The Herd with Colin Cowherd - Saints, PI rule, Patriots, Carson Wentz, and LeBron James

Episode Date: January 22, 2019

Colin discusses the New Orleans Saints continued anger over the NFC Championship game, why the pass interference rule should not be changed, the animosity towards the New England Patriots, why Philadelphia Eagles QB Carson Wentz isn't going any where, and an update on Los Angeles Lakers F LeBron James. Guests include Peter King, Chris Haynes, Shawne Merriman, and Tony Gonzalez. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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

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

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

Listen to humor me with Robert Smigel and Friends on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. What's up, guys? This is Clivert Taylor the Fourth. And on my podcast, The Cliverts Show, I'm bringing you conversations about all kinds of stuff. Like being an internet famous referee. We're in the middle of a game. This linebacker, this linebacker walks up to me. He goes, hey, ref, my mom wants you to wave at her.

What? Time out. Quarterback on office blue with 42. Hey, Wreck, my mama want you to weigh better. What? Hey, Miss Parker. Listen to the Clifford show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast.

What's up, fam? It's Isaiah Thomas. And I'm C.J. Toledano. It's our favorite time of the year on our podcast point game, the playoffs. We're digging into the biggest surprises of the season. And I'm looking back on some of my greatest playoff moments. If we didn't talk ever again, I was harmed. You just understood.

That's how personal it got. Wow. Then after that game seven, Markeep coming to, he's like, you know I love you, dog. You know, it's all love. This was just playoffs. This was just basketball. So listen to Point Game on the IHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Thanks for listening to The Heard podcast.

Be sure to catch us live every weekday from 12 to 3 Eastern, 9 to noon Pacific on Fox Sports Radio and FS1. Find your local station for The Heard at Fox Sports Radio.com or stream us live every day on the iHeart Radio app by searching heard. You're listening to Fox Sports Radio. Ah, here we go. It's a Tuesday. This is The Herd, wherever you may be, and however, you may be listening. We are live in Los Angeles, which has found the sun again.

On IHeart Radio, Fox Sports Radio, and FS1. Joy Taylor is joining me. Joy, how are you today? I'm great. Good morning. Good morning. Peter King, later this hour. He's got all sorts of stuff on the page.

want to start the show today with a general rule in life. Don't overreact to stuff. As a parent, don't overreact the stuff. As a friend, as a husband, as a dad, don't overreact the stuff. Okay, like if your teenage daughter in the summer comes home like 45 minutes after curfew, I'm going to ground her for the summer. Oh, chill out. She's a teenage daughter.

What were you smoking when you were a teenager? What were you drinking when you were a teenager? Don't overreact. Sit her down, communicate, move on. You see it in sports all the time. Major League Baseball grants the World Series Homefield advantage to whoever wins the All-Star game. They did that because there was a tie in an All-Star game.

And they just couldn't get over the fact that it was a tie in an All-Star game. Who cares? Who cares? Homefield advantage in the world. series should go to the best team over 162 games. They earned it. You see this in college football. Ohio State left out of the playoff. Georgia left out of the playoff. We're going to have an 18 playoff. Really? Then you see Notre Dame get rolled and you think, maybe we should just have a two-game playoff. Don't overreact. Don't overreact. Now the NFL is saying, and I think they're doing

this because they knew a lawsuit was coming from the Saints having their own little pity party. the NFL plans to study making pass interference reviewable. Why? Because they had a bad call in a game? By the way, that wasn't called pass interference. So now you're going to allow coaches on plays that aren't called to say, you know, across the field, I thought there was a pass interference. It wasn't called.

Yeah, I know, but I want to review it. This wasn't called anything. What are you reviewing? It was a non-call. So you're going to allow coaches now the ability throughout the course of a game to just demand. I see something I think I saw on the other side of the field that should have been past interference. And I, folks, referee whiffed happens all the time. There are now pictures all over the internet of six calls against the saints that weren't called.

But this is recency bias. In psychology, that's what they call it. You remember the last bad call. That one caution of the game. Listen, if you watched football all season long, what was the one complaint about the NFL? Okay, they got the catch thing right. The one knock on the NFL all season was, man, there's too many flags. All season.

Every Monday had show up. That's what everybody complained about. Me included. So the NFL, and they've done this through their history, made a conscious decision this weekend. we're not calling anything. There were face-masking penalties twice on the Saints. Never called. Rams, cornerbacks were hyper-aggressive.

