The Herd with Colin Cowherd - HOUR 3 - USFL, NBA playoffs

Episode Date: April 15, 2022

The USFL starts this weekend The top 10 X factors in the NBA playoffs Guest: Daryl JohnstonSee 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. Hey, this is Robert from the Stuff to Blow Your Mind podcast. Joe and I are both lifelong Star Wars fan, so we're celebrating May the 4th with a brand new week of fun, thought-provoking Star Wars-related episodes. Join us as we tackle science and culture topics from a galaxy far, far away, such as the biology of tauntons and wampas on the ice planet hot, or the practicality and corporate business sense of the Sith rule.

of two. Listen to Stuff to Blow Your Mind on the Iheart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. On the Look Back at it podcast. From 1979, that was a big moment for me. 84 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.

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It's The Herd. Joy Taylor in for Colin Cowherd's. day on an Easter weekend. Coachella weekend. Most importantly, a USFL weekend. There you go. Here on Fox. Let's go out to Daryl Moose Johnson,

who is the USFL's Executive Vice President of Football Operations. It looks beautiful down there right now. You got a nice day. Out in the sunshine. Yeah, we got a beautiful day today. Yeah, I wish I could bottle this one. I don't know we're going to have this tomorrow, but we've got it today. Good things.

All good things. Well, we're very excited about the USFL, the 2022, U.S. SFL regular season begins April 16th, New Jersey Generals at the Birmingham Stallions at 730 Eastern on Fox. But before we get to anybody else, let's talk about the important team, which is the Pittsburgh mallers. I'm from Pittsburgh. So this is obviously my team. I've already got my cookie right here. This is all the merch I have so far, but I'm going to get more.

So tell me a little bit about the Pittsburgh Mullers before we get into the rest of the league. I'm going to be selfish and start with them. No, no, absolutely. I love talking about the mallers. That means they get to talk about Kirby Wilson. You know, Kirby is one of my favorite coaches that we've hired. I thought it was one of the more important things we did, was really kind of doing a great job on our eight head coaches,

who we knew had networks that could get us really good staffs to help these guys out. Good coaches, good teachers, really good with X's and O's, but really good leader of men. And that's exactly what Kirby Wilson is, and he's been outstanding. It's really hard for me to believe that Kirby Wilson has never been a head coach at any level of football up until they had this opportunity, because he's just been fantastic. And whether it was a speech that he gave to the entire group

at the 16th Street Baptist Church last Monday night with Jay Glazer, you know, to watch the way he is with his guys at practice, very professional but challenges them. I'm just, I'm really excited for his opportunity. And I'm going to be a little biased as well, Joy. He plays a little bit old school, so some 21 and some 12 personnel with lots of full backs and H-backs. So I'm cheering for the mallers.

Perfect. And you can check out the people. Bloomberg Mallers playing the Tampa Bay Bandits at 5 p.m. on April 17th, on FS1, so make sure you check them out. But the debut is tomorrow, April 16th, and there are a lot of interesting rule changes with the USFL. Daryl. Tell us some of the ones you're most excited about. Well, number one, I really like what we've done with the kickoff. And I know that we're trying to make that a much safer play when it comes to player health and safety. You know, the kickoff is one of the big plays where we've got some injuries. But what we've done in the process is really taken away.

the kickoff return from that scenario. So there's so many games where the kickoff return is kind of an afterthought. I mean, I watch guys start to walk to the sideline, and the ball hasn't even bounced into the end zone yet. So what we're doing is we're kicking off from the 25. I would be shocked if we didn't have 100% kickoff returns this year. And we've got some things added into that to still make it a safe play. We don't have those really big violent collisions.

We've minimized that back wall a little bit, but we have left two guys back there. So I like what we're doing with the kickoff, bringing the rest of the rest of. turn element back into play. I know that Mike Pereira is a huge fan of defensive pass interference, not being a spot foul anymore beyond 15 yards, only if it's an egregious foul where the guy literally tackles somebody because he's been beat on a double move, but you won't have any more 50-yard pass interference penalties that could change the complexion of the game. One that we've seen a little bit in the NFL through the course of last season, the inadvertent blow

to the quarterback's head. So you're coming by, and it's not a forcible blow to the helmet area. but we're still getting that 15-yard penalty, and sometimes that's on a third and 10. So now we're extending a drive on a penalty that really doesn't meet the measure of the rule, and that's something that Mike's going to be able to step in and fix at that point. And so a lot of these things are kind of the pace of play. You know, we're shooting for that two-hour and 45-minute window. So a lot of the changes we have made, you know, kind of encourage, you know, that pace of play.

