The Herd with Colin Cowherd - Middlekauff – 3 & Out – NFL "Max" QB's; Brady the G.O.A.T. teammate; Lamar Jackson has problems

Episode Date: May 28, 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 which quarterbacks would be considered "max" players  by NBA standards, how paying the right or wrong QB can affect a team, why Tom Brady is still proving he's an elite teammate by connecting with younger players, and why Lamar Jackson's throwing issues are going to be big problem in Baltimore. 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.

This is an I-Heart podcast. Guaranteed Human. 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.

Multi-million dollar house, Ferrari's 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 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.

Like, I 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 I Heart Women's Sports. 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, 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,

Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more, follow Timbo Sliced Life 12 and the TikTok podcast network on TikTok. 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 IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. This clip is brought to you by State Farm. At State Farm, they know what it takes to ensure your home and ride with surprisingly great rates. That's why it's a good

idea to consider State Farm, because with State Farm, you don't have to give up what you love for great insurance. For surprisingly great rates, like a good vecino, State Farm, State Farm, My grandmother had posters on her wall of old school matches at the Carlos Colon Arena in San Juan. And we would watch American wrestling and Lucha Wrestling pretty much every day. And she, as did many back then, was fully convinced that wrestling was 100% real. Listen to the My Cultura Podcast Network, available on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to podcasts. There's a recipe for getting your car running just right, and eBaymotors.com has all the ingredients you need. They have over 122 million car parts and accessories in stock, all at the right prices.

Now that's tasty. eBaymotors.com. Let's ride. Do you own or rent your home? Sure you do, and I bet it can be hard work. You know, it's easy? Bundling policies with GEICO. Geico makes it easy to bundle your homeowners or renters insurance along with your auto policy. It's a good thing too because you already have so much to do around your home.

Go to geico.com, get a quote, and see how much you could save. It's Geicoeasy. Visit geico.com today. That's geico.com. What is going on, everybody? Happy Memorial Day. This is one of the better days of the year. You know, if you actually have a real job and have the day off.

You know, a great day I come from a long line of military men. My dad's brother actually died in Vietnam. both my grandparents fought in World War II, grandfathers. So I would imagine many people listening to this. Obviously, the connection between football and the military runs really strong with coaches and players and just as importance. So it's an awesome day. And I was thinking, you know, it's about 5.30 as I'm starting to record this, like, why do I not do a podcast today? It's not like I'm tending to my children or headed out to eat with my wife.

So I said, you know, I got some takes on some things going on with football. Going to be no Middlecough mailbag this week. I'm out of Middlecoff mailbag questions. I've used them all up. I've answered all you guys. Slide up into my DMs at John Middlecough. It's my Instagram handle at John Middlecough. We do it every show, except this one.

And I do a segment where I just answer your guys questions. At John Middlecough. Slide up in my DMs, wide open on Instagram. Same as my Twitter handle. At John Middlecough. and I'll answer your questions here on the podcast. Coming up today, with the NBA finals right around the corner, the irony about the NBA is all we talk about max contracts,

and really the only people to get max contracts in the NFL are quarterbacks, and I think there are some parallels there. It's just kind of a pretty awesome, awesome picture. I think it might have been Friday or Saturday. Nikiel Harry tweeted out, Brady Instagramed it, of those two working out. So unlike Levion and Odell and some of the guys that don't go to OTAs, Tom Brady still gets it in.

And then Lamar Jackson, an interesting quote on an organization and an offense that I shorted a while ago. But we'll dive into that. But first, one thing that I, listen, I love the NBA. I've been lucky enough to live in the Bay Area and watch this entire Warriors run over the last five years. Got to go to game seven three years ago when LeBron won. been to some of the coolest moments of this Warriors run, and it's been pretty special. But they've benefited, I think you all know.

To me, they use the term in basketball, max player, and it's the most overused term. Now, semantics, you know, you can be a max player, worth a max contract, and not be a max player. Chris Paul, Kemba Walker, you know, there are a lot of players. the Carl Anthony Towns, the Devin Bookers, a lot of young guys, get these enormous contracts and are overpaid. There are no more, like the NBA has more overpaid players than any league by a mile. And I think the media in the NBA does a poor job and does the players and the league of disservice. It's the most over-hyped league.

