The Herd with Colin Cowherd - NBA, contracts, tampering, MLB, Aaron Rodgers, & Cam Newton

Episode Date: July 10, 2019

Colin talks about how the NBA has changed, players breaking contracts, the silly tampering rule, what he likes about the MLB All-Star game, and his thoughts on the playing style of Aaron Rodgers and Cam Newton. Guests include Chris Broussard, Cliff Avril, Jim Jackson, and RJ Hampton. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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

Listen to humor me with Robert Smigel and Friends on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, what's good, y'all? You're listening to Learn the Hard Way with your favorite therapist and host Kear Games. This space is about black men's experiences, having honest conversations that it's really not safe to have anywhere, but you're having them with a licensed professional who knows what he's doing. How many men carry a suit or armor? It signals to the world that you're not to be played. with and just because you have the capability that does not mean that you need to listen to learn the hard way on the iha radio app apple podcast or wherever you get your podcast what's up guys

this is clivert taylor the fourth and on my podcast the clivert 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 this linebacker walks up to me he goes a ref my mom wants you to wave at her what Time out. Quarterback on office blue with 42. Hey, Rhett, my mama want you to weigh better. What? Hey, Miss Parker.

Listen to the Clifferts show on the IHeartRadio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. Thanks for listening to The Heard Podcast. Be sure to catch us live every weekday from 12 to 3 Eastern, 9 to noon Pacific on Fox Sports Radio and FS1. Find your local station for the herd at Fox SportsRadio.com or stream us live every day on the iHeartRadio app by searching herd.

You're listening to Fox Sports Radio. Ah, this on a Wednesday is the herd. Live in Los Angeles, wherever you may be and however you may be listening. We're on IHeart Radio. We're on Fox Sports Radio. We're on FS1. Today I'm going to talk some baseball, some college football, some NFL. Joy Taylor is joining me and some NBA as well.

Joy, how are you? I'm great. Good morning. Good morning. We've got a lot of stuff to talk about today. We've kind of moved out of the NBA free agency period, and we're moving toward the NFL, baseball. This is kind of a segue day.

But I do think the NBA is an interesting lead today. Adam Silver runs the NBA. And, you know, as a commissioner, generally commissioners are in their late 40s, mid-50s when they take the job. And then they're like 70 when they get out of the job. And NBA players come into the league at 18, and then you hit their first. prime by 27 and then they leave by 32. Now obviously Adam Silver is not a parent to the players, but in a weird way you are sort of dictating laws in the NBA house like a parent would do for kids.

And Adam Silver is complaining today about two things. And complaining is the wrong word, but he's unhappy with two things that happened during the free agency period that we just all watched and enjoyed and was crazy time, right? He doesn't like the tampering. and he doesn't like players demanding trades in the middle of contracts. As a parent, I agree with him on the first. I don't set rigid rules for my daughter. I said, be careful how much you drink in college. I didn't say never have a drink.

She's going to college. It's not a rigid rule. Tampering's flirting. The basketball culture in the world, especially in America, is you collaborate with guys. move around with players. You pick guys you want to play with. Hey, let's go to Duke. Let's go to Kentucky. Let's go to Kansas. Let's go to Detroit Metro, AAU. So that's the culture of basketball in America. And having an unrealistic tampering rule, what do you want to do? Seize their cell phone records? By the way, leagues are hypocrites. Broadcast companies are hypocrites. They're interviewing

before contracts are up with leagues. It's flirting. It's harmless. And by the way, the reality is flirting, martini lunches, talking, it's always been part of business. It's relationships. Basketball is a relationship sport. High school, college. I mean, it's a very small community. Everybody knows everybody. And what he said, Adam Silver came out and said, it's pointless to have rules that I can't enforce.

I totally agree. As a parent, I don't create rigid rules that I can't enforce. You're going to drink in college. Just don't be an issue. idiot. You know, don't go to a third cocktail or a fifth beer. I don't, I think that's good parenting. Unrealistic parenting is, don't do this and don't do this and do do this and do do this. And they're not in the house. They're at college with a bunch of 18-year-olds. They're going to make bad decisions. You just hope they make few of them. So I agree with Adam Silver. The tampering rule,

you can't enforce it. It makes it look like the league has no integrity when you create a law and nobody follows it. It's a bad look for the NBA. So as a parent of the league, I I totally agree with Adam Silver on this. The second thing he's bothered with, and this is where I have a problem, he says, I do not like these players breaking contracts. He said, it's a bad, it's disheartening. Yes, yes, it is. And here's Adam Silver talking about this. Trade demands are disheartening.

They're disheartening to the team. They're disheartening to the community. And don't serve the player well. That's an issue that needs to be addressed. And there's not a simple solution. There isn't a simple solution, but as a parent, here's another rule. If you baby your kid, they become a brat. If, in psychology of parenting, don't overcomplement your kid.

You're the greatest kid. That's the greatest shot. No, give them appropriate comments so they're realistically understanding the world they're going to grow up in. This is where I think Adam Silver has made a mistake. Adam, I like tampering. I'm for mobility. I'm pro Kevin Durant moving. I am Mr. Mobility in my career.

I am pro mobility for players. But when you coddle and baby employees, sometimes they're brats. When I came to Fox, I signed a four-year contract. If it would have been a disaster, ethically, I'm going to serve my four-year contract. That's the integrity of the contract. Players are breaking contracts,

Adam, because their every whim is served by you. David Stern was pro player, but he made moves without okaying everything. He introduced a new ball, didn't tell the players. They didn't like it. But he didn't go around letting players labor control the entire league. Listen, these players right now, I just saw a story this morning that Kauai Leonard and Paul George signed the exact same contract, the two plus one with a player option. So once again, in three years, they'll be able to move. This league is totally pro player and I'm for it. Baseball players get locked in for eight, ten years.

NFL players can be cut. Hockey players, there's limited, a very low ceiling on what they can make. And the NBA, you can make a ton. You can move. LeBron did a one-year deal. KD did a one-year deal. I have no problem with LeBron bouncing around the league on one-year deals. I have no problem with KD.

I wouldn't have done it, but moving to Brooklyn on one-year deals. I am so pro-mobility and I am so pro-pro, my kids some compliments. But I don't want to spoil them because I don't want them to be brats. And I don't want to over compliment them because I don't want them to think everything they do is amazing. And sometimes they're not good at stuff. And it's okay to have a real authentic conversation with your kids.

This is where Adam Silver to me has made a mistake. Too many times LeBron wants this. Okay, okay, okay, okay, okay. I like getting rid of some back-to-backs. I like embracing gambling. I like allowing play. players the freedom to move. Basketball culture. I like flirting. Tampering's a stupid word. But you ultimately get the kids that you help create. And it's okay to hold players to contracts.

Because by the way, if players in the NBA start to treat contracts like they don't matter, ask yourself, who's going to win in a court of law, billionaires or millionaires? What if owners after a while say, you know, players are breaking these contracts, why should I have to pay them all this money? Like there has to be integrity for the guy or the woman that run a franchise or own a franchise. You've got to have league integrity. So yes, good parenting on tampering. Don't create rules you can't enforce as a commissioner or a parent. But a lot of the problems you're seeing right now with players break.

breaking contracts when Paul George signed with Russell Westbrook. What did I say? Oh, that's not going to work long time. Paul George and his agent have to eat that. Suck it up. Everybody in the world knew. That's a terrible move. Westbrook over LeBron, Oklahoma City, over your home state, California.

Yeah, that's not going to last forever. Own it. Deal with it. Integrity. This one's on Adam Silver. Let me talk about this. The whole Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving thing, is at the heart of what we're talking about.

Players moving. I'm okay with it. But I'm hearing a lot of this. Kevin Durant chose Brooklyn. No, he didn't. He didn't choose Brooklyn. By the way, a story comes out today. The general manager of Brooklyn never even had a meeting with Kevin Durant.

How did he find out Kevin was coming on Kevin Durant's Instagram? Kevin Durant didn't choose Brooklyn. Kevin Durant chose Kyrie Irving. That's the story. They didn't talk to Brooklyn. Didn't talk to the owners. Didn't talk to the GM. Didn't talk to the scouts.

Didn't tell anybody. He just chose Kyrie Irving, and this is why I have problems with it. We all know there's some people you have flings with, and there are some people you marry. Steph Curry's temperament is the kind that lasts forever. Steph Curry and Clay Thompson will hang out forever. That's a marriage. Their personalities. Their temperaments.

They're givers. Kyrie Irving and Westbrook, history tells you, resumes tell you, are flings. It's hot, it's cold, the earth is flat, confrontational with coaches, confrontational with players. Kevin Durant chose Kyrie Irving's temperament and personality over Steph Curry's. I believe Steph Curry, that's what you marry. I believe Kyrie Irving, that's the fling. And those relationships are all based on personalities. It doesn't matter if two rich people marry or two poor people or two equally educated people.

If you have two takers, it's tough. If you have two givers, it's got a better chance. When I look at Kevin Durant going to the Nets, what I see is Kevin Durant left a giver, Steph Curry. Here, I'll space better. You shoot. It's your team. You win the title. All back off.

to a taker. LeBron, too much. Brad Stevens, I won't listen. Jason Tatum, confrontational. To choice you make, I wouldn't make it. They'll win a bunch of games. I don't doubt that. They're super talented. But you read the story today.

Kevin Durant never talked to Brooklyn. He didn't choose that coach. He didn't choose that GM. He didn't choose that city. He chose that player. That player's Kyrie Irving. Steph Curry's very Tom Brady. Just look at him.

family, give, support, relinquish. Kyrie Irving is the opposite of that. Talented, not disputing any of that. But when, again, when Paul George chose Westbrook, we all knew this is a fling. This isn't a marriage. And it didn't last three full years. All right, good stuff today. I was thinking about something watching the All-Star game last night.

I was thinking of a lot of things. I love that they mic players. I absolutely love in baseball when you mic players, and I get inside and access. Also, in one hour from now, I'm going to have my five college football bets of the year over and under. I do this every year in July, early July. Vegas sets the lines on win totals,

and I say, bet the over. They'll win more than Vegas says or bet the under. You know, listen, if you don't want free money, don't take it. That's all I'm saying. Joy Taylor is joining me. Cliff Averill of the Seahawks also coming up next hour. He's always a great guest. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays in noon Eastern, 9 a.m. Pacific on Fox Sports Radio,

FS1 and the IHeart Radio app. Last night, a blown call changed a game. This morning, the internet lost its mind. Highlights are trending, opinions are flying, and nobody's telling you exactly what happened. That's where Sports Slice comes in. I'm Timbo. Every episode, we're cutting through the noise, breaking down the plays, the controversies and the stories behind the headlines. We go straight to the source, the 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 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 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

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is we have real conversations about healing, growth, fatherhood, pressure, and purpose on my new podcast Learn the Hardway. Open your free iHeartRadio app Search Learn the Hardway and listen now. What's up guys? This is Clivert 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, A, ref, my mom wants you to wave at her. What? Time out. Quarterback on office blue.

42. Hey, my mama want you to weigh better. What? Where's she at? Hey, Miss Parker. Listen to the Clifford show

on the Iheart radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. Hey, I'm Jared Adano. You might know me as that loud guy who yells out, help on the internet. Help!

Somebody! Please! But there's so much more to me than me. I'm an actor. I'm a comedian. And recently, I've become quite the helper myself.

And on my new podcast, Hope I'm a Hippocrite, I'll be changing lives, helping people in need with my sage advice and thoughtful solutions. Sike, I'm a comedian. I'm not qualified to give good advice. Join me and my comedian friends

as we riff rant and recommend some of the most legally dubious advice known to man. If I'm calling you, even if you're on your phone, let it ring twice. One ring is too scary. Oh, cream of chicken suit.

Hey, cream. Cream a chicken suit. This is Help from a Hypocrite, the worst advice from the dumbest people you know. Listen to Help from a Hypocrite as part of the Mike Cultura podcast network available on the IHart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Welcome back. Like watching the All-Star game last night. You know, it made me think of something. I live 20 to 25 minutes from work.

I live at the beach in Los Angeles, and my work is more inland. and it is always more efficient for me to drive the freeway. It's faster and it's better gas mileage. But about half the time when I drive home after the show, I take the beach route. It takes me about seven minutes longer, maybe nine, not as good gas mileage, more start and stop. But as I drive home, I'm not worried about efficiency.

I'm worried about attractive. I watch surfers. see the palm trees and it makes me remember why I moved to California, what I believe to be the most beautiful state. Puts me in a good mood. Brings me down after an intent show. Efficiency, my friends, is not always the most attractive thing. Television is the attractive business. You see very few unattractive anchors. It's why the Kardashians are zillionaires. Attractive matters in sports. The right camera angles. Good looking players. Russell Wilson. Cam. Joe Montana, Brady, often or more endorseable.

