The Herd with Colin Cowherd - NBA, NCAAF, Dana White, Big Ben, Scott Boras

Episode Date: May 6, 2020

Colin discusses how the NBA has changed for the better, why college football will return soon, why Dana White is great for sports, Ben Roethlisberger not being in shape, and his thoughts on Scott Boras' comments. Guests include Nick Wright, Urban Meyer, Tom Tolbert, and Bucky Brooks. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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

breaking down the biggest moments in sports and giving you the real story behind the headline. And we're going straight to the source, the athletes themselves, their locker room stories, their reactions in the moment, and the stuff nobody gets to hear. Listen to Sports Slice on the Iheart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more, follow Timbo Sliced Life 12 in the TikTok podcast network on TikTok.

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

Listen to humor me with Robert Smigel and Friends on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. 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, Ms. Parker.

Listen to the Clifford 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.

Listening to Fox Sports Radio. Oh, here we go. In a Wednesday, we're live in Los Angeles. This is the hurt. Wherever you may be and however you may be listening, we're on IHeart Radio, Fox Sports Radio, and FS1. Urban Meyer today. Tom Tolbert, Nick Wright,

stopping by today. Bucky Brooks stopping by today. All sorts interesting stuff. Somebody who's been very critical of me called me names and stuff. Use swear words. I will support in 15 minutes. Joy Taylor's joining me. She hopefully doesn't use swear words to describe me.

How are you, Joy? Who is talking about you, Colin? Well, that's a called a tease in the business. Very good tease. I'll see how that goes. I saw you had some tequila last night. I had one, Margarita. I'm not a big tequila.

Kila fan, Cinco de Mayo celebration. And I had one, one and a half margaritas and some unbelievable chicken burritos, which were great. Very nice. And we had music going on all day. And then we watched the UFO special at night. It was great. Sounds like a good day. It was.

Let me start with this. Just because we're dealing with a pandemic does not mean states will not compete. They'll compete. We had states competing for masks. and ventilators, they're going to compete for sports. UFC is going to fight. They don't care what you think in California. They went to Florida.

So Notre Dame's athletic director yesterday, he's got a lot of power. And he said, you know what? I'm not sure what's going to happen. But some conferences may go, some may not. Some teams within conferences may not. Some may go. But we're probably going to have a season. I can't say enough about the extent to which they're working closely together, spending time together, communicating with each other.

And I think that's the most important thing. It gives us a chance to come up with an overarching policy and an ability to start together. Having said that, I think we all recognize that there is a significant chance that that may not be possible. That either because states or individual colleges and universities take different approaches, you can't produce a season where all members are participating in Division I football in the same way. Yes. The SEC, and I've stayed away from predictions, the SEC is going to have a college football season.

Period. That's my one prediction. Joy has been here. I've said, only thing I know about this thing, social distancing does appear to work. I don't know anything else, but I'm going to make, and I've stayed away from guessing if leagues are going to start or not.

I think it's ridiculous when you've got people predicting, in May the first week what's going to happen in the third week in September. As I said before, you watch a local weather forecast. If they go past four or five days, the accuracy falls off the table. They have radar. How do I know what's going to happen in September? Do we get medicines? Do we get a vaccine?

They're fast-tracked. I don't know. I don't even think epidemiologists agree on half of this stuff from what I read. But I'll make one prediction. The SEC, it matters more in the South. That's their slogan. They're going to have a season. I don't know about the PAC 12,

but why should the SEC have to wait for the PAC 12? Even within conferences like the Big 10, Rutgers in New Jersey, they've been hit hard by the virus. Nebraska, not so much. Nebraska's like, we're all in. It's a recruiting advantage. I know, it's unseemly, right?

Competition, but we competed for business post-9-11, and you're going to compete during the virus. for business. States will compete. Florida's opened up. Let's go. Southern governors, mostly conservative. Let's go. California, PAC 12, I don't even think he'd get much pushback. I think southern states will pull away from the rest of the country in college football like they haven't already. They'll tell recruits, we play. We're going to play. And so, and, am I comfortable with it? Listen, I can watch New York and be horrified by. it, but I also live in a coastal city in California.

36,000 people, we've had one death. I don't know anybody that has it. I don't know anybody that knows anybody that's had it. So our life is different right now from the difficulty and the situation in other parts of the country. Not everybody's living through this thing similarly. Utah and Wyoming are different than New York and New Jersey and Michigan. So, but when I hear this about college football, and my takeaway on all this is it's going to be uneven.

130 college football programs. Some are big state schools, some are private academies, some are small schools, some love football, some like Duke or basketball schools. 130 programs, I think 80 potentially could play. 80. That's it. 80. And I'll watch every single game that's on TV. So during the virus, a, not everybody is suffering through it the same kind of intensity.

They're just not. And the second thing is, states compete. God, they were competing for ventilators. And as gross and uncomfortable as that is, they're going to compete for football. You know it and I know it. They're going to compete on this stuff. And I'll get to the UFC more after the break. Let me segue to the last dance.

So I was rewatching something yesterday. And I've said, I like Michael Jordan more now than ever. him more during the last dance. I think he's a man's man. He doesn't back down from anything. What he said he meant. He's very true to his word. He doesn't worry about social media preening or posturing or positioning or validation. I like it. Everybody else is worried about that? He's not. And Michael Jordan is one of the five best basketball players I've ever seen play. In order, Michael Jordan, LeBron James, Magic Johnson, Kobe Bryant, and Larry Bird are the best basketball players I've ever seen. I do not count centers. Why would I count the least skilled position on the

floor? It's not about titles. I don't rank these guys based on titles. I'm just telling you what my eyes have seen. Michael's the best player. LeBron's are very close second, Magic a close third, Kobe 4th, and Larry Bird 5th. Centers generally aren't great ball handlers. They're not great shooters. They're not great passers, although Arvito Sabonis and Bill Walton were. And I am totally comfortable saying that basketball has moved away from centers, and I like it. Thankfully, it's moved away from centers. One of the things I like about the last dance, the least interesting people are centers. Basketball and no sport should be controlled.

Rules should not help the least skilled people. Should football be dominated by offensive linemen? Should baseball be dominated by a DH? should hockey be dominated by defensemen and fighters? No. I think one of the smartest things the NFL ever did was go back and erase the no-catch rule because the most skilled football players in America often are wide receivers. And the NFL said, you know what?

We want to make rules so wide receivers can score more touchdowns. And I think it was brilliant and I think the game is much more enjoyable. The NBA did the same thing. Our most skilled people are ball handlers and shooters. Let's take out the hand check. They took out the hand check 16 years ago. Eight of the last 16 years, guards have won the MVP. In that stretch, zero centers have won the MVP.

Dirk Novitsky's not a center. Stop it. Kevin Durant lies about his height. He says he's shorter than he is. He doesn't want to be seen as a center. So I think leagues are really smart when they craft rules to elevate the most skilled, and they craft rules to punish the least skilled. I think the NFL's done a brilliant job, and the NBA has never been faster.

There's never been more great shooters. There's never been more great ball handlers. There's never been more great passers. I love getting rid of the hand check. I didn't like the New York Knicks and their mythology where three of the five guys couldn't shoot a jumper from here to the window. That's not good basketball. One of the reasons I like the NBA and the NFL going forward. They figured it out.

Create rules to elevate your most skilled athletes. In my life, a center's never been the best passer in the league, has never been the best shooter in the league, has never been the best ball handler in the league. And my five favorite players and last dance has cemented this, all non-centers. I'm not saying you shouldn't be a lot. able to use a genetic gift if you're seven foot two. I'm not saying it. But the new NBA,

the messaging is, hey, big fella, you better learn to shoot or you'll be coming off the bench and use sparingly. All right, good stuff. A guy who yelled at me and said really rough things about me. It's very, very difficult. I'm going to defend, and I'll tell you why he is so important in sports. That's coming up. Plus Nick Wright this hour, Urban Meyer, Bucky Brooks, Tom Tolbert,

all on deck. Urban Meyer next hour. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays in noon Eastern, 9 a.m. Pacific on Fox Sports Radio, FS1 and the IHeard Radio app. Last night, a blown call changed a game.

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

We go straight to the source, the athlete themselves. Their locker room stories, their reactions, the stuff nobody gets to hear. The laughs, the drama, the triumphs, the moments that never make the highlight real. From viral moments to historic games, from buzzer beaters to controversial calls, we break it down, give you context and ask the questions everybody wants answered. Sports slice brings you closer to the action with stories told by the people who live there. them listen to Sports Slice on the iHeart radio app apple podcast or wherever you get your podcast and for more follow timbo slice of life 12 and the ticot podcast network on ticot welcome to my new

podcast learn the hard way with me your host and your favorite therapist care 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 or are you a good person because you're afraid? Because that's two different

intentions, bro. Absolutely. And that's two different levels of trust. I want you to just really be a good person. Join me, Kear Gaines, as we have real conversations about healing, growth, fatherhood, pressure,

and purpose on my new podcast, learn the hard way. Open your free 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 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,

Hey, ref, my mom wants you to wave at her. What? 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. What's up, fam?

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

Without Luca and Austin Reeves, I got to manipulate the game. We get a player's perspective on the challenges of the playoffs. I think Joker's going to be exhausted this series because when they don't have Rudy in the lineup, he has to really guard guys like Nas Reid. He has to guard Julius Randall. And then he has to give us everything he gives us on the night-to-night basis on offense. And when IT's friends stop by, like Quentin Richardson, we dive into some playoff history too.

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

So listen to Point Game on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Whether you're working from home or working on your fitness, you want to hear your music, not your roommates, and Raycon's wireless earbuds are the way to go. 15% off your Raycon order by Raycon.com slash heard. So the UFC is going to fight this weekend. And Dana White and I have had our disagreements through the years.

A couple years ago, I had some comments on him, and he fired back and swore and stuff. But I made a point to go back to a couple of UFC fights in person. And I walked up to him and said, listen, man, you know, you and I can disagree, but sports needs you. And one of the reasons I just saw Dana White at a boxing match in Vegas. He stopped by our table. and Dana and I don't always agree, but I respect a hell out of him, and he's a maverick.

And mavericks push back, and mavericks don't worry about Twitter, and mavericks are strong, and they're alphas, and we need them. And the UFC is going to host a fight this week. I've always thought the UFC-Disney marriage is very interesting, because Disney is very corporate, very concerned about his image. Its stock price has tumbled, and they're very much a family brand, and the Lion King. And I always thought Fox and UFC were a really good fit, because Fox is the Simpsons, family guy, a little Deadpool.

You know, we're a little edgier at Fox, and I think UFC is a real classic Maverick brand. That's why I think the WWE works on Fox because the WWE and Vince McMahon, they don't care what you think, and they're coming back, and UFC doesn't care what you think. They're coming back. People often ask me, what do you think of Barstool Sports? And I'm like, well, thank God for them. I don't have to agree with all their content, but A, they do a lot of good content. and be their Mavericks.

They push back. And this is why I think the NFL flourishes. Adam Silver's got a tiptoe around everything and the baseball's got a tiptoe around their unions. And the NFL's like, hey, we're going to survive the blowback from Twitter. We're going to hold free agency, home run. We're going to deal with a blowback on Twitter about the draft. Home run.

If you can deal with the initial blowback from social media and most corporations don't want to do that. Big corporations, they've got a lot to lose and they get very timid about this stuff. And I think there's a big space in America for WWE. NASCAR has always had a little rebel to it. The NFL is unique. It's big and corporate and has a little rebel to it. Not a ton, but enough to withstand the blowback on the draft.

And so these kind of people, people that challenge the status quo are important. That's where you get innovation from. Leaders, not followers, from people willing to push the envelope and roll the dice. And so I disagree a lot with Dana White on things through the years, but I respect the hell out of him. And he said, California, all right. I mean, there's a story out today. He's like, all right, we understand Disney. You had a bad week.

We're going back and doing this thing. And I thank God that we have these mavericks in sports. thank God all of our governors don't act the same way. You know, to me, whether it's federalism, I like the opportunity to states to do their own thing and sports to do their own thing. And, you know, there used to be newspapers, TV, that was it. Now you've got this massive tyranny of the mob social media component

and it scares corporations and everybody's petrified to get ripped and you need strong people like Dana White and Vince McMahon to say, hell with you. We'll just move it where we can do it. We're going on with this thing. So I'll watch the fight this weekend. Justin Gage, he's a very good fighter. He's on the car this weekend, and he talked about fighting during this virus. He's going to bring a sense of normalcy to people, and I'm proud to be a part of it. You know, the opportunity to inspire. People need to be inspired right now. They need to not let themselves, you know, become depressed, emotional, because they can't control what's going on right now. You have to, we've got to ride it through,

They need to be inspired in a way, and we can do that. We have the opportunity. Yeah, they're going for it. And I like living in a place where not everybody has to act the same and think the same, even during an ugly crisis. UFC, tip of the cap is I do think there are sports like golf, like tennis, like boxing, like UFC, like NASCAR, where you have one component or two combatants fighting, no fans. One referee, they wear a mask. Let's not pretend basketball where you share a basketball and UFC are the same thing. They're not.

Joy with the news. No, no, no, no, no. Turn on the news. This is the herd line news. Well, the Jets have a big opportunity to take a step up in the AFC East this season without Tom Brady in their way. But that does not mean that Sam Darnold is overlooking the New England Patriots. With a great player like Tom Brady, you know, obviously leaving it's a big deal.