Like in the NFL, you can't come at me and tell me a player's really good when he's not, especially a quarterback. Now we can argue, you know, is the guy a top 10. quarterback, but you can't take some random guy. Like, you know what? Joe Flacco actually the last three years, he's been a top 12 quarterback. Every person with a brain will look at you like an idiot. Now, Joe Flacco, like a lot of NBA players, was very overpaid, and he was not producing. I personally am a believer.

That's why I love the NFL, non-guaranteed contracts. And the only people that get the majority of true guarantees are quarterbacks. Listen, it benefits the fan when you have flexibility and you can get a lot. out of contracts because as a fan, you are a fan of your team. Now, you like players, but when that player stops producing, you don't hold on much either. Do you know that fans, I don't think they often realize, they're much more like Bill Belichick than they realize. You turn on players when they suck.

That doesn't mean you don't respect them for what they've done for your team, but you're ready to have them gone. Like everyone in Baltimore, Joe Flacko won them a Super Bowl five years ago, was ready to see him go. It was time. and hell, they waited too long. We'll dive into the Ravens here in a minute. With the NBA, as if any of you watch Kawhi Leonard this playoffs,

he basically looks like Michael Jordan mixed with Scottie Pippen. He has been incredible. He is to me, obviously LeBron, Kevin, and Steph. Those guys are on their own little level. True Alpha Max players. Then I would say Kawhi's right there as a guy that you give the max to and can be your alpha. Then there's a group of guys like James Harden, can he?

Well, you can pay him and he's phenomenal during the regular season, but he's going to lose in the postseason. And he needs a second guy. Well, if you give him the wrong second guy, like Chris Paul, he's got no shot. Giannis, or as he goes by, Janus, is incredible. But he's a flawed player, though he's 24 years old. You don't hesitate giving him the max, but there is a chance that he never develops an all-around game.

And then there are countless other players like Dame Lillard. I love Dame Lillard. He's arguably my favorite athlete in all of pro sports. I love everything he stands for. Love the way he plays. He's about to get signed to a $191 million contract. In the fifth year of that contract is going to pay him around $50 million. I love Dame Lillard, and that makes me puk in my mouth thinking about that.

But I think there are some parallels with the NFL. Like in the NBA, Clay Thompson's a max guy. As long as he has a true alpha max on his team, which he does. He actually has two, but even when Kevin Durant leaves, he'll still have Steph. Kyrie, as you saw in Boston this year, he is not a true max guy. But you put him on New York with Kevin Durant, you got a chance, i.e., LeBron and Kyrie. Like, you can have a max guy as long as they have a better version next to him. If you max out that guy and you treat him as your alpha and he does not have a sidekick, you're screwed.

Or if he doesn't have a guy better than him, you really are screwed. see it all around the NBA. Where in the NFL, you get in these positions where you have to pay the quarterback. They make a ton of money. It's my big issue. Like last year with Kurt Cousins, he actually, if you look at the Minnesota Vikings, like they had an alpha team. They had a team that was poised to make the playoffs again, loaded at every position,

except offensive line, and they, quote unquote, they didn't overpay because there was a market. Actually, the Jets were willing to pay more. And they got Kurt Cousins for $85 million guaranteed. And he was not good enough to get him into the playoffs. Now you can say, well, their offensive line wasn't good enough. Well, that's on him to manipulate it. I'm sorry.

Like, you're paying this guy all that money. He's a terrible athlete. That's on you. He's not an $85 million year quarterback. You look at the guys that are, like Russell Wilson. I heard Mike Lombardi on his podcast, and I'm not into giving other people pub on their podcast, but I always like Mike Lombardi. I think he's got, you know, informative opinions.

On his podcast, he claimed that Russell Wilson wasn't a top five quarterback. My jaw hit the floor. beside Brady, Rogers, and Breeze, and those guys are older, obviously. I think 30 and under, besides luck, there is not a guy in the league I'd rather have. And he'd be right up there with like Mahomes. Now, obviously Mahomes was pretty special, but he's only started one year. I'm talking about guys that have played a little bit. If you don't think Russell Wilson is like a true Alpha Max guy, you're out of your mind.

They sold off all the defensive players. You could name about two starters on the team. last year they were widely considered as a team that was going to compete for the number one overall pick. They made the playoffs. They made the freaking playoffs. Russell Wilson is an elite alpha. And I think that's the hard part with younger players in the NFL.

