The Herd with Colin Cowherd - Replay rule, Cardinals, LeBron James, and Russell Westbrook

Episode Date: March 28, 2019

Colin continues to explain why being able to review pass interference will hurt the NFL, why the Arizona Cardinals might be flirting with former Oklahoma Sooners QB Kyler Murray, what Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan do better than Los Angeles Lakers F LeBron James, and what happens when Oklahoma City Thunder G Russell Westbrook shoots less. Guests include Albert Breer, Kenyon Martin, Michael Rapaport, T. J. Houshmandzadeh, and Jason McIntyre.  Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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I'm Michelle McPhee, and I've been unraveling the strangest criminal alliance I've ever reported on. A Mormon polygamist and an Armenian businessman. Multi-million dollar house, Ferraris and Lamborghinis, private jets, a billion dollar fraud. But how long can this alliance last? Tell me what you know. Is somebody coming after me? Listen to Kingdom of Fraud on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, what's good, y'all?

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Find your local station for the Hurt at Fox SportsRadio.com or stream us live every day on the IHartRadio app by searching Hurd. You're listening to Fox Sports Radio. Ah, here we go. This is the herd. Wherever you may be and however you may be listening, we are live in Los Angeles. IHeart Radio, Fox Sports Radio, and FS1 loaded today. I believe Arizona is going to make a move and a trade here pretty quick on Josh Rosen. We'll get to that later.

Albert Brear this hour. Joy Taylor, is joining me today as always. We have a packed show today with all sorts of great stuff. Joy, how are you? I'm great. Good morning. Good morning. She's got those sunnies. Look at that. You know, spring is here. You're ready to go. You have moved off winter. I'm off winter. I'm off winter. I'm off winter. Yeah, your outfit puts me in a good mood today. I always, I'm not a big person when it comes to advice. My life's different than yours. Yours is different than mine. I'm not a big advice guy. I'll give you opinions. Here's one.

don't make big decisions laced with emotion. You're mad, you're angry in my lifetime. The more emotion in my decision, the worst decision I make. I mean, there's not even exceptions. I've had to apologize so many times in my life over the course of my 50 years because the first five years I wasn't making a lot of decisions. You know, I was not paying a mortgage that I've had to apologize for because it was like, you know what?

I was overheated. I was sad. I was too happy. Take a deep breath, sleep on stuff. Not a night. Not too night. Sleep on stuff for a long time. More emotion, worse decision.

So the NFL, New Orleans Saints got robbed in a play, right? Emotion, emotion, emotion, emotion, emotion, emotion, emotion. And they changed the past interference rule. It was a horrible call. But yesterday, the NFL said, oh, right, we have overturned the past interference call. You can replay it now. Oh, what's interesting is the NFL also released several pieces of video from last year that would have been with the new replay rule overturned.

Here's an interesting one. The Steelers were at New Orleans late in the year. This was called pass interference. It gave the Saints the ball at the one two yard line. They scored. They won the game. Oh, the NFL says with a new replay rule on pass interference, this would not have been. ruled pass interference. Steelers win, Saints no longer the number one seed have to go on the road

3,000 miles in Los Angeles to play the Rams and they don't lose much in Los Angeles. Yes. Yes, New Orleans, this game would not have turned out in your favor. By the way, the Rams calling her lucky to be in the Super Bowl. Actually, let's look at a second piece of tape. At the Super Bowl, the Rams would have had a first and goal. Had there been a review of replay on this corner throw to Brandon Cooks? Because if you reviewed it, watch right here. Sorry, radio listeners. Patriots grabbed his arm, first and goal. Rams would have scored.

Instead, there was no call just incomplete. And on the very next play, Jared Gough pressured through a pick game of. over. Rams could have won the Super Bowl had the replay been in. Would you have been happy with that in New England? Saints would not have had home field advantage. Hey, Cleveland, Baltimore, Pittsburgh would have made the playoffs. When you make decisions based on emotion, you almost always make terrible decisions. The New Orleans Saints have really weak corners in a division with really good wide receivers.

Don't you think New Orleans could use a little leeway on the clutching and grabbing stuff? Because they got the weakest corners in their division, and that division's got nothing but great wide receivers. They're going to need leeway the next couple of years. As Drew Brees gets older and older, the offense isn't quite as explosive, had a couple of guys leave. New Orleans is going to need a little leeway on those corners. As Dean Blandino said yesterday, when you react emotionally and, you react emotionally and

and then have an owner's meeting and rush something right into the market, right into the game. It's generally not a good decision long term. What the NFL did yesterday is they won the press conference, right? They won the press conference. But as we all know, that's not, that's only part of it. Now we've got to figure out all the unintended consequences and vet out where normally the competition committee has months to go through this, think about it. Obviously, the play happened in the NFC championship game. No one wants to see that type of mistake affect a game,

but is replay truly the fix here? Or is it officiating on the field and making sure they have good direction? They're coached up. They know what pass interference is, and they're going to make the call when it has to be made. Dean Blandino used to run the officials. The league is not as smartly officiated or as well officiated since he left. I said it last year.

The NFL's got to get him back and pay whatever it takes. The answer to this was educating your officials. The answer to this was improving the quality of officials. Instead, they let Blandino leave the league, money issue, just pay them, what's bigger than officiating the fabric of your sport, and not overreacting to this. Just a basic rule in life. Take emotion out of your decisions, you make better decisions, and don't overreact to stuff because of a crazy event.

Nick Wright on the show yesterday had my favorite analogy on this. Colin, if you're driving on the 405 and you go under an overpass and a giant boulder lands on the hood of your car, it hadn't happened, your entire life will never happen again. You don't buy boulder insurance. You say, man, that's terrible luck. You don't change a system for an anomalous event. It won't happen again anytime soon, and to change the system because of it is absurd and mark it down. Fans will hate it. I have no idea what in the world anybody is going to do with Hail Mary's. If you go letter to the law, they'll all be pass interference. The desperate team will get a huge edge, and I think sports should be built for better coaches, better players,

better schemes and better organizations to win, not give the trailing team late, the fluky team, an officiating break. Let me shift to this. Last night, this will make news. It's sort of silly. It's like one of those late night shows, James Corden, Jimmy Kimmel, Jimmy Fallon,

Stephen Colbert. They're not journalists. They're entertainers. And when guys like Kobe Bryant go on, you know, they're going to play to the crowd. And last night was one of those moments. where the non-sports host, who doesn't want to get sports, brings on the sports star, and, you know, it's the environment.

You know, Kobe says something, and people make a big deal out of it. Here it was. I would like you to rank these legendary basketball players from best to worst. LeBron James, Michael Jordan, and Kobe Bryant. I'm the best, Michael's second best. Okay.

Don't make a big deal. out of that. Okay, I don't even care the rankings, but I will say this. Here's where Kobe and Michael are much better than LeBron. Focus. Anybody noticed how brilliant Kobe Bryant's post-basketball career has been? Wouldn't we all agree it's hard to be great at multiple things at one time? Kind of is. Kobe was transfixed with basketball when he played it. He had no social life. Mocked for that, Kind of a loner, aloof. But nobody would argue his basketball career was A++. Then Kobe shifted all his passion and intensity and retired from basketball and moved into his next career.

That has also been so far A++. He won an Oscar for a short film. It was fantastic. And he has a bestseller, a new kids book that's out that is fantastic. People in our staff have bought it. A++. because Kobe and Michael understood, I'm all in on hoops,

and then I'm not, and now I'm all in on business. LeBron James basketball suffered this year, and none of his projects are actually A-plus-plus. He's doing too many of them. This is where LeBron is absolutely behind Kobe and Michael. Kobe and Michael, the power of the word no.

How many dinners did Kobe turn down with Hollywood stars through the years? Thousands. How many meetings? Hundreds. Kobe, when he played basketball, was in a basketball. And then when Kobe's basketball ended, he had no insecurity having to do TV, movie projects while he played. Kobe used Hollywood. Instead, Hollywood has used LeBron.

They haven't given him the best writers and the best producers. He's got a bunch of marginal TV projects, side businesses. They're fine. None are disasters. They're not special. Kobe spent so much time in Los Angeles. He wasn't enamored by it. Kobe used Hollywood at his discretion.

Do you want to have dinner? No. Want to do this project? No. Want to do this? No. And then when his career ended, it was a series of carefully, smartly designed yeses. Yes, I'll work with this elite animation director. Yes, I'll create this elite children's book.

Basketball A-plus, focus, projects A-plus. LeBron didn't grow up in Los Angeles. Like a lot of people who may have a house here, but the first time they live here, it overwhelms you. And they take a bunch of meetings and say yes to every dinner. And it's yes, yes, yes, yes, yes. I'll do this, this, this, this, this. And Hollywood uses you. LeBron's basketball suffered,

and LeBron's projects are average. That is the difference. Nobody would argue it's almost impossible to be great at two different things. Hell, it's hard to be great at one, but it's impossible to be great at two. And MJ and Kobe realize that. That's not to say in the off-sense,

season, you can't shoot a commercial? That's not saying in the off season. You can't have a little project. But if you're trying to have multiple, multiple dozens of projects during a season, as you just moved to Los Angeles, it will engulf you.

This is where Kobe and Michael got it. They didn't suffer from some deep-seated insecurity that they had to prove that they knew Hollywood, and they knew politics, and they know business and they know pizzas and they know that. Basketball, all in. Projects then all in. Michael Jordan's shoes today still sell more than LeBron and Steph Curry's combined.

Michael on hoops, Michael on business. Kobe on basketball, Kobe on projects. This is where LeBron could step back and take a lesson from Kobe. LeBron, you're going to get all sorts of projects. say no to almost all of them. No on that TV, no on that movie, no on that project, no on that meeting, no on that dinner. No, no, no, no, no. And then you will in three years be gone, have $800 million of net worth,

then smartly pick and choose with great discretion the one or two great movie or TV products. What are you doing these for? Money? You don't need it. Fame? You've already got it. Kobe Bryant more than any athlete I can think of. I mean, I don't even know who to compare him to. Look at Derek Jeter post baseball. You've been sloppy.

Peyton Manning's disappeared. Tony Romall's been pretty good. But Kobe Bryant's been brilliant. The power of the word no. Use Hollywood. Don't let it use you. Good to have you in today. Absolutely great day.

think we're going to have an NFL trade in Arizona. And I feel strongly about it. And I feel strongly about it. Is that a big J journalism job? How about if it was a small J slash instincts? So there's a source, not two, but with some instincts here. And I think you'll agree with me. You may not, but I'm going to throw something at you.

And remarkable comment yesterday. And I want to see how, what you think of it, Joy, and the audience. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays in noon Eastern 9 a.m. Pacific on Fox Sports Radio, FS1 and the IHeart Radio app. Last night, a blown call changed a game. This morning, the internet lost its mind. Highlights are trending, opinions are flying, and nobody's telling you exactly what happened. That's where sports slice comes in. I'm Timbo. Every episode, we're cutting through the noise, breaking down the plays, the controversies,

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It's about showing up even when it's hard. Listen to Hurtle with Emily Abadi on the IHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Presented by Capital One, founding partner of IHeart Women's Sports. Geico only takes 15 minutes to say if you could save 15% or more in your car insurance, go to geico.com, see how much you could save. So, you know, the number one pick in the NFL draft is Arizona. And there's a lot of speculation. They take Kyler Murray, the quarterback from Oklahoma, a little small, but good arm, good on tape, fast, runs around, very instinctive. He's an NFL quarterback. A little small for me. Wouldn't be a guy I'd

draft. I think he plays at about 190 pounds. I don't compare him to Russell Wilson, who I think plays at about 220, 25 pounds. They don't even look together. We put the video up months ago or a month ago where Russell Wilson in college and Kyler Murray in college, don't tell me the same height and the same size. They're not. One's bigger, stronger, more compact, plays at 220. One guy plays at 188. So I wouldn't take him. But I think he's an NFL quarterback, and I tell you why this morning, I think Arizona is going to take him and move off Josh Rosen. There was a quote from Cliff Kingsbury. There's only one and two possibilities here. He said yesterday on Kyler Murray, NFL meetings. I mean, I guess it's more what you don't like about Kyler Murray. When you watch him play, I mean,

he can run it, he can throw it, he's a competitor. He's one of the better dual threat players to ever play. Okay, if you're openly flirting in a marriage, you're leaving the marriage. The only thing I can think of is, and I don't believe this, they're trying to drive up the value of Kyler Murray, so somebody comes to Arizona and gives him a bunch of picks. That could be possible. And if that's possible, then they've told Josh Rosen, listen,

we're going to pump him up, we're going to say amazing things. We're going to tell you how great he is. Don't bother. We're just trying to get more picks to get you more support. But I don't believe that's true because Josh Rosen about three weeks ago erase some Instagram stuff and appear to be upset about it. The only other thing I can come up with is they're drafting Kyler Murray. Why in God's name would you go public with that comment? Folks, superstar quarterbacks are insecure.

Aaron Rogers, Tom Brady, Joe Montana with Steve Young. Like the greatest that I've ever played the game. are thin-skinned. What about a rookie who was the fourth quarterback or third quarterback taken in the draft, had a chip on his shoulder, got beat up last year, is looking up at the rest of his division, how do you think he is consuming this? How do you think this lands for him?

