The Herd with Colin Cowherd - NFL's opening day buzz crushes MLB; PI rule change good for gamblers; Josh Rosen severely undervalued

Episode Date: March 29, 2019

Subscribe here to the 3 and Out with John Middlekauff Podcast https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/3-and-out-with-john-middlekauff/id1352730623?mt=2.  In this episode, Middlekauff looks at the lack of buzz surrounding MLB's opening Day compared to the NFL's; why he thinks the league's changes to the pass interference rule are good for gamblers, why Josh Rosen is the NFL's most undervalued player, and answers listener questions in Middlekauff's Mailbag. Follow John on twitter @JohnMiddlekauff and go to www.theherdnow.com to find the latest content. Subscribe now! Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 headlines. 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 AHA radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. I'm Michelle McPhee,

and I've been unraveling the strangest criminal alliance I've ever reported on, a Mormon polygamist and an Armenian businessman. Multimillion dollar house, Ferraris and Lamborghinis, private jets, a billion dollar fraud. But how long can this alliance last? Tell me what you know. Is somebody coming after me? Listen to Kingdom of Fraud on the IHart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Do you own or rent your home?

Sure you do. And I bet it can be hard work. You know, it's easy. Bundling policies with Geico. Geico makes it easy to bundle your homeowners or renter's insurance along with your auto policy. It's a good thing, too, because... You already have so much to do around your home.

Go to geico.com, get a quote, and see how much you could save. It's Geico easy. Visit geico.com today. That's guyco.com. There's a recipe for getting your car running just right. And eBay Motors.com has all the ingredients you need. They have over 122 million car parts and accessories in stock, all at the right prices. Now that's tasty.

eBay motors.com. Let's ride. This episode is brought to you by Royal Caribbean, an award-winning global cruise line. A vacation is what you make it. So are you ready to make the most of it? A Royal Caribbean Adventure is the perfect opportunity to not just take a vacation,

but to take it for all its worth. We know you're eager to get back out there, and with Royal Caribbean, you can own that moment and rise to the vacation. This is not just a cruise. This is the biggest, boldest vacation on land or at sea. With over 270-plus destinations from the Caribbean, Alaska to Europe and the biggest ships in the world to take you there.

Each one of our cruises is packed full of onboard features. You won't find anywhere else. A Royal Adventure is taking your vacation to the fullest. Come seek the Royal Caribbean. Visit Royal Caribbean.com to learn more. What's going on? John Middellcock, free and out podcast. Back at it again.

I'd say a big week. I wouldn't say a big week. I'd say a solid week. Got a couple topics, things I'm fired up on, things I'm hot on. And then the Middilcoff mail bag, you know, we always get into that. We'll talk about the new PI rule. I disagree with Colin Coward a little bit. I know he thinks it's a big overreaction.

I think it's a sound and solid decision. And I think just simply it had to happen. I think the NFL made the right decision. We'll get into that in a minute. It feels like rumors are kind of growing. I know Colin said on a show, I'm recording this on Thursday. He said Thursday morning that he thinks Josh Rosen in the next couple days going to be gone.

I know Clatt said the other day that it's the Patriots, the Chargers, and the Giants going to trade for him for Josh Rosen. And then that would, if Josh Rosen's traded, clearly that means we know who the number one pick's going to be. Kyler Murray. I think it's pretty fascinating. I just saw a pretty sweet video. Mike Vrable, who goes to these pro days and basically becomes a player again, was doing like line drills with Ed Oliver. He's just, Mike Vrable's a bad. He's like the one guy in the one coach in the league that looks like he could still play,

the one head coach, at least there are some former players that are coaching that look pretty good too. But I got to start with this. And also we'll end with the Middilkoff mailbag. You can always get a question in on this show. The easiest way to get a hold of me is either on Twitter or Instagram, DMs wide open and Instagram at John Middlecoff. Those are all my handles. J-O-H-N, Middlecough.

You just look it up on the podcast. You see how I spell it. And slide up in those DMs. me anything and I will answer it right here. We do it every single week, the Middokov Mailback. It's actually a favorite part of the podcast, get to interact with you guys listening. And you guys send me emails and stuff.

Emails on my Twitter handle, J.Mittal 7-5, you ever have something a little longer you want to send? I'm easy to get a hold of. But today I got in the background, the Giants Against the Padres, opening day in baseball. I don't even think most people knew that opening day in baseball was today. March 28th, which actually feels a little early. I always thought it was like early April, but March 28, baseball is back, and no one really knew.

And football, the league office has taken a lot of shit over the years for disciplinary decisions, which I thought at certain points in time, and I'm not a huge Roger Goodell guy, but I'm not anti-Rogadale. He clearly has some positives. His job is to work for the owners and make them money. And you can't really argue that he has not done. his number one job because he's made them all a ton of cash. If I was in the NFL and I was in some sort of ownership stake, whether it be the majority owner or a silent minority owner, I would be happy with Roger Goodell because he has made me a lot of coin and that is his number one role.

Now, we can argue all we want about his role as a disciplinarian. You know, you should get out of that business, but like when he took over, the league had somewhat of a perception problem. with violence and a lot of guys getting arrested. And so we overcorrected a little bit. And I think sometimes we lose touch. Like, it wasn't him that hit Ray Rice's wife in the face. That was Ray Rice. You know, he wasn't the guy that slammed the girl on the bed with a bunch of guns.

