The Herd with Colin Cowherd - Middlekauff - 3 & Out - 2011 NBA and NFL Drafts shaped leagues; NFL/NBA media differences; NFC South O/U's; Middlekauff Mailbag

Episode Date: July 2, 2019

Subscribe here to the 3 and Out with John Middlekauff Podcast https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/3-and-out-with-john-middlekauff/id1352730623?mt=2.In this episode, Middlekauff looks at how the 2011 NBA and NFL Drafts shaped the current landscape of both leagues, the biggest differences between the NBA and NFL media, his NFC South O/U picks, and answers listener questions in Middlekauff's Mailbag. Follow John on twitter @JohnMiddlekauff and go to www.theherdnow.com to find the latest content. Subscribe now! Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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legit summer. It's July 1st. as I'm recording this, July 4th weekend, happy 4th of July. Gotta love America. Got to love America. This is a great week. You could argue, like, I love Thanksgiving because I like to eat. Christmas used to be cool because you get presents. But you get older, like I just like holidays that revolve around alcohol.

So, and just sun, Fourth of July, probably be number one for me. I absolutely love Fourth of July, so happy Fourth of July to everyone. everyone listening thinks you know this is we've been doing this podcast about a year and a half and having a good time doing it. We've been two years? I don't even know. It's been a minute. Maybe it's a year and a half. We'll keep it going. We're in the summer

now. We are in the summer. So today we have I kind of dove in the NBA free agency which was just nuts. I mean absolutely nuts. It's kind of all determined by the 2011 draft.

Well, I just happened in 2011, working for the Eagles, to be at the NFL draft. And then I brought them both up this morning, kind of looking through it, and said, wow, there are a lot of similarities between the two drafts. In the first round, both drafts were just littered. And I repeat, littered with elite Hall of Fame-level players. But the major difference when I looked at the two drafts is the NBA,

the majority of the players in that draft have been on several teams, while the majority of the players in the first round in the 2011 draft, who were really good, had been on one. And it got me thinking yesterday, because there's so many talks about free agency and NFL free agency, and I've said over and over, I actually think NFL free agency has gotten a lot more interesting because of trades.

We saw, think how many trades we saw last year with Pro Bowl level players. O'Dell Beckham Jr., Frank Clark, D. Ford. I mean, we saw some pretty big-name players get traded just thinking the last couple years. Brandon Cooks, Jarvis Landry, we've seen some really good players get traded the last several years.

Because for the most part, if you draft and we'll go through the 2011 some first rounders here in a minute, you're not letting that guy go. And even after eight years, if they're still an elite player, like many guys in the NBA draft, they're not hitting free agency. And I say it all the time, the NFL is much more fan-friendly that way for the season, because you get to keep your players. Now, the NBA is much more fan-friendly for the off-season because it's

just mayhem. I saw a tweet today over $3 billion were given out. Don't ever get it twisted. The NBA is the greatest financial partnership in the history of America. It has made more people CEO level money than any business. Now, the NFL, because of the depth and the number of people working in the business, coaches and players, have made more millionaires probably than any, I don't know this factually, but I would put up the NFL against any other industry has created more millionaires. Maybe some have stockwise, you know, if you like factor in, you know, like 401Ks and stuff, like Amazon.

I'm just talking about actual employees that are working for the company. And when you factor in the players and when you factor in the coaches, the NFL has made more millionaire. So there's different ways to skin a cat. Now, if yesterday you get all the people that were tweeting and retweeting Woj, and probably most people listening were interacting some way, if you get those people to actually watch the game, like that's the one thing the NFL has over the NBA. Is when the game start, that's where the NBA matter or the NFL matters.

When the NBA, when the game start, it's not until the playoffs where you really care. Now, I do think the NBA really values the offseason, but so does the NFL. Because the NFL's draft is always better than the NBA's draft. Free agency, definitely the last 10 years have historically been pretty shitty. Just because top players do not hit the market, because why would you let a top player hit the market? You just resign them. Worst case, an area, you franchise them. But I do think the addition, like I said, of these younger general managers that trades have really helped.

But let's look at the 2011 draft. Kyrie Irving, Kemba Walker, Clay Thompson, Kauai Leonard, Tobias Harris, Jimmy Butler, and then just two other guys that got a combined $180 million. Nikola Vukovitch and Bogdana Bojanovich. That's the guy that signed with Utah, a pretty good player from the Pacers. Like, that's just Kyrie, Kemba. Kamba's going to be a stud for the Celtics. Clay, Hall of Famer, Kauai Hall of Famer, Tobias, a little overpaid, but he's a good player,

and Jimmy Butler. I mean, that's a pretty good group. I mean, you got, Kyrie's got a championship, Clay's got three, Kauai's got two. There's a lot of juice there in that little group. Like, that is an insane draft. So a big reason why this NBA free agency was so big is because that draft, I mean, how many guys, I mean, you got 10 guys right there that are legit players. And five or six of them are elite players. Well, that same year in the NFL, think about this, it had a historic draft.

Cam Newton went one. He's won an MVP. He took the team to Super Bowl. Second player picked. I don't know. His name's Vaughn Miller. First Ballot Hall of Famer, Super Bowl MVP. A couple picks later.

A.J. Green. One of the better receivers of his generation. Pick later. Patrick Peterson. P.P.21. I don't know if he's probably not a Hall of Famer, but he's been an elite corner for a long period of time. Now he just got suspended.

Next pick. Julio Jones. Hall of Famer. Probably the best player in the history of the Atlanta Falcons. J.J. Watt. Hall of Famer. Tyron Smith. Hall of Famer.