For Kingsbury to come out and say that, that's just openly flirting during a marriage. You do that if you're leaving the marriage. Otherwise, you keep it private. Okay? I don't even get this. This is either driving up the value. People look at Kingsbury, hear the quotes and think, damn,

boy, Kingsbury is one of these spreaded out Big 12 guys. He loves this guy. And then you drive up the value in Arizona and goes, we'll take four picks. Or you're moving off Josh Rosen. And that is my gut feeling today. Because I have been told three teams have made Arizona an offer. A second round pick for all three.

for Rosen. For Josh Rosen. Right. So I've been told three teams that made a second round pick. Arizona wants more because there's a reason that teams continue to call. Because Arizona's never told teams we're not interested. Arizona just wants more for it. Arizona could trade Josh Rosen today for a second.

They've got three offers on the table, I'm told. And there's been stories coming out. The Giants could be one. New England could be one. People are saying the Chargers could be one. I can confirm a couple of those. I'm not going to tell you which one because, you know, Joy and I have sources. This is the way the world works.

But when I see that quote, they're either playing a game and Josh Rosen is in on it or they are creating irreparable damage to their young quarterback self-esteem. You do not do this. There are things, you know how we talked about this recently where there are certain things you just don't go public with in the NFL. It's a very, it's like NFL is like covert. The NBA is about saying everything. You talk politics.

You talk everything. That's the NBA's business model. It's okay. The NFL's the opposite. It's like the military. You don't give out any secrets. You don't want your stars talking. You want anybody talking.

You lose a playbook. You get fined $100,000 by your team. You lose your playbook in the NBA. Everybody goes, who cares? Give it to Durant. He'll score. There are two different leagues, two different business models. This tells me there's a trade in the works.

That's what it tells me. Well, well I'd love to believe that Arizona is crafty enough to trick the entire league. That's one of my, that's one of two things that could be happening. Right. But the issue with that is everything that you just said, if that turns out to be the case and it really was just to get draft picks, then the rest of the league knows if you do business with Arizona, you may be getting a little extra sauce on the story there. So that kind of ruins your reputation moving forward when you're doing business. because that's clearly what you were aiming to do. So to me, that's not possible.

And the other issue with that is, what about the fan base? You still have an entire fan base that needs to know who their quarterback is, who they're getting behind. So the more that you drive up the value of Kyler Murr, you're also talking to all of your fans who are starting to get kind of sold on this guy.

And then you stick with Josh Rosen and it feels like a disappointment because you've been talking so highly of someone else. No, I mean, listen, when you start talking like this, you're gassing up your fans, you're gassing up everybody. If you don't consummate the deal, you just have Josh Rosen. In Arizona, by the way, doesn't sell out all their games.

You know, this is an organization that wants to sell out all their games. I mean, that's a hard pitch. Oh, we were just doing that to trick everyone so we could get all these extra picks. Yeah, it's crazy. Joy with the news. No, no, no, no, no. Turn on the news. This is the herd line news.

So, with LeBron and the Lakers season coming to a close, there have been some questions about what exactly this season was, and ESPN's Brian Winhorst reports that LeBron, his camp, and the Lakers are wondering if his previous run of health is something that LeBron can get back to. Winhorse said, is this season health-related, age-related, or interest-level-related?

Bits of all three? Is this just like LeBron's relatively underwhelming first years in Miami and back in Cleveland? Or his Michael Jordan and Washington years? These are questions sometimes being asked within the Lakers organization and with LeBron's own support team

and even by LeBron himself. This is very interesting because, so LeBron's asking it, he doesn't have an answer. The Lakers are asking it. They don't know. And LeBron's camp is asking it. And that's really healthy. But the fact that everybody, including LeBron, is asking, proves that our skepticism is right. I do believe the great LeBron years are over, although I still think he'll be a remarkably talented guy for another three years.

He'll be a 27 point of game, 8-8 guy. I think he'll have a great year next year. But if LeBron doesn't move downward trajectory, he'll be the only human to ever play basketball, including Michael and Kobe, who didn't age at this point. No, no, no, he's aging. It's the same thing that's going to happen with Tom Brady at some point. There's going to be some sort of decrease in athleticism and skill.

It's just, as much as we'd love to believe that this is going to last forever, not. And we've seen the first step towards that. Now, I'm not saying that LeBron has walked off a cliff and it's all over and he's not going to be the same player next year. I think that this, strangely, being a year he doesn't make the playoffs is a blessing in disguise because he's going to have some extra time for the first time in a very long time to rehab and get everything right again. So there's a lot that can happen in the off season. We don't know what's going to happen with free agency. I know we all have some doubts and skepticism about the Lakers organization being able to put something together and around LeBron.

But we don't know what anyone's going to do. There's a million different scenarios that could change the future of this organization in the next couple years. But I think the feeling around the Lakers and how everyone is looking at it is clearly realistic. Yeah, and we have to be careful about Brady. Quarterbacks in the NFL, even the guys I know like Aikman now and Drew Bledsoe over in their 40s, they can still throw it. A quarterback can throw forever. Oh, no, I'm not comparing you to.

Basketball. And the amount of work that LeBron. does when he's out there. It's just, it's not comparable. A basketball player needs his legs, the cardio. Tom Brady and Philip Rivers and Drew Brees can masquerade a lot with a good offensive line with a really good coach. They don't get hit, and those guys can throw till they're 49 years old. No, it's not comparable. The only reason I compare the two is because we've been talking about the demise of Tom Brady for forever. I haven't, but people of all, every year, like, oh, this is the last year. Tom Brady's going to be able to do what he does, and then he continues.

I don't want to do the same thing with LeBron as all I'm saying. I do think he's going to have some extra time to rehab. He's had an incredible health history, so we'll see what happens. So Kevin Durant is obviously one of the best pure scorers in the league. And after notching the most efficient shooting night of his career by going 12 of 13 from the field and moves to 28 points against the Grizzlies, Durant reveals he's been charting his shots since 2009. My second year in the league, I started charting my shots and make some misses throughout the game. And, you know, that kind of reminded me to take good shots.

And, you know, it keeps me locked in on the floor of the games. You know, so I guess it's a game within a game. Let me see that. I watch some of this. Kevin Durant's last couple games, his efficiency is unbelievable. I really think this is, this is Katie's time. Yeah, so I love. LeBron is out of the playoffs, and he's on the team to beat,

and he's won finals MVP, and he's got his championships. and obviously we're all watching to see what happens in free agency, but this is Katie's moment to me. LeBron is not in the playoffs, and we've been having this conversation about what's going to happen in the future with the NBA in the face of the NBA. I think this is the moment. Everybody wants to talk about Hardin and Janus.

Let me tell you something, folks. This is the unstoppable NBA force, a 7-foot-one guy with unlimited range who can put it on the floor. When I'm watching Kevin last night, you're just sitting there thinking, nothing against Hardin and Janus. This guy gets any shot. But any time he wants it. His ability to put the ball on the floor.

He's angular the way he moves. He can jump. He can fade. He's like a significantly more athletic, Dirk Novitsky. When Dirk was in his prime, nine years ago. You just can't stop him. I mean, I just don't think we've ever seen anything like that. No, we haven't.

He's just, he's completely unique. And finally, the patients have been unable to add a top wide receiver heading into 2019, which they clearly need. But that's not due to a lack of effort on their part. Michael Girardi of the NFL network reports that the Patriots have inquired about almost every available top wide receiver. That includes Odell and Antonio Brown. How about that? Very interesting to me.

Now, obviously, with Guantqu retiring, Julian Edelman is basically the last reliable target, or at least one that he's comfortable with remaining on the team. Obviously, we're probably going to draft one since this is a point of need for them. But I do think the Antonio Brown thing is interesting specifically because... Odell, to me, fit. Antonio did not, it was not a fit to me in New England, but although I'm sure they would figure it out a way to make it work. Right. But to me, it's just more about on the Steelers, not trading him to the Patriots.

I would love to know what that package looked like. Well, they have 12 draft picks, so it's not like they don't have the ammo to make these moves. You know, in New England, though, it's all about value. And they probably just didn't feel they got value in the contract. Or maybe the Steelers were like, it doesn't matter what you offer us. We're not giving you Antonio Brown. No, I get that. No, I totally.

Which makes sense. But I wonder what it is, though, because I do wonder if the Patriots were like, we'll give you a first-on-pick. You know, that's very unpatriot-like. Yeah. I wonder. I just want to know what that package was. It's very interesting.

So do I. Good stuff. Joy with the news. Well, that's the news. And thanks for stopping by. The Heard Lye News. Well, it's fitting because our next guest may just know. He's as close to the Patriots as anybody via the Coward Global Satellite Network,

Albert Breer, senior NFL reporter, Monday morning quarterback. I was a little shocked by the Gronk news. What do you make of the Patriots out looking at all these top receivers? They have 12 picks. Does that indicate to you they're going to draft two or three wide receivers for Brady now that they missed on OBJ and Antonio and that Gronk is retired? Well, I wouldn't say that the idea that they could actually trade for a receiver is off the table. I mean, you mentioned some big names there, Antonio Brown, O'Dell Beckham, but there's a secondary market for receivers. and I know they have asked around about those guys,

guys like Stirling Shepard in New York, Mohammed Sunu in Atlanta. There have been guys that kick the tires on that maybe aren't as big names that could be death pieces for them. I would just tell you, Colin, my sense of it is that they're not nearly done in putting skill talent around Tom Brady right now.

I guess that's probably going to include a tight end in the draft, and they almost certainly will include a receiver in the draft. And the receiver position was one that from the jump, they were going to have to get younger at coming out of 2000, And 18 with Julian Nettelman getting older. Chris Hogan, obviously still a free agent. He was getting older.

So the plan has always been to address things at receiver. And even if Gron could come back, they were going to be looking at this tight end class because it's a very strong tight end class for his potential successor. And so now that just becomes a little bit more important. Well, Jamaica, the New York Giant story that was leaked. Stories only get out if they're leaked. They are interested in Josh Rosen. I think they should have taken Donald last year.

They didn't. That's done. what do you make of that story? What does it tell you about the Giants? What's it tell you about Arizona? Well, I would tell you, on the Giants end of this, there's no question that they are looking at the idea of replacing Eli Manning this year or finding his eventual replacement this year. They have spent a lot of time looking at Dwayne Haskins. They have great institutional knowledge of Daniel Jones, who of course played for David Cutcliffe, who is basically a Manning family member. So they've got a good handle on this year's draft class. They looked at Josh Rosen last year. I don't think they're locked into the idea of finding Eli's replacement this year.

They could wait for the 2020 class with Tuatogeliloa and Jake Fromm and Justin Herbert coming out. But certainly, I think the overriding theme here is the Giants are looking at this as a big time rebuild, which is part of the reason why they dealt Beckham in the first place. And as for the Cardinals, they have to be quiet about this. because the minute that Josh Rosen's name gets out there, everybody knows what their intention is on draft day. And so if they want to leave their options open on draft day, if they want to leave the option of maybe trading the first overall pick open on draft day, then they have to at least be a little quiet about their intentions to trade Josh Rosen. So I do think that the probability is that they wind up trading Rosen and Kyle and Murray is the first overall pick.

But until they've actually walked in on that decision, it makes sense for them to keep things vague. By the way, NFL, I think, is overreacting. I said this to start my show. Anytime in my life I've made a decision with heavy doses of emotion, it's been a bad decision. I think they're overreaching here. Video came out yesterday in the Pittsburgh Saints game that would have benefited the Steelers hurt the Saints and they would have probably not been a number one seed where the pass interference was called and the league came out and said, no, on this play, we would have not

called pass interference. The Saints wouldn't have had a first and goal. What are your sources say? What are your people? Were you surprised it was so almost unanimously approved to review PI? No, because I think that was the one thing that the league came in and actually felt good about. You know, they did a lot of research over the last month. The competition committee did.

And they ran analytics on this. And here's an amazing number for you. Of the 50 most impactful plays that were penalty flags were thrown in 2018, 25 involved defensive pass interference. That's half of those plays. And so the competition committee went into the meetings knowing the change was coming as to pass interference. Where the compromise happened is allowing non-calls to be a part of this. I know the owners didn't want that going in and had to be convinced of it.

And then finding a way to involve the replay official, which will happen in the last two minutes. And I can just tell you, there are people on both sides of this who feel like this is just the start of it. Like this is the first step to show other owners, some of the owners that have been hardliners on this, that this is not going to muck up the game. This isn't going to slow down the pace of play, that this is simply a mechanism to get it right. And on Monday, the 32 coaches voted 32 to nothing to put a more aggressive proposal in place

and in front of the owners. And that would have involved both offensive pass interference and defensive pass interference, as well as roughing the passer and the defenseless player penalties, and it would have given the replay official oversight over those penalties for the entire game. So that would have been in effect.

created a sky judge. And I could tell you that some people on both sides, as owners and coaches, both believe that that's eventually where they're going to get and that this is just the first step in getting there. By the way, Grunk retired sort of surprised me. Ultimately, he just didn't want to go through the grind. What do you make of it? It doesn't surprise me. You know, I still remember talking to him after the game and, you know, when we got into it, we can kind of explain how satisfying winning a championship was because of how hard this season was. And one of the hard hardest things for him over the last couple of months was the idea of jumping back into the grind of an NFL season and going back and committing to six or seven months of doing things the way he did him last year. It was very, very difficult for him to get through the 2018 season. We all remember how it ended, but November, December, he wasn't himself. He didn't feel great. He had a problem with his back. I think all of that was a big part of this decision was the idea of locking in to six or seven years.

months of this again was just too much, especially when you consider he had the bulging disc last year. And going back out there, he'd risk having a fourth back surgery, which could affect him later in life. Now, here's the one caveat I'd put on all of that, right? I mentioned, I said there how daunting it is, the idea of going through six or seven months of this. Well, if the Patriots call in November, and now all of a sudden it's six or seven weeks instead of six or seven months he's looking at, maybe he sees that a little differently. But I do think the idea of going through the grind of an NFL season was ultimately what made him decide to walk away.