That was Greg Hardy. Now, he screws up a lot of the punishments, at least to the public. But I think sometimes we forget it's not him. But the one thing he benefits from, and I say this all the time about the NFL, The hardest thing to do in 2019 is to get our attentions. I'm an older version of a millennial, and I am just, it's hard to keep my attention. Even when I watched the Green Book, I ordered the movie last night, which is a pretty good movie, but half the movie I'm screwing around on my phone.

I'm checking Twitter, looking at Instagram, playing, listening to some songs on YouTube. Like, I just got this phone in my hand. And again, I'm not saying it's a healthy way to live, but it's just the way we all live. And it's not just a young or an old thing. Anywhere you go, you get on, I got public transit around the Bay Area, you get on public transit. It's not just like old people have newspaper on the hand. No, they all have phones now. And it's hard to keep your attention.

And football's lucky, you only play once a week. And the sport has always been very conducive to gambling. It's easy to keep our attention. But they've also really benefited. And I've been saying this for years. I was born in the mid-80s. So I never got to really experience live. Now, I've seen all the documentaries and both.

these two players are two of my favorites just from watching them like YouTube and, you know, NBA classics. But Magic and Bird, I didn't experience it. And most people will tell you that did experience it, they helped take the NBA to whole entire new levels financially and just elevated the sport. Well, growing up to me, baseball and football were kind of on par. Like I actually think when I, in the mid to the late 90s, Jordan was probably the biggest sports star in America. But I think, you know, like Ken Griffey Jr. was every bit as big as any football player, whether it be Brett Far, Steve Young, Jerry Rice.

Like, Ken Griffey Jr. was a rock star. That doesn't exist right now in baseball. But the one thing football had in the early 2000s that then propelled itself for the next 15-plus years was the magic and bird rivalry of the NFL. And it was Peyton and Brady. Two biggest stars of their generation. And they were great. I mean, you've got the best quarterback ever and probably a top five quarterback ever that played each other at minimum once a year and usually twice a year because they met in the playoffs.

And then even when he went to Denver, they stayed in the same conference. They played once a year because Peyton was always to win the division. Then they played multiple times in the playoffs. So when you look at the sport of football, like they have a lot of things going for them that baseball doesn't. It's the sport every day. There's this narrative that gambling, legalized gambling is going to help out baseball. Listen, I'm 34 years old. I've been gambling pretty consistently since 16-17,

but I only started betting on sports, probably deal 20-21 when I was in college. Baseball sucks to gamble on. Football is by far the best sport to gamble on. I can gamble a little bit on golf right now. That's actually not a bad sport to gamble on either. Basketball, the regular season sucks. Playoffs can be fun. Obviously March Madness is fun.

Baseball is not fun to gamble on, besides maybe the playoffs. The regular season sucks. And the majority of baseball is the regular season. season. Their business model is a six-month regular season. That's when they make all their money. But one thing they don't have going for them that the NFL really has going for them is the players are active on social media and market themselves. Like for as much credit as the NFL gets, you can see them everywhere. They're always on television. Well, one of the reasons all these shows and people like me talk about them is because people consume it. You guys listen. If you didn't,

I would talk about something else. I would be forced to because I wouldn't be able to. be in business. But the one thing they're players, like more than ever now, players should go direct to consumers. Like, Tom Brady doesn't need a marketing campaign. You know what he does? He does his own marketing campaign after every game on Instagram, which I personally look forward to. Tom Brady's become

one of my favorite follows on Instagram. He does the less fucking go thing after a big win. He does like a 30-second mashup. It's awesome. Peyton Manning went on Saturday Night Live, you know, 10 years ago, and it was like the best Saturday Night Live of the last 20 years. He's an elite marketer and all the young quarterbacks now and Odell Beckham to the world are very active on

social media. They do a great job. Now it's so for some selfish reasons, but it also benefits to sport of football just being marketers. They're like independent marketers of their own little brand. The NBA guys are really good at it. I mean I've, Steph Curry has tweeted before every game for the last like seven years. Every game. Like baseball, and I'm down on baseball in the sense that I just don't think young people are really locked in. I love the sport and I don't even care really about opening day. But their players do a piss poor job of making the sport feel big. Now, I get it. You play every day. It wears you out. It's harder to be active on social media. In football, you actually have a lot of downtime. 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, 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 all. healing, growth, fatherhood, pressure, and purpose on my new podcast, Learn the Hardway. Open your free iHeartRadio app. Search Learn the Hardway and listen now. Jacob Kingston grew up in an isolated polygamous sect. We were God's chosen kingdom on earth. He felt destined for greatness. So when a swaggering Armenian businessman catapults Jacob into an extraordinary world, he doesn't look back.

Ferraris and Lamborghinis, private jets, meeting the president of Turkey. I'm Michelle McPhee, and this is one of the most shocking criminal conspiracies I've ever come across. When Jacob met Levant this plant to a billion dollar fraud. But with two kings from entirely different worlds, just how long can their empire survive? The largest tax investigation in American history. You need to tell me what you know. Is somebody coming after me? Jacob told Levan, you're ruining my life. Listen to Kingdom of Fraud on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast.

