The Herd with Colin Cowherd - Hour 3 - Jack Flaherty

Episode Date: November 8, 2024

World Series Champion Jack Flaherty joins the show in studio to talk about their heated series against the Padres in the playoffs and how everything changed in their series clinching win over the YankeesSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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

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

And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok podcast network on TikTok. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast's superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I put on 10. 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. Hey, this is Robert from the Stuff to Blow Your Mind podcast. Joe and I are both lifelong Star Wars fan, so we're celebrating May the 4th with a brand new week of fun, thought-provoking Star Wars-related episodes. Join us as we tackle science and culture topics from a galaxy far, far away, such as the biology of tauntons and wampas on the ice planet hot, or the practicality and corporate business sense of the Sith rule of two. Listen to stuff to blow your mind on the iHeart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

On the Look Back at it podcast. From 1979, that was a big moment for me. 84's big to me. I'm Sam J. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick a here, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it. With our friends, fellow comedians, and favorite authors. Like Mark Lamont Hill on the 80s.

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or FSR. You're listening to Fox Sports Radio. Well, how lucky are we? Young man, Jack Flaherty, grows up in Los Angeles, goes to school here, gets drafted first round by the St. Louis Cardinals, spent like seven years. They're a good organization. And then he ends up in Detroit. And one day you're in your clubhouse, Jack Flaherty joining us, eight years.

July 30th, GM comes up to you and says, you've been traded. to the Dodgers. Was your first reaction? That's a lot of pressure. No, definitely was not. That's a lot of pressure. It's like, wow. I can't believe that this is real.

I can't believe that this is happening. I knew I was going to get traded. It was pretty much, it was made very evident to me, like, yeah, we're going to move you. We don't know where. And then it's going to be the Dodgers. And I'm like, how quickly can I get this text off to my mom before it breaks? Because this is going to happen really quick. just so she didn't see it from elsewhere and be like, and I just, just one word was Dodgers.

And yeah, that was that was all my thought. And they relied on you. We said, it's almost remarkable they won, 40 different pitchers used. In all three series, I'd never seen this, a bullpen game in the World Series. I thought I said out loud, I thought the Padres had you. The Padres series was different because that team is all attitude. And when you came here, did you realize how intense the Dodger Padre rivalry was? No, I think you see it.

You could see the games. You see the way that it had gone and the way that it had gone over the last couple of years. I think it was 22 when San Diego beat them. But I didn't realize the record difference on the season until we played them. Because I got there for it was the series. They were playing in San Diego. They had one more game. I flew in.

just to be there with the team before we took off for Oakland. And, you know, they beat us pretty bad. You know, it was a rough day. And, but the atmosphere was awesome. But then it was just different. I didn't really realize how intense it was. I had been in rivalries before with us and the Cubs being in St. Louis. But that one was.

Trash talking. Yeah, there was a lot of back and forth. And it kind of felt like the second we didn't react to everything that was going on and we played our game and we worried about us, the better position we were in. Like, just kind of, like, one of those things, like, you know, they were trying to get under our skin. Yes.

And, you know, personally, like, I let it happen in game two where things got emotional. And it felt like once we just worried about us and went about our business and relaxed a little bit, we were able to relax a little bit for game four. And, yeah, we took care of business. So Freddie Freeman, you know, these first inning home, runs are insane. As a pitcher, we don't think that offense, we know, we know, you know,

pitching with a lead probably helps a little, but it felt like those Freeman home runs kind of changed the pitching, like it almost gave you guys more confidence, you were more aggressive. Doesn't change? 100%. Pitching with a lead absolutely is a difference, especially in playoffs, when you have a lead and you can go out and attack the other team and you can go out and it opens the door to go get strike one and just to go right at guys and to be aggressive and not really worry about like, you know, I got to pitch to the corners.

And especially if you're on the road, now you've got momentum going out there. And it's just like, how quickly can I get these guys back to hitting and how quickly can we get, you know, these guys back up again? So for me, my job at that point is how quickly, you know, just let's just get these guys out and get these guys back. in the dugout, let them keep swinging it, and let's build this lead, and let's end this game early. Because momentum in the playoffs is a real thing, and it's everything.

And once that thing starts to shift, things can happen quickly and can go in whatever direction that it wants to go. One of the things that struck me, Jack Flaherty joining us, if you're listening on Radio Dodger-Grake, came July 30th at the deadline from Detroit and was really crucial in the playoffs. I'm struck by Otani's the biggest superstar in the game. Mookie Betz is one of the greatest. I compare him to Joe Morgan. Probably you wouldn't remember that as well. Joe Morgan, I thought, was the best baseball player I ever saw.