So not a lot of challenges, not a lot of back-and-forth that happens. We give all the authority to our trusted and valued teammate Mike Pereira. So the other one I'm interested to see, and how many teams will use this, is after you score, we'll get into the extra points. You can go for one. You can go for three from the 10-yard line. So we've got the extra points where 18 points is now a two-possession game. But after that, let's say you're playing really, really well offensively. You've grabbed all the momentum.

You can put the ball on the 33-yard line and go for a fourth and 12. And if you convert it, you keep going. And I'm interested to see the strategy in how teams use that. Is that used just at the end of the game to get back into a game where you're down a couple of possessions? Or does some teams start to use that strategically through the course of the game when they feel that their offense has taken the momentum of the game and feels they match up well with the defense? Yeah, I love that, the pace of play and it's really never going to feel like anybody's truly out of it when you have those options available to you. I'm hearing a lot of things about some of the technological innovations that you're using with the USFL. Tell us a little bit about some of those.

Yeah, the technology, the camera. angles that we're going to have access to. I think we've got 58 cameras. You know, for the game Saturday night. We've got double sky cam. We've got a drone that gets just amazing shots, you know, around the stadium. We've got helmet cams. We've got a couple of players on each team that'll have a helmet cam. During our controlled scrimmages last week, one of the guys wearing the helmet cam actually blocked a punt. So that was really, really cool. It kind of felt like you were the person blocking the punt watching it on the monitor. We've got steady cam that has walked right up into the huddle and as the quarterback is delivering the play, you know, it's like you're in the

huddle. You're looking right at the same angle that the guys in the huddle have. So we've got a lot of great video elements, but what everybody here is talking about is the audio that we're capturing out on the field. And this is all about kind of creating some access for the viewer that they've never had before. And it seems like the audio is the one thing that a lot of the guys in production out here have been really impressed with. And we've put microphones into the shoulder pads of a bunch of the players. So they call it the crunch now. You actually kind of hear, you know, sometimes we see the hit.

You hear a little bit of that contact. But now with these microphones, you know, embedded into the shoulder pads, you know, we're actually starting to hear what these collisions actually sound like. And that's something that the guys in the production truck have been really excited about. And they've all started to refer to it as the crunch. That's, I mean, some of these camera angles are amazing. That's, like, right out on the field. That's amazing.

The 2022 USFL regular season begins April 16. New Jersey Generals at Birmingham Stallion 730 Eastern on Fox. Well, you mentioned some of the players. Who are some of the players that we're going to need to watch for this weekend? Well, obviously, I really feel that our starting quarterback group across the board really gives us the best starting quarterback group that any of the spring leagues have had if they started up. You know, Kyle Lauleta, Kyle Sloater, you know, Clayton Thorson, Brian Scott, you know,

just got a number of guys, Alex Magoo. It's just great, you know, right across the board, you know, with all of our teams. You know, Brandon Bowman is a guy you'll probably see Saturday night, a tight end who's going to be a fixture in the offense for the generals. Trey Williams, a guy that I had down in San Antonio, has looked fantastic for the generals. Kind of that scatback type. Really effective in the zone running scheme, very dangerous coming out of the backfield as a wide receiver. If you're watching on Saturday, there's a running back for Houston named Mark Thompson. who I'm really, really excited to see.