Life throws hurdles big and small. The question is, how do you conquer them? On Hurtle with Emily Abadi, we sit down with the most inspiring women in sports and wellness, professional athletes, coaches, and Olympic champions to talk about the challenges that shaped them and the mindset that keeps them going. From the WNBA standout, Kate Martin and rising hockey star Layla Edwards. If a boy can do it, I don't see why a girl can't. Like, I've never understood that. Like, it didn't make sense in my brain.

It's hard to be in spaces that no one looks like you, but don't ever feel like you don't feel like. Don't let that be the reason you don't do it. An Olympic champs, Gabby Thomas and Katie Ledecki. The ability to show a gold medal to someone and have their face light up and smile, that means the world to me. And that's what motivates me to win more gold medals. At our level, at this scale, like being able to feel.

fail in front of the entire world. Like, I can do anything. I can do anything. Because resilience isn't just about winning. It's about showing up, even when it's hard. Listen to Hurtle with Emily Abadi on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Presented by Capital One, founding partner of IHart Women's Sports.

You only play once a week. You got six days. It's the one sport where you practice way more than you play. In baseball, you never practice. You just play. Basketball kind of somewhere in the middle, you still play more than you practice. But in football is unique, they got a lot of downtime. So I'm not saying it's all apples to apples.

But the one thing football really has going for it, and it's only getting stronger as all these young guys come in the league, God, it feels like their players are accessible. God, it feels like their players just really care. And it just kind of feels like they're having fun with it all. They interact with people. They interact with each other on social media. And you can't put a price on that type marketing.

And for all the fans that are already playing fantasy football, they're gambling on the game. We're all following these guys. I mean, I've been following Russell Wilson on Twitter for 10 plus years. He's great. Now, he's kind of cheesy at times, but he's active. All the young quarterbacks from Derek Carr to, now Josh Allen, these guys, I just feel their presence on social media,

and you can't say the same for baseball. And while the sports feel like they're in two different trajectories, that's one element that you don't hear talked about anywhere else. but in this day and age to grab attention, you don't just need to buy ads and, you know, to have your games on. Like, you do need some help from your employees. And the employees in football or any sport are your athletes. And the more active they are, the more that helps your product.

And football's in a great place because these guys just kind of get it. And I can't really say the same thing about baseball players. Do you own or rent your home? Sure you do. And I bet it can be hard work. You know, it's easy, bundling policies with Geico. Geico makes it easy to bundle your homeowners or renters insurance along with your auto policy. It's a good thing too because you already have so much to do around your home.

Go to Geico.com, get a quote, and see how much you could save. It's Geico easy. Visit geico.com today. That's geico.com. Can I tell you about my friends at Shopify? It's the sound of another sale on Shopify, the all-in-one commerce platform, to start, run, and grow your business. Shopify gives entrepreneurs the resources once reserved for big business, so upstarts, startups, and established businesses alike

can sell everywhere, synchronized, online, in-person sales, and effortlessly stay informed. Scaling your business is a journey in endless possibility. I love how Shopify has the tools and resources that make it easy for any business to succeed, from down the street to around the globe. Like mine, Shopify powers millions, millions of businesses from first scale to full scale. Reach customers online across social

networks and in an ever-growing suite integrations and apps, including Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Pinterest, and even more. Gain insights as you grow with detailed reporting of conversion rates, profit margins, and beyond. More than a store, Shopify grows with you. This possibility powered by Shopify. Go to Shopify.com slash John, that's all lowercase, for a free 14-day trial and get full access to Shopify's entire suite of features. Grow your business with Shopify today.

Go to Shopify.com slash J-O-H-N, Shopify. Shopify.com slash John. I'm always upgrading my car. Not because I need to, because I want to. Today, it's custom rims from my ride. Tomorrow, it might be a new driver's side seat cushion.

And eBaymotors.com always has what I need. They've got over 120. 22 million car parts, all at the right price. That's perfect for me, because I'm a car guy. Are you still in the garage? It's two in the morning. Almost done. Okay, I'm a car fanatic. eBay Motors. Let's ride.

Okay, let's dive into the rule change, which I guess I didn't quite grasp it, but listen to Peter King and reading Albert Breer had a really good article on it. Peter was talking about, I listened to Peter King's podcast. a couple days ago before the rule passed, and I think he was just resigned to the fact that no chance the rule was going to get passed. Now, my favorite rule, the fourth and 15 rule, which I think I might have talked about on Monday, maybe it was last week, didn't have a chance, not a snowball chance in hell. But, you know, the PI rule, I heard Colin this morning, and he thought it was one big overreaction. And I got to be honest, I don't think I could disagree more.

as someone that gambles on these games and gets so angry consistently with the officials when it comes to PI because they call it in the worst spots it's like getting mad at a basketball game with shitty foul calls it just drives you nuts and one thing I've always hated and this didn't get changed

was that defensive holding is an automatic first down now I've gotten used to defensive holding because I watched the Niners and the Raiders a lot these last four or five years and their defensive backs have been 10 terrible. So the defensive holding happens a lot. But I also think it's often a bailout. But to me, past interference, and I think that should have just been moved to five yards. So if it's third nine and your DB holds a guy, it shouldn't be an automatic first down. Now, if it's third and

nine and he holds a guy, then you've got third and four. I'm all for that. I despise the automatic first down. But when it comes to PI, listen, anytime a call, I'd say anything in life that's subjective, it's not going to be black and white. It's going to be difficult. There's going to be gray area. Anytime you're dealing with athletic endeavors, like a wide receiver and a corner, two humans that typically run are the fastest players on the field, it's difficult.

