The Herd with Colin Cowherd - HOUR 3 - Mayfield, Panthers, Big 10

Episode Date: July 6, 2022

More on Baker Mayfield being traded to the Panthers People are overacting about USC and UCLA going to the Big 10  Guest: Bucky Brooks, LenDale WhiteSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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You're listening to Fox Sports Radio. Here we go. Breaking News, my favorite kind of news. Live in Los Angeles, it's the herd. Wherever you may be and however you may be listening. Fox Sports Radio, IHeart Radio FS1, Alex Curry, joining me. What a gift. Yeah, we got a gift. So it's the slowest, the last two weeks this week, slowest weeks of the year.

Baker Mayfield, my nemesis. Not really. He got traded to Carolina. So let me line up the good things for Baker-Mayfield. Let's be glass half full. They just drafted Iki-Equanam, a left tackle from NC State. Everybody loves him. So the big issue with that franchise was bad at left tackle, bad at corner.

They drafted a corner last year, J.C. Horn, who broke his foot. He'll be back. So they got a couple of young stars that are going to solve some problems. And they've made some moves on the offensive line. So Carolina's O line is like bottom of the league. But they have a star left tackle. They went and got Corbett on the interior. They'll be better.

So that's the good news. J.C. Horn will be back. They're bad at Corner. They shouldn't be. He's a great young potential player. His dad, Joe Horn, excellent NFL receiver. The division's really bad. When Brady leaves in a year, Baker could be the best quarterback.

It's a bad division. It's the worst division in football if Tom Brady left. It's a mess. So that's the good news. The good news is it looks like they have a left tackle. The O-line should be better. Now, the Darnold thing is a weird dynamic. My guess is Carolina moves Donald out of town. I think you want to separate those two. They came in together. Not that they don't get along, but you want to give Baker the snaps. You don't want to be splitting snaps. Just give him the team. Give him the snaps. Give him the team.

That's what I would do. It would give him a greater opportunity to succeed. And Sam Donald, you know, New York Giants, he was with the Jets. Who knows? There are seven, eight teams out there that are a messick quarterback. But the good news is left tackle, star corner, offensive coach, a well-heeled owner, bad division, and Brady's retiring. The bad news, the roster mostly stinks. It's rated 27th in the NFL.

Cleveland is rated six, according to PFF. They're over under with six and a half. and that's in a weak division. So it's not a well-constructed roster as of now. They're going to need that rookie left tackle to be really good right now because there's some good pass rushers in that division right now. And also the Sam Darnold equation. You want to be sharing snaps with him.

I don't like that. You do have Christian McCaffrey. DJ Moore is an excellent receiver. Robbie Anderson's not a bad over-the-top receiver. Got good speed. So here's, I guess, what I would say. The over under on Carolina this morning before this trade was six and a half. I would bet the over now.

I think they feel like a seven and ten team. I don't have any great conviction on it. But I think to this point, Baker has been more consistently accurate than Sam Darnold. He's not as athletic. He's not as big or as athletic. But I think he's been a more consistent, quicker release, gets the ball out faster than Sam Darnold does. And so they feel, it feels like a half.

Over under Fox Bet, Fandul was six and a half. I think it could move to seven. I'd play the over on that a little bit. But here's the other thing that just jumps out to me. When you think I was writing this down during the break, Baker Mayfield's been traded to Carolina for a conditional fifth round pick. When you think of the top quarterbacks in the AFC, regardless of their age, Mahomes, Russell Wilson, Josh Allen, Joe Burrow,

Justin Herbert, Lamar Jackson, Deshawn Watson, Derek Carr. They absolutely are significantly better than Baker. That is not an argument. But you go over to Baker's new conference. There's Brady gone in a year. And then there's Stafford, Aaron Rogers, Kyler Murray, all clearly more talented. But after that, Baker can sling it with Kirk Cousins. Baker can sling it with Dak.

The NFC is going to have some bad teams over the next two years. and they're going to draft quarterbacks. Seattle's going to draft one, and Atlanta's going to draft one, and we thought Carolina may draft one. The Giants are going to draft one. There's some quarterback messes in the NFC. There are not a lot in the AFC.

It's going to be much harder over the next five years to get to the Super Bowl out of the AFC than it is out of the NFC. And I'm not saying Baker's getting to a Super Bowl. But Baker in the NFC doesn't feel like a backup. You start looking at the top of the AFC right now, the veteran quarterbacks, the young quarterbacks.

Baker just doesn't feel like he's in, he's just not in that space. You want to bring on Bucky Brooks, former NFL scout NFL player? I think it's, I think there's worse. Oh, there he is right there. He's in house. Come on in, Bucky. Let's go. He's right here. I just plugged up on the ground.

Here we go. So I guess my takeaway is there's worse places he could have landed. He gets Matt Rule. He gets DJ Moore. They got a rookie left tackle. I don't know. I think he could have landed in Seattle.

