The Herd with Colin Cowherd - LeBron James, Zion Williamson, AFC North, and the Colts

Episode Date: March 22, 2019

Colin explains why Los Angeles Lakers F LeBron James and LA Clippers HC Doc Rivers wouldn't mixed well, what Duke F Zion Williamson will be facing in the NBA, why the Pittsburgh Steelers will be fine and the Cleveland Browns won't, plus why the Indianapolis Colts are destined for greatness. Guests include Albert Breer, Rob Parker, T. J. Houshmandzadeh, and Jason McIntyre. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is an I-Heart podcast. Guaranteed Human. Last night, a blown call changed a game. This morning, the internet lost its mind, and nobody's telling you exactly what happened. That's where Sports Slice comes in. I'm Timbo, and every episode, we're cutting through the noise,

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Another podcast from some SNL late-night comedy guy, not quite. Unhumor me with Robert Smigel 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. Life is full of hurdles. So how do you keep going? On Hurtle with Emily Abadi, we're talking with the most inspiring women in sports and wellness from professional athletes, coaches, and Olympic champions, about the challenges that shape them and the mindset that keeps them moving forward. At our level, at this scale, being able to fail in front of the entire world. can do anything. I can do anything. Listen to Hurtle with Emily Abadi on the IHeart Radio app, Apple podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Presented by Capital One, founding partner of IHeart women's

sports. I'm Michelle McPhee, and I've been unraveling the strangest criminal alliance I've ever reported on, a Mormon polygamist and an Armenian businessman. Multimillion dollar house, Ferraris and Lamborghinis, private jets, a billion dollar fraud. But how long can this alliance last. Tell me what you know. Is somebody coming after me? Listen to Kingdom of Fraud on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Thanks for listening to The Heard podcast. Be sure to catch us live every weekday from 12 to 3 Eastern, 9 to noon Pacific on Fox Sports Radio and FS1. Find your local station for the Herd at Fox Sports Radio.com or stream us live every day on the iHeart Radio app by searching

Heard. Now let's get this party started. You're listening to Fox Sports Radio. Ah, here we go on a Friday. Good to see you this. Live in Los Angeles is The Herd, wherever you may be and however you may be listening. IHeart Radio, Fox Sports Radio, and FS1. Joy Taylor is joining me on a Friday.

It is absolutely great to be here. A full week of shows. Oh, wait, I missed Wednesday. I had to fly to Seattle. I got four in this week. Sometimes you come to word. Yes. Good morning.

Good morning, Joy. You know, it's funny about relationships. Like some things that sound good on paper don't work. You would think if you said, these two people, they're really professionally interested. They're both, you know, they're shooting for the stars. They're career-driven. They're a power couple. You know what gets divorced a lot in Los Angeles?

Power couples. Your workaholics. You work 80 hours a week each of you. Your two ships passing in the night. It sounds great on paper. She's an attorney. he's a surgeon. They're stars.

They never see each other and disconnect. Generally, somebody, the brilliant attorney, the great doctor, needs somebody that provides something they can't. I, myself, tend to be a little intense. My wife is more social. The ying, the yang, it works. It's perfect, right? Doc and LeBron James sounds good on paper.

Doc has won a title. He's smart. LeBron's won several. He's smart. kind of legends in their little genre, the player or the coach. It wouldn't work. It wouldn't work. LeBron's too rich, too powerful, and too accomplished.

He doesn't need anything in that relationship. Well, well, while Colin Doc worked with Kevin Garnett, he worked with Paul Pierce, he worked with Chris Paul, he worked with Blake Griffin, he worked with Ray Allen. They didn't have titles. They needed Doc to get a ring. LeBron's got his. Michael at the end had his. Kobe at the end had his.

Kobe was hard to deal with at the end. LeBron, Kobe, MJ. It wasn't an even relationship. They didn't need. They had everything. And relationships work when both people need something from it beyond just love. You know, you need to be more social. She provides it.

She wants more stability in her life. Maybe he provides it. This is what happens to superstars who have multiple titles or titles late in their career. Brett Farr, Big Ben, Kobe, they become really hard to coach. Become really hard to coach. Big Ben's now hard to coach. He's got his money. He's got his legacy.

He's got his Super Bowl. He's got his fame. What does he need? In fact, I would say it's often very hard to coached even. Superstars who are iconic without titles. Dan Marino and Charles Barkley. They didn't have the rings, but they had the money. And they had the fame.

And they had the looks and the personality. They couldn't go anywhere in public. They didn't have the rings. But asked Jimmy Johnson. Dan Marino was no day at the beach late in his career. And I like Charles Barkley. Never the easiest guy to coach late. The aging champion superstar wealth titles rings.

what does he need from the relationship? He's got it all. He had a poster on his wall as a kid did LeBron. He's often surpassed all of those posters. Some would even say Michael Jordan. This sounds great on paper, right? It sounds great. But I don't even think Doc needs LeBron.

I think Doc wouldn't fit because Doc's got his money and Doc's got his ring and Doc's got his fame. Doc's a big deal in Los Angeles. He golfs and dines with stars. What does he need? need from LeBron. Neither of these guys needs the other to validate in any way each other. It's hard enough when only one needs the other.

When neither needs the other, that's why the Luke Walton-Lebron is seen as a disaster, but it actually has some value. I mean, Luke could gain a lot from making it work. An extension, help his legacy. But too often, stuff that sounds. good on paper is really not good on paper. And whenever I see the big divorces in Los Angeles, it's so often the power couple. The ones that work, go look up Paul Newman, Tom Hanks.

Somebody takes a little more of a professional front seat. Somebody maybe takes more of the family, the social, the supportive side seat. And it works. Sometimes the woman's in control, sometimes the dude. but Doc and LeBron to me is a paper relationship that would be a disaster. Zion Williamson is more interesting than any team in this tournament. He's going to play twice this weekend. Later tonight, he's the Duke superstar.

Who will go number one in the draft? I think he'll be a great pro. Duke has, by the way, four NBA players. Most of the good teams have won. We crushed John Calipari for not winning a title when he had that great team years ago. Mike Shoshchewski should win this title. But Zion's going to play twice this weekend. And you know, there's a reputation among Duke players that don't really work in the NBA.

They're kind of soft. They're kind of insulated. There's currently 25 Duke players in the NBA. Only four average more than 15 points. Only ones really elite Kyrie Irving. Because Duke somewhat insulates you, the best coach, maybe the best coach. maybe the best staff, the best home court advantage, the best conference, the best teammates,

the best swag, one of the great atmospheres, the best program, an unbelievable support system. And from there, as a lottery pick, you go to the Atlanta Hawks or the Orlando Magic or potentially the New York Knicks. Duke players have a very spotty NBA record.

And the word on, the street is always a little soft. I mean, Duke's in a bubble. Duke is a college basketball bubble. You play with the best players. You have the best home court advantage. You have the best coach. Many would argue you have the best staff.

You have the best support system. It is so well run at Duke. And then you go from that, that insolated, perfect college basketball bubble to the NBA and you go to a clown show. You go to Cleveland, where LeBron's from there and left it twice. The Knicks, worst owner in sports. There's only four dukees in the NBA averaging over 15, one over 20, and it's the best college basketball program on the face of the earth.

Now, I love Zion as a talent. I would pick him number one. I think people are picking him apart. I think he's got the right game and the right character. but warning when you watch Zion Williamson, he is now comfortable, well-coached, well-supported, perfect teammates, playing in the best offensive system in the sport. He's now going to go to potentially an awful owner, a terrible roster,

a coached about to be fired, and oh, by the way, he will be seen as a savior in those cities. Well, Zion's got a bum knee? Come on, get out there. We're playing Memphis tonight. Duke players play in an insulated bubble. That's why for years and years they go to the NBA, they're good, not great. It's like, you know, the old joke.

When kids have some fear and there's no system to support you and you have to like John Morant go and carry a program and you're the guy and other guys can't score and you have to really lead the program and carry it, there is real value in that. and Duke players don't have that. The guy next to me, he's the second pick in the draft. And the wing, he's the fourth pick in the draft.

Our point guard's not nearly as good. He'll go 27th. It'll be interesting to watch Zion twice this weekend. I think he's got everything. He doesn't really have a position in the NBA, but that doesn't bother me. Either did LeBron James. It's more of a positionless NBA. But what I think is interesting is there's two great players in this tournament.

A lot of good teams, no great teams, two great players. two great players, John Morant and Zion. Morant comes from a program where he's got to absolutely carry him. And if he's not hot, the team doesn't win. Zion, different situation. All sorts of talent around him, and Duke guys I always feel are living in a bubble. I'll watch him this weekend. I think he's going to be a star and everybody's going to pick him apart.

But his life's going to be zany for the next six months. He's going to go from this great program to an absolute NBA grease fire. people are saying, oh, I can end up in New York. And I'm like, oh, he could end up in New York. Can't wait to watch. Good to have you in today. I never believed as a kid. My mom was always on diets.

I never, and because of that, my sister and I, we tend to be healthy eaters. Mom was like binge and then diet and then candy and then none. And it was this up and down. And I kind of, I remember I used to say as a. a kid, like, why don't you just, just streamline it and less of this and more of that and more of this and less of that. But that's the life I sort of grew up with. It was kind of a running joke in the family.

It was the diet. What's the new diet? She went through a lot of diets. The Miami diet. The Atkins diet. This diet. The new diet. There was a milkshake diet at one point.

I'm not joking. It was a milkshake. I liked that one as a kid. I was all for the milkshake diet. I got the second milkshake. But I want to talk about that coming up next. an NFL team did something yesterday, and they don't die it. And that's why they're going to win a bunch of Super Bowls over the next 10 years.

And it's not the Patriots. That's coming up. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays in noon Eastern 9 a.m. Pacific on Fox Sports Radio, FS1, and the IHeart Radio app. Last night, a blown call changed a game. This morning, the internet lost its mind. Highlights are trending, opinions are flying, and nobody's telling you exactly what happened. That's where Sports Slice comes in. I'm Timbo. Every episode we're cutting through the noise, breaking down the plays, the controversies,

and the stories behind the headlines. We go straight to the source, the athlete themselves, their locker room stories, their reactions, the stuff nobody gets to hear. The laughs, the drama, the triumphs, the moments that never make the highlight real. From viral moments to historic games, from buzzer-beaters to controversial calls,

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Welcome to my new podcast, Learn the Hardway with me, your host and your favorite therapist, Kear Games. And in recognition of mental health awareness month, I'm bringing over a decade of my own experience in the mental health field and conversations with so many incredible guests. I'm talking, Tripp Fontaine, Ryan Clark. Sometimes when we're in the pursuit

of the thing, we get so wrapped up in the chase that we don't realize that we are in possession of the thing and we're still chasing it and we don't know when we've done enough. Because people scoreboard watch. Life becomes about wins and losses. Steve Burns, Dustin Ross, because you find it important to be a good person while you hear on earth or are you a good person because you're afraid? Because that's two different intentions, bro. Absolutely. And that's two different levels of trust. I want you to just really be a good person. Join me. Kier Gaines is we have real conversations about healing, growth, fatherhood, pressure, and purpose on my new podcast, Learn the Hardway. Open your free iHeartRadio app. Search Learn the Hardway and listen now.

Jacob Kingston grew up in an isolated polygamous sect. We were God's chosen kingdom on earth. He felt destined for greatness. So when a swaggering Armenian businessman catapults Jacob into an extraordinary world, he doesn't look back. Ferraris and Lamborghinis, private jets, meeting the president of Turkey. I'm Michelle McPhee, and this is one of the most shocking criminal conspiracies I've ever come across. When Jacob met Levant this plant to a billion dollar fraud. But with two kings from entirely different worlds, just how long can their empire survive?

The largest tax investigation in American history. You need to tell me what you know. Is somebody coming after me? Jacob told Levan, you're ruining my life. Listen to Kingdom of Fraud on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Life throws hurdles big and small. The question is, how do you conquer them? On hurdle with Emily Abadi, we sit down with the most inspiring women in sports and wellness, professional athletes, coaches, and Olympic champions to talk about the challenges that shaped them

and the mindset that keeps them going. from the WMBA standout Kate Martin and rising hockey star Layla Edwards. If a boy can do it, I don't see why a girl can't. Like, I've never understood that. Like, it didn't make sense in my brain. It's hard to be in spaces that no one looks like you, but don't ever feel like you don't belong. Don't let that be the reason you don't do it.

An Olympic champs, Gabby Thomas and Katie Ladeke. The ability to show a gold medal to someone and have their face light up and smile, that means the world to me. And that's what motivates me to win more gold medals. at our level at this scale, like being able to fail in front of the entire world. Like, I can do anything. I can do anything.

Because resilience isn't just about winning. It's about showing up, even when it's hard. Listen to Hurtle with Emily Abadi on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Presented by Capital One, founding partner of IHeart Women's Sports. If you haven't tried the delicious high-quality meats, butcherbox. Go there now. Butcherbox.com slash heard free ground brief for life of your subscription. 20 bucks off the first box.

By the way, I have a very simple formula. You've probably heard me on this show talk about it before, how to win in the NFL. Get a quarterback, protect your quarterback, and then draft and acquire guys that get their quarterback. It's one, two, three. I think the Colts in the next 10 years are going to be in several Super Bowl, especially after Tom Brady retires. They've did it perfectly.

They have Andrew Luck. They got him healthy. Last year, they went heavy on offensive line rebuild. They nailed it. This year, they're going to draft. two pass rushers, and they acquired Justin Houston yesterday, who had nine sacks and 12 games. It's a supplemental grab. He's not going to play 70% of the snaps. I doubt he plays 60% of the snaps. He's going to play probably 50 to 55% of the snaps. He is a smart veteran,

fits the culture, works his tail off, totally coachable. Kansas City got to the point where they felt like for their system with Patrick Mahomes, they're going to have to pay him eventually. he didn't work for them. He has had some injuries, but I thought he was great for Indianapolis for what they're trying to do. Get a quarterback, protect the quarterback, and then draft guys who can get their quarterback. I love the move, and I love what they're doing. But by the way, I just talked about my mom who was binge diet, binge diet, binge diet. My dad was the opposite financially. My dad believed if you always lived the same way, there was no recessions. Don't buy a boat in a sports car in good times

because you'll have to sell them in bad times. Just live the same life. What team spent big in free agency? Jets, Oakland, Cleveland, Lions, losers. What teams sought value even though they had some cap space? Indianapolis, Green Bay, Saints, Philadelphia did well. Dallas wouldn't spend big money. The Colts get it.

