The Herd with Colin Cowherd - Hour 3 - Steph Curry is amazing

Episode Date: December 20, 2023

Is there friction between Russell Wilson and Sean Payton? Thoughts on the Lakers raising a banner for the In Game Tournament More thoughts on Steph Curry's amazing performance against the Celtics   Guests: Mark Schlereth, Ric BucherSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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

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

Either way, the podcast's Superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. 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. 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. Thanks for listening to The Heard podcast. Be sure to catch us live every weekday on Fox Sports Radio in noon to 3 Eastern, 9 a.m. to noon Pacific. Find your local station for the herd at Fox Sports Radio.com or stream us live every day in the IHeart Radio app by searching Fox Sports Radio or FSR. You're listening to Fox Sports Radio. Here we go. Live in Los Angeles. It's the hurt.

Wherever you may be. And however, you may be listening and watching. Thanks for making us part of your day. So I was thinking about this, J-MAC. So today, the Jets put Aaron Rogers back on the roster. Kind of a PR move. So he can go to practice. He's eligible to practice.

Both Aaron Rogers and the Jets, Robert Sala, acknowledge he's not going to play. so they kind of waste a roster spot on him, but they say he's good for the team, whatever. But here's what, this is fascinating. So Aaron Rogers is a West Coast guy, little overlooked, went to Cal. Farv was a gunslinger in the south,

kind of a prodigy athlete, and they both end up at Green Bay. So if you ever read Jeff Perlman's book, Gunslinger, Aaron was tweaking Farv the whole time, and Farv didn't always love Aaron. and they feel like completely different people, kind of the West Coast hipster and kind of the Southern good old boy. But it is remarkable with this year in Green Bay with Aaron.

So, Farr leaves and a very talented young guy Aaron Rogers takes over has a choppy first year and a losing record. Aaron leaves, and a very talented kid who moves well, nice arm, Jordan Love takes over, choppy year will end up with a losing record. Fav, 16 years in Green Bay. Rogers, 15 is a starter. Fav ends up making nine Pro Bowls in Green Bay. Rogers ends up making 10 Pro Bowls in Green Bay.

FARV won three MVPs in Green Bay Rogers wins four MVP's in Green Bay both won their Super Bowl in their prime at age 27 Aaron threw for 475 TDs Fav through for 442 TDs right down the line

and then they decide to leave and they both go to the Jets and it is a circus for both. Farrv did some things that were not really appropriate personally. Aaron got injured and it's been a PR circus since. Farrv won 160 games in Green Bay but looked out of sorts in New York and Aaron won 147 games in Green Bay but it's never felt right in New York. Both went to a young, unproven head coach in New York.

Mangini eventually fired. He had come from a dynasty in New England. Saul is on the hot seat. Had come from a near dynasty in San Francisco. Fav 24 Green Bay fourth quarter comebacks. Aaron, 21 fourth quarter comebacks. Their stats are identical. But what's remarkable is how the end.

for both last four years in Green Bay. Farb was hinting about retirement. Loved by the late John Madden. The gunslinger, there was a mystique around him. Aaron, beloved by the media in his prime and late prime, there has always been sort of a mystique around him. But the New York situation, with all those similarities, these silos next to each other,

they're identical. I mean, years, touchdowns, MVP, Super Bowl at 27. They both go to New York. They both get a young coach out of a dynastic sort of organization, and it's a circus for both. Is it because in Green Bay,

both Farr and Aaron were uniquely protected by an organization without an owner, unlimited power, where you have to order food in, and you're a Messiah. And they just weren't ready for New York. Now, you'd think to yourself, Aaron's a sophisticated guy, he's a global star, he can handle New York. But there's something to be said that, left to his own devices, New York is not good for Aaron.

New York gives you a lot of attention. Aaron was sometimes, I would argue, better hiding. I don't want to know exactly what he's thinking. Some of it's silly. The last year in Green Bay for both, if you remember, Last year in Green Bay was not a great year for Fav. What do you have? 21 touchdowns 11 picks.

Is that it? Well, excuse me. Last two years in Green Bay, Fav was 21 and 11. Aaron was 21 and 12. Eh. And a lot of retirement talk. And struggling with the front office.

So it's a remarkable, two different guys, two different areas of the country. country, neither really has a lot in common. Their Green Bay careers are right down the line. Offensive coaches the entire time. Records, Super Bowl, last couple of years, the beginning, the end, the middle, all same. Both go to New York, both young coaches, both a circus. Because you are sort of uniquely hidden and protected in Green Bay.