Is that you have to decide, unlike the NBA to give them this $200 million max, it's usually after year eight. In the NFL, especially if you take them in the first round, you have to decide after year four. And if the guy has had any form of success, sometimes your team is so good. I think you see this with Trubisky. Now, luckily, they're going to have a couple years

this year and next year to decide on Trubisky. But they may make the playoffs every year and even be competitive in the playoffs because the team is so stacked. Do you feel good about giving Trubisky $38 million? I don't know. And I'm not going to make it a definitive statement because I believe in the coach. I love their roster.

And I just think that he has some time. Now, would I bet on him ever be in a Mahomes, a Russell Wilson, a luck, that type guy? No. But sometimes you get into a position where you just got to pay him. And when you don't draft him in the first round, and I saw this a couple years ago with Derek Carr, the Raiders had no choice. They had to give him huge cash. The 49ers, when they got their quarterback, he was heading into free agency.

And, you know, on my other podcast, Hey, Middlecoff, we've talked about in the past, well, should they have maxed out, you know, Jimmy Garoppolo, or should they have just given him the franchise tag? Well, let's just play the counter. Let's say they should have given him the franchise tag. So last year, you franchise tagged him. Well, he's coming back from an ACL. What would you have done this year?

You're not just going to let him walk. You probably would have franchise tagged him again. Because if you didn't franchise tag them, some team that needs a quarterback, and every year there are five to ten teams. This year, for the first time and forever, it seemed like there wasn't that many teams because so many guys have been drafted recently,

the dolphins, whoever, someone would have signed him. So you would have had to franchise them again. So like the NBA players, the quarterback is the one player with some leverage. But when you overpay the wrong one, and it overpay is a wrong word. When you just pay the guy, quarterbacks deserve a lot of cash.

Just like NBA superstars deserve a lot of cash. You just better pay the right guy. Because when you pay the Matt Staffords, who I always rooted for, I love everything he stands for, He's my type guy. I'd like to hang out with drink beers, go duck hunting,

hang on the lake, you know, and listen to some tunes. Like, I'd like to hang out with Matt Stafford. And he showed flashes at points early and midway through his career. I'm like, this guy's got a little Brett Farve in his game. He's not a max quarterback. And if you max him out, you got no chance to win.

Win big. Because if you max out a quarterback, you want to have a chance to win big. Aaron Rogers, Russell Wilson, Andrew Luck. Those guys give you a legitimate chance at the Super Bowl. Obviously, Tom Brady's an outlier because he takes discounts. I think the most fascinating thing is this group of under 26, 27-year-old quarterbacks. Some of them you have some time, right?

The bakers, Mahomes, Trubiskees, the Darnels, the Allen's, all these guys, you've got some time. Dak, you don't really. And when you draft a guy in the second round and you saw this with Jimmy and Carr, your timeline, you're one year ahead of schedule because they don't have a fifth-year option. So like Dak this year, he's going into his fourth year. ideally you'd like to get them under contract. The problem is do I sign this guy and then it turns out like he's Devin Booker or Carl Anthony Towns? Like he's not good enough to carry me.

Though clearly he's talented and I've seen him with some good players, but I don't quite know. I think that's the worst position to be in. Like the Chiefs, more than likely they're going to have a pretty good idea after this year. Like Mahomes is a star, right? Baker, I hesitate and a lot of people on Twitter, I don't know if you've seen. seen, but people tweet it out like you can put quarterbacks in tears. A lot of people are putting Baker a little far ahead of schedule

for me. I like Baker Mayfield. I was a big believer in him coming out of college. I think he's a really talented young player. He hasn't proven dick in the NFL. Not a damn thing. Now, he's had some moments in games that did not matter. In games that did matter, he got throttled.