We like them, right? Kobe's cool, Jordan's cool. Part of it is they look cool. Baseball, in its zeal for analytics, has gotten less attractive to the eyes. And let me give you an example. You have to be careful about analytics because commissioners can allow some and not others. Don't allow them all in. I'll give an example.

About I told you 30 years ago, NBA, all three pointers. No more mid-range jumper. You would have said, it's ridiculous. That's the game. If I had told you 30 years ago, hey, baseball, strikeouts, nobody cares. Just hit home runs. No line drives. No bunts.

No stealing bases. That is ridiculous. That's the current game. What if football analytics over the next five years, as ridiculous as it sounds, it was proven that if you just threw deep balls, bombs, home runs, over the top, eliminated a running game, no bubble screens, no screenplays, no intermediate routes, no quarterback scrambling, just hike it and throw it deep on every play. You'd have more touchdowns.

Would it be as much fun to watch? Yuck, I like running games. I like screens. I like my quarterback running around. I like intermediate throws. I like the structure, the nuance, the schematics of it. What if in tennis analytics provided this gem? Aces, double faults are irrelevant.

Just always serve gas. Nobody plays at the net. No long rallies. Just serve hard as you can. Analytics will prove over the course of a year, double faults don't matter like strikeouts in baseball, like the mid-range and bat. Just serve it as hard as you can, have no second serve go as fast.

would tennis be as much fun to watch? Baseball right now has an attractive problem. There's no base runners. Last night, half of the National League batters got out because they struck out. For the 60% of home runs in baseball this year, 60% are solo home runs. It's the highest in 100 years. There's no base runners. There's no singles.

Don't hit doubles. It's home runs. Strikeouts be damned. Last night, 16 of the 27 National League outs. A guy doesn't even get on base. Baseball can be fun, but it's got an action problem. It's got an attractive problem. There are fewer engageable moments.

The lottery's got it figured out. Nobody would play the lottery if just one person won a billion dollars once a month. The reason the lottery works in America is because they give out a million little small prizes. Your neighbor wins $200, $300, $400, $400, $50, $25, constant engagement, not winning the big prize, brings you back and back and back and back. Don't have to win $5 billion. A lot of people win $1,200. They pay their mortgage for the month.

They take a vacation with their wife or their husband. Baseball now has an issue, and I hope football never faces it. I don't want tennis to just be aces and double faults. I don't want football to just be deep routes over and over, and I think baseball is more fun with stolen bases, first to third, bunts, situational baseball, nuance, context. John Smoltz talked about it last night.

The current baseball doesn't give us what our eyes demand. There's so many more three-pointers in the NBA than ever before is because there's so many more taken. And the applied strategy for hitting is the same as it would be taking more three-pointers.

Guys are trying to swing for the fences, more. So guys are bigger, they're stronger, bat speeds faster, the ball velocity's higher. a contributing factor. I'm not saying I don't like analytics, but last night was a prime example. A zillion strikeouts, and because of defensive shifts, a couple of ropes that were caught that should have been base hits. I like singles.

I like stolen bases. I like doubles. I get tired of home runs. I get tired of strikeouts. Commissioners have a right to step in and go, no more defensive shifts. I want to see base runners. I want activity. I want action.

Baseball is always going to make a big. billion dollars. And I watched the game last night. Baseball will always make a billion dollars. There's so much volume of games. But it's fascinating to think of what analytics has changed basketball and baseball. I don't think the regular season of the NBA is much fun. I like the playoffs when Kauai Leonard said, I'm in a mid-range jump for us to a championship. I really enjoyed it. I really liked it. And I miss the cat and mouse base running game. I miss bunts, sacrificing singles, action, base runners. I really do. Joy with the news. No, no, no, no. Turn on the news.

is the herd line news. So Adam Silver held his annual Summer League press conference in Las Vegas last night, and he addressed a number of important topics facing the league right now, including trade demands and free agency. You have a contract, and it needs to be meaningful on both sides. On one hand, there's an expectation if you have a contract and it's guaranteed that the team is going to meet the terms of the contract and the expectation on the other side is the player is going to meet the terms of the contract. So I will say, you know, without getting into any specific circumstances, trade demands are disheartening. They're disheartening to the team. They're disheartening to the community. And don't serve the player well. The players care about their reputations just as much. And so

that's an issue that needs to be addressed. I got to say, I mean, we talked a little bit about it earlier with the rules for tampering. And they're kind of just silly. Like there's no way to enforce them. They don't really need to be changed. NBA free agency is become the biggest soap opera in sports. It keeps the NBA relevant every single day of the year. Our ratings in the last two weeks, Joey, had been our highest ratings since I've been here. People like it. It's incredible for the league.

So for them to be complaining about any part of that is just silly because, like I said, it keeps them relevant every day of the year. But trade demands have gone on forever. They don't always happen with just the higher level players trying to change where they are. This is a part of the game. To me, this is a reaction from a few owners who are like, wait a minute, I think the players actually might have more power than we do. The game has completely changed.

And the reality is, it has. And it should have always been this way. Nobody comes to Madison Square Garden to see what kind of blazer James Dolan has on. You can't buy one in the team store. The players are the product. It sounds good. We're providing the platform. we're providing the league.

That all sounds nice, but without the superstars, there is no league, especially with the NBA. We've already seen that. Well, but nobody watches this network for our bosses. But good management and corporate structure. Sure, but people ask, get out of contracts all the time, including executives. They get bought out.

Something comes up where they want to switch to another company. People have conversations. All right, well, we have this person that we went wanting to move up. Maybe it's good for everyone. It happens all the time in every business. business. Contracts are contracts and the teams don't have to trade the player. They don't have to oblige these trade demands. They can say, no, we're keeping you and we will figure it out. They don't do that because there's chemistry issues and a whole lot of other things go along with

it. But a contract is a contract and you don't have to get out of it. Most of the time people do because something has changed. They're just supposed to protect people on both sides. The idea of loyalty in sports, again, is something that is for fans. It's a big, And above all else, it's an entertainment business. There's a ton of gray area there. Fans are supposed to be loyal, and that's it. The idea that a player has some kind of obligation to a team who we see all the time discard players

as if they're just pieces on a chessboard. To me, this is a reaction from the owners. And it just, it doesn't move me. I understand what he's saying and that, you know, you kind of wish that it didn't exist, but it does and it exists in every single business. business. This is the owners saying, Adam Silver, you know, you do work for us. Like we feel like we're losing power here.

Let's go out and kind of make this seem like it's not, it's not something it should be happening. So sticking with players free agency decisions, Anthony Davis was contractually owed just over four million for being traded by the Pelicans to the Lakers. And that number stood in the way of the Lakers potentially building their best team possible. He ended up waiving it so that they could sign another player with the salary cap space and his agent Rich Paul shared why. He said, Anthony wanted to do with but it was best for the team. They had to create cap space.

I asked what's important to him. If it's important for you to keep your money in your pocket, that's what we'll do. But if it's important for you to win, the more money you have available to go out and take talent, then that's what you do. Really, it really wouldn't have made any sense for Anthony Davis to keep this money

because the entire point of him asking for the trade and coming to the Lakers was to win. It wasn't about money. If it was about money, you would have just stayed with the Pelicans. Like, you left money on the table. So what really is $4 million going to make a difference when you dealt with everything that you dealt with to get to the Lakers? It just wouldn't have made any sense to begin with.

It's really a nice thing he did because the Lakers are the ones that messed that up. They were the ones who were supposed to take care of that. But, I mean, he obviously made the right decision. Like the whole purpose of you moving was because you want to try and win championships and keeping that money would have kept them from doing that. Yeah. Anthony Davis, in a strange way, actually reignited passion in New Orleans and reignited passion in the Lakers. generally, like when Shaq left Orlando, it felt like a big sucking sound coming out of the state of Florida. This is a rare AD left the Pelicans. And I think today fans are more engaged in New Orleans

and the Laker fans are more engaged. It usually doesn't work that way. The star left Milwaukee, Kareem left Milwaukee and you're like, oh, it's over. That's what it generally feels like when when you lose a trans... That's what it felt like when LeBron left Cleveland. It's kind of what it felt like when he left Miami a little bit, even though there were a few other pieces there. AD actually, it worked. It was good for the league. It was good for New Orleans. It was good for David Griffin.

It was good for Rob Polinkets. It's worth actually everybody won. And also to New Orleans credit for them being an organization that nobody really considered to be run very well. I thought they handled all of it perfectly. I mean, the situation with the trade disaster and the leaks and all that in the middle of the season, they fired their GM. They brought in a very well respected and clearly very good GM and David Griffin. I mean, they got obviously the ping pong ball bounced their way and they got Zion. but they've handled all of it perfectly.

Like, they could have been very upset about the trade rumor requests. And clearly they were, but they turned it all around. Like, everyone is one in that situation. Finally, good news for Niner Nation. After suffering a torn ACL last year, Jimmy Garoppolo is ready to roll for training camp in the 2019 season. Here we go. He told pro football talk, I'm good to go. Finally, the rehab process has gone really well.

Knock on wood, we haven't had any setbacks. OTAs went about as well as I could have hoped for. training camp, hopefully will be full go with team drills and all that stuff. We've just got to keep going day by day and keep stacking them together. It's a long process, but we've come this far, so why stop now? Now, it should be noted. Michael Jordan had an early injury. Tom Brady had an injury.

John Stockton had a major injury. And a lot of times it doesn't. A lot of great players have had an early injury and it doesn't duplicate. The concern is, is he going to become Sam Bradford, who had a couple early injuries and he's just injury prone? And he has the five-year 137. Yes. And the ACL injury was three games into the season. He only has 10 career starts.

Right. He's been really good in all of them. His reputation is bigger than his actual resume. But he did spend the summer working out with Tom House, who is the quarterback guru that's worked with Brady and Breeze and Ryan and Stafford. And they've also, Kyle Shanahan's great. And they've really done whatever you think of John Lynch, the GM, right? Because he's a former player. I will say this. Offensively, they're way better today than they were two years ago.

Like, there's pieces here. No, they're going to be a fun watch this year. Yeah, yeah. I don't know if they'll stop anybody. They're just secondary as a mess. But they'll score a bunch of points. And you'll, like, when you watch the Niners this year, they'll be like Cleveland last year. They'll be a good watch. They'll be a fun team to watch. A big year for Jimmy G. A big proving himself year. Yep. Joy over the news. Well, that's the news.

And thanks for stopping by. The Hurd-Lie News. All right, Bruce Ard, just about ready for Chris Brousar to go to race. and take the summer off TV because his basketball stuff's almost ending. We're very close to the end of it. So Adam Silver said, I don't like tampering

because I can't enforce it makes us look stupid. I agree with that. And Adam Silver says, I don't want any more demanding trades. And my takeaway is you gas up the players. You give them ultimate power. They're going to flex that muscle and show ultimate power. And that's the reality of it. Well, like you said,

it's almost impossible to enforce tampering rules. How are you you're going to stop players from demanding trades? I think there's only two ways. Number one, if you give them longer deals, seven-year deals like they used to. So if a player, if Paul George demands a trade and he's got five or six years left on this deal,

it's like, dude, sit down, relax, okay? And or you could just, and I heard Skip Bayless say this this morning on undisputed, which is kind of unrealistic. But if you just said once you sign a contract, you can't be traded on both sides. So the team can't trade you and the player can't demand a trade. You can't ask to be traded because you can't be traded.

And nobody, I think, wants that. Right, right. So with shorter deals, this is going to happen. And first of all, there are only a handful of players that can demand trade. Right. If Julius Randall demands a trade, it's like, really? Relax, okay? Yeah.

Just play. Second thing is this, you don't have to trade them. Paul George had three years left on his deal. I know he had two years and an option. So Paul George, I assume, wants to be a Hall of Famer. Paul George wants to be all NBA, All-Star. What's he going to do if the Thunder had said, Paul, we think we got a good team. We got Russ locked up for the next four years.

You're locked up for the next two, maybe three years. We can go out and add shooting or whatever we need to do, but we're not trading you. What is Paul George going to do? He's going to go out there in the next season and play his tail off. He's not going to be a dog because, you know, he's, first way, he's competitive. He's got pride and, you know, all these things are in place. So teams don't have to trade you. Like this notion that, oh, it could have turned into the Anthony Davis situation,

possibly, but you can also avoid it. Anthony Davis had less time left on this deal. and so I think it's fine. Anthony making, you know, players get caught in this. And I feel bad for him. So Carmelo Anthony's like, I won out and made it public. And then everybody crushed him. And then LeBron James didn't tell anybody and we crush him.