Tracking a ball in the air, guys kind of making contact, but is it over the top? It's hard. But I've always believed, and Belichick's been the biggest proponent of this, you should be able to challenge everything. Now, like Peter King and Albert wrote this too, they're not adding more challenges.

So the challenges stay the same. You have two challenges when the game starts. You have two. That's it. You don't get now unlimited challenges. So if you want to challenge a PI in the first quarter, that's on you. If you want to save your challenges for late in the game, now to me there's somewhat of a strategy for the challenges.

But for the integrity of the game, for the amount that's on the line for the game, and I'm not even talking about the Sean Payton, New Orleans Saints play. That's not what I'm talking about. I'm just talking, because I don't think they had any more challenges. That play would have stood because I don't think they could have challenged the play. Could be wrong on that one. But I don't even know why I think that I heard someone say that.

But I never have an issue with something that's blatant, like there was no PI to be able to challenge it because we see it consistently happen. We saw it happen a ton last fall where referees were dictating the game. And in spots that are just blatantly obvious. Now, there are always going to be calls, like in the AFC championship game. That call against Julian Edelman did it touch his finger or not touch his finger. I thought they got it right, but if you would have overturned it, I wouldn't disagree. There's always going to be calls that could probably go other ways.

Or, you know, either way. But there are also going to be pretty obvious calls. Like D. Ford in that game also. He was off sides. So if technically, let's say, and I think this is where we're heading, you're going to be able to challenge everything. Coach Reed could, you know, I think where we're headed, throw a challenge on that play. He was off-sides. Now, I don't think he would have challenged it, but you should be able to challenge every call.

Isn't that the ultimate? I love hearing this and seeing this. It's about the speed of the game, the integrity, you know, keep the game moving. We don't want four-hour games. No, what we want is for the game to have be right. We want the right team to win or the right team to lose, especially for us that have money on the game. Especially for fans that dedicate a lot of their kids. time and energy for watching the team.

Again, I think we all, now, again, I'm no longer and it sucks, the longer you're in the media. I got like this when I started working in the NFL. I grew up a Niners fan, but then when I worked for the Eagles, I just stopped caring. And now, once I left the Eagles and just came back to the media, I don't, I root for players and coaches I know. I don't even have a team anymore. Honestly, I hope the Niners and Raiders win because it's good for my business. This, I talk about everything, so it really doesn't matter.

I'm just rooting for good stories. I like crazy trades. I like guys getting suspended. I like craziness. Because that's what you guys like to listen to. And I like good games. But I also like as someone that gambles on the sport now, I hate losing a game where it feels like the right thing was not called.

And again, there are going to be situations consistently this year where a ref screws up and the coach is not going to have a challenge flag. So I saw Someone say that it's still going to be a big issue because commentators are going to talk a lot about it But you know what I'd argue? That's on the coach and we already get on coaches when you waste challenges on plays and this happens a lot That are clearly not going to go in your favor So right when we see the coach throw the red flag out we're like oh this idiot

This is this is never going to get overturned Like you need to now be even more locked in with your challenge plays because of the repercussions it has with losing a challenge late in the game now that you can factor this in. Because late in the game, if you're in a tie game, and I remember hearing Tom Coughlin say once, I think it's like 88% or 85% or somewhere 85% to 90% of NFL games are one-score games heading into the fourth quarter.

This is not college football. There aren't as many blowouts as you think. Most games are relatively close heading into the last 15 minutes of the game. So having your challenge late in the game, now that you have the ability to overturn past interferences, and again, that's still going to be subjective, but that's going to be a powerful thing. So whatever your setup is, your coach up in the box that tells you to challenge or not challenge the play, I'd argue it needs to be more locked in than ever. Because you have this new wrinkle, and we see it.

all the time, you know, of just PI calls where we go, oh my God, that was PI. Now, I'd have to do a little more research if they don't throw the flag. Can you challenge a play? Because we see this more often than not. A PI

is not called where it is PI. Can you challenge that? Because if you can, then that's a pretty big deal. I mean, imagine a tight game, five minutes left, tie game, you're at the 50 yard line. You hit a deep go route and the dude commits past interference and they don't call it. Well, if you can challenge that and then they give you the ball at the 10-yard line and now

there's four minutes and 20 seconds left and you're in the driver's seat to win the game. I think this is going to have positive implication. I don't think there's anything negative about it. Now, is there going to be a trial and error period early on? For sure. But it's like that with all rules. So as Colin was saying, they overreacted to one thing. but I think they had to over, you had to have,

this has been something that Belichick has been a proponent of for 10 years, he's the smartest guy in the league, or maybe even longer than that, forever, ever since replay came in. If you're going to have replay, you might as well be able to replay everything. Why are we picking and choosing these arbitrary things? You know, you can challenge a catch,

but you can't challenge holding. You can challenge this, and now you can challenge subjective things, and you could argue that even, you know, where you are the placement of a ball like on a, is it a first down, is it not a first down? Is somewhat subjective? Especially when you talk about

goal line situations or short yard situations where you can't see the ball. We've all seen it happen a ton of times in the last five years. It's like, did he get the first down? Did he not get the first down? Some are obvious. But I'd say for everyone that's obvious,

there's two that are like, I don't know, that could go either way. It's tough. So I understand that the job of these referees is difficult as someone that gets on the referees and thinks that they often do a piss poor job, I get that it's hard. It is not an easy thing to do. It would be a job.