So let's just, now, you didn't have any receiver. We can make excuse for everyone. All I'm saying is let's pump the brakes a little bit. I'm not a big overreact to one season guy. Now if you're one season is Mahomes, I go it's pretty clear the guy's a freak. Baker, let's see. Let's just see how it goes. And I think too many people, and I'm not blaming Baker on this, are putting an unneeded pressure on the guy. It's just, the guy started half the games of his rookie season. Let's just see. Just like Sam Donald,

Josh Allen, I don't know. I saw, I witnessed Jared Goff had arguably the worst rookie season I've ever seen. And his last two years, he's become a high-level NFL quarterback. Now, is he a superstar? I don't know. But that's going to be a thing like, am I giving Jared Gottf $35 million a year? Because if the Rams make the playoffs again this year, which will be his fourth year, that's kind of what his number is going to be around. It's going to be stupid. So you never want to get into a position where, you know, you've overpaid or paid for the wrong guys. And you see it in the NBA because the quarterback is basically the NBA Superstore. And when you do it in the NFL, you pay the wrong guy, especially the wrong young guy,

Devin Booker, Carl Anthony Towns, you lose. And you consistently lose. Now, and if you overpay an older guy, as the Houston Rockets did with Chris Paul, you get Kirk Cousins. You're like, uh, you like kind of regret the contract immediately. Now, ideally, you'd all want Kevin Durantz and Steph Curry's, the Aaron Rogers, the Russell Wilson's, the Andrew Lux. Most quarterbacks and most players are somewhere in the middle. It's why they have to be the right fit for your team. They have to have certain tangible things that they bring to the table that you like.

It's why I'm a supporter of that. Does he have the greatest arm? No. Is he the purest thrower of the ball in the NFL for all the young guys? Of course not. But he is a good athlete and he makes him big-time throws and some big-time moments. I'm going to use this year. It's why I wouldn't pay him yet.

I want to see if he's deep... Jacob Kingston grew up in an isolated political. 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 podcasts.

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 feel like you don't feel like. Don't let that be the reason you don't do it. An Olympic champs Gabby Thomas and Katie Ladecki. 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 IHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts for wherever you get your podcasts. Presented by Capital One, founding partner of I Heart Women's Sports.

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 Slices 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, 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, Tript 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, Kear Gaines, as we have real conversations about healing, growth, fatherhood, pressure, and purpose on my new podcast, learn the hard way. Open your free, our heart radio app, Search learn the hard way and listen now.

All accuracy improves, but I just think that if you can build a high-level team, and you can argue that becomes difficult when you pay a quarterback big money, I do think that's somewhat of a false narrative. The salary cap is not the NBA. The NBA salary cap hasn't risen in three years. The NFL salary cap has risen $60 million in the last six years, and after this year it will raise another $10, $12 million. So, DAC $30 million on a $200 million dollar.

salary cap, I'm no math major, but that's 15%. So I think that's overhyped a little bit. But you better find out if kind of, if he goes back-to-back playoffs, you're going to no problem paying him. But if he kind of, you know, shits the bed a little bit and doesn't play well and doesn't improve on his characteristics, I'm moving on. I'm not overpaying a guy. Because there's nothing worse. I read this quote, and I'll never forget it in a business book. People think that the profit is in the sale. It's in the buying price. So what you buy DAC at, if you got to pay $35 million, when you already know, he's kind of average, that's a problem.

It's why Matt Stafford keeps crippling the lions, because they bought so high. Now, that number changes the cap rises, but it's the number that you come in at. It's why the Jimmy Garoppolo makes like $23 million this year. Everyone's like, oh, Derek car contract's terrible. Derek makes $20 million this year. It's not that much when you factor in the salary cap.

But when it comes to quarterbacks, you're going to see it in all these young guys, because we talk about it nonstop, there's only going to be a select few that are really carriers. Can I tell you about my friends at LinkedIn? Listen, it's a new year, 2022. We're all trying to find people that hire, for those of you listening that are in HR,

running small businesses, wherever you are. And LinkedIn makes it easier than ever to find people you want to talk to faster and for free. Create a job posted minutes. I've done it on LinkedIn jobs to reach your network and beyond to the world's largest professional network of 770 million people.

Focus on candidates with the right skills and experience. Use screening questions to get your role in front of the most qualified. Then use simple tools to quickly filter and prioritize who you would like to interview and hire. It's why small businesses rate LinkedIn Jobs

number one in delivering quality hires first competitors. LinkedIn Jobs helps you find the candidates you want to talk to faster Did you know that every week nearly 40 million job seekers visit LinkedIn? Post your job for free at LinkedIn.com slash john. That's LinkedIn.com slash J-O-H-N, John, to post your job for free. Terms and conditions apply.