So Anthony Davis went a little bit in between. Anthony's like, all right, I got a year left, make a move. And it was ugly a first. And then three months later, it's all done. As a star player, the transition out, it's rough. I will say this for the star player because the NBA, you know, let's be honest with you.

You get a Kauai Leonard, you have a chance to win a championship. Like there's a handful of like seven guys in the league that change everything. If you're one of those seven guys I want to move out, most guys say I want out, nobody care. Julius Randall says I want out in New York, nobody's losing sleep. But all the fans know, everybody knows about seven guys in the world, it may be

four that if they leave your franchise, historically, you're toast. Lou Al Cinder leaves Milwaukee. You can't get equal value. And I do think. So I think if I was a star player in the basketball, like a Kauai Leonard again, I was going to leave. I've thought about this before. I could take

three routes. Tell nobody, pack my bags, and say, I want to go play Los Angeles, I just buy. I probably wouldn't do that. I could give my team all sorts a heads up and get booed at the arena. I probably wouldn't do that. I think what I would do is right

before the, I would code in my front office and say, I'm not going to make this public if you don't. I want out. I want out. This is what Kareem did. Right. And they work together. Let's work together for six months and make it happen. By the way, that's what Paul George did, Chris. And that's what Anthony Davis did. Remember, they went to Dell Demps and talked about we would like a trade to the Lakers. And then Dell went and tried to talk directly to

Anthony Davis and tried to convince him to stay around the agent Rich Paul's back. So that's how this kind of got messy. Here's the other thing players need to consider, there are some players that are in a great situation. Well, let me just put it this way. It doesn't work out for all players. Dwight Howard's career was ruined when he demanded a trade out of Orlando. He's never been the same. I don't think he's a Hall of Famer now.

Now, a lot of people think what he did in Orlando makes him a Hall of Fame. I don't. Yeah, I don't. You know, so he ruined his career. Chris Paul demanded his way out of New Orleans. He's still a Hall of Fame player and had a great. great individual career, but winning-wise, it hasn't helped. He essentially, essentially, he was a free agent, but kind of forced his way out of the

Clippers. And now he's not happy playing with James Hardin in Houston. You know, Carmelo goes from Denver, a Western Conference finalist, to New York. It didn't work out for him, basketball-wise. So a lot of these players need to look at it, too, and say, okay, is this really the right move for me? So I think it's fine the way it is. Everybody's not demanding trades, but just let it go the way it is.

By the way, Kauai, we find this morning, let me read this to you. Three-year deal? Yeah, Kauai signed a three-year deal with a player option in the third year. It aligns with Paul George. Both players have the ability. So if I'm the clip, I see, I like this if I'm on the Clippers. And I'm for this. The player signed two-year deals guaranteed.

Got to stay for two. Thirds your player option. So the bottom line, it puts pressure on the clippers to make sure it works. Got to treat the player well. But you do get him for at least two years. And probably I doubt they would leave if this team will win a bunch of games. Well, remember, too, in his 10th year, which would be two years from now, he's eligible for a bump because he'd be in the 10-year.

The way the NBA salaries work, in your 10th year, you can get a larger contract. So that could play a role as well. You know, people have already thrown out, wow, with LeBron's contract ends, you know, with the Lakers. You know, Kauai, you want to become the king of L.A.? How about if you win a ring or two with the clippers? And then say LeBron doesn't deliver the Lakers a ring, then you go to the Lakers and deliver a ring. I mean, this is, we're getting ahead of ourselves. But all of that is in play.

Kauai is a shrewd operator. Yeah. Everybody's taking him for granted, you know, underestimated because he's so quiet. And people have thought he's just simple. But in reality, you see this summer, he is cunning. I mean, he hardly talks, but obviously he's a heck of a recruiter. And he went after everybody. He went after KD., Kyrie, you know, Jimmy Butler, Paul George.

And now with this contract, I mean, he has handled things very well. And I think this helps his, this whole summer. helps his image. Well, it's funny. Years ago, somebody said to me, what do you make of all the hate mail? I said, I don't worry about hate mail. I don't worry about people who advertise they hate me.

It's the quiet guy I worry about who jumps me on the corner after a few beers. I never worry about the loudmouth guy. Yeah, I hate you, chase you death. It's the quiet people. By the way, all these spies in the world, we got them, Russia's got them, everybody's got spies. You know what they owe it? What's the first thing you do when you hire a spy? They want them to look like the public.

glasses, ruffled hair, not over, you never find a spy that looks like Giselle Bungent, right? They always look like an accountant. Well, in the movies, they always do. Well, that's what they, when you hire spies, you want somebody that kind of moves into the fabric of society. So, Kauai is like the quiet guy, is moving around all the pieces. All right, stick around. Westbrook, what's he going to do? Plus, you're a football guy.

I got a theory on something. Chris Brousard, don't go anywhere. It's a herd. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays in noon Eastern 9 a.m. Pacific. 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 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 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 a ball. 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, is we have real conversations about healing, growth, fatherhood, pressure, and purpose on my new podcast, Learn the

Hardway. Open your free, our heart radio app. Search, learn the hard way, and listen now. 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. What? Quarterback on office blue with 42. A rep. My mama want you to wave at her. What?

Hey, Ms. Parker. Listen to The Cliverts show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Hey, I'm Jared Adano. You might know me as that loud guy who yells out, help on the internet. Help! Somebody! Please! But there's so much more to me than that.

I'm an actor. I'm a comedian. And recently, I've become quite the helper myself. And on my new podcast, Hope from a Hippocrite, I'll be changing lives, helping people in need with my sage advice and thoughtful solutions. Sike, I'm a comedian. I'm not qualified to give good advice. Join me and my comedian friends as we riff, rant, recommend some of the most legally dubious advice known to man.

If I'm calling you, even if you're on your phone, let it ring twice. One ring is too scary. Cream a chicken suit. Hey, cream. Cream a chicken suit. This is Help from a Hypocrite, the worst advice from the dumbest people you know.

Listen to Help from Hypocrat as part of the My Cultura podcast. network available on the IFR radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. By the way, Chris Broussard and I are fight fans. Joy Taylor, are you a fight fan? I am. I'm very excited for this fight. So Saturday, Keith Thurman, who's 29 and O, is an underdog to Mani Pacquiao. It's Saturday in Vegas. This is the end of Pacquiao's career if he loses, and Thurman is a... July 20th, so it's next Saturday. Next Saturday. Yeah. Next Saturday. My bad. I know we're not talking boxing here. That could be the fight of the year.

By the way, they were both in the office when they walked by. Pacquiao was smaller than you think. Thurman is taller and longer than you think. I think it's going to be the fight of the year. I'm a fight fan. I love two or three times. My first job out of college was covering, you know, boxing in Las Vegas. I was the luckiest guy in the world.

I walk into Vegas out of college. Sugar Ray Leonard, Marvin Hagler, Thomas Hurdz, Roberto Duran. It was like it was incredible. I would like to see Thurman when I think that's better for boxing. So do you. Because then you got Terrence Crawford, Arrow Spence Jr. and all that, Sean Porter.

But Pachial has better skills. He's older. Well, I mean, he's obviously more experienced, but This is going to be... I'm not sure he's not even faster, even at 40. I think... Pachio when you walk by Pachio in the hallway, I did a month ago, it is shocking how

small he is. Right. It is... You're like... Well, remember, he's a small... He was fighting at the lower weights. I mean, he's not really a true welter weight. Okay, let's go into this. We're talking about Russell Westbrook. You know, I've made, you know where I stand on Westbrook. I do think there are teams that Detroit sell some tickets.

Right. I don't think everybody in the NBA is trying to win games or titles. I think Philadelphia thinks they can. Boston thinks they can. The Clippers do. The Lakers do. Utah is trying to win a championship. Denver is.

Portland is. There's about eight teams in the league, I think. They really have a shot. Milwaukee, obviously. is Toronto last year. And it's a bunch of teams. The owners are like, listen, I got merchandise to sell. I spent $700 million to buy this team.

And they understand where they are. We can't win the championship right now. What does it tell you that Houston apparently likes Westbrook? What is that tell you? That tells me that Houston, there is some dysfunction in an organization between pressure

from the new owner, down to the GM, down to the coach. Look, there is pressure from the new owner. For all the money he spent on that team, he wants a championship. And all the contracts, I mean, the Chris Paul deal, we talked about it at the time. They really didn't want to do that deal, but they had already, you know, promised Chris that when they got him to demand the trade, you know, from the clippers. So they kind of had to.

So now the owner's like putting pressure on Maury, we got to win the championship. But I don't think that's the root of this. This is Darry. Daryl Morey is starstruck. He, every big name he goes after. And the interesting thing is Mori is the poster child for analytics. Right. He is.

I mean, he is the kind of viewed as the analytics genius. He has a coach who is totally in the analytics. Mike D'Antone, all we do is shoot threes or paint shots. And yet he keeps bringing in guys who defy the analytics all the way back to Dwight Howard. You know, Chris Paul is a mid-range jump shooter, ball dominion. Mellow. Mello, I mean, mid-range jump shooter. and now Jimmy Butler wouldn't have fit

and now Westbrook and don't get me, oh, they played together at O KC it was fine. They were both totally different at that time. They were up-and-coming players. You had Kevin Durant there as the star, the number one star, and then Westbrook wasn't what he is now.

He wasn't the Triple Double King at that time. And Hardin wasn't close. Hardin was coming off the bench. He was a playwright. He's a different player now. He's not giving this up. Now, if you traded Chris Paul for Westbrook, it would be better than if you have Chris, Russell, and Hardin, but it still doesn't fit. It's only better because Chris Paul's health.

Because I think actually they work great together. I agree. I think Paul and Harden are a better fit when Paul's healthy. Yeah. But just the, but I'm saying the three of them together has no chance of working. If it's two of them, then it still wouldn't win you a championship, but it'd be. better. But no, this, and here's the thing, Colin, if Houston, they have let all these leaks out. If none of the leaks came out that Chris and James are really at odds and that Daryl Morey was going after Jimmy Butler and we got to make moves,

with all that's happened, if people just thought Houston, they didn't get it done this year, but they're still, they would be viewed as one of the teams that could win the West. But now you might have so many hurt feelings. Chris Paul's, you know, he knows they were. interested in moving him. They were interested in getting Jimmy Butler, so how's Eric Gordon and PJ Tucker and he's Clint Capella feel? So now you have to massage all of that to just get this team to be the best version of itself.

I think the best version of itself is one of the top teams in the league. You know, it's funny. Last couple days, I've been listening to local radio because I kind of want everybody's feeling here in Los Angeles. If there was a big baseball move when I lived out east, I would listen to Boston or New York local radio. So, you know, it's very tribal. What are the fans think?

And it's funny about it. Everybody now is moving toward the Lakers over the clippers because of all the pieces they put together. And all the hosts are very much in on the Lakers. Time out. Frank Vogel and Doc Rivers. If coaching matters, and I watched Nick Nurse take over a team and it matters. If coaching matters in this league, I got nothing against Frank Vogel. But the players know he just got fired.

Jason Kidd is sitting next to him peering over his shoulder. and they know it's LeBron's team. Kauai and Paul George chose the Clippers for Doc, thus empowering Doc in the locker room. Like, Doc Rivers was empowered by, I'm choosing LA because of you. Paul George came out and said,

well, we like Doc. Like, I can't get past this. Frank Vogel, you go on a four-game losing streak. There'll be a rumor in this city that he's in trouble. Look, I think between the Lakers and the Clippers it's very close. Now, I think the Clippers are better.

They're the better team right now because, as you said, fit, chemistry, defense, Kauai and Paul George are very coachable, especially for Doc Rivers. They're all bought in. But the Lakers, I think the Clippers are the best team in the league right now. Yeah. And I have the Lakers as the second best team in the league.

I'm serious. I mean, people are acting like they don't have LeBron, James, and Anthony Davis and a decent cast around them Now here are the things... Ten seconds. Okay, well, I got, I had ten minutes left. But the Lakers, they're going to be pretty good. They're second best team in the week.

I'll buy your Clippers one. That argument I like. Hour two next. One more herd? The herd streams 24 hours a day, seven days a week, within the IHard Radio app. Search Hurd to listen live or on demand whenever you'd like. Last night, a blown call changed the 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 Slic Life 12

and the TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. Welcome to my new podcast, Learn the Hardaway 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. Trip 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, Keer 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 hard way and listen now. What's up, guys? This is Clifford 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, this linebacker walks up to me, he goes, Hey, ref, my mom wants you to wave at her. What? Time out.