The Colts don't binge. The Colts had the most money in free agency. But that's not their culture. They are constantly seeking value. If you hit the lottery tomorrow, won $15 million, do you walk into a car lot and say, it doesn't matter, completely hose me? No, you're seeking value.

That's the culture. You're not binging, then eating chocolates all day. Up, down. I made money at my work. New boat, sports car. Cultures are living the same, eating the same, spending the same, regardless of your financial and physical condition. Indianapolis had the most cap space.

They could have gone crazy town. They could have gone Mardi Gras. They could have bought four speed boats, jeeps, ski boats, ski trips, private jet. No. No, they sought value even though they didn't have to. This is why Indianapolis, New England, Philadelphia, and the Saints. This is why these teams end up playing at the end of the year.

I love what Indianapolis is doing. I love what they're doing. Most cap space in the league and refused. They were patient, let guys come to them. Let crazy town people spend big. And once again, look at the teams, look at the teams in free agency who waited. The Saints wait on Jared Cook. Well run.

The Cowboys wait on Randall Cobb. Again, he's a component. He's a part. He's a supplemental piece. They don't need Randall Cobb to be Green Bay Randall Cobb's first five years. The Cowboys need him to make 58 catches next year and a couple of big ones against the Eagles or in the playoffs late. this is what Justin Houston is. The Colts had the most money and yet didn't buy a speedboat.

This is why I like Indy in Philadelphia, in Kansas City, and New England. I don't believe in diets. And I don't think because you get a raise, you go buy a private jet. The teams that spent big money on free agency, it's like they all got a job promotion. Cleveland, Jets, Oakland, Detroit. By the way, it's not to say I don't think. OBJ, he could be interesting with Cleveland. And I do think Lavian Bell is exactly what the Jets need.

But I love what they're doing in Indianapolis. They're my Colts. I honestly feel they're my Colts. It's my kind of living. It's my team. Even when they lost to Kansas City, I love them. Well, that's not Big J journalism. You know what?

Taking a just sabbatical for the Colts. I'm taking a brief hiatus on my journalism. I love what this team. is doing. Joy with the news. No, no, no, no. Turn on the news. This is the herd line news. So Tom Izzo lost his cool during Michigan State's 76-65 win over Bradley yesterday with the game

close late in the second half. Izzo berated freshman Aaron Henry so harshly during the timeout that other players separated them multiple times. He needed a hold me back guy. The outburst made for some uncomfortable couple of minutes of television. And he was, of course, asked about it after the game. and he doubled down. When you're a freshman now at this time of year,

you don't make mental mistakes on things that when we're telling a guy which way he goes or not running back or, you know, there were some things Aaron didn't do a very good job of. And yet, you know what? Like I like happened, I did get after him, and he did respond and he did make a couple big buckets and he did make some big free throws.

But that's not good enough. This is one and done time, you know. the my bads are out the window. That's funny lying. My bads are out the window. I get what he's saying. It's crunch time. You can't come over to the huddle and say you made a mistake because of effort because you didn't get back on defense or you know, you didn't try hard enough on the loose ball. But you got to keep some perspective here. This is, everyone is watching this. It's not a good look. You can't berate a freshman. I mean, Tom Mizzow is making $3.5 million this season. You got to be careful about the money because that's like saying I could treat you like crap if I paid you more.

No, I'm saying that's all the more reason why he shouldn't be acting that way. He should have awareness of the situation. You're not going to get away with this with professionals. There's no way. Well, yeah, but this is not professional basketball. Right. It's even worse because these kids are not being paid to be there. No, no, no.

I'm saying, no, no, I don't like the idea that if you paid the kids, I don't like the idea that I could ever. pay somebody and that allows me to treat them like crap. That's not what I'm saying. Like in high school, I had a coach break a board over my knee, a clipboard. I don't think he meant to. It was, you know, but my whole point was, in the end is yelling is part of sports. I had really great coaches, but I had screamers. And it's okay because everybody in my cuddle, when that happened, we're like,

we love you, man. When I watch this picture, here's what I see. the players the coach never touches the player the players touch the coach this is a family they relate to each when I yell at my daughter

my son defends my daughter dad you're being too that's what love is that's what families are they're intense and uncomfortable look at all those players they literally go coach coach he's going to learn that's like what families do

it's I understand I understand what you're saying but I love that That it is intense. It's too much. Like, it's too much. Every, every player that I have heard talk about it was like that, that's not how that's supposed to go down.

There's yelling. There's, there's intensity. There's chastising after a play. And then there's that. You can't have finger waving. Have a player literally holding Izzo back with both hands. I mean, look, they're pulling him back to sit him down. Like, it's too much.

It's too much. It's not, it's not right. Art isn't perfect. Right? Like people spill paint. Sports isn't perfect. People yell and screaming. I'm not saying. Yelling and screaming is fine. Yeah, that does. He took it to another level.

It didn't bother me at all. I thought it was really intense and really, by the way, then you look at him right here. They're just talking. It's what families do. Families yell and scream. You know what would bother me? If Tom iso walked up to a kid on the street and started screaming at him, I'd be like, you have no relationship.

No, I think everything matters in context. Of course, if he's yelling at some kid on the street like this, it's, of course, inappropriate. But I'm not saying that yelling and screaming doesn't happen. I'm saying this is never going to be accepted on the professional level. Well, no, no, no, no. No professional is going to allow another man to talk to him like that. But by the way, it does happen all the time in the NFL.

Where the coaches, you ever watch Hard Knocks? It's brutal. The basketball culture has become so pro player that we cringe with that. Tom Brady and Josh McCown are screaming at each other. I don't think it's new that we've been cringing with that. I mean, I don't think like the Bob Knight era. No, Bob Knight touch players. That I hated.

I hate. Bob Knight would get... We have video of Bob Knight hitting kids. I'm not saying that he was going to get physical with him. I'm saying the optic of it is not great. He's not great. All right, so John Morant had an early breakout star game in the NCAA tournament, as we all kind of expected.

It was an exciting game. Murray State 83-64 upset win over Marquette. Morant scored 17 points, 16 assists, and 11 rebounds. Yeah, he's fine. And he only took nine shots. the entire night. He went five of nine shooting, and he notched a rear tournament triple-double. He's really a fascinating player. There's a Westbrook component, but he's really a natural passer. He is a great passer. He is a great passer. After the game, Jaws' father sent a message to

Zion Williamson. Oh, Lord. Is there anything before one? Yeah, zero. Let him go zero. He's before what he did out here prove that he's the best player in the country. He's probably. Well, he's going to be, one or two, I'd say he's two, but he's really good. I have no problem with that. I mean, it's that. He just had an incredible game in the tournament. He's a great player. Everyone's making the comparison to Russell Westbrook. I actually think it's a closer comparison to

Baron Davis at UCLA. Because Baron and John are more fluid. You know, they're very athletic. Russ is just relentless force, high motor. Actually, that's a really good. That's a really good. He has a... Baron Davis is very cerebral, and that's kind of the

feeling that you get with him. I mean, he's a highlight reel, but it's just a slightly different feel. Yeah, no, the he at, that's a... And he plays very long. Yeah, no, Barron Davis is a really good prototype. That's a very good... I didn't even... You know, I forget Barron's college career because I think he's a much more

natural passer than Westbrook. Like, Westbrook is... I mean, you like him and you'd acknowledge, he's sort of tunnel vision. No, he can't... That's what I'm saying. He's just force. It's just a downhill train. He's an air of just movement. Yeah. Just energy. Right. Very high motor. And he's more of a fluid player. He's more Just the passes that you see him make are

they're LeBron-esque, but just with a different feel. You know what I love with both him and Zion? They really play with joy. They love the game. They're so fun to watch for that reason. They're both just going to be great NBA players. No, he's going to be an all-star for short. And he has so much room for improvement.

I mean, his three-point shooting has improved 30 to 35% from this year last year. Once he gets in the strength program and the diet. By the way, can we slow down on criticizing college player shooting? they have classes. They have midterms. There's limitations on practice. Well, I mean, it's all the information that we have on them.

But yeah, it's keeping on perspective. Ray Allen didn't shoot like that in college. Right. And both him and Zion are going to have what all rookies have in their first year in the NBA. They're going to hit a wall. There are many more games. There's going to be a growth period for both of them. But it's exciting to see them making this transition.

Finally, the goat conversation will probably always dominate basketball conversations. Kobe Bryant revealed his. true feelings about it on the issue to ESPN. He said, it's hard for people to believe, but I really don't care. I've moved on. You have a career. You do the best you can for the 20 years. I was fortunate to play. And then you shelf it. You're done. You move on to the next thing. Now I'm focused on these next 20 years. Those debates are entertaining. I'm sure it's fun for people to engage on those. But for me personally, it doesn't matter. I believe him. I really do. I believe him too. I mean, I think, I think Kobe thinks he's the best. But I also think he doesn't

care if people don't think he is. And I think that really, I think LeBron, Michael, Kareem, Kobe, like all these guys in the conversation of being the greatest of all time really don't want to have that conversation. Also, when you play, you have a different perspective of the game. Like, they don't look at the game. All old school players are like, well, it would be a different game. If no one could, if there was no hand check and it was much more physical then. And you know what I mean? So they don't, I don't think they really compare each other in that way. Plus, I think it's, Kobe's smart enough. Once you're a retire. This is what happens to a lot of pro athletes. They retire and they don't know what they're

going to do with their lives. And they're no longer the most important guy in the room. It's like, Kobe's like, okay, I'm going to do some business stuff. I'm going to move on. And Kobe seems incredibly healthy in his retirement. No, Kobe has transitioned from the black mamba into the golden mamba, especially with everything that just happened with the Lakers this year. He's on another level. He's like getting involved in ego conversations. Yeah, he's transitioned out of basketball. And I didn't know if it was going to be this good because he's so intense. But Kobe's moved on. He's really healthy right now. Joy with the news. Well, that's the news. And thanks for stopping by.

The herd-line news. All right, we got some NFL stuff. Justin Houston went to the Colts. Randall Cobb went to the Cowboys, a lot of mid-range guys. Albert Breer, who is a senior NFL reporter for Monday morning quarterback via the Coward Global Satellite Network. You know, it's interesting. The big spenders, you know, you got Oakland, you got Cleveland, you got the Jets, where all the teams seeking value, the sands. and the Cowboys and Green Bay and Indianapolis. You know, I kind of look at this free agency period, and I think we're overreacting to the big spenders,

and the teams that impressed me were the smart spenders. What was your takeaway in the last five days? Well, I heard you talking about Indianapolis earlier, and I think they're a good example of smart spending. Almost never is there a great value in that first wave of free agency, and it's rare that we've seen teams. Now, this never happens, but it's rare that we'd see teams, really build the core of who they are as a championship team through the first couple days

of free agency. I mean, one example would be Denver a few years ago, but it rarely happens. And so, you know, I think some of the smarter teams look at the market, saw what came off the market when the franchise out and just said, this is not a great group. And spending in the first two days is basically the equivalent of buying a new car. You know, the minute you drive it off a lot, it's going to lose its value. And so I think some of the smarter teams really looked at this and took a step back and said, we're going to wait for the second wave of free agency.

That's why if you want to look over the first week, five of the six lowest spenders in the league were in the playoffs last year. And the one aberration was actually the Miami Dolphins who are going through a complete tear down right now. And so I think the Colts are a great example of it, like you said, Colin. The fact that they wait the market out and now they're looking for value is proven over time to be a sound strategy. And ultimately, if you want to look at their past, too, that's how they found Eric Ebron, that's how they found Eniqauchre. That's how they found Pierre de Sier. They found value there before, and it's a good bet that they'll do it again. By the way, Ricky Williams was a great

football player. You know, he took some time off, came back, was never quite the same. He was a top one or two back in the NFL. He was very much about being a holistic human. He had a life outside football. Levian Bell, by the way, being interviewed by Jenny Vrenas, that a great job S.I said this the other day in an interview, and I want you to react. Let's play the tape. Like, they don't treat like a human. What I mean by that is like, I'm, yeah, I'm an NFL athlete, but it's still, I'm a human being. You know what I'm saying? So, like, I still play video games. I still make music. It's like, they don't want to, like, allow you to be yourself for real. It's like, they want you to be, if you're a Steeler, like, you're

literally supposed to be playing football 24-7. You're not supposed to be playing video games. and making music, playing basketball. You're not supposed to be doing that. You're supposed to be working out. You know, listen, a lot of what he said I defended yesterday, almost all of it. Yeah. That one felt a lot like Ricky Williams, who, by the way, congrats. You're a well-rounded human.

But there is part of me that thinks this Jets thing could be a disaster. I wonder, do your sources say, in the building in New York, was it a split decision here? because I see Levian and I want it to work. I think it'll work. But man, there's a Ricky Williams feel to it. What is your takeaway? There's definitely concern in the building, you know,

and the same concern a lot of other teams had over the injury history, over the suspension history, over the way things went down the last couple of years in Pittsburgh. And that's why the Jets, you know, came up with a number. And they said, this is what we think your value is. And they never moved off that number because it wasn't unanimous in the building. And I would just look at this, you know, in two different ways, Colin. Number one, Pittsburgh is traditionally maybe the most player-friendly environment in the entire NFL.

You want to talk about a place that lets people be who they are? This goes back to the 70s. They've always been that way. In fact, I think you could argue that it really just boiled over this year, that they went too far with it letting Antonio Brown and Levyon Bell and other guys in that building be themselves. It led to personality conflicts and everything else. Then there's the second piece of this. And that's who Levyon Bell is actually going to be.

playing for him. Not just talking about the Jets. I'm talking about Adam Gase. And if you look at Gase's history, the last three years in Miami, what happened after two years? He wanted to flip the culture upside down because he didn't want to deal with Indomacan Su. He didn't want to deal with Jarvis Landry. And who did they bring in? They brought in guys who are culture guys, guys like Frank Gore, guys like Danny Amandola. And so I look at this. And I'm just saying to myself, which is kind of keep your radar up for what might happen with Leveon Bell, and whether or not this fits how Adam Gase wants to build his program. Again, Leveon Bell had support in that building.