This clip is brought to you by State Farm. At State Farm, they know it's important to ensure the things you love. They also get that everyone has a budget. That's why they have options, 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.

In high school, I never really was like dating around or anything like that. And then I got into a long-term relationship and was dating someone for a few years. And then after getting out of that relationship, I think this past year or so or whatever, or whatever, has been, like, actually living life as a single person, it's very hard. And I think it's not hard, I should say, but, like, it's very different, knowing nothing but long-term relationships. And then moving into, like, the single lifestyle that's, like, quote, dating around and, like, feeling people out.

That's kind of been something interesting to navigate. Listen to the My Culturahue podcast network available on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast. or wherever you listen to podcasts. Support for this podcast in the following message comes from American Express. With Amex Platinum, once-in-a-lifetime perks happen all the time. The high-end airport lounges that make layovers enjoyable. The dining perks that open doors to new restaurants. The 1,200 fine hotels and resorts properties with elevated benefits,

like late checkout, because vacations should never end early. With the Platinum card, experience once in a lifetime all the time. Just some of the many reasons you are with Amex Platinum. Visit Americanexpress.com slash with platinum. Terms apply. You know, social media wants everyone to be equal, especially professionally. And it just couldn't be any further from the truth. Some people are just better than others at their profession.

It's why we have wage gaps. I'm a big believer in business like there is not equality and there should not be equality some people are worth more some people are smarter some people are better closer some people are great salesmen

some people are you know these techies can code I live in Silicon Valley I don't live in Silicon Valley but I live up the street from it I couldn't hang with these coders they're geniuses so everyone is not equal professionally

and the easiest place usually to see that is in sports because you can see who's decent, you can see who's good, and you can see who's great. It's pretty obvious. In business, unless you work in a company, it's hard to know who's great at what. Now, public companies, we get their balance sheets. We get a good idea who's selling, who's not selling, what products are crushing. But it's much easier in sports.

Like, you know, Steph Curry, O'Dell Beckham, you just go through the list. Mike Trout, they're just better than most players at their position. But I think there's one guy in sports. I actually, ironically, just saw a video from LeBron on Instagram. And it's him smoking cigars with Russell Westbrook, Chris Paul, his former teammate Tristan Thompson. And it got me thinking, can you imagine how far it would go if LeBron had three or four of his younger Laker teammates over? If I flipped on that video, and there's, the more I thought about it, maybe that Chris Paul, Tristan, and Russell Weston, Brooke are probably in Space Jam, that's probably what they're doing.

But still, they're smoking cigars, which looks like in the back of LeBron's house, just chilling, hanging out on Memorial Day. Can you imagine if that video had been the same video, smoking cigars, playing poker, and it was Kyle Kuzma Lonzo Ball and Brandon Ingram? He'd be like, damn, LeBron's making an effort. We all know the older we get, it's difficult to deal with younger people. I remember now looking back when I was young and I wasn't the easiest kid to raise, like how difficult it probably wasn't my parents even had me older.

We didn't always see eye to eye. But they always made an effort, spent a lot of time with me. 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 us. of the most shocking criminal conspiracies I've ever come across. When Jacob met Levan 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 Aihar 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 Leila 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 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 IHart Women's Sports. 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. 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, 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 really really that we are in possession of the thing, and we're still chasing it, and we don't know when we've done enough. Because people scoreboard watch. Life becomes about wins and losses. Steve Burns, Dustin Ross, because you find it important to be a good person

while you hear on earth, or are you a good person because you're afraid? Because that's two different intentions, bro. Absolutely. And that's two different levels of trust. I want you to just really be a good person. Join me, Kear Gaines, 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. In most parents, you know, good parents, attempt to get to know their kids and relate to their kids. And, you know, but it takes effort to be a good parent, right? Well, I think when you look at quarterbacks and I think LeBron is a good example of this too, as you get older, you have to make more of an effort.

to relate once you're 35, 36, 37, or Tom Brady, 42, more of an effort to understand a guy is 20, 21, 22. Where when you're 25, like when I first started working, I remember at Fresno State, fresh out of Cal Poly, I was 23 years old. I actually had a lot in common with a lot of the players on the team. I'm still good friends with some of them to this day. I was their age. I didn't have to work hard.