Good stuff, Albert Breer, Monday morning, quarterback, former Patriot Beat Guy for the Boston Globe as well. Good seeing you, bud. You too, Colin. Coming up next, I'm going to give you a PowerPoint presentation on Russell Westbrook. Not a hater, I'm going to provide answers because of something that happened last night. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays at noon Eastern 9 a.m. Pacific. Last night, a blown call changed. 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 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. SportsSlice brings you closer to the action with stories told by the people who live them. Listen to SportsClyce on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more, follow Timbo Sliced Life 12 and the TikTok podcast network on TikTok.

Welcome to my new podcast, Learn the Hard Way 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 middle health field and conversations with so many incredible guests. I'm talking. Tripp Fontaine, Ryan Clark.

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

Absolutely. And that's two different levels of trust. I want you to just really be a good person. Join me, Keir Gaines, as we have real conversations about healing, growth, fatherhood, pressure, and purpose on my new podcast, Learn the Hard Way. Open your free, our Heart Radio 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 you don't belong. Don't let that be the reason you don't do it. An Olympic champs, Gabby Thomas and Katie Ladeke. The ability to show a gold medal to someone and have their face light up and smile, that means the world to me. And that's what motivates me to win more gold medals. At our level, at this scale, like being able to fail in front of the entire world. Like, I can do anything. I can do anything.

Because resilience isn't just about winning. It's about showing up, even when it's hard. Listen to Hurtle with Emily Abadi on the IHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Presented by Capital One, founding partner of I Heart Women's Sports. Cold and flu season, Vix Synex nasal spray. Try it. 12 hours when congestion strikes. Vic's sinex nasal spray uses directed. So, you know, you ever work with those people? Hate, hate, hate, hate, hate, hate, hate, hate, hey, complain, complain, complain.

Never have solutions. I don't mind a little complaining, but you've got to give me solutions on stuff, right? And so today I'm going to provide solutions. So last night, Oklahoma City was brilliant. One of their best games of the year, beat Indianapolis, 24-0 run. Stephen Adams huge night, Paul George, huge night. And Russell Westbrook passed a bunch and didn't shoot as much. And they were great.

See, that's the way it works. I'm going to present to you a PowerPoint presentation. It's going to be very quick. When Russell Westbrook shoots 21 times or more, they're lousy, 12 and 16. When he shoots 20 times or fewer, they're fantastic, as good as the warrior. years, 27 and 11. They should have a plaque inside the facility at Oklahoma City. Step one, shoot less.

Step two, Russell, win. And then step three, Russell would be, of course, see step one. And that is the end of my PowerPoint presentation. This is not difficult. But unfortunately, Westbrook is maddening to coaches. They won't say it publicly. Front office, they won't say it publicly. and teammates, they're saying it privately and not publicly, you don't know what you get with him.

He's got the devil on one shoulder and an angel on the other. And depending on Russell Westbrook's mood, you have no idea what's entering the arena. If he's in a good mood, he's not bothered by social media, he's not in relentless Russell Westbrook. He's got the angel. He's going to shoot about 16 times, going to pass the ball like last night, let the better shooter Paul George score, include Stephen Adams in the game, and there are an absolutely tough out. But if he's in a bad mood, got something to prove, chip on both shoulders, maybe ticked off with the media, I'm going to show you guys how great I am, then he becomes bad Russell Westbrook. This is not complicated. I'm not hating.

He's the roller coaster, the magic eight ball, the NBA. You have no idea what's entering the arena. But I'm providing a solution. Give the ball to Paul Moore, include Steve. Stephen Adams Moore, Westbrook and the Thunder are at their very best, right up with the Warriors, when he shoots about 16 times, since you know, he's not a great shooter, and this year, he's a terrible shooter. Last night was one of their best games of the year. I always laugh when people rush to Twitter after the Oklahoma City Thunder and Westbrook play well. I'm always like, just wait 24 hours.

You'll have the opposite outcome. This is when they're great. This is when they're tough to beat. This is when they match up with everybody in the league except probably Golden State. Westbrook gives you 17, 12 assists. Adams gives you 20, crashes the boards, and Paul gives you 31. This is when they're tough. And by the way, privately coaches, staff teammates will tell you, I'm right.

You just don't know what you're getting with him. But when you get, he's got a devil on one shoulder, on an angel. When he gives you the good Westbrook, they are a tough out. This is not a difficult PowerPoint presentation. This is not me complaining. I am providing an answer and a solution. It's right there on the paper. Shoot less.

For the record, everybody's games evolved. LeBron's games evolved. Steph Curry game. That's part of sports. Brady throws downfield less than he used to. Peyton Manning's game evolved as he lost arm strength. It's the guys like Aaron Rogers who still want to add lib and they probably shouldn't because they've had three real injuries

that underwhelm. It's the guys like Big Ben, who's become less of a precision thrower, hasn't evolved as a leader. They're the ones that underachieve. Evolving is part of being a pilot, a dentist, a doctor, a quarterback, and a point guard,

or a talk show host. I don't talk as much baseball as I talk basketball. Why? Because basketball does a really good job of elevating its stars. Baseball, Mike Trout. Not a lot of people know him, despite the fact he's the best baseball player by far in the world.

There you go. I provided solutions. Did you notice that? I didn't just... I'm with you. I don't like people that just complain and don't bring me solutions. Like if you're going to come... You could have one complaint per solution.

That is the ratio I like that. Anything over that, you got to go. So one complaint and you got to give me one solution. So you'll give me the complaint, but I got to provide a solution. Yeah, and it can be a long complaint, but then you have to have a solution. Yeah. Otherwise, you're just making noise. You're just noisy.

And there's music for that. Yeah. So this is not me just banging on it. There is something here at the end. And for the record, now that Portland's out because of injuries, there's a real. There's an opening there. That's exactly the word I was going to use. There's a very interesting opening.

Let's just get out of the eight spot and not face Golden State. But there's seven. So Oklahoma City is seven. So they'd open with Denver. Okay, so I get Paul George, who's been in the playoffs. Stephen Adams been the playoffs. Westbrook's been in the playoffs against Denver. Who do you like in that series?

I got me honest with you. Kind of a coin flip. It's kind of a coin flip. I can take away Westbrook and Adam's going to give me 20 and George can give me 30. The perfect opening series for them, to be honest with you, could very well be Denver. No playoff experience. Going to come in his favorites, face far more pressure. And by the way, Oklahoma City's not a terrible road team.

They won in Toronto a couple nights ago. They're not terrible. They're average. Outside of Milwaukee this year, kind of everybody in the league's, you know, Golden State in Milwaukee are really good on the road. Almost everybody's kind of average. Oklahoma City's capable of going on the road and picking off W's. So there are a seven seed now up against Denver. That's captivating. Don't be the guy of the room, the long, sloppy-looking untucked shirt. Untucket shirts made to fall at the perfect length, Untucket.com. G-Q calls it perfection. Go to Untucket.com. Code

Herd, H-E-R-D, 20% off all purchases. Untucket.com. Hour two next. One more herd? The herd streams 24 hours a day, seven days a week, within the I-Hart Radio app. Search Hurd to listen live or on demand whenever you'd like. Ah, this is the Hurd Hour 2 live in Los Angeles, wherever you may be and however you may be listening. IHeart Radio, Fox Sports Radio and FS1, Kenyon Martin, who's always great, Michael Rappaport, J. Mack, Jason McIntyre, T.J. Hushman Zada, Joytender is joining me for Our 2. show is moving right along. We're about a week away from really diving deep into the NFL draft, and we're about a month away from diving deep into the NBA playoffs. But there are

still some stories today. Joy, how are you? I'm doing great. Good morning. Good morning, everybody. A couple days ago, I did a graph. I think it was yesterday. And I got a lot of heat for my graph. I'm not in the graph business, but we created a LeBron and Zion graph. And I said, one's a declining asset, slowly declining, and ones are a meteor rising. And people said, well, the way that graphic works, it looks like you're saying Zion was as good as the MVP LeBron about five years ago. So our graph wasn't great. But I'm not going to show you my new graph yet.

I want to talk about this. We've always known because LeBron is older than Kevin Durant by four years. And he entered the league four years earlier. And LeBron's played so many playoff minutes. we've always known there would be a time when Kevin Durant would surpass LeBron on the floor. You know, he's a younger player. He doesn't have like nine straight trip to the final minutes. And there would be a time when Kevin would probably be, I'm not talking about legacy, all-time ranking.

I'm just talking about there would be a time on the floor that Kevin was better than LeBron. The time on the floor that Kobe was better than Michael, right? The aging star, the rising star. I think that time is today. Kevin Durant, again last night, 12 of 13, he's on a absolute tear. So let me give you my new graph, and I think we've done a better job with this one. No knock on our stock market graph maker yesterday. That if you look at, sorry radio, if you look at LeBron and Kevin Durant entering the league,

LeBron's been the better player. And I think any arguments to oppose that are reaching. but I think now we have reached that point, and that happens with declining and rising stars that were close to begin with or Kevin Durant's the more efficient player. And efficiency matters. Remember, overall numbers for LeBron in his best years,

Miami were a couple of these and Cleveland were a couple of these. He had about a five-year peak. His numbers didn't explode. His efficiency did. Because overall total numbers, volume can be deceiving. efficiency isn't. Right now, Kevin Durant's efficiency against LeBron,

efficient field goal percentage, true shooting percentage, win shares, stuff that NBA analytics, mavens pour over. Durant's the better player. That's not to say LeBron's a bad player efficiently. Efficiency-wise. It's just Kevin Durant now is as good as anybody in the sport. And if you don't believe this, and I

believe this morning, if you asked all 32 NBA GMs, you've got to sign one of these guys, guys do a four-year contract. I think virtually all of them would take Kevin Durant. I really do. Unless it was ticket sales involved. LeBron comes with baggage, clutch sports. You got to kind of find the coach that works with him. I think all GMs based on game longevity would choose Kevin Durant. And that's not to say it wouldn't be close. That's not to say LeBron's not going to be great next year. It's not to say LeBron isn't efficient or wasn't good this year. But GM's

today going forward. I think we've reached a moment where Kevin Durant's the better defender, the better score, more dependable, and has more juice to his game. And if you don't think this is true, there's going to be a very powerful moment optically in two and a half months. Kevin Durant's going to hoist another trophy and be the MVP of the finals

and LeBron's going to be in a couch. And the last two years, this has happened. Remember the first year when Durant beat LeBron in the finals? About 15% of you said, Kevin Durant's better than LeBron. And I didn't work with joy at the time, but I said, that's stupid, you're overreacting. And then it happened last year.

And about 30% of you said, Kevin Durant's better than LeBron. And I said, that's stupid, you're overreacting, but they are getting closer. This year, LeBron's sitting at home, 11th seed in the West, not really competitive off an injury, an injury we've been told now in the last week,

a little worse than we thought. and Kevin Durant hoisting a trophy. It's going to be about 50 to 75% of you that are going to be saying, Kevin Durant's better than LeBron. And I'm going to say, today, yes. Holistically, legacy, brand.

No, no, no. Basketball player? Yes. Better defender. Better score. Better shooter. More efficient. Yes, yes, yes, yes.

We knew there was going to be a time. We knew this was coming. LeBron's not an elite defensive player anymore. He doesn't give you those. juice moments as much. He doesn't give you 44 relentless minutes. He's never been the shooter and the score of Durand. And now the other parts of his game have lapsed. This is not to say LeBron's bad. And would that all shift to this? Brian Winhorst wrote a very interesting story. I used to work with him at the other place. And he talked about within LeBron's camp, within the Lakers camp, and with LeBron,

there are concerns. Is this the new normal? Or like, you know, MJ's Wizards, Kobe at the end, is this kind of the new normal? And one of the concerns is LeBron's efficiency numbers have eroded and he had a major injury. Now, there's three things here to remember. LeBron is in the West, the West is way better. It's harder to win here. Number two, now LeBron had a big injury, you can't deny it. And number three is, I think even LeBron in his camp would acknowledge he's been a little distracted with the 49 TV radio projects.

But let me defend LeBron on this. And LeBron stopped following me, I'm told. I don't check this on Twitter and social media, so he's mad at me. And I'm totally cool with that. But let me defend LeBron. I'm not anti-Lebron, but I trust my eyes and my ears. I know what I'm hearing and I know what I'm seeing. He's not the same.