He's very different than most of the running backs we have in this league. We've got a lot of those little scatback types, you know, 5-8 to 5-10, you know, 185 to 205 somewhere in that range. You know, Mark is 6'3, 235 pounds. And when you watch him on film, he has the ability to run away from people. So he's one of those guys that kind of got caught up in the pandemic and some numbers games, and it has really not been on the NFL radar for a couple of years. I'm really excited to see what kind of season he has,

because he's just a different style of back. And I think that he's probably going to be one of our really feel-good stories this year. One of the guys that makes the transition from the USFL into an NFL training camp once our season's wrapped up. We're talking to Daryl Mose Johnston, USFL, EVP of Football Operation. The league debuts tomorrow, New Jersey Generals, Birmingham Stallions, at 7.30 Eastern on Fox. Moose, I mean, you mentioned all the technological innovations,

the different rule changes, some of the players that are getting new operations. opportunities, but to you, what is your favorite part of the USFL? What makes it different from other leagues? It's really the guys that we get to deal with on a day-to-day basis. You know, they're here for a reason. They know that there's something that they need to work on. And a lot of times it's not stuff that's from the field. You know, they're very talented. You know, they're good football players. You know, they had an opportunity in the NFL for a reason, but there's something not quite there. And sometimes it's not, you know, that fraction of a second, you know, that measurable. that this doesn't quite fit, you know, what the NFL is looking for. Sometimes it's being a pro. It's being on time. It's being accountable. So we're trying to teach them lessons across the board and how it is to go day to day

every single day and be a professional. And, you know, sometimes it's the mental part. Sometimes it's the concentration part, the accountability component. So I think a lot of people look at these guys and say, well, gosh, he looks like he's a great football player. Look at him on the film. But there's other areas where we can teach them and help. them and understand how important it is. When you get to the NFL, if you are not on time,

on a regular basis, they are not going to wait around for you. So we've really stressed punctuality, you know, being accountable to your teammates and everybody else. And it's one of the things that we've built here with all eight of us being here in Birmingham under one roof and then practicing at four facilities with eight teams, logistically, our day-to-day schedule comes down to minutes. And we can't be waiting around for one person when 44 people are waiting. So we're able to teach a lot of other life skills that maybe could be the main reason why some of these guys are not at the NFL level. Really looking forward to the USFL debuts tomorrow, 730 Eastern on Fox. Tell us a little bit about the USFL's upcoming series United by football as season in the USFL.

Yeah, I can't wait to watch this before the game. So if you're a hard knocks fan, you know, this is something very, very similar to that. A lot of the same people that work on the Hard Knocks crew are going to be on the United by Football. crew. It's NFL films. They've been around us. And it's just like Jeff Fisher and Todd Haley told all of us because we wanted all the coaches to be comfortable because there's cameras in all the meeting rooms. And it was one thing for some of the coaches who haven't been a part of this to get used to is to turn around and see these cameras in the meeting room. They're going to capture all the video. They're going to capture all the audio. And then they're going to edit it down, you know,

to tell the good stories. And Jeff and Todd, who have been through this before, told everybody, Listen, the first couple of days, you're going to see them and you're going to be aware of them. But all of a sudden, they do such a good job. They just blend in and they go away. And that's where a lot of the good footage is going to come from because you forget through there. And I've seen a couple of clips. I think it's been outstanding. I saw one of Kirby Wilson's clips.

And it's exactly how I see Kirby day to day, you know, professional, holding the guys accountable, you know, always preaching opportunity and what the USFL is providing. not only these players, but Kirby himself. You know, Kirby was, he was a positional coach for 23 years in the NFL and never had the opportunity to be a coordinator or a head coach. And I'm still scratching my head on that one, because I'm around Kirby quite a bit. And I'm wondering why he never had that opportunity. So, you know, maybe, you know, this is one of those situations.

We all talk about players creating an opportunity to get to the next level. I hope that people watch Kirby Wilson and somebody out there says, you know what, that's a heck of a leader of young men. I'd love to have him leading my team. Well, I'm very excited about Kirby because he is leading the Pittsburgh Mallors. I'm very much looking forward to seeing them. And Kyle Laletta, we've got the mallors right here. I started the chant.

Mallors. I'm all ready to go. I'm very excited about this. Darylose Johnson, USFL, EVP of Football Operations. Thank you so much for coming by. Looking forward to the debut tomorrow. New Jersey Generals, Birmingham Stallions, 730 Eastern on Fox. It sounds very exciting.

I'm looking forward to it. have done an amazing job and I can't wait to see how it goes. It's going to be great for fans. It's spring football. I love everything, as you said, all the opportunities that provides for so many people and a platform. So I think it's amazing and I'm looking forward to it this weekend. Awesome.