We just naturally thought similarly. You know, we were all in the same age group. Well, as I got older, you see less and less. You're like, God, I don't have that much of common. I remember one of my second year in Philadelphia with the Eagles, we were interviewing a young guy for like an internship, and I just remember looking through his Twitter account, and he just had pretty innocuous tweets and kind of judging it.

And thinking now, like how stupid that was, of course he was on Twitter. He grew up at a Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat generation. And now, you know, six, seven years later, that's much more normal. But there is always a big disconnect. So when you're an older player, you have to make an effort to get to dumb guys. And some people have hit me up

because I've crushed Levion Bell, Odell Beckham, and all these players that are taking off OTAs. Because I think it's so stupid. It's so easy to go. Even if you're in a contractual argument with the team, you should just go. It makes everything easier.

It is easy to do it. You're training anyway. You might as well trade with your teammates. But when I see Tom Brady, who's taking it off for the second straight year, he's 42 years old. He's also won six championships. I give him a little bit more of the benefit of the doubt. But there was a picture that came out Friday night, and it was him and Nikiel Harry. He had Nikiel Harry over to his house, and they were throwing.

It looks like in his backyard. I mean, he has an enormous mansion estate. And they were just throwing. And I would imagine after they threw maybe I don't know what they'd eat because Tom eats like vegan ice cream and who knows what he eats. But I would imagine they just hung out in space. spend some time together. Tom Brady, one of his greatest gifts. Obviously, he's one of the great competitors ever. He's accurate, you know, all the football stuff. But he makes an effort

with his teammates. He constantly makes effort with people. He's the leader of the ship. Obviously Belichick runs the organization, but when the locker doors, when the locker room doors close, and it's just the players, the 53 of them, they all look at him first, as they should. And you have to make an effort when you're 42 to relate to the guys in their early to mid-20s. And it sure feels like consistently he always does. And I don't think he gets enough credit for that. And I have nothing but admiration for him as a player, everything he stands for, how hard he's worked to maintain this.

But that is the ultimate get-it guy. And that's what's separate. Like Aaron Rogers, you read stories and hear stories from people around the league or people that cover that team. Like there's some disconnect sometimes with him and the younger players. Like with Tom, if you're talented, he makes an effort. Now, he's down on you when he finds out you can't play, but when he thinks you can play, and he's going to make an effort to get to know you.

And for the most part, you become lifelong friends with him. Matt Castle, still buddies with, Jimmy Garoppel, still, Jacoby Brissette, Wes Welker, to Julian Edelman, to Danny Amadola. Once you're in his circle, you're tight with him. It's like the mob. And I don't think he gets quite enough credit for that. And it's why that when I crush Levion for not showing up, that's an embarrassment. There's no way around it.

Him not showing up to OTAs is an embarrassment. O'Dell Beckham spending two days total in Cleveland is an embarrassment. That's a joke. Tom Brady, though, doesn't show up to camp. And actually, though, I read Albert Breer had an MMQB piece. Yeah, I made a good point. It would actually throw off camp a little bit if you're not going to consistently come to them all because they kind of have built the way they do things in New England.

But Tom still makes an effort, man. He's still going to know Nikiel Harry very well. I also think Tom's smart enough to realize he's going to need this guy with Gronk on. But to me, that picture kind of sums up Tom Brady. Nikiel Harry at his house, hanging, catching footballs. Nikiel Harry won't be 22 years old until December. Tom Brady's 42 years old. That's, you know, I'm no math major, but a 20-plus year difference.

And they're still grinding and working together. 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, stories that shape us. In this episode, we sit down with Tony to talk about his identity as a Filipino American, his work as a producer, and the role trust plays in our own journeys.

Because sometimes, the road to healing can feel like a retrograde, forcing us to take a pause and reflect about what comes next. Listen to In the Deep, stories that shape us, an IHeartRadio original podcast coming to you on the IHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or whatever you listen to podcasts. The next chapter in your story includes knowing your status. Learn more and press play on your future at knowmystatus.com, sponsored by Gilead. This clip is brought to you by State Farm.

At State Farm, they know it's important to ensure the things you love. They also get that everyone has a budget. That's why they have options, 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. Do you own or rent your home?