It's headlines. You know, for us, every single game in the NFL is a tough one. And I think any player can attest to that. So we're not going to take anyone more lightly just because, you know, even though, you know, one of the greatest players, if not the greatest player of all time, left the organization. We're not going to take them any more lightly. Well, they lost the Jets or lost to the Patriots twice last year.

Luke Falk was the quarterback for one of those losses. and then Sam Darnold lost 33-0 and through four interceptions. So that might be why he has a little bit of lingering anxiety about how bad the Patriots are going to be just because Tom Brady isn't there. But again, I'm very interested to see what happens with the AFC East this year. And you and I think are both on the same page. We don't have a lot of faith that the Patriots are going to be at top of the AFC East, although everyone keeps saying and insisting that they are.

All I could hear about last year was how Brady had no weapons and they let go of all these players, and Brady couldn't get it done, but I'm supposed to believe that just because Bill Belichick is still there, that Jared Sidham is supposed to do what Tom Brady couldn't do. I don't get it. But the future of the AFC East is interesting for the first time in a very long time. We've always known who was going to come out of the AFC East for the last 20 years,

19, the one year that Tom Brady was injured. So Odo Beckham Jr. is looking to bounce back from a disappointing first year with the Browns. He was dealing with some injuries during, last season and he revealed just how bad it got. He said my third week of training camp, I tear a little piece of my ab. So before the season, I kind of had the hernia thing going on, sports

hernia is what they call it. I really didn't try and say anything about it. Probably one of the worst surgeries I've ever had. Recovery's going well. Guess I'm really just trying to put my body back together. Yeah, he's been dinged up more than once in his career. I mean, like his health is now a little bit of the narrative of him is,

can he be healthy? Well, in 2014, he missed the first four games with a hamstring injury. 2017, he had the ankle fracture. He only played four games. 2018, he had a quad injury, missed four games. He said most of last year he was injured. His last full season was 2016 when he had 101 receptions in 1,367, receiving yards and 10 touchdown.

So, yes, a healthy Odell would be a revelation. But even if he is 100% healthy, as we've talked about extensively, they have a lot of weapons. So even if he is 100% healthy, is he going to get the ball enough to get the production that he wants regardless? Obviously, he's going to feel better. Sports hernia is an awful experience.

I can't speak for myself, but I've heard much about it, and it's not a pleasant experience, certainly when you're out there trying to play through it. So I commend him for that, obviously, you're going to have to play through injuries, and that's a rough one to play through. But even if he is 100% healthy,

there's a lot of people that need to get the ball this year in Cleveland. Finally, there was some talk about the dolphins considering, not considering, but there was talk that they should consider on retiring Dan Marino's number 13 to give the Tua Tua Tonga Vailoa. It retired it in 2003. But the dolphins announced the numbers for their newest players, and Tua will wear number one in Miami. He got pushback. I love number one for Tua. I think it's great. Why did he get pushback?

I don't know. I love it. I saw some people were like, yeah, I don't know. I'm like, oh, that's perfect. That's what he is. He should be number one. He looks like a number one. He does look like a number one.

He does. He said after the draft that he wasn't worried about keeping his same number from Alabama. He said he understands the number 13 is retired. And it should be there was some, you know, some talk that Barino should let them take it out of retirement for 2.0. What's the point of retiring a jersey if there's even a possibility that you're going to unretire it? It completely just nullifies the point of the entire ceremony and honor. So it's definitely not unretire it. But I love it's some numbers just kind of fit.

I always thought Derek Jeter too. Right. I don't even know what, maybe it's because it's Derek Jeter, but I've seen a lot of stars and I don't love their numbers. I just something about Derek Jeter's number and the uniform. It was always just perfect. Yeah, and Jordan was 23.

And obviously, like we're talking about all time great. So maybe they made the number, obviously. But yeah, there's something, I don't know. I like it. I think as soon as I saw it, I was like, yeah, that's, that works. It does. By the way, I'm going to have some news on the Pittsburgh Steelers front. fascinating stuff from Jay Glazers coming up in just a little bit.

That's Joy Taylor with the news. Well, that's the news. And thanks for stopping by. The Heard Line News. Well, it's one of my favorite segments of the week. We often disagree on a lot. But that's okay. That's what sports are about,

and especially when we don't have games now, a good sports topic or debate is always fun. So Nick Wright, my buddy, co-hosts First Things First, sponsored by Mercedes-Benz the best or nothing. So let me start with this. You heard me rant about Center. I'm not anti-center, but I'm pro-skill. And the NBA has decided, with their rule changes,

it's a guard-driven, wing-driven league. And so the five best players I've ever seen, I know Kareem, all the points, but I don't think he was as skilled as Michael Jordan or Kobe or certainly LeBron or Magic or Larry Bird. So your takeaway on my kind of rant that comes off as sort of anti-center? Well, if you don't have Kareem in your top five, you're just wrong.

I mean, it's just an invalid opinion. It's just like coming out today and say, today is a great Thursday in the herd. It's just wrong. It's Wednesday. Listen, there are three people who have a credible case for greatest player ever. And unlike the Jordan sycophants, I can concede, obviously, Michael Jordan is a credible case for the greatest player ever.

They can't concede anyone else does. LeBron James obviously is a credible case for the great player. greatest player ever. He is the best case that has happened. And Corrine, who has more points than anybody, more MVP's than anybody, won the same amount of titles as Jordan. And by the way, I should remind you, his basketball life might be the most perfect. Never lost in high school, lost twice in college by a combined two points, won three final four MVP's and three national players of the year and by year two was the best player in the entire NBA. And so in one league MVP and finals MVP.

So those are your three best players ever. Your whole skill versus not skilled. It's just bad opinion. I love you. It's just a wrong opinion, though. Okay. Let's segue to this. A lot of people are saying with the last dance doc that Jordan, you know, can you imagine

him now in this cotton can. Sandy, soft, love tap, pillow fight, league, he'd average 45 points a game. Do you buy that? Well, it's insanity. And the thing is this, it cannot go only in one direction. If you are arguing that Michael Jordan, who, let's break it down fully, Jordan averaged more than 35 once in his career, the 1987 season where he averaged, I'm sorry, the 1987 season, yeah, 87 season where he averaged 37 a game.

people say, well, if you played it today's pace, fact of the matter, the 1987 season was played at a faster pace than today's NBA. Look it up. The 80s were a higher scoring decade than today's NBA. So what we're really, but we're really not talking about the year he average 35, the year he average 37 because he wasn't winning titles. He was getting swept out of the playoffs for 9,000 first round. We're talking about in the 90s when he averaged 31, 32, and won titles that that Jordan could now average 4,000. 40, 45 points. Well, you must therefore also be saying that Dominique Wilkins, who averaged 29 when Jordan averaged 31, would be averaging 40, 41 points, and you've got to do it in the other direction. If today's era is so much easier to score in than a guy like, oh, I don't

know, Kevin Durant, if he went back to 1992, would be lucky to crack 20 points per game. That's the conversion if we're going to add 50% to Jordan's points per game to do it retrofit it. You've got to take 33% away from Grants points per game. But no one wants to do this. But, Colin, here's the most fascinating thing. I thought with the Jordan Doc, there would be some young people throwing stones at the era. I mean, we saw Michael Jordan on camera in the 98 season, say 10 years ago, guys were smoking cigarettes at half time.

I thought there'd be more people being like, oh, that's interesting. wonder how that would hold up. That hasn't happened. Instead, what's happened is the folks of Jordan's era have thrown stones at the current era. Because when you say he could average 40 or 45, what you're saying is today's guys think they're not as good as his era because nobody today, aside from Hardin, averages even 35. And so Jordan would be great in any era. Yeah. But the idea that he would, he would be the best player in today's era by a couple standard deviations falls upon against any scrutiny. Also should be noted, the mid-range jumper is not in vogue, and he would probably shoot more threes, which is easier scoring for veteran players, and Michael was never a gifted three-point shooter,

except for the two years or a year they moved in the arc. So to your point, I do agree. Let me talk about a couple of football topics. Number one, I have never been a huge fan of Cam Newton, though I do acknowledge he was magical in his MVP season. And sort of the emotional style of which he, it's sort of his DNA was really beneficial. He plays with a great deal of momentum and energy. And it was magic. My knock on him is that he is not easy to coach, doesn't win enough, mechanically doesn't appear to be the same throw where he was five years ago.

and he's banged up and out of his prime, I believe. And frankly, not accurate enough in now an accurate quarterback league where you've got to be in the 60, 65 percentile. I never thought he had much of a market because I think he's a celebrity and nobody wants a celebrity backup. Are you bothered by the fact that nobody appears to be even remotely interested in Cam Newton? Well, I just want people to acknowledge and admit that it can't just be about football

if Cam Newton can't get a job. Because here, people say, well, he's not consistent. Okay, it's a fair point. Joe Flacco was remarkably consistent for six years after they won the Super Bowl. He was consistently terrible all six years. And guess what? Denver traded for him even though he was making upwards of $18 million for year. All right.

Well, then with Cam, it's not about consistency. It's about health. And he's been inconsistent help. wise. You know who was very consistent health-wise? Sam Bradford. He was consistently always injured. Yet despite that, Philly gave him a deal. Minnesota traded for the deal. Then Arizona gave him another deal. You know a guy who played eight good games in his career? Case Keenum, John Elway, come on down. Hey, Nick Foles, you played six magical quarters, 88 million from Jackson Mill in the Chicago trade for him. So when it comes to Cam, what I wish folks,

would acknowledge is for a lot of the decision makers in the NFL, Philip Rivers and his inconsistency and interceptions that go along with showing players up on the field and screaming at coaches, it's a little more palatable when the postgame ridiculous outfit is a bolo tie. For him, when the postgame outfit is something that I happen to think is super fly, but you wouldn't be caught dead in Colin Coward. He all of a sudden, for some guys, it's like, I don't know if that worked. So until we get to a place where we have 32 consistently healthy quarterback, there should be a place for Cam Newton.

Yeah, that's why I've said Cam's a celebrity. Nobody wants a celebrity backup. I don't think it's just health. I think that's a nonsense argument. And I don't think it's just consistency. I think he's a celebrity. That's why nobody wants Baker Mayfield eventually as a backup. That's why nobody wanted Johnny.

I think when you're a celebrity in this league and Cam is a big star, you either build around him or you're not interested. So let's move to the next topic. You have a relationship with Aaron Rogers. He slid into your DMs once or something like that. I do not. But. Slid into my dig-in. Joy, explain to column the implication of that.

He knows it. That's why he says it like that. Okay. All right. Go ahead. Okay. I am lit. I just don't let you guys know it.

So my argument is if the Packers drafted Jordan Love, but the next draft pick was a wide receiver, this would be fine. Because then they could go to him and say, listen, this is what we did with you. We're finding the next you, even though we may never play him, but we went and got a receiver, a blocking tight end, three interior offensive linemen. We are going to help. We helped you. We drafted all offensive guys.

But when they drafted Jordan Lovin a running back and never addressed wide receiver, I think it's going to fall flat for Aaron and there will be some bitterness throughout the course of the season. Or do you believe Nick Wright in your relationship with him? He'll handle it like a politician and say all the right stuff. Oh, I think he'll handle it well because he's a pro, but you're spot on. It's not just they drafted a running back. They didn't even draft like a cool receiving back, like my soon-to-be two-time defending Super Bowl Champion's the Chiefs did.

They drafted a bruising power back that pro football focus did not have in their top 250 players in the draft. That's what they spent their second round pick on. And their first round pick, they spent on a guy who they pray doesn't play a snap until 22. And so if you're wrong and they trade it up for them. If you're Rogers, I think you justifiably should be more than missed at the draft. And then I will reiterate the point I made last week. I would be moved from more than myth to downright irate that somebody was whispering sweet nothings and Bob McGinn's ear to where they talk about me like I'm a problem.

I've used this quote before. Bill James is one of his smartest ones. Bad teams have a horrible habit. of blaming their best players for their biggest problems. We've seen this happen to Odell Beckham. We see it happens to guys all the time. The one great player on a team gets blamed for the team not being greater or good. The Packers were 13 and three last year despite a rookie head coach and a defense that fell

apart by the end of the season. And all of a sudden, Aaron Rogers' attitude is the problem. Look at that throw. What's the what he did to my beloved Kansas Chief? It's an impossible throw he made. Look at that. He handed it to him there. Yeah, that guy's the problem that you need to rush out of town. It's insanity.

By the way, let's circle back to basketball in the last dance. I don't have a problem with Michael Jordan being critical of Jerry Krause, who has passed away, because Michael was critical of him when he played, and now he's critical of him when he's gone. He was critical of Isaiah, when they battled. He's critical of him now. He's authentic. He's not softening his stance. And I think sports writers tend to like happy endings and nice cuddly stories.

And Michael will not oblige anybody. So I don't have a problem, Michael, going after Jerry Krause, because he did it to his face when he was around. What do you make of that criticism of MJ? Listen, I don't have a problem with it either in that regard. I understand that when people, immediately after people pass away, it's not the time to say, this is what they were terrible at. But at some point, once you have enough of expansive history, if Jerry Krause had passed away last week, then I would think, okay, this is poor form. But that obviously isn't the case.