Thanks so much, Joy. And we'll get some maller's gear headed your way. Exactly. Perfect. My guy. Thank you, Moose. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays in noon Eastern 9 a.m. Pacific on Fox Sports Radio, FS1, and the

I heart 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 IHard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what 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 a 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 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 on day, but just so you all know. I mean, at this point, 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. Hey, this is Robert from the Stuff to Blow Your Mind podcast. Joe and I are both lifelong Star Wars fan, so we're celebrating May the 4th with a brand new week of fun, thought-provoking Star Wars-related episodes. Join us as we tackle science and culture topics from a galaxy far, far away, such as the biology of tauntons and wampas on the ice planet hot, or the practicality and corporate business sense of the Sith rule of.

too. Listen to stuff to blow your mind on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. So, eight teams in action this weekend, starting with the opening game tomorrow, New Jersey Generals at the Birmingham and the Birmingham Stallions, and then a full slate of games on Sunday, Houston Gamblers, Michigan Panthers, Philadelphia Stars, New Orleans Breakers, Tampa Bay Bandits, Pittsburgh Mallers, and it's in primetime on FS1. Of course, the debut is tomorrow on Fox at 730 Eastern. That is the USFL. I'm hype.

Very excited for this. Can we talk about those camera angles? Amazing. I felt like I was in a video game. Yeah, it does. It's like VR. I love the slow sliding. You're going with them.

Yeah. It's awesome. It's like, yeah. It's awesome. That type of stuff is really exciting, especially when you know, you're launching this league and be able to do all these like fun, innovative stuff. The microphones and the pads.

I can't wait to hear that. The crunch. Is that they called it? The crunch. The crunch. Oh, man. So many things. It's going to be great. Looking forward to that league debuts tomorrow, USFL. Let's get to Alex Curry with the news. No, no, no, no, no. Turn on the news. This is the herd line news.

Will the 76ers begin their first round matchup with the Raptors on Saturday? It'll be James Hardin's first playoff run with Philly. And Will Hardin said he doesn't feel pressure heading into the postseason. Joel and Bede knows he has a very important part to their team's success. And he said, I tell him to be himself. he's been doing a good job of being the playmaker, but we need him to be aggressive and really score the ball, especially against Toronto. He just has to be himself and not worry about people talking about pressure. Whatever happened in the past, you look back at what he's accomplished and what he's done, I'm sure it's going to be fine.

Now, you talked about this earlier about James Harden saying he doesn't feel the pressure. I like this. I think it's a good move. I don't know if it's some sort of like talking yourself into a calm state. It's the kind of the mindset and the attitude you want to come in to a playoff situation, business as usual, but now get the job done. So I'm not mad about it.

I like that. I do agree with you there. You don't want to do anything different when you get into the postseason. And sometimes that can get into your head and you're feeling the pressure of the situation. But when you say there's no pressure, that's something I think you kind of probably need to keep to yourself.

Yeah, that's your mantra. You say to yourself. There's no pressure. It's the same as usual, business as usual. just going out to hoop, all of that. But when it comes to fans and the expectations that are on this team, and specifically James Hardin, having moved on from two teams now in the last 15 months, there's definitely pressure on James Hardin.

And the 76ers are 14 and 7 with Hardin in the lineup this season. And Hardin is 72 and 65 in the playoffs. So, I mean, everyone knows his history. Yes. Everyone knows his history. It's got to get it done this year. You got to get it done. Bottom line, you got to get it done.

All right. Let's switch gears. Tom Brady's infamous combine picture has followed him throughout his entire career. And he certainly gets a lot of jokes about how he looked coming out of college. And when news of Elon Musk's $43 billion bid to buy Twitter came out, Brady used the opportunity to ask him for some help in this department. He tweeted to Musk, if you buy Twitter, can you delete the combine photo? Now, I think Tom Brady just needs to rebrand this image. The Com Pine Photo. Rebranded in his head and think about it as the biggest transformation photo we have ever seen in the history of sports.

Look at this. He went from that photo to now having seven Super Bowl rings. That is more than any single franchise. That is incredible. This should be motivational. I think it is. I think it is. I mean, look, nobody makes fun of Tom Brady anymore.