Cam Jordan. Hall of really damn. He's damn good. He's not Hall of Famer. That's a pretty good draft. Think about this. Cam, same team. Vaughn, same team.

AJ Green, same team. Patrick Peterson, same team. Julio, same team. Jay J.J. Watts, same team. Tyron Smith, same team. Cam Jordan, same team. Kyle Rudolph, also drafts in the first round. Same team.

Think about that. Let's go through the NBA guys. Kyrie on his third different team. Kemba, second. Clay, the outlier of this group, one team. And he's really wired a little more like an NFL guy. The Warriors were never going to let him go. Kauai Leonard, if he joins the Lakers, we'll be on his third team.

Tobias Harris on his fifth. Jimmy Butler, fourth. Bogdan Bogdanovich, like fourth or fifth. Nikola Vouchovitch, been on a bunch. So just think about the two sports, the difference in which they run. And listen, I'm entertained by both. I think the NFL has a better business model. I think some sort of, I don't know if the franchise tag is the right word, but some sort of incentive.

Not like the financial incentive, if you did the same thing where you can give the guy an extra year and more guaranteed cash, in the NFL they would always resign because the money is so powerful to NFL players. Like an extra $20 million guaranteed is a lot. We just saw Kevin Durant yesterday, has a torn Achilles, turned down $60 million extra from the Warriors. Didn't even hesitate, didn't even flinch, was never coming back to the Warriors. Because these guys makes Kyrie, these guys make so much money in shoe deals, it doesn't even matter. The income on the court for some of these guys is like their side job. It's kind of crazy to think about because, like, Dame Lillard, I googled yesterday,

I'm always fascinated by total earnings of contracts. He just got that supermax extension. And he's kind of a little more like an NFL guy, right? You never let him leave the organization. Now, granted, in the NBA, you can never want him to leave, but he might want to leave. So you have to do a good job. We're in the NFL, as long as you keep paying him and giving him good contracts, he's going to stay win, lose, or draw.

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Listen to SportsClyce. On the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more, follow Timbo Sliced Life 12 and 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. We're in

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What's up, fam? This Isaiah Thomas. And I'm C.J. Toledano and our podcast Point Game is about defining the odds. Like LeBron heading into the playoffs without Luca and Austin Reed. And finding ways to win no matter what. He's the smartest player to ever play the game. His IQ is at a level that we've never seen before. And he knows without Luca and Austin Reeves, I got to manipulate the game.

We get a player's perspective on the challenges of the playoffs. I think Joker's going to be exhausted this series because when they don't have Rudy in the lineup, he has to really guard guys like Nas Reid. He has to guard Julius Randall. And then he has to give us everything he gives us on the night-to-night basis on offense. And when IT's friends stop by, like Quentin Richardson, we dive into some playoff history too.

Steve Nass would get that thing. That man, hell get the flying. He run up the court, licking his fingers why he got the ball. After you go through a training camp with that, Isaiah, you figure it out real quick. Get your ass up and down the court, and you're going to get the ball.

So listen to Point Game on the, iHeart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. We'll have made $318 million in the NBA. $318 million in the NBA. I would imagine no NFL player. I think I've looked this up before, like Peyton Manning's career earnings. They have never got that high. So the money is way different, and there's a big supply and demand.

There's less top players. Now, a little like quarterbacks. You know, supply and demand, it's why quarterback gets so much money. But I really think when you look at these two drafts, very similar elite Hall of Fame-level players, that the NFL, all these guys stayed on the same team. Like, that's ultimately how you want your league. You want to be able to build teams, build players, the fans are going to love. Like, that shit matters.

It really does. And the NFL, like, I'm looking at Peyton Manning. Peyton Manning has made $250 million in his career. $250 million. Dame Miller is going to make $65 million more. That's pretty nuts. And I'm glad that the NFL does not have all these players jumping all over the place. That wouldn't be enjoyable.

To me, J.J. Watt just resonates a little more than he's a Texan. Julio Jones, a Falcon. Von Miller's Denver Bronco. Now, these guys, like, is Vaughn Miller going to end his career on the Broncos? Maybe not. Jay J.J. Watt, could he play somewhere else? For sure. Julio Jones?

Yeah. But the 10 years of their peak Hall of Fame career is going to be with the same team. I think at the end of the day, and again, I'm not trying to get sappy or anything, that's still pretty cool. Imagine the biggest secret of your life. Now, imagine trusting that big secret with the entire world. That is exactly what Tony Morrison did when he made the brave decision to share his HIV positive status in an open essay on Good Morning America's website. Hi, I'm Zach Stafford, host of In The Deep.

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State Farm is there. Call or go to statefarm.com for a quote today. If you could talk to me a little bit about the process you went through, and I think it's good to not pat yourself on the back, but to put it out there so other people can kind of hear what it takes. Like, I don't know. I always look at like this. Like, what do I want?

I wanted to be a WWE superstar. All right, what does it take to be a WW superstar? What are the tools I will need to give me every possible opportunity I can get? And so I took the tools of acting classes, improv classes, wrestling school, everything I possibly can to knock on the door of WW. The people of the, everyone on that real world show would wear my t-shirts, would always ask me to do the MIS. Like, they were so supportive. Like, you don't get it that very often. You really don't.

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Find your next job fast at careerbuilder.com Okay, I actually started watching I forget the name of it, but Showtime has this new show. It's all about Fox News and how it was created. It's like a television show. Russell Crow is the lead actor. And you can't even recognize Russell Crow. He got really fat.

