every Wednesday. Be a grown-up. You're not a fanboy. It's all okay for you. fanboys to wear your hats on backwards. You'll never be leaders. Nobody will ever put you in charge

of a $2 billion franchise. Do your thing. But you do realize a story came out today that the Browns, the Panthers, the Panthers wanted him, but we're not willing to pay more than $5 million for Baker Mayfield. That's, you know, what Jacoby Brissette makes. And Baker's way more talented than Jacobi Brissette. It said, so every about three years, a really talented quarterback comes out of college with an ego. And I say, yeah, it's not going to work. Johnny Mansell, Baker Mayfield, James Winston, Cam Newton. I'm like, they're just not mature enough. They're talented, but at some point in their career, it's not going to work.

And they will not be given a second chance after their initial team fails because nobody wants a polarizing or celebrity quarterback. Baker Mayfield, almost no market, $5 million is what the Panthers would spend. Kansas City spent about $50 million a year on my homes. Five million. And Baker's talented. I'll argue all day he's talented. I don't think he's number one pick talented, but he's one of the 25 best quarterbacks in his league,

and there's no market for him. So in the next several years, there'll be another really talented quarterback, and all the fan boys at the local rural fan base will love his ego and his snark, and they'll just say, Colin, you're wrong. That is what everybody likes that, Hutzpah, and I'll say, no, it's not going to work.

Have some pride. Try to not be wrong. over and over on the same thing. Teams are not looking for polarizing snarky ego guys at quarterback. Yeah, Aaron's that a lot. Aaron's a once-in-a-generation talent. And even Green Bay now admits with Aaron, they don't have a three-year contract. They have three-one-year contracts.

They would bail on him today if Jordan Love could play. Today. So you're wrong on that. We have proof over and over and over and over. Baker Mayfield, you can get for $5 million. Are you kidding me? He's, I mean, listen, he's a $25 million quarterback. There's an argument if he has the right team and he got Cleveland into a playoff game and beat Pittsburgh.

That should qualify it for 25 to 30 a year. The only reason he's not being paid is the snark and the nonsense. It does matter. Most people will not be the face of a franchise, so they struggle to relate to it. I get it. But stop arguing. that ego and and had on backwards and having a toad as a 21-year-old face of the franchise quarterback is a good thing. It's not. You tolerate it if they're great. But Cam Newton, it was always so

much stuff with Cam. It was an ideal. Ron Rivera literally left, had a chance to get him and took his backup. Like you lost the argument, like years ago. It does matter. It's called quarterbackial. You want Brady. You want you. You want you want. You want. You want. You want. You want Peyton, you want Breeze, you want Russell Wilson. That's what you're looking for. That you can have an ego, but you go to the press conference. You say boring crap. We just talked about Trey Lance.

That's what you want. It's all about the team. We're going great here. There's nothing to see here. That's what everybody wants. They want the Mac Jones press conference. They want the Trey Lance press conference. And you're not selling out as an athlete if you're doing that.

Sometimes you just got to fall in the sword for the team. team. A lot of you watching right now, you know, you have opinions on stuff, but you run a company or you have you're a principal of a high school or you have a, you know, a responsible job, and you're not going to rush to Twitter and say everything you feel. Sometimes you don't need to do that. And that was always my knock on baker. Dude, sometimes I don't need to hear every thought. I really don't. It's like people that go and show me every single meal. Really? Give me one a week. I'm fine with. I don't need to see every meal you eat on social media. I don't need to see everything about or hear every comment you feel on your Twitter account.

It's okay to sometimes fall on the sword for the company. You're not a sellout. You're an adult. And this position requires an adult. First and foremost, as long as you have the requisite talent, Baker does. That's not the issue. Being an adult matters. It's not selling out to not always win every press conference and have the funniest line at every press conference.

Eli Manning was legendary for when the team lost, he was always available for the press. And when he won, he was less available and made sure to give the other team credit. That's not selling out. That's being a franchise quarterback. That is quarterback you. But in three years, we're going to have another college guy come out, and you're just going to tell me how great he's going to be. And he's got all sorts of hutzpah, and it's not going to work with that quarterback either long term. Joy with the news.

Turn on the news. This is the herd line news. So the Warriors are one win away from sending the Mabs packing and heading to the NBA finals. They missed an opportunity to sweep the series with a 119-109 loss on Tuesday. I did expect the Mabs to win that game. They are a good team. And they're going to get swept in the Western Conference finals.