But because he was around Johnny Bench and Pete Rose, he was overshadowed. Mookie Betts similarly is an insane talent. I don't understand where he generates that power. And then you have Freddie Freeman and guys like you. And then Clayton Kershaw's not pitching, but there's an aura around him. And then Walker Bueller. And here's Dave Roberts, having that. to manage injuries and resources, I'm struck by the body language how positive I don't sense ego.

If Otani wanted to be a jerk, he could be. Yeah, he could be. When you came to the organization, were you immediately embraced? I was, and it was one of those things I had known a couple, a handful of guys on the team already. So for me coming in, and I had known Doc a little bit, and we had family friends that knew each other, So I felt like it wasn't a bunch of, hey, nice to meet you's. It was a bunch of, hey, man, good to see you. Like, we all knew each other.

It wasn't like, hey, I'm so-and-so. It wasn't, you know, hey, I'm Will Smith. Hey, I'm Mooky Betts. It was like, Mook, it's good to see you. Will, like, how are we doing? How are we going to make this thing happen? So it was a lot more of that where I have known or gotten to know some of these guys a little bit, where they just brought me in and embraced me.

And I felt like I just, you know, just seamlessly fit in and was able to go out, have a good start in Oakland and just go from there. We had a bunch of injuries, but it was really just next man up. Whoever was ready to pitch, whoever was ready to go that day, give it everything you got and just go out and do it. I thought the Padres actually matched up better than the Yankees or Mets did against you. I thought they kind of matched up, but they're a team, as you told me during the break. They play with a lead.

They're a lot of emotion. They don't play as well from behind. Going into the World Series, and I just looked at the batting order, and I thought, you know, once you get past like a Stanton down, I just thought that your pitching would beat their hitting, whereas you guys can put Tommy Edmund batting ninth, and it's like he'll eat you alive. What was the scouting report going into the World Series?

Was there a sense that you feel like we got the better team here? Look, I think that for me, it was just trying to keep guys off base when it was trying to, you have to get the bottom of the order out, because once you get up, if you've got guys on base and then you've got, you know, Glaber, Soto, Judge, and Stanton coming up, you've got problems.

You got a lot of problems. So you have to get the bottom of the order out so that you're not facing those guys with runners on. And if I can get to a point where I'm facing, you know, Soto, Judge, and Stanton without runners on, we'd be in a better spot. You know, we trusted our lineup what they were going to do. You got the NLCS MVP hitting ninth for part of it

when we got it, which is crazy. Crazy. But that goes to the no ego thing, is Tommy has no ego. He won the MVP. He was unbelievable NLCS. Hey, by the way, we're going to hit you ninth. But then, you know, against Rodon, we're going to hit you fifth because you're maybe a little bit better right-handed. But none of those guys had any ego, Muki, show hey, Freddie, like, they just wanted to do whatever it took to win. And they did it. And that comes down to sack flies. You got Mookie celebrating sack flies, which it's not to say he

wouldn't do that in the regular season, but the emotion that he would show of like, I got the job done. We got a run because every single run mattered and what we were able to do. So it was, I mean, the whole playoffs was a grind. And our offense, like, they showed up and really they helped us throughout the World Series. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd

weekdays in noon Eastern, 9 a.m. Pacific on Fox Sports Radio, FS1, and the IHeard Radio app. 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 I'm saying. Yep.

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

and the next we'll talk about life, mental health, purpose, and even music. The Clifford Show isn't just a podcast, it's a space for honest conversations, stories that don't always get told, and for people who are chasing something bigger. So if you've ever supported me or you're just chasing down a dream, this is right 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. Hey, this is Robert from the Stuff to Blow Your Mind podcast. Joe and I are both lifelong Star Wars fan,

so we're celebrating May the 4th with a brand new week of fun, thought-provoking Star Wars-related episodes. Join us as we tackle science and culture topics from a galaxy far, far away, such as the biology of tauntons and wampas on the ice planet hot, or the practicality and corporate business sense of the Sith rule of two. Listen to Stuff to Blow Your Mind on the iHeart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your point. podcast. Do you remember when Diana Ross double-tapped Little Kim's boobs at the VMAs?