There is, there's been a, there was about a five-year period where we got the best LeBron. It wasn't early in Cleveland. He was raw, and it's not now. The five or six-year period when we got the best LeBron was also the five-and-six-year period that both Miami and Cleveland gave him help in two departments. They gave him smart players,

and they gave him great shooters. Ray Allen, Badiye A, Mike Miller, Chris Bosch, Kyrie Irving, Kevin Love, Kyle Corver, Goofy J.R. Smith. here's something I know about LeBron. He is great when you give him shooters. So as we blame LeBron for everything, I just want to remind you,

smart players who can keep up with LeBron intellectually on the floor, smart guys and great shooters is what he works best with. And the Lakers gave him dumb guys and guys that can't shoot. This team was castoffs. difficult goofballs. A couple nights ago, Lance Stevenson, stepped on a guy's foot, the guy fell backwards, and the Laker bench erupted. I felt bad for LeBron. I honestly did. LeBron has been reduced to this. That's a big deal. Lance is a goofball. LeBron's so far above this. This matters. A big component to this season. You can't blame LeBron. for it. There is a roadmap for LeBron, and it was about six years. Pat Riley gave him super smart guys.

Batier, Bosch, Ray Allen, De Wade, and guys who could shoot. Because LeBron likes to handle the ball. And by the way, then LeBron said, I don't want Andrew Wiggins. I want Kevin Love he can shoot. Kyrie Irving. LeBron said, get me J.R. Smith. Get me Kyle Corver. LeBron knows his game. The Lakers went in the opposite direction. They got him goofballs, not smart basketball guys,

distracted guys, and guys that can't shoot. So for LeBron, the Lakers in his camp, even the greatest players in any sport, in the history of basketball, There were players that Michael Jordan played well with. Michael Jordan never played well with guys who needed the ball early in his career. He played well with slasher's and shooters. Steve Kerr, Scotty Pippen, Tony Kookech, guys who could step back, let Michael dominate.

And then when Michael needed Koo Coach, Pax and Kerr to hit shots, when he needed ancillary players to do what they do, Michael was great. Michael wasn't good early or late in his career when he didn't have those components. Kobe always played very well with a very good big. Shaq got doubled. Gasol, Shaq and Gasol, high IQ guys. Every star needs certain players that work for them. Don't blame this all in LeBron.

High IQ and great shooters. LeBron's great because he's super smart. He's very savvy. He needs guys who get it and guys who can shoot when he drives and passes. The Lakers are the opposite. Goof balls, weirdos, not smart basketball minds, and nobody can shoot. It's not all on LeBron. LeBron gave you a roadmap on what works.

He didn't give many of it. Now, by the way, LeBron wouldn't be in L.A. If Kyrie wouldn't have left him. That's the funny thing about this situation. If Kyrie doesn't flake and leave, LeBron's not in Los Angeles. So when Kyrie left and J.R. Smith broke his heart in the finals on that dumb playing game one, LeBron felt like I've got to get out of here. Okay, Kyrie's gone.

Love is becoming a little bit of a liability defensively. JR's driving me crazy and Corver's getting old. So this idea that LeBron, like, I think LeBron deep down wanted to stay in Cleveland. But Kyrie left. Corver's getting old. J.R.'s goofy and loves eroding. So he had to go. I didn't necessarily choose the perfect team, but I got it.

But can't all be LeBron here. A big component of this is the two things that work with him, they didn't give him either. And for the record, if you think Anthony Davis solves the shooting, you're wrong. He doesn't solve the shooting part. This is the second worst shooting team in the league to Phoenix. Get some shooters. They've always worked with LeBron. Kmart, Michael Rappaport, all sorts of stuff today.

It's a Thursday. I'm going on a very, very quick sabbatical. this weekend. Just a very quick, sunshine, brief, tiny, be right back early next week. So we're bringing everything we got today. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays in noon Eastern, 9 a.m. Pacific on Fox Sports Radio, FS1, and the IHeart Radio app. Last night, a blown call changed a game. This morning, the internet lost its mind. Highlights are trending, opinions are flying, and nobody's telling you exactly what happened. That's where Sports Slice comes in. I'm Timbo. Every episode,

we're cutting through the noise. Breaking down the plays, the controversies, and the stories behind the headlines. We go straight to the source, the 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. Slice on the Iheart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more, follow Timbo Sliced Life 12 and the TikTok podcast network on TikTok.

Welcome to my new podcast, Learn the Hardway with me, your host, and your favorite therapist, Kear Games. And in recognition of mental health awareness month, I'm bringing over a decade of my own experience in the mental health field and conversations with so many incredible guests. I'm talking, Tripp Fontaine, Ryan Clark. Sometimes when we're in the pursuit of the thing, we get so wrapped up in the chase. that we don't realize that we are in possession of the thing and we're still chasing it and we don't know when we've done enough because people scoreboard watch life becomes 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 that's two different levels of trust I want you to just really be a good person join me Kear Gaines is we have real conversations about healing growth, fatherhood, pressure, and purpose on my new podcast, Learn the Hardway.

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

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

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

Because resilience isn't just about winning. It's about showing up, even when it's hard. Listen to Hurtle with Emily Abadi on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Presented by Capital One, founding partner of IHart Women's Sports. Saturday, the season's biggest free agents at the field with their new teams. First, Bryce Harper and the Phillies take on Freddie Freeman and the Braves, and the Giants face off against Mandy Machado and the Padres. It all starts at four Eastern one.

Pacific on FS1 and the Fox Sports app. By the way, baseball's got this great new ad campaign called Let the Kids Play. What's fascinating about it, they're directing it at their own players. Because all of us want to see baseball lighten up and chill out and have fun. Old stodgy baseball managers and players inside the sport won't. It's a fascinating commercial by baseball. It's great. But what's interesting is who they're directing the commercial at, their own grumpy people.

Because everybody wants to see Mike Trout and more personality. We all want Manny Ramirez. I want 50 Manny Ramirez's. All right, Kmart, Kenyon Martin, 15 years in the NBA. So I started my show today with one of my topics was where Kobe Bryant's really been brilliant. He had a great basketball career. And I'm not saying in the off season.

He didn't do this, this, this. And then he retired and he took all that passion and he moved it into Hollywood. He was always around here. But his two projects outside of basketball have been great. His short film won an Oscar. his new kids book is fantastic. It's a New York Times bestseller. LeBron in his career is doing his projects during the season, seems distracted, and it's almost like there's a weird thing like Kobe sort of played Hollywood. I'll get to you

when I need you. It's almost like Hollywood played LeBron. They just offered him a million things. LeBron's like, yeah, I'll do that, I'll do that, I'll do that. I think it's hurt LeBron. Yeah, Kobe, I think he was setting things up for when he got done. Because he's been here since he's been a kid. Yeah. So there was no hurry to get to it. And now he's getting to it it's the right time. Like you said, I think the

LeBron saw the Shaquille O'Neill effect and that's what he wanted to become. Powell, star. Yeah, right now. And in my opinion, he could do the same things from Cleveland. Right, like Cleveland's knocking off. It didn't deter anything

that you're trying to do business-wise, movie-wise. You're still executive producer on shows, movies, plays, whatever it is you're doing. But I think the glamour of everything right now of Hollywood, I think he wanted that. And now he's here. And maybe it's affecting this play. I don't know that. The numbers say no. But there has to be some distraction. By the way, I said this. We had a graph earlier. We all knew that as Kobe was emerging late in his career and Michael was declining, there is a point when the young rising star surpasses the old great.

Like we've all known that LeBron's better than Durant, but he came in the league four years earlier. Here's the graph we put up. And LeBron's also played like two extra seasons of playoff games that Durant hasn't. I think we've reached the point where Kevin now is the better defender. He's always been a better shooter. I don't think it's crazy to say right now today, most GMs would take Duran over LeBron.

I don't think it's a shot at LeBron. Right now, yeah. But you're 16. Right. You know what I'm saying? But it's, you have to take everything into account right now. What's more important? Is basketball more important than your business stuff?

Is winning more important than your personal accolades in the sport? You know what I'm saying? So everybody has to take that into account. I think, and a lot of people don't do, are not willing to do that with LeBron right now because of his statute, because it's greatness. Right. No, people are not willing to challenge or question your motives, which he's earned that to a certain degree. Right. But in all fairness to the Lakers and Lakers fan and faithful and all that, like, what's more important to you right now?

No. Is winning more important? Is winning championship, was it 17, I think, at 8th, whatever the number is? Is that more important to you? Or is you becoming an Oscar winner or you becoming a being an team owner? I'm saying, what is important to you right now? So I think they should be able to know that. But all the question and all the stuff right now, there's no answer to it.

Somebody said this to me earlier in the year, an NBA exec. He said LeBron always sought more power. And he got it. But not everybody wants to work with power. So when you hire LeBron, you're hiring clutch sports. You're hiring his guys. You got to get his coach. So LeBron's big thing was, I want more power as a player.

And he got it. but not everybody wants to be in the room with the most powerful guy. Yeah. Some people don't, it's not what they want, who they are. Or some guys don't want to be a part of it. Right. It's intimidating. Some guys, it's overwhelming.

Yeah, definitely. Like the statement, Kevin Durant said, I think he could handle it if he wanted to be a part of it. Yeah. But at his statute, why would I subject myself to that? Didn't Kevin Durant? What was Kevin Durant's comment, Joy? It's a circus.

Whatever the case may be. Yeah, Kevin said when you play with LeBron, it to circus and the executive said to me that was the time I asked him. He said I wouldn't classify it as a circus but there's this power vacuum with LeBron that he's a lot. And he's got it and it sucks the air out of the room.

By the way, that's what LeBron wanted and he got it. Because he's demanding. He's been demanding. Yes. And that's what you sign for when you sign LeBron. It's not just you're getting a great basketball player. You get an ABC of him and then

ABC of Clutch sports and you're getting everything else that comes with that. And that's just the nature of where sports is now. Well, not sports because other sports don't allow things like that, basketball. Yeah. I'm saying that's just the nature of the NBA and the power that players have gained and earned over the years. Right. So that's just what it is.

Not that many of them. Not at all, not at all. About four, six. I wouldn't even say that many. But, yeah, there's certain guys that walk in the room and there's certain things you know that this is going to be a part of the conversation. Right. You know, and it's just they are looked at as divas, looked at it as hard to deal with. So it's a lot that comes with that, man.

But I've always, well, for the last six, seven years, I've said, like, everything is more important now than basketball. You know, everything else, social media, dress code. Like, everything else is more than important than the game of basketball. And you were a basketball only guy. Yeah, I'm a basketball guy, man. I want to play. You know, that's what I'm here for. and everything else is great.

Everything else is cherries on top. Right. I'm a basketball player at heart. Like, that's who I am. That's what I came up in this ass, and that's what I'm going to leave ass. Yeah. And everything else we can do, we can do that.

But I'm a basketball player. I can become a great businessman. I'm a great father. I can do all of those things, but it starts, I'm a great, I'm a basketball player. No, a couple years ago in our business, everybody started talking politics. And I'm like, listen, I'm just trying to be great at sports.

I don't think anybody cares about my politics. which, by the way, could alienate half my audience. So in the end, I mean, I turn to actors. I love hearing him talk about acting. That's not to say that a basketball player or an actor can't talk global warming. Yeah, not at all. But I'm more fascinated with their hoops or their acting. Definitely.

I want to hear Mark Zuckerberg talk about tech. I don't really care about his politics. But if he talks about tech, Jerry Seinfeld deconstructs a joke, that's fascinating. I don't care about his politics. But I'm not saying shut up and dribble. You can talk about him. Yeah, definitely. But that doesn't interest me.

Yeah, that's what it is. So this morning I gave a PowerPoint presentation on Westbrook. Last night, Thunder were great. Adams had 25. Paul George was great. And Westbrook, I kind of feel like he's got an angel on one side and a devil on the other. You don't quite know what you're getting with him. But there is a stat that is fascinating.

When he shoots over 21 times, his team stinks. When they shoot 20 or less, they're the warriors. Westbrook, sometimes his greatest defender is himself. He battles himself. he kind of has a relentless personality. For the record, it's why everybody loves him. Did you ever play with a guy who sometimes battled himself more than the opposition? Because I think he's got an angel on one side.

The angel's like he's in a good mood. He drives to the arena. But then I do think he has nights that he's like, okay, I don't like what you said about me. He comes to the arena and he's just going to show you, you're wrong. I'm shooting 24. And I don't think he's a great shooter. I think the game dictates, I think each game dictates that for him. He always, like you said, he comes to the arena with that edge on his shoulder.

With that, like, whoever you put in front of him, I'm going to attack you. But it depends on how the game is going. Depends on that level of intensity that you get from him, I think. You know, the shot selection, the whether he's, after he, the Euro steps, you, the animation of that and rocking the baby to sleep. I think you get that throughout the course of the game, how the game is going. You know, so I just, he's one of the great competitors. No question.

I'm saying that we have. Like you said, I think he does battle himself at times, shot selection, when to shoot, when not to shoot. But I just, like I said, last night, I stopped watching the game how it was going, going into halftime, and then I come out and they went on the 24-nothing run in the third quarter. I'm like, oh, wow. And by the way, spreading the ball around. Yeah, but his numbers are the same, though.

But I think there are two Westbrooks. I think there's good choices, Westbrook, and bad choices, Westbrook? I think it's the same guy. You like him more than I do. Of course, but at times, if I was, like, I would love to be on the team with it. At times, he would drive me crazy at times with some of the things at critical times of the game. But throughout the course of the 48, I'll take it. Throughout the course of 82 games and beyond, I take it.

Because it's competitive nature. I can live with that. I can live with a bad shot here and there. I can live with a bad turnover. When I know you're going to bring it and I ain't got to worry about that wavering, I can deal with that. As competitors, you can deal with certain things.