They feel like they're tank and he could have landed in Atlanta. What do you make of it? Okay, so I have mixed feelings on this. I feel like it's a necessary move for the Carolina Panthers just short of the quarterback room. But I think it would be interesting to see Baker Mayfield and Sam Donald in training camp. The way the money is split up, The Browns are taking on $10 million.

The Panthers are paying. Baker may feel $5 million, which is back up money. This legitimately could be a quarterback competition. Oh, I think it could be, yeah. Yeah, the conditional pick status doesn't really mean anything. A fifth turns to a fourth of those things to protect yourself if he plays well. It is going to be really interesting because these guys were classmates in terms of the draft. We've talked about it.

Baker was number one. Sam was, what, three or whatever? So now we get an opportunity to see these guys throw every day. And the one thing that is always hard for evaluators is one thing to hear about somebody. It's another thing to put them on the same field throwing back to back. Sam Donald is a bigger, stronger, faster prospect. Baker Mayfield, by all accounts, has played better in the league, but Baker Mayfield has also had a better supporting cast.

He had great offensive line, two pro bowl running backs, two pro bowl wide receivers. And he still was a bottom third quarterback. Sam Donald's never been afforded that opportunity. So now when you have an even Stephen contest, it will be interesting to see how this plays out. And I would say that Baker is behind the eight ball because he's joining the team in July. July 6, he gets on the team.

They go to training camp. He'll have to learn to playbook in training camp. Sam Donald knows the playbook. And then by all account, Sam Donald has already built relationships with the teammates. We could say that maybe the reason why Baker is out of Cleveland is not because of how he played on the field, but how he got along with others.

Never forget, the quarterback position is a leadership position. You have to get along, you have to encourage, enlighten, inspire your teammates. Is Baker be a great teammate? And then let's think about this. What if Baker doesn't win it? Can Baker be a good backup? Because, you know, we've heard people talk about the backup quarterback position. The backup is to support the starter,

to make sure that the starter has all the things that he needs to have to be a successful starter. The backup quarterback can't be pining for the starter's job. So what does this look like? To me, it might be, in wrestling terms, a loser leave town match. Whoever wins the quarterback position stays, the loser has to go somewhere else. What's your gut feeling? Look, man, I've said this. I think that Sam Donald has an opportunity to win this job.

I think Sam Donald would be a much better performance. in front of Baker Mayfield. It's one thing when you come in. Because you're a former scout. And I said this, and this is no knock of whatever to Baker, but what happens is, once you leave that first spot, you now just like everybody else. All the special cachet about being the number one overall pick,

all that goes by the wayside. Because the Panthers didn't draft them, and they didn't give up significant capital. So now it is all about performance and the way that you get along with others. And so it would be a true competition. So now I think this is an even, Stephen. I think this is a corner to step.

I wouldn't just say that, hey, Baker-Mafers going to be the starting quarterback week one. I think he's going to have to win the job. The thing about Baker that's interesting, I always thought one of his strengths was accuracy. But what was fascinating, despite that running game, which means you throw in play action a lot, despite the past protection, which was excellent, his accuracy dipped. Is it all injury? I thought over the last year, with a good offensive coach, I was shocked at his erosion, completing sometimes. simple NFL passes. And so, like, here's the thing.

And people will say, I'm going to be super hard on Baker Mayfield. Everyone has given a pass off last year. Baker's been in the league for four years. He had one solid year out of those things. His rookie year was fine, but it wasn't super impressed. Second year was a regression. Third year, he played better. They got to the playoffs in one, but the numbers aren't spectacular.

No. And then last year. So at some point, he is going to have to put up numbers. And we can say the same for Sam Donald. So for me, this is a true competition. Neither guy should be penciled in as the starter. It is really one of those things where you split the reps evenly and you let the performance dictate who is the starting quarterback for the team.

You were a former scout for the Panthers. So let me ask you this. This is an impatient owner, and I think Matt Ruhl knows he got win some games this year. Or at least they have to look like they're headed in a direction, right? So they have shorted up their offensive line a little bit, which Darnold's talented enough. to overcome to some degree of battle line. I don't think Baker is.

Baker needs protection. He's a smaller guy, not as athletic. How long do you make it a quarterback competition? You can't go on into August 18th. I mean, how many practices does Matt Rule give these guys before he sits down with his staff and goes, fellas, we're going to make a call on this. I'm not going into the season with six practices with my guy. It's tough.

You only have three preseason games. So the normal pecking order, and the old thing would be, the third game would be when you see the starters do the full deal. That's when you make all the decisions. Now it's the second preseason game is the dress rehearsal. The final one is just one that you kind of throw away. For Baker, the makeup ground, Baker would have to be sensational in training camp to win it in a preseason game in a half. I would just have to think that Sam Donald starts the year as the starter. and then when Sam Donald falters, if he falters, then Baker Mayfield slides in.

I just don't know how you can do it so quickly because you talked about an abbreviated training camp. They started the 26, 27th. You have two weeks a game and then another game you have to make a decision. That is quick. I mean, either Sam Donald just absolutely wets to bed and Baker Mayfield is spectacular or this is one where it has to play out a little longer until we get into the season to see how it goes. I also think, and this is something that you know having scouted and played in this league, you know this as well as anybody, ownership matters.