Or when Kanye said that George Bush didn't like black people. I know what you're thinking. What the hell does George Bush got to do with Little Kim? Well, you can find out on the Look Back at it podcast. I'm Sam Jett. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick a here, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it. Including a recent episode with Mark Lamont Hill, waxing all about crack in the 80s. To be clear, 84 is big to me. Not. just because of crack. I'm down to talk about crack on day, but just so y'all know. I mean, at this point, Mark, this is the second episode where we've discussed crack.

So I'm starting to see that there's a through line. We also have AIDS on the table right now. Thank you finishing that sentence. 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, 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. I mean, you've pitched St. Louis, a good franchise. Been a little lean in recent years. Detroit's had down years. How, I mean, I watched the R&D for the Dodgers. They don't miss on trades very often. They bring up minor league guys. They're all good.

I mean, they overachieve, for a big, for a team that could spend a lot of money and overspend, they spend it smartly. They passed on Mani Machado, Zach Grinky. They don't always just spend. the most money. I still can't figure out how they got Mookie Betts and why Boston let him go. But how is it different? Do you feel, having been with four, let's see, you've been cards, Orioles, Tigers,

Dodgers. This is not to knock other teams. I always felt the Dodgers were kind of elegant. They're kind of stately. Like it, does it feel different? You feel the, you feel the, you feel the, like, that there, any, any place they go, they're the, they're the bigger, better team. and you know like Matt Kemp, he told me this.

He said it's just different wearing the Dodger blue and it's different having Dodgers across your chest. He said, guys just come here and you just, like the level of their game just steps up for whatever reason. And maybe it's it's the guys you're playing with that make you feel like, hey, I'm on the same level as this guy. Like I get to work with him every day. Or the staff that they bring around and how much staff that they have to give you

information or to help you out and the way that they they watch you work go about your business, the way they watch you throw, the way that their meetings are held, everything. It is top tier from top to bottom. And, you know, every single part of it goes that way. And I think it goes a long way where you continue to see the success throughout the regular season, no matter who's out there. It's not the same team every year. There's a different piece here and there.

And then, you know, the playoffs just comes down next. I mean, playoffs, anything can happen. And I know that they, you know, they caught a lot for not winning in the past, but anything can happen in baseball and playoffs. The best team doesn't win every year. And, you know, the Dodgers have been, they've been the best team. And when you go to certain cities, you, when you go to certain cities, teams are like, okay, like, we got a real team coming in now.

And that's the feeling that you get when you play them. When the Yankees melted down in the fifth, I mean, I've never seen anything like you. Never seen it. And they were not a great fielding team to begin with. You guys were a better fielding team. But when you're in that dugout, because it kind of felt like we're going back to L.A.

Yeah. We're going back to L.A. And in that fifth inning, I'm just, I'm going, oh, the Yankees are playing tight, which is remarkable because you're the favorite and you played loose. Yeah. They're their underdog, and could you sense, they just got

tight? I think we could sense it from the feeling in the in the stands like before the intros of game three whatever reason we were all kind of looking at each other and just were like it just it feels like a nervous energy in the stands and we couldn't quite pinpoint it and we were like let's just go out and play and like have some fun we got walker bueller on the mound one of the best big game pitchers that there is like he's going to go do it uh our bullpen is fresh and healthy because you know yamemota had pitched well the day before and i did it enough in game one. And it was like, let's just, let's go out win this game and end this, end this series and make go up 3-0. So we, yeah, it felt, and then game five, I've, that ending was crazy. Everything that could have gone wrong for them did.

Everything. And we still had to capitalize because that, that play with Rizzo and Cole happens. And we're like, oh, my goodness, like, thank goodness. But then Freddie gets a hit, Tayo gets a hit. and now we're tie ball game. And now it's like, okay. You took advantage of the momentum. Yeah.

They gave you an opening and you took advantage. We took advantage. That's the way it goes. Momentum is a huge thing. I didn't pitch well to start the game. They had all the momentum. Cole's throwing a no-hitter. We get a couple guys on and air here or there.

And all it took was one hit from Freddie. And then it was game on. So you're intense on the mound. Yeah. You look like you are, and it's funny. Dave Roberts is the nicest guy. It feels like. He is.