Now, if the Warriors win tonight, it will be their sixth finals appearance in eight years. That's really something. It really, and yet Steph Curry is still undervalued by a lot of fans. Yeah, I don't get it with the Steph Curry thing.

If you don't understand Steph Curry, I don't know what to tell you. I guess, cool. That's literally it. For you. If you don't get it. There's a lot of arguments that I have just submitted to like,

do you, bro, just please stay away from me with your garbage opinion. And like not understanding Steph Curry is a section of society. I don't really feel like I need to spend a lot of time on.

Three years ago, 70-30, Westbrook's better than staff. I like stopped arguing. It's like, okay, if you don't get it, you don't get basketball. I'm just a busy person. I have stuff to do today, and that is just not, it's not on my schedule. So the Mavericks have avoided elimination three times this postseason. They won game six and seven against the Sons in the second round, and again, against

the Warriors in game four. So they are attempting to be the first team in NBA history to overcome a 3-0 deficit to win a playoff series, the last 146 teams that have attempted that have failed. I don't believe that the Mavs will come back and win the series. I do think tonight will be competitive, though, and the Warriors will have more of a sense of urgency than they did in the last game. It's just human nature to know you have a little bit more runway to not bring the same level of intensity. I don't love it.

If I was the Warriors, I would have been upset to not close out the Mavs. Why give them any life? 113-107 Warriors. Well, they are favored by six and a half. Okay, so that's right on the number. All right. So there you go. Yes, I think the Warriors win tonight.

I do think that they take it seriously. I do think that they bring a different level of intensity and energy. And we've seen that even though the Mavs have a lot of fight in them and Luke is incredible, this is a better overall team and their champions, they know how to do that. Well, the heat struggled offensively again in last night's 93-80 loss to the Celtics. But Eric Spolster doesn't want to blame the team's injuries for the loss. We're not going to make any kind of deflection or any kind of excuse. You know, Boston beat us tonight.

And let's be clear about that. There's guys that are far from 100% on both sides. And that's why this is, you know, just intense competition. It's playoff basketball. Look, injuries can be a reason. I think the reason why Milwaukee did not win that series was Chris Middleton. Yeah, that's fair. It can be a reason.

But everyone deals with injuries throughout the season and the postseason. And sometimes you get lucky breaks and sometimes you don't. Do I think that Boston is any less of a team because they beat Milwaukee without Chris Middleton? No. This is what they're going to be like, no, we're not going to finish this series until Chris Middleton comes back. So everyone's at 100%.

This is how it goes. You need a little bit of luck and you need to be prepared when you make a championship run. It's not a knock on Milwaukee and it's not a knock on Boston. Now, I do think Jimmy Butler's injury is actually playing a massive role in how things are going for the heat. He is dealing with knee inflammation. But everyone else, I don't want to hear the excuses from. Like, Jimmy has laid his body and soul on the line for this team and come up huge multiple times. And he has been better in the postseason than he is in the regular season.

So you can put a little bit of the reason. I don't like excuses, but reason on Jimmy Butler. Everyone else, I don't know what's going on. The heat shot 31.9% from the field and 15.6% from three point range. It was just Max Trues is 0 for 9. Kyle Lowry's 0.6. so they shot a combined 0 for 15 from the field last night. It's a disaster for the heat from shooting. They don't have enough offense. Larry's been a very nice player for a long time.

I don't want to say people are washed. That's not nice. But it does feel like it's the very end of it. Well, I mean, it's just this can't be the answer. And to me, it's Bam. Like, Bam is the number two. He is the number two in this team. And you should be producing more often to give the number two.

I think he's a three. Well, what we have seen now is, Bam is an incredible defensive player. Great. He is consistent. He is a great team guy. He fits this organization perfectly, but we need a number two score.

And that is not Bam. He's had less points in the postseason than he's averaged in the regular season. Yeah, do you know this is true? When he missed games this year, Miami scored more points. So it's like you can be a defensive player as a three. And he's incredibly valuable rebounding. Absolutely. But as a two, when Jimmy,

it would be different if Jimmy was Luca. But Jimmy gives you about 22 a game. So Jimmy's not a great closer. He's just a great player. They need a dynamic two. Bam becomes a three. Then we'll start talking about championship material. Yes, I agree.

I think that's what you've seen through this postseason. They do have a lot of nice pieces. Obviously, they're great developing players. And getting this far is not a knock. No one expected them to be where they are right now. So now you start to evaluate, what do you need? need to build on now that you have this foundation of a team, that they need a number two. So game six is tomorrow night in Boston.