There's no owner to call you out. You're the biggest star of the franchise. You go to New York and it just spotlight, gas, on the fire, both implode. and Aaron doesn't think he's imploded, but this has been awful. This has been silly. This has been ridiculous. Even Farr the year after winning a Super Bowl in Green Bay says here he went five and seven. Aaron the year after winning the Super Bowl in Green Bay, seven and nine.

A bad year the year after. So it's really remarkable, and my staff is feeding me some of these similarities, because I don't remember all of them. But when I watch Aaron this year in New York, it reminds me a lot of FAR. where you're like this sort of pristine gunslinger, iconic, legacy, all-timer, and then you're like, what a mess. And that's what I think about errands year. Now, some of this is a cautionary tale about the grass is not always greener.

You work at a corporation, the corporation treats you well, like any corporation. It's flawed, but it's way better than the average in the NFL. And I will say this. There are a lot more jets in the NFL than Packers. There are a lot more jets. Washington, the Raiders, the Jets, now the Giants, Cleveland historically, Houston until this year, there are a lot of jets. There's not many Packers, stable, playoffs, iconic, sell out their games, no big egos, star quarterbacks every year for 30 years. Not a lot of Packers in the NFL.

There's a lot of Jets. There's a lot of organizations swimming in culture, and as great as Fav is, and as great as Rogers is, they could not overcome the Jets dysfunction. And maybe that's the message. Is that no matter how good a quarterback is, he can't live in an island. And if you're a star quarterback going to the Jets, Farver Rogers, to a large degree, you've got to save the team. you're the savior. Brady was not the savior in Tampa. Tampa's always had talent, a very functional front office,

solid, consistent ownership, and had won Super Bowls. Don't put Tampa with the Jets. Tampa's always had talent. I covered them years ago. They've won Super Bowls. They've had great teams. In fact, the only crazy thing about the Tampa Bay Buccaneers is until Brady, they could never get the quarterback right.

They got everything else right. So here we have it. Aaron has been activated. He is on the team, though he won't play. It feels a little bit like a PR move, a lot of bit like a PR move. I never thought this would be a playoff team, ever, never did, ever. I didn't. I thought Buffalo, Miami would be in.

My predictions have been pretty good in the AFC and NFC this year. Never thought they were a playoff team. One of the reasons was bad offensive line, 39-year-old quarterback, and as good as Mahomes is. with Andy Reed and Travis Kelsey they're average in like 10 points less a game. This league, though quarterbacks are the stars, they cannot do it alone.

Can't be on an island. And the Jets, the way they do business, the last 20 years, the quarterbacks are mostly saviors on an island. And even Farvin Rogers can't fix it. Maybe that's the tale of the story. Colin, as a Jets fan, I'm very upset, as a lot of Jets fans are, that Rogers kind of held the franchise hostage. Hey, hey, hey, I know McIntyre and all these people are saying, go get Kirk Cousins when I went down. Remember I said, Kirk Cousins got hurt, I get it.

But the Jets did nothing. They sat on their hands because, you know what? Aaron Rogers said, guys, guys, I might come back, okay? Forget what the doctors are saying. I know better. I think I'm going to come back early. He held them hostage all season. They could have made moves.

You know, like Josh Dobbs was a nice story. He helped keep Minnesota afloat for a minute, right? I mean, he wasn't incredible. Obviously, he's been benched now. But they made no moves to get better at quarterback because they were waiting for Aaron Rogers. Well, I think one of the reasons corporations in America, including Fox, including ESPN, including Netflix, including Paramount, never want a single employee to control the franchise. Fox News has had stars. They've left.

They develop other stars. You don't want to be beholden or cornered by a single employee. It's just good business, nor do I, right? And the Jets, because of desperation, gave the franchise to Favre, and the Jets because of desperation gave the franchise to Aaron. So going and acquiring a backup sounds good, but it wouldn't have sat well with Aaron. And Zach Wilson, as a backup, was a pretty dark. good option as a backup.

So I think it's easy to say that. But good organizations do not give, good companies don't give the farm to a singular employee, though nobody would deny Brady's worth in Tampa, he gets a voice. Mahomes in Kansas City should get a voice.

Josh Allen and Buffalo should get a voice. There's a difference. I think Buffalo's a bit too overwhelmingly not trapped with Josh Allen. I think Buffalo's in a situation. I finally liked Buffalo this year because of James Cook. Like they were singularly held to Superman Josh Allen saving the day.