And you, You pitch sometimes angry. A little bit. You are, I mean, I mean, you're like intimidating looking. So when you were coming today, I'm like, this guy, he's got an edge. When Roberts comes to the mound, do you guys, is it always like an understanding? Do you ever fight to stay in? What are those, because you're a very intense guy out there and you're not in person,

but you are on the mound. When Dave comes out there, is it ever gotten intense? No. every time he's come out, he has signaled before he got out there that he was going to, to bring in the bullpen. There was only one time where we had a discussion, and it was my first home start against the Pirates, and I got through five innings, and, you know, he comes over to me, and I know he's going to tell me, hey, you're done. And I just kind of look at him, I just was like, no.

And he was like, what do you mean? I was like, no, I'm good. I felt like that day I could throw 150 pitches and my arm was going to be fine and I had playing in the tank. And he was like, okay. And he walked back and I went out and I threw 110 pitches or whatever it was. And he came out to get me. I didn't finish the inning. And, you know, some of the pitchers were like, we even like seen that where we let a guy go over 100 pitches as you're like second start here.

And I was like, I don't know, man. I felt like I could throw 150 pitches today. And Doc, to his credit, was like, okay, like, if you say you got it, like, sure. And he let me go out and I, you know, pitched well for that inning, didn't get out of it. And he came and got me at the right time. So that was the only time. Otherwise, the discussions on the mound, we haven't had any. It was usually, hey, you know, good job.

We're going to get you. Or, you know, I didn't pitch well. And it was like, hey, we're going to pick you up. We're going to go win this game, which is kind of how game five was. It was like, hey, we're going to pick you up. We got you. Obviously, you knew before you got here how great. Reto Tani was.

What was the moment when he was a teammate? It could have been at the cage. It could have, that you went, all right, that's different. Oh, there was a ball that he hit. It was against Colorado, against Kyle Freeland,

and he took a pitch that was up and in, left on left, and it was a pitch up here, and he hit it out to left center, and he hit it about 10 rows deep into left center, which you don't do as a left-handed hitter, at all. And then we all went and watched exactly where the pitch was. And then we saw it's two balls above the zone. And he hit it out and we were like, that's, that's not normal. And they

had watched him all year and been with him and everybody was still like, wow, that was, that was incredible. And show is just, you know, he's just, he'll just be like, you know. He looks like a movie star. Yeah, he is. He's a, he's a stud. Man, that, that dude is, he's incredible and he will. And he's as, he's as, he's as cool comic collected as they. come he just uh yeah him showing some emotion is is different but it's he's awesome i love that yeah by the way uh aerouan is a very bougie it's very high end you've gone total l a you've got your own smoothie at erwan my daughter's like she tells me she know to air one i'm like is dad paying for it because i know what it costs to get a smoothie at erwan you've got your own

smoothie yeah yeah you're uptown yeah look at it is that yours yeah that's that's the smoothie right there before the big game uh yeah it was right before uh yeah it was right before uh right before the World Series. Congratulations. I appreciate it. Full-blown L.A. Yeah. What a story.

Your mom ran the Little League. I think Sherman Oaks. Yeah, Sherman Oaks. Little League. Your backstory is incredible. You become a Dodger. You're so valuable. And this was a real pleasure.

You are welcome anytime. I appreciate that. You're kind of intimidating when you pitch. They told me you were on the show Tuesday, and I'm like, I'm not going to say anything. I'm not going to get Jack worked up. But you know what? You do put the classic game face on.

Is the day you pitch different upstairs? It's very different. It's very different. I come in, I don't talk to anybody. Really? I think it's a different thing. And guys are, you know, they got to ask, like, do you like to talk on days you pitch? And I just, no.

And then they start to realize, like, that's just how I got to be. It is game day. Yeah, it's different. Great meeting you. I appreciate it. All right. We'll take a break. J. Mack's going to come back with his picks.

Jack Flaherty. What a pleasure. World Series champ. L.A. Kid. Great story. It's the herd. Be sure to catch live edition. of the herd weekdays in noon eastern 9 a.m. Pacific.

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

Yep, that's me, Cliver Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, the reactions, my journey from basketball to college football, or my career in sports media. Well, somewhere along the way, this platform became bigger than I ever imagined. And now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfiltered conversations with some of your favorite athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. One week, I'll take you behind the scenes of the biggest moments in sports and entertainment, and the next we'll talk about life, mental health, purpose, and even music.

The Clifford Show isn't just a podcast. It's a space for honest conversations, stories that don't always get told, and for people who are chasing something bigger. So, if you've ever supported me or you're just chasing down a dream, this is right 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 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 Hard Way with me, your host, and your favorite therapist, Kear Games.