The team that loses game five and best of seven series only wins a series 18% of the time. The Celtics currently favored by eight and a half, according to Fox Betts. That is a big number. Eight and a half point favorite tomorrow night. Well, I mean, the way the heat have been shooting, it's been impossible. They can't buy a bucket. So after five years out of the NFL, Colin Kaepernick is finally getting a chance with a team. The Raiders brought Cap in yesterday for a workout.

Raiders owner Mark Davis said last month that he fully believes Kaepernick deserves a chance to become a quarterback in the NFL. And Kaepernick said last month that he's willing to start at ground level, but he knows he can prove that he is a starter. This is the first actual workout Kaepernick has gotten since becoming a free agent in 2017. The Raiders currently have four quarterbacks on the roster, Derek Carr, Chase Garber's, Nick Mullins, and Jared Stidham. I didn't know Nick Mullins was on the roster.

Did I miss that? Was I off that day? when did that happen? I'm sorry, I didn't know that. Cap started 11 games in 2016 for San Francisco. I like that he's gotten a real workout with a team and that Mark Davis said this. I think he deserves another opportunity. And this, you know, the years thing has just been him being, you know,

essentially blocked from being in the NFL. It's not like he, like, took time off. There's a reason why he hasn't been getting workouts and been in the NFL. I'm looking forward to seeing how this works out. I don't think that he's a starter right now in the NFL. I don't think anybody who's not been doing something for five years would walk in right away without any sort of rust. And that is considering how he walked out of the NFL as well.

But there are plenty of guys on rosters that are not as talented or don't have as much experience or big game experience that Colin Kaepernick has. I do think if he's going to get this opportunity, we in the media need to allow him to have that opportunity. a big part of, as you said, not having backup quarterbacks with a certain stature becomes a problem because you're focusing on the backup quarterback, which is why I think a situation where you have a secure starter is the best situation for Colin Kaepernick. If he goes to a place like, almost said Oakland, like Las Vegas with the Raiders, Derek Carr is the starter. So he will have the opportunity to get back into the fold, to get back into a system, to get back into playing shape while not putting any pressure on Derek Carr, who we know.

know is the guy there. That is the best ideal situation. If you brought Colin Kaepernick into a situation where you're not sure about the starter and the starter struggles for two weeks, then you get a whole different ballgame. Then you have a whole different situation. So I think this is a great situation for Colin Kaepernick. Uh, Joy Taylor with the news. Well,

that's the news. And thanks for stopping by. The Herd Lye News. Somebody who knows the Lakers inside and out and has written about it extensively is around the corner. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays in noon Eastern 9 a.m. Pacific. On Fox Sports Radio, FS1, and the IHeart Radio app.

Hey, it's Ben, host of The Fifth Hour with Ben Maller, along with my trusty sidekick, David Gascone. 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's Superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I 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 I'm 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 Clivered 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. Hey, this is Robert from the Stuff to Blow Your Mind podcast. Joe and I are both lifelong Star Wars fan, so we're celebrating May the 4th with a brand new week of fun, thought-provoking Star Wars-related episodes.

Join us as we tackle science and culture topics from a galaxy far, far away, such as the biology of ton-tons and wampas on the ice planet hot, or the practicality and corporate business sense of the Sith rule of two. Listen to stuff to bowl your mind on the IHeart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Do you remember when Diana Ross double-tap little Kim's boobs at the VMAs? Or when Kanye said that George Bush didn't like black people. I know what you're thinking. What the hell does George Bush got to do a little Kim? Well, you can find out on the Look Back at it podcast. I'm Sam Jay. 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's 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. Yes. I don't think there's a more important year for black people. Really? Yeah. For me, it's one of the most important years for black people in American history. Listen to look back at it on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

He writes a book. He writes a book and I read it. Jeff Perlman's got six New York time bestsellers. But to me, I see at least nine here. You know the one I haven't read is Love Me, Hate Me, Barry Bonds, the making of an anti-hero. Do you like, are you proud of that book? Yeah. Okay, I'm going to give me that one. Sure. I only have one copy at home, literally. So you may have to order it for a nickel on eBay. Have you read the Clemens book?