That ship has sailed, obviously. Be proud of your past. new, I love this new social media, Tom, that we've gotten since he's been in Tampa Bay. He's completely leaned into it and we are seeing more of his personality now. I am a little concerned about how Twitter might change if this goes down. But that aside, I love this from him. And you're right. It is the absolute before and after photo of any.

Like you see all of these diet plans, all these shakes. That's the biggest advertisement for TV 12 you could have. that's incredible. Just put that on the front of the book. Let that be your main. Yeah. Let this be the brand. The new brand image photo.

I would have the shorts. The shorts are my favorite. It's everything. The arms, the the energy coming from it. Be proud of your past. Because of that. Listen, I have plenty of awful pictures.

Oh, we don't need to go there. Yeah. You know, I don't have the end with Elon. I got one of your cars. So I guess that should count for something. That's something. There's some things I think you could remove as well. Yeah, there's a lot.

Be proud of your past. Be proud of your past. Because of your past, you are where you are today. That is such a good mantra. Okay. All right. Well, Coach Kay's legendary career at Duke came to an end this year. And last night, the basketball team officially said goodbye to him at their end of the year banquet.

And new coach, John Shire, surprise his mentor with a special retirement gift. You know, look, we can't repay you for what you've done for all of us. we're going to try. So, you know, since you have a lot more time now, Coach. And we felt you needed something to train. And so we want you to meet the new member of your family, coach. I don't know if they showed it, but at the end of that video, the puppy actually licks Coach Kay's face.

And it is just, it's so beautiful. It's so perfect. You're a puppy mom. I'm a dog mom. I got two fur babies. Dogs are everything. They bring so much joy. I don't know if they show that if we have the footage of the puppy actually licking Coach Kay's face, but it's amazing.

And he has this little collar and it says coach on it. I don't know. Here comes. Wait. Look at this puppy. Oh, I'm sorry to our radio audience. You have to go look at it on the,

Oh, there you go. Like, is that not the cutest thing you've ever seen? On the Duke's basketball page. Is that not the thing? It's the cutest thing you've ever seen. Listen,

I don't have any pets, but that would break my little heart. My cold dead heart. Look at that puppy. that's a good dog it's a good boy right there actually yeah it's a boy right his name's coach i don't know is a girl i don't know coach k's wife's like oh there we go i've got a god to take care of now like one to give someone though like no it's very clever i love it it's so great it's such a good move i mean it's perfect especially because it's coach k too then like everyone hates duke yeah but everyone

loves dogs everyone loves dogs it can't be mad you're welcome i love it's one of my favorite videos of all time it's so cute it broke me this morning i know we all did So cute. All right, that's Alex with the news. Well, that's the news. And thanks for stopping by. The Heard Lye News. All right, fun show today.

We had Paige Jamakos of the Draft Network, Jim Jackson, talking a little NBA, Darius Butler, getting into the NFL news, and Daryl Moose Johnson, previewing the USFL, which debuts tomorrow on Fox. Let's get into our best for last. The NBA postseason is starting, and I will give you my excellent.

X factors in this year's NBA postseason next on The Herd. Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd weekdays in noon Eastern 9 a.m. Pacific. I'm George Reister, host of the Reister or Wrong podcast. This is the intersection where sports, business, society, and pop culture meet the truth. Absolute fire on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Facts only. Make sure you check your feelings at the door because no BS is allowed. We keep it 100.

This is where real conversations happen. Listen to the Rights or Wrong podcast on the IHeart 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 I'm saying.

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

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

Do you remember when Diana Ross double-tapped Little Kim's boobs at the VMAs? Or when Kanye said that George Bush didn't like black people. I know what you're thinking. What the hell does George Bush got to? I do a 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 yeah, yeah. But just so y'all know. I mean, at this point, Mark, this is the second episode where we've discussed crack. So I'm starting to see that there's a through line. We also have AIDS.

on the table right now. Thank you for finishing that sentence. I don't think there's a more important year for black people. Really? Yeah. For me, it's one of the most important years for black people in American history. Listen to look back at it on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, this is Robert from the Stuff to Blow Your Mind podcast.