And in recognition of mental health awareness month, I'm bringing over a decade of my own experience in the mental health field and conversations with so many incredible guests. I'm talking. Trip Fontaine, Ryan Clark. Sometimes when we're in the pursuit of the thing, we get so wrapped up in the chase that we don't realize that we are in possession of the thing.

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

intentions, bro. Absolutely. And that's two different levels of trust. I want you to just really be a good person. Join me, Keer 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. There's a special contest this week for Giants Panthers in Munich, which you can see on NFL Network Sunday at 9.30 a.m. Go to the Fox Sports app to make your picks. one of the questions is which player will have the most receiving yards Colin Malik Neighbors

Wondale Robinson Jalen Coker or Xavier Legat These are the choices this weekend If you wake it up early You got to That's a layup buddy Come on Malik neighbors

Bobby's Yes he's going to cook Oh obviously yeah You think it's going to be Jalen Coker Who's on my fantasy bench No I don't know It's just like draft kings

I'm counting on Daniel Jones to deliver. All right, so... Good luck with that. That was fun. That was really fun for me. It's nice to sometimes see you kind of fanboy out with Flaherty. That was funny. Well, it's, you know, I've said before, I think baseball, and I've done this in my career,

where I talk more college football now, the 12-team playoff. It doesn't feel as SEC dominant. I really believe this. Next year, I'll talk more baseball than I've talked in a long time. And the reason being is the star players are mostly in three really important cities, New York, L.A. and Philly. Those are big brands. Whereas the NBA right now, and I've always been a little bit of an NBA guy, a lot of your stars are in markets that, you know, Milwaukee, Minnesota. You know, that's why I'm rooting for Janus to go to New York with the Knicks.

Like, that's really a big story. That is a, like right now, I don't find the LeBron Lakers that fascinating. I think the J.J. Reddick story is the most interesting part of the team. That's fair. I mean, so to me, you and I both do this. We root for interesting. And I find if Janus got moved to the Knicks, that's the most interesting team in the league. Boston's the best.

But they're not the most interesting. And when you put Bryce Harper in Philly and the pressure of Philly, Lindor in New York, Aaron Judge. So could we get Trout somewhere? Get him out of Anaheim? Yeah, but he's, dude, he's hurt a lot. Those days are over. He's banged up. Oh, why.

Yeah, he's out of those. You say so. Yeah. All right, you've been, we've both been doing pretty, pretty good on the gambling front. So we do it every Friday. I love this segment. Tomorrow's headlines today. Let's start Vikings at the Jags on Fox.

Yeah, this should be a good game. The Trevor Lawrence News kind of diminishes it, makes it obvious. The headline will be, oh, oh, O'Connell Auto, will. Surely you know that commercial. It's a classic. It's been hearing it for 20 years. But it's going to be, it looks like Mack Jones, aka Mac and Row Jones,

going up against Sam Darnold. And Brian Flores' defense. Yeah, I think this could get ugly. Now, as a subplot, Doug Peterson, who just, I guess he's resigned to the fact that he's cooked, took a bit of a jab at Sam Darnold this week. Hey, how was Sam Darnold turned it around?

He said, Justin Jefferson. Like, that's the only reason. And, again, I don't know that Sam Darnel's going to care about that, but I have a feat. feeling Kevin O'Connell opens a can here. Vikings did not look particularly sharp last week against the Colts, but this feels like not a total domination, but again, Jacksonville is just hemorrhaging talent

and now no Trevor Lawrence. The left tackle's gone. I think Flores blitzes, blitzes more, blitzes some more, and this feels like 27 to 9, I think the Vikings rule. We agree on that game, man. Tomorrow's headlines today. I know where you're going. Niners bucks on Fox.

I will say, I'm going to give Baker Mayfield credit. He played his butt off on Monday Night Football. He played his butt off. It's a bad spot. They emptied the tank on Monday Night Football. And now they're home to rested San Francisco. Healthy San Francisco, the headline will be everybody. Yeah.

Brock your body. C. Max's back. All right. Well, Backstreet boys. The staff back there really love this one. Yes, yes. Christian McCaffrey's back. And it's game on.

Jennings is back. Debo is back. Last year I talked about this coming off a bye. San Francisco had lost three straight. They go to Jacksonville and just tore them apart 343. Now you're rested off a by. Everybody's back. And oh, by the way, Tampa, did you see their defense was on the field for 83 plays on Monday night football?