Like at times, if we tied or we down two and you come pull up three on the break when we didn't need that shot, yeah, it might drive me nuts. But what you've done before that and what's going to do after that, it's not going outweigh. So for me, it's,

you have to take the good with the bad with it. Like you have to take it with a grain of salt at times because you know what he's going to do. By the way, Rick Carlisle, Lakers, I don't buy the rumor. Mark Cuban said L.O.L. That's what I say about the rumor. What would you think about Cuban,

excuse me, Carlisle and LeBron? I think that's one of, Rick Carlisle has been historically known as a no-nonsense kind of coach. No bull. If it was, or if it's in the making talked about whatever, I think it's a good fit, because I don't

think LeBron has had that. The guy that just doesn't take anything. Yeah, so he's going to do it his way. And he's proven that. He's been a winner, champion as a coach. He's proven that it's going to be his way with no matter who it is. And the guys that he's coached has bought into that. And if it was to happen, I think LeBron wouldn't have a choice.

It might be a battle, but Rick is a great coach. So I think ultimately LeBron to look at his track record of what he's done, his resume, which I think can speak volumes in that situation. situation, which LeBron hasn't had, I don't think. Yeah. You know, guys, he probably like guys, but probably respect him to a certain level. But his thing is, what have you done or what have you done without me or, you know what I'm saying?

Yeah, and Carlisle probably. With the Mike Browns with the spokesers, with T. Lou. What did you do without me? I'm saying? So with Rick, you don't have that. Rick has a title or Rick has coach Hall of Fame. as Rick has been submitted somewhere for a long period of time and done things his way.

So if it was to happen, I think it could be a good fit, but it'll take some. Mark Cuban's not letting him go. Yeah, but it takes some soul searching at the door for LeBron, I think to realize who the coach is, who the guy is. That's sitting in the second chair. Kmart, good seeing you. Yes, sir, always.

Joy, Chadd over the news. No, no, no, no, no. Turn on the news. This is the herd line news. So we talk a lot about the future face of the NBA and a young star that's been given on a show is Devin Booker following his 59 point performance against the jazz. He guaranteed he would score 50 points again against the Wizards. And unlike many NBA stars who made bold claims before, Booker actually came through. He as a 22-year-old became the youngest player in NBA history to score 50 points in back-to-back games.

In fact, seven of the NBA's top all-time leading scores never had back-to-backed games. the back 50 point games. Those are some of the names, obviously. He is just a natural score. Yeah, I mean, walking buckets. Luca Donthich and Devin Booker like we're born to score. You just look up, they've got 26, and it comes really easy. Well, that's why it's so great what the Mavs have done with Luca, getting him Chris Staps.

And I think it's a win-now situation for Phoenix. I mean, they've been tanking for their fourth year now. I mean, I bet if you look at post-all-star breaks, they probably have the most DMP injuries to their roster. I'm Devin's loyal, so I mean, he's there in Phoenix, but I think this offseason is going to be crucial for what their long-term situation with him is moving forward. Because he's an all-star caliber player, and he deserves, those skills deserve to be shown in the playoffs. Fans are missing out, not seeing him in the playoffs. And if it continues this way, it's going to end up being probably like a Pelican situation.

They're going to lose their superstar like Anthony Davis. So it's going to be interesting what happens in the off season this year, but hookers hooping. So it's college hoops time sponsored by Guinness. Happy St. Patrick's Day from the Brewers of Guinness. So Stanford Siney Fran Balee made history at Tuesday's Power A Jam Fest. She became the first female dunker to win the high school dunk contest since Candace Parker took the title in 2004. She won the contest with this dunk. Jumped over someone there.

I don't know if we're going to show it one more time. But anyway, she won the dunk. I don't know how tall she is, actually. Zion won this contest last year. So it's a pretty big deal. And John Morant took, she's six foot one. Oh, that's just she can jump. Yeah.

So John Morant took to Twitter to show his respect for her dunking abilities. He said a lot of dudes can do this dunk, but not many females can dunk, especially the dunk she did. You probably can't even do them. Stop Hayden on female hoopers. Yeah, if you're six one and can dunk it, you can jump. I'm six one and a half. I couldn't palm the ball.

So I can't, you can palm the ball. I can palm the ball. You can palm a ball. You can palm a basketball. Yes No way What do you mean Maybe a woman's ball smaller

I can palm a woman's ball Don't be disrespectful Colin No one of the women's ball is actually smaller Yes I know But I'm saying I can I can palm about I'll show you a video You can palm an NBA basketball Yes

I could when I would go for the dunk It would slip out of my hands I could dunk I can't dunk in NBA basketball No I can You can you can't You can't

I guarantee you can I can dunk a volleyball In high school Because I could palm it Yes You I have I had hops. Six one and a half. I could jam. And I could, I could, I could three 60 a whiffle.

Oh, really? No, I could, I could, I could, I believe you could get up there. I could get up there. In high school. No, in high school, like not now. God, I can't even duck a donut. 360? Yeah. I don't know if I'm buying 360. I could do a 720 with a thimble. I mean, I could really. I just could never palm a basketball when I would jump. I couldn't secure it. It wasn't a height thing. Because I could dunk a volleyball easily. Yes, I am not saying that I could jump in the air while palming a basketball and dunk it. I'm just saying it's just standing still. Let's get next, when I get back from my hiatus, I want a basketball on the set because I can't palm a basketball.

Yes, you can. I believe in you. I don't believe in the 360 dunk, but I believe in you. And congrats to Fran on winning the dunk contest. And finally, the never-ending talk of Peyton Manning possibly returning to the Colts added another layer this week. Colts owner, Jim Ursay, gave some new information on the manning to the Colts storyline at the NFL's annual meeting in Arizona. Urse said he had serious discussions with Peyton prior to the hiring of Chris Ballard. And, quote, there was definitely some interest on both sides for a possible president GM type of role with the Colts.

But Payton ultimately continued to focus on retired life and spending time with his family, basically saying he was not ready for the full-time commitments. I think the guy running the Colts right now, I don't need to live. lot of help. You know, it's interesting what the cults have done, because this is a conversation you would think, like, that'd be perfect. Peyton Manning in that position. And then the cults, they thought they had their guy. And then they ended up with another head coach. It's, it's like they ended up, through fates, they ended up with the people they were supposed to have. And I think that they do involve Peyton and, in, no, I would always. And, you know, what he thinks about players and an organization as a whole, which is good.

But it's good that he didn't commit to this if he wasn't fully ready, that he didn't get feel pressured in doing it. It's what we've been talking about all day, saying no to things that aren't right for you. If I ran an NFL franchise, I was a GM, I would put Peyton Manning on a retainer, and I'd say, sit down and tell me what quarterbacks you like in this draft. If I needed a quarterback, Peyton Manning's one of the five people in the world, I'd bring him in, I'd say I'll pay a $50,000 a month for six months. I want you to take us through the draft process.

I want you to be at the pro days. I want you to be at the combine. Peyton Manning's opinion. Now, I'm not saying on left tackles, it doesn't matter. But there are things Peyton Manning knows that I would love to have in my building. I don't even think that Peyton charges them for advice. I mean, there's a mutual relationship there that's beneficial for them. And who's to say this won't happen in the future?

It's interesting. I think his name's being thrown around for Monday Night Football as well. So Payton's been pretty chill in his retirement. And he's always been a good business guy. So it would be interesting, but then also we've seen in the past these situations don't always work out perfectly. But it's interesting later to the story. All right, good stuff. Joy with the news. Well, that's the news.

And thanks for stopping by. The Herd Lie News. Coming up next, where it all went wrong for LeBron James with a crazy outspoken Michael Rappaport. Coming up next. Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd weekdays in noon Eastern 9 a.m. Pacific. Last night, a blown call changed the game. This morning, the internet lost its mind. Highlights are trending, opinions are flying, and nobody's telling you exactly what happened.

That's where 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,

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 and the TikTok podcast network on TikTok. Welcome to my new podcast, Learn the Hardway with me, your host, and your favorite therapist, Kear Games. And in recognition of mental health awareness month, I'm bringing over a decade of my own experience in the mental health field and conversations

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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 went to a billion-dollar fraud. But with two kings from entirely different worlds, just how long can their empire survive?

the largest tax investigation in American history. You need to tell me what you know. Is somebody coming after me? Jacob told Levan, you're ruining my life. Listen to Kingdom of Fraud on the 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 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 a gold medal to someone and have their face light. up and smile. That means the world to me. And that's what motivates me to win more gold medals. At our level, at this scale, like being able to fail in front of the entire world. Like, I can do anything. I can, like, I can do anything. Because resilience isn't just about winning. It's about showing up, even when it's hard. Listen to Hurtle with Emily Abadi on the IHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts,

or wherever you get your podcasts. Presented by Capital One, founding partner of IHeart Women's Sports. Rapaport is an artist. He is a producer. He is a talent. And because of that, Michael Rapaport is very emotional. That's a fact. I am sad, lonely, and more of an accountant. I am not emotional, and you know that about me. Yes. So that's why when we come on the show, I have to bring you back down to an emotionally disciplined place and you're bursting through the cage with me. Fact again. So when Odell Beckett, Beckham gets traded, I look at the Giants and I'm like, oh, two first round picks, you can build, get a left tackle. For you, trading Odell Beckham was an emotional experience as a Giants fan.

To say the least, it was an emotional experience. I've discussed on this show, the shenanigans, the fights, all the detrimental things O'Dell Beckham has done. but Eli Manning has not been able to test drive the Ferrari, which is O'Dell Beckham for the last two seasons. When they traded him knowing that we have this beautiful purple Ferrari, it's probably an addition of five. Right. And despite the fact that he's driven me nuts,

this is one of the best football players in the league. He's certainly one of the most gifted, yes. Yes. The last two season, no one has been able to give him the ball. So we have a Ferrari that Every now and then you've got to take it out there And run its engine Otherwise, it's going to waste

So next year, two things are going to happen We're going to be reminded of the Ferrari That is Odell Beckham Baker-Matefield's going to be running around Odell Beckham's going to be scrambling extending plays That's a Ferrari No, I'm not doubting that at all

I think Baker and Odell Odell runs the best slant pattern in the league And Baker's very accurate at the slant pattern They're going to have fun together They're going to have fun So the way it happened, the fact that it happened when I was taking a nap, same thing happened during the Porzingis trade, but it has nothing to do with while we're out. For some reason, I can't take a nap without somebody humongous being traded.

Out of your New York teams. I have no idea. So, yes, I was upset. I was concerned. And the fact that we got rid of Odell Beckham and didn't get five quarterbacks also is concerned to me. Because right now, we don't have Odell Beckham. We don't have a Ferrari. Right.

Now you don't have a driver. We got a Mack truck in the backfield. Sequo Barkley. Thank you to me. I came on this show. Argued with you and I said, draft them, draft them, draft them. He showed improved. They're going to be stacking the box on our Mack truck now because we don't have a Ferrari.

We got a Mack truck. We know the Mack truck is coming. So that's going to take away from him, especially with the fact that we're going to be starting the season with a guy who the sentimentality is in me. emotional. Me and my father, we almost shed a tear on the phone the other day talking about Eli Manning. How much you love him? Well, how much we loved? Loved. It's in the past. He's the only

guy on the team that's still with the Giants that was part of that Super Bowl roster. Yeah. Are we going to bring back Michael Strayhan? Let's bring you back Strayhan. Let's keep celebrating what happened almost 20 years ago. This is why about three years ago I bailed on Eli. I know

his brother Cooper. I think Peyton's one of the best players I've ever seen. I've met Eli 10 times. I've loved him every time. I had him on the show. But as an accountant, it's just about value declining rising. You're emotional. By the way, with LeBron and Kobe, were you more a LeBron or a Kobe guy? A Kobe. Okay. Kobe is mastered basketball and projects. Yes. I made an argument earlier today. LeBron has thrown him all together, and I think it's hurt him. I think he's distracted. I think it's apt energy. I think he's worried about too many things. I think he came to Hollywood and let

use him, and Kobe used Hollywood. He said no a lot, took very few projects, dinner's meetings, and Kobe figured out Hollywood because he was here for years, he was never desperate. LeBron feels like when you go on vacation and you have six days and you try to get, do everything in six days, okay, we're going to go on the roller coaster. We're going to go to the beach. LeBron jams everything into like four months in Hollywood. It's the vacation where you should just either done less or had more time. LeBron looks distracted to me. This has been, listen, fool me once.

Shame on me. Fool me again. Shame on me. I came on this show, said they're going to make it to the Western Conference finals. I bought the Kool-Aid, and the Kool-Aid stained my shirt. I have a Kool-Aid stained on my face. I thought they were going to do it. I thought he was going to do it.

This year has been a disaster from the beginning of the season when they lost the first three games, one of which is. giving up 143 points to the spurs to hugging CP3 when Rondo spit in his face to serenading Kyrie Irving and seen to him, which made Elgin Baylor, Jerry West, Dave Cowens, and Bill and Bob Coosie cry and feel ashamed to leading Anthony Davis astray. Rich Paul is his agent. LeBron James might as well be his agent. He led Anthony Davis astray because you don't think Anthony Davis just came out of nowhere and said,

trade me without consulting his agent who's pretty much LeBron James this has been a disaster this has been a disaster across the board and whether or not he can multitask or not based on what we saw this year you can't it's just been one thing after another

I've seen you've lived in Hollywood I've seen in the four years I've lived in L.A. I've seen it literally implode careers you have to use Hollywood you cannot let it use you and here's what it uses you because if you're famous, everybody wants to meet with you, take it a dinner, put you on their project.