Joe and I are both lifelong Star Wars fan, so we're celebrating May the 4th with a brand new week of fun, thought-provoking Star Wars-related episodes. Join us as we tackle science and culture topics from a galaxy far, far away, such as the biology of taun tons and wampas on the ice planet hot, or the practicality and corporate business sense of the Sith rule of two. Listen to stuff to bowl your mind on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Fox Bet Super 6 is spiking the jackpot this Sunday for the Bristled Dirt Race scan the QR code, download the Super 6 app and enter your six picks into the NASCAR stage two contest for your free chance to win $25,000 of Clint's cash. Joy Taylor in for Colin Cowherd on an Easter Coachella USFL weekend.

A lot going on this weekend, including the NBA playoffs. Alex Curry is here with me then this Friday, and it's time for best for last. So let's rank the top 10 X factors in the NBA playoffs. Number 10, Tyler Hero. Miami Heat. the championship this year. That's your pick. According to me, he is favored to win sixth man

of the year. He leads the NBA with 20.8 points per game off the bench. He did struggle in the playoffs last year. The heat of the number one seat in the east, and they were swept in the first round last year against the bucks. He is going to need to be huge and consistent in the playoffs if they are going to

win the championship, as I am predicting. He is an X factor for that reason. They don't need to rely on him in the But when he does come off the bench, he needs to be doing what he did all season in his sixth man of the year campaign. Number nine, Jamal Murray. So Jamal's missed the entire season with an ACL injury. He's not played in over a year.

He's doubtful to return to the playoffs. But there are some rumors that he will be back. He's been practicing with the team for several weeks. He is the Nuggets second leading score behind Yokic over his last three seasons. And no player on the Nuggets besides Yokic has averaged more than 15. points per game this season. So if he was to be back, it would be a huge factor. I don't know that he will be back, but there are some conversations about him returning. If he does, it will be instrumental. He is going to be an X factor if he is available. Number eight, Jason Tatum. So the Celtic struggle

when Jason is not on the court, they're plus 67, 667 with Tatum on the floor, minus 70 with him off the court. They have not reached the conference finals in two of the four years since Tatum joined the team. They've never reached the finals. They are the best team since the All-Star break, the best win percentage and highest net rating. But this is a very important year for the Celtics. They have a rough matchup in the Nets in round one. But Jason Tatum is going to have to be huge every single night if they are going to move past the Nets.

Number seven, Draymond Green. So he missed 36 games due to injury. The Warriors went 19 and 17 without Dremon this season. They do have some injury issues across the board. Obviously, Steph Curry as well. But Draymond is the juice and the soul. Steph is the leader. That is what Draymond brings.

It is the first playoff appearance for the Warriors since losing to the Raptors in the 2019 finals. Draymond is going to have to be huge, I believe, if they're going to make a deep run. Number six, Luca Donchitz. So Luca suffered a calf injury in the final game of the regular season. He is expected to miss game one, is reportedly could miss game two as well. This is huge. The Mavs haven't advanced past the first round with Luca. And he's obviously an amazing player, but he admitted to coming in.

of the season out of shape. He is now injured at the end of the season. This is going to start to become the book on Luca, and he's really got to change how he trains in the offseason heading into a new year. This is bad news for the Mavs. I don't think that they can win this first round series without him. I don't want them to rush him back, though, either, because you don't want to have a situation like you had with KD, but Luca is going to be a huge X factor for the Mavs. Number five, Jaw Morant. So Jahn missed 25 games this season. They did go 20 and 5 without Jah Morant, but that doesn't matter to me. The postseason is about stars. and the Grizzlies are one of the youngest teams in the NBA.

He is the leader, the face of this organization. He is an unbelievable player. Love to watch him play. I think he's amazing for the league. He's going to have to be huge for the Grizzlies. I think this first round series is probably the most exciting out of Celtics and Nets. So looking forward to this, but John Morant is going to have to be the leader that we know he is and perform at the highest level in the postseason if they're going to make a run.

Number four, Chris Middleton. So Christmas 16 games this season. They went seven and nine in those games. The Bucks did. are the defending champ, so they have a lot of pressure on them. He did raise his game in the playoffs, 23.6 points per game, 7.6 rebounds per game, and 5.1 assists per game. He did step it up.