So you can give your honest opinion on him. And while Jerry Krause did seem to really want credit for what Michael and Scotty and Phil did and seem to really always be looking for ways to kind of create wedges within the team, what cannot be forgotten to history is Jerry Krause found Scotty Pippen, got up Morris Grant, acquired Dennis Rodman, waited three years for Tony Cootch, got Steve Fird, John Txton. He built an amazing team, a team that the first year Jordan was gone was good enough to win 54 games. So listen, the guy might have not been as likable. He might have had some personality quirks, all of it, but he did a really underrated job at filling out the rest of that

roster because when Jordan was first winning MVP's and when he's scoring 35 and then 37 points per game, those teams weren't winning. And you needed that supporting cast. But to your overall point, I do think it's fair to say, it's not like Jordan waited for him to be gone. That's right. Trash him. He did it at his damn Hall of Fame speech. He's always, now, we want to talk about how petty Michael Jordan is. We don't have enough time. We'll do that another day. but in general I agree with you, Colin. Nick Wright. Excellent work, my friend.

Great talking to you. First things first. Good scene. I'll be listening to you on radio. Absolutely. I'm curious to see who slides into your DMs later, Colin. Thank you. Tom Brady, perhaps.

By the way, top of the hour, don't at me. It's a new segment today. The five truths in sports that may drive you crazy and hurt your feelings, but I don't care. They're true. And we'll talk about that. Next, Jay Glazer, who likes to work out a lot, kind of dropped a right hook to Ben Rathlisberger. That's coming up.

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 in the TikTok podcast network on TikTok.

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

about wins and losses. Steve Burns, Dustin Ross, because you find it important to be a good person while you hear on earth. Are you a good person because you're afraid? Because that's two different intentions, bro. Absolutely. And that's two different levels of trust. I want you to just really be a good person. Join me, Kear Gaines, is we have real conversations about on 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 of it. Quarterback on office blue with 42.

Hey, Wreck, my mama want you to weigh better. What? Hey, Miss Parker. Listen to the Cliverts show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. What's up, fam? It's Isaiah Thomas. And I'm C.J. Toledano,

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

I think Joker's going to be exhausted this series because when they don't have Rudy in the lineup, he has to really guard guys like Nas Reed. He has to guard Julius Randall. And then he has to give us everything he gives us on the night-to-night basis on offense. And when IT's friends stop by, like Quentin Richardson, we dive into some playoff history too. Steve Nass would get that thing. That man, hell get the flying. He running up the court, licking his fingers why he got the ball.

Like, after you go through a training camp with that, Isaiah, you figure it out real quick. Get your ass up and down the court, and you're going to get the ball. So listen to Point Game on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Welcome back. I want to thank Nick Wright. Always entertaining. We're apart these days, right? We're sharing more.

Geico's sharing more, too. The Geico Give Back. credit car motorcycle insurance both current and new customers it'll last your full policy term visit geico.com slash give back for info and eligibility thanks to geico for supporting us urban myer next hour and at top of next hour is the five hard truce in sports that we have to just you have to just be honest about and you don't want to hear it and this is the reason i'm talking about this is because I saw a story the other day that half of the 2017 draft picks didn't get their option picked up.

Most of these first round guys are not going to be nearly as good as you think. I think Joe Burroughs going to struggle and nobody wants to hear it. But the numbers say, of course, landing spot is overwhelmingly really going to dictate this league. And Cincinnati's not a great landing spot in that division. So I always like it when, you know, I have a phone and I'm on my phone or a lot of NFL contacts. And I think Joey and I both have contacts. I take a lot of pride in it.

And I always think it's fun when I say something over and over and over. And then you see like a veteran reporter come out and unveil it. And it kind of, you know, it validates my sources, which I know we're right to begin with. But I've said this for years and I've been saying it a lot recently. Big Ben is a super talented Hall of Fame level quarterback. He's not totally committed. I have real questions about this year for the Steelers. He got hurt.

He's not a workout fiend. And you'll get some occasional pushback. But Jay Glazer doesn't make stuff up and tends to lean toward pro-player opinions, not anti-player opinions. So he was in the athletic, Jay Glazer's mailbag this week. Somebody said, I feel like the Steelers are a sleeper team this year. The offense suffered hard because of Ben's injuries, but assuming he's back plus his fitness, he used to be very competitive.

And Jay Glazer said, first of all, let's not put fitness in Ben Rothlisberger. I love this. So Glazer says, don't put fitness in Ben Rothlisberger together. They're allergic to each other. There is no fitness in Ben Rothlisberger. His idea of a great off-season workout is a yoga session, playing golf, and drinking beer.

Pow! This is what my source is. been saying for years, is that he's talented, but he's not really committed. There's three quarterbacks in this league that are next level committed. Brady, Russell Wilson, and Drew Breeze. It is a 12-month commitment. Big Ben, it's a 16-game commitment. You see this all over pro sports. Some people, the late Tony Gwynn, he watched more film on how to hit than anybody in his sport for years. He was way ahead of the curve on that and he lived for it. We've seen in the last dance how much film Rodman watched. But Rodman wasn't totally committed. His lifestyle, big drinker.

You know, I mean, Rodman was, you know, depended on the moment the team in the day where he was emotionally all in. Russell is, Breezes, Brady is. But I've, but one of the reasons I, you know, there's teams I am really into. I think Baltimore is the best team in the league. And I'm not sure it's close right now. I think Baltimore is the best team in the league. I thought they were really good last year. I thought their free agency was great. They had cap space because they're not paying Lamar anything.

I thought their draft was really, really good. But they added depth, maybe one starter. I think they're well coached. Lamar Jackson's gotten better every year. He's obviously a workout freak. ironic, coincidental, whatever word you want, that he is a workout freak committed and Ben's not in the same division and they're big rivals.

but I like Cleveland to make the playoffs, not Pittsburgh, because I think Baker Mayfield kind of got crapped on last year and got embarrassed and humiliated. And I think Baker Mayfield, I also think Baker Mayfield looked fat last year. I thought he put on like, I thought he looked, I thought he looked heavy. I think Baker has got a great offseason. I think Baker Mayfield's going to be totally in. I think Baker Mayfield is going to play with his hair on fire.

And he's got a real coach who's going to demand things from him. And they had a great draft and a nice free agency period. So this, this just sort of. accentuates. I mean, think about this. When you get older, it takes longer to recover. Like most of you, I could play basketball in college at the gym, rip an ankle up, two days later on playing. I mean, I banged my toe the other day on my deck. I mean, I couldn't move for two days. My body just doesn't, you know, it's all that tequila and the margaritas. It doesn't heal as quickly. So Big Ben is 38, comes off an injury, and he's not in great shape. The reason guys can overcome injuries,

a couple years ago, Brady got hurt during the season and won the Super Bowl, because Tom's in such amazing shape. He makes his body heal quickly, the way he eats, the way he trains, the way he's committed, the sleep, everything, plyometrics. So it's interesting because Jay is not a guy that likes to pound on athletes, but it's a funny line, and he's right. That's why I have my questions on the Steelers. Big Ben, not in great shape.

You know, I mean, he just mentioned the other day, he's been thrown with pain for years. Why? Brady's old. He's not throwing with pain. I just don't know how committed Big Ben and how his body will respond. All right. Coming up next, the five hard truths in sports. Don't happy because you're going to get your feelings hurt. That's coming up. 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. 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, break it down, give you context, and ask the questions everybody wants answered. SportsSlice brings you closer to the action with stories told by the people who live them. Listen to SportsClice 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, Kier Games. And in recognition of mental health awareness month, I'm bringing over a decade of my own experience in the mental health field and conversations with so many incredible guests. I'm talking. 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, 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 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, 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, rec, 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. What's up, fam?

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

I think Joker's going to be exhausted this series because when they don't have Rudy in the lineup, he has to really guard guys like Nas Reed. He has to guard Julius Randall. And then he has to give us everything he gives us on the night-to-night basis on offense. And when IT's friends stop by, like Quentin Richardson, we dive into some playoff history too. Steve Nash would get that thing. That man, hell get the flying. He running up the court, licking his fingers why he got the ball.

Like, after you go through a training camp with that, Isaiah, you figure it out real quick. Get your ass up and down the court, and you're going to get the ball. So listen to Point Game on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Here we go. It's hour to Urban Meyer in 15 minutes. Live in L.A., this is The Hurt. Wherever you may be, and however, you may be listening. IHeart Radio, Fox Sports Radio, FS1, Urban Meyer 15 minutes,

and a segment that will offend some people, but it's time for America's honesty broker, me to lay the gavel down. Joy Taylor, how are you this morning? Now, tomorrow night, Joy, NFL schedules get released. Yes. It's very exciting. I love that.

I really do it. I'm a nerd. Well, you get to play win-loss, which is just the best game of the NFL off season. It's so good. You know what? I think, honestly, nerds are flourishing during this situation we're in.

Oh, yeah. This is a thriving time for me. Like you all you cool people and lit people and social animals, it's tough. But I like to sit home and read and do wonky mock drafts. And my son and I laugh because my son's the same way. And he's like, yeah, I worry about people, but I, this is all good. And I'm like, yeah, yeah, I'm mostly just hanging out by myself.

Yeah, you're living your best lives. Yeah, yeah, there we go. So I was sitting here this morning thinking I was reading a story. A couple days ago, Joy and I talked about this, that half of the top 10 picks did not, teams didn't pick up their fifth year option. And I thought, you know, of course they didn't. It's a reality. And there are things in sports that one of the reasons I don't get mad, sports doesn't make me mad.

And if you go to Twitter, it's just mad people all the time because you get mad based on expectations. You just have to be honest about stuff. I mean, if your parents are 5 foot two and 5 foot three, you're not playing in the NBA. It's just not going to. It's just you're not going to be playing in the NBA. You can give me an outlier. It's just not going to happen. And so today, I thought I'd do a segment.

the five truths in sports that I've been reminded of recently. And the segment's going to be called, don't at me, bro. Okay, don't at me, bro. I'm just being honest, I've been doing this 30 years. I've seen it. Don't at me, bro. Are you ready to go?

Here we go. Number one, the SEC's got better football players than everybody. Get over it. And so at the end of any college football season, when I have to make a decision on a one-lost team and an undefeated Big 10, Big 12, Pac-12 ACC team, I'm going to almost always take the SEC team.

They get better players out of high school, more first-round picks, more national titles. Look at their ball records for the last 10 years. I don't even think it's the best coach sport. Sometimes I think Ed Orgeron won a national title. That's because LSU's got so many players. The reality is Ohio State is the, only cold weather program in America that even looks like an SEC program.

When you watch Ohio State play, their corners, their pass rushers, you're like, oh, that's a, that's a, that's a, that's a, that's a, that's a, that's a, that's a, that's a, that's a, that's a, that's a, that's a, Couldn't beat him or Davos, Sweeney's Clemson Tigers can't. But let's just be honest, in the footprint of the South, they've got far more great high school football players. And the Urban Myers and Brian Kelly have to go south. Those schools don't have to go north to get players. The SEC's better. They're going to be better this year, next year, and every year.

Just own it. Don't at me, bro. Number two, 75% of the players that your team drafted are not even going to be on. the roster in five years. This whole league is designed. Best quarterback, best coach, equals chance for a Super Bowl. And that everybody's going to lie about this, but 75% of the teams in the NFL have no chance to win the Super Bowl this year because you don't have a good enough coach

and you don't have a good enough quarterback. I mean, you can eliminate 75% of the league. I was looking at a stat this morning where they were talking about of the 120 players between 2011 and 2016 draft classes that have. their options exercised and most don't, 40% of those players did not get a second deal with their original team. Your draft, this is why I don't give out draft grades. I give out off-season grades where I look at your coaching staff,

your free agency, and your first two draft picks. I've had GMs who I respect, tell me, by the fourth round pick, you're crossing your fingers. You got no idea if they can play. And these are professionals. Number three, most NBA star players don't. want to live in the city they play. I'm sorry, Sacramento, I'm sorry Detroit, I'm sorry Milwaukee, I'm sorry Cleveland, and I'm

sorry, Indianapolis. If you were young, rich, and famous, where would you want to live? You want to live in Los Angeles or Miami? I'm sorry. Every time there's a free agent opportunity, you know, these fans out east on the eastern seaboard, how many free agents want to play in Washington, Philadelphia, New York, Boston? If you don't engineer a trade, they never pick you because your weather's lousy, and it's a winter league.

The bottom line, October through March, it's cold everywhere. It's not in Phoenix, not in Los Angeles, not in Miami. Most NBA stars, they're not going to say it to be jerks. They're nice kids. They don't want to plan the cities they're playing in. It's a winter league.

No thanks. Don't at me, bro. A number four, hockey's never going to be that popular in the United States. It's lousy on TV. We don't bet it. 99% of people have never played it. It's Canada's sports. and let's be honest about it.

It's expensive for young kids. So it eliminates a lot of people that just can't afford it. Plus, they've got morning skates, morning rink time. What dad wants to take their kids at 4.45 in the morning to hockey? A lot of dads can't. And a lot of people just can't afford it. And we don't play it when we're kids. And we don't watch it as adults.