I wouldn't wish it upon myself. I wouldn't want to do it. The pressure that's on you, how hard it is, how fast the game is. But that's what replay's for. So in the biggest situations, you can overturn something. You can go to replay. I think that basketball does a good job of this, and you see it a lot in the tournament. you see it in the NBA,

when there's a tip ball and a ball out of bounds and it's clear that it went out the wrong guy and they're giving it to the wrong team, the player will put his finger up and start kind of twirling his finger, like in a circular motion. Like, go to the replay. I think we should do that more often in football.

Because the goal of this I get is to entertain, and that's why I have a job and why you guys are like it enough to listen about football. This is all entertainment. I get it. But with the amount of money is on the line, the amount of jobs that are on the line,

Now, the amount of money that's being gambled, the number one goal has to be to entertain while getting it right. That is the biggest thing, while getting it right. That should be the goal, and I'll tip my hat and give the NFL, whoever deserves credit. I know Coach Reed and Belichick led the brigade. Sean Payton and Mike Tomlin played a big role in it. The owners had to vote it in, so they all deserve some credit on this. But it was a pretty no-brainer decision, in my opinion. I think we see this all the time really probably much more in business.

But you see it in sports too for sure. When a premium asset, something happens. I think you definitely saw this 10 years ago when the real estate market crashed. There was a lot of things on sale for relatively cheap prices, even in nice areas. You know, I was amazed when the condo that I bought, the person clearly was up against it in like 0708. for what I ended up paying for in 2016, what it sold for in 2008 was like, I don't know, less than half of what I paid for it.

So it went up in six years, or it might have been 2009, you know, a lot of money. And you see it sometimes with players, for whatever reason, given their situation, they can be bought cheap. I mean, historically, it's happened with some Hall of Fame level guys, just Randy Moss, you know, is in Oakland, it's going really poorly. You get them for nothing. I think they ended up getting them for a fourth round pick. At one point in, it was going to be like a sixth. But I think Al Davis stepped in and made them give a fourth. But right now, Josh Rosen, the last couple days, Coward said it.

Joel Klatt said it. He's going to get traded. It's sure everyone I follow on Twitter is, I'm starting to feel more confident about this. Kyle Murch is going to be the Arizona Cardinals quarterback, and Josh Rosen's going to get traded. Josh Rosen was just taking 10th in the draft. in a draft that was pretty stacked with quarterbacks. And I think you could argue coming out, he was a better player than Josh Allen.

Now Josh Allen's upside as an athlete, higher, bigger arm, but he's not accurate. So to me, I had him behind, Sam was my number one guy, then Baker, then Josh. Josh Rosen. And then to me, Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson were in their own little category. But one thing's pretty clear is that Josh Rosen is going to be bought more than likely for a second round pick. A second round pick, that's insane value. I think at this point, Josh Rosen is being really undervalued. You can get Josh Rosen for a second round pick.

A guy that we knew was a can't miss NFL prospect by his freshman year in college. a guy that went 10th in the draft last year and someone could get a second round pick for him if I was, Klatz said the Giants, the Chargers, and the Patriots. Now, in a perfect world, if I was New England, I would not want to give the 30-second pick for Josh Rosen. 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 SportsSlic on the Iheart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more, follow Timbo Sliced Life 12 in the TikTok podcast network on TikTok. 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. Jacob Kingston grew up in an isolated polygamous sect. We were God's chosen kingdom on earth. He felt destined for greatness. So when a swaggering Armenian businessman catapults Jacob into an extraordinary world, he doesn't look back. Ferraris and Lamborghinis, private jets. meeting the president of Turkey. I'm Michelle McPhee,

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

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

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

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

Because resilience isn't just about winning. It's about showing up, even when it's hard. Listen to Hurtle with Emily Abadi on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Presented by Capital One, founding partner of IHart Women's Sports. But I don't think the value is that nuts on buying previous year's 10th overall pick. His main bonus has been paid. He's relatively cheap. and just getting a really talented backup.

Because right now when you look at the Patriots, obviously if Tom Brady plays, they're in good shape, and they're probably going to win the Super Bowl, right? I think we can all acknowledge that. But Tom Brady's one injury away from Brian Hoare having to play. I got news for you. Brian Hoarder stinks. Josh Rosen is a much more talented player than Brian Hoyer.

So if at the end of the day, when you have multiple seconds and three-threes, if you had to trade your 30-second overall pick for Josh Rosen, that's probably more valuable than any player you're going to, to get. Now, there is a value when you factor in. That guy's not going to play, and I could get a starting receiver or starting tight-in. I get it. It's complicated. But the problem for the Patriots is if the Giants want them and they offer a pick, I think it's 38, the Patriots, two picks in the second round, one's the Bears for last year a trade-up, and one's their own is at the end

of the round. And the Chargers have their second-round pick is better than either one of those Patriot picks. I guess the Patriots, the Bears pick they own, is better than the Chargers. pick. But the Patriots can trump them all. Because clearly the Giants aren't going to give him pick six for Josh Rosen. Chargers aren't going to give up the first rounder for Josh Rosen when Philip Rivers is, you know, still playing at a high level and still has multiple years left. That wouldn't make much sense. But a second rounder is too good to be true. I think that these three teams shouldn't be alone.