There were a couple past interference calls in the Rams in the first half. Never called. There was a Saints player stepped on a Rams player. Never called. These officials didn't call anything this weekend because they listened to you, the fans. You and the NFL's been doing this. for years. You got tired of the catch situation. They changed it. Right in the middle of a season. Super Bowl. We're going to change it. Catches count now.

So they listen to you and you're this morning waking up in New Orleans. The leagues got it out for us. Give me a break. Kansas City, New England was the highest rated AFC game or second highest rated AFC championship game in 42 years. Want to no reason why? There was almost no penalties in the first three quarters. It was a good game. It wasn't that good. I mean, the game wasn't that good. Why did he get the rating? Because the flow was good.

No penalties. Only five through three quarters. That's why the NFL is king. Major League Baseball is rigid. The NBA takes a while to figure stuff out. NFL will change stuff overnight. And they did. They told their officiating crews, don't call anything.

They didn't, and they butchered one call. Let the Saints have their pity party. Let the Saints laughably talk about integrity. Yeah, this is the Bounty Gate franchise. This is the franchise that had to basically suspend the coach, the GM, multiple players, assistance, because they had bounties out on people. But hey, my bad. The Saints, the Saints can claim the NFL has no integrity.

Like New Orleans. Really? Integrity? You want to go there? Okay. All right. Don't overreact. Stuff happens.

Teenagers make mistakes. Baseball, all-star games end in a tie. Sometimes in a college football playoff, a team should get in, doesn't. It happens. And referees whiff. Should be noted. You can find all over the internet this morning multiple penalties on the Saints that weren't called.

Two-face masking. And in the Red Zone, the Saints got a playoff after the clock had expired. that was never called either. Nick Wright made a great point earlier why the league should not overreact and now start making pass interference reviewable. What they're talking about here is making penalties that were not called reviewable.

Okay, enjoy every big touchdown, the most exciting plays in NFL games, big touchdowns late, for that to be an auto challenge. If you have a guy whose job and a smart and a smart team would to look for any infraction on every play than any big play, you will challenge if it's big enough. Disaster. Saints, you lost.

Get over it. Mistakes happen. All right, let me shift gears to this. My job, mostly as a sportscaster, is to watch sports and give you the answers. why did blank happen? That's my job. 75% of my job is to watch sports and react to it. You tune in every day.

What call and think about that? Okay. Now, 25% of my job is to theorize on what's going to happen next, predict what's going to happen next, tell you who's going to win this game. But a big chunk of my job is to watch sports and give you answers. And there was one story all NFL season. I even joked about it.

I couldn't figure it out. It was the unsolved mystery of the NFL. How the hell is Nick Foles better with the Philadelphia Eagles than Carson Wentz? Carson Wentz a way better player. It was our unsolved mystery. It makes no sense. Nick Foles appears from nowhere as a career backup. And in must-win games, he's 7-1.

MVP at the Super Bowl for a career backup, who was the sixth-best quarterback in his own conference his final year in college. It makes no sense. Well, well, well, well, folks, the unsolved mystery this morning, it got solved. According to various players and sources within the organization, Carson Wentz, quote, selfish, didn't run many of the concepts because he felt that was, quote, full stuff. Ah. So a month ago I said on this show, I said, The only thing I knew about the Foles-Wentz thing was that I was told that Foles was more reliant on coaching, less talented guy, that makes sense, easier to coach.

And I said a month ago, Wence was a little tougher to coach because like anybody that's really talented, Cam, Rogers, Wence, they're more reliant often on themselves and a little bit less reliant on coaching. That's all I knew. And today it's been confirmed. foals is easier for the staff to coach and that by the way this is a very human thing and i don't want to see everybody bang on carson wends folks this is what would happen with anybody in that situation tom brady an absolute legend with not only a trophy case

probably has a trophy rumor to his night's super bowl he felt somewhat threatened by jimmy Garoppolo who won a single game. And Garapolo got traded for an end table. And that's Tom Brady. If you're a star or a top draft pick and you get hurt and your understudy comes in and wins a Super Bowl, it's incredibly human for you to kind of bristle when you come back and say, I want to run my plays. I want to run his plays.

Carson Wentz is just like anybody. Hell, Brady, according to various reports, didn't love the fact that his understudy was right behind him. They didn't want him there. So, you know, the story, by the way, says that Carson Wentz plays favorites. Do you see who supported him in the story? Zach Ertz. When Zach Ertz and Wentz are together, they're like, you know, bosom buddies. They're buddies.