Those teams don't win Super Bowls. I think now James Cook makes him a Super Bowl team. Now they're not beholden to Josh Allen putting on a cape 12 times, 18 times a game. He can do it three times, four times. So I think bad organization get trapped, the Jets with Fav, the Jets with Rogers gave too much power to a quarterback, every decision based on the whims and needs in protecting the quarterback's ego id,

and in the end, no quarterback can singularly save a franchise. Aaron Rogers kept saying, oh, Zach is good. Zach's our guy. You know, he can be a backup. Zach Wilson's good. Bro, he was benched two or three times last year. Okay, I was excited when he got drafted. Everybody pumped him up.

I mean, the guy went number two overall. It's very clear he's not a quarterback. You can't trust him. You can't count on him. And I'm just saying, like, Anthony Richardson goes down. Oh, Colts season over. Not really. They had a backup quarterback.

They had a plan. Colts are in the mix for a playoff spot. Joe Burrow goes down. Hey, Jake Browning, let's put him out there. Look terrible in the first game. Bengals are flirting with a playoff spot. Up and down the league, Minnesota backup quarterback. Cleveland.

Cleveland. Got Joe Flacco off a couch. Like, the Jets had Joe Flacco last year, remember? Joe Flackle's raking leaves. The Browns call him. Keffins and Stephansky, boom. Like, I know you want to defend the front office. and Roberts Holland, everybody likes him, I like him. It's just been a disaster all around.

From the owner to Aaron Rogers, and you know what? They're all in on Rogers for next year. So when that goes awry, it's just, you know, it would be 14 years, no playoffs, longest drought in professional sports. Well, at least you got your family. Your Jets family you can't trust. It just makes football season a bore.

Luckily, I'm crushing it with gambling and fantasy. And, you know, we have a successful show that's dominating. We're doing fine, yes. This show is sponsored by Better Help Therapy. bring out a whole new you. Better help makes it easy. Sign up today. 10% off your first month of therapy. It's private. It's online. It's flexible suited to your schedule. B-E-T-T-T-E-R-H-E-L-P.com slash her. I have a great parlay for you this weekend. Thanks to Draft King's Sportsbook. New users use the code heard. That's me, H-E-R-D, when you download the app, and that takes

under two minutes. Here's my parlay pick of the week via Draft King's Sportsbook, and we had a very good week last week. I'm going to take the Jaguars, plus one getting point at the bucks. Tampa Bay has been a good story. Jacksonville's a better team. I get a quarterback edge off an ugly loss. Cowboys plus one and a half at the Dolphins. Miami struggled with physical teams.

Dallas didn't look like it against Buffalo. They'll be ready to be physical. And I'll take the Broncos at home minus six and a half again off an ugly, disappointing loss. They'll circle the wagons and beat a Patriots team that is pretty lifeless. If you want to take the herd parlay, check out Draft King's sports book, sign up quick, new users. Use the code herd when you download the app, HERD. 21 plus in most eligible states, but age varies by jurisdiction.

Eligibility restrictions apply. Gambling problem, call 1-800 gambler. In New York, call 8778-8-Hope-N-Y or text Hope and Y 467-369. See show notes for full details. 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. Clipper Taylor the 4. 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 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

there's a through line We also have AIDS on the table right now So Thank you finishing that sentence And 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 podcast

By the way, as the staff was printing all those amazing stats on Aaron and Brett Favre, I made one mistake, it was on me. Fav was five and seven in the playoffs after winning the Super Bowl. Aaron was seven and nine after winning a Super Bowl in the playoffs. So both never recaptured their glory after winning the Super Bowl in Green Bay as playoff quarterbacks. I said that was the following year record. It wasn't. That was me just misreading something.

But it's another similarity that the similarities between Farrv and Rogers, and then they go to the Jets with young coaches on the hot seat, and they can't save a goofy franchise, it's similar. And both Fav and Aaron Rogers, after that Super Bowl, sub-500 as playoff Green Bay quarterback, so apologize for that. Mark Slareth is joining us from New York. It's interesting because I had this rant. I said, I never thought Aaron and Fav had any personal similarities, but they both won a Super Bowl. at 27. They both had offensive coaches. They both went to the Jets. They both tried to save the franchise. And the cautionary

tale about both Aaron and Farr of all-time iconic quarterbacks is you can't save a poorly run franchise. And between coaching and personnel and ownership, the Jets, if you have to go to a franchise to save it, it's not going to

work. Mahomes took an excellently run franchise and was icing on the cake. Denver, by the way, the Craig Morton Denver teams, the Orange Crush Defense. They were a good franchise. Elway took them to another level. So I look at the Jets and I'm like, it's a cautionary tale.