He's got to be consistent again throughout this postseason. Obviously, the defending champs, but Chris, we know what we're going to get from Janus every night. What are we going to get from Chris? Number three, Kyrie Irving. So, Kyrie. Kyrie, Kyrie. He's leading the NBA in fourth quarter scoring.

Had an unbelievable game the other night. He was recently cleared to play in home games, obviously. Obviously, that was a huge factor throughout the season, a big part of the reason why they are the seventh seed. But it's all up to KD and Karee. What is Karee? What version are we going to get with him in this series and in the postseason? Obviously, KD. is consistent and spectacular. Kyrie is as well, but is he going to be big for them in the big moments?

How is he going to show up? Kyrie is a huge X factor in this postseason. Number two, Devin Booker. So then the best team in the league, best team in the West. He's one of three players averaging more than 25 points per game in each of the last four seasons, including Janice and LeBron. I don't think Booker gets enough credit for how great he is. Obviously, Chris Paul, we know he's the leader, he's the soul of this team. But Booker is the best player?

There are huge favorites. How is Booker going to perform in the postseason? I think they're going to cruise for most of it, but he's going to have to come up huge for this team. We know we're going to get from Chris Paul, but you got to rely on Booker in the big moments. Number one, James Harden. So James is claiming there's no price. I disagree. He has forced this way out of two teams now. He struggled late in the season, averaging 6.2 points per game on 34% shooting over his last six games. We all know about his

playoff struggles. All of his shooting numbers have declined in the playoffs. He hasn't won a championship yet hasn't reached the finals since 2012 with the Thunder. And there is a lot of pressure on this Philadelphia team. I think Joelle Embed is the MVP, but I think Hardin has to step up. Again, you know what you're going to get from your stars at all of the. these top teams. You know what you're going to get. Are they going to be able to be consistent at the second spot? And that's where Hardin is.

So he's not going to perform the way he is if they're going to win. They're not a deep team. I like Philadelphia a lot. I, again, think Joelle Embed is the MVP, but James Hardin is the X-Factor for the 76ers. And those are my X-Factors going into the NBA playoffs this weekend. Again, make sure you check out the USFL this weekend. The 2022 USFL regular season debuts tomorrow.

New Jersey Generals. and Birmingham stallions at 7.30 Eastern on Fox. Also the Houston Gamblers play the Michigan Panthers, the Philadelphia Stars, play the New Orleans Breakers, and the Tampa Bay Bandits play the Pittsburgh Mollers, led by Kirby Wilson and Kyle Aletta. All of those games are right here on FS1 in the debut. Tomorrow is 730 Eastern on Fox.

Thank you to Moose Johnson, who gave us a great preview of all the stuff that we can look forward to, amazing camera angles, insane. Lots of new rules, fun stuff. extra points. They're changing the kickoff. There's lots of stuff

that they're experimenting with that is going to be really, really cool. Thanks again to Jim Jackson for joining us. Paige Jamakos of the draft network, CEO of the draft network that is coming up very quickly. The draft is approaching only two weeks away. And Darius Butler. It's Easter weekends.

Hope you guys have a safe, fun Easter weekends. Enjoy your brunching or whatever you do with your family. Thank you so much for joining me, Alex. Ryan, everyone for having. out with us today. Coming up next on FS1, the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series practice from Bristol. And yeah, thanks for hanging out.

Colin will be back on Monday. I will as well. Enjoy your Easter weekend. Be safe. Check out the USFL. Debuting tomorrow on Fox, New Jersey Generals and Birmingham Stallions. Another podcast from some SNL late night comedy guide,

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 podcasts. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only

legal, but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call 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. Hey, this is Robert from the Stuff to Blow Your Mind podcast. Joe and I are both lifelong Star Wars fan, so we're celebrating May the forth with a brand new week of fun, thought-provoking Star Wars-related episodes.

Join us as we tackle science and culture topics from a galaxy far, far away, such as the biology of tauntons and wampas on the ice planet hot, or the practicality and corporate business sense of the Sith rule of two. Listen to stuff to blow your mind on the Iheart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what I'm saying.

Yep, that's me. Clifford Taylor the Fourth. You might have seen the skits, my basketball and college football journey, or my career in sports media. Well, now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfilled conversations with athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. So let's get to it. Listen to The Clifford Show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok.

This is an I-Heart podcast. Guaranteed Human.