He puts on like a fat suit to be Roger Ailes, the guy that left CNBC and MSNBC, who at the time, I mean, it might still be, but it was owned by GE, Jack Welsh, you know, like one of the greatest CEOs, kind of screwed up. them, it's a good, it's a good watch. It's well acted. And part of, it's only been through one episode. It's probably like 10 episode season. It's basically talking about how,

and I think it's going to develop this way. One, it just Roger Ailes was, you know, had some issues. But also, like his business plan was to be like a PR campaign. And I say it all the time now about news networks in general, MSNBC, CNN, Fox News. when people get so worked up on Twitter, first and foremost, the number one role and the job of these networks,

especially nowadays, is to make money. Get ratings to sell advertising and make cash. But the one thing Fox News did, and it was because led by him, was to become like a PR vehicle for the Republican Party. And his idea was, instead of going after everyone in the news media, just segment it and just go after conservatives. and basically they became the PR party.

Now, you could say CNN and MSNBC are basically the PR party for the liberals. I mean, it's the same thing. But the one thing I've always thought about the NFL media, and again, I was kind of thrown into the legit, the fire

in Philadelphia, it's crazy. It's a war zone. The NFL is covered like politics. It's no holds bar. It's just a war zone every day in a press conference. And no matter who you are, at any moment,

an article could be written about the dynamics internally. I think we saw a good example. You know, one of the biggest, you know, arguably probably the second biggest star in the league, Aaron Rogers, behind Tom Brady. A scathing article came out about Rogers, his coach, the organization, the entire thing. No one was off limits. We're in the NBA. It actually operates a lot like Fox News.

If you notice any reporter you read on a player, it's always pro the player. because in the NFL, or excuse me, the NBA, the NBA player has all the juice. So if you screw them over or screw their agent over, they will cut you out. And in the NFL, I can get another player, I can talk to a coach. In the NBA, you kind of need the star player. Like you need Steph Curry or Kevin Durant more than they need you, so you kind of have to be kind to them. And for the most part, it's a pro-empowerment player league. So everything you see is so pro player.

Well, in the NFL, during free agency, and as we, talked about kind of on the last segment, like the reality is in the NFL, like elite players in their prime, in the NFL, unlike the NBA 2 year prime is in your mid-20s, where in the NBA, you can play well in your 30s and you last a lot longer. Those guys don't become free agents. That's why it was so nuts that O'Dell Beckham changed teams. Now, he didn't change it as a free agent, but he was traded as 25 years old, 26 years old. That's like unheard of. That's not normal. That's why it was a big deal when the 49ers acquired Jimmy Garapola. He was like 25 years old. You just can't acquire those type players

kind of in their youth, in their physical prime, in the NFL. Because most times the team just keeps them. And the difference also is when a transaction happens in the NFL, and I think I always say this, the healthiest thing the NFL has going for them, like there aren't really agendas. You just kind of get it like it's actually happening. Like the reality is in the NFL,

we got a pretty good idea and a pretty good feel how every team kind of views their coach, views their players, just a decent overview of Cliff Note version of each team. Because every year, like all these reporters are right and just are just letting it loose. You have to be competitive in the NFL that way. We're in the NBA, you've got no real clue because everything's, oh, they love this guy, they love this guy. Actually, they hate them, you know.

And the biggest free agent to move, the best player in this class, I guess, beside Kwai Leonard, was Kevin Durant. And listen, I've lived in the Bay Area, Kevin Durant's entire time here. He is a remarkable player. I mean, I'd argue he's probably, if he would have stayed healthy, become a top 10 player of all time. But like a lot of NFL players, and the reason they end up hitting free agency eventually a team doesn't want it,

because they get hurt. Well, Kevin Durant, unlike in NFL, like if you had a torn Achilles in the NFL, people are not offering you a huge contract. I didn't read one person yesterday. I feel like I was the only person even thinking this that every article I read was like, oh, this is a no-brainer, a no-brainer, a no-brainer to give Kevin Durant an astronomical amount of money.

And I was thinking the same thing here with the Warriors. You're going to offer him $230 million. He has a torn Achilles. He's going to miss next season, and when he comes back, he's going to be 32 years old. And is this the NFL in me? Because if that was an NFL player, even if it was Vaughn Miller in his prime, or Julio Jones in his prime, If he tore his Achilles, all of us, reporters, media people, fans, we'd all kind of red flag him. Now, I'm not trying to discredit Kevin Durant's career.

It's remarkable. But the day and age, or just the time of him being a top 10 player, or, I mean, hell, he was considered the best player in the league, are over. Like, in the NBA, that's the worst injury you can have, a torn Achilles. It's a game changer. Worst injury you can have. The chances he's ever the same are still. slim the nun. And if he would have been the equivalent of an NFL player, I feel like so many people would have asked, like, are we sure he's ever going to be okay? Because I'm not. I'm just

not. You know, it's not like he's 26 years old. He's going to be 32 when he comes back. And he has a lot of miles. It's not like he's a four-year college player. He came to the NBA after one year in college. So he's been in the league since he was 19 years old. And I just think it's insane. And I saw it with Kobe Bryant a couple years ago. You see it all the time in the NFL. A dude has one major injury, and he's a shell of himself. Again, we're talking about human beings. And I keep going back to this, and I say it all the time to people around the Bay Area about Clay Thompson. Ever since Adrian Peterson returned from that ACL at, like, alien speed,

like he was running like three months in, came back the next year, won the NFL MVP. He literally was an alien. I do not think he was human. And I've stood by Adrian a couple times on game day in his pads. He does not look like any running back I've ever seen. to my life. And I still feel like that's the barometer to every player that tears in ACL. Oh, he'll be good in a year. Can we just pump the brakes? I remember back in the day where we just took our time. And I'll give the 49er some credit. They're like easing Jimmy Garapolo back in.