It doesn't mean I don't go to L.A. King's games. But, I mean, the big foreign American sports are NFL, baseball, NBA, and college. college football. And I would say over the next five years, the MLS is going to be over hockey. I'm sorry. You want to talk puck? Go for it. Don't at me, bro. It's never going to be that popular. It's Canada sport. And finally, my bosses will be mad. The United States men's national team is never going to win a World Cup. We're not. We can compete. We can be fun. We couldn't make the last World Cup. And the way the way soccer works because of our economic. economics, they're dying for us to be in the World Cup.

They want us to be in the World Cup. They give us opportunities to be in the World Cup. We got an easy bracket, and we still couldn't make the World Cup. It's U.S. soccer is political. It's dysfunctional. Just watch the games. It's like my SEC argument. Christian Pulisic came out at 18.

I watched half of one match, and I'm like, he's so much better than the rest of our players. We just don't have enough. Now, in 25 years, maybe it's different, but our best athletes don't play it. We can compete. We can win matches. But to win a World Cup, to win match after match after over Chile and Brazil and Argentina and England and Germany and Belgium and... What? Winning a World Cup?

I mean, I think if we had it on our soil and we were emotional and we were healthy and maybe we got a couple scheduling breaks where you know, better teams, lost players. You know, maybe we could get into a final eight or a final 16. But I love the World Cup. I watch the World Cup. I'm totally into the World Cup, much more than the Olympics. I don't think we're ever going to win it. Does it, as I've said before, I can know the ending and still like a movie.

Titanic, I know the ending. I've seen it more than once. I'm okay. The ending doesn't even have to be good. I watch usual suspects the other night. I know the ending. I still watched it. I don't have to have a happy ending.

I can know the ending. I can know we're not going to win a World Cup. And I still think we'll be competitive in some. It'll be fun. I watch it. I don't just watch it for Team USA. How's that? Don't at me, bro.

There you go. That's pretty good. I really like that segment. That was very strong. Very strong. By the way, I saw this was Scott Boros in the New York Times this morning, had a commentary. We have to bring baseball back.

makes a very compelling argument. He says it happened after the attack on Pearl Harbor. 60 years later, at post-9-11 it happened. Time and again, baseball has helped our country heal. Yes, we've lost nearly 70,000 people to COVID-19. A tragedy beyond words. A growing number of us have found ourselves unemployed and without warning. However, we face a challenge in the coming weeks and months. How do we harmonize the concerns of health experts with the unwanted effects of those public health efforts? In a recent study, 170 million people age 12 or older identified themselves as baseball fans, the highest number in the past 25 years. The first step is to return the players to spring training style camps as soon as possible.

I do think it would really be damaging if baseball didn't have a season and went 18 months without the sport. I think the NBA can overcome that because the NBA tends to be star and personality driven. And stars always attract a lot of attention. And baseball is not a star-driven sport. It's a habit sport. You get up every morning and you read the box scores and you watch the highlights. You get into a habit in the summer and the early fall of watching baseball. When you get out of that habit, it's hard to bring people back.

And I also think baseball has unique challenges. It's got a very strong players union. The players union yesterday poo-poohed any idea of coming back. Quote, Baseball Union Chief says, players haven't gotten a formal proposal about restarting baseball. Baseball already has the richest players. They have the longest contracts. They make the most money.

Some of them may feel somewhat bulletproof. What's the point? We don't like 162 games anyway. So veteran players have already spoken out about coming back. The rumors I'm hearing and a lot of us are hearing is that in late June or early June, spring training starts, July 1st season starts, a very abridged season. I do think I watch some Korean baseball highlights. Baseball is very unique.

Umpires could wear gloves. You sanitize dugouts. You know, already a third of the roster sits down in the bullpen. You separate people. You take temperatures every day. You don't have fans. And again, you don't, you know, a lot of baseball players wear gloves. Unlike basketball where you share a ball, you're sweating on each other.

That is not the case in baseball. I think you could have it. I think you could actually have limited fans. It wouldn't have to play without any fans. You go to warm weather sites. The warm weather could, you know, stem the virus a little. Nobody's already sure on that. I'm certainly not.

But read the Scott Borough's column in the New York Times. I think it's timely. I think it's smart. I think he makes a lot of really, really good points. Urban Meyer, the legend, is going to be joining us next. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays in noon Eastern, 9 a.m. Pacific. on Fox Sports Radio, FS1, and the IHard Radio app. Last night, a blown call changed a game.

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

Their locker room stories, their reactions, the stuff nobody gets to hear. The laughs, the drama, the trouble. 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. SportsSlice brings you closer to the action with stories told by the people who live them. Listen to SportsSlice on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast.

And for more, follow Timbo Sliced Life 12 in the TikTok podcast network on TikTok. Welcome to my new podcast, Learn the Hardway with me, your host, and your favorite therapist, Kear Games. And in recognition of Mental Health Awareness Month, I'm bringing over a decade of my own experience in the mental health field and conversations with so many incredible guests. I'm talking. Tripp Fontaine, Ryan Clark. Sometimes when we're in the pursuit of the thing, we get so wrapped up in the chase that

we don't realize that we are in possession of the thing. And we're still chasing it. And we don't know when we've done enough. Because people scoreboard watch. Life becomes about wins and losses. Steve Burns, Dustin Ross, because you find it important to be a good person while you hear on earth, or are you a good person because you're afraid? Because that's two different intentions, bro.

Absolutely. And that's two different levels of trust. I want you to just really be a good person. Join me, Kear Gaines, is we have real conversations about healing, growth, fatherhood, pressure, and purpose on my new podcast, learn the hard way. Open your free iHeartRadio app. Search Learn the Hardway and listen now. 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?

Time out. Quarterback on office blue 42. A rep. My mama want you to wave at her. What? Hey, Miss Parker. Listen to the Cliverts show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. What's up, fam? It's Isaiah Thomas.

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

I think Joker's going to be exhausted this series because when they don't have Rudy in the lineup, he has to really guard guys like Nas Reid. He has to guard Julius Randall. And then he has to give us everything he gives us on the night-to-night basis on offense. And when IT's friends stop by, like Quentin Richardson, we dive into some playoff history too. Steve Nash would get that thing. That man, hell get the flying. He running up the court, licking his fingers, why he got the ball.

Like, you go through a training camp with that Isaiah, you figure it out. real quick. Get your ass up and down the court and you're going to get the ball. So listen to Point Game on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Right now he is residing down in beautiful Sarasota, Florida.

I got a lot of friends down in Sarasota and Naples. Those are beautiful, beautiful areas. Urban Myers, one of three coaches to lead multiple schools to national championships. He's got three rings and Fox College Football's analyst is joining us Urban Meyer. So

you know, it was interesting. The Notre Dame athletic director said, listen, we may have conferences that play and conferences that don't. I look at the Big Ten Urban and I think Rutgers is in Jersey. Maybe they can't play. Nebraska maybe looks at their infection rate and says, yeah, we're going to play.

Could you see a conference literally like a Big Ten not having every school involved in a season? I actually could. You know, I don't, everyone hopes that doesn't happen, but you need college football. And there's certain, you know, it's going to be a state by state.

I'm real intrigued to hear how they move forward with this where, you know, say the SEC, obviously it's top to bottom, the strongest conference in America, and you take them that really have areas that have not been hammered by the virus and they want to go play football, boy, it would be hard to say don't play. You know, a matter of fact, I can't imagine that scenario. So it's going to be a state by state. it's going to be a team by team, conference by conference, I think as this thing moves forward.

And I've actually listened to a few phone calls about that, and I would believe that there's a chance that would happen. By the way, if a Rutgers couldn't play, don't they share revenue anyway, like bowl revenue? So they would be assisted at some level, right? Oh, you'd have to imagine that would happen. I have not heard that. And, you know, so I haven't even thought about that.

But certainly that would wipe out a, you know, if you're not part of that, revenue sharing and a Rutgers or really anybody that counts on that those resources not just for football but for other sports that could wipe out an athletic department so yeah i would imagine that would be part of it uh urban mire joining us i i've said um recently uh melkiper came out and said joe burrow is a better prospect than trevor lawrence and i said boy that's how feels like a lot of recency bias to me is that i there's some things about joe burrow i love but i do think he's been a little bit of a one-hit wonder.

And is that a fair criticism where, you know, everything works for a season? You got a really good team, a really good offensive line, you know, just kind of the schedule works or whatever. Do you think that's a fair concern about Joe Burrow that, you know, he was in college for a long time and he didn't even pop until the last year and the second year at LSU? Yeah, Colin, I don't believe that's criticism. I think that's factual. You know, a one-hit wonder.

I mean, that's better than a no-hit wonder. I mean, he had arguably the best season in the history of college football. Yes, he was on a great team, but you can't, when you really study his film, the throws he made, that wasn't a bunch of wide-open guys now. He placed that ball. He scrambled. He kept the plays alive. So, yeah, it was a one-hit wonder.

He's a little bit later developing. But I don't look at that as concern. That's factual. Trevor Lawrence has had a three-year, you know, his freshman, sophomore. Warren and to be his junior year. He's had, you know, if he puts together a year, that's not, that's a three hit or three, you know, three years. So there is risk involved.

And I would say this about Joe, if it wasn't what happened, it would be a major risk. But reality is he had arguably the greatest season of history in history of quarterbacks ever had. And that overrules the fact that he only did it for one year. So there is a risk involved. And I don't, I didn't see Mel Kuyper's a list. But, you know, if Trevor Lawrence has a big, big time year, which, you know, I imagine he will, that'd be hard not to say that he's right there with Joe Burrow or maybe better.

We'll see what happens. Jared Stidham, according to a report this morning, New England's all in on Jarrett Stidham. If I recall, you recruited Jared Stidham. Did you not? We did. He's out of Stevensville, Texas. One of the best high school programs in America. We didn't get real far with him.

I can't recall exactly what happened. But I remember watching this high school film. Well, very high on them. You started off at Baylor and went to Auburn. You know, the one thing, as I said many times there in the last couple weeks, the common denominator of every great quarterback he's on a great team. You know, the great quarterback to go to bad teams also become bad quarterbacks. And it's hard for me at times to understand, you know, the media and often the fans.

They just, they have a bad team, so it's a quarterback's fault. And you look around and it happened at Alex Smith, his first year, our first few years in New England or at San Francisco. So I think Jared Stim, he put him with Bill Belichick, Josh McDaniel, that system. I think get ready for, you know, I can't say he's going to be the next Tom Brady, but get ready. I'm sure he'll have a good. He did it with Matt Castle.

He did it obviously with Tom Brady and shoot the quarterback at 49ers. Jimmy Garoppolo. Yeah, Grappel. I mean, you know, they're going to make that quarterback a good player. So we talk about first round wide receivers over the last five years. There's been three times as many busts as hits. And so, you know, you look at the first round, and we know some of these guys are not going to work.

The name that keeps coming up from my people is Isaiah Simmons. Arizona took him. And he's obviously a tremendous athlete. But do you think he would be a hard guy to coach because he's, Derwin James, but not that good of safety. He's Honey Badger, but is he that instinctive? What is Isaiah Simmons as a pro? Well, I stood on the field and watched him.

I also was sat in some meetings as Ohio State got ready to play him. He's the all-purpose guy. It matters. I think he's a great talent. I think how they use them is going to be key. And everyone looks for, you know, I saw the Saints having the conversation about the Stevens and the hybrid player that can do multiple things for you.

We would always look for that Percy Harvin or a multiple position player that gives you great flexibility that he can go play an outside lineback or play safety. Who knows? You could play a nickel. And I just think he's a great talent and how they use him is going to be key.

Can he play every snap as a deep middle safety? That remains to be seen because it wants him to do that with him. Yeah. You know, there's another guy in the first round. Damon Arnett, cornerback, Ohio State. There was a report a couple teams didn't have him on the board. Character issues. What do we know about those character issues?

I know at all. It was more maturity issues. We always felt like he went to St. Thomas Aquinas, one of the best high school programs in America. He had some of that, you know, stuff in him that we had to get out of them. And he had maturity issues. he's without doubt first round talent because he fits right in with those six or seven first round corners that came out of Ohio State. He was just behind mentally.

He was behind maturity-wise. I think the key to him was what kind of coach, position coach, not head coach. What kind of position coach and what kind of room do you put Damon in? If Damon's in, you know, you have a Malcolm Jenkins type player, you know, just a grown man and a bunch of people that, you know, a bunch of athletes and players in a real strong position coach. I think he's going to thrive. You put him in a situation where that's not the case. There are concerns. I love Damon, but there are concerns.

You know, September 3rd or 4th Labor Day weekends to start of college football, how many weeks minimum would you need to get your guys ready? I've actually had some conversations, and the number that keeps coming up is six weeks. You know, football, you have safety issues involved. And six weeks, which puts you right. around that July 16th number that gives you a time to get a team ready. And that's the conditioning. That's the, you know, football is such a complex game.

But the most important thing is the health and safety, you know, because, you know, a lot of these places, majority of them are going to, you know, deal with 80, 90 degree heat to get those kids used to running. They have to be on the move six weeks out as kind of a number that we've come up with. You know, it's interesting. I thought about this college football season being in the school. the spring. And I thought, you know who maybe wouldn't want a college football season in the spring

is in Ohio State, a Notre Dame, SEC Clemson? Because you have the most pro NFL players. And I could see some kids saying, I'm not playing in February or March, because if I get hurt, I can't get physically right for the combine. So what do you think about these suggestions of moving it to the spring? I think if I was Ohio State's coach and I got nine NFL guys, some guys may don't want to play if the season goes to late March, right? I agree with you 100%. If that happens, the majority of college football, I think, would be, you know, once a year, I just, it's hard to just visualize that, too, how that works.