Green Bay's well run. The Jets aren't. And as great as far as an Aaron are, a quarterback can't save a mess. What do you make of Aaron's year in New York? Yeah, well, I will agree with you on that. And I always say this, you know, I learned a very valuable level. and I was working one summer construction and I worked as a plumber's apprentice and I dug a trench and the plumber told me I'm going to teach you everything you need to know about plumbing. He said crap flows downhill make sure the trench is trenched properly and that's how an organization operates if your ownership is bad if they're disconnected if your ownership isn't in charge or they're meddling you know what it flows downhill and your organization will never ever ever.

be any good. So ownership starts it. You know, it's the start. It's what needs to happen first and foremost. So quarterback is not going to roll into the organization and fix the ownership. If the ownership is garbage, guess what? Doesn't matter how good the quarterback is. He is not going to change the culture of that organization. So, you know, it's just really interesting to watch, watch this whole thing play out. And the whole, you know, debacle or farce that was, I'm coming back, you I mean, I think anybody who knew anything about injuries was like, there is no way that dude is going to come back and play. And ultimately, from an organizational standpoint, if they let him come back and play, then you would want everybody should, like, they should just take the NFL should just take the franchise away from the Johnsons and go, we're just going to give this to somebody who can manage it properly, right? So, yeah, it's just, it's, you know, it's the Jets.

That's all I can say is it's the Jets, and I really love to see them because I love Robert Saul as a friend and Aaron Rogers as a friend, and I'd really love to see this organization that just feel snake bit to me, do something special, and it's just unfortunate. Yeah, back to your plumbing and ditch story. Chicago Jets and Cleveland can't get quarterback right. We always blame the quarterback. It's upstairs. There's a common thread on three organizations in this sport.

Chicago Jets, Cleveland can't get the quarterback right. You have to go to Namath, McMahon for an hour, Bernie Kozar, Brian Seip. Why? Because the organization, you cannot save a terribly run organization,

even if you're Aaron Rogers or Brett Farb. Now, let's go to the Denver Broncos. So I think they're going to win out. I thought Detroit was a tough mark for them. I thought they were going to lose there. Not that badly. But there's a moment when Russell and Aaron, Russell, Wilson, and Peyton,

Sean's barking at him. It's not something you see regularly. Generally, I mean, Elway had his problems with Dan Reeves. I don't remember a lot of barking, but there's a lot more cameras now. On your Denver radio show, what side did the fans take?

What was the reaction? Oh, the reaction was, you know, Sean Peyton is a dictator. He owes Russell an apology. Like, it's, you know, what he did was totally, inappropriate and you know on and on and on there's a bunch of bleeding hearts out there and I'm like hey listen uh this is just standard operating procedure on a sideline for between quarterbacks and

o linemen and quarterbacks and wide receivers and coaches and like it's just the way it works and i don't know the context and we never will because sean's not going to tell you the context i don't know what went down on the sideline to get Sean so fired up but um to me it's just that's a much to do about nothing. That's the way things operate, and I don't know if it was one of those situations where Russell came off the sidelines said, hey, we should have gone for it there and questioned the authority of the coach, and the coach got into him a little bit. I don't know what went down, but I do know, Sean, when it comes to coaching and when it

comes to managing his football team, there's nobody above getting barked at. And so, yeah, like for me, that was not a big deal at all. And I've been on the receiving end of a few of those, and I've been on the giving end of a few of those. So, yeah, it's just the way it goes sometimes. Okay. So you, we get to a point now where I kind of feel like I know what everybody is. But Buffalo did something.

So I love Josh Allen, but I had been saying this for a couple years. Your quarterback can't be Superman. He can save you about three times, even Elway. John didn't win until he had Terrell Davis, and we all know John's an all-timer. But I watched Buffalo in the last three to four weeks with James Cook, and I got to tell you, they do look like those L-Way teams. They do look like those Big Ben Steeler teams, that the quarterback's great, and you remember this, John would be great, but John was known as fourth quarter drives.

He wasn't called first quarter Elway, right? You were on those old lines. John could save you late if necessary. But I look at Buffalo now, and I didn't feel this last year or this year. I would not be shocked if they won a Super Bowl. I think this team, this is what a Super Bowl team looks like. Your takeaway on what Buffalo has become in the last three weeks. You know, it's interesting, Colin, because I've been saying this for a while in regards to Josh Allen.

In Buffalo, there's too much of this ability or there's too much of this belief that let's lay it all on our quarterback. and absolve everybody of any responsibility. Just put it all 100% on his shoulders. And I don't think you could play football that way. I think if you ask the quarterback to play on the high dive, the entirety of the game, there are going to be times when that quarterback is going to falter. There are going to be times when that quarterback is going to make mistakes.