And you have to learn to say, nah, and the real famous people do that. And Tom Hanks says no all day. Kobe Bryant, you think when he was playing, you see him at the Shetto, whatever it is? No, Kobe was the biggest star in L.A. for about nine years. He had a million projects. He said no to 99%.

LeBron's got 15 projects this year. It's like, dude, and none of them are great. No, they're propaganda projects. They're just like, it's like, Kobe's like, I'll take two, I'll make them both great. Kids book New York Times bestseller, short film, win an Oscar. Like, you got to say no, because Hollywood will offer you the world if you're famous, because everybody wants to jump on board famous and ride the roller, and they want to ride you, and LeBron just said yes to too much stuff.

You don't think that Leonardo DiCaprio could put his name on 17 different half, half cooked, half-baked projects if he wanted to? By tomorrow? Of course he could. He doesn't. Of course he doesn't. Tom Hanks could say yes all day. He says yes once a year to Spielberg. Exactly.

This has been a disaster of a year. What's going to happen next year? I don't know, but I don't think there's any big free agents coming here. I agree. I agree with you. I think Kyrie's actually the best fit. By the way, Bill Simmons, you guys are tight, right? Or something?

I never see him. No, I didn't mean. I mean, yeah, what would he say? He says, bet the house, Kevin Durant is going to New York. Oh, really? I think it funded them. Based on what? based on what he said that? Who cares that he said that?

Well, I think they know each other. I don't think Kevin Durant said anything to Bill Simmons about where he's going. I bet the house on that. And let me tell you something. Listen, everybody's throwing around their sources and bet the house. I ain't bet no houses. I ain't bet no houses. And who cares what he says? I could say, I could say I bet the house that he ain't. I will say this. If Kevin Durant goes, I said this the other day,

we were doing our show prep. in the history of American sports. Find a star athlete who left a brilliantly run franchise to a poorly run franchise, and it worked. You can't find one. It's not about money. Sports at the very, if you look at all sports, who owns it, who runs it,

the Warriors are arguably, Houston's up there, Boston, are the best run NBA franchise. I know you're a Nick fan. It's not a brilliantly run franchise. Kevin Durant, who has business savvy, would be like me going from Fox, which has a history of Fox News, The Simpsons, Fox Sports,

and going to a sports network that is fledgling, that has failed. You don't leave, regardless of your talent. Great management for poor management. LeBron did that. Well, Cleveland wasn't, no, Cleveland wasn't. How many, I mean, how many number one overall picks did Cleveland get while LeBron was gone? Yeah, but they but they got Karee. Yeah, but they weren't well run.

As I'm saying, they're not well run. He went back and won a championship. That's LeBron James in his prime of primes of prizes. Kevin Arraise the best player in the NBA right now. But by the way, so LeBron went from well-run Miami to poorly run Cleveland, and despite the fact that it was his hometown, he bailed. But he did get a champion. Well, he showed improved.

But they were. And they're back to what they were. But he did get a championship. I would love. Durant's not going to New York. Listen, you know what to... Listen, I would love nothing more than Kevin Durant and the rest of them all to come to New York. But you know it's a sexy option too?

Brooklyn is in the house without a doubt. Brooklyn is a cool, sexy young borough. That team is cool. They got cool players. If you're the king of Brooklyn basketball, I mean, that's pretty cool. coming to Los Angeles and taking over L.A. as a clipper, that's pretty cool, too. That being said, he would look gorgeous in that orange and blue. But I don't think there's betting the houses.

I think a lot it's going to have to do with how they wind up in the playoffs. If they win the championship, I think if they win the championship, he's definitely leaving. I think if they lose, I don't think he's going to leave because I think it's going to be the same sort of thing like the Oklahoma City thing. Michael Rappaport, he's emotional. I'm not. We're done. Hour three coming up next. Want 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 a game. This morning, the internet lost its mind.

Highlights are trending, opinions are flying, and nobody's telling you exactly what happened. That's where Sports Slice comes in. I'm Timbo. Every episode, we're cutting through the noise, breaking down the plays, the controversies, and the stories behind the headlines. We go straight to the source, the athlete themselves. their locker room stories, their reactions, the stuff nobody gets to hear. The laughs, the drama, the triumphs, the moments that never make the highlight real. From viral moments to historic games, from buzzer beaters to controversial calls, we break it down, give you context, and ask the questions everybody wants answered.

Sports Slice brings you closer to the action with stories told by the people who live them. Listen to Sports Slice on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more, follow Timbo Slices Life 12 and the TikTok podcast. network on TikTok. Welcome to my new podcast, Learn the Hardway with me, your host, and your favorite therapist, Kear Games. And in recognition of Mental Health Awareness Month, I'm bringing over a decade of my own experience in the mental health field and conversations with so many incredible guests. I'm talking, 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.

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Open your free, our heart radio app. Search, learn the hard way, 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 Levan this went to a billion dollar fraud. But with two kings from entirely different worlds, just how long can their empire survive? The largest tax investigation in American history. You need to tell me what you know. Is somebody coming after me? Jacob told Levan, you're ruining my life.

Listen to Kingdom of Fraud on the I-Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you. you get your podcast. Life throws hurdles big and small. The question is, how do you conquer them? On hurdle with Emily Abadi, we sit down with the most inspiring women in sports and wellness, professional athletes, coaches, and Olympic champions to talk about the challenges that shaped them and the mindset that keeps them going.

From the WNBA standout, Kate Martin, and rising hockey star, Layla Edwards. If a boy can do it, I don't see why a girl can't. Like, I've never understood that. Like, it didn't make sense in my brain. It's hard to be in spaces that no one looks like. you, but don't ever feel like you don't feel like you don't feel on. Don't let that be the reason you don't do it. An Olympic champs Gabby Thomas and Katie Ladeki. The ability to show a gold medal to someone and have their face light up and smile, that means the world to me. And that's what

motivates me to win more gold medals. At our level, at this scale, like being able to fail in front of the entire world. Like, I can do anything. I can do anything. Because resilience isn't just about winning. It's about showing up, even when it's hard. Listen to Hurtle with Emily Abadi on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Presented by Capital One, founding partner of IHeart Women's Sports. Ah, this is the herd, wherever you may be, however you may be listening. Live in Los Angeles, IHeart Radio, Fox Sports Radio, FS1.

Joy Taylor joining me. Here's a little breaking news. I don't know if it does it deserve music because it's not that big of a deal? Dallas Cowboys and Miami Dolphins have parameters in place, according to Ian Rappaport, on a trade to send Robert Quinn of the Dolphins, pass rusher to Dallas. He's okay. He's a six, seven sack a year guy. Rams had him to the Dolphins, now Dallas.

He's a good backup pass rusher. So Cowboy, basically it's a power play by the Cowboys. They have DeMarcus Lawrence. He's a very good pass rusher. He wants huge Khalil Mack money. Cowboys made him an offer. They're not going to make him that much, nor should he be paid that much. He's a really, really good player.

He's an A-minus player, a B-plus, DeMarcus Lawrence, A-minus B-plus, really good player. We picked up on him about two years ago. We're like, there's this kid in Dallas, who's unbelievable. It was during the Niners game. They played the Niners. I think it was in San Francisco, and I told you, I said, this kid's going to be a star, and he popped about four games later,

and he's become a great player. He's not Khalil Mack. And so Dallas made him a very fair offer. These edge rushers now, because of Khalil Mack salary, everybody wants to be paid like a quarterback. I'm not paying an edge rush. like I'm paying my quarterback. Even Khalil Mack.

I love him. But at some point, Chicago is going to have to, there's a cross to bear here. And when they're paying him $23, $24 million, and they have to pay Trubisky, that's where you get into situations where it's really difficult. Now, Kaleo Mack is so great that you can just say. He's the Lawrence Taylor of our time.

DeMarcus Lawrence is not that good. He's not the Lawrence Taylor of our time. But he's good. You're not that good. So, oh, by the way, because I'm off tomorrow, tomorrow's headlines today with Jason McIntyre. Joy, you know I love that. You do. It's one of my favorite things.

I'm an old journalist. I love to play on words with newspapers. J. Hushman Zada stops by, and he's going to talk about something. Here's something I've learned in all my years of watching sports. The more emotion involved in a decision, the worse that decision will be. So the NFL, New Orleans Saints got robbed in a play, right? Emotion, emotion, emotion, emotion, emotion, emotion, emotion. And they changed the past interference rule.

It was a horrible call. But yesterday, the NFL said, oh, right, we have overturned the past interference call. You can replay it now. Oh, what's interesting is the NFL also released several pieces of video from last year that would have been with the new replay. rule overturned. Here's an interesting one. The Steelers were at New Orleans late in the year. This was called pass interference. It gave the Saints the ball at the one-two yard line. They scored. They won the game. Oh, the NFL says with a new replay rule on pass interference,

this would not have been ruled pass interference. Steelers win, Saints no longer the number one seed have to go on the road 3,000 miles in Los Angeles to play the Rams and they don't lose much in Los Angeles. Yes. Yes, New Orleans, this game would not have turned out in your favor.

By the way, the Rams calling are lucky to be in the Super Bowl. Actually, let's look at a second piece of tape. At the Super Bowl, the Rams would have had a first and goal had there been a review. of replay on this corner throw to Brandon Cooks.

Because if you reviewed it, watch right here. Sorry radio listeners. Patriots grabbed his arm, first and goal. Rams would have scored. Instead, there was no call just incomplete. And on the very next play, Jared Goff pressured through a pick game over. Rams could have won the Super Bowl had the replay been in. Would you have been happy with that in New England?

Saints would not have had home field advantage. Hey, Cleveland, Baltimore, Pittsburgh would have made the playoffs. When you make decisions based on emotion, you almost always make terrible decisions. The New Orleans Saints have really weak corners in a division with really good wide receivers. Don't you think New Orleans could use a little leeway on the clutching and grabbing stuff?

they're going to need leeway the next couple of years. As Drew Brees gets older and older, the offense isn't quite as explosive, had a couple of guys leave. New Orleans is going to need a little leeway on those corners. As Dean Blandino said yesterday, when you react emotionally and then have an owner's meeting and rush something right into the market, right into the game, it's generally not a good decision long term.

What the NFL did yesterday is they were, won the press conference, right? They won the press conference, but as we all know, that's not, that's only part of it. Now we've got to figure out all the unintended consequences and vet out where normally the competition committee has months to go through this, think about it. Obviously, the play happened in the NFC championship game. No one wants to see that type of mistake affect a game, but is replay truly the fix here? Or is it officiating on the field and making sure they have good direction? They're coached up. They know what passed interference is and they're going to make the call when

it has to be made. Dean Blandino used to run the officials. The league is not as smartly officiated or as well officiated since he left. I said it last year. The NFL's got to get him back and pay whatever it takes. The answer to this was

educating your officials. Just a basic rule in life. Take emotion out of your decisions. You make better decisions. And don't overreact to stuff because of a crazy event. Nick right on the show yesterday had my favorite analogy on this. Colin, if you're driving on the 405 and you go under an overpass and a giant

boulder lands on the hood of your car, it hadn't happened, your entire life will never happen again. You don't buy boulder insurance. You say, man, that's terrible luck. You don't change a system for an anomalous event. It won't happen again anytime soon. And to change the system because of it is absurd and mark it down. Fans will hate it. I have no idea what in the world anybody is going to do with Hail Marys. If you go letter to the law, they'll all be pass interference. The desperate team will get a huge edge. And I think sports should be built for better coaches, better players, better schemes and better organizations to win, not give the trailing team late, the fluky team, an officiating break.

Let me shift to this. Last night, this will make news. It's sort of silly. It's like one of those late night shows, James Corden, Jimmy Kimmel, Jimmy Fallon, Stephen Colbert. They're not journalists, they're entertainers. And when guys like Kobe Bryant go on, you know, they're going to play to the crowd. And last night was one of those moments where the non-sports host, who doesn't

where to get sports, brings on the sport star, and, you know, it's the environment, you know, Kobe says something and people make a big deal out of it. Here it was. I would like you to rank these legendary basketball players from best to worst. LeBron James, Michael Jordan, and Kobe Bryant. I'm the best. Michael's second best. Okay. Okay. Don't make a big deal out of that. Okay. I don't even care the rankings, but I will say this. Here's where Kobe and Michael are much better than LeBron. Focus.

Anybody noticed how brilliant Kobe Bryant's post-basketball career has been? Wouldn't we all agree it's hard to be great at multiple things at one time? Kind of is. Kobe was transfixed with basketball when he played it. He had no social life. Mocked for that, kind of a loner aloof. but nobody would argue his basketball career was A-plus-plus.

Then Kobe shifted all his passion and intensity and retired from basketball and moved into his next career. That has also been so far A-plus-plus. He won an Oscar for a short film. It was fantastic. And he has a bestseller, a new kid's book that's out that is fantastic.

People in our staff have bought it. A-plus. because Kobe and Michael understood, I'm all in on hoops, and then I'm not, and now I'm all in on business. LeBron James basketball suffered this year,

and none of his projects are actually A-plus-plus. He's doing too many of them. This is where LeBron is absolutely behind Kobe and Michael. Kobe and Michael, the power of the word no. How many dinners did Kobe turn down with Hollywood stars through the years? Thousands. How many meetings? Hundreds.