Because the value of Josh Rosen isn't just acquiring them and getting a guy that was the 10th pick in the draft last year. And it's still really talented. But what if you, even if you have a starting quarterback? What if you're Seattle? And he plays in the preseason games and he looks awesome. Then you have a little leverage when you're negotiating with Russell Wilson. You could flip him in a year maybe for a first round pick. If you're like, God, this guy looks really good.

Now that he's got some competent coaching. Like having a really talented quarterback on your roster, the value isn't just to one day take over for your starter because what if your starter just keeps on playing and keeps on balling? It doesn't feel like Philip Rivers, Tom Brady, any of these quarterbacks are going anywhere. But what's the value in having a backup that's viewed as a really good player? I'll tell you what the value is.

It's usually a first-round pick. We've seen it before. If Belichick wouldn't await until the last year of Jimmy Garoppos' contract, he would have got a first-round pick for Jimmy. If anything, I think we all said, like, why did Belichick give them away? You can trade quarterbacks. They hold their value. They're like a Honda Accord.

That's a bad example because they're much nicer than a Honda Corps. I just tried to think of something that holds their value for a long time. They're like, I don't know, certain cars hold their value much better than others. I'm not a huge car guy. But you know what I'm saying. Like, he'd have to be terrible to lose value. If he's just good, his value maintains, and if he's really good, and I'm just talking in preseason games,

because more than likely he wouldn't be playing in regular season games if you have Brady or Phillip, you can flip that guy. And you can flip him for a high-valued pick. Like, to me, that's worth something. And I think, I don't remember in recent memory a more undervalued, asset in the NFL than Josh Rosen, given what you have to pay for him. You don't need to give a top 15 pick to get him.

You just probably give a second. And if worst case, I'd give two-toes for Josh Rosen. Because more than likely, especially on the Patriots or the Chargers where I'm going to make him look good, I'll flip him in a year for a one. Happens all the time. Happens all the

time in the NFL. Or worse case, I just get my value back. I just wait a couple years and it holds its value. Look at Alex Smith. When the Niners got rid them traded them for multiple second round picks it was Alex Smith. Josh Rosen's more talented. I'm not saying he's going to be one day as good as Alex Smith, but there is most of the undervalued player in the league right now is Josh Rosen. Can I tell you about my friends at LinkedIn? Listen, it's a new year 2022. We're all trying to find people that hire for those of you listening that are in HR, running

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

and experience. Use screening questions to get your role in front of the most qualified. Then use simple tools to quickly filter and prioritize who you would like to interview and hire. It's why small businesses rate LinkedIn jobs number one in delivering quality hires first competitors. LinkedIn Jobs helps you find the candidates you want to talk to faster.

Did you know that every week nearly 40 million job seekers visit LinkedIn? Post your job for free at LinkedIn.com slash john. That's LinkedIn.com slash J-O-H-N John to post your job for free. Terms and conditions apply. This episode is brought to you by Royal Caribbean, an award-winning global cruise line. A vacation is what you make it. are you ready to make the most of it? A Royal Caribbean adventure is the perfect opportunity to not just take a vacation, but to take it for all its worth. We know you're eager to get back out there,

and with Royal Caribbean, you can make the most of the moment and rise to the vacation. This is not just a cruise. This is the biggest, boldest vacation on land or at sea. This is pushing the limits of what could be done at sea and on land, breaking records and earning honors along the way. With over 270, Plus destinations from the Caribbean, Alaska to Europe, and the biggest ships in the world to take you there. Each one of our cruises is packed full of onboard features. You won't find anywhere else. Like the tallest slide at sea and the tallest water slide in all North America. Plus dining that takes your taste buds on a world tour, jaw-dropping entertainment,

an award-winning service delivered by a crew that comes to us from over 140 countries. So just don't take a vacation. rise to the vacation. Come seek the Royal Caribbean. Visit royal caribbean.com to learn more. Imagine fighting climate change every time you buy groceries or pizza. Now you can. With the Aspiration Zero credit card,

you can reduce your carbon footprint by making the same purchases you always make. Aspiration Zero plants one tree every time you make a purchase. Or plant two trees when you choose to round all your purchases up to the nearest dollar. Track your progress in the app and earn 1% cash back each month you reach Carbon Zero. For a limited time, earn a $300 bonus when you open an account at Aspiration.com and spend $3,000 in the first 90 days. Join the community that helps you fight climate change with every purchase. Aspiration Zero, one card, zero carbon footprint.

The Aspiration Zero MasterCard is issued by Beneficial State Bank pursuant to license by MasterCard International Incorporated. Beneficial State Bank member FDIC 2021. Terms and conditions apply. Visit aspiration.com for for more information. Okay, it's that time of the week again. Middle Cough mail bag. I need to get a little music for it or something. Hi, John. I read an interesting article about how the Eagles use their salary cap. I was interested in your thoughts on that article. pros and cons of doing what they do while other teams are not doing that. And I can't really, I can't even click on the article. Are using fake contracts years to create space? My overall take on just NFL contracts is they're all fake.