You can't rush these guys back from injury. And I think the NFL, at least their front offices, because they're not as desperate. And I understand. I mean, Kevin Durant is remarkable. And if he does bounce back to be the player that he was, he's worth every penny. But if he's, but if he's, If he's a shell of himself, which we have seen historically time in and time again with players that tell him their Achilles, we see it in the NFL all the time. It's a terrible investment. And I feel like I was the only person on the Internet that even raised that question. Everyone's like, oh, no-brainer, you got to give him the money.

No-brainer, you've got to give him the money. I get it for the Nets and the Knicks. You've got to give him the money. But most times when you do that, it's never the same. And you wish three years later you did not give him the money. And the hard part with Kevin is you won't know right away. I remember in Philly, we signed Ronnie Brown and one practice in. I was like, why does this guy look slower than me?

Now, again, he was just older. You see it in the NFL all the time with older players. When I say older, I'm talking like 30, 31 years old. You can just tell in practice. But when a guy comes back from an injury, especially a great player, you kind of give them some time. I remember Navaral Bowman coming back off the terrible injury. He'd have to rehab. He was like, oh, just give him some time, give him a year.

And then the second year he looked better. And then he got injured again. And then it was over. It was a wrap. So I just I think the PR campaign of the NBA Does this entire process Somewhat of a disservice

Because every move is just great Every moves that can't miss Well yeah because you're in bed with the agent And that's the one thing I think when you read NFL stuff Now occasionally people have agenda But for the most part Good reporters in the NFL

Like you usually side sometimes more with the team Than you do the player Because you know the team's going to be there longer But you also take the player and the agent pretty seriously too. It feels a little more fair and ballast, as I guess they would say on Fox News. That was a big part of the show.

He's being on fair and balance, even though he wasn't. Where the NBA, they love acting. Like, you're just getting the whole story. No, I'm not. I'm only getting the player side, where everything is pro player. And that's a great part about the NFL and someone that loves explosive stories.

I just don't think you're getting that Aaron Rogers, Mike McCarthy story in the NBA. It's just not happening. because it made Aaron Rogers look really bad. And usually a maid man in an organization. No one's writing that article about James Harden or Steph Curry or hell, LeBron James. They're just not. So for as much crap as the NFL takes and they take a lot,

just be glad that the NFL news cycle, you get both sides of the equation. Okay, before we get to the middle cop mailback, it's where you guys slide up in my DMs and I answer your guys questions on the podcast. I'm doing the entire league. We did the AFC East, we did the NFC East, we did the AFC South, then we're going to do the NFC South today.

Next podcast will probably do the AFC or NFC North. Flip a coin to decide, but the NFC South, which probably I think most of us would agree, has one of the better teams in the league in the New Orleans Saints, and then I think for second place, kind of up for grabs. But let's dive into the over-unders and just kind of who I like to win.

the division, we'll dive into each team. Let's start with the Saints. Clearly, top to bottom, their roster is really damn good. I mean, they have one of the best coaches in the league. They have an all-time quarterback. They have many blue-chip players. They've got a blue-chip corner. They got a blue-chip wide receiver.

They got a blue-chip running back. They added Jared Cook, who's a really good pass-catching tight-in. And when you look at their roster last year, they really only had Michael Thomas. Alvin Kamar caught the ball a lot, too. Now you've got Michael Thomas, Alvin Kamara, and Jared Cook. It gives them a little more balance. They added Latavius Murray because they lost Mark Ingram. Mark Ingram is a really good player.

But the problem for them is you can't really pay everyone. So you've got to let Mark Ingram walk. You weren't going to pay him. Latavius is a really good backup. Like obviously Mark Ingram is a better backup. But Latavius is a true backup. To me, Ingram is more probably of a fringe starter. Where if Latavius is your backup running back, you're in good shape.

To me, the one thing for the Saints to take a big step, they need a huge year out of Davenport. They drafted the kid. Where was he from? University, Texas, El Paso, or San Antonio, really small. UTSA, really small school. They traded up into the first round. They gave up a first round pick for him.

When you do that, you got to become, I mean, he's not going to become Killelea Mac or Von Miller, but he's got to become a French Pro Bowl guy. So if he can take a big step, I think this roster is excellent. They're over-under's 10 and a half. That's a pretty high number. You can be a really good team and win 10 games.

I would take the over reluctantly. I see they win 11, 12 maybe. I mean, they're obviously really good at home. They're the heavy favorites to win the division at minus 180. I think we all feel pretty good. I mean, there's one player they can't afford to lose. That'd be Drew Brees. They'd be in major trouble.

Actually, they got Teddy Bridgewater. You could argue they're in pretty good shape to be pretty deep. I mean, they got a good backup quarterback. So I like the Saints to win 11 games. I take the over. and, you know, minus 1-8, I wouldn't even bet that. Let's go to the Panthers. They're over under 7.5.

I'm on the fringe. I think that's 7-8 range right there. You know, maybe they get 8-8. I think the big question is Cam's health. He had surgery. He was not the same guy last year. The big talking point in Carolina has been, like, people, reporters during OTA,

he's getting video of cam throwing. Then the team kind of freaked out, so they just put a camera on the team's website on Cam, like it's not that big a deal. Looks good throwing the ball in OTAs for whatever that's worth. But the thing with Cam is part of his game is, and rightfully so, he's one of the greatest. He's definitely the most physical running quarterback we've ever had. He's probably not the most graceful, like a Vic or a Randall Cunningham.