You have college basketball going on, and then you have frass turn around, you have spring, you have kids that have to declare for the draft. Kids are graduating early that would have to now be eligible to get into grad school. There's so many hoops to jump. But what you just said is not, that's not maybe. That's a fact. If you're a potential high draft pick, will you really go put on shoulder pads in the helmet

and play college football in January or February? I would say no. You know, Urban USC changed their defensive staff. It got younger, and they've had a very good last month in recruiting. Very good. After a couple of very weak recruiting years. And it's interesting. I've had some friends and they're saying,

well, what's going on down there? And I said they just, just got younger and I don't know how good the coaches are, but they're really good recruiters. And when you were selecting a staff, would you have guys that you thought were B coaches but A recruiters and then mix that with some A coaches and maybe B recruiters? Is it a balance or did recruiting matter with every coach? I think when you're at schools where you can't pay or hire, you know, pay the market value of an elite recruiter slash coach.

but the Ohio State, the USC, the Texas, the SEC, the Clemsons, you should be able to, you know, I would, certainly, when I was at Utah, you just could not hire the, you know, the all-purpose coach. At Ohio State, I never, absolutely not. If you better be, it's very easy. Are you the best recruiter at your position in America? If not, then we've got to probably got to get this thing fixed. Wow. So we were all over that. But you're also paying them hundreds of thousands of dollars.

So I think, you know, I would be shocked at the upper 15 schools in America say we would accept that because I don't know how you. Then you're probably not winning. You know, recruiting. Every conversation in college football starts with recruiting and it ends with recruiting. Everything else inside is important, but the recruiting piece is that. And then you can see who's going to continue winning. All you have to watch who they're recruiting.

Yeah. Good talking to you, Coach. Are your beaches open in Sarasota? Yeah, they're open now, and I know you spent time in Naples. Oh, I love it. I'll tell you what, man. I've never spent more than four days down here, and this is really beautiful area. Yes, it is, coach, especially when the beaches are open.

Yes, it is. Urban Meyer, good talking to you, coach. Take care, Colin. Yeah, beaches are open in some areas. They're not open, actually, Joy, in where we live in L.A. County. No. But I think it's Friday our governor is opening some stuff up. You know what I really miss?

It's crazy. No, it's not crazy. But what I've really found, because my life, I'm working out. I go home and I jog. I read. I hang out with my dogs. I jump in the pool. I walk around the neighborhood.

I get workouts. I lift weights. I'm doing everything. What I'm not able, and I don't shop, so I don't care. The only thing right now. And I'm seeing more of my kids than ever. so it's great. Some of this has been just amazingly beneficial for my relationships.

I'm getting to hang out with people more. I miss going to restaurants. Oh, yeah. That's really, I mean, you know, going to get my nails done was a nice experience. I would get a massage once a week. That's probably not going to happen for a long time. But yeah, going to a restaurant is, yeah, that's huge. It really is bigger than I thought.

And I don't go every night. But it's like a couple times a week my wife and I go out. until the kids were, you know, we'll be back in just a couple of days. And I just missed the experience of going to a favorite restaurant, having a glass of wine or something, having a meal, talking to people and socializing. And I worry that outside of your top restaurant groups, 40, 50 percent of these places are never going to survive. That industry, like the airline industry, I don't think it's going to be the same for a long time. I miss going to restaurants. I'm with you.

I really do. Here's Joy with the news. No, no, no, no. Turn on the news. This is the herd line news. Sponsored by Mercedes-Benz, the best or nothing. Urban giving a nice shout-out to St. Thomas Aquinas. That's where your brother coaches.

That's where my brother coaches. You know, is he the head coach now? He's not the head coach, no. He coaches defense. And my nephew's Isaiah and Mason both go there. National champions. Yes. And my niece, so he will be going there.

You went and watched the game this year. I went to the state championship, yes. I didn't go to the national championship game. They beat, who do they beat? They beat a team from... Some place not as good as their place. Yeah, I should know I was there. I can't remember.

They beat St. Louis in the national championship game, Marietta and I believe Tua went there as well. So players adjusting to new teams will have even more to overcome with limited off-season programs this year. and Eli Manning thinks that even Tom Brady will face some hurdles as he tries to get up to speed in Tampa Bay. He told Sirius XM NFL Radio, I think it's going to be tough for him, just the fact that he can't be doing everything he wants to be doing with the team and getting ready. Obviously, they have some playmakers at receiver there.

When you've got talented receivers, it makes it a little bit easier to get on the same page. It'll be interesting how it all plays out and how quickly he can adjust to a new organization and new players and new offense, especially with the limited timing he's going to have. Now, in general, in a normal situation, I would tend to agree with Eli. And I do think there are going to be some hurdles that Tom's going to have to overcome. However, while there are going to be a lot of teams that are going to be up against it, I think the Giants will be in one of those situations with the new coach and young quarterback. A lot of teams that have young quarterbacks and new coaches or new coordinators,

obviously we know that they're going to have an adjustment period. But if you're going to have an adjustment period, knowing it with Tom Brady is not the worst situation. We know that Tom Brady pours over studying material. And unlike a young quarterback, say, for example, like Joe Burrow. And I don't know how Joe Burrow is with the exes and nose. I'm sure that he's adequate, obviously, number one overall pick. But Tom Brady knows what he's looking at.

You know what I mean? So he's not just looking at film and trying to learn how to study film and what does this actually mean. He knows how to watch film. We saw it in Tom versus Time. He loves it. It's what he does. He's actually, this is probably a great time for him outside of not being able to work out with his receivers.

He's got plenty of time to sit around and watch film. This is like his favorite thing to do. He makes his little, you know, Barry smoothie and gets after it. That's what he does, yeah. I actually think that he is in the best situation as far as what he's able to study right now because he truly understands it. So the Browns have shown their commitment to Miles Garrett by exercising his fifth year option for 2021. Yes. And GM Andrew Barry is hopefully.

they can get him assigned to a long-term extension. He told Ian Rappaport that the Brown see Garrett as a long-term member of the organization. And Rappaport believes that Garrett has a legitimate chance to be the first $25 million a year pass rusher. I wouldn't pay that, but he's great. I love him. I don't love him that much, but I love him. Well, I mean, they do have to pay someone. I don't, I think it depends on what the landscape of your team looks like when that situation comes up and it's time to pay him.

I mean, he's the cornerstone of that defense, which is a very good defense and is getting better. So I don't, again, I think the numbers all, NFL contracts are so tricky. Like it's $25 million, you know, how many years is it? How does the rest of your team stack up? What's the cap hit? Right. So I don't like to get too caught up in the numbers in it. And obviously, you know, he did take a reputation hit with everything that happened with the Steelers and, you know,

the incident with Mason Rudolph, which obviously the NFL has moved on from. He's no longer suspended. He's going to be back. He's been reinstated. But he is, other than that situation, has been a model citizen and is a leader of that team, obviously, and the Browns wanted to invest in him. I think it's a good, it's a good decision by the Browns. He's a fantastic player.

And unlike the rest of the guys from that draft, he is, he's going to be around the NFL for a long time. As we spoke earlier, the 2017 top 10 draft half are not getting there. your extension picked up. Finally, Aaron Rogers' future in Green Bay has been widely discussed since the Packers drafted Jordan Love. The Packers could save nearly 4.8 million in cap space in 20, or 22 million in cash by trading Rogers after the 2020 season. But where would he go? So one team that's been mentioned is the Las Vegas Raiders. Obviously, have plenty of offensive weapons for Rogers. Other options could be the Patriots if Jared Sidham is not successful this year or

the Colts if they don't have a strong post-Philip. River's option. I do not, I do not think the Patriots are an option, and I don't think the Colts are an option either. I don't like either of those places. They're not going to let him go in Green Bay. We know this. If you look at the cap situation, he's going to be a Packer for two years. Now, then there could be some interesting conversations, but unless you had incredibly

creative, I read this the other day in the Raiders situation. Boy, you'd have to be really creative. otherwise the Packers take a massive cap hit. Right. It's $22 million. So I don't know. Look, I don't think that Rogers is going to finish his career in Green Bay. I think once he gets the opportunity to leave,

it's going to end up being a situation similar to Tom Brady. I think he has a lot of great football left in him. And obviously we're only even having this conversation because of the move that the Packers made. If they hadn't made that move, we would never even be thinking to have this conversation. But he's not, it's similar to Tom Brady. Brady. Why would Aaron Rogers go somewhere like the Colts who have an established reputation and and dynasty with two quarterbacks now? I don't say Andrew Luck time was a dynasty, but he, you know, it's Andrew Luck's team and it's Manning's team. He's going to go to the Patriots.

Tom Brady, who's been compared to his entire career, he's going to go to the Patriots and have to deal with that situation. A situation like the Raiders actually makes more sense for Aaron Rogers. If you're going to finish your career out somewhere, similar to what Tom Brady did, go somewhere where you have nothing, no expectations whatsoever, and you can live your best life. That's the situation that Aaron Rogers wants to be in if he is unhappy with the environments in Green Bay and that situation can't work anymore. Agreed, Joy with the news. Well, that's the news.

And thanks for stopping by. The Hurd Lye News. Former NFL scout, NFL player, Bucky Brooks. Thoughts on Aaron Rogers, thoughts on Jared Stidham, $25 million pass rusher. Bucky Brooks next, The Herd. to catch live editions of the herd weekdays in noon eastern 9 a.m. Pacific on Fox Sports Radio, FS1 and the IHeart Radio app. Last night, a blown call changed a game. This morning, the internet lost its mind. Highlights are trending, opinions are flying, and nobody's telling you exactly what

happened. That's where sports slice comes in. I'm Timbo. Every episode, we're cutting through the noise, breaking down the plays, the controversies, and the stories behind the headlines. We go straight to the source, the athlete themselves. Their locker room stories, very 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. SportsSlice brings you closer to the action with stories told by the people who live them. Listen to SportsSlic on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast.

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

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

Join me, Kear Gaines, as we have real conversations about healing, growth, fatherhood, pressure, and purpose on my new podcast, learn the hard way. Open your free, our heart radio app. Search learn the hard way and listen now. 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 42. Hey, rec, my mama wants you to wave at her. What? Where's she at? Hey, Miss Parker. Listen to the Cliverts show on the I Heart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. What's up, fam? It's Isaiah Thomas.

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

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

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

So listen to Point Game on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Former Scout for the Panthers and Seahawks, former NFL defensive, back now Fox Sports NFL analyst, my buddy, Bucky Brooks, catch him on the weekings, Saturday nights with Jonas Knox. All right, you have contacts in the league.

I haven't talked to you in a while. Green Bay drafts a quarterback. What's the signal there? And why didn't they get a wide receiver? What's that signal? So it's a few different things that are at play, Colin. One, you have to understand from an organizational philosophy, the Green Bay factors have always been on the front end of getting quarterback.

That's something that Ron Wolf did. He believed in. And everyone that is in their front office still has tied to the Wolf and the way that it was done. Ron Wolf traded for Brett Farr, gave the first round pick, and took Brett Farbaugh. Ted Thompson, succeeded Ron Wolf, drafted Aaron Rodgers in the first round.

So Brian Goodick was in those rooms. She understands how important it is to have the quarterback and have the next one ready. When Jordan Lug was in range, they made an organization decision, hey, let's get our next quarterback. So now we can have them, we can develop him and groom him,

and we don't have to be one of those teams that's desperately looking for a quarterback when we need one. It's kind of like going to the grocery store with the list as opposed to going when you're hungry. You make better decisions when you go up the list than hand. That's what the Packers did. Aaron needs to play better, though.

Oh, he absolutely needs to play better. I think that's also the thing, because we've romanticized Aaron Rogers and we build him up to be a myth. Like, he's built up in mythical proportions. We refuse to look at the way to be slayed the last three years. In two of those years, he has been injured. And then last year, when you really look at the way to depletion, lowest completion percentage, lowest pass a radius at 2014.

I think what you want to do is you want to be on the front end of when your great players begin to define. And the Green Bay Packers are trying to make sure that the franchise is protected by having the most important position in place for the guy that is ready to be able to do it. You know as a scout, 30% of the first round won't be any good. Certain positions like wide receiver, it's even higher than that. Yet if you and I suggest a first round player could struggle, it's outrageous. I think Joe Burrow is overstated.

I think there's recency bias. What say you on Joe Burrow? I'm not saying bus, but I think we have elevated him to mythological status, and I think he's a good prospect. He's not John Elway. Oh, I agree with that. I think he certainly has been built up. And I think some of the mistakes that we can make when we're evaluating

is we just look at the last season. We don't look at the entire body of work. Joe Burrell was outstanding last year, the best college football season that we've seen at the quarterback position. However, talent-wise, he's not an A-level talent. He is a guy that, when surrounded by great talent, he's a perfect point guard. He can distribute, let those guys go to work. I would kind of liken him to Matt Ryan.