Quarterback on office, blue, 42. Hey, rep, my mama wants you to wave at her. What? Where's she at? Hey, Miss Parker. Listen to the Clippers show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. Hey, I'm Jared Adano. know me as that loud guy who yells out, help on the internet.

Help! Somebody! Please! But there's so much more to me than that. I'm an actor. I'm a comedian. And recently, I've become quite the helper myself. And on my new podcast, Hope from a Hypocrite, I'll be changing lives, helping people in need with my sage advice and thoughtful solutions. Sike! I'm a comedian! I'm not qualified to give good advice. Join me and my comedian friends as we riff rant and recommend some of the most legally dubious advice known to man.

If I'm calling you, even if you're on your phone, let it ring twice. One ring is too scary. Oh, cream a chicken suit. Hey, cream. Cream a chicken suit. This is Help from a Hypocrat, the worst advice from the dumbest people you know. Listen to Help from Hypocrat as part of the MyCultura Podcast Network available on the IHartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Oh, here we go. Favorite segment of the week. This is The Heard. Live in Los Angeles, wherever you may be and however you may be listening. Iheart Radio, Fox Sports Radio, FS-1. This will be my favorite 10 minutes of the week. And I know you may just be bored out of your mind. I don't think so. I got audio, I got gambling. I got, I just brought my briefcase to work today. Oh. I'm going to give you my five favorite over-unders. Four-favorite, four-five, five-favorers in college football. Basically, I'll tell you to bet more wins.

or fewer wins than Vegas tells you to bet. I do it every year at this time, early July. I love it. And now that gambling is legal in America and more states are accepting it, I'm very excited about this. Joy Taylor, of course, you hear her voice. So last night was a baseball, all-story game, Joy. Right.

And Fox as a network. Of the many things we do well, what we do better than any network ever is sound. Even our critics in the U.S. Open Golf are like, you guys do sound good. We do sound good. NFL games on Fox feel bigger than other networks. Super Bowls, playoff games.

I don't know how they do it. Our audio, we're a great audio company. And so in baseball, the All-Star game, we mic the players. And you're always going to get pushback. But I learned something very early when I was a broadcaster, because I wanted to be a play-by-play guy. And the first thing I learned was if you're a radio play-by-play guy, which is what I wanted to be, you're the eyes of the audience.

They can't see. You're the artist. Paint the picture. Tell them every detail. But if you're a television play-by-play guy, people have eyes. Don't over-talk. You don't have to follow every ball, every strike. Don't treat your audience like idiots.

They're not three-year-olds. Like, I'm an adult. I can see that was a strike. You don't have to tell me. If you can engage in a conversation that's fascinating, you don't have to walk me through every moment I got eyes. I can see. Joe Buck's very good at this.

And the All-Star game with John Smoltz, they were great at this. So they mic players. And you're always going to get pushed back. Contintrate on the game. Oh, shut up. You got eyes. Watch the game. It's baseball.

It's an all-star game. It doesn't even count. But here's the reason I love this, is that in NBA, you see players talking all the time because they're next to each other. In the NFL, a guy will tackle a guy, they get up and they talk. I'd love to hear what they say. I would love to hear what Andrew Luck says, the defensive guys who whack him. That's why I watch NFL films. I like all the talking.

It's more access. But in baseball, a little bit of a problem in baseball, players are separated. Outfielders are 50 feet apart. Bullpen's way down in that part of the stadium. And outside of the pitcher and the catcher who have this symbiotic relationship, it's a lot of guys. in different places. Well, microphones bring them all together. They're all talking.

And so Fox did it last night. Freddie Freeman of the Braves leading off the game against Justin Verlander, and they dropped the microphone. You hear the conversation. I can't take my eyes off this stuff. All right, Freddie. Let's do this.

Go get them. Hi, Mark. Hi, Gary. How are you? I can talk. I'm talking to you now because I know what you're going to throw me. They're going to tell me. First step ever with the thing in my ear.

Well, throw a strike. He told me to swing the bat. That was a good take, Freddie. Thanks. Great. Got him with a breaking ball, Freddie. You're a prince for doing that. You're welcome, guys.

Do you feel more or less connected to players? I feel more connected. They're like personalities. I'm totally into this. The other thing with baseball is, unlike the NBA where LeBron has the ball all the time or Kauai does, or like the NFL or Tom Brady or Breezer, Russell Wilson have the ball at the time, and baseball stars get four bats.

They're rarely able to connect with you viscerally as a consumer. This allows me to connect with Christian Yellet to the Brewers, who's the best young player arguably outside of Mike Trout in the game. He was miced up and caught a fly ball. Microphone, earpiece, glove and all makes the catch up against the wall. We didn't do it this time either. That's one. Did you think that was gone when he hit him?

I did. No, come on. Are you kidding me? I am now a participant. If you ever go into a concert, of course you have. And you go to a concert, and at some point during the concert, the lead singer goes over to the guitarist and they have a conversation. Don't you ever wonder what they're talking about? What are they laughing about?

What's so funny? They do this concert every night in a different city. Why are they laughing up there? What are they talking about all the time? So here's Cody Beliger or the Dodgers and Yelich having a conversation during the game. Again, I don't know how we pull this stuff off. I don't know how the communication works. I don't understand it, but it's perfect.

We heard Justin Verlander's opinion on the baseball. Do you guys think the baseball is tighter, has less drag, is jumping more in 2019? I think they're perfectly fine the way they are. Yeah, me too. I'm not a scientist, so I'm just trying to hit the thing and whatever it does. I'm with Cody on that one. I think all of us hitters are stronger. Right where they're at. You're stronger. Just say it.

We know what we're doing with our swings more now. Just listen to the sound. It's so alive. I'm so connected. When Peyton Manning would yell, Omaha, Omaha, Omaha, as a viewer, I'm activated. Oh, he's changing the ball at the line of scrimmage. He's changing the play. Oh, okay, what's Peyton? So now I'm connected to Peyton Manning. Omaha, now it's not the team's play. It's Peyton Manning's play. He's personalized sports. Last night, you had three Astros mic. Watch, at the same time. Oh, has that.

George, you're going to get that. He's not going to get it. It is off the wall. Throw into second base is too late, and it's a lead-off double for Cattell Martte. I threw an air cutter, guys. Sorry. Hey, Mike, weird.

George missed the cutoff manner. So what did you say? You threw a cutter into second base right there? Yeah, I just accidentally threw a cutter. That's on me. I love it. And stop with the, it gets in the way of the game.

Stay on balls and strikes. Are you an idiot? You can't, you have eyes. You can't watch balls and strikes? You have to be babysat down. Give me noise. Give me emotion. Give me conversation.

I find it absolutely fascinating. I think baseball struggles because players are far apart. We don't see them connect. We don't see the conversations. We're in the stands. They're way down there. NBA guys are right on top of you. Hockey players,

you can touch them. Like in baseball, they're way down there, and you're way over here, and I feel like I'm involved in the game. I absolutely love that. I think it's fantastic, and some of you are grumpy, but I think it's amazing. All right. So, you know, I just tend to bring my attache case to work. Oh, it is stuff with money.

There's just so much money in there. You can't. I got to have it on the outside. So I do this every year. Okay? I give you, it's called my Uncle Collins over-under. So Vegas predicts how many games teams will win. And some of these have already come out and be bet down.

USC, by the way, started at like eight and a half, it's down to seven. So these are random win totals. What I do is I go through my Phil Steel magazine. I go through every bit of information I can. And I give you the four or five. And by the way, I do four to five every year. I've never had a losing season. I always have a winning season.

This is my favorite bet of the year. They're over and unders in college football. And the college football practice starts in about 15 days. So are you ready to go on this? All right, here we go over and under. Let's start with an over, Michigan State. So the guys in Vegas have Michigan State at seven and a half wins. Michigan State's going to win more than seven and a half games.

Here's why. They return 17 starters. That's fourth most in the country. When you return a bunch of starters, you're always great in the first month, right? because you bring experienced players and colleges have limited practice time. They'll be great in September. They return their entire defensive line,

which was number one in the country against the rush. They returned their entire offensive line. This is a program, by the way, in the last eight years, they have won half the games they've been an underdog. They win games. You don't think they will on paper. They return their lines. They've got a very good player development program,

Michigan State over on seven and a half wins. Texas A&M, Vegas thinks they're going to win seven and a half. They're going to win fewer than that. The SEC is just too good right now. You can go seven to eight deep in the SEC, unlike other conferences where there's two or three top teams and then it's weak in the middle. Jim Bo Fisher can recruit. That's his strength.

I don't think he's a great schematic coach. The problem is most of his recruits aren't playing yet. This will only be a second year. He's only had two recruiting. classes. The other thing, their schedule is brutal. At Clemson, Auburn, Alabama, at Old Miss, at Georgia, at LSU. I got five losses, six losses right there. That would put them at seven and five or six and six. They also have one starter on offense that's a senior. In the SEC, are you kidding me? They'll be good eventually with Jimbo. I think they're a 500 team this year.

They've also been worse than expected last three years at home in the SEC. Let's go to Oregon. thinks Oregon's going to win eight and a half. I don't love this coaching staff. They recruit well. I don't love their game management, but I'll take the over. Very simply, Oregon under this coaching staff has struggled on the road. This schedule is very, very easy on the road. The Auburn game, neutral. They go to Washington and they'll lose it.

But by the time they play USC on the road in November, the Trojans will have several wins. The Coliseum will be half full. Also play Arizona State in the road, but it's late. in the season when it's not hot. Oregon's returning offensive linemen have started 153 starts in college. Now think about that. That is the most in college football in eight years.

Four of their offensive linemen are already honors players, first, second, third team. NFL guys, they have the second or third best college quarterback. The schedule is mostly comfortable with very little discomfort on the road. I don't love the staff in close games around the road. road. I think there'll be a lot of blowout wins at home, probably win nine games. Let's go Auburn. Again, I'm going to take the under. Gus Malzon will be fired after this season. He's been a disappointment, mostly because he's an average recruiter in a conference of great recruiters. Jared Stidham's gone at quarterback. I thought he was a wildly underrated college quarterback.

Their schedule is the toughest in college football, Oregon, A&M, Mississippi State, Florida, at Arkansas, at LSU. The two games they get at home, Alabama and Georgia, the problem is those may not be winnable games because Georgia and Alabama have the best personnel in the SEC. I think by midseason they're beat up. There's a lot of criticism from Gus Malzon, and they have to beat Georgia and Alabama late to save his job, and they won't. And finally, I know you guys all bang on Jim Harbaugh, but I'm going to take Michigan over nine and a half wins. They're going to be favored in 12 games this year. I looked it up. They're favored in 12 games. Now, they are 1 and 18 on the road against ranked teams, but they host Michigan State.

They host Notre Dame. They host Ohio State this year. He's got eight starters returning on offense. I think it's his best offensive line. And the Big Ten is very weak at the lower, middle, and bottom. Okay, unlike the SEC, which is very good top, excellent in the middle, okay, in the bottom. There's a lot of doubles with that offensive line, and that's. schedule, just a lot of guaranteed Ws against the middle and bottom of the Big Ten.

Michigan, I think, ends up. I don't think they're a national championship winning team, but they may end up in the playoff because of their returners, their quarterback, and their schedule. Three toughest games all at home. There you go. So in review, can we do the in-review thing? I got Michigan State over, Texas A&M under, Oregon over, Auburn under, Michigan over. By the way, the SEC teams, the reason I have them under

is because of respect to the conference. It is so good 1 through 8 in the SEC. If you don't, by the way, A&M's best player, tight end running back, both gone. A lot of the SEC elegant schedules. So there you go. And congratulations. I don't know about you, but when I go home today with my attache case, you know, that's what it, I can't even keep all the money in there.

This is just ridiculous. Coming up next, Cliff April, the Seahawks is around the corner, and another person talked about Aaron Rogers, and it wasn't very nice. That's coming up. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays in noon Eastern, 9 a.m. Pacific on Fox Sports Radio, FS1, and the IHeard Radio app. Last night, a blown call changed a game.

This morning, the internet lost its mind. Highlights are trending, opinions are flying, and nobody's telling you exactly what happened. That's where Sports Slice comes in. I'm Timbo. Every episode, we're cutting through the noise. Breaking down the plays, the controversies, and the stories behind the headlines.

We go straight to the source, the athlete themselves. Their locker room stories, their reactions, the stuff nobody gets to hear. The laughs, the drama, the triumphs, the moments that never make the highlight real. From viral moments to historic games, from buzzer beaters to controversial calls, we break it down, give you context,

and ask the questions everybody wants. answer. 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 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. Trip 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 Hardway. Open your free iHeartRadio app. Search Learn the Hardway and listen now. What's up, guys? This is Clivert 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 line. You know these kids. This linebacker walks up to me, he goes, hey, ref, my mom wants you to wave at her. What? Time out. Quarterback on office blue of 42. Hey, rep, my mama want you to wave at her.