I'm just interested to see what the personality matches, based on the history of the two guys between Bell and Gates. By the way, Pittsburgh just lost Antonio Brown, and I'm reading all these power rankings, and suddenly we think they're the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. They still have a great O-line, great owner, great GM, good coach, good quarterback, second in the NFL and Sacks. Kansas City, though, is interesting.

I don't think you can replace Tyreek Hill. If indeed he can't come back. There is no duplicate of him. He is the fastest player easily in the league. Kareem Hunt, D4, Justin Houston, Eric Berry's leadership. Are we so caught up on the noise and controversy of the Steelers that we're not paying attention to a really good team that lost four to five impact players Kansas City.

I don't think the same about the Chiefs this morning. They're going through a scheme change on defense and that's part of it. And I think a big piece of this is going to be how some of the lower profile rookies of last year develop. They believe in guys like Breland Speaks and Dorian O'Don, Daniel, and Derek Nottie. And so that's where the improvement's going to have to come from defensively. And because they are allowing for that sort of development defensive, because they're going to be relying on even more draft picks on defense to fit what Steve Spagnola wants to do.

More is going to be on the offense to carry the team. And that worked last year. There's no question about it. Most explosive offense in football. But you're right. If you take Tyree kill out of the equation now that compounds the issue that you had losing Karim Hunt, Sammy Watkins is going to be your number one. How does that work out?

You also lost Chris Connolly. I know he was hurt at the end of the year, but he had been a big part of the offense early on. I just think there's a lot riding on what happens with Tyree Kill for the Chiefs now. If he can't play, the look of that offense is very, very different from what it was last year. And you know what that's going to mean, Colin? That's going to mean Patrick Mahomes is going to have to carry that team. And we've seen the way that's gone with young players in the past. He was terrific.

No question about it. Deservant MVP of the league in 2018. But we know how things change when quarterbacks are. forced to carry teams versus having a group around them that can help them carry the load. And certainly if Hill is out of the equation, everything changes for Patrick Mahomes in Kansas City. All right. Albert Breer, senior reporter, former Patriot Beat Rider and Cowboy Beat Rider Sporting News

now at the MMQB. Great talking to you. This is a fun time of the year, kind of wrapping up as we get ready for the draft. I'll just throw this out there. I've been told three teams have called on Josh Rosen. All three have successful veteran quarterbacks. That's what I've been told, meaning they're leaning Kyler Murray. What are you hearing?

What I've heard is that a lot of teams have been calling around to guys who coached Josh Rosen over the course of the last four years and trying to figure out who he is. They're doing the background work, so they're ready to go whenever the four-sales sign is. around Josh Rosen's neck. And so there's at least a perception in the NFL right now that Kyle Murray is going to be the first overall pick. And eventually, Josh Rosen is going to become available. Now, what's so interesting about this, Colin, is that they almost have to do it before

the draft because once quarterbacks get drafted, once we see where Dwayne Haskins is going to go where Kyle Murray and Kyle Murray is obviously a little different because he's going to wind up going to Arizona if this situation does play out this way, Daniel Jones, Drew Locke, where do all these guys go? well, you're going to have less suitors once those guys wind up getting drafted. And so I think there's going to be kind of a tight rope that Arizona is going to have to walk here. And when that four sale sign does go around Josh Rosen's neck like a lot of people expected to, I would expect that you're going to see some of the teams that have older quarterbacks on the roster,

your chargers, your Patriots, your Packers, your Steelers, those would be the sorts of teams that I think would be interested in looking at Josh Rosen as a potential answer down the line. And here's why, because the low end of it, you've got a cheap backup for the next three years, $6 million over the next three years. That's almost nothing for a backup quarterback. And then the high end potential is you have your next guy. You have the guy to succeed Philip Rivers or Ben Rothensburg or Aaron Rogers or Tom Brady or Drew Breeze. To me, I mean, if you're one of those teams, you're probably not going to be bad enough in the near future to find the next guy.

This would be a creative way to answer that question. So what you're saying about those teams kind of sniffing around on Josh Rosen doesn't surprise. me at all. Albert Breer, have a great weekend, bud. All right, you too, gone. Yep, teams are offering a second round pick is what I'm told. Good teams. Three teams, playoff teams, have a veteran quarterback who's still very good, but getting gray. That's what I'm hearing. Arizona hasn't made up a decision yet. Coming up next, I have got to.

Finally, compliment Russell Westbrook on an amazing accomplishment. I will, I promise. Next, it's the herd. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays in noon Eastern 9 a.m. Pacific. Cold and flu season try Vic Sinx nasal spray. A couple of sniffs. Works in seconds, 12 hours. Congestion strikes. Vick sinex nasal spray. Oh, by the way, I'm very critical sometimes of Russell Westbrook. Many people say I'm a hater, and I've said, don't hate the dude. Kind of hate his game. Relentless, tunnel vision. Doesn't play well with others.

You think he's playing well, but he kind of unresolved. unravels at the end of every season because he's just an intense dude and intense people. When you add a little bit of pressure to intense people, they're more combustible. But he is a Hall of Famer. He will be and he is an all-star. I don't think this year. But, you know, we all know he's a good player, but I've never been into his game. And there's always players in sports that I don't like their game.

But, you know, I know how good they are, but I just don't like their game. I don't like Russell Westbrook's game. I think it's hard to play with. So I didn't watch the NBA last night because I was watching college basketball. all night long. And so I didn't watch the NBA, but yesterday I criticized OKC and Westbrook for dropping to eighth in the Western Conference. And I said, come on, you got an MVP candidate, a Stephen Adams legit player, Westbrook's

going to be a Hall of Famer. You can't be eighth in the West. And by the way, you're the only team in the West now that's playing like crap. Denver's hot, Houston's hot, San Antonio's hot, Golden State's Golden State, Utah's hot, clippers are hot. Oklahoma City is a mess. And so I was very critical when they dropped from fifth to eighth. But this morning, I looked at the standings and they're fifth again.

So I didn't watch the NBA. So I'd like to congratulate Westbrook on a huge night. If I'm going to criticize them when they drop to eight, I've got to give them a ton of credit for crushing it last night. Joy, who did they play? They didn't play last night, Colin. They just moved up because the jazz lost. There's some tiebreakers, there's some movements.

So Westbrook didn't? play? He didn't have 40? No, he had zero. How did they move up three spots? Because the jazz lost. And the West is very close. That's why we should not freak out about where the seatings fall at the moment because every game is changing everything. So Westbrook moved up more than any single night of the year by not playing. You got it. So Westbrook's actually better not playing than playing. No, that's not how this works. Is that what? No, that's not that's technically in this particular scenario, them not playing benefited them because they did not change.

So here are the Western Conference standings. The teams are bunched so closely. Yesterday the Jazz were fifth, Spurs, Clippers, Thunder. Today, look at the, look at the records. It's insane. Because of one game. Yes. Now it's Thunder, Spurs, Jazz, Clippers.

Here's the problem, though. If the Thunder don't get to the four spot, they start and end their first round on the road where they're a 500 team. Like most playoff teams in the NBA, They're not nearly as good. No, you want home court advantage for sure.

All right. So I'll scale back. The congratulations, a little on Westport. No, no, no, no. What do I have to? No. They're for the fifth seed for a reason. Throughout the year they played and got that record,

and that's where they've landed this particular moment. All right. Let me shift to somebody I used to compliment all the time, but I think it's had a bad year, the Lakers and LeBron. I saw a story this morning, by Bill Orham at theathletic.com, good site, subscription-based. And he was asking questions, Jeannie Bus owns the team. What should she do to turn it around?

What are the questions she should be asking? I have told you that I think the biggest problem with the Lakers is there's a power struggle. There's too many chefs. You got LeBron's a chef. You got Kobe talking to Rob Palankas is a chef, Magic's a chef, and Jeannie Bus owns the team, so she's the primary chef. There's too many chefs and not enough grinders. There's too many people who stay at five-star hotels and eat five-star meals, and there's not enough grinders.

And if you know the name of your GM, generally it's bad news because it means he was successful and got rich doing other stuff before he was GM. Even in glamorous businesses like comedy and social media and Hollywood, grinders win. Work ethic is still the most important thing. I work with a bunch of people. Our show works really hard. That's the best thing we do. There's makeup and there's hair and there's suits. We grind.

Grinding wins, even in funny business, the serious people comedy win. Chris Rock works hard. You know, Steve Harvey works hard. Jerry Seinfeld worked hard. Ricky Jervais works hard. Will Ferrell worked hard. And this is the Lakers problem. Magic Johnson, every summer, grabs his two best friends.

I won't name them, both Hollywood stars. They get on a yacht and they go to Italy with their families for a month. for a month. You know where Darry the Houston Rockets is for the next three weeks? Serbia, Croatia, Turkey, Slovenia,

scouting bench players. This is video from his Instagram. This is what he's doing. There's no yacht there. It's hard. The Lakers have become Mike Tyson at the end of his career. They no longer jab.

They're going for the knockout punch. They landed one with LeBron Braun and they need two more to win the fight. Grinding wins, not celebrities. Mike Tyson early, jab, movement, and a knockout punch. Mike Tyson at the end, I covered him. No jab, not in great shape, kind of lazy in his prep, going to knock you out. That doesn't work in any business, 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 ah here we go this on a friday is the herd wherever you may be however you may be listening iHeart radio fox sports radio fs one joy taylor is joining me it is great to be here it is absolutely great to be here the um all sorts of stuff tournament's going to go on big games are at night be honest with you they don't put the best games in day. Your big programs, your Dukes are going tonight, Kentucky's, your Michigan's, all that stuff. Do not yell at your players. A joy is very upset with this. Big argument in the first hour of the show. Big argument. I'm not saying you can't yell at your players. I enjoy families that yell. I have been

ugly. My family is a yelling family. There's no other way to communicate. It's so uncomfortable. We have to tell people this is actually how we talk to each other. I know people like that. So I'm very much a yeller. That's for sure. It doesn't make me uncomfortable to be chastised or to get constructive criticism. You just didn't like this. I just think that there is a reason why everyone's discussing it. It's not because we're soft.

No one in my life has ever described me as a soft person. Don't you think we're a little softer than we used to be? I think we are overall as a society more sensitive to things. I think that's a good thing in general because a lot of people have been marginalized and overlooked. Sure. So that makes it easier for people to speak out.

So there are balances to everything in life. I don't think that this is outrageous. I don't know. No one's calling for him to be fired or expunged from the records of college basketball. I'm just saying he went a little over the line.

He just a little over the line. I love it. Families that squabble love each other. I mean, yell at me like that as he all goes down. So by the way, you know, it's funny about this. Can you imagine if there was this

company that was terribly run. And then they added a couple of employees, and I had the audacity to say, yeah, but it's still a poorly run company. You wouldn't say, Colin is brutal. He is unfair. And then there was this company that was well-run forever, and they lost one good employee. And I said, yeah, but there's still a really well-run company. That's what has happened in the NFC North.

With the Pittsburgh Steelers, who have a great owner, a great GM, very good coach, good quarterback, back, good O'line, good star. Lost Antonio Brown, and I'm supposed to believe now, they're reeling in the organization is in a free fall. The Cleveland Browns have been the laughing stock of the NFL for, I don't know, ever. They add a couple of players, who, by the way, have never lived up to their contract. Injuries, ego attitude, just haven't. Olivier Vernon, Sheldon Richardson, O'Dell Beckham, and now you think they're in the Super Bowl.

Even people I like Joe Thomas, smart guy, now is putting Cleveland a poorly run business for, I don't know, ever into the Super Bowl conversation. When you look at the pieces that were put together, you've got to say on paper that this is a roster that's talented enough to go to the Super Bowl. Folks, the last 24 Super Bowl coaches, I don't even want to, guys in the back, don't put the graph up because it's confusing to the audience. The last 12 years, 24 coaches in the Super Bowl, it's overwhelmingly been this. Belichick six times, Coughlin two times.

Pete Carroll or one of his prodigés three times, a harbaugh twice, three Andy Reid prodigés three times, young smartest coach in the league, Sean McVeigh, Mike McCarthy, and Sean Payton. That's overwhelmingly who's made the Super Bowl. It's like either a great coach or somebody that learned under a great coach,

Doug Peterson, Andy Reed. And you have Freddie Kitchens making the Super Bowl, who's never been a full-time coordinator for a season. who was a running back coach until last year week eight. They don't even have an elite staff. Steve Wilkes defensive coordinator, grease fire last year in Arizona. The guy they have now running their offense got fired in Tampa. You really have them going to the Super Bowl.

If I told you there was a really well-run company for 50 years that lost one employee, wouldn't I sound like an idiot saying, oh, they're free-falling? Similarly, wouldn't I sound like an idiot when you have a franchise for 20 years has been the league's most poorly owned run franchise, adds a couple of underachieving employees. By the way, Sheldon Richardson, Olivier Vernon never lived up to their contracts. John Dorsey, GM, run out of Kansas City. Odell Beckham, 16 games missed last two years. And you want me because of those added employees to say, yeah, I think they're in the Super Bowl. wouldn't that be considered a hot take?

Cleveland was 0 and 16 six months ago. They were two and six on the road. Little chaos, blown out four times. They were one in five against playoff teams. They're only one against Joe Flacko who stinks and got benched. The last rookie head coach to win a Super Bowl was George Seifert, 49ers, who were great everywhere. GM, quarterback, owner, roster, O-line.

It's just unbelievable. Just take football out of it. Well-run company for 40 years lost an employee. You really think, by the way, they have another employee named Juju Smith-Schuster, who's really good and was targeted and almost caught as many balls as the guy that left. You think they're going to free fall. And this other poorly run company added some don't show up to work a lot, underachieving employees. And you think that's a great team.

I mean, people are cuckoo. They're crazy town. I think this is why there was such a harsh reaction whenever they hired Freddie Kitchens and we were like, okay, what does that mean? It's okay to say that you've improved and that we'd like to see how that improvement

actually translates to wins. Okay, so now I know what a lot of you were saying. Well, Colin, you don't like Baker Mayfield, that's why. So if you think that's the reason, let's talk about the Jets, because I do love Sam Darnold, their quarterback. For the record, I think the Jets could be, Labian Bell added a mess this year.