And, you know, Seattle right now, the owner came out and said, we're not selling. That actually helps. That creates less chaos. Denver has a new owner. Carolina's got an owner that is not patient, and Matt Rule can feel that. So does that change Matt Rule a little bit saying, hey, listen, we haven't won with Darnold. I can buy myself time going with Baker. Coaches can be selfish.

Yeah, no, you can do that. I think it all depends on how it looks and how it feels, because ultimately, Matt Ruhle has to make a decision that the team can get behind. And so that's why the performance really matters. You can't fool the players. We've heard it, we've seen it. When they run onto the field together, and they're going through those on-air passes and 7-on-7 and 11-on-11 drills,

Matt Rule can make his mind and say, hey, I want to go to Baker. But if the team is looking and it's close or Donald is clearly better, it's going to be hard to make that move because he not only runs the risk of losing it, he's going to lose his team.

And if his team isn't going to play for him, then it's going to be hard for Matt Rule to keep his job. So to me, this is one where if anything, you err on the side of caution, you give Sam Donald every opportunity to win it and then Baker has to take the job. I don't think you can,

kind of set it up where A. Baker's going to be our starter, and we're going to set it up this way. I think it's too hard. He has to outplay Sam to win it. Okay, so now the last quarterback on the market that we know can play is Jimmy Garoppolo. So Garapolo had a surgery. We know what he is and what he isn't. He's a little injury prone, throws a decent ball, very strong locker room presence. Guys really like him, got some alpha. Actually, at times is better in crisis than he is in the second quarter. What do you think the future of Jimmy Garopla holds? Because my knock on this situation is, you know, pigs get fed, hogs get slaughtered.

San Francisco got to a Super Bowl, give up a second round pick. You got to figure this Trey Lance thing out. This kid needs snaps. And everybody said, well, it's Jimmy's locker room. There's only one way to solve that. Get Jimmy out of town. So I think San Francisco, I really do believe Bucky, they know deep down. We got to give this Trey thing a shot.

And he'll never own that room if Jimmy, who's wildly popular, is in the same locker room. I think they have to move him. I think they will. Do you agree with that and what's the landing spot? Well, I mean, I do agree with it. I think it's very similar to the Mack Jones Cam Newton thing. They got him out. Bill Belichick had to get Cam Newton out of the locker room because as long as Cam is there, his aura and his presence would overshadow Matt Jones. And so for Tray Lance, yeah, Jimmy Garapolo doesn't have that Cam Newton type R, but he certainly has the feel of the locker room. He took the guys to the Super Bowl. They played really well. You look at his record. They win when he is the quarterback. Despite all the flaws that we may point out, they win when he's

the quarterback. And so if he comes back, it makes it very, very difficult for Trey Lance to operate. And even if you do a quarterback competition, everyone on the team will say, yeah, this is great preseason and all that, but we've gone to war with Jimmy Garapolo and we've won games with him. So he has some of the problem is Jimmy Garapolo has been hurt. We haven't seen him throw and perform. And all the, all the chairs, all the dance chairs are all. filled up. Like, where does he go? Where does he land? Seattle? Can you trade him to it? Indivision rival? And then if you're Seattle, Seattle, to me, feels like Pete Carroll wants to reclaim his locker room back. Because he had

a celebrity quarterback, all this stuff. He kind of maybe went away from what he believed in offensively, team building-wise, in terms of this is how we need to win games. So maybe he doesn't want a quarterback in there now. He just wants to build it up from the ground up. Jimmy Garofalo, to me, would be interesting, like, if the thing, comes back, Deshaun Watson's out for a year. Does he go to Cleveland? Because the offense is similar. We've seen him operate.

We've seen him operate when he's had talented weapons around him. It would be weird because he and Jacoba Bresset, we're both in New England together. But that's the situation. Outside of that, I don't know, I don't know where he goes. It's similar to Baker. I had no idea where Baker Mayfield would land because there's not any spots available right now. You know, the one that I've thought about is Tampa when Tom leaves. Yes, but then what would Tom feel like?

Well, it's Tom's team. Yeah, what would Tom feel like? Because now I said this somewhere yesterday, I felt like prior to Baker being traded, I feel like if I'm Baker-Mayfield, I push my way to get to Tampa because if I go to Tampa and now we put Jimmy Garoppolo in that. If I'm Jimmy Garoppel and I look who's behind Tom Brady,

if Tom Brady plays another year, I got to beat out. Blaine Gabbard and Kyle Trass. I'll bet on myself in that scenario. It's just a matter of can Jimmy Garapolo go from being a star? to be in a backup again behind Tom Brady. And what was that relationship like when they split from New England? All of that would have to be resolved.