What? Hey, Ms. Parker. Listen to the Clippers show on the Iheart radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. Hey, I'm Jared Adano. You might know me as that loud guy who yells out, help on the internet. Somebody, please! But there's so much more to me than me. I'm an actor, I'm a comedian,

and recently I've become quite the helper myself. And on my new podcast, hope from a hypocrite I'll be changing lives, helping people in need with my sage advice and thoughtful solutions. Sike, I'm a comedian. I'm not qualified to give good advice. Join me and my comedian friends

as we riff rant and recommend some of the most legally dubious advice known to man. If I'm calling you, even if you're on your phone, let it ring twice. One ring is too scary. Oh, cream a chicken suit. Hey, cream, cream a chicken suit. This is Help from a Hypocrat, the worst advice from the dumbest people you know. Listen to Help from Hypocrite as part of the Mike Coultera podcast network available on the IHart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

It is great to have you in today. By the way, 15 minutes can you save you 15% on Geico? Geico.com to see how much you could save. I have a very good deal on my insurance. I feel like I have a good deal on my insurance. You know, a lot of you think I don't like Aaron Rogers. It's not true. I try to be fair. When he's great, I say it, when he's not, he's not. I do think his personality rubs some people the wrong way. Crazy take by me, unreasonable by me. But Aaron Rogers has had a lot of injuries over his career, and his career should be about halfway done. He's had two broken collar bones, an MCL sprain, concussions, a calf, tear, and a fractured foot. And not only is he

missed a lot of time, but Aaron's got some good pain tolerance because he's played hurt a lot in his career. Aaron's not a guy that wants to miss games. I'm giving him credit here. He plays hurt more than people realize. He is a total gamer. Cam Newton plays hurt a lot more than people get, and Aaron Rogers plays hurt a lot more than people get. My sources in the league have said for years, some players have high pain tolerance. Cam Newton's got it and Aaron Rogers has it. So Aaron deserves a lot of credit.

But it should be noted, why is he hurt so often? Carl Lawson's a very good football player for the Cincinnati Bengals and he talked about Aaron Rogers and why he gets hit so much. Honestly, I think it's easier to sack Aaron Rogers than most quarterbacks. He sits there and he pats the ball. the easier quarterback to sack me for me personally because he sits there. You know, he probably gets maybe like eight to ten yards in the pocket. So he sits there. He waits. He waits.

Wow. Getting there. This is what Greg Cosell has talked about. Aaron AdLibs out of successful plays. Now, a lot of Packer fans, Green Bay is the smallest NFL market. And Joy, I've talked about this. The smaller the market, the more the team means to the city, right? Like in Green Bay, the Packers are everything.

Right. In Los Angeles, I'm not sure the Rams are the most popular NFL team. I think Dallas is more popular in Los Angeles than the Rams. We got two of everything, two baseball, to NBA, to football, to MLS, to hockey. So Green Bay fans get defensive. Well, it's our offensive line. In the last, since 2010, Green Bay's had six offensive linemen make the Pro Bowl. Six.

That's like double the league average. Eight years total voted into the Pro Bowl. By the way, right now, pro football. ball focus, rates their offensive line is eight. In terms of pass blocking, the Packers have the number one left tackle in the NFL, the number nine pass blocking right tackle in the NFL, and the number one pass blocking center in the NFL. And the organization in Aaron's time has done a great job to take third, fourth, and fifth round offensive linemen and make them pro bowlers. The Packers don't do anything better than developing offensive linemen. They're tremendous at it.

The Patriots and the Packers are great at that. And not everybody. is. Houston's not. So Aaron's an ad-libber. Farv was an ad-libber. The difference is Brett was a little thicker. Brett didn't get hurt as much. It's just kind of the body composition. Aaron's a smaller quarterback despite having an unbelievable cannon for an arm. He's about my height. He's 6-2. He's about 2-15, 218, maybe 220, but he's not that thick. And he ad-libs a lot. This explains it. No blaming, no finger pointing. It is the downside. Why I don't think Aaron has aged as well as Drew Brees or aged as well as Brady.

Adlibbing equals more hits. Joy with the news. No, no, no, no, no, turn on the news. This is the herd line news. So any discussions about the L.A. Rams, 2019 outlook probably starts with questions about Todd Gurley's knee. The injury kept Gurley out of several games late in the season, including a playoff. off game and whether Gurley can return to the level of dominance that he's had in past seasons

will continue to be up in the air as training camp opens. But in an interview with Sirius XM NFL radio, Gurley didn't have, he didn't get much thought to the notion that the knee injuries will slow him down. I don't have nothing to prove, Gil. That's the thing. I've been doing this my whole life, so it's like, this is the same stuff for me over and over, you know, same on stuff, and I keep doing the same old thing, and I just play my game, honestly. I don't really worry about too much.

You know, I just try to be good as a teammate as I can and just help my team win, honestly. Now, it might not be fair, but when you are an athlete that's coming back from injury, you do have something to prove. You have to prove that you can get back to the level that you were before the injury. And it also might not be fair, but when you have a contract like Todd Gurley has, which is four years, $60 million with $45 million guaranteed, you also have a little something to prove. He had an ACL in college, in ACL injury in college in Georgia, and he has arthritis in his knee that's lingered throughout the year. It might continue to be an issue in the future.

Now, I can't remember who we talk to, but they said that pretty much everyone, every running back has arthritis in their knees, like, to some degree. Well, the Rams did draft a running back with one of their fairly early picks. I think early's fine if you ask him to carry it 13 times, not 26. Right. How many carries he gets is going to be a big factor in that. Now, I don't get caught up too much in the contract stuff because you got to pay a guy what he's worth. And sometimes you pay for past production. That's just the way that it goes down.

So the contracting doesn't bother me so much, but that is going to put added pressure on the situation. That said, I think that the Rams are smart enough to know what you just said, which is just because we're paying this guy that much doesn't mean that we need to give Gurley all the carries, balance maybe better for the team in the long run. he has his contract no matter what. He has his guaranteed money no matter what. So there's no sense in getting caught up in that. I think sometimes you get into a situation where you're paying a guy so much.

I mean, Antonio Brown with the Steelers or someone's demanding something so much because they are that player that you feel like you have to throw it to them or you have to give them those carries in order to make the contract seem worth it. And that's just that's not how you should. Well, Jared Goff's first two years in the league, he really needed Todd Gurley. And I've said this. there's two things that really help a young quarterback. One, a great running back. Or two, Deshawn Watson and Russell Wilson, you're able to buy time and pick up yards with your legs.

Goff doesn't in your first two years. And then year three for all these guys, oh, the light goes on. Okay, I can read everything. The game becomes slow motion. So Goff's not going to make plays with his legs. What he needed for two years was, I can turn and hand the ball off. I think one thing not being discussed is Goff is not. now more ready to carry a bigger burden offensively.

And I don't think he was last year. And I don't think he was his rookie year. But this will be his third off season, second with McVeigh. So I think Gurley's less important this morning than a year ago at this time. It's still important, though. Yeah. So Danny Green was the first free agent signed the Lakers made after Kauai went to the Clippers. And he's also being paid the third most on the team behind LeBron and AD after signing

his two-year $30 million deal. And on his inside the green room podcast. cast. He spoke about the efforts of Kyle Kuzma and LeBron to get him up to speed. Coos has been taking actually kind of a leadership role for a young guy and putting us together. You know, you put a little group chat together and make sure everybody knows whose numbers is who. Okay. I'm reaching out, letting him know where we can be at in the summer. Brown let us know when this is happening when that's happening.

But, you know, Brown was really good with the process, man. We talked about this yesterday. I think that Kuzma is going to be a huge part of this team. And just you were. talking about listening to local radio and kind of seeing what everyone's pulses around the city when it comes to the Clippers and the Lakers. I think that Lakers fans are

you know, Lakers fans, they don't really feel bothered by the Clippers in general and for good reason for most, for many years, they are a big brother. But I do think they are a little bit stunned by Kauai's choice to go to the Clippers. And Paul George, you know,

all the conversation about him definitely going to the Lakers or picking, you know, Westbrook over the Lakers before and now going to the the clippers. I do think that there is a level of animosity, even though the Lakers are big brother, like, how dare you choose the clippers over us? So it's kind of an interesting thing that, like, moving forward, you know, LeBron doesn't have that many years left in the league, we imagine, you know? So they're going to go into another phase of the NBA eventually. And this

kind of, even though it's not really a rivalry when you look at the championships and success, there's a little bit of bitterness there now. And I like that moving forward, building that with Kuzma and young guys on the Lakers, like that new wave of the NBA. Listen, if you go look, I read a story, Joy, and it said, it's really interesting why they made this move. Jerry West didn't want to give all these picks up, but

Jerry West and Michael Winger and Lawrence Frank felt, by getting AD, if they didn't get Kauai, they were done in this town. Like, they would not get any coverage. How often have we taught Clippers before the last 72 hours? Like, the whole... A few times in the playoffs.

So there was a fear-based component. Like, the Clippers were like, listen, this has been a Laker Town forever. We can stop that this morning. And that's why sometimes, I mean, I don't think Jerry West wanted to give up all those picks. But Jerry West looked at it. If AD doesn't come to the Lakers, Jerry maybe doesn't give up nine, five picks and pick swaps. But no, it's a real rivalry now. This is, this happened about how many years ago when the Mets and the Yankees,

like they were trying to fight for the back page of the tabloids in New York because the Mets were fascinating. And the Yankees had, they were the big brother. Giants and Jets, they may not be historic equals, but Joy, they fight for free press coverage. Yeah, there's a little bit of animosity there. So finally, the U.S. Women's National Team is celebrating their World Cup championship this morning with a ticker tape parade in New York City. Oh, they are. Yep. Thousands of fans pack Manhattan's famed Canyon of Heroes to greet the squad, which was led by Megan Rapino.

Then the ceremony moved to City Hall where the players received the key to the city. quite a scene going through Manhattan and the loudest cheers were for Rapino who is no stranger to great speeches. This group is so resilient, is so tough, has such a sense of humor, it's just so badass.

We're chilling, we got tea sipping, we got celebrations, we have pink hair and purple hair, we have tattoos, dreadlocks. We got white girls and black girls and everything in between. Straight girls and gay girls.

They just, they have all the bravado and personality that I want my national teams to have. Yeah, they are. Exactly. They are so America. They are and that's what she's saying. You know, they are really actually a great representation. I love them. And they're so, they're so America and so in your face.

And I love it. And they're getting a great response. And I really think that this team, we're going to look back and this is a team that's really going to this particular group. I mean, obviously the women's team has had a great level of success. But this particular team and led by Megan Rapino is going to have a really lasting impact. You know, America gets blasted, you know, we're arrogant. A little bit, yeah. So if you're representing America, you can have a little swagger.

We don't really do things the shy way. It's not how we get down. We're not Canada. they're so nice we're not always we're a little over the top but it's who we are and also we're the best

like we're just the best so it's just when you're the best you get to do what you want to do and if you don't like it then make us not the best in your face people who are not the best sorry they just are they're a great team though

it's been so fun to watch them and they're living their best life right now they are living that's a great way she's a rock star yes absolute that's what a rock star looks like an American sports. We haven't known her. You know, she's not, hasn't been in LeBron.

She has arrived. She has. It's great. Joy with the news. Well, that's the news. And thanks for stopping by. You know, it's funny about that team. Everybody's like, I don't like, I don't like what they're saying about president in a way they represent the country. Folks, our president's outspoken. They're outspoken. They're both Americans. This is who we are.

We talk. We're not subtle. We're outspoken. And yes, it would be nice sometimes. I love the way Toronto handled with dignity and grace, Kauai Leonard leaving. I love it. But Canada, sometimes to a fault, Canada's not aggressive enough. Sometimes we're too aggressive, but I love it.

I defend politicians that are outspoken, and I defend teams that are outspoken. I know there are a great representation of America, hyper-aggressive, which, by the way, if you're a fan of the United States men's national team. Let me guess what you complain about. It's what I complain about. Why aren't we more aggressive offensively?

Why are we always retreating? Why aren't we more aggressive? Why do we flop so much? Oh, that's what I say. So what you want is the woman's version. They don't flop. They're aggressive to a fault. They can get burned on the back end.

They're exactly what I wish our guys were. Hyperaggressive. I would rather have an aggressive team. Joy, we talk about this all time. Aggressive wins in sports. Yes, it does. It just wins. It wins in the NFL.