That's who he throws to. Not a shock. The one guy that supported him. him in the story and said it's not true is Zach Kurtz, his favorite target. So yes, this is sort of what I was told about a month ago. Now, there's much more severe quotes. He's arrogant. He's selfish. The story also said he's an incredibly hard worker. He's brilliantly talented and a lot of people like him, but he's harder to coach. So I, to be honest with you, the only thing that would be surprising is if there wasn't a little tension in the room.

Star gets drafted, star gets hurt, understudy comes in, gives the city its first Super Bowl, and you don't think the star is going to have a little ruffled feathers? Of course he is. And there is no moral to the story other than Carson Wentz is human. And how do you solve this story? Very easily. Smart teams do this all the time.

You trade Nick Foles. And there's a sucker out there that's going to overpay him and give you more players than he's worth. Carson Wentz is clearly the future. Carson Wentz is clearly more talented. Carson Wentz is absolutely who you should build around. And Nick Foles, there's a sucker every minute, will pay him a fortune, trade multiple players, and Philadelphia will do what New England does, what the good teams in this league do. Manipulate the suckers. I mean, isn't that what New England's done for years?

You ever notice how often New England trades with Cleveland and Buffalo? Ever notice that? You ever notice they don't trade with like Philadelphia, the smart teams very much? New England, this is what they always say about great baseball hitters. Great baseball hiters don't hit the aces. They hit the three-starter and the four-starter in the middle of relievers. New England and Philadelphia are two of the best run organizations in football. And they're going to make trades for years and years with poorly run teams, like Detroit.

You know, like with Cleveland, like with Buffalo. So this is an easy problem to solve. Move out of the Nick Foles business. Trade him for somebody. Get some pieces. Draft another quarterback to back up Carson Wentz. It's all good. But the only surprise here would be this didn't happen.

If Brady and Garoppolo had tension and he played a game in a half, you don't think Nick Foll's getting Philadelphia at first Super Bowl? That's not going to create a little tension? Of course it is. So John, our unsolved mystery, the unsolved NFL mystery of this year, here, Joy Taylor, it's been solved. We've been trying to figure it out all year. And we figured it out.

Well, it's, I mean, it is reports, you know. It makes no sense. That's a bad Robert Stack impression. Good to have you in today. We're loaded. Peter King coming up this hour. I've got a theory that I think's more than a theory that the LeBron James injury has always been worse.

We said it two weeks ago. It's always been worse than they're saying. And there's a reason they're downplaying the injury to LeBron. That's coming up. But coming up next, hmm, very interesting. Did you hear about what Tom Brady had to deal with in Kansas City? And can you imagine the reaction if Mahomes would have had to deal with it in Foxborough? That's coming up.

Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd, weekdays in noon Eastern, 9 a.m. On Fox Sports Radio, FS1, and the IHeard Radio app. Last night, a blown call changed a game. This morning, the internet lost its mind. Highlights are trending, opinions are flying, and nobody's telling you exactly what happened. That's where Sports Slice comes in. I'm Timbo.

Every episode, we're cutting through the noise. Breaking down the plays, the controversies, and the stories behind the headlines. We go straight to the source, the athlete themselves. Their locker room stories, their reactions, the stuff nobody gets to hear. The laughs, the drama, The triumphs, the moments that never make the highlight real.

From viral moments to historic games, from buzzer beaters to controversial calls, we break it down, give you context, and ask the questions everybody wants answered. SportsSlice brings you closer to the action with stories told by the people who live them. Listen to SportsSlice on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more, follow Timbo Sliced Life 12 in the TikTok podcast network on TikTok. Welcome to my new podcast, Learn the Hardway with me, your host, and your favorite. therapist, Kear Games. And in recognition of Mental Health Awareness Month,

I'm bringing over a decade of my own experience in the mental health field and conversations with so many incredible guests. I'm talking. Trip Fontaine, Ryan Clark. Sometimes when we're in the pursuit of the thing, we get so wrapped up in the chase that we don't realize that we are in possession of the thing. And we're still chasing it.

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

I want you to just really be a good person. Join me, Kear Gaines, is we have real conversations about healing, growth, fatherhood, pressure, and purpose on my new podcast, learn the hard way. Open your free iHeartRadio app. Search Learn the Hardway and listen now. What's up, fam? Miss Isaiah Thomas. And I'm C.J. Toledano and our podcast Point Game is about defying the odds. Like LeBron heading into the playoffs without Luca and Austin Reed.