He's the most unique running quarterback we've ever had because he's 6'5. He can fly, he can break tackles. He also has a cannon for an arm. The problem is he's a little inaccurate. DJ Moore is a good player. I mean, they got a pretty good roster. I mean, Christian McCaffrey is an elite player. I missed on him.

If you were listening last year when he was coming out, or I guess two years ago, I thought Christian McCaffrey was like a fringe first rounder. I thought what he'd become is like a better Julian Edelman. But the way the league changed so fast, his ability to catch the ball out of the backfield, he's basically like Alvin Kamara. He's an elite player. I was too low on him. I didn't think he was going to be that good.

Was I racial profiling, a white running? back? Maybe. I don't know. Listen, I live in the Bay Area. I root for Stanford guys. He's even like last year was incredible. He's a stud. He's a star. And he's a big help for Cam because Cam can dump it off, not always

having to push the ball down the field. You know, kind of their stalwart of their franchise, Thomas Davis is no longer there. He's with the Chargers. You know, can Luke Keekeley stay healthy? They drafted the kid, Brian Burns from Florida State in the first round. 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 athletes 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 Slic 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, Kier 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 Hardway. Open your free, Our Heart Radio app. Search Learn the Hardway and listen now. American soccer is about to explode. The World Cup is coming. Ramos sending on the only store at the chip. I'm Tad Ramos.

I'm Tom Boke. On our podcast, Inside American Soccer, you'll get the real storylines. I'm not worried about Policic. I'm not worried about Balagan. I'm not worried about McKinney. My only concern is what happens in the back. The biggest decisions. If you're going to look at stats and numbers, he has no shot at making this World Cup team.

And the truth about the U.S. national team. It wouldn't be a huge surprise if our team ends up in the quarterfinals or potentially a great run into the semifinals. The World Cup is almost here. Experience it all with us. Listen to Inside American Soccer with Tom Bogart and Tab Ramos on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, wherever you get your podcast. What's up, fam? It's Isaiah Thomas.

And I'm C.J. Toledano, and our podcast Point Game is about defining the odds. Like LeBron heading into the playoffs without Luca and Austin Reed. And finding ways to win no matter what. He's the smartest player to ever play the game. His IQ is at a level that we've never seen before. And he knows without Luca. And Austin Reeves, I got to manipulate the game. We get a player's perspective on the challenges of the playoffs.

I think Joker's going to be exhausted this series because when they don't have Rudy in the lineup, he has to really guard guys like Nas Reid. He has to guard Julius Randall. And then he has to give us everything he gives us on the night-to-night basis on offense. And when IT's friends stop by, like Quentin Richardson, we dive into some playoff history too.

Steve Nash would get that thing. That man, hell get the flying. He running up the court, licking his finger. is why he got the ball. Like, you go through a training camp with that Isaiah, you figure it out real quick. Get your ass up and down the court, and you're going to get the ball. So listen to Point Game on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Added Bruce Irvin, who's an average player, talking myself into maybe I'd go with the over,

but I don't like them much at eight. I probably just wouldn't bet it. I don't like the Panthers that much. The team I like in this division, which I think is one of the sleepers in the NFL and they're over under and even Vegas is telling you know like they don't have a seven and a half over under it's nine and that's the Atlanta Falcons they're plus 375 to win the division so almost four to one I like that I actually think the Falcons are a sleeper team to win this division they got rid of Steve Sarkisian they brought back dirt cutter obviously they kept Julio Jones they need to keep Devante Freeman healthy they got all those guys on defense coming back off injury I don't ever remember a team like through September that was inflicted with more injuries I think Dan Quinn's a really good coach Matt Ryan is a really solid quarterback. There's a well-run organization. I think they're going to be good.

I really do. I think just based on roster-wise, they're a 10-11 win team. And if things go right, them and the Saints obviously have a big rivalry, I think they can win this division. They're one of the sleeper teams that if you tell me like the Falcons are in the NFC championship game, I won't be shocked. I really won't. Getting rid of Sark was big.

Getting Dirk cutter back. Him and Matt Ryan have worked together before. You know, it's probably the next best thing you can do if you're going to, you obviously can't have Kyle Shanahan. So I like the Falcons a lot. I think they're going to be really good. And when I say really good, they were really good on offense last year. I mean, Calvin Ridley was a star.

Obviously, Julio dominated. They need a little bit more out of their running game. And then, again, their defense just lost so many players. They are not going to be that bad on defense again. And the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. It's six and a half. I think there's two ways to look at it. One, they do have a lot of young talent.

Now, you could argue, is like James Young anymore? He's going into his fifth year. Like, James, are you going to make some place? Or I guess he's going into his fourth year. James, you're going to figure it out, or are you not going to figure it out? I mean, last year you couldn't keep your hands of yourself in an Uber. Like, come on, bro. Come on, man.

That's just, that's embarrassing. It really is. Can't keep your hands of yourself in an Uber? Like, you've got some issues. Now, if there's anyone on this planet that can kind of get him going in the right direction, probably any coach, when you bring up James Winston, you could have one coach with James Winston, it'd probably be Bruce Ariens. because he's crazy enough.

They're just a good fit. And also what James wants to do, push the ball down the field. You got Mike Evans. You drafted O.J. Howard last year. They got rid of Sean Jackson. They need to get something out of Ronald Jones. They drafted from USC who just didn't do anything last year.

And I loved him. I thought he was like a Jamal Charles light coming out of SC. They need to get him going. They drafted Devin White, fifth overall. You draft a guy five overall at middle linebacker. better become a star. Their defensive coaching staff's really good. Say what you want about Todd Bulls. He's a good defensive coordinator.