I mean, literally, I saw someone say, okay, let's just see if I can read the headline right now. It's a picture of Roseman. When the Eagles announced the Malik Jackson and Brandon Graham and DeShan Jackson contracts, they were deferred to three-year deals. When the Ronald Darby contract was announced, it was announced as a one-year deal. Then you take a look at, they're actually five-year contracts until they aren't. Confused yet, here to help. In the often baffling world, I'm just reading you this article, of NFL contracts, Eagles

Vice President Howie, former boss, use a tool to spread out cap hits into a contract over a year. that are guaranteed are guaranteed to never exist. It's kind of cheating. But according to the CBA, the collective bargaining agreement between the NFLPA and the union, ownership is completely legal. One, the player's base salary.

The pro rate, when you get a signing a bonus, then they prorate it. I think most of us know that. Also likely to be earned incentives. The longer the contract, the more years the signing bonus is spread out so the less it hit your cap. I think a lot of teams are doing that.

Because when you do a signing bonus, that is the amount of, so if you get a 15, million-dollar signing bonus, guaranteed money. I have to give you that money on the time I sign it. I think it's within two weeks. It's why all these contracts, they're all fake. Like the Aaron Donald, but you have to be so good to get a true contract like Aaron Donald or Khalil Back or even Odell Beckham, all the quarterbacks, to either quarterbacks or like top 10 non-players. Everyone else, fake money. And the thing I will always say, and I wouldn't say

Howie is that different than a lot. Like a lot of teams, or I see the Niners do it, the Raiders are doing it, a lot of teams do it. They would rather pay you more up front so your signing bonus and give you all these fake years just so it basically turns into a one or two year contract. Like I saw Jared Cook can earn up to $19 million with the Saints. You know what Jared Cook's contract is? One year, $8 million.

And they can spread that $8 million over a two-year period. So the cap hits probably around $4 million. bucks. That's the way all these contracts are doing. I don't think Howie's an outlier. I think Howie is just, they're doing a better job of identifying the right players. He's always been dynamic with the money, but I think everyone now can see the way to structure these contracts. I think most of these teams aren't dumb with contracts anymore. They're all doing them the same. And beside the quarterbacks, unless you're an Aaron Donald or Kalil Mack, or even Odell last year, you don't have the juice to bend the team over and take them to the cleaners

with guaranteed money. So I think the big thing in this next collective bargaining agreement, as a fan, you always want less guaranteed money because you never want NBA in Major League Baseball situations. Because in football, you just get injured too much. So if all the contracts were guaranteed, you would have disastrous salary caps.

Even the smartest guys like Howie and Belichick would have tons of dead money, not on the dead money, but on the cap. because guys get hurt. It's just a reality of the business, right? But luckily, with the way it's set up, you can spread it out and prorate it over the length of a contract.

So yeah, if I can give you a five-year, $50 million contract, teams love doing that. But I only give you $15 million guaranteed. Well, what do I get to do with the $15 million? I get to pro-rate that bonus over the five years. I also think these players need to be a little smarter. Like, you guys are signing fake content. and then you're bitching and moaning.

Like, you know what you're doing at this point. If you don't, you're an idiot. Because the information's all out there. It's pretty clear what's going on. So I blame the players. The agents don't care. They just want to get guaranteed money, money for them. I think it's a team-run league.

It's an organizational run league. It's a general manager and coach league. It's not a player league. This is not the NBA. And Major League Baseball is kind of in the middle, but the players run the league because they get guaranteed contracts. So they, now there's no salary cap so you can buy people out and stuff, but the union controls so much. In football, every player except the quarterbacks and maybe like 15 players in the league are replaceable.

It's just a reality. It sounds harsh, but it's just the truth. Why is it that fans get so mad at pass interference missed calls? You rarely see people getting pissed about holds that are missed, but can have just so big of an impact on plays. Is it because dumb fans see pass interference, because of the camera angles, but rarely any given camera angles that cover offensive linemen. Also, which I do, but since everyone else says that, okay, this is pretty good. Also, I would also like to tell you I love the show, which I do.

But since everyone else says that, I'll say go fuck yourself. Have a nice day. I like this guy, keeping it loose on here. Here's the thing about passing interference calls more than holding. I do think you're on to something with the camera angle. I mean, it's proven in life. When we see something, then when we hear about it, you know, our reaction is different. And we see all the action with wide receivers and corners.

I also think even on a big holding call or where the offensive line or the defensive line in hands of the face or whatever that goes uncalled, it's not that big of a penalty. When you see a missed PI call and let's say it's a 35-yard pass, that's a large amount of real estate. You know, the field's only 100 yards. If you're at the 50 and it's a missed PI call and it was a 30-yard pass, you're now in the red zone. So I think the implications of that play, I also think we're just a little more emotionally connected to our wide receivers as fans.