I think you owe it to that guy to take him off the high dive. If it's 65 plays 15 times, he should just be off the high dive. And what I mean by that, a lot of times the offensive coordinates will call that breather plays. You know what? You're responsible for so much. You're responsible for all the motions and all the shifts, and you have to know the final formation. Then you have to read the defense. And you have to throw it to the right guy based upon the defense that's presented going through your progressions.

And, you know, we're operating and spread the entirety of the time. So now it's all check with me stuff. and you have to read the defense and decide whether it's going to be a run or we're going to check to the past based on the look we get and all this. There's not only physically exhausting, but it's mentally exhausting. And sometimes you just need to have a tank play where you say 19 handoff force, doesn't matter what they're in, we've got it blocked, I turn around and I hand it off to the running back, and I live to fight another day. And I don't have to think about anything. And I've talked to a bunch of coordinators and say, you've got to do about that 12 to 15 times a game just to give the quarterback a

breather. And I thought that the Buffalo Bills have played with their quarterback on the high dive for two years, and never given them a break. And I think the last three weeks, they've given them a break and they're going to reap the benefits of doing that. Now, do they get the playoffs? I don't know, but I

could see them winning out here and being a very tough out in the AFC. By the way, your greatest accomplishment as a broadcaster, because you're a heck of a football player, is being able to stay awake in last week's game as the Panthers beat Atlanta 9 to 7. I congratulate you. You must have funneled through about nine Red Bulls, but congratulations on a stirring

9-7 walk-off, Mark. Your great, your crowning moment. It was not fun. I actually had, I had a blast doing it because, you know, you get to, you know, kind of talk about the game and then see if you can make things up and throw some things in the broadcast that is just for you with the crew to enjoy. So, yeah, I worked a couple of things in there that I patted myself on the back afterwards and felt like it was a great broadcast. All right. This week, Colts Falcons. Good to seeing you, buddy.

Likewise, Colin, take care, bud. All right, he'll be on first things first later today. Good stuff. Jay Mack with the news. No, no, no, no. Turn on the news. This is the herd line news. We'll start with these Chargers Jim Harbaugh rumors.

So we've been talking about it here on the show for a minute. It makes sense. A couple weeks ago, you didn't love it. You seem to like it more now that Staley's been canned. However, according to Jordan Schultz, who was here on the show, I think, last week, L.A. is putting together a wish list of candidates in Jim Harbaugh is one of the names at the top. Jordan Schultz adds, however, that despite the Chargers' interest, it's unclear if the feeling is mutual from Harbaugh. Your thoughts, Mr. Coward. This is very encouraging news.

They should have interest in Jim Harbaugh. Obviously. Well, I mean, it's... A lot of times, organizations are not willing to owners are egomaniacs. They're not in a position where they can be an ego maniac. They're just not. They're failing in an L.A. market. They're about to go on coach number three for their star quarterback.

Colin, what do you mean? This makes all sense in the world. The NFL is probably like, yo, Spanos, get a clue here, buddy. Hire the right guy, go get Jim Harbaugh. Go big game hunting. Remember when the Raiders went to Vegas? I kept saying they need a big splash. You need to make a splash.

You can't go with Joe Schmoe off the street. Who'd they go get? Chuckie from the boot. They stole him from Monday Night Football. Gruden. You need a big name, big personality. Chargers need to go get Harbaugh. This is a no-brainer.

It has been for a while. There's really no argument against it, is there? Well, if you get the quarterback and coach right, next 10 years you'll make the playoffs eight times. They got the quarterback right. They got the left tackle right. They got an edge rusher right. Just go get the coach.

Just go spend. The league hands you a $430 million check to $470 million check every year. Go spend $25 a coach. Just get it done. So last year, last off season, Harbaugh was fishing for, you know, offers so he could get more money from Michigan. Right? He went to Minnesota. He kicked their tires with Carolina.

The situation has changed now, right? Michigan is in a spot where what do we do to keep him? They're desperate. I don't think they'll be able to pony up whatever. the Chargers can to keep him, right? You think Michigan can match or whatever? No. Michigan can't match. No, colleges can't match. No way.

No way. It feels like a... Texas A&M will get into bidding wars, but they overpay for everything. I'm at the point where I'd be shocked if this did not happen, if Harbaugh did not go to the Chargers. Well, I think he's better for college football, but he'd be a home run for the Chargers. 100%. Next up,

The Falcons are coming off that rough loss last weekend. Handing the Panthers their second win of the season. There are reports that Arthur Smith's job is safe, but Arthur Blank, the owner, he said something that surprised the people. Here we go. Through this part of the season, it's been mixed, quite honestly, and that's what I think, it's what the coach would say. And he's, Arthur is a very, very honest, very, he looks himself very critically. So he's not, He comes from a beautiful family

that has great values and he reflects those values in his leadership as best he can so we'll see how the season plays out and go from there. See how it plays out. Not a vote of confidence. Now listen, some people were upset yesterday

when I said, you know, the coach Arthur Smith was born on third base. Listen, unlike some other radio guys out there, I'm not going to pull punches. I don't have any relationships that I'm willing to jeopardize him. Fact. Arthur Smith, his dad, with the founder of FedEx. Very wealthy family.