Because nobody's read the Clemens book. You didn't like it? It's my least favorite of the books. All right. Yeah. Okay, so winning time is based on your book. I just finished it. I read it on the plane, flight over, front and back,

three ring circus, Kobe Shack Phil, in the crazy years of the Laker Dynasty. It is, it almost, you know, I'm almost read it during times. And I'm like, is this fiction? this kid, all this stuff. So when you were, what I talked about today in the Lakers coaching search, this is the one organization in Los Angeles that's always been political.

When you were doing that book, were you taken back by some of the stories in politicking? I think times have changed a little bit. That's a thing. Like I, the thing I see now that kind of hurts me about the Lakers, because I actually love the, I've come to really love the Lakers.

You've written two great books on them. Oh, thank you. I mean, it was really, a family run organization. And that comes across obviously in the show. Mom and Pop, yeah. It really was a mom and pop organization. And when they were going in for a coach

as an example, like when they hired Mike Dunleavy, as an example, after Power Riley, they ended up hiring Mike Dunleavy. And Jerry West was all in on Dunleavy. And he did his research on Dunleavy. And he just knew this is the guy I want. I am going to target this guy, Mike Dunleavy, because he has something special about him.

And I know it. And he would go up the ladder and, all right, Dr. Bus, this is a guy we should get. Okay, I trust you. This is who we should get. and it was a very organized and meticulous approach to hiring a coach. And nowadays, and I know this is the nature of sports in a way, is it clutch, is it LeBron, is it Palinka, is it Jeannie, is it Kurt,

is it Phil Jackson, and it just feels dishevelled. Like very, very disheveled. And I also think, I know you kind of feel this right. Like the Laker job is a star power job. The Laker coaching job is a star power job. that sounds stupid to some people who just hire the best coach, blah, blah, blah. But it is a star job, and it's more than just about basketball. It's about this thing, this Laker thing. And when I hear the names are going after, I know you're a doc fan. I'm not a doc. I'm not a U.S. Doc fan, but I get the

idea of that. He's a name. He's a brand. It's something. It's just a little, it all feels very underwhelming. Yeah. What do you make of the reaction? I just finished winning time. I do like the book more than I do the show. But, you know, that's because the book is. is not embellished. It's, you know, it's, but what do you make a Jerry West reaction? I, um, I find Jerry West to be one of more lovable characters in the show. So that's what we said. Yeah, I really do.

Flawed, vulnerable, but so deeply earnest and caring about it. Yeah, I agree. And I also saw an interview, or I heard an interview recently where he actually said he hadn't watched the show. And if that's true, that's a little confusing that you're very angry about a show. And it reminds me when I used to cover baseball and some ballplay would be really pissed off at a reporter and he'd be like, I want to talk to so, and Joel Sherman, and Joel would come in and he'd say, why'd you write that about me? And Joel would say,

what are you talking about? And he goes, I heard you wrote something really bad about me. It's like, did you read it? No. And I just, I can't imagine if you're Jerry West. I just can't. And you watch this show beginning to end. You're really upset about your portrayal. I just don't, I just don't see it. I think the acting and the casting is fantastic. Especially Mark Landsberg. I just want to say Austin Aaron is Mark Lansberg. He's right over there. Were you, I found the casting fantastic. Is there anything about it that bothered you, having written the book?

Was there any embellishment you thought, like the Jeannie Bus situation, they had some liberties there. Does that bother you at all? All right. So it's interesting. When I first started watching the show, like, all right, there's a movie, We Are Marshall. Do you ever see We Are Marshall? No, but I heard it's great.

I hate it. I hate everything about We Are Marshall. It's one of my, maybe my least favorite movie of all time. because there's so much BS in that movie. And I was always like, this is a solemn, this was a plane crash involving a team, and I hate this. So I kind of came into this with that way of thinking.

Like every sport, my wife is always like, we can't watch sports movies because you ruin all of them. I'll be watching Rudy. I'll be like, they didn't throw the jerseys. I'll be watching. I'm the same way. Are you the same way?