I think it's going to work. I'm not sure it is. There is huge potential. Yesterday, Todd Haley said of Labian Bell, listen to New York. I know it's going to be like, we've got Labian. Here we go. You've got to set the bar a little lower to start.

Basically, Todd Haley's had Lavian Bell. He's saying, have some patience with Levian Bell. You have a star running back who's saying he wants to worry about music sometimes. He wants to be more human. Sounds very Ricky Williams. You have a coach in Adam Gase who doesn't deal with egos at all in Miami. You've got major pressure that you've got to deliver Lavian Bell. You have a weak offensive line, a chaotic franchise, a general manager.

I'm not sure in New York. He knows what he's doing. The Jets could be an absolute mess this year. and I think OBJ and Cleveland will work. And I think Levian Bell to the Jets will work. But this thing has disaster all over it. Adam Gase doesn't deal with ego well. He shipped them all out of Miami.

The offensive lines, one of the five worst in the league, unless they nail it in the draft and they don't have a second round pick. And they're not going to take an offensive lineman with a third pick because there's not an offensive lineman that's good enough to be the third pick. So they're not getting an offensive alignment in the first two rounds of the draft unless they trade it. And I don't think anybody's going to move up for that pick. So this is not a Baker-Sam thing. It's a just take football out of it with the Browns.

Would you ever say this business has been brilliant gold standard 20 years? They lost an employee. Oh, God, they're going to be Enron. No. Pittsburgh's going to be fine. It's a great organization. Owner GM quarterback coach, roster, O-line, receivers, sacks, second the league.

I don't mind moving a couple employees over to a... Cleveland was only 16. Six months ago. They got blown out four times. Couldn't win big road games. Beat one playoff team Baltimore who benched their quarterback. They played Baltimore a second time with the rookie quarterback. They couldn't beat them.

It's crazy town. And when Lavin Bell went on the air with Sports Illustrated and said this, I got to be honest with you. It's not great. Like, they don't treat like a human. What I mean by that is like, I'm an NFL athlete, but still I'm a human being.

You know what I'm saying? So like, I still play video games. I still make music. It's like they don't want to like allow you to be yourself for real. It's like they want you to be if you're a stealer. Like you're literally supposed to be playing football 24-7. You're not supposed to be. play video games and making music, playing basketball.

You're not supposed to be doing that. You're supposed to be working out. Listen, Lavian, Pittsburgh is so pro player. They don't want you to turn it on your Facebook in the locker room after a game. And yes, during the season, they want you to be committed. But NFL players, this sounds very Ricky Williams to me, NFL players who whine about, I don't have a life, you've got nothing but life. Major League Baseball players, 200 games a year if you get to like the championship series.

And then you go in the winter league and you go play more baseball and warm weather and improve your batting. Like football players, I'm sorry, but January to May, you're off for most of you. And then May is a three-day OTA. Then you go back to party and go hang out in a boat with your buddies. Then you come back for another week-long OTA. And some stars, for the record, don't even show up to that one if they're not a quarterback. And by the way, Tom Brady last year didn't even train in New England. He protested.

He went and trained like a Costa Rica, L.A. He didn't have to come back to the town. So, yeah, it's not a baker thing. It's a Pittsburgh is going to be fine. Cleveland and the Jets could both be complete grease fires next year. Just because you add one greater employee or two great employees to poorly run businesses doesn't mean make me think you're going to be a great business. Rob Parker coming up.

Crazy Rob. You know, we bring Rob on Friday. and he's a little chaotic. He's a little crazy, but he's wildly entertaining. And he thinks it's going to be an incredibly long summer for the Lakers that's coming up. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays in noon Eastern 9 a.m. Pacific on Fox Sports Radio, FS1 and the IHard Radio app. Last night, a blown call changed a game. This morning, the internet lost its mind. Highlights are trending, opinions are flying, and nobody's telling you exactly what happened.

That's where Sports Slice comes in. I'm Timbo. Every episode we're cutting through the noise. Breaking down the plays, the controversies, and the stories behind the headlines. We go straight to the source, the athlete themselves. Their locker room stories, their reactions, the stuff nobody gets to hear. The laughs, the drama, the triumphs, the moments that never make the highlight real. From viral moments to historic games, from buzzer beaters to controversial calls, we break it down, give you context and ask the questions everybody wants answered. Sports slice brings you closer to the action with stories told by people who live them. Listen to SportsSlice on the IHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever

you get your podcast. And for more, follow Timbo Sliced Life 12 in the TikTok podcast network on TikTok. Welcome to my new podcast, Learn the Hardway with me, your host, and your favorite therapist, Kear Games. And in recognition of mental health awareness month, I'm bringing over a decade of my own experience in the mental health field and conversations with so many incredible guests. I'm talking, Tripp Fontaine, Ryan Clark. Sometimes when we're in the pursuit of the thing, We get so wrapped up in the chase that we don't realize that we are in possession of the thing. And we're still chasing it. And we don't know when we've done enough.

Because people scoreboard watch. Life becomes about wins and losses. Steve Burns, Dustin Ross, because you find it important to be a good person while you hear on earth. Are you a good person because you're afraid? Because that's two different intentions, bro. Absolutely. And that's two different levels of trust. I want you to just really be a good person.

Join me, Keir Gaines, as we have real conversations about healing, growth, fatherhood, pressure, and purpose on my new podcast, Learn the Hard Way. Open your free iHeartRadio app. Search Learn the Hardway and listen now. Jacob Kingston grew up in an isolated polygamous sect. We were God's chosen kingdom on earth. He felt destined for greatness. So when a swaggering Armenian businessman catapults Jacob into an extraordinary world, he doesn't look back. Ferraris and Lamborghinis, private jets, meeting the president of Turkey.

I'm Michelle McPhee, and this is one of the most shocking criminal conspiracies I've ever come across. When Jacob met Levant, this went to a billion dollar fraud. But with two kings from entirely different worlds, just how long can their empire survive? The largest tax investigation in American history. You need to tell me what you know.

Is somebody? coming after me. Jacob told Levan, you're ruining my life. Listen to Kingdom of Fraud on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Life throws hurdles big and small. The question is, how do you conquer them? On hurdle with Emily Abadi, we sit down with the most inspiring women in sports and

wellness, professional athletes, coaches, and Olympic champions to talk about the challenges that shaped them and the mindset that keeps them going. from the WMBA standout Kate Martin and rising hockey star Layla Edwards. If a boy can do it, I don't see why a girl can't. Like, I've never understood that. Like, it didn't make sense in my brain. It's hard to be in spaces that no one looks like you,

but don't ever feel like you don't feel like you don't feel on. Don't let that be the reason you don't do it. An Olympic champs Gabby Thomas and Katie Ladeki. The ability to show a gold medal to someone and have their face light up and smile, that means the world to me. And that's what motivates me to win more gold medals. at our level at this scale, like being able to fail in front of the entire world.

Like, I can do anything. I can do anything. Because resilience isn't just about winning. It's about showing up, even when it's hard. Listen to Hurtle with Emily Abadi on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Presented by Capital One, founding partner of IHeart Women's Sports. Sharks, Spadley, Anaheim, Ducks 10 Eastern tonight, Discover Card Key matchup, free credit score. Get it today.

Discover.com slash credit scorecard limitations apply. I bring in my friend. We often bring him in on Fridays. He is dynamic and he is outspoken and he is polarizing. He is our instigator at FS1. Rob Parker, co-host of the odd couple, Chris Brousard, Weekdays, Fox Sports Radio, teaches sports commentary at USC. Yeah, that place over there's a got all sorts of craziness happening.

We got a new president, though. I know. Hey, I didn't take any bribes. I'm just teaching. Okay, so I said this earlier. When I, out of college, I got a job in Las Vegas. I was a very lucky kid. You know how the first job you get in broadcasting is always like, you know, middle of nowhere.

Right. And I didn't make anything, but I got a great job in Las Vegas. And boxing was a big deal. So Tark and you and LV were big and boxing was big. So I covered Mike Tyson, Sugar Ray Leonard, all that. Mike Tyson started. He had a jab. His movement was great.

He was a great young, teachable, coachable boxer. Then he got rich. And at the end, he had no jab. He went into fights, not in shape. He got lazy. and Mike just went for the knockout punch. And you can't beat a Vanderholyfield and Lennox Lewis with that kind of work ethic. I look at the Lakers as Tyson the old Tyson.

Big brand, a lot of money, a lot of history, but they gave away their best young center to the Clippers. They haven't worked terribly hard. Magic is a wealthy guy and Kobe's still a wealthy guy. And I look at them as Tyson. They're going for the big swings. They land LeBron knockout, and they're going for Anthony Davis knockout. But they don't have a shooter on this roster, and it's 2019. They feel like the old Mike Tyson to me where they made too much money,

and they're not putting in the work, and they're going for the big knockout, and I'm not sure they're landing any big star outside of maybe Jimmy Butler. I'm with you. It's the ultimate swing and miss. It really is. and they missed on so many different factors with trying to put this together. Okay, you land LeBron James, but did you realize that he's 34 years old with a lot of models? So he has his first really major injury.

Then you have a court that you're talking about how great it is, and you look at it like, it's okay. Kuzma's your guy. Right? It's okay, but it's not great. Not special. Right. And then there were a lot of people when they put the team together, said, where's the shooting? Where's the three-point shooting? A lot of people did.

I think most of us did. Right? Most people looked at the roster and was like, I don't know about this roster. They had Brooke Lopez, let him go. He was a shooter. Exactly. And instead, you know, Magic talked about he watched all the videotape of the finals and said that, you know, do you need some tough guys to beat the Warriors? It's not all about the shooters. I think that was a miscalculation. And when you look at everything that's happened, and I keep telling you, Paul George is not coming, has read. what everything. Imagine if Paul George was on this team now. You'd have your shooter and you'd have your second star. You would have that and then you could add Jimmy Butler or third guy and then you're

really in contention. By the way, and there is a lot of people in the league that feel that Oklahoma City simply outwork the Lakers in recruiting. There's no doubt about it and I think people always think, well, we're the Lakers. We don't have to do anything. You want to play here, don't you, it's Los Angeles. The sunshine, the history, all the banners. People want to be wooed, Colin. You know, I don't care who you are. How much money do you make? I don't, people want to be wanted. Yes. And I think that that's where Magic miscalculated the Paul George thing. I mean, you can look at Magic now. He's probably considered the flavor, Flav of NBA executive.

He's flashy, but he hadn't gotten anything done in a long time. Let me go to this. I always thought David Stern, the former NBA commissioner, was too much of an owner's commissioner. No doubt about it. I feel Adam Silver,

the pendulum has swung so far. He's too much of a players commissioner. So Adam Silver extended the All-Star break to benefit the players more rest. I'm okay with it. He said, I'm going to cut back on some back-to-backs. I'm okay with it.

The star players have responded by missing more games, including big TV games. Kobe came out yesterday and he said, look, the only time I took a game off is when I couldn't walk. There are kids in the crowd, families. So, Rob, I grew up in a small town, didn't have a lot of money. I would go to one NBA game every three years,

and I wanted to see downtown Freddie Brown of the Sonics, and he was always available. Let's not forget that a lot of people that go to NBA games They're not season ticket holders. They're small town people that go to see. Most people aren't in America rich. Most people in America, even in Los Angeles at Laker Games, are not movie stars. They're working class people who go four times a year.

I think these stars have taken advantage of a very pro player commissioner. No doubt about it. And I think it's, I told you it borders on consumer fraud. It really does. You said that last year. Right. point. How about the game last week in Milwaukee with Janus didn't play and LeBron didn't pay, didn't play? Tell me there weren't people. That might have been their only game of the year thinking

LeBron's coming. It's a big game in March, right? $6,500 seats in Milwaukee. The average ticket price tripled and Janice and LeBron didn't play. I think it's, I think that that's a problem. And we know that Popovich was the one who started it. Okay. And he got fined by Stern. I remember. By the way, and nobody really cared because they weren't that fast. I mean, D. Wade would take a day off. We're all like, wait. Spurs guys would take a day off. Nobody cared. But David Stern was always the owner's commissionaries. Like, time out. We're not doing this to our fans because he would do it about six times a year.

And then what happened was because LeBron adopted it, and once the best player on a planet decides to start taking days off, other players go, well, if LeBron is okay and cool, we're taking days off, I'll take some off as well. And they follow the leader. Just like when Michael Jordan played, you know this. He never took off unless he was hurt. His last year at age 40 played all 82 games.

That's one of a funny trivia at the bar. Right. I saw his last game in Portland. He was still a great player. He was still a – he wasn't quite – He was 40 years old. No, but Michael just played. And I think Michael from his shoe –

Michael from his world vision on shoes to his game. Michael's a businessman. He understood it, though. He did. Michael didn't go. The fans out there matter, and you can't take advantage of people. People are paying their hard-earned money. You just said it.

Most people aren't filthy, rich, and don't care. That might be their only game. I remember a couple years ago in Memphis. LeBron didn't show up for one of those games, and it was near Christmas. So many kids were in tears. That was their Christmas gift. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Listen, I grew up in a small town.

Joy grew up in the hipster environment in Pittsburgh, and you in New York City, there were guys like me that grew up in the middle of like Hayfield. How many games you think, even as a kid growing up in New York, did I get to go to a year? How many? One or two, if we were lucky. And most of the time, somebody gave my parents tickets. Do you know what I mean? If we didn't buy tickets.

What about you, Joy Taylor, from an amazing family. How many games a year? NBA games? It's my NBA team in Pittsburgh. Okay, what about that? I didn't go to an NBA game. until I was an adult. Okay, what about the Steelers?

I mean, I didn't really go to Steelers games either. I went to high school football games. See? I didn't start going to any professional games until my brother started playing. Was it a financial thing or just a geography thing? Yeah, I mean, it's financial thing. Yeah, I mean, there's three kids in the house. Yeah, same here.

You don't have ticket money. You know what I mean? Think about it. People make it work because it's what they spend their entertainment dollar on, and that's part of what they do, which is why it is important to be able to see the players when you go. Okay, here's something. I think Zion's going to be a really good pro. I always laugh when we all pick apart these young kids.