Yeah. Okay? I know other radio hosts are going to be like, I don't want to say that. I have a relationship. I'm not doing that here. I know somebody in the family. They're very nice people. I'm sure they're great people.

I'm sure they're splendid people. Well, it's hard to win in this league when you have a C-minus quarterback. It's just hard to win. Ask Belichick how it's going. That's Bill Belichick how it's going this year. Bro, they had options. They decided they saw Ritter Latcher. Oh, we think he could be the guy.

I wouldn't have done that. And they didn't love it, so they were like, let's get Taylor Heineke's a backup. Okay, so that's the bed he made. I'm sure he's a really good coach. I don't doubt that. But if they missed the playoffs here, bro, this was all lined up for the Falcons this year. Ask yourself this. Who's the best quarterback in that division, talent-wise?

I would probably go Carr, but this season he has not been the best quarterback. So Baker's the best, in my opinion. He leads the division. Golf's the best quarterback currently in his division, leads it. Hertz and Dak are the best quarterback division in their division lead it. Tua and Josh Allen are the best quarterbacks in their division. Lamar's the best quarterback in his division. Trevor Lawrence is the best quarterback.

Lamar's the best because Burroughs Hurd. Well, that's right. But be that as it may. The best quarterback leads virtually every single division. And the Falcons have arguably the worst quarterback, I would say. Not even arguably. Bryce Young has more talent than Ritter. They have the worst quarterback in their division.

You cannot win a division with the worst quarterback. Well, with the worst, correct. Two of Josh Allen, but the bills are coming. Those are both capable quarterback. Brock Purdy, Matt Stafford? Okay, so, so Stafford right now is in the playoffs. And because Kyler didn't play, the argument, I think Brock Purdy is better than Gino. Oh, go ahead.

Yeah, by the way, rank the quarterbacks in that division for me. Stafford won, Kyler 2, Purdy, 3, and Gino 4, but Kyler didn't play for, you know, ever. All right, let's move on final story. Iowa's Kurt Ference was asked recently about hiring a new offensive coordinator this offseason. Ferrence told fans they should not expect the Hawkeyes to bring in an OC that has a history of lighting up the scoreboard. Ferrant said he cares more about winning, which he says Iowa did more than a certain coach who Colin Cowherd his boys with. I can think of a guy that entered the conference recently that came with widely acclaimed offensive stats and all that. and that's usually how those guys

get to become well known because of their, you know, whatever they're doing, throwing it, running it, wishbone. But, you know, then you look a little deeper.

So once this guy's wins per game, and there's usually a correlation, you know, people that just throw the ball around, you know, it makes it tougher to win, it makes it tougher to be on good defense.

There's a school on the West Coast right now that's going to recommit to defense. Ooh. You know, you have a 42 to Tulane last year in a bowl game. Wow. Well, you know,

I will. I forgot about that 42 spot to too late. Well, one of the things Kirk Ferrant said, and he's absolutely right, is that when you're throwing it around the yard in practice, it's very difficult to build toughness. And there's no question. USC has been an egregiously bad tackling team, fundamentally poor, poorly coached defensively.

Offense isn't the issue. So I do think there's something to be said about the ability Nick Saban has a pro-style offense. but they run the ball. It is very hard to build a strong, formidable physical defense when you don't hit at practice and you don't run at practice. USC on signing day today for the first time since I can remember went heavy on size. USC celebrates every stupid corner they sign.

Who cares? They got all these five-star corners. They had a terrible secondary. Your secondary is linked to your D-line. Your D-line's ferocious. The Niners don't need great corners. They have a pass rush. Philadelphia last year didn't need great corners.

They had a pass rush. Philadelphia's pass rush has gone down this year. Now they're cornerbacks who are average or vulnerable. So USC, I've been saying this to their recruiting people for a long time. If you guys don't sign a five-star corner of the next decade, I'm fine with it. Get bigger, get stronger. In USC's class today, much more size than in previous classes, and Kirk Ferrence is right. You don't hit it practice.

you're not going to be physical in games. Jay Macklin News. Well, that's the news. And thanks for stopping by. The Heard Lye News. And I think the star system matters. Generally, you know, if a kid's a four or five star, kid, he's talented. But it's just, what do you celebrate?