Belichick's aggressive to a fault, pushing the envelope. I mean, the Raptors were aggressive. Aggressive. And they won. And they went. They went un-Canadian. They went and got Gassol. They fired a coach of the year.

They traded their most popular play. They took major incredible risks and it all paid off. All paid off. Aggressive wins, even though sometimes it's a little obnoxious. All right. Okay, Cliff Averill, Super Bowl champ with the Seahawks, now a broadcaster. R.J. Hampton next hour. Jim Jackson.

Archa Hampsons, a fascinating story. He is the high school kid that can't go straight to the NBA. He's not going to go to the G League, and he's not going to go to college. He's going to go to New Zealand and play in their Pro League, which is not a terrible league. We're going to have him last hour to talk about his decision. It took courage. He was going to go to Duke. He said, no, I'm going to New Zealand.

A little bit of a pioneer in basketball. We'll talk about that coming up. Also, so I saw this story this morning. Nate Burleson, Fine Broadcaster, another network came out, and he said, you know, Cam Newton, Cam Newton can return to MVP form. If Cam Newton can adjust his game, it's like Jordan late in his career, not dunking all the time. Turn around jumper. Yeah. If he can adjust his career and be more of a passer, then he is a physical threat.

He can get back into MVP mode. Here's where I disagree. I've always compared Cam to Russell Westbrook, beyond the flare, the athleticism, the mobility. and the wardrobe. They're really independent people. They think differently. They see the world differently. The problem is sometimes your profession moves toward you,

and sometimes it moves away from you. I think it's moved away from Westbrook and Cam Newton. Westbrook is hyperathletic, never been a great shooter. The league's all about shooting. That's who he is. Cam's always been about size, arm, home runs, mobility, athleticism. the game has moved into a precision era. This is why Brady and Breeze are two of the top three quarterbacks in the league in their 40s.

This is why Baker Mayfield is going to succeed in this league. Baker's not big. He's not fast. He's not super athletic. He walked on in college, but he's accurate. The NFL, like the NBA, it is a shooters league. So Derek Rose, John Wall, Westbrook are not shooters. They're hyperathletic.

The league moves away from their skill set. they've not aged well. Similarly, the low percentage, big play over the top quarterback, unless he's in his prime physically, and I don't think Cam due to injuries is, it's not built for him. You can't ask Cam now to be a 70% completion guy. That's not his skill set.

He's a huge arm, let it rip. His mechanics have never been great, because since he was a kid, he could throw off his front foot. He could throw off balance. He's never going to be breezed that way or Matt Ryan. So I think at this point, Cam will be good and Cam will be inconsistent and Camel have good weeks and bad. I think Cam and Westbrook are very similar. The industry, due to analytics, has moved away from what they, their DNA, what they're really born to do.

Doesn't mean he can't win. Doesn't mean they can't win a division. Doesn't mean he can't have successful weeks. But I do think the sport has moved. It's really moved. By the way, what did the Colts do last year with Andrew Luck? Deep less, more completions, get rid of the ball. Best year for Andrew Luck.

What does Andy Reid talk Patrick Mahomes? Let go of it sooner. Not as much ad-libbing. Less over the top. Get your completions. That's the league. That's what the best coaches, Sean Peyton, Bill Belichick, and Andy Reed are asking. Cliff Averill, coming up next, the herd.

Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays in noon Eastern, 9 a.m. Pacific. Last night, a blown call changed the 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 SportsSlice 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, 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 SportsSlice on the IHeartRadio app, Apple podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more, follow Timbo Slic 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 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 Hardway. Open your free iHeartRadio app. Search Learn the Hardway and listen now. What's up, guys? This is Clivert Taylor the Fourth. 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. What? Time out. Quarterback on office blue 42. Hey, ref, my mama want you to wave at her. What?

Hey, Ms. Parker. Listen to the Clifford show on the Iheart radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. If you're watching the latest season of the Real Housewives of Atlanta, you already know, that's a lot of, lot to break down. Gorsha accusing Kelly of sleeping with a merry man. They holding Kay Michelle back from fighting Drew.

Pinky has financial issues. I like the bougie style of Housewives show. I think it looks like it's going to be interesting. On the podcast, Reality with the King, I, Carlos King, recap the biggest moments from your favorite reality shows, including the Real House Wise franchise, the drama, the alliances, and the team everybody's talking about. As an executive producer in reality television, I'm not just watching it. I understand the game.

As somebody who creates shows, I'll even say this. At the end of the day, when people are at home, they want entertainment. To hear this and more, listen to Reality with the King on the IHard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Former NFL defense event played for the Lions and the Seahawks for a decade, made a pro bowl and was a Super Bowl chant with the Seahawks. Now he's a broadcaster. in Seattle and a damn good one. Cliff Averill, Super Bowl chant with my Seahawks. How are you? I am well. How about

yourself? I am really, really good. I hear great things about how you're doing in Seattle, and it's as a kid I wanted to be a broadcaster in Seattle, and they never wanted to hire me, so I ended up here. It turned out well. It's been fine. We're talking about Cam Newton, by the way. You faced him more than once. My takeaway is the league's becoming

more of a precision league. Not that he doesn't have gifts. Russell Wilson can run around. So can Mitch Strabisky. But I don't think you can ask him in your 10. All right, be a precision guy. To me, that's not his game. You faced him. What did you make of him? So I heard some of the comments about him being precise and even Nate Berlis' comments

about him getting back to MVP form. I truly believe he can do that. And the reason I say that is because one, Cam is elite in a different way. He's big. He's fast and he throws the ball fairly well. Now, it might not be as efficient as you need them to be, but he makes up for it with the speed and how big he is. And I think about Cam, there's one particular play, for example, that I know no other quarterback can do in the NFL.

We're playing them in Charlotte and beat my guy easy, clean, and I'm chasing Cam down, and he's running towards our sideline. And in the midst of him running towards our sideline to get up field, he's looking back at me and laughing and smiling as if he knows I can't catch him. Not too, he's probably the only quarterback in the NFL that can actually do that. to D-Lyman to linebackers with the speed and how fast he is. So that's where I think he separates himself from other quarterbacks. When you faced him in that week leading up to the game,

what was Pete Carroll saying on, this is what you want to make Cam do? Of course. You hopefully can keep him in the pocket. I think that's your best bet. But in keeping them in the pocket, you kind of have to change up your defense. You have to have a linebacker that probably is spying on him

or you have to drop a D-Liamman that's spying on him to make sure he doesn't run. But when you do that, you have holes in your defense. defense. You have you have pockets where he can probably pick you apart, you know. So, so again, when you try to contain them in a sense, it puts holes on your defense and it puts more stress on other guys. So, uh, Aaron Rogers, Carl Lawson said, listen, he's easier to hit because he runs around more. Now he has had, Aaron Rogers has had a lot of injuries. Some of that is because he's not a huge guy. And he does, he has been over his career. He pounds the rock a little bit. He sits there and pounds it. And I also think he's had good offensive linemen. Six Packers have been

pro bowlers up front since he's been there in 2010 to today. So it's not like they don't develop old lines in Green Bay. They actually do it as well as anybody in the league, not named New England. What do you make, though, the comments that because he is a little more patient and he ad libs more, you get more shots at him. You probably do get more shots at him because he does ad lib a little bit, but I also think what people are forgetting, and I don't think he's one of the highest-stack in the NFL. I think Russell had more sacks than them last year. But I think, one, the O'Lyman do a great job of holding, and I know firsthand. But two, I think Aaron Rogers actually studies the pass rush. Who's he's facing that week? And I say that because he understands

what gaps will be open depending on the type of pass rush he's getting. So for me, for example, he knows I'm a speed rusher, so I'm most likely going to beat my guy off the edge. He knows that B gap or that A gap is going to be wide open. So as the play develops, he steps into those gaps to make those deep balls. So I think he's actually extremely good at that from that standpoint as far as for the sacks. I think quarterback's just going to get sacked regardless. But for him, I think he gets out of sacks because he reads the defense. So Russell Wilson got a, he got a big old contract. Yes, huge. Shouts out to Russ.

And yeah, he's one of my favorite guys in the NFL. And, you know, there was a lot of pushback. But my take away defending him was listen. So he comes into Seattle and saves Pete Carroll's bacon. They were 7 to 9, 7 to 9 with Matt Flynn. And Pete had been fired twice in the NFL. He saved his bacon. Secondly, the defense got credit. Marshaun Lynch got credit. It's almost like Dak and Dallas. Russell didn't make much for years. Not only that, he didn't get any credit. He was like the third, it was almost like, listen, the defense carries him. And I do feel over time, Russ is like, all right, not only going to pay me, you're going to have to pay me enough that you're going to have to build around me. Yes.

Like I support players like Dack. I don't love Dack. Yeah. But come on now. He's been making like $600,000 a year. He saved the franchise. How did it play in Seattle when Russell signed a contract, which many think is prohibitive to the team's success going forward?

Well, let's take a step back first, right? You talk about the early years of Russ and how people viewed him in particular. He didn't have to be this elite quarterback at the time. He had a heck of a defense. I mean, the defense was probably one of the top ever. He had one of the best running backs ever right behind him. So he didn't necessarily have to perform at a, say, a Tom Brady level. We're still winning a lot of ball games.

We're still going to Super Bowls and different things like that. Now people are complaining that, oh, he's making too much money. I think he deserves it. And he proved it last year with basically what was around him, right? He didn't have that elite defense. You lose all of L-O-B. You lose, you know, myself. You lose Mike B.

You lose so many different players that supposedly was. the, well, was the foundation of that team. And the running back position now is kind of a journey. It's kind of running back by committee. It's been a journeyman position. They're figuring it out now with Carson and Penny. But I say that to say with Russell, though, is last year he proved it, right? Last year, the only consistent factor in, say, you know, five years prior to what Russ

has now is KJ. Wright and Bobby Wagner and Coach Carroll. That's it. And they still went out and won 10 games last year. You know, and I mentioned on your show last time I was on, was. hey, the Seahawks are going to surprise people this year because of Russell and Bobby Wagner on the other side of the ball. They still have that going moving forward. They're putting some pieces together. They're figuring it out.

And I think Russell definitely deserves all the money he's getting, especially with how efficient and how he performed last year. What do you make, I saw the story the other day. Brady's playing football with Gronk. He ran a 40-yard dash the other day that was faster than his combine 40. How do players view Tom at this point in his career? Clearly obsessed with football. I think you have to be obsessed with football if you want to play football at the age of 40,

40 plus years old, right? But that's also what makes him probably the best ever to do it. You know, he's constantly trying to find ways to stay relevant in this game, keep up with all these youngsters that are coming. He's dealing with 22-year-olds, 23-year-olds. It's a year and he's 40.

And he's 41, 42, whatever it is, and yet still in Super Bowls every year, yet still very efficient and still winning a lot of ball games. So he's clearly obsessed with the game of football and it's pretty cool to see from a distance and playing against him you see why he's so great he does these type of thing he's still running for like i wouldn't run a 40 to save my life right now you know what i'm saying and this guy is doing it at 40 years old so he's obsessed

with the game of football and he's going to continue to keep being great until he wants to be honestly now you played for a decade you were pro bowler how obsessed were you with football oh i was extremely obsessed um you know wake up you're trying to find ways to get better you know you're changing up your diet especially as you get older i mean you hear about the crazy diet that time on, you know, he's eating avocado ice cream and different things like that. You know, so, so as a professional to get to that next level, you have to be somewhat obsessed with the game. You have to live and breathe it because, one, it can end in a heartbeat.

But then two, you know, in order to be great and to be successful in this whole process, you have to always be thinking about different ways of getting better. When you, you know, Seattle had what we thought was going to be a dynasty, then it kind of closed, but they've still been very good. This year, it's interesting. They lost Frank Clark, who's really, really good. Really good. Where are the Seahawks, in your opinion, in their history, in their, we still have a Hall of Fame coach.

You have the best linebacker, maybe in the game. You still have a Hall of Fame quarterback, but now you lose Doug Baldwin. Yes. They took some risks in the draft. They took some big swings. Where's Seattle at today, in your opinion? I think they're still going to surprise people, you know, because a lot of people are doubting them. But what you just mentioned, right?

you have a Hall of Fame coach, you have a Hall of Fame quarterback, and then Bobby Wagner, to me, is a no-brainer. He's a Hall of Famer as well, right? So you have the, and I think I just read somewhere, he's ranked top three best players in the NFL right now. Bobby Wagner's is literally, it's almost like when Erlacher came in the league. Yes. He's in on every play.