I think he's kind of a positionless player, which it's easier to look at a shooting guard and go, but LeBron's position list. A lot of guys in the NBA now. It doesn't bother me. I just think he's a big, strong, fast kid with a beautiful touch. He'll develop an outside shot. But let me ask you this.

What if Duke with four NBA players doesn't win? Do we look at Zion differently? No, we do not. don't look at it that way because when you talk about a one and done and a single elimination, you can get beat. I'll tell you right here. If Michael Jordan was in a single elimination game, he wouldn't have six championships. He wouldn't be six and oh.

Somebody can beat you one night. Well, yeah. By the way, or a big shot. Zion's a big physical kid. What if you get an official who's calling it tight and one charging foul? He's got two fouls you sit him and then he gets a foul early second half. It depends a lot on an officiating. If you're going to call a game close with Duke,

Zion's the body that could get three fouls like that. And then you neutralize him, and then all of a sudden Duke isn't as good. So I agree with that. I don't think you look down on him or think, well, he didn't get a championship. I know 70% of the country is picking Duke because fans do the most obvious takes.

Right. Right. It's just obvious to pick the best player and the Duke tradition. They do have the best team, don't know? No, I get it, but I'm just saying. Do you think he'll be a great pro? I think he'll be a very good pro. I'm not convinced yet.

There have been a lot of bust at the top of the NBA draft. Guys, you thought we're going to make it. You think a very good pro. 24 a game. Yeah, he could do that. But I'll tell you this, if I'm the Knicks and I'm able to get the two sign of two big stars, if I get Duran and Kyrie, I don't, I would trade him to New Orleans and get Anthony Davis. Oh, that'd be a bummer.

I would, though. I've seen star players in New Orleans. It's not good. But I'm just saying, wouldn't you, if you're a Knicks and you're trying to win a championship. Remember, the Knicks aren't like most franchises. They don't have to sell tickets. They've been selling tickets for 40 years and having won a championship. I'm not with you that Durant and Kyrie, I think they're both great and they're both flaky.

I don't think they guarantee. I don't think they win championships. You don't think if you put that with Anthony Davis, they wouldn't have a chance to win a championship? You've just put together the Olympic team. Yeah, I don't think that's going to, I don't think you're going to get three guys go to any one team. You want to bet some chicken wings on this one? you think you're going to get three stars to the Knicks. I think that if the Knicks get the first overall pick

and they get those two guys to sign there's a good chance that they will make a trade with New Orleans. That is a lot of... I'm putting it out there. You got me? Chicken wings? You know who I think is going to win the number one pick? Cleveland.

And then I think one of the... I don't think Kyrie is going to go to New York. And I don't think Kevin Durant's going to go to New York. I'm not convinced of it. There's been so much talk about it. But... Where there's smoke is usually five. You're right, but I think it's easy to say stuff.

Remember, Draymond publicly chastised KD, and it was ugly, right? He got personal. Kevin Durant's been a little aloof with the Warriors front office, a little aloof. He also had a really tragedy happen in his family, so let's be thoughtful of KD. But I think when it gets down to brass tacks, KD is going to go, I've got my third MVP finals. We're building the new arena. and I play with the greatest organization, probably in NBA history. I'm not going anywhere.

I get that, and he'd have a chance to win four in a row, which even the grades have never done, right? So I get that part. But there's also a part of him wanting to totally validate his career. Oh, God. Yes, you could say, you can poop with Colin. He's going to have to go somewhere, win something with somebody else for people to say, because they'll always look at him and say he joined a record-setting team,

write the wars that already had won a championship without him. And granted, while he's going to win three in a row, and I fully expect him to win. I think that he knows deep down. It was almost like Kobe here with Shaq. He had won those three championships, but he knew he would never get the full credit until he could win without Shaq.

Shaq was the better player. He was a more dominant player. When I watched Kobe with Shaq, you know what I thought? Kobe's the closest thing I've ever seen to MJ. Yeah, because he emulated MJ between the debate. The way he talked, if you would have turned on, not look at a picture here, the talk. He imitated Michael Jordan. I never felt Kobe had to validate himself to me with Powell Gasol.

I thought Kobe was one of the greatest. You don't think who would check was the most dominating player in the NBA Jordan those three in a row. And Kobe was the next Michael Jordan, 90% of Jordan. I'm not one of these that believes Kevin Durant has to leave to validate his career. His career is amazing. I just think. That's like saying Tom Broca had to leave NBC to validate that, you know, he had to Peacock.

He needed to go to like a Vice television. I don't believe. You're either great or you're not. I don't need every baseball player to go to Tampa Bay and win a World Series with a race to validate their career. Either you're good. Buster Posey's good. Clayton Kershaw's good. No, I get all that.

But there are people. And you even heard. Crazy people. Clyde Frazier, who's one of the 50 greatest players of all time, even said that he looks at it like with an asteris, that he joined this great team. And I'm not blaming. I'm not blaming Kevin Duran. What's Clyde Frazier doing without Willis Reed and Earl Monroe?

Bupkus. Well, but he also won two championships and the Knicks haven't won since. So give him a little bit of credit. By the way, Brown's expectations, I said this earlier. If I said to you there's this great company, Rob. They've been great for 40 years. They just lost one employee. Would you say they're going to be a horrible company?

No. That's the Steelers. If I said there's been a company that's been a grease fire for 20 years, They just added a couple of guys. One can't get healthy. Is it suddenly a great company? Of course not. I don't buy the Brown Super Bowl talk.

Yes, you do because it's prisoner of the moment. I think it's ridiculous. It's just sexy. OBJ, oh my God. Look at all the play. Baker Mayfield. Can we break down last year when they won one game against a team over 500? That was early 12 to 9 against Baltimore with a bad flacko.

They beat up on Cincinnati that fired their defensive coordinator during the season. because they were giving up 500 yards a game. Go look at it. Yeah, Jeff Driscoll was the quarterback. I mean, it's just, this is so ridiculous. Will they be good? And then what happens when the ball isn't mixed around and all these guys aren't satisfied?

I just think people are way, way out of bounds with the Browns going to the Super Bowl and all this. It's ridiculous. The media reports less and roots more than any time in my life. Like the Kaepernick story yesterday, the real numbers came out. It's like about one-eighth of what they were reported. Like, stop rooting. Like, go look at hard data.

Cleveland's a poorly run company that added Sheldon Richardson, who's never played up to his contract, Olivier Vernon's good, not special, and OBG can't stay healthy. By the way, Freddie Kitchens is the head coach. I mean, it could be great. I have no idea. But we don't have a track record of anything. Any of that stuff to really believe that this team is going soon.

I get it. You live in Cleveland. You're excited. that they're relevant and they got some stars. I get all of that as a fan. But the media waving the pom-poms that they're going to the Super Bowl is so ridiculous. It's absolutely ridiculous. All right, he is the instigator.

He's Rob Parker. Good seeing you. Always. Have a great weekend. Joy Taylor with the news. No, no, no, no, no. Turn on the news. This is the herd line news. It is such a strange feeling for me to not actually hate the Browns, though. I spent my entire life.

Hating them? Hating the Browns. But when you're from Pittsburgh and you're dominant, why would you hate a non-threat? Like Baltimore, I get the... I mean, it's just a... I can't explain it. I don't know how to explain it.

Is it the city or the... It's just a thing. Is it a thing? It's just a Pittsburgh thing. Yeah, it's very hard to explain. Because obviously we dominate. I'm from Seattle. I hated everybody because everybody beat us and everything.

You are great at everything. Well, I don't think that they're going to the Super Bowl this year, but I do think they're an interesting team, and I root for interesting. So when you grow up as a kid, I'm not going to give your age. age away. The pirates were great. The penguins were great and the Steelers were great. I grew up. The Sonics never paid off. The Mariners were pathetic and we only had two teams. And then the Seahawks came in and they were bad too. My whole life was just losing. It was just every morning I woke up with a big L on my forehead. Well, you're winning now, Colin. So in an off season, filled with Antonio

Brown bashing the Steelers. Another former player has an interesting thing to add to the story. according to Emmanuel Sanders, Pittsburgh didn't do much to keep him. And the reason that he said they didn't keep him is kind of telling to me. It still has offered me a contract. Okay. They offered me a crappy deal. They offered me three years, nine million, one million guarantee. I never forget when they offered me the deal.

I declined a deal. And I went into Kevin Colbert office. It was the last time I was at the Stilish facility. I walk in. I'm talking to Kevin Colbert out so I don't want to take the deal. And he looks at me and goes, who do you think you are? Antonio Brown. I remember leaving in the office. I wanted to say, F you.

But I just got up and I said, I'll never forget that. You know what? This is why you and I have agents. I don't. You don't want to have that. There's supposed to be a buffer that's between that conversation. And really, and this is why I'm saying it's telling, because you're absolutely right. That conversation should never happen between a player and a GM. You can have conversations with a player and a GM, and that's kind of my issue. in that position, you're the GM.

You have to be aware you can't actually say that. Yeah, that's not. Well, I think at that point, he knew he wasn't going to keep him, so he was ticked off and let his emotion get the best of it. Well, here we are now, and that emotion getting the best of him is adding to the narrative that the Steelers have created this environment where, just like Mike Tomlin, saying that as long as Antonio Brown's productive, we're going to let him do what he wants.

What? The standard is the standard. Did we forget that? Yeah. And I'm a huge supporter of Antonio Brown. I have no problem with what he did. I don't think he did everything perfectly, but he wanted to take control of his career. And now he's in Oakland and got the contract he wanted, and it is what it is.

You and I should tell our audience is we have agents. And we don't have agents because we just love paying people. No. No, you pay an agent money because they have the conversations you can't have. Yeah, so they can go to your boss and say, you know, Joy's great. And that the boss says, well, I don't think she's that great. Joy doesn't hear it and have for the rest of your week. Or if you end up staying somewhere, you don't want to.

Or if you end up leaving, you don't carry those stories with you. Right. There's a reason there's a buffer between them. But to me, this is, again, just adding to my thoughts on this from the beginning, which is that this culture issue is from the top down. It's never from the bottom up. Your weakest link in an organization only exists because the person at the top isn't taking the time to fix the situation. To sticking with Antonio Brown, there were once bitter rivals in the AFC North, but Antonio Brown and Vantes Burfitt are apparently now the best of friends. Oh, boy.

A new teammates with the Raiders. A.B posted on Instagram, emphasizing there's plenty of respect between the two players. He said, it's funny how the NFL will make you a villain with your own teammate now, create a war within a war when basically we're all on the same team, even though we wear different jerseys. Yeah, things happen on the field with all due respect. It's in the game. After the game, there's real life, and we do have personal lives, families as real human beings. Encourage your brother, do not beat them down to create war amongst them.

We are already fighting enough wars. Empower your people, inspire your brother. Encourage someone not bind them by circumstances. This feels, this move feels like just collecting talent, like not building a team. Like, I do understand the people that defend John Gruden and they're like, listen, it's his team and he can do it his way. But man, if we've learned anything in this league, it's not just about collecting players. You have to kind of create a culture. What you left, okay, say what you want.

Coylea Mac, good guy. Amari Cooper, good guy. Derek Carr's reputation, good guy. Donald Penn was a team guy. Man, there's a lot of guys who, you know, weren't great team guys. Like the culture, more than the personnel matters. Like, there's a lot of disparate parts here that don't work for me.

I think that the culture is the foundation for success in anything that you do. Any company that you have, any program that you run. What's a Raiders culture now? But to me, this is the same thing that's happening with Cleveland. Like, obviously, John Gruden has had success, so there's a different situation there. in the head coaching position because we don't know what Freddie Kitchens is going to be.

But I look at this completely differently. I don't think that they're building a future, putting together a team, building a team, as you said, and not putting together talent. They're moving this franchise to a city where you have to be interesting. Oh, great. They're a TV show now.

I mean, sometimes... Yes, the NFL is a very, very profitable TV show. Yeah, I get it, but I would rather my teams not try to be the Kardashians. The Kardashians is an incredibly popular very, very profitable TV show. I'm not saying they're trying to be the Kardashians. I'm just saying that I agree with you.

All these moves seem like getting talent and getting these different personalities and characters. And it's not necessarily, like what is it exactly that you're building? Like the more I look at your team and think about hard knocks and I'd like to see you, the less I like your team. Right now, the Raiders are Hard Knocks. And I don't think, I mean, honestly, you could. Yeah, what are the teams you'd love to see on Hard Knocks here? The Raiders, by a mile. And that's it.

I mean, it's like that's not, you know who I don't want to see on Hard Knocks? The Colts, snooze. I mean, seriously, the Raiders have become a television show. I mean, I like, I think Antonio Brown move is great. I think he's going to be successful with Derek Carr. I don't know about this perfect situation, but, you know, it is what it is. But I, that's what I think is happening. And finally, time to see who's going places sponsored by Toyota.

Let's Go Places. In July of 2010, what a good year. LeBron James, William Wade, and Chris Bosch all came to Miami. About two years later, the heat beat Kevin Durant's thunder in the 2012 NBA finals. And then in the summer of 2016, Durant chose a sign with the Warriors and Free Agency. Does KD leave OKC if Bosch and the Big Three did not unite in South Beach? I'm not sure. Chris Bosch thinks yes.

And a lot of people don't like it. That's the funniest part of like athlete with brains. Oh, wait a minute. You know what I mean? I love it. I mean, guys can, you know, make their decision than whether you like it or not. It's their life, you know, and it's something that they want to pursue. I think that they set the tone for all of the movement that goes on the NBA right now.

It made it much easier to do it, especially when Miami won. And everyone hated this. No one could wrap their brain around it. I understand, like, the situation with the decision and all of that. Like, that did not rub people the right way. But people hated this move. And it is just started a wildfire. And so, you know, really you're welcome for NBA free agency.

Good stuff. Joy of the News. Well, that's the news. And thanks for stopping by. The Herd Law. Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd weekdays in noon Eastern, 9 a.m. Pacific. Sunday, the Monster Energy Series moves over to FS1 as NASCAR's finest battle around the paperclip in Martinsville. Catch the pre-race at 1230 Eastern with racing action starting at 2. It's all happening on FS1 and the Fox Sports app.