Kobe, when he played basketball, was in a basketball. And then when Kobe's basketball ended, he had no insecurity having to do TV, movie projects while he played. Kobe used Hollywood. Instead, Hollywood has used LeBron. They haven't given him the best writers and the best producers. He's got a bunch of marginal TV projects, side businesses. They're fine. None are disasters.

They're not special. Kobe spent so much time in Los Angeles. He wasn't enamored by it. Kobe used Hollywood at his discretion. Do you want to have dinner? No. Want to do this project? No.

Want to do this? No. And then when his career ended, it was a series of carefully, smartly designed yeses. Yes, I'll work with this elite animation director. Yes, I'll create this elite children's book. Basketball A-plus, focus, projects A-plus. LeBron didn't grow up in Los Angeles. Like a lot of people who may have a house here, but the first time they live here, it overwhelms you. And they take a bunch of meetings and say yes to every dinner.

And it's yes, yes, yes, yes, yes. I'll do this, this, this, this, this. And Hollywood uses you. LeBron's basketball suffered, and LeBron's projects are average. That is the difference. Nobody would argue it's almost impossible to be great at two different things.

Hell, it's hard to be great at one, but it's impossible to be great at two. And MJ and Kobe realize that. That's not to say in the off-sense, season, you can't shoot a commercial? That's not saying in the off season. You can't have a little project. But if you're trying to have multiple,

multiple dozens of projects during a season, as you just moved to Los Angeles, it will engulf you. This is where Kobe and Michael got it. They didn't suffer from some deep-seated insecurity that they had to prove that they knew Hollywood, and they knew politics,

and they know business and they know pizzas and they know that. Basketball all in, projects then all in. Use Hollywood. Don't let it use you. By the way, new pass interference rule in the NFL, T.J. Hushman Zada. You know what I was thinking about doing today? We can prove if we can palm a basketball. We've been talking about that.

We did it in the break. Okay. Secondly, on the pass interference thing, I am going to play a cornerback. and TJ is going to play a wide receiver. Because what's funny about this pass interference, the NFL has just let a ton go. But when you go to slow-mo, it makes everything look more intense, right? Oh, yeah, absolutely.

Slow-mo, it's like even in movies. They slow-mo punches and it looks brutal. Because your skin moves. Your skin moves. So when you go to a replay and pass interference, it makes that as your skin moves look like, Oh, you were, I mean, to me, if I'm a wide receiver now, I'm going to completely knowing past interference, manipulate the camera. Oh, flopping is going to be at an all time.

Oh, I mean, why not? Of course. You'd be silly not to. T.J. around the corner. Joy says she can palm a basketball. That may be on the docket too. 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. Try the delicious high-quality meat at Butcherbox.

Blown away, butcherbox.com slash herd free shipping, too. T.J. Hushmanzada, 11 years in the NFL pro bowler. Okay, the replay rule, let's start with that, because it affects guys like you. By the way, you still teach and talk to a lot of NFL players. You call Josh Rosen this morning, going to talk to him tomorrow. You were dealing with an NFL wide receiver of note today. So let me start with this. As a receiver, do you like the new rule?

I do not. I think it's an overreaction to one big play. No, I don't like it. Why? Too much gray area. One, it's going to slow the game down. Any receiver knows there's a lot of hand fighting that goes on both ways. And so when you slow things down, obviously it looks like PI on pretty much every play where a ball is in overthrown.

And so you can call pass interference literally every play. Okay, I'm going to move over. Sorry, camera people. I'm going to move over on Mike now. Okay. I want to do this. All right. So you, for our audience, you're the wide receiver, I'm the corner. Yes. Now, during an NFL game, tell me if this is allowed.

We're both running down. Technically, no, but it happened. This right here, so when, if I'm here in this position with a DB, he's always grabbing this storm, because if I can't come here, I'm not going to get the full. But it's not called. Never. Never's called. And so you are as a, you as a receiver, are. used to constant combat.

And so he's doing this and I'm doing this. Then he does this and I do that. Running down the field. Constant. Is that now pass interference? Okay, so now I'll go back. I want you guys in our control booth to show the Super Bowl the New England Rams play. Because this in fast motion does not look like pass interference.

But on slow motion, the Rams would have been given a first and goal. So in fast motion, that doesn't look remotely like pass interference. Not at all. So let me ask you, on the replay, it absolutely does. But my question is, do you believe that's past interference? I don't. No, it's not. That happens on every play.

They're going to get a lot of unintended consequences by this rule. Coaches are going to be more upset with certain calls than just one big call in a big game. And they're going to say, oh, man, do we really want this rule? So unless the referees and the officials and everybody else decide that it has to be just so egregious that we have to call it, you're going to big plays are going to be called both ways. You lose the play and you gain a pass interference. I don't know how they're going to navigate through. It's going to be very interesting.

By the way, this play, Drew Brees against the Pittsburgh Steelers, the NFL said today, this was called a pass interference against Pittsburgh. The NFL's saying today, this would not have been pass interference on the new rule. As you watch this, do you think that's a PI? No. It's not pat. We've talked about that. They've benefited from these calls. We've talked about it.

I don't believe that's past interference. No, the league said today that would not be ruled as pass interference. That specific play. And that ball's on a one-yard line. So I think, I will say this. Is there a trick? Do wide receivers use a trick? What's your trick?

Rick, what do you teach you? So what I try to teach guys is if I can fill the DB, I don't want to extend my arm. I want to push down on his thigh. And so I've pushed back on his thigh if we're side by side running, it actually pushes him back and it's going to propel me forward. Antonio Brown's good at that. He's the best. If you watch games, he's the best in the league at it. Very subtle.

And it looks like he has a great second gear. And he's just pushing your thigh. He pushes you back. right there. He extended the arm right there. That's offensive pass interference. Technically now, if they're going to review it, and now will they change that call? So would that be pass interference on Antonio Brown now? In slow motion, it's going to look way more dramatic. Because of the extension of the arm, will they call PI? I don't know.

But that's something that they're going to have to figure out. And as a fan, if you're a fan of the Steelers, and that happens last year and that's called back, you don't like that call. All right, I want to play a piece of tape. Before Josh Rosen was drafted by Arizona, I want to play some tape. You know Josh Rosen, by the way. Yes. Okay, so here's tape of you before Josh Rosen was drafted. Josh Rosen would not mind sitting a year or two.

He's told me that personally. And so I do know that. He would love to go sit and learn behind Eli. Josh Rosen is the best pure passer, I believe, in this draft. If Eli is on the tail end of his career, if Josh Rosen has a sit to maybe even three years, then when he comes into play, he's ready to go, a la Brett Farr of Aaron Rogers type of deal. Okay, so there's a story today that the Giants are interested in Rosen. Do you believe now on a second team, would he be willing to sit behind Eli for a year?

One, he would have no choice, but I believe he would be. he Josh Rosen is a smart kid probably too smart you would go to a situation obviously very different now in New York without Odell there

but you still have good receivers there you'll still have a great running game when you're one of the story franchises in the NFL if he can get to a team and sit it would be good for him he probably would not want to sit now because he's experienced playing when you're a player and you come in and you start

and you get an opportunity to play you don't want to go backwards You don't want to go backwards. It would probably help them. It would help them. You can sit and learn the game, but every competitor wants to be on the field, especially once you've got a taste of playing and experiencing it. But it will help his career will benefit him.

So Cliff Kingsbury had said yesterday, NFL meetings, yesterday of the day before, I cannot believe how much they talk about Kyler Murray. I think Kyler's great. But he came out and he said he's great. He can run. He can throw. He's a competitor. He's one of the better dual threats ever to play the game.

to me you would not talk about a college quarterback like this unless you were taking him because you know you have a young by the way tom brady and joe montana showed insecurities after super bowl's to throw this in josh's face everybody has it you were insecure at times i think everybody has that's like you're going to date with somebody and a woman walks by and you're like who she's real pretty what you think she might laugh at off but deep down why would he say that to me So everybody's insecure. I believe so. Everybody has certain insecurities about themselves.

It's just human nature. So when Cliff Kingsbury says that about a quarterback he could draft number one, who he's previously said is amazing, doesn't it make you feel like Arizona's already made up their mind? It's almost, yes, I believe so. And it's almost trying to put the toothpaste back in the tube if they don't draft, Katermar. That's what Joy said.

Oh, really? No, Joy basically said if you use that exact terminology, but it's a perfect way to explain it. If you don't draft Kyler now, it's almost like you've settled for Josh. It's like for Josh, it was like you were trying to replace me. Oh, you really couldn't because you trade it up to get me. And so you settled for me. And I just don't think it will work. Well, that's also, that's the fan base is following everything that you're saying.

You get them excited, right? Oh, we're drafting Kyler Murray. You're pitching this other person. Now we're going to stay with Josh Rosen. As soon as Josh Rosen plays bad or if you, why didn't we draft Kyler Murray? And so unless they've told Josh we're going to try to trade you and he's keeping it quiet or they told his agents, if I'm a team like the Patriots, I give up the 30 second pick. It's second, I give that pick up. You know, it's interesting that, you know, obviously if Kyler was 6'3, he'd be number one pick.

The size is the issue. And he looks like he plays about 185. it's funny that because so many college quarterbacks now are moving into the NFL and working, TJ, there's not a lot of teams desperate at quarterback. Jags have foals, dolphins have fits for a year. How many teams, to me, would move up? I don't think Kyler fits the giant sort of historic quarterback, right? Pocket throw, you know, they're very...

And you're in New York, the weather in his size, that plays a part. But it's like the truth of the matter is, another reason I think Arizona, is going to keep him is because I don't think there's a bunch of teams willing to move up and give you a bunch of picks. Miami, I believe, is tanking. But next year is a very good quarterback year. So the Miami Dolphins will be one of the four worst teams in the league, and the other bad teams all won't need a quarterback. But outside of Miami, how many teams in this league are desperate at quarterback? There is how many? They're going to be forced to take them. Yeah, so Miami's basically saying, we're rebuilding. There's three good quarterbacks. Miami

next year's going to get one of those. So Miami could move up because I think they need a quarterback. But I just think we're at a point now. From what Kingsbury is saying to what Arizona needs to Josh Rosen, I think it's better to move Josh. You tried to call him today. Where's he at?

He's in Arizona. Doing what? Filming a commercial. Happy Grand Canyon. So we should have brought you on tomorrow. TJ Hushman's out of good seeing you. Take care. Thank you. Joy with the news. No. No. No.

Turn on the news. This is the herd line news. The plot thickens, Colin. So apparently, Luke Walton has expressed confidence that he will be back as the Lakers head coach next season. Well, Jeannie likes him. Well, in an interview with The Athletic, Walton told Bill Orham, I fully expect to be coaching this team again next year.

Now, Jeannie did ride back. She joined the Lakers on the Lakers in Milwaukee at the end of their recent fight. game East Coast trip and Walton sat next to her during the flight home on the team charter. And also, all this talk about Thai Liu, Lou apparently recently called Walton to assure him the Lakers had not contacted him about a potential head coaching opening. That is according to a source close to the situation. And they're actually apparently close. So Lou told Walton that if he was contacted by someone in the organization, he would let the

Lakers coach, no, out of courtesy and friendship. They also met in Las Vegas in Summer League last year to talk about how to help him succeed with LeBron. Bill Orham. I don't know what to make of this situation anymore. I mean, obviously, you always say where does stuff come from? You know what I mean? Who benefits from the story being out that plays a role in it.

But also, I mean, a lot of the names other than Tailout to me that have been put out there really don't make any sense. Rick Carlisle's not leaving Dallas. Jason Kidd doesn't make a ton of sense. Jason Kidd doesn't make a lot of sense. Doc Rivers is not, that's also not happening. Tai Loo is the favorite, but Tai Loo wants a lot of money. And for the record, the Lakers aren't big fans of paying their coaches a lot of money.

They don't like to. Well, Tadu deserves every penny if he is the top option, which I think he is. I don't think any of this is Luke's fault. I'm not any. There's obviously everyone deserves some fault in the situation when you're losing. So I'm not going to say any of it isn't Luke's fault. I don't think as much of this is as Luke's fault as is being put on him. Yeah.

But if Tyloo does come in, he shouldn't get paid whatever he's asking for because he is the one that can work with LeBron James. He's shown that. Has he not? Yeah. So, I mean, that's an ideal situation for both of them if they're going to move off Luke Walton. And now Luke is saying he doesn't have any concern about that. He fully expects to be back there. So Stanford sinee, Frank Balee, Fran Balee, made history at Tuesday's Powerade Jam Fest.

She became the first female dunker to win the high school dunk contest since Candice, Parker took the title in 2004. We're showing her dunk right now. Jha Morantz, who was putting on a show during the tournament before they were knocked out, approved of it. Zion won this contest last year. Fran being very impressive there. She's 6-1. And your 6-1, you said you could you could dunk. You could dunk a volleyball, not a basketball. You can't palm a basketball right now. I cannot palm a basketball. And you climbed you could 360 a wiffle ball. Now, it should be noted. I can palm a basketball. Yeah, we should define what palm is. Where's the basketball go? Nobody is saying that, that I'm saying I can palm a basketball. I can pull a basketball. I feel like if you can

hold a basketball for like five seconds, you can palm a basketball. We're showing a video of me for my, okay, but does that mean you could jump? No. Okay, because I can do that. So I can, I always thought, of course you can do that. That's palming a basketball. What, what are we talking about here? I can't pick the ball. I'm five foot two. That to me is palming a basketball for someone that is foot two. My hands are not giant. Well, you have nails, though. Well, I'm not using nails. I don't have nails on there. I'm not using nails to hold it. You're like a tiger. You got claws.