Every single play, no matter who's around them, no matter how good the D-line may be, no matter how sorry they may be, Bobby is making plays. So with just those two guys, the quarterback on the office, the quarterback on the defense, and both of those are top five, top three, best at their position. They have a fighting chance. They have a fighting chance to do some great things this season. And as far as for the window being closed, I don't think the window, the window is closed

for what we had five years ago, four years ago, three years ago. This is a completely different team. It really is. Completely different team. The defense is young. Young, hungry. I mean, you know, but losing Frank Clark is going to be the big question mark for me is, you know, he had 13 sacks last year.

Where do you make that up? And I think you make that up collectively with all the young players. The Quentin Jefferson's who had two sex last year and he just got five, six sacks this year. Sharon Reed, who had 10, which was a great number, he probably has to up that, you know, two more sacks. So I just think, you know, they have to keep building. All right, Cliff Avril, hour three coming up. Great seeing you on the air in Seattle and doing great things, The Herd. One more Herd?

The Herd streams 24 hours a day, seven days a week within the IHeart Radio app. Search Herd to listen live or on demand whenever you'd like. Jackson played 14 years in the NBA, certainly handsome enough to be an actor. Joy Taylor is certainly stunning enough to be an actress. I, of course, am not. Neither has done any acting, although you've been on a set, and you've been on a set, and it's Tom Hanks' 63rd birthday yesterday.

You did one or two lines. That was it? Yeah, it was like a little, I played a radio host to a show, and myself and Mike Hill. So we had some lines, but, you know, it's like, try to act natural. I'm like, really? I mean, I mean, okay, I could do it,

but it's like, you cut, do it again, do it. let me get this angle. I'm just like, geez, we're only reading like three or four lines. I mean, taking all day. Your show was like you had to buy like some hot sauce or something. Yeah. Some hot sauce. I had a scene and it took all day and it was one line.

I'm like, forget the acting. Who has the patience for this nonsense? Who can do it? You've been on a movie set before. It takes forever to shoot one line. It is a tremendous undertaking. Oh, got a lot. Sosting.

All right, NBA's, I actually like what Adam Silver said. He goes, listen, I can't. enforced tampering. So these rules are stupid. I kind of buy that. It is because I was listening to you earlier and I was listening to a lot of different talk shows. Like how do you enforce friends talking? I mean, this has been going on for years in regards to teams doing it during the season. You know, general managers may call each other up and say, hey, listen, I know these

contract situation of these teams. You know, if you're interested in moving this guy, let's have a conversation. They may check back in. They do it all the time. So tampering within organizations, but also now more players are like, hey, bro, what you think about next year? By the way, I'm not blaming any company or any league. But let's just take the NBA and its current broadcasters, TNT and ESPN. Right. There are dates, windows, when networks like Fox can bid on the NBA.

Do you know what those guys do, the NBA and those companies do before the window opens? They have lunch to see if you want to extend the contract with those networks. Exactly. So they're tampering. You're supposed to have a window so everybody can bid on the Super Bowl and the World Cup. And I say, hey, company's been doing this for years. They want to get it all done as the window opens so another company doesn't grab the right. So anyway, that's kind of confusing for the audience.

But I don't buy tampering. Now, I will say, Joy and I disagree. I think NBA players have more mobility than anybody. They don't get cut. They don't get locked into long contracts. I do think there's a certain integrity that if Paul George chooses Westbrook, bro, not just for you, but for Westbrook, the GM, the city, we thought it was a bad move.

You figured out it was a bad move. You got to own it for a couple more years. I'm not a big fan of breaking contracts. I agree with you on that because I was raised to that you make, when you make the commitment, you go through it. I remember my son was having some issues at Wisconsin and he wanted to transfer. I was like, what do you mean?

I said, you want to transfer because it's not working the way you want it? You knew the situation when you went in there, figure out a way to deal with it. I think some circumstances, it is warranted if some things internally are not working. But in Paul George's case, he had an opportunity to leave and he chose to stay. He knew probably deep down inside he probably wasn't as happy, but he chose to stay. What prompted him to leave all of a sudden now and break the contract? I'll never know unless he comes out and says it.

But it had to be something there. And I agree with you from this aspect that breaking the contract is. tough. It's tough for me as a player. I try to look at the player side of it, and I try to look at management side, because at one point is it a tilting point towards the negative where it hurts the league? Too many guys are doing it. You know

what I mean? So I'm still trying to figure this whole thing out what makes sense for the league, what makes sense for a player, and what makes sense for ownership. Well, if you look at the Kauai situation, it's classic tampering and contract breaking. Oh, big time. I mean, essentially, Kauai got on the phone and tamper. Well, here's

the thing, though. They talk about tampering being more so during the season as well. All season. Now, Paul George is not a free agent. So that is considered tampering because he's under contract. That's right. You know what I mean? But players have gotten smart because over the years, like when I played,

it was all kind of stuff going on behind the scenes. Right, right. And players had no control. But it was never addressed because the owners ran the league. It wasn't an issue when owners did it. It wasn't an issue when agents were able to talk about this and get things done. The players are always. at the whim of somebody else.

Now it's become more of an issue because players got control. And owners don't like that. Right. That's, let's address that part of it. It's now players are able to dictate the terms in which they want to operate. Whereas before, that never was the case. Yeah, I mean, that's why I've always been for, I'm for player movement. I am also for, you got short contracts, one-off deals, honor the contract.

But, you know, listen, it's some of these. these deals, when you were in the league, like when Westbrook and Paul George signed, I just, I knew innately, I'm like, that's not going to last forever. He's going to drive Paul George nuts. Was there ever a deal in the NBA, a trade or a player was a free agent in your day and you knew it would not work? And it, I mean, because it's not like there wasn't any free agent in your day. It didn't happen as much. It didn't happen as much. You know, and also, too, I think you'd be careful, too, as a free

agent, too, depending on your situation on where you're at. The grass is not always greener. You know, I remember when Houston traded Steve Francis and Catino Mobile to Orlando. I didn't think it was going to work. I thought Steve was so ingrained into Houston and who he was that I don't think he ever made that transition

over that he wasn't Stevie franchising anymore. That's right. You see what I'm saying? And then he ended up going to New York and it just kind of went downhill. So I'll tell you what, I thought that helped. When Tracy McGrady left Toronto, he needed to be able to grow. Okay?

And Orlando allowed him to prosper and grow his game. So sometimes it works. Sometimes it does it when a free agent chooses to leave somewhere. You think is better on the other side. But look at Dwight Howard. Dwight Howard wanted to get out of Orlando. And nobody loved him like that.

By the way, Ken Griffey left Seattle. Nobody loved Ken Griffey more than Seattle. They always say the team in baseball that drafts you, they know the odometer, they dealt with your crap, they have nurtured you, they put all that time in. You can make more money in Cincinnati, but you were Seattle. Yeah, and again, I'll go back to the play. Sometimes change is needed in some situation.

But if it's a situation where you're forcing out because internally you're probably not happy, okay? It may be have nothing to do with the city or the team. Internally something's bothering you and you think over there is better. Like, again, Dwight Howard, I need to get out of Orlando. Well, you had everything, okay? You went to the Lakers, Houston and Washington now. You get waived.

I mean, so you got to be careful a lot of times as the players to kind of sit back at times and say, okay, let me weigh what's really important. You know what's really interesting? Adam Silver came out this year, and he addressed something, and he said, a lot of my players are unhappy. Yeah. And this is something I go back. I talk to my wife about this all the time. Choices equal anxiety. Depression is up in America significantly, and the economy's never been better.

Health care has never been better. travel's never been easier, the economy. But why is depression up? Because we have more choices, and choices create anxiety. You don't hear that baseball players are unhappy, or NFL players are unhappy. Basketball players have more choices, and it creates stress. You're sitting going home every night thinking, I don't like my coach, but I like the city, I don't like. And I think, Kawhi Leonard, I think it was really hard.

What was hard for him because of his original attempt to kind of get to L.A. at the beginning. and then he had to settle and make due of what it was in Toronto. Okay. But if you circle back to your point, we always talk about the money issue in the NBA and the money solves all problems. Your point right there about depression and guys not being happy. Let me tell you something.

You're making millions of dollars. Even for the average play, you make it $8, $9, $10 million. You travel on the best planes. You eat the best food. You stay in the best hotels. So all of that can't solve an issue you have internally when you're not happy or you have to deal with this. We always talk about the money solves. No, here's a prime example.

It's no better time to be an NBA player. But it's no worse time to be an NBA player from a mental perspective because things right now with guys are very unhappy in their situation. Yeah, social media, the talk. Everything. And also the NBA is getting younger and the younger generation is more into devices. So guys come into the NBA at 18 years old. well, God, my son's 13 years old, my daughter's 19, they're on the devices. So you have this culture of basketball.

Nobody, no sport has younger players than the NBA and younger people like electronics. You go on, I'm going to tell you that, man, you go on electronics. And if you're not ready mentally, people just eat you alive. Listen, and here's the thing, too. I remember if you talk to a basketball player who played for a long time, the thing you miss when you retire for us was the games were one thing, the competition was one thing. was a camaraderie. It's the things we did on the plane, on the bus, at practice, after practice, go out to eat.

As I started leaving, you know, my career, but I started to see this trend where now it was like this all the time on the phone. Really no conversation on the bus or really guys hanging like that. So you miss all of that because of this technology. Now you just look now, just look around when you travel. Everybody's like this. No communication. It used to be poker games on the plane. poker, you play car. I'm not saying that they don't do it, but it's still this with the younger

generation, again, things change and I get it. But losing that connection, that communication, you know, that interaction causes a lot of this stuff too because you don't have the camaraderie you used to have. And when things go on in your life, you're not as comfortable talking to somebody about it. This is really a good point. You know, because you don't talk anyway. This is what you do. You send a text. So emotionally, you're not tapped into. a lot of your teammates as they once were because of, you know, social media. You should go in acting. You know what your first role should be?

What it should be? Therapist Jim Jackson. Hey, I can be pretty good. I dealt with a lot of stuff. I can tell you. If not too many issues I ever dealt with in basketball. Jim Jackson, good seeing you by Joy with the News. No, no, no, no.

Turn on the news. This is the herd line news. Speaking of being on the phones and texting, Danny Green was the first free agent signing the last. Lakers made after Kauai went to the Clippers, and he's also the third highest paid on the team behind LeBron and AD after signing his two-year $30 million deal. And on his Inside the Green Room podcast, he spoke about the efforts of Kyle Kuzma and LeBron in getting him up to speed.

Coos has been taking actually kind of a leadership role for a young guy and putting us together. You know, you put a little group chat together and make sure everybody knows whose numbers is who. Okay. You know, I'm reaching out and letting him know where we can be at in the summer. Brown letting us know when this is happening when that's happening. but no brown was he was really good with the process man he was a much bigger signing than people think well he's a shooter and that's what they needed and he's a champion and a vet and he's a very big piece

for them i just like that kuzma is i like that lebron as we saw a little bit of this with him and zo before zoh was sent to the pelicans but now he's kind of taken kuzma it seems like under his wing and is kind of bringing him up which is which is important for the lakers because because they're in win now mode. So what are they going to do three or four years from now when this particular group of players is maybe no longer here?

What is that young core going to look like? Do you know what I was told by a person inside the Laker organization? The reason many people liked Kuzma over Ingram was not the game. They felt that because Kuzma had spent more time in college, he kind of came into the league as a leader. And they really felt they liked Ingram,

but they didn't sense he was great in the room, not bad, but from the very beginning they felt like Josh Harton Kuzma, who spent more time in college, were more adult, more comfortable going to 28-year-old players. This is exactly what the Lakers liked about Kuzma behind the scenes. They thought he was a galvanizer, could confront issues, could talk to players, and he's doing it. I mean, communication is a big part. We were just talking about that. This is what the Lakers really need because LeBron is in this position where he's got a first-year coach

there could be some situations there. Everybody kind of has to really buy into their role and own it. And they have a bunch of pieces that haven't been together and played together in big important pieces. He and AD haven't played together. So the chemistry and communication is going to be really important. So having the youngest guys on the team buying into that all the way up is going to be crucial for them. So, Colin, we know how you feel about lists. We love disgusting lists.

I love lists. Well, this one I think you might have. some opinions on this. NFL.com named their top 10 NFL teams of the decade. Now, an argument can be made that the 2013 Seahawks are worthy of the top spot. But the rest of the list is pretty debatable. Yeah, wait, time out. How can you be best? Carolina's number two, they lost the Super Bowl. The Denver Broncos got crushed in the Super Bowl that one year. The Packers, by the way, went 15 and 1 in 2011, but they lost in the playoffs too. Jacksonville. Come on. These teams couldn't

win the Super Bowl. They couldn't win playoff games. I agree. I don't think you should be on this list if you didn't win the Super Bowl. Thank you. The Patriots are only on here once. They've won three Super Bowls this decade, so they most certainly should be on the list three times, in my opinion. And I don't even know if that team that beat the Falcons was the best of those three teams. I don't think so either. I actually think the Denver team in 2013, that's when Peyton Manning had 55 touchdowns.