Wow. I mean, overtime, they just ran the ball down their throats. That's just a gas team. And I had to look this up. The Tampa defense has faced Mahomes, Kirk Cousins, and Lamar the last three. weeks. They've given up 12 touchdown passes, zero interceptions. I don't, Brock Purdy is going to look really good in this one. One of my bigger plays of the season, I like San Francisco a lot.

Tomorrow's headlines today. It may not be a great game, but there could be consequences. Patriots at the Bears on Fox. Now, Chicago loses. We're going to have a little bit of a tire fire here. We're sending a little negative toward Mr. Iber Fluse. Fun, fun fact, rookie quarterbacks when favored this season, 11 and O. Caleb is favored here against Drake May. The headline will be. May the force be with you. Because victory sure isn't.

I got Drake May and the Patriots going down here. Now, there is a weather element. I was just looking into this in Chicago. Looks like rain and maybe 20 mile an hour wins at Soldier Field that could tinker with the past game. I would keep an eye on DJ Moore and his relationship with Caleb. Caleb's now saying positive things to, I think, get past it. But they're going to need DJ more if they want to make the play. He's very good, and he's been quiet for a few weeks now.

I just can't get into the Patriots, Colin. They rank 32nd and most offensive line stats. Looks like Montez Sweat is back. They missed him last week. No pressure on Kyler Murray. They've got to get healthy in the secondary. It doesn't look like they're fully healthy yet, but Drake May doesn't have many weapons.

I think the Bears bounce back. There's a big number, but bears are undefeated at home, 3-0 against a spread. I think they get the job done and win 27-17-ish. Yeah. Tomorrow's Headlined today. Falcons at the Saints on Fox. Now, a lot of wise guys like the Saints here.

Why? I don't know. I stayed away from it. It could be the interim coach bounce that you get. You fire the head coach. The locker room's all riled up. There's a rematch from earlier this season. Falcons won it on a 58-yard field goal. The headline will be. Kirk Hard, play hard.

Cousins goes cuckoo in Cajun Country. Look at those arms on Kirk Cousins. I like the Falcons here. I don't care about this Saints interim coach nonsense. Well, they gave up Latimore, so the locker room messages were done. We're done for the season. And what is that? Like Alvin Camaro is saying all the right things if you listen to some of his interviews.

But they just don't have the talent. Chris Olavé concussion, he ain't playing. Shaheed, he's out for the season. So now you're just looking around. And it's like not a ton of options, Colin, for the Saints. They did outplay the Falcons last time. And by the way, the Falcons, zero offensive touchdowns in that. earlier meeting. There was like a special teams miss queue and a pick six. I think the Falcons

bounce back. That offense may not have Drake London, which does concern me. He's got the hip issue. If they do, great, wonderful. If not, Ray Ray McLeod has to step up. He's been solid. But I like Falcons here winning and keeping the good times rolling. Well, there are very few certainties in the NFL. Last night, you and I both like Joe Burrow as an underdog. Joe Burrow is one of the few certainties. He is now 17 and 3 as a 3 plus underdog. You and I both like Burrow. The other certainty is Mike

Tomlin as a underdog. So this is an interesting spot. Tomorrow's headlines today. I like the Steelers at the commanders. What say you? It's just one of the best games on the board. Maybe the game of the week. It's a tough one to handicap.

Steelers coming off a buy. Everybody loves that extra rest. Some of the numbers say it doesn't matter that much. The headline, will be I command a recount. Washington steals victory. I'm going with the commanders pulling it out. Now, Marshawn Lattimore has been ruled out. They just traded for him, but he's not playing.

Hey, not got to play. Listen, there's some crazy numbers for Mike Tomlin against rookie quarterbacks in his career, 25 and 6. And you're going against that. I don't really mind that that much. Off a buy in his career, Mike Tomlin, 13 and 4. He's won the last four off a buy. Everything lines up.

But if you look at some of the best, betting percentages, they're a public underdog. All Joe Public is betting, hand over fist, giving Pittsburgh, Tomlin off a buy, Russell Wilson. And then you start to look at Washington. The market has not caught up with them all season, Colin. I saw this stat. This is unfathomable. They've played 36 quarters of football.

They've scored in 34 of them. This offense cannot be stopped. 11 for 11 on fourth downs this season. And how do you beat a great pass rush with T.J. Watt coming off one edge. Preston Smith. You've got a running quarterback. Lamar Jackson has run pretty wild against Pittsburgh. Jaden Daniels, one of the best running quarterbacks in the league right now.