Sure you do, and I bet it can be hard work. You know, it's easy, bundling policies with GEICO. Geico makes it easy to bundle your homeowners or renters insurance along with your auto policy. It's a good thing, too, because you already have so much to do around your home. Go to GEICO.com, get a quote, and see how much you could. save. It's Geico easy. Visit geico.com today. That's guyco.com. Okay, let's get into Lamar Jackson. I've seen some pretty interesting things coming out of Ravens Camp across my Twitter timeline over the last week. I saw this, I think at the end of last week,

that Lamar Jackson is still having issues throwing the football. Let me say that again, Lamar Jackson is still having issues throwing the football. I'd be like, you know, I was going to listen to Middlecoff's podcast, but he's having issues talking. He can't talk. You know what? I was going to take my wife for an anniversary to this restaurant, but the chef was having trouble making food.

That's pretty nuts when you just say it out loud. Several of his passes wobbled through the air. I feel like my hand is a little too high on the football, and that makes the ball go out of whack. Now, let me say this. I'll somewhat defend Lamar Jackson. He's working on some stuff, right? He's trying to clean up his mechanics. It's the offseason.

Not that big of a deal. Now, ideally, would I want that happening? You know, going into you two, when I draft him in the first round, probably not. But by no means is the end of the world. but I found this a little more interesting. Let me see if I can pull up the tweet here that Lamar Jackson, okay, Lamar Jackson,

he didn't know the Ravens would be implementing, quote, a totally different offense, end quote. There are some hype on the Ravens, a lot of people were all in on Lamar Jackson. Listen, I'm not, I'm rooting for the kid. He seems like an incredibly nice, young man. Great guy. High character guy. I root for high character people, whether they're in football, whether they're, whatever job you're in. If I find out about you that you're a good guy,

I just naturally root for you. I think most humans kind of do that. When we find out people are bad guys, you know, it's much harder to root for unless they play for our team or, you know, I don't know. I guess, I don't know how you'd root for a bad guy unless maybe in business he was making you money, unless we're somehow invested. But, Lamar Jackson, one, he's mechanically trying to overhaul his game, and two, they have gone all in on this offense trying to build the thing around Lamar. And I think deep down Lamar, just because he is a competitor and a quarterback, kind of wishes they can throw the ball a little bit more. But don't get it twisted, they're basically going to run the glorified option wingtie offense. Here's what Lamar said.

Coming into the off-season workouts, I didn't know we would have a totally different offense. When I got here, coach was like, yeah, we have a totally new system. So when he showed up for the offseason, John Harbaugh says, get ready, Lamar, this bad boy is completely different from what you were doing last year. We have a totally new system. You're going to have to go through this and that. It's getting to me a little bit. So Lamar Jackson is getting overwhelmed with this option offense. Now, listen, I think it's telling you all you need to know.

John Harbaugh, which I thought was a little crazy that he stayed with the Ravens, given that he has a quarterback that can't throw, is just putting all his chips in the table and running this crazy option offense. And they're just going to run it around the Marr. And I think I've heard Dan of Jeremiah say it before. He's probably not going to be a second contract guy. They're going to go all in for two or three years and just try to win doing it this way. Well, I got news for you.

You can't win doing it this way. It is not a sustainable way to play. The only way you can possibly win doing it this way is when you implement it mid-season and teams aren't ready for it. When teams have an off-season, we've seen with the San Francisco 49ers, you can stifle it. The difference with Kaepernick is he was a much better thrower and a much more explosive thrower and his team was just way better than Lamar Jackson. It wasn't even close. Kaepernick also, Lamar is shiftier.

Kaepernick was, I don't know what his 40 time was at Nevada. I honestly don't care because his play speed was incredible in his peak. He could fly. But he also just had an absolute hose and he was hit or mitt accuracy-wise, but when he was on, you were done because he threw like a Brett Farr rope. And when the 49ers went the opposite, what they're doing with Lamar Jackson tried to spread the offense out, it crippled the offense.

John Harbaugh, who kind of probably took notes from his brink, brother realize we're not even going to mess with that. We're going to all-in, Tom Osborne, Nebraska, 1996 with Lamar Jackson. I just don't see two things, how it's possible to sustain winning that way, unless you have the best defense in the league. They just lost a bunch of defensive players, and you can light people up with your quarterback running. Well, here's the problem lighting people up with your quarterback running. You don't want your quarterback to consistently run. He'll get killed. Lamar Jackson doesn't weigh 250 pounds. He's not Jerome Bettis. You're going to have him keep these option plays, he's going to get destroyed.