Michigan celebrates signing a tackle. USC celebrate signing a receiver. Michigan. And by the way, Ohio State has become very, hey, we got another five-star receiver. Michigan celebrates a five-star left tackle or a defensive lineman. And you become what you celebrate. In Alabama, they love their running backs. They love their edge rushers, their toughness.

They love Sabin. They celebrate physicality. So it's, I don't think Kirk Ferrens is wrong here. Steph Curry's great. We'll talk about it next, The Herd. One more Herd? The Herd streams 24 hours a day, seven days a week, within the IHeart Radio app.

Search Herd to listen live. or on demand whenever you'd like. Hey, I'm Doug Gottlieb. The podcast is called All Ball. We usually talk all basketball all the time, but it's more about the stories about what made these people love their sport and all the interesting interactions along the way.

We talk to coaches, we talk to players, we tell you stories. You download it, you listen to it, I think you like it. Listen to All Ball with Doug Gottlieb on the IHeartRadio 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 podcast. 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 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 was big to me, not just because of crack.

I'm down to talk about crack all day, but just so you 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. Then you're 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. to look back at it on the IHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Well, the Lakers held or dropped that championship batter in the

in season tournament. What would you say? Unveiled it? That's a better word. They unveiled their championship banner. The internet exploded, mocking the Lakers. Rick Buecker joins us live. 30 years covering the sport.

This This was, we were tickled by this because, you know, listen, they didn't make it look like the other banners. I think they were doing the NBA a solid. They were doing the NBA a solid. Around the league, people that cover the league, how did they view what the Lakers did, unveiling the banner? Oh, they're kind of laughing at it, to be honest with you. I mean, they look at the in-season tournament as being a great addition. It accomplished what the league was.

wanted. But in terms of celebrating having won the in-season tournament, as one executive said to me, look, it's barely above winning the Summer League title. And the only, the value is that there were some regular season wings mixed into it, so it's more valuable than the Summer League title. But that's about it, because not everybody was trying to win the in-season tournament. And I would argue certainly not as much as the Lakers and LeBron James were trying or were committed to trying to win the in-season tournament. So the problem with doing the banner, and I'm with you 100% in terms of, I'm convinced that the league said, okay, whoever wins this thing, you have to put up a banner. You have to celebrate it. And that's how the Lakers got caught in this, because

it not only looks silly next to all those championship banners, but it also, it also, also drags back that the last championship or last banner they hung was in the bubble, which was another different sort of scenario than your typical championship. So I believe at this point the best gift that anyone could give the Lakers is one of those little bands, you know, that W.W.J.D., what would Jesus do? Except it should be W.W. K.D., what would Kobe do? And Kobe would not hang that banner in a million years. In fact, if he was alive right now,

I dare say he would be climbing up there, pulling it down, cutting it up into a million pieces, and burning it because it's so below the standard of the Lakers franchise. It's one thing, look, if Sacramento won it, Indiana won it, like, fine. They don't have championship banners up in the rafters. Celebrate that you did the first of this.

But for the Lakers, For the Lakers, it's really beneath them. So the Warriors, very Steph Curry. I couldn't tell, by the way, you were on social media about it, and I couldn't tell if you were being tongue-in-cheek? Yes, it was. Or whether you were legitimately, like, mocking people for mocking the end-season tournament. A little tongue-in-cheek.

It doesn't mean anything to me, but I thought it was funny that it got people worked up. So Steph's a one-man team right now. Draymond's out. Wiggins is a bench player. Clay's past his prime. Sarich can't defend, not much of a bench, blah, blah, blah. But I thought the story last night is that Steph got into foul trouble, and they didn't attack him. And they just hoisted up threes.

And down the stretch for the Celtics, fourth quarter overtime, once again, Jason Tatum, Jalen Brown? Man, what did you make of this deeper, more talented team, Boston, down the stretch being manipulated by 35-year-old Steph Curry and Tatum was not really a go-to guy? That's what it appears to me. The takeaway for me is that I was silly to ever think that a Boston Celtics team, coached by Joe Missoula and led by Jason Tatum, is going to win a championship. And that's what I thought coming into the season. I thought they've learned their lessons. They learned their lesson from last year.

Jason Tatum's going to be a different guy. Drew Holiday is going to be a stabilizer that Marcus Smart was not. And that this thing is going to come together. And what I saw once again was no direction. I mean, I think they set a record for missed threes. The Boston Celtics did. You're playing a small ball warriors who don't, and on their best days, don't have any rim protection.