But I think it's a nice idea if you bring him there because he's certainly more than a high-end backup, but it would give you maybe a secession plan in place. Yeah, and I think one of the real compliments about Garoppolo is he's a team guy. I mean, San Francisco, I mean, they really like him. I mean, we bring guys on Niners. they're like, people like Jimmy Garoppolo. He is, you know, there's just certain guys that they walk into a room and there's a certain temperature about him.

I think he's one of those guys. So I think the Tampa Bay thing could work if they could make the money work. One other NFL question. So I, one of the more fascinating teams to me is Miami. So they have pivoted as a franchise from the defensive side of the ball to the offensive side. And this is something I have talked about. Brian Flores struggle with Tua, Zimmer Strzmer, struggled with cousins. Vic Van Gio struggled. Pete struggled with Russell. Belichick struggled with

Brady. We're seeing time and time again as the game becomes more offensive and quarterbacks are empowered. These defensive coaches sometimes don't want to lose the room, to your point with Pete and Russ. So they have gone in Miami and they've said they've made a quick pivot. We are spending money on offense and I like the move, though I thought Brian Flores was excellent. Here's the enigma part of it. I think two is very limited. He feels like a left-handed Mac Jones to me. Can't make plays off script, smaller than I want, average arm. I think they're going to be really dynamic offensively. And I think they're going to make the playoffs. And then I think Miami's going to be trapped. This has been a little bit of the Dak Prescott issue. When you have that O line,

and Amari and Zeke in his prime, Dax's pretty good. And now Zeeke's not as good. And Amari's gone. And Tyron Smith can't give you a 13 start. and I'm paying DAC 40. Miami is fascinating. We're going to have to make a judgment as they improve this year. Is it Tua or is it the system? Because as you know, McDaniel's system is Shanahan's system. Yes.

It makes every quarterback. Matt Schaub made a Pro Bowl in that system. You're so good at what you do because you slid in a dig at Dak Prescott. We're talking about Tua. You slid in this dig about Dax being pedestrian while we're talking about Tua. Here's what I say about Tua. I think this is a great opportunity for Tua to play the game the way that he needs to play it. I think people have forgotten the whole tank for Tua, watching Tua, Alabama,

watching Tua as a young player at Alabama, throw the ball down the field to Jalen Waddle for a touchdown and a honeyhole shot. He now has playmakers around him that can allow him to play the game. Here's one of the best RPO quarterbacks that I've seen in terms of his catch, throw, get it out. He can do that. He now has playmakers that are excellent running after the catch. Tyree Kiel, Jailon Waddle.

He has a running game that's going to be behind him. So they have all of that. So what I would say is now and never for Tua in Miami. But I expect them to play great. Now, I do believe it's been overblown some of the deep ball stuff. I think in the past, one, the protection up front, they couldn't protect long enough from the thaw it down the field. Still not a great old line.

Still not a great. And the ball has to come out. I think Mike McDaniel is talking about you can't have eight seconds to chunk it down the field 60 yards in today's game. And so I think the accuracy. If Tua talking about lower, is at his best, he needs to play the game in a fashion that reminds us of Drew Breeze. Ball is out. Yeah.

Ball goes to the playmaker. Yeah. Connected dots. Yep. High efficiency, completion rate of high 60s and 70. If he's doing that, he'll be fine. But then you do have to make the decision because the money at quarterback. It's a Kirk Cunds dilemma.

Yeah, because now $40 million is a lot, which is why the Baker-Mayfield thing was tough, because you want the $40 million quarterback to make it right when the plays aren't right. And so if your quarterback doesn't have. superhero powers, it makes it tough to say, hey, we're going to make them a $40 or $50 million quarterback going forward. That's good stuff. Again, Baker Mayfield traded to Carolina. I, Mr. Glass, half full and fairly optimistic about it,

but let's revisit your position, which is probably the right position, which is you think it's incredibly hard. Sam's got relationships, the playbook, he knows the staff. Time. Time is on Sam Donald's side. because it's such a condensed window. Remember, Cam Newton talked about this going to New England. He said he rushed and learned to playbook,

but he never felt comfortable knowing everything. It's tough because learning a foreign language. So, I mean, can he learn a foreign language in four weeks and executed and know where everything is? And remember, new offensive coordinator, Ben McAdoo. Oh, that's right. Yeah, Ben McAdoo comes in. So Sam Donald has been with Ben McAduh since the entire offseason program.

Baker Mayfield, this is all brand new. completely different feel. We haven't even seen it on film. So for Baker, he won't be able to get those reps. They can't send him game film and say, this is what it looks like. It's all brand new. So that's what I'm saying.

He is climbing up a hill to try and catch Sam Donald to be the starter by week one. To me, it's Sam Donald's job to lose. Baker will have to win it in the middle of the season. Excellent work. I can't believe I needed Bucky Brooks today. And you... I popped up by the ground.

I was driving in my car. listening you make bets on all kinds of stuff, the Minnesota Vikings and the tall shabmy. All this craziness. I was like, I couldn't get to the studio fast enough to straighten this out. He appeared. You said his name, and he like slowly appeared around the camera. I was like, wait.