They had a great defense. But they went to the Super Bowl and laid a complete egg. So you can't be a great team for the decade. when in the biggest game, you stink. I mean, it's no disrespect any of these teams. They were all great teams, but if you don't win, I mean, even if you lose in the Super Bowl, like the Chiefs this year were an incredible team,

but they didn't make the Super Bowl. So you can be on this list not even making the Super Bowl. The 2011 Packers lost in the divisional rounds. You know, the Panthers were funny because they didn't start the year great, and then they got red hot for about two and a half months, and then it was a stinker later in the year. They were one of those.

teams that peaked in like week 13. I think the C-Ox are, and I don't say that because I'm from the Pacific Northwest, that was a great team. It was a great all-around team. I don't know. You may have to examine this a little more closely. I think we all agree Jacksonville should not be on there, not just because we're biased against Jacksonville. But I don't understand how you can't have all three of the Patriots championships on here. I mean, I'm a Dolphins fan. I just, I don't, I think you can't be on here if you didn't win a Super Bowl. Like, it should just be a discussion of which Super Bowl winning teams were the best ones. Or at least just you have to make the Super

Bowl to be in this discussion. But yeah, so people are debating that one right now. So finally, good news for Niners fans. After suffering a torn ACL last year, Jimmy Garoppolo is ready to roll for training camp in the 2019 season. He told pro football talk, I'm good to go.

Finally, the rehab process has gone really well. Knock on wood, we haven't had any setbacks. OTAs went about as well as I could have hoped for. And now for training camp, hopefully will be full go with Team Jills and all that stuff. We've just got to keep going day by day and keep stacking them together. It's a long process, but we've come this far, so why stop right now?

Love their offense. Do not like the back end of their defense at all. And the other thing is Seattle's good in that division, and Rams are good in that. That division's tough. Well, it's kind of a prove-a-year, at least to me for Jimmy G. He did sign a five-year, $137 million deal February of last year, but he's only played in three games before tearing his ACL, and he's only had 10 career starts. But he did spend the summer working with Tom House, who's the quarterback guru,

and he said he's feeling good coming off his ACL. To me, that injury is such a common injury in football. It's not, it doesn't scare me necessarily because I don't think of him as like a mobile quarterback anyway. It's just kind of one of those things you have to get comfortable with again. But it's just a, a prove-a-year to me for Jimmy G. What bothers me is he got hurt last year not getting hit, and he got hurt in New England just rolling. out on a light hit. That feels

Bradford Day. Yeah, I mean, one more and it's we're there. We have a problem. Yeah. Joy with the news. Well, that's the news. And thanks for stopping by. The Hurd Live News. So he was going to be a top two, three pick in next year's NBA draft. He could have gone anywhere in college.

And RJ Hampton said, I'm going to go and play in New Zealand. Bit of a basketball pioneer. I want to talk to him. Interesting story. Guddy move. That's coming up. Car shopping can be confusing. There's a lot terms, there's dealer price, there's list price, there's invoice. True car shows you what other people paid for the car you want new or used. Have a more confident car buying experience.

Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays in noon Eastern 9 a.m. Pacific. I want to introduce you to R.J. Hampton, 6.5, 185 pound. He was the Texas High School basketball Gatorade player of the year. The number two score in the nation at Point Guard could have gone anywhere, including Kansas and Memphis. I want to bring him on the show because he He's going to be a very interesting case study. RJ Hampton said, I'm not going to college. I'm not going to the G League. I'm going to go play with guys in New Zealand for the New Zealand breakers.

First of all, it's an absolute pleasure to meet you. No, it's a pleasure to meet you. Thank you for having me. Let's start with this. Why the decision? Let's start with that. Why? I just thought it was the best decision for me.

Me and my family, we kind of talked it over, and I've never really dreamed about just being a college basketball player. I've always dreamed about being an NBA player. So I felt like going to New Zealand and playing overseas out of high school would prepare me best to go to the NBA. Zion made a name for himself in college. I think going to Duke helped him. The shoe explosion probably got him a huge shoe deal. Is there any part of you that thinks, man, I go to Kansas for a couple years, I'm in the final four.

Is there any regret at all? There's no regret. I mean, Kansas is a great program and all the programs that recruit me are great programs. But at the end of the day, I felt like the NBA was my main goal. And to play at the NBA at the highest level possible, I felt like the path for me was going to be overseas and playing against growing in every day and getting better. By the way, you have a beautiful shot.

You're a good ball handler and you're long. So this is good, oh boy, you're going to be a good player. You're long and you've got a beautiful looking jumper. Now, are you concerned at all out of sight, RJ, out of mind? New Zealand's way over there. Yeah. I'm not really concerned because I think in like the last month, month, we've gotten lamella ball, we've gotten Terry Armstrong. So obviously there's some

attractiveness with us three players going over there. And I know NBA scouts and teams, and especially how the way social media is growing, people are going to be checking in on us in the MBL while I'm in New Zealand. They're in Australia, but same league. But I feel like I'm not worried about outside of mine. I feel like it'll be good. College players are 1819. Give us a little breakdown on the quality of New Zealand. Now, these are obviously guys are older, right? It's like G League. You're dealing with men. Yes. And is the quality of play pretty good, do you think?

I think the quality of play is really good. Honestly, I feel like I'm going to go over there. I'm going to be on a team where everyone's going to want to succeed and going to want to win. So I know my teammate Corey Webster, I watched some film of him. He's scoring – I watched him against Phoenix Suns last year. When the Breakers came and played the Phoenix Suns, he's scoring 25 points. I feel like the competition is really good. I feel like it's better than most people think it is.

Well, clearly a professional team – a Canadian football. League team would beat a college football team. A New Zealand team would be to college basketball team. They would. I mean, very few exceptions. You know, when you, it got a lot of pushback. I like it, because I think you're a little bit of a pioneer, and I think anybody that does something differently gets heat initially.

And I think if you work, everybody will do what you do. I think it's a very, I like my basketball players to have options. Were you surprised at the attention, all of it, the good, the bat, it was, I mean, you're on this show. It's talked about. You're surprised by that. Yeah, I'm really surprised by it. I think it was going to blow up this big. I think it was just kind of be like he's just going overseas.

We'll see him in a year. But I feel like I kind of sparked the conversation and sparked a couple of people's thought processes of getting to the NBA and getting to the next level. And I'm really glad I did that because I've had a lot of people reach out to me and like, hey, how did you do this? How'd you do that? Or there's been people that say that's a bad decision.

But at the end of the day, I think it's what I wanted to do. And no one else has to do it. It's what I wanted to do. I just sent my daughter to South Africa for Leadership Council. And the reason I did it, I thought she was sure enough to handle it. My initial impressions of your father and your mother and you, you all make eye contact, your good communicators. I would feel comfortable. I felt comfortable letting my daughter at 18 go overseas. I would feel comfortable in my brief meeting with you. You feel like,

to me, your parents have got a good job of, you had real discussions. You're not, you're not, you look like you'd be okay going to another country. No, for sure. I feel like what really prepared me for going another country. I played U-16, U-17, national team. So we went to Argentina. We went to Formosa and Buenos Aires. And Formosa wasn't the best city, but I hear Auckland, New Zealand is probably like, I mean, kind of like L.A.

It's just super nice. So, I mean, I'm not really scared to go overseas. My whole family's going with me. My mom, my dad, and my little brother. Oh, that's great. So I'll have that support system too long there. Oh, that's fantastic. Now, by the way, when you had to tell the college coaches who are really competitive, hey,

love you, but I'm going to New Zealand. Did anybody try to talk you out of it? I feel like there was some college, I'm not going to say any names, but there were some college coaches. I bet. There's some college coaches leading up to the decision, they kind of got word that that's what I was going to do and kind of try to text me out of it, talking me out of it. But I mean, I was just dead set on what I wanted to do.

What have other players said? Your peers? Yeah, my peers, everyone, it was tremendous feedback. All my peers were just saying like, be you, be you. yourself. They know, like my peers know I'm like myself and they know that I'm going to do it my way and that's the way I wanted to do it. So, I mean, I don't know if they'll do the same route as me. I mean, I hope they do. They'd be great. But I think they liked it a lot. So do you remember the moment and the day mom, dad, and you were sitting down and maybe your little brother. Do you remember the

moment that you just looked at mom and dad and said, I'm going to go to New Zealand? Where were you? What was the game changer? The moment, a car ride. You're in the living room. When did it happen? Usually a lot of our talks, like, I'll be, like, walking up the stairs and I'll say something and they'll be like, stop. And, like, they'll talk about it and I'll be sitting on the stairs while they're in the living room. The living room, I've been next to the stairs. And I remember us talking and we were just going over, like, the pros and the cons about the New Zealand and the NCAA. And I was sitting there for like an hour just on the stairs. Oh, you had to talk to your parents for an hour.

Brutal! I was sitting there on the stairs for like an hour. And then that's when I, that's when I finally was just like, yeah, I think we'll go to New Zealand. You got to get in your IG. Help me. Mom, dad won't stop talking. Get me out of here. So you sat there for an hour and it was it emotional.

What was it like? Was it like, would they talking into it or out of it or what? They were just asking me what. They were just giving me the pros and the cons and telling me, and now you decide, tell me what you want to do. And that's what I liked about that. They weren't pressured me into doing anything. I love that.

That's good parenting, by the way. I always felt like my daughter wanted to go to a college. Maybe I wouldn't have picked it, but I didn't want my daughter to resent me. I'm like, I'll give you all the information. It's your life now at 18 years old. Yeah. Now, are there, now, you're going to go from high school basketball, and you played very good AAU basketball. Now you're going up against men, and they're going to look at you and go, oh, that little skinny guy over here, a little American guy, a little high school guy.

Do you worry that you're going to become over there and you're going to be the prize recruiting a little bit of a target? I mean, not necessarily, because I've always been the target in anything I've, any basketball I've played. But what I've really been doing like this summer, I've been working with the French national guys and the guys in the Euro A league, they all come down. the Dallas and they trained and they do pro run. So I've been playing with them just to get used to the physicality and all that kind of stuff. You ever see Alan Houston play? Hey, Dad, do you ever see Alan Houston play for the Knicks? You got a little Alan Houston in your game.

He was good, by the way. Alan Houston's good. You know Alan Houston's good. You got a little Allen Houston in your game. Is there a player? I mean, everybody mimics somebody, right? Is there a player or two that you have that crossover, that pause move? Like, what guys do you kind of follow?

I mean, I kind of just take bits and pieces from everybody's game, but probably like Steph Curry, but not the shooting stuff, not three-point shooting, Steph Curry, the way he moves without the ball, the way he's great at that, by the way. The way he moves without the ball, the way he sets up other teammates just because he is who he is. I like the way he does that. And then who I really just started to try to just like watch all the time is Paul George, because he's a two-way player. You like to play defense?

Yeah, you got to play defense. I hate a defense. so hard. I just like shooting. You know what, RJ, this kind of story is fun for me because it is, I think it takes a lot of guts. Yeah. Like when you made that decision on the stairs with mom and dad,

no, you've never looked back. You've never woken up and died. Man, I was at Texas Tech wanting me and Memphis came. You never had you never look back. No, never. Not one time. No one time. Have you been to New Zealand yet?

I haven't. It's supposed to be amazing over there. It looks beautiful. It looks unbelievable. Really, really, really, really. really far. It is. It is really far. Yeah. So like, you know, when you go over there, you're going to have a couple meals on the flight. And this is a big time for you. Now, so you're all going over there together. We're all going to there together. And how long is the

season last? So I'll get over there probably like August 15th, someone in the middle of August. And the season starts, we play the Oklahoma City Thunder. We play the Memphis Grizzlies. Oh, Lord. October, like, 7th and the 10th here in the States. And then our actual NBL season starts. I think October 18th, and the last regular season game is February 14th. So it's not a very long season. So your first games were against NBA teams? Yeah, my first game is against the thunder, I want to say.

Just hopefully Westbrook's out of town. Wouldn't that be the worst guy? Hey, you've got to guard Russell tonight. That'd be a tough. That'd be a tough. First game. RJ, very best of luck to you. I appreciate it.

You've got a great head in your shoulders. You have an incredibly formidable family here. And I love stuff like this. You're a pioneer. Go for it. Kick. But we'll have you back as soon as we've. possibly can. Yes, sir. Thank you. All right. RJ Hampton, the New Zealand breakers. Great story. SFI. SFI. Next, the herd. Last night, a blown call changed a game. This morning, the internet lost

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