When Matt Ryan has the elevated cast, he plays at a higher level. We say Matt Ryan played an MVP level when everything is right around him. In fact, I would say Joe Burrell is probably more like the guy that he's replacing in Cincinnati, Andy Dawton. Andy Dalton, very early in his career, five straight playoff appearances, won a lot of game. They had a great supporting cast. He looked good. I think Joe Burrow is more in that category than when people talk about Joe Montana and all the other stuff. Like, I think we need to temper that down.

Good player, I'm not ready to say that he's going to take to the world on fire. Yeah, I totally agree. Henry Ruggs worries me as a first round bus. Speed guy, finesse receiver, wasn't the best receiver, in my opinion, on his college team. I think Henry Ruggs could be, you could look up a year from now and go, that didn't work. Your thoughts? Yeah, I think it's very important that when we're evaluating players, we need to evaluate and project them in the role that they played in college, meaning Henry Ruggs was the second or third receiver at Alabama. I mean, Jerry Judy was the number one.

And so to project Henry Ruggs to be the number one, the anchor of the passing game with the Raiders might be a mistake. If John Gruden has a plan for him to kind of be the complimentary player, the vertical stretch player, the guy that can do some things on catch and run passes and someone else is going to anchor it, fine. But when I look at their depth chart, they don't have a true number one receiver. So my fear with Russ is you're projecting him to be a number one receiver and he never plays up to that. It's very similar to, and they're not the same player, but very similar to Tegin Jr., being drafted early. and you're disappointed, but then when he goes other places and he falls back in the role that works for him, he has success and enjoys a 14-year career. It's really important that he plays the right role.

Cam Newton, why can't he find a space? Man, there are a couple things that play with Cam Newton. One, the injuries and the COVID situation have prevented teams from really examining and seeing where he's at. He hasn't been able to work out for teams. He hasn't been able to visit with teams. They haven't been able to kind of check where he is mentally and physically. Secondly, he's a big personality. When Cam Newton steps into your locker room, big personality,

a lot of players are going to gravitate towards him. He's an alpha. If you have a quarterback that is insecure and most quarterbacks are a little insecure with the backup. If the backup is too talented, it makes them nervous. And Cam is talented and has a big personality. It's tough to take it on. And then finally, evaluate it, whatever you thought about Cam Newton prior to him entering the league, those biases still kind of hang in there.

And so if you were never comfortable with this style at Auburn, the way that he carried himself or whatever, it's hard for you to envision him being your backup quarterback. There are a lot of things that play. And we've seen familiarity is really the driving force when it comes to quarterbacks, particularly backups. I don't know how many advocates he has in the league that are saying, hey, bring me cam.

I can figure out how to play with him. By the way, Dax better than Andy Dalton. It's just not a big gap, right? Oh, this is an insurance policy. I think the Dallas Cowboys are doing what most teams should do when it comes to the backup quarterback situation. A lot of teams will get a guy that the OC and the quarterback coach are comfortable

with that know how to do this stuff on the board, but they really can't play. The Dallas Cowboys went and got someone who can play. Andy Dolman is not a high-end starter, but he's a low-end starter, high-end backup. If you're Mike McCarthy, if Dak Prescott goes, down for eight weeks. Andy Dalton can win you enough games with the supporting cast that he has around them. This isn't a threat to DAC, but it's more like the Dallas Cowboys going and getting a high-price insurance policy to ensure that they can make a legitimate run this year. Bucky Brooks, good talking to you, my man. Hope you're staying safe.

Hey, thanks so much, Colin. Talk to you soon. You bet. This Mother's Day, 1-800 Flowers, limited delivery. It's important to lock your order in today. 1-800 flowers, beautiful Mother's Day gifts, bouquets, arrangements, go to 1-800 flowers, click the radio icon, and enter the code, H-E-R-D. Yeah, I mean, listen, it's, if you didn't like Cam going in, you're probably, he's, what's happened is there's certain reasons why I didn't like him, and he's exhibited some of those reasons. So you're like, C, C, C, C, C, C, C, I told you.

And if you like him, you know, Nick Wright likes him. So Nick's like, hey, I thought he was this. C, C, C, C, C, C, C, C, C, C, C, C, a couple years ago he was that. So that's, it's also, you know, what's interesting about the NFL is like, Chicago now is acknowledging Mitch Trubisky was not a great draft pick. Sometimes your GM who drafts a guy doesn't want to acknowledge, I whiffed because you lose jobs, especially for a quarterback. So to bring Nick Foles in by Ryan Pace, the GM of the Bears,

that's a big move. He's acknowledging, yeah, I could have had Deshaun Watson. I went with Trubisky. I still don't get that one. I think Matt Nagy, if he was on the job market, would have another job in 15 minutes. If he ever gets fired in Chicago, he basically can look at the GM and go,

we could have this guy and we got that guy. Sometimes coaches are makeup for average GMs. Hour 3 coming up. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays in noon Eastern, 9 a.m. Pacific. Oh, here we go. Hour 3. The O is entertaining, former NBA air Tom Tolbert in 15 minutes. This is The Hurt. Wherever you may be in, however you may be listening,

Iheart Radio, Fox Sports Radio, FS1, Sirius XM Channel 83. You know, I was having a conversation last night, Joy Taylor, with my wife. And I was saying, you know, that, you know, I feel lucky to be in California. We've been kind of lucky not in the crosshairs to the level of other. communities or states with the coronavirus. Also, for some reason, I have no idea why beach communities have really not been affected much at all in California. Is it the sunlight?

It's more athletic people. They're healthier. Who knows? 15 mile an hour breeze every day on the beach. The wind's not as static. A lot of sunlight. I have absolutely no idea why. Newport, California, about an hour down the beach from me, 1% of their ventilators have been used

at one of their hospitals, one of their popular hospitals. I have no idea why, but I was saying, you know, I feel lucky to be in California that we have space and, you know, we got a lot of sun, we got nice breezes, whatever, blah, blah, blah. But it is, I told my wife last night, you know, there's been over the course of time, people always talk about, you know, the suburbs are boring and let's move to the city. And I said, and I was telling my wife, I said, you know what I think is going to make a comeback? Moving in the suburbs and having a yard, because I think for people that have had space, the virus has been less daunting and jarring just north of New York City, Westchester County.

People have homes and yards. And the virus has not been as impactful as the city in New York when urban living, people are, you know, tight and around each other. So I said, you know, suburbs always get a, you know, a knock because they're boring. And I said, boring may be good going forward. You know, the virus is obviously going to change all sorts of businesses. But now I view. Well, yeah. I mean, when you can go out and be social, you generally want to live closer to.

to where you go out and be social. So now that's cut off and you're stuck in the place that you generally only spend a few hours in sleeping and changing. Yeah, it's a little different experience. But I think you might be on to something. Yeah, the suburbs will make a comeback. People just a little bit more space, a little bit more,

little yard, you know, play with the dogs, little yard, the uncool, not lit, not cool suburbs, make a little bit of a comeback here in the real estate market. You know, we were talking about Joe Burrow and recency bias. And Bucky Brooks is a former scout, and he agrees with me that Joe Burrell is a good prospect. He's a nice prospect. He's not a superstar prospect. Mel Kuyper saying yesterday is better than Trevor Lawrence.

I think it's nonsense. Not a single GM I talk to thinks that. And I also think something happens is that we get recency bias is a real thing. And we get caught up on new and exciting. I'll give you an example. I'm talking to a friend of mine the other day who lives out of the country. and he says, how in the hell are Joe Biden and Donald Trump? Old guys, how are they the finalists?

And I said because the media always likes new and young and fresh and cool or a revolution candidate like Bernie Stan. Not what the public likes. The public likes comfortable. They know Joe Biden. Conservatives know Donald Trump. The media wants you to believe everybody likes the new, cool, better. Mayor Pete. That's what Hollywood likes.

That's what the media likes. Most people are creatures of habit. You eat the same thing for breakfast, one or two, three. One or two things. Very few variations every day. If you go to a restaurant, you have one or two things you order off the menu every single time. Cocktails. It's one of two cocktails.

People like what they know. They know Biden. Nobody endorsed Biden. No cool people endorse Biden. Nobody in Hollywood endorsed Biden. And he's here. because he's comfortable. And we fall in love with new and exciting, and we lose our perspective.

You know, Ricky Martin, remember Ricky Martin, and Ricky Martin came out, and he was cotton candy. And it was not the kind of music that was going to last forever. It was very hot. I can remember going on the air at the other place with Ricky Martin and sang on the air. Like, it's fun, it's cotton candy, it's high energy, it's fluff, it's kind of got a sex appeal, but this is not the Beatles. Like this is not, this is not the Eagles, it's not the Beatles, it's not Marvin Gay, it's

it's cute, it will disappear into the ether. And people in music. No, I'm a musician. I know. Listen to this again. Just listen to this. Does this sound like it's going to be big in 40 years? I'm not with you.

It's sexy, fun, cool. It's not Yeah, that's not It's great. This is a great song. It's a great song. But it ain't Marvin Gay. Okay.

It's not. And so we fought, even people who are smart and no music, it's, we like new and fun and what's recent. And Bob Gibson's a legendary

baseball pitcher. You used to have a saying, he said great baseball catches are like beautiful women. The last one you saw is always the greatest. And it's really true. And I think that's very interesting to think about because Joe Burrow had a great last year

and an average junior year. But none of us, Jordan Love is getting crushed. The Packers are getting crushed. Does everybody understand how good Jordan Love was the year before he came out? 32 touchdown, six picks. Throwing to no NFL guys. Does everybody remember that Sam Donald was way better?

his second year in college, 31 touchdowns 9 picks, then his final year in college. Does everybody get that Jarrett Stiddam was eating up the SEC, 18 touchdown, 6 picks, 151 quarterback rating 67% completion percentage? So Donald Love and Jared Stidham

were great the year before they came out. And in all three arguments, I can make the debate. It was a coaching situation. Joe Burrow didn't do anything until the end, and now people are saying, oh, Joe Burrow is Trevor Lawrence. Recency bias, the Ricky Martin effect.

The last cool, fun, danceable song you hear is the greatest song ever. Doesn't mean it's going to last. I think, I don't know about Jared Stidham. I don't know. But I'll tell you this, he's got a better coach than Joe Burrell. he's got a better owner than Joe Burrow. They have a better front office than Joe Burrow. He's got an easier division than Joe Burrow.

And here is Jordan Palmer who was worked out with Jarrett Stidham before. He's a big advocate. He's at the upper echelon in terms of arm talent, accuracy, spinning it. So from an analytical standpoint, the dude can spin it. But one of the misconceptions about Jarrett, and this happened mainly, and having conversations leading up to the draft two years ago when he came out, was if you flip his sophomore and junior year, he left after his junior year. If you flip those two years, he's a high draft pick.

Sam Darnold, Jordan Love, Jared Stidham, just flipped their years. Baker went over Sam Darnold. Really? Sam Darnold went seven and six last year with mono, with nothing to work with. Baker fell apart, with tons to work with. with. So we had Nick Wright on earlier today. Tom Tolbert, interesting guy, is going to be joining us in a couple of minutes. And Nick Wright has, he likes LeBron. It's not that he doesn't like Jordan, but he's very much a pro-Lebron guy. Whereas I think Michael's the best player I've seen, but LeBron does more things well than any

player I've ever seen. LeBron does, he's the Swiss Army knife of this sport. Physically passing, distributing, rebounding, scoring, teammate. I think, I think LeBron's the, Got more overall aspects to his game that are great, B plus to A. Whereas Michael, just offense, defense, relentless, unbelievable. Not always the best teammate, not really a great passer. Didn't have the range of shooting, I think LeBron does now. But as a relentless player, there's nothing like him, scoring nothing like him. And I was asking, Nick, I said, it doesn't bother me that Michael is brutal to Jerry

Kraus now that he's passed because Michael was brutal with him during their days together. So I'm not seeing a phony and inauthentic Michael. I'm seeing a Michael Jordan who was tough on Jerry Krause when they worked together and he's tough on him now. And I'll take that kind of personality in person over fakes and phonies and posturing people on social media and frauds. And I asked Nick, is it fair? He thinks Jerry Krause deserves more praise, I guess.

While Jerry Krause did seem to really want credit for what Michael and Scotty and Phil did and seem to really always be looking for ways to kind of create wedges within the team. What cannot be forgotten history is Jerry Krause found Scotty Pippen, got Horace Grant, acquired Dennis Rodman, waited three years for Tony Cooch, got Steve Furge, John Paxon. So listen, the guy might have not been as likable. he might have had some personality quirks, all of it. But he did a really underrated job at filling out the rest of that roster. Because when Jordan was first winning MVP's and when he's scoring 35 and then 37 points per game,

those teams weren't winning. I think Jerry Krause never quite understood something that is really important as a general manager. You are the executive face of the franchise. and he was bad with PR and he was bad socially. And he's just one of those guys, as Steve Kerr said, he couldn't get out of his own way. I think he was really good on the stuff you don't see and he was really awful on the stuff you do see.

And you see the general manager of teams outside of the Patriots all the time. Tom Tolbert's coming up next. This Mother's Day, 1-800 flowers, has limited delivery. It's important to lock in your order before Friday. Go to 1-800 Flowers.com, click the radio icon, enter the code Herd. Tom Tolbert next. Be sure to catch live editions of the Herd weekdays in noon Eastern, 9 a.m. Pacific on Fox Sports Radio,

FS1, and the I-Hard Radio app. Oh, just got some very interesting news in our industry. I'm not going to talk about it. All right. There you go. Hold on. Whether you're working from home or working on your fitness, you want to hear your music, not your roommates. Raycon's wireless earbuds.