I'm not holding it with my nails. Okay, so give me the basketball. Throw it over here. You go out and throw it. Oh, my God. Okay. So here, here is me. Anytime we try and do anything athletic around here, I get nervous. Yes. I can, I can palm a basketball. That's palming a basketball. Yeah. But I couldn't jump and dunk it because I would lose it as I went up.

Of court. I can do, hold on, hold on. I can palm a. Of course you can palm a basketball. I know what you're saying that you can dunk. Oh my God. But I can't jump. But I can't jump. Okay, like right there.

See, I can palm a basketball. Yes. I told you you could. But I can't, I couldn't in high school run, run, run, run, jump. And it wasn't a height thing as I would jump the ball. Because I would have to jump higher. I think by normal people definition that is palming a basketball. So my definition of palming a basketball is you can grab it, go up,

dunk it, and you control the ball. Okay. My definition of calming a basketball is, I can hold it straight out like that. With nails. The nails make it difficult. I don't have nails on in this video. But I'm not using nails to hold it.

I'm not a tiger. Finally, the Patriots have been unable to add a top wide receiver heading in 2019 yet. Yeah. Although they have tried. Michael Girardi of the NFL Network reports the Patriots have inquired about almost every available top wide receiver that includes Odell and Antonio Brown. Now, this is interesting to me because the Antonio, Brown thing. O'Dell, maybe they just weren't willing to give up what the Giants wanted for him, or the Giants didn't want to help them, who knows. But I really feel like the Steelers didn't

want to help the Patriots, and I'm interested to know what that package was. Because, remember, the Patriots did give up a first-time pick for cooks to the Saints. So they are willing to trade, but to me, I feel like that no matter what offer, they offered the Steelers, the Steelers were just not going to work with them. I don't think Antonio Brown was the best fit for New England anyway. Although, I mean, imagining Antonio Brown with Tom Brady, I mean, I feel like they've figured out. To me, like a Doug Baldwin, they're not going to give them a really good sure-handed route runner. Like Golden Tate after the catch would be great for Tom. Because Tom's, Tom doesn't need you open by much. Golden Tate's not a burner. But Golden Tate's one

of those guys. Good routes. Catches the ball. Good after the catch. Like Tom works really good with two, like a Sterling Shepherd. Number two, disciplined route running two. Right. So discipline. Tom, I think, works best, what do they always say? Do your job. Like, he works best with consistency. Right. Because at this point in his career, it's not about athleticism. It's not about improvising. It's about being where you need to be when I throw the ball.

He is a precision thrower. Cam. So he needs precision runners. Which is why he's comfortable with Julian and comfortable with Grong, who's no longer there. They run to a spot. Right. Exactly. Joy with the news Well, that's the news And thanks for stopping by

So our issue was You and I just had different interpretations of palming You believe if you're sitting down at a chair Doing this, that's palming I believe you have to run Secure it, jump, dunk it Otherwise you just I put everything in the context of my size

Right So I'm 5 foot two Yeah So I can dunk a volleyball in high school If I could jump up and dunk a basketball While palming the basketball like this Yeah I would not be sitting across from you right now.

No kidding. That is for sure. If I could sing, I would never have done this. To be able to sing? I'm actually, I cannot sing at all. Do you have some Brian Adams music? I sound a little like Brian Adams. I used to sing in church growing up.

But then I got older and my voice went away. If I could sing, I would have never done this. Yeah. I'm actually glad I can't sing. Because that seems like a very hard business to be. That goes like a nice. What? You didn't like that?

I think we're both in the right profession. We're where God meant us to be. No bombing the basketball and no singing. Here's what Joy, here's Joy's expression when I did that. Sorry. All right. Coming up tomorrow's headlines today with Jason McIntyre and best for last. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays in noon Eastern 9 a.m. Pacific.

Saturday, the season's biggest biggest. three agents hit the field with their new teams. First, Bryce Harper and the Phillies take on Freddie Freeman and the Braves. Then the Giants face off against Mandy Machado and the Padres. It all starts at 4 Eastern 1 Pacific on FS1 and the Fox Sports app. All right. I'll take the Yankees in the World Series. Way to go out on a limb there.

Goward. They're leading four to one today. They've almost got the thing mathematically wrapped up. Only 161 left. I think they'll be able to hold on. Quick and easy way to save money. 15% on Geico would only take 15% and Minutes, Geico.com.

By the way, tournament has played the night. This is Jason McIntyre, the founder of the big lead, Jason McIntyre. It's a tournament tonight. You and I both love the tournament. The six teams, I thought, could win it, are all still in the tournament. My personal favorite's Gonzaga, because,

you know, I love Spokane. I went to college near there, and I'd look fewer buddies, right? Yeah, no, I just think, I'm rooting for Gonzaga, but I do think Zion is unbelievable. Oh, yeah. We'll get to him shortly. Okay. So do you like tonight? Any upset winners tonight?

What do we got tonight? You know, I think the headliner actually is Gonzaga FSU. They're the first game. Florida State, I like their length. They'll take Gonzaga to win. What's the next one? Tennessee, Purdue is tonight, I believe. I like Tennessee.

I like Tennessee. Doesn't Purdue had an injury lately? Texas Tech, Michigan. You remember on this show, you told me Michigan was going to win the title. Did you say that again? Joy, did you hear that? What did you say, Jason? I couldn't hear you repeat that loudly.

You think Michigan's going to win the title. You told me that two months ago. Yeah. That's right. What happens when you do your homework? Well, they'd have to play Gonzaga next Saturday, I believe. I would take Michigan. Interesting, huh?

Those are my two favorite teams right now. A lot of guys are saying they couldn't beat Michigan State. It doesn't matter. It doesn't matter. There's regular season, then there's postseason. Some teams are built for the playoffs. We've said this before. Remember the Phoenix Suns with Steve Nash?

They were built for the regular season. Toronto Raptors every year. Some teams, though, that team could not defend the post. That Steve Nash team. You could slow the game down in the playoffs. You could bang the ball inside against Antonio, and they couldn't stop you. That's why the Spurs kept beating them. So Michigan's built for the playoffs, the way this team's construct.

Michigan State's a better team, more talented over the course of a regular season. All right, we call it tomorrow's headlines today. I give you the story you tell me the headlines. Okay, who will be the next coach? Who's the Lakers target? Well, they're casting a wide net. You've seen reports Jason Kidd. Rick Carlisle was mentioned.

Who's next, Colin? The headline will be. Lakers interested in Sean McVeigh. I mean, fire it up at this point, right? It's so silly. Like the Lakers, I think it's a little embarrassing for one of the best franchises in NBA history. Luke Walton is still employed. And all you're hearing every day is a new name.

This is bad. This is not good. The Dallas Mavericks, not only did the Pelicans manipulate the Lakers this year. Yesterday, the Mavericks laughed at the Lakers. Mark Cuban, L.O.L. I mean, it's one of those things. If you want to raise, get your name out there with the Lakers. worker's job or if you're Jason kid and unemployed, get your name out there.

Colin, there is a little worry that Magic Johnson is dealing with, damn, are we going to let another LeBron guy in the building? Rich Paul already is calling the shots on what players, KCP, you know, the one-year deal. And I do wonder, you know, Ty Lou is the favorite I've heard, you know, he plays pickup basketball with one of the Lakers part owners. I just don't know if Magic's going to let that happen. An executive told me six months ago. LeBron's great, but when you have LeBron in your team, he comes with a package.

Yes. He comes with Clutch Sports and Rich Paul. He comes with you got to have the right coach. LeBron brings an entourage emotionally, physically, business-wise, and for a lot of people, they don't want to deal with it. The Lebronterage. That's a good name. Oh, that's a good name. Lebronterage.

You got to start using that. We are doing headlines. Yes. That was brilliant. Holy Lord. I just came up with that off the fly. Which Eastern Conference team makes the finals. Tomorrow's headlines today.

Well, Colin, you know the saying the buck stops here. Yeah. I think the headline will be the buck stops in the second round. We agree. Yeah, well, I know you're on this. Listen, Janice, he's my MVP. Bucks have been great this season. But like you just said.

Second best player is who? James Hardin. James Hardin. No, no. Oh, in the league. Second best Milwaukee Buck is Chris Middleton. Show me his playoff success. He had a good all-star.

game. They've got a couple injuries too, so their rotation is shrinking a bit. I just want to remind you, they're looking like they'll play the Celtics in the second round. Thank you. Last year, the Celtics beat them in the first round without Kyrie Irving. It doesn't feel good if I'm the Milwaukee Bucks right now. Do you know the last time they

want a playoff series? Look at Yana's just wrecking shop. 2001, Colin. 18 years since this franchise has won anything. You know you have to walk before you can run in the NBA. Buck's got a long way to. It's going to be tough. Yeah, and I think, again, they have two really exceptional young players. This is a veteran league, veteran coaches, dominating the playoffs. I get much more experience. Al

Horford, Kyrie Irving, Brad Stevens. I get much more experience with Boston. I'll take them. Will Zion live up to all the hype? Tomorrow's headlines today. NBA fans are going to love this one. So you know Michael Jordan was his heerness, right? Yes. And LeBron is the king. Right. So the headline is Zion, his airness, H-E-I-R, Colin, I don't know that there's ever been a player as a perfect combo of Michael Jordan. Look at the smile on Zion. Listen, nobody likes Duke University. Nationally, they're one of the most disliked basketball programs.

Everybody loves Zion Williamson. He's so much fun. Then you look at his body? I mean, he's LeBron's size, a little shorter, and just doing ungodly things with the basketball. He is, he's the next big deal in the NBA. Here's what I cannot believe. The people picking him apart. You know, he's not a lock.

He is six, six and a half, 285, handles the ball, great passer. And by the way, unlike Blake Griffin, who couldn't shoot for seven years, this kid's shooting percentage has gone up over the course of this year. This is not a kid who won't be able to shoot. He's a very, now, it's not fast enough. yet. My only concern was Zion.

There's a little weight issue. I think it's fair. Don't want him to become Oliver Miller. A nice reference. The second thing I worry about is he's going to spend a lot of his career at the free throw line. He's got to be 75% from the line. Otherwise, you're going to give up 9,000 career points. Well, what the scouts will say is if you watch

the shot, his rotation and the hand, everything is good. So there's not really a concern there. I think you brought up something good with the weight issue. Listen, if he's 280 pounds, he can surely hold up over 30, 35 college games. Love him. 82 NBA games is another story.

I mean, I can't believe people were freaking out online when you said Zion is a top 20 player already in the world. Like, that's obvious. Are you kidding me? By the way, this guy is definitely a top 20 player. Harrison Barnes is like 40th. Kyle Lowry's 33rd. It's like, are people watching?

I mean, I watched basketball last. I watched the league. You're going to tell me six foot six and a half, 285, out of the way. Outside of Janus, I wouldn't trade Janice for him. I wouldn't trade Durant for him. I wouldn't trade Curry. I wouldn't trade Hardin. I would consider every other player in the league. I mean, when you look at the marketing

and building a title contender, Anthony Davis or Zion tomorrow. If I'm the Knicks and I get the number one pick, I'm not trading Zion. Thank you. I would rather have Zion and Kevin Durant. Tomorrow's headlines today. Will the NFL's new PI rule and all the controversy? Tomorrow's headlines today. This is a tough one. There will be so

many rulings on the field that tomorrow's headline will be grueling on the field. I don't understand this at all. Listen, the NFL's been on a great run lately. I just think this pass interference thing, I don't understand it. I mean, I know you got a lot of clout. Can you talk to someone? I know it's only a one year deal, but it's such an overreaction to one really bad call. The knock, one of the knocks I hear about Goodell, Roger, and I like him. I think he gets over-critized. I don't think any of these commissioners are perfect. I like Adam Silver. He's two pro player.

I like David Sterney. He was two pro owner. They're not perfect, right? It looks like presidents. That he tends to be a little bit reactionary. And social media can be overwhelming, and it's really beat up on the NFL some. I just think this is one of these things that you come in this year. You table it.

You talk about, by the way, experiment with it in preseason. That's a good idea. We're going to come in the pre-we're going to play with it. But, man, to rush it right into the league. I mean, you know on every play in the NFL, you can. can call holding. You talk to all the guys who've come through here, all the NFL. You call holding on every play. Well, on almost every jump ball, there's going to be contact. And if you're reviewing a play, oh, look, look, he touched his hand there. He grazed his shoulder. Got to throw the

flag. It just sets a bad precedent on. Well, as Joy and I have talked about, everything in slow-mo looks so dramatic. Like, you'll watch a boxing match and a guy will get grazed and his skin will move and you're like, this is going to end up turning on the Saints. Like, everyone was on the Saints' favor and now this is going to end up. All right, McIntyre. Have a great. Great weekend. Yes. Watching the tournament tonight.

Duke is the lock tonight. Lock City. Oh, tomorrow night against Virginia Tech. Lock it up. Virginia Tech can shoot better than Duke. For joy, everybody. It's the herd. Last night, a blown call changed a game.

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