Even Kaepernick, three or four years in, his body broke down. He had a bad finger, messed up his thumb, had some knee issues. Like, he started getting hit, and Kaepernick didn't even take that big of hits. Lamar Jackson's already taken, got Molliwopped a few times as a rookie. What's going to happen when they go all in on this offense? I said from the jump, I would not have drafted him, mainly because I did not see his ability to pass. You know what, the Ravens are saying? You know what, Middle Cough?

We agree with you. We don't think the kid can pass. So you know what? We're not going to ask them to pass. We're just going to run this option offense. And even Lamar is like, what the hell are we doing? This is kind of crazy. There's no team that I have less faith in to make the playoffs.

Now, because they're going to be just so different, they're going to win some games. Harbaugh has a culture there of toughness. The defense, regardless of they siphon through players, is always solid. But here's the problem. If this offense is just not working through four, five, six games, let's say they start kind of slow. or 2 and 3 or 3 and 5. John Harbaugh does not have the expertise or know anything about offense to help them out.

For his great as Harbaugh is, and I think he's a phenomenal leader, he's good with young players, his team is typically ready to play in big games. He's obviously beat Belichick several times, he won a Super Bowl. But when stuff gets derailed and goes off the beaten path, offensively, there's nothing he can do.

It's why they've had so many issues, who's over his tenure on offense. He's a fish out of water when it comes to offense. I think he can motivate because defense is all about toughness and he knows special teams. But when it comes to the intricacies of offense and especially quarterback play, he brings nothing to the table.

Nothing. So I was already down on the Ravens because I wasn't that high on Lamar Jackson. Again, nothing personal. Just don't like him as a player. I'm out on the Ravens. I think they could be in just for one of those like six and ten seasons that goes like, what the hell was that?

Especially in that division. Yeah, the Browns are going to be a lot better. The Steelers are going to be out for blood. You know, the Bengals, you could argue, just have better players. Now, I don't know much. They're coached first-year coach. You got Andy Dalton, AJ Green,

some of these guys coming back from injuries. Is there a chance that the Ravens, when we look up and the dust settles, like January 1st, they finished the last place in the AFC North? And we're talking about this Lamar Jackson experiment was a disaster. That's why he said that the people, and the media did him such a disservice,

acting like he was some superstar player. You can't be a superstar quarterback if you can't throw. And he literally is working on throwing right now. Wobbly balls. Now you can throw, Peyton Manning through a wobbly ball. It was just accurately placed into the wide receiver's hands. Lamar Jackson's wobbly balls end up in the training table on the sideline. So I'm out on the Ravens.

I get it's May. They don't have to play a game for months. but this is not a good sign. Harbaugh's waving up the white flag. They're going Tom Osborne, mid-90s, Nebraska Cornhuskers, get ready for that offense. I got news for you. That offense does not work on Sundays.

You could argue, hell, that offense doesn't even work on Saturdays anymore, but I'll promise you it doesn't work on Sundays. Ravens, get ready. This could be an ugly, ugly season. Appreciate everyone, listen. Again, I need you for those Middlecoff mailbags. DM's wide open at John Middlecough on Instagram.

Slide right in, and I'll answer your questions. Come on. right in, John Middlecough, answer the questions. See you later this week. Three and out pod. Thanks for listening. Godspeed, adios, peace. See you. Get right to the romance and find the way to wow this valentines with 1,800flowers.com. From classic roses and bouquets to decadent chocolate-covered berries, gourmet treats, and more. Surprise your valentine with 1,800flowers.com. Right now, get the 18-stem enchanted rose medley for 3999 or upgrade to 24 red roses for $10 more. Go to 1 800flowers.com

slash tune in. That's 1,800flowers.com slash tune in. 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. Multi-million 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.

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. Like, I 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 IHart Women's Sports. 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, breaking down the big.

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 SportsSlic. On the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more, follow Timbo Sliced Life 12 in the TikTok podcast network on TikTok. 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 IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

This is an IHeart podcast. Guaranteed Human.