Where to go, 15% off. Buyraycon.com.com slash heard. Buy raycom. He is transitioned beautifully from athlete to great broadcaster. K&BR, one of the great local radio titans in the country. Two to six, Tom Tolbert. So you're watching this last dance thing, Tom. And you actually were in the 91 Western Conference semis against magic.

And do you face Jordan in the mid-90s in the playoffs? No. But first, Colin, you know me. We've got to start off with it. How are you? How are you? I got to know how you're doing. I mean, I don't ask for candles, but I do ask for top solid and maybe a French dip with some augeu.

That's about it. And after that, I'm good to come. go. Well, I'm looking at stuff right here. Somebody put down your... So, first of all, what's your takeaway in the last dance? It's been good. I know a lot of people think it's been great. I live through a lot of it. I'm real good friends with Steve Kerr, Judd Bushler, so, you know, I've heard a lot of the stories and watched the games and saw the rise of the Jordaners, the Bulls, and kind of watch them go through their struggles in the 80s, but haven't played against them and lived it.

I like it. I think it's very good. I don't think it's great. It's not revolutionary. There's not a ton of stuff in there that I didn't know just because maybe I knew some of the stuff that most people didn't because I had the friends that played for the team. But I do like it. I mean, I don't know if it's a combination of it's, you know, great like everybody says it is. Or it's like sports programming.

And everybody's like, oh, my God, we'll take anything right now. Yeah, right. That is sports programming that we haven't seen before. But look, I watch it every week. I look forward to it. And I think it's very well done. Is there, I mean, the first time you got a glimpse of Michael, or you had to switch off on him, we know that he was long, big hands, athletic.

Some of the video clips, and I lived through it too, but the first time you got a glimpse of him or played against him, was it a little surreal? I mean, was he that much greater than the guy you played with Dominique, Yes. Yeah, he was, that's what makes him, look, I hate to argue who the best player ever was because there's different eras. You know, people want to compare LeBron and Michael all the time, but the eras were totally different. I mean, defenses were different. Offenses were different. The way you played was different. Can you imagine Michael now if you couldn't touch the guy? He'd average 40 a game. And can you imagine LeBron the way he plays defense when he's locked in? If he could be physical and really man, man, he could be physical and really man. handle you while he's playing defense. So, I mean, it's, it's totally different to me. I mean, but Jordan is obviously one of the greatest handful of players in the game. And yes, there was something different about it. And when I switched off on him, I just yelled help. I just like,

you know what? Let me back off of him. And if he makes a jump shot, what the hell? At least he makes a jump shot. I'm trying to try to be drove around me, I'd grab him. If he went up in the air, I'd try to knock him on his ass. And if he shot a jump shot, then I'd just say, what do you want me to do. It didn't happen a lot, but occasionally it would happen. And yes, it more terrifying was when he switched off on you on defense, because I was just trying to get rid of the ball. I was thinking to myself, no good is going to come from this. So either I just shoot it right now where he can't take it from me once I put it on the ground, or I pass it as quickly as I can because I knew if I thought too much about what I should do with it, he was just going to take it away from me, and I didn't need

that. I didn't need the aggravation. Yeah, he was a great defensive player. I was always struck by, I remember hearing his story during his time off that he was in Birmingham. And he put on one of those outfits to make you sweat, like one of those blacktop things. You put them on. And he went through three hours of batting practice in Birmingham. And I thought to my, and I remember seeing that and thinking, there are certain people in my life that can literally play 36 holes of golf, in the extreme humidity in South Carolina in August, and then go out to dinner and have drinks and do it all over again. I am not that person.

There is a relentlessness to Mike, a relentlessness that, I mean, you played with certain guys. Michael's energy bordered on alien. It was just to me, he just had it every single night. Is there anybody comparable? Have you ever played with an athlete like they don't sleep? They can just play. The one guy, Colin, was Chris Mullins, who I played with in Golden State for three years.

And he was a guy that if he only played 24 minutes, usually less than 30 minutes. You'd come in and he'd put on the same thing, those sweat tops, and then he'd go ride the Stairmaster or the bike. And 28 minutes for me, I was like, damn, I needed an ice bath and some beers. And 28 minutes for Chris, that wasn't even really a workout for him. So he just wanted to make sure he got more of a workout in. So, yeah, he was similar in that if he didn't feel like he got the workout that he needed, he would go get extra. And he was always in the gym after practice.

Even if it was a hard practice, he'd do a little bit more, get up a few more shots. I remember we went golfing one time. It might have been after practice. Maybe not. Maybe it was during the off season. Anyway, we go golfing. And he leaves us after nine holes. and so me and my buddy Mark Grabo, who was a trainer on the team at the time,

we're finishing and we see Chris jogging with his dogs, like as we're playing the 13th hole. So he wanted to make sure he got his workout in that day. So he played nine holes with us. And then he went for like a five-mile run with his Akita, and then he went and did some other stuff. He was that way and that he needed it. He wanted it. He craved that kind of stuff. But those guys are different.

They're just, they're different. I mean, Michael's one of those guys that he has the greatest natural ability to go along with the greatest work ethic. There are guys who have great work ethic that don't have great natural ability, and maybe you can stay in the league eight, 10 years. Or you have guys with great talent that maybe don't have the greatest work ethic. I always thought Derek Coleman struck me as one of those type of guys. He had incredible natural talent and probably should have been just as good as Carl Malone was. Except, you know, I don't think D.C. worked quite as hard as Carl Malone did, but you get some all-stars in a nice career and make some nice money. But when you put incredible talent with incredible work ethic, that's when you start getting your birds and your magics and your Jordans and your LeBrons, guys that just have an insatiable desire to go out there and work and be the best.

Is there anything Kobe did better than MJ? Oh, boy. You know what? I didn't play against Kobe. and obviously they were similar. I mean, it always struck me. Not only did they talk the same and they kind of move the same,

somehow or another, the ball went in the same, the bucket the same way. Like on that fadeaway jump shot, the ball seemed to go in the bucket the same way Jordan said. I mean, it was uncanny how much they played alike. But I don't know that there's anything that he did that was better than Jordan.

I mean, you look at Jordan's shooting percentage throughout the course of his career, and he was regularly 53. 53, 52, 54, which is not easy to do for an off guard. And look, he didn't shoot a lot of threes, but you can't tell me that if he didn't grow up in the air of threes, he would have been able to shoot the three. I mean, I just, he could have done anything he wanted to. The game didn't, the game didn't reward that as much back then.

Nobody really cared about the three. It was inside out when I played. Now it's outside in. But, you know, Kobe was great. But as far as I'm concerned, looking at his career and Jordan's career, I mean, and I could be missing something, but they're so similar. And I just think Jordan was, I think Jordan was better at everything on the basketball court than Kobe was. And there's no shame in that.

Is Steve Kerr was a vital part of the Bulls? Judd Bushler was just, he wasn't as much. Do they have similar experiences with MJ, or does one think of MJ more fondly than the other? I like to see, I like to say they're both a vile part of the Bulls, but vital. vile. I mean, you can choose the word. I get it. I know. That's terrible. Not really. I mean, they both have the same story.

Just how driven he was, how driven he was in practice, how he wouldn't let him lose, how in that 72 win season. It could have been a back-to-back and maybe the second of a back-to-back in Utah or Denver or wherever. And they were going to play because Jordan was one of those guys that always felt like, like, someone's coming to watching play. It could be the first time. I want to get out there and play, and I want to be at my best. And you see during the documentary that he just takes these slights, you know, the Marley slight. I know.

It's crazy. Yeah, it's like, I guess that's one of the reasons, you know, you look at his Hall of Fame speech. He talked about the slights in high school and stuff. And you wonder what drives a guy who's, you know, considered the greatest ever. And I guess that's what drives it. He's got to make up stuff. like, oh, oh, he thinks Marley's a good defender. Okay, I'm going to go show him.

It's like, wow, this guy really does that kind of stuff. But I guess when you've achieved so much and you dominate every time you go out there, you've got to figure out a way to get yourself juiced up and ready to go and dominate again. And he had, I mean, when we played him, Colin, I was with Orlando and we played him and he had 64. And we beat him. Shaq had like 29 and 24. It was a game that was on NBA TV, not that long ago. And at the end of the game, I remember thinking, man, he played pretty good.

He must have had close to 40. And I looked up with the score, but he had 64. And I was like, God, dang, 64. And then it kind of dawns on you. That's how good this guy is. Like, 64 doesn't even seem like a huge deal because he scores. He's always regularly in the 30s and 40s, and it's not that big a deal. So when a guy can get 64 and you don't even really notice it that much,

that should let you know what kind of weapon that guy was. Yeah. Tom Tolbert joining us. So your gut feeling on if the NBA comes back. Do you think it will? God, I think it's 50-50 right now. I really do. Here's what I think.

I think if it comes back, it should be playoffs only. And if they have to, because I'd like to see them crowned a champion this year, if they have to just go to the final eight. They don't need 16. When's the last time anybody in the bottom half of the playoffs, made any noise, like really made a run. Maybe there was an upset here, there, Denver beat Seattle one year,

and Memphis beat San Antonio, and then you had the Knicks beat in the heat, and the Warriors beat the Mavericks. But, you know, when it comes right down to it, usually it's your one, two, threes, and four seeds. You might get a five that sneaks in there occasionally, or rogue six, but for the most part. So I'm okay with them just saying, look, let's just go eight,

four side. Let's knock this thing out. We can play best of seven. We don't got to short it to best of five and see if we could find ourselves a champion. Would it be cheapened somewhat? Yeah, I guess. But the playoffs were pretty much set already. There was a few things that could have happened. And again, I just don't think five, six, seven, eight seats. It's not hockey. It's basketball. Those guys don't matter as much. I mean, it's no fun for them. They're not going to make the playoffs. And I know the owners would love to have the the income, so the money always comes into play. But as far as determining a true champion,

I think if you put four in the Eastern, four in the Western, let them fight it out. You'd get your champion. You think most guys want to play? That's a great question. I think the guys who are in first, you know, first and second feel like they have a legitimate chance to win a championship, definitely want to play.

I think Janus would definitely want to play. LeBron, I don't think there's any doubt once to get back there and try to win a ring. I think guys that aren't in the playoffs, there's not a chance in hell they want to play. They do not want to come back and play the last 10 games of the season. Because who knows what guys are going to be looking like? You're going to get guys.

Remember when Sean Kent came back after the lockout that one time? And it looked like Sean Kemp put on about 50 pounds during the break. You may get some of that out there. I mean, it may be a rash of blown ACLs and torn tendons and all kinds of stuff. because I guarantee you guys are straight lounging right now. If you're not in the playoffs, you're just like, grow, I'm on the beach. I'm chilling right now. Hey, we're playing in like two weeks.

Oh, damn. Too bad for me. So, yeah, there is no reason to go back to the regular season because I don't want to see a whole bunch of dudes get out there and get hurt. And the one thing I will say, I am fearful for if they do bring the season back and they just go to the playoffs, I hope it looks like playoff basketball, at least close to it. That'd be my biggest fear if I'm Adam Silver is come back and the basketball just looks like garbage. That's not what you want. You want to at least have because play out basketball is high-intensity basketball.

It's the most fun basketball to watch of the season. You don't want it to come back. It's like, ooh, live sports is here. And then you're watching. It's like, now this sucks. It's terrible. So that's not what you want. So I guess it's a fine line, but I'd like to see a champion if it all possible.

What's your average day like now? I mean, and see where I live in Manhattan Beach, we've had one death of 50 or 60 cases, 36,000 people. It's not, my doctor has tested, you know, a dozen, two dozen people, no positives. It's not, you know, we're all cautious with social distancing, but it's not, it's not New York City. It's a beach community in L.A. And there isn't this, you know, we haven't had the big outbreak. It is in San Francisco, the numbers have been pretty low. What is the average day like in San Francisco?

You know, just I'm right across the bay from San Francisco. In fact, I can see the city from Warren Matt over here in Alameda. So for us, it's just, you know, get up in the morning, hang out, easily, you know, get outside, go for a walk. That's my exercise. And then there's a whole bunch of people on the trail that never used to be there. So you've got to kind of avoid them like traffic cones. You're weaving in and weaving out. Some people have the masks on and some people don't have the masks on.

mask. I went out there a couple of weeks ago. I didn't really have one of those masks. Those surgical masks. So I wore the Michael Myers mask from Halloween. That's the only mask I had. Wow. And it kind of freaked people out when I was walking. I don't know if it kept the germs out or not, but I don't know. It's the best I could do. Well, six, six, six guy or six seven guy with a Michael Myers mask on a, yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. And I had the dickies on and I walked real slow and tilted my head every once in a while. Oh, boy. Yeah. And I probably should. I'd let the knife at home. But after I get home, I try to get home from the walk. I don't know.

We got the setup upstairs. So do the show upstairs with my partner's Rod and Larry. Come downstairs. I have a couple beers, find an old game to watch, maybe find something on Netflix. I've gone through probably 10, 15 documentaries. I watch a damn documentary and a sculptor. That's where I'm out right now. I said, you know what?