They kind of have a mindset and a way they do things there. They kicked ass in Arizona. They use speed to their advantage. They have a lot of, they've always used a lot of defensive backs. They like a fast team. I think they're going to be pretty good on defense or at least

much improved on defense. Now granted, their DB suck. But that's six and a half number. I just want to give Ariens the benefit of the doubt, but I don't trust I don't trust James I just the culture, I don't know but I thought the same thing about the Cardinals and Arian showed up and they won 10 games his first year

when he had to play San Francisco and Seattle. So, you know, at the end of the day I'll probably take the over. 7 and 9. I think 7 and 9 would be a pretty impressive year, first year for Bruce Arias. Now, what you do with James from there I guess it depends on how it looks, but they're going to have to figure something out

because he did draft them first overall. This is fourth year. They've already picked up his fifth year option. If Aaron doesn't like him, he'll be gone. It's really that simple. If Arrians likes him, he'll keep him. So I got, I feel most confident. Saints over 10 and a half.

Panthers, under 7 and a half. But I don't like them. They're 7 and 9. Falcons over 9. Bucks. Over 7? God, it feels like, I'll go under. I'll go under 7.

Obviously, the Saints are the heavy favorite. I like the Falcons as a sleeper to win this division. I think overall, When you factor in Ariens is there now, the Falcons are going to bounce back, the Panthers still have a lot of solid players and the Saints are excellent. This is a pretty good division. This is a pretty deep division for sure. Support for this podcast in the following message comes from American Express.

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like insuring your car and your home, getting you great rates on both. It's a good idea to consider State Farm. For surprisingly great rates, like a good neighbor, State Farm is there. Call or go to StateFarm.com for a quote today. I can post a picture that a girl that is way skinnier than I am, a size 2, a size 4, the same exact picture. And I look vulgar because I'm thicker. but if a thinner girl does it, it's not that much of a big deal.

And that's what I'm not okay with. Because why? Why? Because I have cellulite because I have thick thighs. I can't do that. I can't feel sexy in my own skin. And those are the things that I want to break because there are so many women like me. And I want to be and represent us, you know? Obviously, there's always room for improvement. I always want to look better. I want to work out. I want to lose weight.

But in reality, this is the body God gave me. And I've never really been skinny. Listen to the My Cultura Podcast Network available on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Okay, let's dive into my Instagram at John Middlecough is the handle. Middilkoff mailbag, my Instagram DMs, DMs always wide open. It's basically just full of dudes, full of dudes asking me questions about football, about life, about anything. But mainly football questions. And I answer them right here.

Middlecoff mailbag, at John Middlecoff, Instagram handle, follow away, slide up in those messages are wide open. If you had to create an all-time coaching staff of a head coach, offensive coordinator, defensive coordinator, and an assistant coach on both sides of the ball, who would you pick? Wow, that's a pretty good one. You could also throw in special teams coordinator if you'd like.

Another question would be where the best place in North America to put a new NFL franchises and why? Any good books to read? I would, the Belichick books really good. This guy asks a lot of question, Max. Okay, let's do the all-time coach. I think the best coach in NFL history is pretty well established at this point.

Bill Belichick. The thing is, like Parcells, who's a top four or five coach, the problem is his best defenses were run by Belichick. So what I think I would do is I would go Belichick, Head coach and my defensive coordinator with Bill Walsh as my offensive coordinator. And my special teams coach is a great question. I'd probably let Belichick do that too.

So it'd just be Walsh and Belichick. You bring Dante Scarnacia. I mean, I could bring a bunch of people. You know, Monty Kiffin to coach the D.Bs. But Belichick and Walsh should be the two guys I want. Best place in North America that doesn't have an NFL franchise? It's a good question. I'd say Portland, but see it.

I mean, Seattle's pretty big right there, and they have an NFL franchise. I'd have to think about that for a while. Vegas has one now. I think we're pretty well represented in the cities that we need to be in. I have to really think about that. I don't think the NFL is expanding anymore. I think they're kind of set. Who looks like the favorite to take the NFC East going into training camp?

I think I picked Dallas when I first did it. Dallas and Philly, to me it's a two-horse race. Also, will Lamar Jackson be good? No. And I think it'll be okay. What I'm nervous about Lamar Jackson is then basically at Davis Senior High School, where I attended, pulling right guard, we ran this thing, many of you know, called the wingtie. I feel like that is what the Ravens offense is going to look like, the wingtie. We're just Marquis Brown, be lining down the sideline, occasionally getting some deep bombs.

But it's basically just going to be the wing tea. And in the wing tea, I mean, obviously the NFL version, your quarterback, is open to a lot of hits. So how can Lamar Jackson avoid not getting crunch? I don't know. I think it's... I don't know if he makes it through this season healthy, to be honest with you. Okay, question for you.

In your opinion, who are the most underrated players on both sides of the ball? Most underrated quarterback or offensive player? I'd have to think about that. Let's do you your sub question. What do you think? I'm trying to think of a defensive player. I think most players in the... the NFL, you just get a lot of pub when you're good.

Like, once you're good, we know about you. I would say an underrated player, again, I'm kind of biased because he's in my backyard, but DeForest Buckner, who's really, really good. I don't know if this guy's really under the radar anymore, but Akeem Hicks of the Bears. I think sometimes, like a defensive tackle can be a little under the radar. I think it's hard to be under the radar as like a linebacker, a DB. You just get a lot of pub. Aren't many like under the radar wide receivers.

Like is Adam Thielen under the radar? I would say most NFL fans would be like, no, hell no. He's on my fantasy team. What do you think Derek Carr will be like this year? And do you think he has a chance to be like 2016 Carr? Well, the offensive line's better. Now they bring Trent Brown. They're going to have to coach up Colton Miller.