I think he'll be okay against the pressure. As long as he's sliding and not getting injured. I like Washington here. I think they get it done at home. I think this is a good team, man. It's a really strong Washington. Yeah, no, no, you're, you got a couple underdogs. I went Colts underdog this week.

I went Steelers underdog this week. I almost went Denver was the game. I was going to bet. That was my last. That was my six. Did you have a game that you would have done here? Like, I think Philadelphia potentially can destroy Dallas. Yeah, they can.

I kind of like your Colts pick. Now that I've given it some time to marinate, I think that's a good, good wager by you. And the Buffalo injury report, you're right, is massive coming off a huge game against Miami. The receiving core is decimated. Yeah, they're down. Shakir.

It looks like he may play. One other number on Washington versus Pittsburgh. So you can look into how quarterbacks do against man versus zone. versus man, you're throwing your guys open, you know, anticipation throws, versus the zone. You know, you guys just sit down and you hit him. Jaden Daniels picks apart zones. He's been amazing as a rookie.

Steelers play a lot of zone. I think there's a world. McLaurin just gets open. I don't think Zach Hertz is very good. Or the tight end, I think it's hurts. But Washington just, they move the ball with Kingsbury. I think Cliff Kingsbury, if there's like an offensive coordinator of the year award, who's been better than Cliff Kingsbury?

Maybe Ben Johnson. but with Kingsbury new rookie quarterback, I just think it's been phenomenal. The offensive lines even showing well in Washington. They've been really good this year. Probably your best summer call since I've been doing the show with you. Because you had Washington, I was like, no way, no shot. Well, I knew I was told that Kingsbury loved,

loved Jaden Daniels. Saw the film, went a mile deep on it, and pounded the table like, this kid's going to be great. And he had, you know, he had Kyler Murray. he had Mahalms in college and so he was like God he's somewhere in the mix here between you know he didn't have

I've said Jaden to me is more Lamar I thought than Mahomes but his accuracy from the pocket is much better than Lamar's first two years now Lamar has become a very good pocket quarterback and it's interesting because Greg Olson was on our show yesterday and we were talking about Washington

and Kingsbury working with Jaden Daniels a sneaky hire that made didn't get the offseason buzz was hiring cliff kingsbury to be the offensive coordinator and when we had washington a few weeks back cliff was very honest he said my first order of business was not to install the arizona cardinals 2.0 offense and continuation of that or necessarily what i did in college he goes my day one installed this offseason was me sitting down with jane daniels and saying give me your top schemes your top protections your top route concepts that you loved in college Yeah, and he did it.

Yeah, I was told Kingsbury went a mile deep on the film and said, I have seen versions of this. I had Kyler, I had Patrick. He's got a lot of the same skills. He is, I will say this about Jaden Daniels. I knew he'd move, and I knew he worked hard, great reputation, Brian Kelly spoke well. Everybody I knew that knew him, heard him, Edwards loved him. What I didn't realize, and it's really almost a natural thing, he looks so comfortable in the pocket. it's just one of those guys

it's just like you you know usually young quarterbacks they get nervous your feet your body follows your feet your eyes follow your feet he just he's back there feels like cam ward I think he's better than cam Ward but Cam's got a little bit of that like you almost feel it's backyard he's totally comfortable

sometimes Cam Ward's mechanics go sideways Jadens don't but like even that Hail Mary the way he ran to the right side then he runs back to the left side I mean that's just that's like what a veteran does He's just buying guys time, all his receivers to get all the way down the field. There are veteran quarterbacks that don't do that. Like, it was almost like he was just manipulating the biggest play of the year.

Wasn't Joe Montana's nickname Joe Cool? Because he was so poised in the pocket? That's kind of like a Jaden Daniels. And that Bengals game really sold me on him. Remember in Cincinnati, Monday night football, and he just couldn't miss. He was just torching. I mean, great deep ball, escaping pressure. He just doesn't seem rattled.

I have a feeling this weekend. We're going to have a lot of really close, intense games. Keep your eye on Denver. Kansas City, a lot of plays, a lot of snaps, short week, heavy favorite. Denver's humiliated. Watch Denver. We've seen this before. The Raiders beat the Chiefs last year.

We've seen a division rival catch the Chief sleeping. It happens. They've won a lot straight. We'll see you Monday. Live in L.A. The herd. 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.

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