You're only missing the cape. You were Superman out of a foam boot. Bucky Brooks. Great seeing you as always. Life is full of good and bad. Surprises, a protection plan through car shields. One of the good ones if your car breaks down. Save 10%.

Go to Carseild.com slash herd or call 800391 88888. 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 you're saying. Yep, that's me, Cliver Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, the reactions, my journey from basketball to college football, or my career in sports media. Well, somewhere along the way, this platform became bigger than I ever imagined.

And now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfiltered conversations with some of your favorite athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. One week, I'll take you behind the scenes of the biggest moments in sports and entertainment. And the next, we'll talk about life, mental health, purpose, and even music. The Clifford Show isn't just a podcast. It's a space for honest conversations, stories that don't always get told, and for people who are chasing something bigger.

So if you've ever supported me or you're just chasing down a dream, this is right where you need to be. Listen to the Clifford show on the IHeart radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. Do you remember when Diana Ross double-tap Little Kim's boobs at the VMAs? Or when Kanye said that George Bush didn't like black people.

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

waxing all about crack in the 80s. To be clear, 84 is big to me, not just because of crack. I'm down to talk about crack on day, but just so y'all know. I mean, at this point, Mark, this is the second episode where we've discussed crack. So I'm starting to see that there's a through line. We also have AIDS on the table right now. Thank you for. 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. 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

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learn the hard way. Open your free, Our Heart Radio app. Search Learn the Hardway and listen now. The CFOs that get it, get it, the CFOs that don't, head to NetSuite.com slash heard, H-E-R-D for one-of-a-kind financing. Alex Curry with the news. No, no, no, no, no, turn on the news. This is the herd line news.

Well, Zion Williamson recently agreed to a five-year, 193 million-dollar rookie max extension with the Pelicans, but throughout his career, there have been many concerns about his availability, especially after missing all of last season with a broken foot. Now we have a little bit more clarity on the deal. Sean's report that there are injury protections built in, but as long as he stays healthy, he should have no issue, hitting his benchmark.

Shams went on to say that Zion would get max value of his contract at $231 million if he were to make an all-NBA team. Now, this is something you have to do with Zion's history. He has been limited to 85 games in three years. He has missed 64% of games in his first three seasons. He is in a football city that has struggled with NBA attendance. He is a massive draw. He is.

So I do think beyond just the basketball, basketball. Zion is a one-of-one, a unicorn-type athlete. Oh, definitely. He's a highlight machine. And he reminds me, you know, I've said there's some Barclay, there's some Carl Malone, there's some Dominique Wilkins. I remember when Dominic came out of Georgia to the NBA. I just never seen anybody jump like him. No. I've never seen a body type quite like this, jump like him. So I, I, there obviously, he and Dominique are totally different players, but sometimes New Orleans is a college and a pro football market. They need to draw. John Morant in Memphis. He is a, take your kids to watch John Morant. Zion is beyond a basketball player. He is an attraction and a merchandise mover. So I think at some point they're willing to take the risk based on that. Now he just needs to take care of his body.

Get a chef, get a personal trainer. Stay healthy. You got your second shot here. All right, moving on. At the start of free agency, Jalen Brunson left the mouths to sign a four-year, $104 million deal with the Knicks. But it's being reported that Brunson may have made that decision prior to the beginning of free agency window. Now the Nix are getting some tampering claims thrown their way.

Nick's beatwriter, Fred Katz reported. The Mavericks are quite frustrated with the Nix. And not just because reports of finishing deal came out before New York was even allowed to speak with Brunson. Though I'm not sure how tampering rules account for father-son relationships, Dallas wasn't thrilled about Nix executive, William Wesley showing up courtside to a Mab's jazz playoff game. Now, this is a very sticky situation.

Let me explain all the connections. Jaylen's dad is on the coaching staff. He was hired just before a free agency. Nick's president is a longtime family friend of the Brunson's, and the Knicks president's son is Jalen's agent. So it makes this whole tampering situation a little confusing. Because obviously a father can have a conversation with his son. A good family friend can have a conversation with the son.

But you have to know the limits. I would defend the Knicks a little bit here. Folks, the tampering stuff is nonsense. The reality is players talk. and families talk. I think the tampering stuff, the idea that Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving

had long discussions and they end up in Brooklyn, the NBA is paralyzed by tanking, which you can't control, and tampering, which you absolutely can't control. You know, the Knicks want Brunson

more than Dallas does. That's the bottom line and are willing to pay him to be a top 15 salary and point guard in the NBA. Yeah. Is the family situation? I feel like it's just, you're not going to be able to prove anything.

It was probably private conversations. Yeah. It's what it was. All right. Well, the MLB All-Star game from Dodger Stadium is coming up later this month on Fox. And the league is set to announce the starting lineup on Friday with full rosters coming on Sunday. But Ken Rosenthal reports that Commissioner Rob Manfred may look to add a couple legends to the team. In addition to the 32 players elected and selected to the All-Star game, the commissioner may choose to add one player that he selects.

to each league's roster in recognition with each player's career achievements. If special circumstances warrant, the commissioner may select more than one player to each league's roster. Now, the example that was used was Albert Pujols and Miguel Cabrera are some of the players that could benefit from this. That could be added to the all-star rosters with Poo-holes expected to retire at the end of the season. McGee just joining the 3,000 hit club.