You add Antonio Brown. You add Tyrell Williams. You add a running back. You lose Jared Cook, who was pretty important. Yeah, I mean, I think he could be, you know, if they go 7, 8 wins and he throws 35 touchdowns. He could be, he's a very talented player. To me, the only question I have with Derek is sometimes he gets a six. skittish in the pocket. His MVP season, his MVP level season before he broke his ankle,

he was so confident in the pocket, pushing the ball at every level, short, intermediate, and deep. And he's kind of got away from that the last couple years. If he can get that going again, he's got Antonio, who's the best receiver in the game, Tyro Williams, a great deep threat. They got, you know, a first round running back. A lot of pressure on Derek kind of, honestly, because next year they can get rid of them for like $3.5 million. So if he does not play well, this season, they will cut him. I know he loves to act like he's super loyal to the Raiders. He's not even acting.

He is. He loves the Raiders. But he has to realize they will get rid of him if he does not play well. And if he plays well, they'll win games. So if they're going to be good this year, it's going to come down to him. Why don't can't NFL owners find other ways to compensate their players similar to the way the Patriots by Tom Brady supplements for the team? I often think about Arthur Blank agreeing to stock tools in Home Depot for

a company partially owned by Matt Ryan. In theory, Ryan would be willing to sign for less the free cap space. Even though he did not, he took every sink and penny. I don't know. I mean, I think the rules are pretty strict. If you get caught, you know, Eddie D got nailed back in the day and that was when the cap first started, I think if stuff was so egregious, they would take around the first round draft picks.

They just can't. The one thing the NFL hangs his hat on right now, I don't think the NBA cares. because there's not competitive balance in the NBA. In the NFL, a big part of their business plan, the reason they make the most money of all the leagues, is parity is a big thing. And when I say parity, obviously there are many organizations like the Patriots,

the Steelers, now the Chiefs, Seattle. Like there are teams that just kind of win every year. And the Browns, the Niners, there's a lot of teams that lose a lot, right? But there's hope every season for like 90% of the league. Think about this right now. Name me a team right now that, does not have hope going into the season.

The Giants. Redskins. But, you know, Haskins, I'd say the Redskins. The Bengals. I mean, it's a short list. So the parody and the hope is a big reason people love the NFL so much. Because their teams, at least as we sit here on July 1st and then August 1st, then hell, even September 1st, you think you got a chance.

Not to win the Super Bowl, but to like, hey, we could win eight, nine games, maybe make the playoffs. That's fun. Like in the NBA, if you're sitting here right now and you're a Suns fan, or you're a Bulls fan, or you're a Knicks fan, or you're a magic fan, or you know, you can just count the teams. You're just like, yeah, we're not winning the championship. We're not even going to make the playoffs.

I heard you mentioned last year's draft board was Ziggy Anson and Dion Jordan at the top. Would you ever go over the draft boards you put together when you were in the NFL? I'd love to hear the actual scouting reports. Actually, who was looking in my garage the other day. Maybe we could do that, kind of bored. Uh, and I have these two boxes. Do I have one? I think I have some here too.

Yeah, we can do that. That's not a terrible idea. Let me write that down. That'll probably help pass the time. Uh, read scouting reports. I'm writing this down on my little to-do list. I know DJ's done some of this. Yeah, we can do that for sure.

That's a good question. Not a bad idea at all. See how nails I was on some of them. Uh, do you think Frank Reichie will ever have the ability to beat Belichick in a chess match in a playoff game, that's what it takes to get to the Super Bowl and the AFC. Yeah, I mean, I think it's going to come down to two things. One, they're not going to go to New England and beat Tom Brady.

So if the Colts are going to beat the Patriots, which off top of my head, it feels like they've done it once when Peyton Manning overcame that big second half comeback, it was at home. So they have to find a way. One thing we know about New England, they've been a one or two. two seed every year for eight straight seasons. So if you're going to beat New England, the only chance you have a chance is to get a better seed than them, i.e. Kansas City. I mean, think about Kansas City last year.

The reason that that game was so tight is because it was at home, because they started like crap. They were terrible in the first half. If they had played like that in New England, they would have been down 28-0. Instead, off the top of my head, I think it was only 14-0. Then they came back and made it a game. But a big reason they were able to do that, it's just easier to play at home and your momentum back. It's much harder to do that on the road.

So, yeah, I mean, he's a good coach. Any coach that's a good coach can get in a rhythm and beat any coach, even Belichick. But to beat Belichick, you probably got to beat him at home. Think about the last couple times the Patriots have not made the Super Bowl. I mean, the last time they haven't right was against Denver and the game that they couldn't protect Tom Brady. Well, who think about where that game was. It was at mile high.

So I think actually the number one thing to give yourself a chance, besides the little details, not doing dumb stuff, not committing penalties, you know, luck having a good game, all that BS. You've got to be at home. You're just, when's the last time someone went on the road and beat the Patriots? The Jets in 2009? Stinging off top of my head? I mean, was it the Ravens?

I mean, it doesn't happen very often, man. So, yeah. Was wondering what the expectations to be this year for the campaign? Cowboys. Win the division. I mean, if you win the division in the NFL, you're a Super Bowl contender. So to me, when it comes to Cowboys, their division is pretty simple. Or, I mean, their goal is pretty simple.

Win the NFC East. You win the NFC East, you're a legit chance to win the Super Bowl. Obviously, if you win the NFC East, unlike last year, you'd like to get a one or two seat. To me, that was a big difference. Two years ago when the Eagles, even though when Wince went out, they were the one seat. So they only had to win two games.