By the way, Kobe Bryant talking about players sitting out games. This year in the NBA, LeBron has used the term load management. Kauai Leonard has used the term load management, which I'd never heard of before. It means players are trying to manage their workload. I think it's bad optics. Kobe Bryant was talking about sitting out NBA games to the athletic, and he said, the only time I took a game off is when I couldn't walk. Kids in the crowd, families in the crowd.

This will be the only time they get a chance to see you. They save up for their hard-earned money to watch you perform. So, you know, they want to see you perform in person, and it may be the only game they go to. I know we think that's a very old-school way of looking at things. And by the way, players get injured. I love George Brett as a kid growing up. George missed 30 baseball games a year because George played so bizarrely hard.

He was hurt a lot. And I understand injuries. Kauai Leonard this year has missed 20 games. For kids in Toronto, he's the kids. guy. I think sometimes we really forget this, is that, you know, people in the Midwest, there is some resentment toward the coasts. And there's resentment toward coastal elites. If you really look at this country, most of the decisions should be made east of Los Siena Boulevard and west of the Hudson. And that means not in New York and L.A.,

everything in between. And I think when you lose sight of that and you think you're performing for Miami and New York and Boston and Los Angeles and San Francisco, you're missing a big chunk. Oprah's a star because she related with middle-class moms. And that's why Jay Leno beat Letterman because he related to regular hardworking people. I go to Laker Games. It's not movie stars. It's successful people sometimes, like, you know, the superintendent, the principal, but they don't go every night because they're not rich and wealthy.

The people in the front row are, and there's about a hundred of them, and then there's, you know, 8,000 people upstairs and a handful of people in the corporate boxes. But, you know, I've said this about LeBron this year. LeBron is disengaged from not only his teammates, but sort of the league. he's gone very Hollywood. You go to the Staples Center. I do. I've been to two Laker games and two Clipper games this year, and it's not Hollywood. That's not what the Staples Center is.

Go to a Rams game. It's not Hollywood. It's not. Go to tail game. This is Los Angeles, right? The epicenter of hipsters and Hollywood. I go to these games, that's not who I see. Because I go eat at these arenas.

Outside of these arenas, they have, like, places to eat, right? Joy, you do that. And I go eat before I go in. into these LA glitzy stadiums. There's no movie stars there. There are no movie stars. There's 26-year-old kid. He's got a Laker jersey on.

He's not famous. He would die to meet a famous person. And to be honest, some are just out of college. Some get one ticket a year. And I think LeBron this year has disengaged from almost the league. He's hanging out with the hipsters. And I don't like load management. And I completely think Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan get this. like when did it become okay to take important days off at work for anybody?

I get taking a day off here and there as you're going into the playoffs like we were talking about with I agree. But there's no sense in this with LeBron. You're about to go into the off season anyway. We were just talking about it with Rob Parker, how many games we went to as kids. It's like one, two. Right, maybe in your entire childhood. So I just, I think Kobe's right about this. I think there's value here.

And, you know, it's, there is a resentment in America. There's a real resentment toward, like, coastal elites. And the NBA is the NFL is relatable. Players get cut. Players play in bad weather. Players play hurt. That's why, that's one of the many reasons the NFL's king. You can relate to guys.

The football players got a gut. They're limping around. They get cut. They don't have all the power. Like, that's great. That's gas all the players up. But if you're not relating to the midwomen, you're not relating to a big chunk of the population.

And I think the NBA, Adam Silver, is two pro player. Stern was two pro owner. Adams two pro player, 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, hour three.

On a Friday, we are live in L.A. It's the Herd wherever you may be and however you may be listening. We're on IHeart Radio, Fox Sports Radio, FS1, cold and flu season, try VicSanax nasal spray, a couple of squirts up there, work 12 hours when congestion strikes. Joy Taylor is joining me. Big lively show today, full of arguments. Cohen crazy.

She grew up in a yellow scream family where they had to apologize to people publicly that didn't understand they yelled and screamed. I grew up in a very English family where there was no emotion, so I miss a little yellow in screaming, and that's why I married an artist. And there's a yelling and screaming, and you got to get comfortable with it. So Tom Islow yesterday is yelling and screaming. A player, people don't like it.

Everybody's freaking out. And I'm like, I don't know. It seems like they love each other. That's what people that love each other do. They yell and scream. When I was a kid growing up, if you got into an argument with a guy, that's when you knew he was your guy. But people didn't like that thing yesterday with Tom Isle.

So that's getting all sorts of play today. And it's fun. I don't know. Oh, by the way, we're on Sirius XM Channel 83. Also on Fridays. One of my favorite things to end our show. last 15 minutes. Jason McIntyre comes on.

I love that. It's called Tomorrow's Headlines Today. He is the biggest college basketball fan. I personally know. I don't know anybody that's a bigger, I mean, he'll watch every game. Last night I tried to call him and talk, and it was ridiculous.

You couldn't get a word in. He's just watching Wofford play J.C. pennies. I mean, it was just, I mean, it was really, I didn't know he's watching. He was watching like some Division III basketball game. T.J. Hushman Zata joins us. And again, Jason McIntyre. Well, Doc and LeBron,

The story's broke this week about Doc and LeBron. Would Doc come over from the Clippers, coach to Lakers? Doc said it's not going to happen. I'm going to stay there. It seems like a logical pairing. But some things that sound great don't actually work. You would think if you said, these two people, they're really professionally interested. They're both, you know, they're shooting for the stars.

They're career-driven. They're a power couple. You know what gets divorced a lot in Los Angeles? Power couples. Your workaholics. You work 80 hours a week each of you. Your two ships passing in the night. It sounds great on paper.

She's an attorney. He's a surgeon. They're stars. They never see each other and disconnect. Generally, somebody, the brilliant attorney, the great doctor, needs somebody that provides something they can't. I, myself, tend to be a little intense. My wife is more social.

The ying, the yang, it works. It's perfect, right? Doc and LeBron James sounds good on paper. Doc has won a title. He's smart. LeBron's won several. He's smart. They're both kind of legends in their little genre, the player or the coach.

It wouldn't work. It wouldn't work. LeBron's too rich, too powerful, and too accomplished. He doesn't need anything in that relationship. Well, well, while Colin Doc worked with Kevin Garnett, he worked with Paul Pierce, he worked with Chris Paul, he worked with Blake Griffin, he worked with Ray Allen. They didn't have titles. They needed Doc to get a ring. LeBron's got his.

Michael at the end had his. Kobe at the end had his. Kobe was hard to deal with at the end. LeBron, Kobe, MJ. It wasn't an even relationship. They didn't need. They had everything. And relationships work when both people need something from it beyond just love.

You know, you need to be more social. She provides it. She wants more stability in her life. Maybe he provides it. This is what happens to superstars who have multiple titles or titles late in their career. Brett Farr, Big Ben, Kobe. They become really hard to coach. become really hard to coach. Big Ben's now hard to coach. He's got his money. He's got his legacy. He's got his

Super Bowls. Got his rings. Got his fame. What does he need? In fact, I would say it's often very hard to coached even superstars who are iconic without titles. Dan Marino and Charles Barkley. They didn't have the rings, but they had the money and they had the fame and they had the looks and the personality. They couldn't go anywhere in public. They didn't have the rings. They didn't have the rings. They didn't have the rings, but ask Jimmy Johnson. Dan Marino was no day at the beach late in his career. And I like Charles Barkley. Never the

easiest guy to coach late. The aging champion superstar, wealth, titles, rings, what does he need from the relationship? He's got it all. He had a poster on his wall as a kid did LeBron. He's

often surpassed all of those posters. Some would even say Michael Jordan. This sounds great on paper. right? It sounds great. But I don't even think Doc needs LeBron. I think Doc wouldn't fit because Doc's got his money and Doc's got his ring and Doc's got his fame. Doc's a big deal in Los Angeles. He golfs and dines with stars. What does he need from LeBron? Neither of these guys needs the other to validate in any way each other. It's hard enough when only one needs the other when neither needs the other.

That's why the Luke, Walton, LeBron is seen as a disaster, but it actually has some value. I mean, Luke could gain a lot from making it work. An extension, help his legacy, but too often stuff that sounds good on paper is really not good on paper. And whenever I see the big divorces in Los Angeles, it's so often the power couple. the ones that work. Go look up Paul Newman, Tom Hanks. Somebody takes a little more of a professional front seat.

Somebody maybe takes more of the family, the social, the supportive side seat, and it works. Sometimes the woman's in control, sometimes the dude. But Doc and LeBron to me is a paper relationship that would be a disaster. You know, it is funny this NBA season. As we kind of move down, there's nine or ten games left in the regular season, the Eastern Conference has kind of decided. You kind of have a feeling, you know, Toronto, Milwaukee, Boston, Philly. They feel like really formidable teams.

I'll take Boston. In the West, you just got the Golden State, and then you got a bunch of stuff, depending on who has home court. It's shifting every day. So I really think Golden State's going to win it, and Durant's probably going to be the MVP in the finals. I've never bought that he's going to leave. He probably will and I'll be wrong.

but Rob Parker said something earlier today on the show about he thinks he's going to go to New York and here's what Rob said. There's also a part of him wanting to totally validate his career. Oh, God. Yes, you could say poop, you can poo with Colin. He's going to have to go somewhere, win something with somebody else for people to say because they'll always look at him and say he joined a record-setting team, right, the wars that already had won a championship without him.

I don't buy this. And if he does move, it's insecurity. Everybody's got an inner scoreboard and an outer scoreboard. I had this conversation with my daughter the other day. I said, the inner scoreboard is your soul and your truth. What makes you cry? What makes you laugh? What makes you think.

I said, worry about that. Outer scoreboard is what people think of you, what people say on social media. It has no redeeming value. In fact, it can be very negative. I said, your parents love you, you love you, your family loves you. You have support. You're smart. You're thoughtful.

you're empathetic, you're curious, you're all the things a person should be. That's what matters. When I hear that, well, Kevin's going to validate, time out. To who? Kevin Durant needs to validate to who anything. Does Kevin Durant, and we know he has rabbit ears, does he not think he's worth it and great? Kevin Durant moving is validating one thing I don't like. He cares about what people think.

no reasonable person doesn't think Kevin Durant is the second best player in the NBA, and frankly, today, maybe the best. I've always said this about Durant. He'll never be seen holistically all-time better than LeBron. But I've always felt there'll be a time in his career, and it'll last three or four years when he's absolutely better than LeBron on the floor. That time is now. Leaving Golden State would only prove what Kevin Durant's always trying to deny.

that he cares what other people think. Tell my kids all the time, inner scoreboard, outer scoreboard. Do you love you? Do you believe in you? Do you think you matter? Do you think you have value? Don't worry about what people think.

Kevin Durant has nothing to prove to anybody, unless maybe himself, in security. He's the greatest basketball player in the world, probably today. You could argue LeBron or Janus. and he still got like, let's be honest, like three, four peak years left, barring health. Like, who would he be moving to New York to prove to who? His mom? No, she thinks he's the best basketball player.

Himself, I think he thinks he's the best basketball player. When you start doing things to validate it to other people, it's a really shallow, unhealthy place to be. Kevin Durant doesn't need to prove to anybody anything. He's a remarkable player, appears to be a fairly remarkable person, a remarkable friend, this idea that anybody believes that Kevin Durant has to go somewhere and find something and that will then validate. Don't buy it at all.

I would think less of Kevin Durant. I would think that's sad. You felt you had to go to New York to prove something. I don't know. I've watched him for a decade. He's the second best basketball player in the world for most of the last 10 years. I think he's better than Janus. I think he's better than Hardin.

I think he's better than Chris Paul. I think he's better than everybody except LeBron. And right now, actually, today, for the first time, he's probably better on most nights than LeBron. Got nothing to prove. T.J. Hushmanzada, Jason McIntyre, great 40 minutes left on the show. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays in noon Eastern, 9 a.m. Pacific on Fox Sports Radio, FS1, and the IHeard Radio app. Last night, a blown call changed a game. This morning, the internet

lost its mind. Highlights are trending, opinions are flying, and nobody's telling you exactly what happened. That's where Sports Slice comes in. I'm Timbo. Every episode, we're cutting through the noise. Breaking down the plays, the controversies, and the stories behind the headlines. We go straight to the source, the athlete themselves, their locker room stories, their reactions, the stuff nobody gets to hear. The laughs, the drama, the triumphs, the moments that never make the highlight real. From viral moments to historic games, from buzzer beaters to controversial calls, we break it down, give you context, and ask the questions everybody wants answered. Sports slice brings you closer to the action with stories told by the people who live

them. Listen to Sports Slice. On the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more, follow Timbo Slica Life 12 in the TikTok podcast network on TikTok. Welcome to my new podcast, Learn the Hardway with me, your host, and your favorite therapist, Keer Games. And in recognition of mental health awareness month, I'm bringing over a decade of my own experience in the mental health field and conversations with so many incredible guests. I'm talking, Tripp Fontaine, Ryan Clark. Sometimes when we're in the pursuit of the thing, we get so wrapped up in the chase that we don't realize that we are in possession of the thing and we're still chasing it and we don't know when we've done enough because people scoreboard

watch life becomes about wins and losses steve burns dustin ross because you find it important to be a good person while you hear on earth or are you a good person because you're afraid because that's two different intentions bro absolutely and that that's two different levels of trust i want you to just really be a good person join me keir gains is we have real conversations about healing growth fatherhood pressure and purpose on my new podcast, Learn the Hardway. Open your free Our Heart Radio app. Search Learn the Hardway and listen now.

Jacob Kingston grew up in an isolated polygamous sect. We were God's chosen kingdom on earth. He felt destined for greatness. So when a swaggering Armenian businessman catapults Jacob into an extraordinary world, he doesn't look back. Ferraris and Lamborghinis, private jets, meeting the president of Turkey. I'm Michelle McPhee,

and this is one of the most shocking criminal conspiracies I've ever come across. When Jacob met Levant, this went to a billion-dollar fraud. But with two kings from entirely different worlds, just how long can their empire survive? The largest tax investigation in American history. You need to tell me what you know. Is somebody coming after me?