These are both first ballot Hall of Famers that if this passes, it's not for sure yet, the commissioner could put them on the respective All-Star teams, which makes sense. The All-Star game is a big entertainment show anyway. Yeah, it's a TV show. It's a TV show. Why not have these legends and what a great first two legends to represent the leagues to be out there? It's fun. It's not like the game means anything anymore.

It used to. It used to be Home Field Advantage for the World Series, but now it's just fun. Let them have some fun. Stars drive ratings. Yes. I'm for that. Same. Alex with the news.

Well, that's the news. And thanks for stopping by. The Heard Line News. Baker Mayfield's been traded to Carolina. That's the big story today. You know, I wanted to touch on something. You know, I'm going to do it next segment with Lendale White, former USC running back, is going to join us. And I'll bring him and talk about this about everybody's freaking out about, you know, the rivalries lost in college football with the Big Ten adding USC and UCLA in two years.

I'll remind you of this. Penn State and Ohio State did not play many times in the 1900s. And then Penn State joined the Big Ten. And now they have a rivalry with Ohio State. Why? Because they're really good. Rivalries can be created tomorrow. You don't think USC Michigan is going to be a rivalry really quickly.

You don't think USC Ohio State is going to be a rivalry really quickly. Ohio State, Penn State rarely played. Now they play regularly. You have to watch the game. Some of the best college football games I've seen in the last six, seven years have been Penn State, Ohio State games. Maryland and Nebraska are also in the Big Ten. You know why it's not a rivalry? Because they're no good.

Nobody wants to watch. So this idea of, oh, you blow up these rivalries. USC and UCLA are still going to play. Ohio State Michigan is still going to play. You're going to tell me you're not going to watch Oklahoma LSU. You don't think that's better than Oklahoma, Texas Tech? I want to watch Oklahoma against LSU and Oklahoma against Georgia. Oklahoma against Auburn and Alabama.

That's way better than 90% of the Big 12 Oklahoma games. I mean, I think Oklahoma, Texas is great. Oklahoma, Oklahoma, State's great. But after that, you'll have way better rivalries in the SEC. It's the big dogs against the big dogs. And same with USC outside of the UCLA game. There's nothing I have to run to a team. V4 in the PAC 12.

USC Stanford, I tend to watch. But I mean, I think you're going to watch, you're going to sit there and watch USC at Camp Randall on a Saturday night. And you're going to be like, give me more of that. Give me more of that. So people freak out about all the traditions, create new traditions, create new rivalries. If the Celtics and the Warriors meet again in the finals next year, we've got a new rivalry. And the Celtics beat them. and then they meet another time.

Now we've got a new rivalry. All rivalries don't have to start in the 50s. You get new rivalries all the time. Padres Dodgers in baseball right now because the Padres have spent some money. Like when you watch the Padres Dodgers series, those are feisty series. Like those are really intense series with big crowds. That feels like I always thought it was a Dodgers Giants rivalry. I watched the Padres play the Dodgers last couple series and I'm like,

that feels intense. That feels a little border skirmish there. They don't like each other. Tired of waiting around for hot water. Choose Navian, 15-year warranty. Durable, efficient. Go to tankless, made simple.com. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd

weekdays in noon Eastern, 9 a.m. Pacific. Mike check. If you want exclusive insight from the biggest names in the sports game, what's good? This is national champion and former pro baller Chris Johnson. Let me tell you a little bit about my new series,

KJ Live. KJ Live is the only show featuring me going one-on-one with the brightest basketball minds on the planet to get the real. And when I say real, I mean that real. I got legendary Hall of Famers, elite coaches, and the top basketball insiders bringing you a unique perspective on all things, hoops culture, that you will not find anywhere else. So make your next move, your best move, and tap in with me on KJ Live, wherever you get your podcast from. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque.

Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast's Superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the I-Hard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what you're saying.

Yep, that's me, Clifford Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, 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 and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. Do you remember when Diana Ross double-tap Little Kim's boobs at the VMAs?

Or when Kanye said that George Bush didn't like black people. I know what you're thinking. What the hell does George Bush got to do with Little Kim? Well, you can find out on the Look Back at it podcast. I'm Sam 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 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. Welcome to my new podcast, Learn the Hardway with me, your host, and your favorite

therapist, Keer Games. And in recognition of Mental Health Awareness Month, I'm bringing over a decade of my own experience in the mental health field and conversations with so many incredible guests. I'm talking, 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, or 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, is we have real conversations about healing, growth, fatherhood, pressure, and purpose on my new podcast. Learn the hard way. Open your free iHeartRadio app.