I just think it's, every time I see an actor trying to hit a baseball, I'm like, that's not a baseball player. Exactly, exactly. Remember the Titans. None of this is, you know, I'm that guy. So I had to, let it go. Like I just had to let it go. I had to train my way to watch a show and see it as a

celebration of the 1980s and the Lakers and these characters. So like people talked, for example, the first episode, people talked about the white party in the game when Norm Nixon and Magic Johnson play this basketball game one-on-one game. That didn't happen in real life. That's right. I read that didn't happen. Did not happen. At first, I was a little, you know, like, I just honestly God came to accept the fact that like this is a celebration that there's not a based on a true story sports movie or TV show out there that is soup to

nuts strict to the material. That's right. And I just needed to accept it. Was there a moment that you actually thought, I liked that better than the part in my book? Oh. Like they took that. They made that more colorful than I did. There's a, there's a scene. It might be my favorite scene in the whole show. It's a press conference with Larry Bird, played by Sean Patrick Small and Quincy

Isaiah playing magic. Oh, I absolutely. And Larry Bird comes off as like, hostile. And he's spitting tobacco until Budweiser can. It's brilliant. It's brilliant. And it represents an attitude, a time period. Did it literally happen that way? Did the two literally sit there

at the podium together at that moment? Probably not. But it represents something. And that's what that show is. And you just, I've kind of allowed that. You know, I said this the other day to you. I said, if you put magic in Boston and bird in L.A. it would have worked. But this may have been just symbolically, the perfect, in the end,

the reason it worked was not just because they were great. They fit their city perfectly. Yeah. Didn't they? A hundred million, a trillion percent. It's unbelievable what they did. Like, Joe Montana should have been with Bill Walsh. He was cool.

San Francisco was the counterculture. Like Montana just felt like San Francisco. I always think Aaron Rogers feels like a Rams quarterback, not a Packer quarterback. Yeah. Lawrence Taylor was in New York. football player, large terrible law. Mike Singletary was perfect as a Chicago bear. They're just certain guys.

You're like, that works. When you go back to this book, it's called Three Rings. And it is, well, this book is based on, he's written two books. I want to give both credit. Showtime. Showtime. Magic Carim Riley, the Laker Dynasty, this show. And then there's three rings.

That's the Shack Kobe stuff, which, by the way, they're going to, are they going to do shows? Are they going to use both your books? So they option the second book. with the possibility. Explain what that means to people. So they bought the rights. So I got a check for the second book, basically. So they're going to use that as five, another series.

It's theoretically possible. They basically retain the rights to use it, so I can't sell that elsewhere or something like that. So if they, let's say this series goes great and it goes whatever, five, six seasons, then maybe they jump to the Shaq Kobe area. Okay. So let me ask you, as a writer, which ear is more interesting to you? Oh.

Okay. I am a child of the 80s. So to me, growing up in my little hometown of Mayo Pack, New York, watching the Showtime Lakers was breathtaking. That said, the Shaq Kobe relationship is much more interesting than the Magic Cream relationship if you're just talking superstars. So, folks, when you read this book, there are, it is, were you shocked when you wrote Three Rings?

Was there a moment when you're like, how did it work? Yeah, yeah. I mean, when Kobe shows up for his first time and they're at training camp, and they go around and introduce themselves. Kobe's 18 years old and it's like, hey, I'm Shaq, blah, blah, blah. Hey, I'm Eddie Jones from Temple. Hey, Nick Van Axel.

Yo, I'm Kobe. Lower Marion, no one here's going to punk me. He's 18 years old. He's 18 years old in his first NBA training camp saying nobody here's going to punk me. People forget that Eddie Jones ended up being a really good player. So Nick Van Exel. Excellent player. But they couldn't.

Eddie Jones was seen as as Kobe Light a little bit and Kobe was. that was a horrible trade by the way when they traded eddie jones for glen rice he went to charlotte he went to charlotte for glen right he was he was so here you are with winning time minute left it must be um incredibly satisfying at this point in your career books are now because i don't think this is the last book that will become i think the far of book i think that could eventually how erin's career and far that's something out there are you surprise 40 seconds left that one of your books hasn't been picked up yet that you do think would make a great show. I guess sweetness about Walter Payton, I find his life very cinematic,

the high and the low and starting out impoverished in Columbia, Mississippi, and winding up, obviously, with this very tragic but kind of heroic death. I think there's a real narrative flare to his life. Okay, Hollywood, you heard Jeff Perlman, that book. And I've said, Peyton's the best running back I've ever seen. I didn't see Jim Brown. Walter Payton's the best running back I've ever seen. Jeff Perlman, six New York Times bestsellers, two Great Laker books. Three Ring Circus is the last book I just finished off.

And congrats on all your success. Thank you. Well earned. And hour three 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 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, Clifford Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, my basketball and college football journey, or my career in sports media. Well, now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast. The Clifford Show.

This is a place for raw, unfilled 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 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 a podcast. For 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 wins. 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.