Jacob told Levan, you're ruining my. my life. Listen to Kingdom of Fraud on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Life throws hurdles big and small. The question is, how do you conquer them? On Hurtle with Emily Abadi, we sit down with the most inspiring women in sports and wellness, professional athletes, coaches, and Olympic champions to talk about the challenges

that shaped them and the mindset that keeps them going. From the WNBA standout, Kate Martin, and rising hockey star, Layla Edwards. If a boy can do it, I don't see why a girl can't. Like, I've never understood that. Like, it didn't make sense in my brain. It's hard to be in spaces that no one looks like you, but don't ever feel like you don't belong. Don't let that be the reason you don't do it.

An Olympic champs Gabby Thomas and Katie Ladeki. The ability to show a gold medal to someone and have their face light up and smile, that means the world to me. And that's what motivates me to win more gold medals. At our level, at this scale, like being able to fail in front of the entire world, Like, I can do anything. I can do anything.

Because resilience isn't just about winning. It's about showing up, even when it's hard. Listen to Hurtle with Emily Abadi on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Presented by Capital One, founding partner of IHart Women's Sports. By the way, T.J. Hushman Zata, you and I agree on this. So Duke is a great program, right? But Duke players don't do well in the NBA. I'm not saying their bus are terrible, but they don't do as well in the NBA.

And your theory on why is my theory on why, which is... When you have won, your baby, you could have a bad game against a great team and still win. And so normally the teams that have one good player, if you have a bad game, well, you're going to lose. Right. But I like Duke. They're like my favorite college team for some odd reason. Yeah, no, I like them too. I have nothing connecting.

But you have the best coach, the best staff, the best home facility, the support program. All your teammates are either NBA or high-end high school Americans. It becomes an easier life. Like, if as a pro athlete who did well for himself, you were always kind of concerned that your kids probably didn't have the obstacles, perhaps you did. Yeah. As a dad, because like obstacles, joy, I, imperfect. We love our families, but imperfect. And one of the things I always talk to my wife about is, are there any obstacles for our kids?

It's just too easy. And like Duke, there's 25 NBA guys from Duke and the NBA. Most lottery picks. One average is 20. Carrey Irving. That's it. And by the way, I could argue he's a little flaky and soft. But he's good.

Oh, no, he's the good part. Who's the best Duke player of all time? Is it Grant Hill? Well, it's Kyrie Irving. Him or Grant? He's the best NBA talent. Jason Williams had a chance if he doesn't get hurt. Oh, sad story.

Yeah. Anyway, good to see you. Yesterday, here's a prime example. I love the Indianapolis Colts because they went out and signed Justin Houston. And I love this move. And everybody's saying he gets hurt. And I'm like, you're not bringing him on for 70 snaps. You're bringing him on for 38.

They drafted a pass rush for last year. bring him on. They're drafting two more pass rushers. I thought it was a smart move. They weren't splashy. Okay. If you phrase it that way, I agree with you. When you say Justin Houston, I don't think of, oh my God, I'm glad we have them. You don't? No, I don't. Why? Because Kansas City was the 31st ranked defense in the league, and he was a part of that. Yeah, but he was a good pass rusher. He's a good pass rusher when you're leading and you know teams are going to throw the ball and all you have to do is just get off the ball. Well, if you're the Colts, you're going to be leading most games with Andrew Locke.

So in your division, the reason I'd like it somewhat is you're going to play Houston twice, who they sign a free agency on an offensive line. None. So they're going to count on a younger guy, a rookie to play and protect Deshaun Watson. Tennessee, they're not going to throw the ball heavy. Jacksonville with Nick Foes, they should throw us. So it's division games. He'll play six games in that division where really two of them against the Titans,

they're not going to throw the ball a lot. If you say give me the best pass rushers in the NFL, I'm not going to think Justin Houston. And I'll probably name six, seven, eight before I even think of him. But you're not paying him like Khalil Mack money. You're paying him to be a supplemental player. He's supposed to be a hard worker, good guy, and coachable. I think that's the culture.

I think the culture of Indianapolis, why they were never really interested in Labian Bell was, we're about culture here. Like, Joey and I believe this. I think you win with culture. Like, I think it's underrated. Like, talent's great, but New England's not winning on talent. They're winning on culture.

St. Louis Cardinals for you. You're winning on culture. I think, and I think the cult's culture is, team first, sacrifice, be about... Pittsburgh, by the way, has got all the noise and all the stars. Lavian, let me shift to this. Lavian Bell said this. And I like Lavin Bell, and I think he's going to work. But he said this, and it sounds like a bunch of Ricky Williams hooey to me.

Play this tape. Like, they don't shoot like a human. What I mean by that is, like, I'm, yeah, I'm an NFL athlete, but still I'm a human being. You know what I'm saying? I still play video games. I'll still make music. It's like they don't want to like allow you to be yourself for real. It's like they want you to be if you're a stealer.

Like you're literally supposed to be playing football 24-7. You're not supposed to be playing video games and like making music, playing basketball. You're not supposed to be doing that. It's supposed to be working out. It seems to me Pittsburgh's really good at their start. That sounds like a bunch of Ricky Williams. I don't agree with that. Every team is like that.

Really? list. What team isn't? Every team wants you to focus on football. When you're in the facility, you're all in. Yeah, I played video games, and after a while, I stop playing them. Every, when you're younger, you're going to play video games.

If you don't have any kids, you don't have a wife, you have a lot of free time, you don't play video games. But every owner and every general manager and every coach wants you all in on football, as they should. If he puts himself in their position, he wants a player that's all in. I disagree with what he's saying wholeheartedly. Did you ever play with a guy that you didn't think was all in?

My definition of all, yeah, there's guys where you like, bro, if you really gave it your all, you could be so much better. That's what Tony Gonzalez always says. There are a lot of guys like that. In their eyes, they really think they're working hard. Like you'll see guys when the conditioning gets hard, all of a sudden their hamstring is tight. or things get tough,

something happens. They just won't push themselves to the limit or past that limit and there's a lot of guys like that. But if you say something to them, they'll swear up and down. They're working extremely hard. Do the Bengals ever talk about your music or video games?

No, number one, I wasn't in the music like that. But video, to me, if you're not getting in trouble, they don't care what you're doing off the field. That's what I always thought of the teams. If you're not doing things that you shouldn't do and getting in trouble for it, you can do whatever you want.

And so until that happens, as long as you're on time, you're not making mistakes, you're doing what you're supposed to do. You think they really care what you're doing outside of football? By the way, in Cincinnati, you made the playoffs a couple of times, but mostly January 5th to about May 10th, you guys have off until there's a three-day OTA. They've even softened it up through the years.

Oh, OTAs, everything starts later now. It's Cupcake. So you get like three months off after the season. You can do whatever you want. Then after that OTA, which, by the way, if you're a pro bowlers, some of those guys skip, you come back about how many months later for the seven-day OTA? Men, you'll have mandatory mini-camp. When's that?

When I was coming, it was after the draft. Right after the draft, May. The following weekend, it was minicamp. And then you would have another three-day mini-camp in June, and that was it. So, like, baseball guy, if you're the Red Sox last year, you played 200 games. I'm going to give you a couple of weeks off. When a football guy complains about it, and I'm always like, by the way, in the middle of the season, they give you a buy. Even the OTAs, though, it's Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday.

Oh, it is? Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday. So if you want to go home, you can leave Thursday after practice, come back Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday. That's what OTAs. And that's four weeks. This is why the Levian Bell thing to the Jets. I think it'll work.

And Ricky Williams was a great player. One of the top two backs left, talked about life and football's not everything, came back, never the same player. And Ricky was great. Not maybe as good as Lavian Bell, but really, really good. I kind of feel Lavian. When I hear that, I'm like, oh, you're not one of the same.

of those guys, right? I think he's going to be all right. You think so? Yeah. I mean, I don't agree with sitting out a year. I wouldn't have done it. But when you look at it, it's he was going to get a lot of carries, a lot of touches, over 400 touches quite possible.

And so for him to sit out last year, you just looked at it. He was he was injured. He's going to come back fresh. Yeah. With a lot to prove. He's going to have a lot to prove. You know what I actually, Joe, you know what I saw with this? Remember three weeks ago there was a story about nobody, somebody said he was 265 pounds.

My takeaway when I saw him in the interview was, oh, he's not fat. He's in shape. Yeah. Because my takeaway was he just went out and ate Twinkies. And he said, he got out of shape. But when I watched him in the interview, I'm like, he's not cut, but it's like he's not heavy. But that's more to what I think that Todd Haley was talking about. I didn't take that as you have to be patient with him because of his personality.

I think he's saying, temper your expectations for him coming in to New York and being the savior of the jets. Like, it's going to take him a little while to get back into the swing of things. he's been off for a year. Oh, it does. And the Jets don't have the offensive weapons that the Steelers have. They don't have big men. I actually like Sam Darn. I worked out with him this last month.

You like him? Yeah, Sam Darno really impressed me. I was like thoroughly impressed with the way he threw the ball. They have a good young tight end and they just brought in Crowder from Washington. So they've got a slot receiver I like a tight end and Sam and Leda. Steelers offensive line is very underrated. Like those things matter. This is what I go to.

Like if you took a job and all of a sudden you get to the job, and you make a little more money, but the support staff isn't good. About a month in, you want to strangle people. That offensive line for the Jets is bad. So Lavian's not going to have the – you know, Lavians dancing in the back, then he finds an opening. They're not going to be a lot of openings. I think he's going to struggle a little bit.

It's going to be an adjustment period. You know, the way he runs the ball is unlike any back we've seen. He waits. He waits. He waits. He waits. He hits the hole. What happens when there's no hole? They're going to have to get used to blocking with that as well. And so it's going to be interesting.

But I believe he'll find success. He'll find success. He's also a good receiver. Finally, so you played the Browns twice a year for a long time. And again, Joy and I talked about this. I'm a big believer in culture first. The idea that the Steelers are going to go into the tank because they lost Antonio Brown, I don't buy.

It's a good company. And the idea you bring in Odell Beckham and Olivier Vernon and suddenly the Browns are going to be great. I've watched the Browns blow more games in the last eight years because culturally, coaching. They're not buttoned up. I don't buy this Brown Super Bowl thing because they add a couple of players. Players who I think of underachieved, do you? So my theory is this, and I don't know, Joy, you remember growing up and being in school, you probably seen the boys play it. This time of the year, you play paper football. And you fold up the piece of paper and you slide it on the desk and it hangs off.

Well, I don't know if you know this, but I was homeschooled, but I did still play. Okay, so paper football. We played that a lot in school. probably why I wasn't that much of a student. But the Browns are their paper football champs right now. Rightfully so. If you look at their roster, this time of the year, that's all we can play is paper football. This time of the year, best two receivers in the division, you can probably throw juju in there, AJ Green if he's healthy, second best quarterback, one of the best defenses in the division.

They have a really good team on paper. Freddie Kitchen Tech coach. Freddie Kitchens is basically the unknown. The players are established. They're proven. Freddie Kitchens is the wild card in this whole Brown's offense team head coach dynamic because you just don't know how he can navigate. Can he navigate through a 16 game season?

Can he manage these personalities on offense? Can he command a meeting room? We don't know it. I would assume once they hired him, they know he can or they hope he can, but it's going to be interesting to see how he does. and handles this. Good to see you, bud. Nice to see on a Friday.

Thank you. Appreciate it. By the way, you were homeschooled? Yeah, it was homeschooled to my junior year of high school. And then your senior year you went to a public or something? Junior and senior year I went to the public school, yeah. So you were homeschooled for years? Did you like it, the homeschooling?

No, I didn't. So mom or dad was there? My mom was with this, yeah. Jason was homeschool. Jason was the first homeschooler to make it to the NFL, my brother. Really? Yeah. But you probably learned so much life lessons being homeschooled.

than just. We fought with my brother and sister a lot. So there was that. Wow. I mean, we lived in like an area where there's a lot of kids. Like there's a lot of kids in my community. I still had social interactions. Oh, you did.

I mean, I'm still very weird, obviously. Not really. I've worked with weirdos. You're not really that bad. Yeah, it was homeschooled for most of my childhood. Wow. I don't even know what to make of that. It's fascinating.

Every day she just appeals a little bit of the orange. Been working with her all this time. Where's this being? I don't like an ogre. I have layers. Joy with the news. No. No. No. No. No.

Turn on the news. This is the herd line news. I know so much about yelling. So Tom Mizzow lost his school during Michigan State's 76-65 win over Bradley yesterday. Everyone is talking about it. He was yelling at freshman Aaron Henry. Freshman. During timeout and some other players we're showing the video right now are holding him back a couple times.

He's very irate. Well, our own Chris Carter sides with you, Colin, and said this morning that Izzo has nothing to apologize for. If I talked to Coach Izzo last night, we went over this. The things he was saying, why he was disappointed, and he just believes in society, people are just getting soft. They don't want to be pushed. They don't want to be driven.

And there's a certain standard in every business. And in his business, he set the standard. He is one of the icons that we have coaching. And if I had a kid who can play basketball, he can play for Coach Izo. Well, Aaron Henry responded to first things first tweeted out the video of Chris saying that And Aaron Henry is the kid he was yelling at the freshman And he put the emoji

I think we have the full screen of it With just the little target emoji Also saying he's basically spot on He's on target Players know what they're getting When they go and play for Tom Izzo So I'm sure this is not surprising It's probably not the first time this has happened

I'm sure it happens in practice And this happened in other games And I don't have a problem with yelling I just don't think the whole getting in the face and the players having to pull him back he's just a little over the line and when you're in the tournament when the entire world is watching

and yes, society, we are a bit more sensitive these days and part of that can be kind of annoying and part of it is for a good reason. You know what I like though in this picture? Show the picture again. I like that the freshman is right back at him. Like this is not a little cowering freshman.

No, no, no, no. He's responding back. He's not, he's not, he's not, He's not crying or soaking. These are people that have deep affection for each other. Watch the freshman. He is not intimidated by Tom. You can tell they have an open relationship. Watch it.