Search Learn the hard way and listen now. Well, he's the all-time rushing touchdown leader in USC football history with 52. Not Reggie Bush, though he played with him. Lendale White was in the NFL for half a decade, a second round pick out of USC for the Titans, and he joins us today. So when I found out Lendale about USC and UCLA leaving, my takeaway was I wasn't shocked because I'd talked to administrators at USC for the last year, and they felt like the PAC 12 didn't have the financial revenue of the Big Ten,

and they needed help. They just couldn't compete with SEC and Big Ten schools. So it didn't shock me. It actually shocked me UCLA went along for the ride. Were you surprised? My initial reaction, I definitely was surprised at first. I didn't, I mean, we've been in the Pac-12 or Pac-10 forever, So I didn't see us moving.

But when you talk about the financial aspect of it, it only makes sense. We are, you know, one of the big dog programs in the world. So, you know, we should be paid like it. Right. I think it's will help what our recruitment is going to help with, you know, getting kids to come into the school. It's just this is an exciting time. If you're a USC fan, we should be getting excited.

You know, we got a new head coach, Lincoln Riley, we got Mike Bone in there doing a great job. This is a great time to be at Trojan. Now, what do you make of having to go on? play November, Michigan, and Ohio State. A lot of people are like, oh, these softies in Southern California have to go play in the blizzards and the wind. What do you make of that?

It is different. I mean, it's definitely different because I came from Denver, Colorado. I grew up in Denver. So, you know, I played in those type of weather all the time. It was whether it's rain, sleep, snow, slush, whatever it is. And we also play Oregon. We play in Corvallis. We play in Pullman.

we play up northeast all the time, so we run into all kind of different weather. I mean, three hours on the field, when you're trying to get the ultimate goal is to win and get on to the NFL, I don't think these kids are going to be worried about the cold at all. That's just going to be something fun for them to go out there and play in. We go beat up on some big team kids and come on back to the West Coast where the sun is shining. So Lincoln Riley is a guy I like a lot, and I do think Lendale, that the sport of football, college and pro, is veering toward offense. years ago, Nick Saban admitted in a New York Times piece, he said, listen, we can't stop the good

offenses. This is just the way Bill Belichick can't stop Josh Allen. You can't stop him because the rules have changed. So when you talk to Lincoln Riley, what impresses you about his mind offensively? Well, I mean, the first thing I'm really impressed with Lincoln Riley is the fact that he reached out to former alumni and brought a lot of the older guys back to get back into the program. So that was the first and foremost thing I was really, I respect them for. But, you know, I've been watching Lincoln Riley since Baker, Mayfield, and Kyle Murray.

So I know what he's capable of doing. I'm excited to see where our office can go. We got Caleb, you know, we got Mario, we got Addison. We got some, you got Dye from Oregon. We got some guys that's going to be able to make some splashes. And with his offensive mind, I'm sure we'll see a USC team that's scoring, you know, 49, 50 points like we're accustomed to. Do you think now, now the transfer portal is really interesting.

So when Pete Carroll came to USC, as you know, it took a couple of years to get it rolling. They were six and six the first year. But by the end of his second year, they started really popping. Whereas Lincoln literally changed 40% of his roster. He brought in probably eight to ten starters in the transfer portal. What's a realistic? Now, Lendale, what's a realistic prediction for this year?

A lot of new pieces, guys coming from all over eight wins. Is that realistic? How do you feel? No, no, sir. I see a 10-win season with this team. I've been around a lot of programs and I've been around a lot of coaches. This guy has a way with words and he has a way with players. And when these kids start to believe and that ball gets to rolling, anything is possible. It's not like in the pack. I'm not taking any shots at these schools, but in the pack 10 or pack 12, rather, if we get rolling, I don't really see any teams beating us in the pack. We have a whole, like you said, a different roster that, the kids are. kids that we were playing with last year and the kids that we have on this roster right now are two totally different teams. So I honestly believe that we can win 10 games. And I wouldn't be surprised if we had on the Rose Bowl this year, honestly. Caleb Williams is young. But the people around Caleb Williams have told me Lendale, super bright, really good locker room kid,

tremendous self-awareness for like a 20-year-old kid. What do you know of and what do you make of and what you've seen? Well, that's another thing. This is why I believe in these kids because I was at a thing a couple weeks ago called Salute Detroit, and I got to meet some of the new players and some of the recruits. And, you know, Caleb came up to me and he started talking to me out of nowhere. And, you know, he was just holding the conversation. So, like, I can see what they say to mature. I can see how they say he's a great locker room guy because he's easy to like.

And if you've seen Caleb play football last year at the University of Oklahoma, then, you know, we got a special player. And all he did was get older. and he's with the same coach of staff he was just with. So I cannot wait to see what Caleb Williams brings to that USC offense. It's going to be an exciting time this year. And I'm just happy to be a part of this. So NIL is a new part and transfer portal to college football.

So a lot of teams are benefiting from NIL. I like it. I am concerned about some programs just buying high school players. Are you concerned that some guys in the locker room won't make anything four or five guys, maybe millionaires. In the NFL, everybody makes money. But in college, you're going to have one or two guys make three million bucks, and the rest of the guys can't afford pizza.