And you continue to hoist threes from long range when you're not making them. It made absolutely no sense. Jason Tatum, yeah, tweaked his ankle earlier in the case. game could not get past Jonathan Caminga. So I'm just looking at this as a more of a referendum on what the Celtics are and they aren't. And in association with that, I look at the other teams in the Eastern Conference, the 76ers in particular. There may never be a better chance for Joelle Embed in the 76ers to get to the finals than this year as a result of what I've seen from the Boston Celtics and the Milwaukee Bucks.

Okay, I admit I was wrong on the clippers. They were awful early. One ball, too many stars. Westbrook, to his credit, said, I'll go to the bench. I do think Ty Law has, in his career, played and coached with needier high-maintenance players. So, Ty-Loo is a good fit as a coach here. He's confrontational.

He'll burl, unlike Mike Dan Tony, he'll burl through problems. Like, he will confront you. So I think Ty-Loo is perfect for this kind of roster, although he probably would have other options if he could. It's not a perfect roster. Is it a viable roster? Because right now they're winning. Is it a viable roster in May, June? No. No, I don't know that you need to apologize, Colin. I think you're on the mark. They have beaten some good teams in this stretch, and they look much better than they certainly did when they first came together. But there's still a leadership question here. There's still a health issue with this team. And look, they got embarrassed.

They lost to a Denver Nuggets team at one point without any of their stars. They were getting beat on their home floor by teams that didn't have their best players. And so they've gathered themselves to a certain extent, and they've started to demonstrate that they are talent. I mean, look, they got top, they got four all-time, 75. players on the roster. You should be able to beat some teams during the regular season, particularly the Utah Jazzes and the Washington Wizards, which they have. So good on them for doing that.

But look, it's a slog, and it takes a certain amount of mental and physical tenacity to get somewhere in the postseason. And they just have not, none of the players we're talking about have demonstrated. that to any end unless they were surrounded by a group that carried them as far as the toughness and the tenacity. So I am not taking this latest stretch. I've done this before. You've done this before, Colin. We can't keep doing this. Like we look at the Clippers and have they had talent in the past? Absolutely. I can't tell you how many times I've said, this is the year. The Clippers are going to get over being the Clippers. And every year, it's a It's like the Dallas Cowboys.

Like, this is the year. I'm not drinking that Kool-Aid anymore. The Clippers are going to be the Clippers, and until they find a nucleus, a true leader superstar nucleus, I'm not buying that anything they do in the regular season is going to translate to a championship. Rick Buecker, we're up against it. We've got to run.

It's great seeing you as always, buddy. Appreciate it. Happy holidays. Happy holidays to you in the... fan, Rick Buecker. Yeah, that's one of those games that Celtics should win. But, you know, Steph does what he does. He got in foul trouble early in the third, and they didn't punish him. Boy, Rick going in on the Lakers banner there. Well, I mean, a lot of people, I think he's one of those guys. Well, no, I mean, I think a lot of people thought it was silly. I do think Nick Wright was right when Nick said, the Lakers are the most important franchise. As the Lakers go, it helps the NBA,

and the NBA helps the Lakers. And the reality was, the NBA was like, hey, this is initiatives. We're getting beat up for it. Support it. Make it a bigger deal than it is. You could hear from the crowd reaction. Nobody really cared much. But I do think sometimes, as Nick Wright pointed out, there are company initiatives. You're very supportive of them. You may not believe it's the most important thing, but part of a responsibility of being part of a collective. They're a franchise. Right? You could be a Pizza Hut franchise, an NBA franchise, a subway franchise, whatever, is like supporting the boss.

And I think that's what the Lakers did. And they got shelled for it. Yeah, by who? By a bunch of random dudes on the internet? I went on like an eight-minute rant on my podcast about this, and the response was overwhelmingly positive. Now, these people probably like me, but this is a much ado about nothing.

It's a bunch of LeBron Lakers haters who didn't want the Lakers to celebrate anything. This is nothing, just like the bubble title was nothing. It's just, sometimes I can't deal with these guys on the internet. It's like, what a waste of time. It's just so angry. Well, then why are you dealing with it? Well, fortunately, I don't have to.

We'll see you tomorrow. Another podcast from some SNL, late-night comedy guy, not quite. Unhumor me with Robert Smygel and friends. Me and hilarious guests from Bob Odenkirk to David Letterman help make you funnier. This week, my guest, SNL's Mikey Day and head writer, Streeter Seidel, help an a cappella band with their between songs banter. Where does your group perform? We do some retirement homes.

Those people are starving for banter. Listen to Humor Me with Robert Smigel and friends on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast's superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds.

I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. 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. 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.