Like your wide receivers typically are some of the most famous guys in your team. Now, offensive linemen, they may be better players or whatever, but they're kind of like out of sight, out of mind. You need them, and when you hear about them, it's usually not good. I think the camera angle has something to do with it. But I also think just they're the guy with the ball. So anything that includes the ball,

I do think that non-missed holding calls that are blatant, you know, I think people bitch and moan about it. But I also think you could call holding on basically every play or a large majority of the plays. That can't really be said for pass interference. I mean, I talked about it earlier with the change of the rule. there are blatant PI calls that when they're missed, that they have huge ramifications,

especially in the second half of a game, of a tie game, that just have, you know, dictate the outcome of the game. Now, same thing for holding, but again, we're not locked in. It's hard to see. It's hard to tell. I think we're all kind of conditioned

that, again, players are held every play. It's just, that's like a cliche thing that said from coaches and players and fans. Oh, there's holding every play. you call it every play. We never say, oh, there's, there's PI every play.

No, because there's not. There is, this is my beef with defensive holding with DBEs and linebackers. To me, they are at such a disadvantage.

We call a wide receiver going over the middle a defenseless player. That's like calling me an innocent driver if I get into a wreck as I'm speeding. The dude's running over

the middle of the field. He's not a defenseless player. He made a, not be looking when the defender's coming, but he knows all the guys were there. He was at one point in time before the ball was snapped looking at the defense. Like, that happened. So when defensive backs, safeties, and linebackers use their hand to, quote-unquote, hold a little bit, I can live with that.

I think that is one of the worst calls in the NFL that defensive holding is an automatic first down. That's a pet peeve of mine. That really bothers me. To me, it should be a five-yard penalty. And if it's third and five or second-and-five, automatic first-down. But if it's third and nine and you get a defensive holding, it should not be an automatic first-down.

God, that just bothers me thinking about it. John Love the Pod. Now that Gronk has retired, many expect the past to take a tight-in in the first or second round. Do you think they will? Or if they don't, do you think they may be a signal that the pass are once again changing their offense? Perhaps a more running game like they did in the playoffs,

with the rest of the league is still moving toward the preference for the passing game. Yeah, I think everyone would tell you the Patriots have no offense and no defense. They do whatever you don't do well. So if you don't defend the running back out of the backfield, they'll throw it to them 50 times a game. If you can't defend the tight end,

they'll throw it to them all the time. If you're in a nickel defense and you can't stop the run, they'll run it until your eyes bleed. That's the great, that's the most powerful attribute of the Belichick rank. And even Tom, is they don't really, Tom has no problem with handling the ball

35 times a game and throwing for 200. Now, he does, he doesn't do that often because they can throw it so easily on teams. But I think they're open to anything. And I think they'll approach this draft. They will pick the best players who are on the board. They don't usually force needs. Like everyone's like, oh, they're going to take a tight end

or a wide receiver at Pick 32. Maybe. but if Greedy Williams, I'm just using, just picks a random player, fell to 32. Like, yeah, they might just pick him. Now, yeah, they might pick Nikiel Harry, for sure. But they also might not. They might take, you know, a guard, a linebacker,

who they just thinks the best player on the board. And then they just stack a bunch of good players, and then they coach guys up. And I think when it comes to tight ends, Belichick has consistently invested in guys. I do think with Gronk retiring and then missing on Jared Cook, they're a little behind the eight ball right now because you just look at their weapons

you go, who is their weapons? They got jewels. They got Sony Michelle, who's, I think, a really good player. Still got Dion, not Dion Lewis, James White. Their offensive lines coming back. So you go, they need an outside receiver

and they're going to need a tight end, maybe two. Yeah, I'd expect them to draft tight end, but I don't think it's a lock that they just take a guy first or second overall. They could technically take them at any spot. And that's what makes Belichick, I think, just so dangerous that at any moment, kind of anything can happen with them. He's the ultimate Wheeler and dealer when it comes to this because no one ever truly knows what he's going to do.

That's a quick Middilkoff mailbag. Just a quick little Friday podcast. Get you guys ready for the tournament. Enjoy it. As I recorded this, Tiger Loss, so who knows if he'll even be playing this weekend. Hope wherever you live. You have a good weekend. Hang out with your family.

Drink some beers, watch some TV, do whatever you do. And I will see you next week. Adios. Get right to the romance and find the way to wow this valentines with 1-800flowers.com. From classic roses and bouquets to decadent chocolate-covered berries, gourmet treats, and more. Surprise your valentine with 1-800flowers.com. Right now, get the 18-stem enchanted rose medley for 399-99, or upgrade to 24 red roses for 10. $1,800 Flowers.com slash tune in.

That's 1,800flowers.com slash tune in. Last night, a blown call changed a game. This morning, the internet lost its mind, and nobody's telling you exactly what happened. That's where 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 SportsSlic Slice on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more, follow Timbo Sliced Life 12 and the TikTok podcast network on TikTok. Another podcast from some

SNL late night comedy guy, not quite. Unhumor me with Robert Smigel and friends. Me and hilarious guests from Bob Odenkirk to David Letterman help make you funnier. This week my guest, SNL's Mikey Day and head writer Streeter Seidel helped an Acapella 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 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 not to be played with. And just because you have the capability that does not mean that you need to.

Listen and learn the hard way on the AHA radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. I'm Michelle McPhee, and I've been unraveling the strangest criminal alliance I've ever reported on. A Mormon polygamist and an Armenian businessman. Multi-million dollar house, Ferraris and Lamborghinis, private jewelry. a billion dollar fraud. But how long can this alliance last? Tell me what you know. Is somebody coming after me?

Listen to Kingdom of Fraud on the I-Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. This is an I-Heart podcast. Guaranteed human.