Would that have bothered you? It kind of does. But actually, I was out in Clemson about a month ago, and I was talking to dabble. And they're going to find a way to, it won't be even, but they're going to find a way that, you know, the entire position groups will, you know, find a way to get them some money. So it may not be the 10 million or the five million

somebody else is getting, but they're going to find a way to still get these kids some money. So that's what I'm excited to see about that. But it's just an exciting time. We've been asking for this for a very long time. And now that it is here, I think that they should have had different regulations or stuff that was set in stone before we just opened it up like this. But now that it is here, I love it. I think that these kids should get paid. I mean, these kids are going to probably end up being some of the next superstars on the NFL level so it's only right and you know the NCAA has been profiting on us for a very long time so i'm i'm happy about this nil stuff um i just hope that they find a way to like you said get kind of

get it not even all the way but a little bit fair so kids do you know have some extra money and stuff for college and not just the top guys but everybody in between yeah USC said they're going to try to pay i think they're going to pay every kid at least $5900 a year minimum so again that that is spending money gas money pizza money lend White, great to have you back. USC's really happy to have you back in the family and at practice and around the program, Lendale. Thank you.

Thank you, Colin. It's a great time to be a Trojan. If you guys aren't excited, then y'all, you got to catch up, man, because the Rose Bowl is coming, and some natties are coming, too, baby. All right. Lendale White. Most rushing touchdowns, 52 in USC football history. The other story today that's interesting is it's called, it's like a second-tier summer league.

The summer league in the NBA is in Vegas. That's the big one. Then there's a couple other small ones. This is like in Salt Lake City. There's four teams. The competition wasn't great. But Chet Hongren, the Gonzaga Center, 7-1, very slender, built a little bit like a little bit like licorice or a toothpick.

He's rail thin. But last night he debuted. He had six blocks. He shot very well. He is really, really skilled. Now, the competition wasn't great. and what makes it fascinating, he went number two. He was not a number one pick.

The pressure is generally on the number one pick. He's a number two pick. He was very, very good last night. The box score was impressive. The competition was not. I said earlier today, I think it's very hard. I think basketball is moving towards what Chet Holmgren does. Handle the ball, shoot, up and down, transition basketball.

That's his game. runs the court very well, can shoot very well. He's always going to get good looks. There's a little bit of a Dirk Novitsky comp to him where he's not going to break a lot of guys down in the dribble. He's going to take a lot of 12-foot and 18-foot fallaways, but he's a great shooter. You can make a living in this league being tall, thin, and being able to hit threes, and he can. Chris Mannix was at the game and talked to an assistant coach.

Here's Chris Mannix's thoughts on Holmgren's debut. Chet Holmgren has the skinniest NBA frame that I've ever seen. He makes Kevin Durant and Janice Tentikumpo look like bodybuilders in their rookie year. If he doesn't fill out that frame, he is going to be at a distinct disadvantage when he gets into NBA games. Specifically, when it comes to, say, the three-point shot. We saw the four-for-six or three-point range. Well, this scout told me, he said, look, he made those shots, but he made them because he realized early on he couldn't get around some of these guys.

He had six blocked shots in this game. And Colin, that's impressive. But the scout was like, look, NBA players, they're not just going to let you block their shot. They're going to go straight into Chet's body and draw fouls against him right away. Yeah. So it's my opinion is not definitive, but I do think sometimes in life, cultures and businesses move into your strength and away from your strength. In the 40s, 50s and 60s, you wanted to be a sports rider. now you want to be in audio.

Podcasting is, you know, podcasting companies are exploding. The money's in TV and it's in audio. It's no longer in newspapers. If you're a kid and you're into tech, the economy's moving to you. I think Chet Holmgren has sort of a European field to him. Very highly skilled, not terribly physical or capable of that now. But, you know, Russell Westbrook, the game's moved away from him. hyper-athletic and can't shoot as a guard doesn't work anymore.

That's why he's going to be on his 15 in five years when he gets traded. Dwight Howard, back to the basket centers, not really the league. So his game fits where the league is going. Can he put on 15 pounds? Can he get fundamentally stronger? But from what I see, his skill level for his size is remarkable. I mean, he can put the ball in the deck behind the back. Beautiful looking jumper.

We'll see you tomorrow. It's 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. This week, my guest, SNL's Mikey Day and head writer, Streeter Seidel, help an a cappella band with their between songs banter. Where does your group perform?

We do some retirement homes. Those people are starving for banter. Listen to humor me with Robert Smigel and Friends on the I-Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential.

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

I don't care what you're saying. Yep, that's me, Cliver Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, 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, unfills 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 Clivert Show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok podcast network on TikTok. On The Look Back at it podcast. For 1979, that was a big moment for me. 84 was big to me. I'm Sam J.

And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick a year, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it with our friends, fellow comedians, and favorite authors. Like Mark Lamont Hill on the 80s. 84 was a wild year. I mean, 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.