Yeah, no, he's arguing back. He's going right back. Coach, I am getting back. Now, again, if Tom was screaming and the kid was like shaking, I'm like, eh, this is a real vibrant, dynamic, intense relationship. Yeah, they clearly have a relationship where they feel like they can talk like this. I just feel like he went a little bit over the line. and I think just like society evolves, social interactions evolve,

some things become less acceptable. You either evolve or you become disconnected to your players. Again, this is Tommy Zo's style, so players are probably used to dealing with this. I'm just saying it's not the best aesthetic, and everyone doesn't respond to this. This whole idea, like, that's sports. If you want to be pushed hard,

you've got to have someone spitting in your face. No, I don't agree with that and never touch them, but the kid is clearly comfortable with a situation. I'm not comparing you too. in any way whatsoever. But I'm just saying, like, there was a time when the way that Bobby Knight coached was acceptable

and the right thing to do. Okay, now that's interesting, because I have been anti-Bobby Night my whole career. I never thought Bobby was remotely appropriate. I know there was a lot of people that did. He's my least favorite person in sports. Like, Bobby Knight, to me, has never been appropriate. Like, I saw him put his hands on kids.

Right, and I am in no way, just so no one starts freaking out, I am in no way comparing you to whatsoever. Clearly, this is how Tom Mizzo coaches, And guys know what they're signing up for. I just felt like he was a little bit over the line. And clearly other people do, too, because we're talking about it. Well, who?

A lot of people. Snowing in here. Listen, you know what? Every snowflake is unique, so you can take that how you will. John Morantz is the breakout star of the NCAA tournament so far. And Murray State's 8364 upset win over Marquette. He scored 17 points, 16 assists, 11 rebounds. He only took nine shots, went five for nine shooting on the next.

night and got a triple double and after the game Jaws father sent a message to Zion Williamson. Is there anything before one? Yeah, zero. Let him go zero. He was before one. What he did out here proved that he's the best player in the country. He's probably.

He's first or second best. He's good. He had an incredible game. He's so fun to watch. It's really exciting going into obviously we watched the tournament and some guys come and break out to everyone. I always criticize Westbrook, I don't like his game. I like

this kid's game, which is really he's a score with a passers mentality. Yeah, he has a bit more finesse to him. He has a different rhythm than Westbrook. Like I said earlier, he reminds me more of Baron Davis at UCLA than Westbrook. Westbrook is a force player. It's a high motor.

I wouldn't say he's out of control, but it's just like you feel the energy with Westbrook when he's on the court. Jaws is, he plays longer. He's a distributor. just naturally. He's more cerebral on the court and he's also a highlight reel. So I don't know that

the Westbroe comparison is really the closest. I think that they're all really unique. Like he's not, I think Zion is a unique player. People are comparing him to LeBron. I think he's different than LeBron in a lot of ways. He's smaller than LeBron. He just plays bigger than he is. Either way, both Jaws and Zion are going to be exciting

NBA players. Jaws going to be an all-star and he's, he has grown so much in just a year when he gets to the NBA level and has NBA diet and strength and conditioning and watching film, he's going to develop a lot more. And finally, the goat conversation will always dominate basketball conversations, and Kobe Bryant has revealed his feelings on the goat issue to ESPN. It's hard for people to believe, but I really don't care.

Like, I've moved on. So, like, you have a career. You do the best you can. The 20 years, I was very fortunate to play. And then you shelf it. You're done. I totally believe in, by the way. Kobe wins nothing by saying that he is the goat or picking a goat when you have the LeBron Michael situation. And I'm sure Kobe feels like he is the goat, but he doesn't gain anything from saying that.

And also, I think when it comes to these guys, they all know that they're playing in different eras of basketball. So whereas fans, it's fun for us to have the conversation and a lot of it has to do with nostalgia and what we remember is being our favorite. moments in basketball and attaching to that, I don't think that they look at it the same way. I think that they have the conversations of this guy was the goat of this era, and he was the best of his era and has more of era conversations than overall best player conversations. Enjoy the news.

Well, that's the news. And thanks for stopping by. The Herd Lie News. Tomorrow's headlines today with J-Mac, Jason McIntyre, one of my favorite segments we do on the show. Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd, Weekdays, and noon Eastern, 9 a.m. Pacific. All right, Jason McIntyre, founder of the big lead.com, and he joins us on Friday. It's one of my favorite segments on the show where you and I get all fired up, Jason,

and we do what we call tomorrow's headlines today where we have the big stories going into the weekend on Friday, and you kind of tell us what the headlines are doing. By the way, you're the biggest college basketball. I'm not. I'm up there. I love college basketball. You love college. Brackets, gambling. I'll give you out a winner here later in the show. Oh, you will? I know you need the money, obviously. Yeah, no, you got a big winner. You've got a big winner. Yeah, tomorrow. I've got a lock for tomorrow. A lock. A lock.

Mortal lock. Okay. Yeah. I tend. It's funny. Put a car payment on this game Saturday. Like, if I was a professional gambler, the only thing I would gamble on the NFL, because I don't understand these guys that bet everything, because to bet everything, because

to bet everything, you'd have to watch everything. And if you have an attractive wife, you don't want to be in front of a television watching hockey games on a Tuesday night. I want to go out and have a martini with my wife. Well, some of the best gamblers just bet numbers. They don't actually watch a lot of the games. Well, that's what I would be. I don't, the idea of having no life sitting there eating Cheetos and having to watch every baseball game is a miserable existence.

I would bet like 10, if I was a pro better, I'd bet five to 10 grand on the games I liked in the NFL. And that's what I would bet. I wouldn't bet anything else. And so Sundays, I'd sit there all day Sunday and tell my wife, go shopping. I'm going to sit and watch this. And I would just bet more on one thing. Some wives like to watch football too. Yeah.

It's tough to resist the lures. No. Yeah. Cheetos are not bad. But I will say it's tough to not want to bet a lot of these ends. NCAA tournament games, right? There's so many happening, you'll see like a second half line that you like and you just pull the trigger

and I get a little trigger happy sometimes. But discipline is important in game. How will the season end for the Oklahoma City Thunder tomorrow's headlines today? Colin, this season's going to end so badly. The headline for the Oklahoma City Thunder will be

team renamed Oklahoma City Blunder. Have you noticed since the All-Star break, the Thunder are 5 and 10? I know. They were the eighth seed two days ago. Yeah. If they lose tonight in Toronto, they're back to the eighth seed. Isn't it amazing?

They're five and ten since the All-Starbreak. That's a bad NBA team. What has happened? I was hearing for four months that Paul George made the best decision ever saying no to the Lakers. And here they are staring at being the eighth seed and getting wiped out again in the first round. Remember, they lost in the first round last year to the Jazz. They're looking at a first round loss to the Warriors because they're not winning that series. And then what will the narrative be for Westbrook and Paul George?

Well, you know, they had some injuries, Paul George's shoulder. The deal with Westbrook is there's always an excuse. Have you noticed that? No, no, no. It can't just be he didn't deliver it. Last year, the excuse. Well, well, he and Paul just started playing together. It's like, okay, that's fine if you don't win the finals,

but you can't lose in the first round with Paul, George, Stephen Adams, and Rosal Westbrook. Remember two years ago, well, he didn't have anybody on his team. And then they trade Oladipo and Victor Oladipo, becomes an all-NBA player. I'm telling Thunder fans are very rabid online. Oh, yeah. Very defensive. Oh, they're very insecure. Well, they're like the smaller the market, the more defensive the fans get because the one team means more to the city. And I like Paul George a lot, but it's looking like this decision may not have been well unless they can get to like the sixth or fifth seed, but no first round playoffs at home. I don't like how this

is headed for OKC and your buddy, Russell Westbrook. Will the Lakers sign any big free agents in the off season. Tomorrow's headlines today. Yeah, I do increasingly think magic's going to get a big name to come. And I think the headline will be Irvin signs Irving.

Now, for the record, here we go. You have had, you predicted Odell Beckett to Cleveland. You predicted Antonio Brown to the Raiders. So give me the skinny on this. So this is the thought process. As you see the Celtics struggling, they're currently the fifth seat in the east. It's

becoming clear. The Celtics, the numbers don't bear it out, but the body language of chemistry, he's not working in Boston. It's not a perfect fit. It's just something's a miss. They have a system, and he's not a system guy. Exactly. And where did Kyrie thrive alongside a guy by the name of LeBron James? And when Kyrie was young, he said, I've had enough of this. I don't want to play with LeBron. I don't want to get stuck in Cleveland. Well, apart, they're not doing well. LeBron's 10th in the West. They're not going to make the playoffs. We know they're talking again. Doesn't it make sense if you're Kyrie Irving? Man, I was young and did some dumb things.

I realize with LeBron, it works. We are great together. Forget the Knicks. Do I want to go mess around with James Dolan and that nightmare roster and they're one of the worst teams in the league? Why don't I just go back and play with LeBron? And at that point, LeBron and Kyrie, you're willing to give up everything for Anthony Davis at that point, right?

Just take every other guy on the roster. You get Kyrie and LeBron back together again. Think about the narrative for Kyrie Irving. What a selfish guy. He left LeBron. Oh, man, that's some self-awareness to want to go back, play with LeBron. Realize your mistake. By the way, LeBron went back to Cleveland, not the craziest thing ever.

I just feel like when you look at the Knicks. Okay. I just don't know. I think L.A. makes sense for Kyrie Irving. What will the big story from the tournament be this weekend? Tomorrow's headlines today. So the triple double master yesterday, obviously, out of Murray State. Everybody's talking about John Morant.

could he be the number one overall pick above Zion Williamson? The headline will be number one pick. Nah, Morant. I don't think John Moran can be the number one pick. He's not better than Zion. Well, come on. He is... He's a six-two point card, Colin.

No, he's a great player, but I believe there's almost a responsibility, merchandising, shoe deal, ticket sales to take Zion. You'd be nuts as a GM and owner not to take Zion. Now, let me make the case. I heard some guys here on FS1 saying, He reminds him of Derek Rose. I think he's better than Derek Rose.

No, no. This guy is a phenomenal passer. He reminds me of a shorter Penny Hardaway. Right? Penny Hardaway, great scored distributor. Yeah. I actually believe that John Moran, as good as he was yesterday, my lock tomorrow is Florida State against Murray State. Florida State's like a five, five and a half-point favorite.

By the way, teams that upset in the first game of the series tend to come down and crash emotionally. And all those dudes, all the guys in Vegas watching John Morant yesterday. Oh, I love this guy. And FSU didn't cover against Vermont. So everybody's going to take Marie State because they beat Marquette. He doesn't have an NBA play. He won't score near the basket as much because Florida State's got bigs and length,

so he won't get the freebies inside. I like FSU big tomorrow to cover five, five and a half, whatever the number is. What NFL free agent signing seems like the perfect match tomorrow's headlines today? You know what the opposite of a perfect match is, right? What? The headline will be a perfect match. I got to say, T.J. Hush Manzada just stopped me back there. We were chatting about this. I think this is a disaster. He likes the deal. He's a Bengals guy. Come on, Hush. But I think this is a disaster.

And it's perfect for the Raiders because it fits their image, right? You got a bunch of young guys who are angry. The Raiders, we all know about the black hole and the fights in the stands. What is Vantes Bervic known for? Cheap shots, suspensions, dirty hits. Selfish, not a team guy. Yeah. And now he's on a one-year deal. Here he has taken out Antonio, Brown. And I don't want to hear the, oh, Antonio Brown is so excited to play with him. Yeah, because he doesn't have to get decked by him anymore. I mean, it's one of those situations where perfect on a young team. I don't know what the Raiders are doing. This guy has not been a significant

player. Colin, he was a pro bowler in 2013. What has he done since then? Yeah, the bottom line is when it comes to businesses, can I just see your plan? Like I always say, when I watch Alabama play with Nick Saban, I can tell what they didn't practice that week. I can tell what the Patriots It doesn't always mean it works. Like, when I watched your draft last year with a culture, like, oh, oh. Got it. Overloading on the O line early, protecting luck. This is kind of a haphazard.

We don't need a receiver. Oh, wait, let's get the older expensive receiver. We don't need a pass rusher. We don't need it. Let's get Burfect who blows up locker rooms. So let's look at the two guys they went in big on. Antonio Brown. We know about him in Pittsburgh.

And Vantes Burfect. I mean, this is just going to be a spectacular disaster for the Raiders. I will say this. The team that feels like they'd be the perfect match for hard knocks. Oh, that's a great call. But that's always a bad non-playoff team. Oh, geez, yeah. That's a good one.

With Jets with first couple years, Matt Ryan, no, Rex Ryan, but it was at the end with Rex Ryan after he'd been somewhat successful and got an ego, it's like, oh, let's get Rex. And he's like, you know, inhaling M&Ms. And you're like, he's a chaotic mess. Can you just imagine what that locker room's going to be like? I mean, Mike Mayock, I know you know him a little bit. I know him a little bit from going to the combine a couple times.

Mike Mayock, John Gruden, Derek Carr, Antonio Brown, Burrfect. This is a powder keg waiting to explode. Well, my problem is they have gotten no value. Trent Brown's overpaid. Antonio Brown's great, but they're paying a lot. So they're not getting value. Cowboys, Randall Cobb, say what you like. It's value.

That's not a bad move by the Cowboys. He's fine. He's going to catch 60 balls. He have two touchdowns. He's your third receiver. Cole Beasley was going to cost you a fortune. So Dallas went and got values. It's not a dominating play.

Not every football player needs to be 16 touchdown guy. Over under. Hold on. Over under. Halloween. Will Johnny Mansell be in a Raiders jersey? No, he won't. Jason McIntyre.

Thanks, buddy. When the real tough weather hits, you have got to be protected. That's where Michelin Premium Wiper Blades come in. Spring is starting. Now, my wife's skiing today, so she texts and said, oh, it's snowing in Utah. So winter's not done in some of the, You know, mountain estates. 70 out here this weekend.

Yeah, no, I'm going to Phoenix this weekend. It's 81. See Monday. Last night, a blown call changed a game. This morning, the internet lost its mind. And nobody's telling you exactly what happened. That's where Sports Slice comes in. I'm Timbo.

In every episode, we're cutting through the noise, breaking down the biggest moments in sports and giving you the real story behind the headline. And we're going straight to the source, the athletes themselves. Their locker room stories, their reactions in the moment and the stuff nobody gets to hear. Listen to Sports Slice on the Iheart Radio app,

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