It's about time you get cultured. So I watched a documentary on a sculptor, and that'll be the last documentary I watched on a sculptor. Although it was fairly fascinating. Although I will recommend peeky blinders to you, if you haven't seen that one on Netflix. Yeah, that one's awesome. That one I didn't know about before this, and I watched it. And once I started it, it took me about four episodes to really kind of get going, and then that was one of those 3 a.m. shows where I just stayed up every night until 3 a.m.

until I knocked it out. I love that show. Great show. Tom Tolbert, K&BR, good talking to you, bud. Colin, I finally know the answer to my question before I came on here. I said, I wonder how long it would take Colin, who's been around the business forever and knows a lot of people. I wonder how long it would take him to go through his rolodex. And now that you finally hit me, we have the answer, seven weeks.

Stop. Be safe, Colin. All right, buddy. See you. Tom Tolbert, funny guy. He played at Arizona. He was an Arizona guy with Steve Kerr. Man, Kerr's had an incredible career.

Executive coach, broadcaster, player. I mean, seriously. I mean, like Phil Jackson's like that. Player for the next teams, coach. They went to kind of a scrappy executive. By the way, Kerr was a decent executive, not great. Phil Jackson didn't work as an executive. Not all his fault.

The executive thing's harder than you think. If you can play, you can play. And I think smart guys can coach. The executive thing, it's hard, man. the best executives in the NFL and the NBA, Jerry West, Pat Riley, didn't Pat Riley draft Shabazz Napier? I mean, it's hard.

You're guessing college to pro. I was trying to tell you that yesterday. You're like, oh, just be an NFL GM. No, I said I wanted to be. I didn't think I'd be great at it. I mean, I would have no problem. You know, I could tune the fans out and media out. I always wondered how I deal with the media,

because I watched people deal with the media. I would be very manipulative. I would plan my press conferences, but I don't think I'd suffer fools. I mean, I wouldn't deal with the media well. Is this you pre-being America's media icon? Yeah, I did. Or if you transition now having had the experience that you had.

I've been America's media icon for a long time. Right. And what I find with the media is, I would probably find a couple guys in the local market I trusted and give them information and the rest of the stuff I wouldn't care about. but I would be very, I would go up. Like when I see Donald Trump do two hours at these press conferences,

I'd be up and out of there in like four minutes. I'm not giving the media anything. In general, less is more. Yeah, I mean, these GMs that just extemporaneously talk and they're not playing. I'd go up, I'd have two talking point hit them. Any questions? I wouldn't even, I'd go any quack. I'm out.

I would give the media nothing. Nothing. I'd be no, I wouldn't be nice like Chris Ballard or Daryl. These nice guys. They're just talking all the time. I'd be brutal with the media. Pretend you have the sound effects like the media. Tomorrow I should just pretend I'm a general manager.

Just any general manager? Yeah, just if I would. Different general manager jobs get different questions. And you can be the report. You and Goulet can be the pesky reporters. And I would tell you totally how I would act. In general, if you are, you don't have to be nice, but if you are agreeable with the media,

it generally gets you a little further, especially at the GM position. Joy with the news. Turn on the news. This is the herd line news. Perfect transition. Before the draft, the Steelers GM, Kevin Colbert, suggested that the league add three more rounds this year. And he explained to pro football talk why he wanted those rounds.

I did make that suggestion. Why don't we think about three extra rounds? And the reason was part of it was selfish. You know, you wanted to have a safety net because we're dealing. with less information and more picture at it. Maybe you have a little bit of a safety net again. But the other thing was it would give the young player, the marginal player who didn't get his opportunity

to go to a pro day and to perform. That opportunity, you know, maybe there would be more players drafted and then those players then again have the chance that they might want to get. He also said he was disappointed that that suggestion and leaked because the conference calls about draft ideas were supposed to be confidential. But I do agree with him. There were a lot of players, especially players from small schools that benefited from those

pro days that were certainly affected by the draft. But I think we both agree the draft, at least on our end, as a viewer, went, I mean, it couldn't have gone better. It was perfect. I don't know. I haven't talked to any GMs or front office people to know how they went for them behind the scenes. As far as we know, everything technically was okay.

how it's going to end up playing out. We don't know. But as we've been talking about all day, the draft three years ago, the top 10 in the 2017 draft, top 10 picks, half of them are not getting their fifth year extension. So what's the excuse for that year?

It's hard. The draft is hard. The one thing I will say that I agree with him is that the fringe players and marginal players that were affected by Pro Day, there's going to be a lot more evaluation that's going to have to happen for them, the undrafted rookies that are coming in.

But once this is all lifted, they will figure that out. Jonathan Taylor can play. Running back Wisconsin. I'll make a guarantee. I don't need to see his pro day. He'll be a nice pro. Well, yeah.

I mean, the pro days for players like that, that's kind of silly. He's more referring to players that, you know, are trying to raise their draft stock or players from smaller schools. So Cam Newton's been on the market for over a month since his release from the Panthers. Greg Olson, who was released in February, had a chance to visit teams and sign with the Seahawks before everything shut down.

He thinks that Cam has been at a disadvantage because of how late. he was made available. Getting released after the lockdown was put in place. I think really limited his chances of teams, A, seeing that he was healthy and B, just having a conversation with your potential new quarterback. And I think that's been a challenge for him. I just hope that as things continue to open up and life sort of starts resembling some normalcy again, that he can start checking some of those boxes because he's too good of a player to not be on a team right now. I think there can be multiple things true about the Cam Newton situation. I think that the injuries can really not be a factor.

If this wasn't going on, they would bring him in to evaluate him. And I think he's fine as far as that goes. We know what his potential is. We know what his talent level is. That can also be true. People can have their opinions about what he is as a star and how he handles press conferences or his outfits or whatever. All of these things can be true.

But I also think that the environment and the market matters as well. timing, as Greg Olson said. He wasn't able to go out and meet with teams and all this happens. The fact that the market is saturated, the fact that a lot of teams that may have needed a backup already got starting quarterbacks as backups, James Winston, Marcus Marriota, Dallas Cowboys. So there's a lot of things, a lot of factors working in it,

not just that I think people may, some teams may have some reservations about whether Cam Newton fits in their system or not. We'll talk more about the story this afternoon on Joy Chat at 3.30 Eastern on caffeine, free app go download it and subscribe to the fox sports channel finally tom tibodeau has been out of the league since the timber wolves fired him in early 2019 but he's getting some interest as a head coach again he has already been a potential candidate for the nix coaching job according to the new york post the nets and the rockets also have a strong interest in tibodeo we know that mike dantonies contract

with the rockets expires after this season i don't uh tibodos said this morning on first take that They're just rumors. I don't really love Thibodeau in New York. I think Tailu is a much better fit for that organization and for Katie and Kyrie. Are we sure Thibadil's a good head coach? He's a good assistant. Are we sure he's a good head coach? Well, he's a, I mean, in eight seasons, he had six playoff appearances.

He's 352 and 246. I mean, the thing about Thibodeau that I don't, I don't love is he has a, he has a reputation of really being a grinding players down. And I don't know if that necessarily fits in the new NBA. I think he's very well respected around the NBA. But I just, I think that he would just be a, I think Tyloo would be a better fit with Katie and Kyrie in the Nets. I mean, for, for many reasons, but I know Katie and Kyrie, they, they worked with Tibado at Team USA. They reportedly respect him. But I, I just again, think that Tai Lu is a better fit there. Now, the Rockets, that's, that's kind of interesting, but we'll have to wait and see what happens with that organization.

Joy with the news. Well, that's the news. And thanks for stopping by. The Hurd-Lie news. NFL schedule comes out tomorrow. So Vegas has given you, Fox Bet, has given you the over-unders, and that tells you, they're telling you what they think the standings will look like.

We did the AFC yesterday. We'll do the NFC today. What Fox Bet and Vegas are telling you the standings will look like and how I would change them. That's next. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd. Weekdays and noon Eastern. 9 a.m. Pacific on Fox Sports Radio, FS1, and the IHeart Radio app.

May 17th, it's the day we've all been waiting for as NASCAR returns. Don't miss the historic green flag and the return of live racing as NASCAR is back Sunday, May 17th on Fox. By the way, I watched the UFO special last night. It was so bad. I only believe in two UFO sightings in the history of the world that I think are legitimate. it. One is the one that the Pentagon released, those little bugs flying on the water. I mean, that's, there's not much you can say. That's, that's kind of

interesting. And the 2006 Chicago O'Hare Airport incident where there's pictures of it and nobody can figure out what the hell it is and there's a saucer right over a plane. And there's pictures. Yeah, it's only two, everything else is a bunch of nonsense. But I mean, you do believe in aliens.

No, I don't believe in aliens. What? I've worked with people who I think have alien-like qualities. But I don't believe in aliens. So we're the only creatures in the whole universe. Yeah. There's plants and stuff. It's a bit egotistical.

Well, I've got an enormous ego. Who knows that if there are aliens, they could have bigger egos than us. They always show aliens with big heads. That's true. They've got big egos and, you know, big brains. A lot going on. Yeah. All right. So yesterday I did the AFC, today, the NFC.

So Fox bet the overunders are out. So I'll show you how they, based on their overunders, think the division will finish, and I've already given you my over-unders the records I think teams will have. So here we go. Let's start with the NFC East. Fox Bet believes Dallas and Philadelphia tie for the division, then New York and Washington. I think Philadelphia wins the division. Dallas lost too many people from their leading sack maker to their best corner, to Travis Frederick, a Hall of Fame center, to Randall Cobb and a new coach. So I think there's only one playoff team, in my opinion, in that division, and it's the Philadelphia Eagles.

And frankly, I think the Giants could be a little bit of a tire fire because they have a new coach, new coordinators. And I just don't know if Joe Judge can coach. But I got Philadelphia winning, Dallas, New York, Washington, non-playoff teams. Okay, Fox Bet thinks the Green Bay Packers win their division, Minnesota 2nd, Chicago, 3rd, Detroit, 4th. I think Minnesota had a better roster last year and got significantly better in the draft. I think Minnesota drafts really, really well. Justin Jefferson, slot-wide receiver, Jeff Gladney, Ezra Cleveland, a left tackle. I just think Minnesota was a better roster last year and got better.

And so I think Minnesota wins the division. Green Bay is a team that will vie for a playoff spot. They're legitimate. I'm not saying they're not. Green Bay is a playoff team. I have them in, and then Chicago, 500 in Detroit. All right, NFC South, the over-underers. Fox Bet sees New Orleans winning, then Tampa, Atlanta, and Carolina.

I think the single easiest NFC bet on Fox Bet. I have New Orleans winning Tampa next to Carolina and Atlanta. I do not see it as a rebuild for Carolina. I think Carolina is a 500 team. they're over under is five and a half. I think it's the easiest NFC win. I have Carolina over five and a half. First of all, they had a great free agency period.

Teddy Bridgewater, Robbie Anderson, Russell O'Coon. Then they went and got two of the best three defensive front players in Derek Brown and the Penn State defensive end. And I think Matt rules the kind of guy that's going to take their already really good offensive players like Curtis Samuel, DJ Moore, and Christian McCaffrey and elevate all of them. I think Carolina's a real team this year. I don't buy.

They're a mess. And finally, NFC West, Fox Bet has the Niners winning Seattle next, L.A. next in Arizona. I have Seattle winning. I think Seattle is the number one seat in the NFC at 12 and 4. I think they added a top corner in Quentin Dunbar, Greg Olson, Bruce Irvin. And to be honest with you, like their defensive draft. and if it was not for running backs getting hurt last year, I think they beat Green Bay and give,

they were really a good team and give San Francisco fits. I think San Francisco has a little Super Bowl hangover early in the year, but is good. Then L.A., I think L.A. has just had too many losses, too many new coordinators, too many new coaches, too much movement, and I don't think they're very deep. And then Arizona is interesting, but they rounded out. So my playoff teams,

there'll be seven, will be Seattle, Philadelphia, New Orleans, Minnesota win their division, then the Niners, Tampa Bay and Green Bay. I don't like Dallas as much as Fox bet. That's about it. There you go. Listen, I got nothing against the alien community. There's only two pieces of UFO video I've ever seen in my life. The Pentagon stuff, you know, when they released, there was a couple pieces of video,

the little thing flying a zillion miles an hour. There's no, I don't have any dispute on that. It's not a Frisbee. And the O'Hare, Chicago O'Hare, airport 2006. But how can you think those are legit and then not believe in aliens? Because I think people fake stuff and I think there's like glare and cars in the distance and you know there's aircraft up there. Yeah just UFO means unidentified but those two are aliens outside of that the rest of it's nonsense. We'll see you tomorrow. Last night a blown call changed a game this morning the internet

lost its mind and nobody's telling you exactly what happened. That's where sports slice comes in. Timbo, in every episode, we're cutting through the noise, breaking down the biggest moments in sports and giving you the real story behind the headline. And we're going straight to the source, the athletes themselves, their locker room stories, their reactions in the moment, and the stuff

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

or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, what's good, y'all? You're listening to Learn the Hard Way with your favorite therapist and host? care 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 AHA radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast.

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Hey, rec, my mama want you to wave at her. What? Where's she at? Hey, Miss Parker. Listen to the Clifford Show on the Ironwood show on the Iron. Heart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. This is an IHeart podcast. Guaranteed human.