They got Atlanta at home, and then obviously they, they did. kicked the crap out of Minnesota. Well, last year the Cowboys, 10 and 6, they didn't get a buy. So you play the Seattle, which Seattle wasn't great, but it's still a tough game, and then you've got to go on the road to the Rams. And DAC was terrible in that game, but when you get home playoff games and you get a buy, you're at a huge advantage. Obviously, they had that a couple years ago when Aaron Rogers beat him,

but I'd rather take my chances at home than on the road. Tua is the best left-handed quarterback prospect since Michael Vick. I'd have to think about that. Michael Vic came out in 2001, so that's a long time. I don't know. I'm not to think about that. What about Flacco from, not Joe Flacco, but Flacco from the replacements? Keanu Reeves.

He's been a left-handed quarterback in a couple of movies. John Wick. From a scouting point, do you look at left-handed quarterbacks different? Do you feel left-handed quarterbacks are rare because they gravitate toward baseball instead of football? That's a good question. I mean, I haven't scouted that many. in my life. I mean, he grew up. I love Steve Young. I don't think you necessarily scout them any different, because I think a lot of teams now

look at left and right tackle is kind of the same thing. They put just as much value in the right tackle as they do the left tackle. I mean, maybe receivers would tell you the ball comes out of their hand a little bit. I don't know if that's necessarily the case. I think with both Tua and Michael Vick, they're just unique prospects. I mean, Michael Vick was six feet tall, max. but he had a hose wasn't that accurate but he was an elite athlete Tua also a little undersized doesn't have a great arm but he hangs his hat on being super accurate he's kind of like a left-handed Baker Mayfield

you know that there's there's some of that so yeah I mean I don't necessarily I just look like when I'm watching them like when I watch Tua I just watch a good player you know I don't think like oh left-right-handed like in baseball it matters because if I'm a left-handed pitcher in certain divisions, well, if my division is right-hand hitting dependent, you know, you'd rather have a right-hander pitcher

and vice versa, right? Now, if you're Clayton Kirshod, it doesn't matter, but just for the most part, like in football, there are no right-handed, left-handed splits for a quarterback. You know, like, is there even a good left-hander in the league right now? It doesn't feel like it, huh?

Maybe I'm blanking, but, yeah, if you're good, you're good. Let's get a couple more questions. I'm a student study in sports management and was wondering if you had any tips on breaking into the industry. Also, what results do you need to see from Matt Patricia this year to see a good coach or on his way to being a good coach? I would say 8 and 8. If they went 8 and 8 and 8 and had a good year, I'd say, you know, that was a good year from Patricia, which I'm out on right now. So 8 and 8 would be a massive win, in my opinion, for Matt Patricia.

I just think here's the key. I studied sports management too. I didn't necessarily know what I wanted to do. And I wrote for my college paper, and then I got involved with the football program, and then I kind of led to college football, and then it led to the NFL. And now it kind of led to media.

I just knew that I liked to work in sports, and I kind of found what I was good at. I had a natural, like I love football, a natural eye. I was kind of taught. I mean, you don't just, you're not just born to scout. I learned in college from Pat Hill,

have a good personality to say, which helps me out in the podcast business, slinging ads, and I can just talk till the cows come home. So, you know, I've just kind of meshed what I was good at. But I understand when you're in college, it's hard to, I want to do this. You know, some people, I think that's a smaller percentage, know exactly what they want to do at 20, 21, 22. I think most of us, and I'll throw myself included, we have an idea. And then through our experiences, it kind of maps us to where I think we're ultimately supposed to end up.

And I think at the end of the day I was supposed to end up being a media personality. But, you know, I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for my football experience. So reach out to a lot of different elements in the business, whether you want to write, whether you want to be on camera, whether you want to scout, whether you want to be a GM in basketball, and just see what sticks. And you get an opportunity, take it, and just see where it goes. You know, I'm a big believer at Cal Poly. We hang our hat on Learn by Doing.

You know, we're not smart enough just to study and learn. we actually have to do it. I actually think that's an indictment at Cal Poly. We're learned by doing because they would never say that at Harvard. They'd just be like, we learn when we read and we just remember it all. Like in Cal Poly it's like, yeah, we've got to actually do it. So then we remember it. We're not the sharpest tools in the shed, but we're not afraid of a little work.

So that would be my life advice from Middlecough. Appreciate everyone. Not sure if I'm going to do another one this week. We'll see where my Fourth of July takes me on Thursday. But if some fun stuff or some, I don't know, some stories break, maybe we will. But this might be it for this week. Keep hitting me up with the Middlecoff mailbag, at John Middlecoff, my Instagram handle. I'll get you guys questions.

Appreciate everyone interacting. And enjoy the greatest holiday on Earth. Happy Fourth of July. Peace. Hey, Singles. Do you feel like a tourist in your own town? Too busy to enjoy all your city has to offer? Events and Adventures Organizes.

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That's 1-800flowers.com slash tune in. 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 SportsSlice 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.

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Unhumor me with Robert Smygel and Friends. Me and hilarious guests from Bob Odenkirk to David Letterman help make you funnier. This week, my guest, SNL's Mikey Day and head writer, Streeter Seidel, help an a cappella band with their between songs banter. Where does your group perform? We do some retirement homes. Those people are starving for banter. Listen to humor me with Robert Smigel and Friends on the I-Heart Radio app,

Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. What's up, guys, this is Clever Taylor the 4th. And on my podcast, The Cliverts Show, I'm bringing you conversations about all kinds of stuff, like being an internet famous referee. We're in the middle of a game. This linebacker walks up to me, he goes, hey, ref, my mom wants you to wave at her.

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