And finding ways to win no matter what. He's the smartest player to ever play the game. His IQ is at a level that we've never seen before. And he knows without Luca and Austin Reeves, I got to manipulate the game. We get a player's perspective on the challenges of the playoffs. I think Joker's going to be exhausted this series because when they don't have Rudy in the lineup, he has to really guard guys like Nas Reid. He has to guard Julius Randall.

And then he has to give us everything he gives us on the night-to-night basis on offense. And when IT's friends stop by, like Quentin Richardson, we dive into some playoff history too. Steve Nass would get that thing. That man, hell get the flying. He running up the court, licking his fingers why he got the ball like,

after you go through a training camp with that, Isaiah, you figure it out real quick. Get your ass up and down the court, and you're going to get the ball. So listen to Point Game on the, I Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. What's up, guys? This is Clever Taylor the 4th.

And on my podcast, The Cliverts Show, I'm bringing you conversations about all kinds of stuff. Like being an internet famous referee. We're in the middle of a game. This linebacker, this linebacker walks up to me. He goes, hey, ref, my mom wants you to wave at her. What? Time out.

Quarterback on office, Blue 42. A rep. My mama want you to wave at her. What? Where's he at? Hey, Miss Parker. Listen to the Cliverts show on the IHard Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast.

By the way, for the best tasting high-quality meat and fish at an unbeatable price, go to butcherbox.com slash herd. They have salmon. I ate it Sunday night. That's what we had for dinner at our house. Butcherbox salmon, so good. That's such a smart company. Butcherbox.com slash h-E-R-D.

rib eyes. I'll be cooking those off in a couple of days. We had salmon. And it's incredible how fresh it is. It's a good idea for a company. And now they sponsor us. Peter King is going to be showing up in about 15 minutes. I've said before when it comes to the media. People talk about the media having a bias. I don't worry about the fans having a bias. Fan is short for fanatic. I don't hold the fans to the same level that I do the media. Fans are crazy. That's what makes sports great. The crazier the fans, the goofier the fans, the more delusional the fans, the more myopic the fans. That's what they have in Europe with soccer. That's what they have in America with football. That's what they have in Canada with hockey. That's what makes sports great. We don't

ask you the fans to be above bias and agendas. We get it. You are. But the media in my life has gotten more agenda driven. It used to be you had newspapers, veteran reporters. Now you've got bloggers. Half of them are just fans. I mean, you can't even, honestly, have the people are in the media today. You couldn't give a press credential to a legitimate event. And what I've noticed is the bias, I'm going to say this, against New England. America's most popular sport is the NFL. It's not even close. It's not even close. So more people are emotionally vested with football than ever. And now you have legalized gambling in America's sports gambling. So now people are financially invested in games, just going to get worse.

But here's a story that is getting no coverage. and it would get massive coverage if it happened in Foxborough. Tom Brady against Kansas City throughout the game, there was a laser. These are illegal if you did this to a pilot, it's a federal crime. He had these lasers being pointed at his face during the game. There's multiple videos. Now, it's not the end of the world, but can you imagine the media coverage if this happened to Patrick Mahomes in Foxborough? it would lead every network.

It is literally not being covered. It is a non-story except our show. Nobody's talking about this. Proving once again the agenda and bias against New England. They have created such resentment because they've earned, they have the best coach, they have the best quarterback. I mean, ask yourself when you watch Kansas City. Eh, let's hold on.

I mean, the Patriots have their short list of incidents. I'm glad you're bringing up Deflate Gate, which, by the way, with Blake Bortles or Ryan Tannahill would be a one-day story. And the other thing? Yes, they taped practice, which everybody does, but they came out. But they got caught? Well, everybody tapes. Every team tapes the other team during games.

The Patriots went, why can't we tape the sidelines and match it with the plays, which you're not allowed to do, although it wasn't written down that it was illegal, but the league said, we don't like that you're doing it because they were one step ahead. Deflategate, it should be noted, the Patriots have been better, and Brady's been better post-deflategate. So it became a two-year, and at the end it sounded like a witch hunt. Blake Bortle is that to one-day story. Kirk Cousins is to one-day story.

Ryan Tanna Hill is a one-day story. Teddy Bridgewater, it's non-story. So every Patriot story starts from an unhealthy place. They're guilty. New England's guilty. This story, if it was in Foxborough, and that was Patrick Mahomes, it would lead every single blog, newspaper, sports network. Nobody's talking about it.

Now, I don't think it's the end of the world, and I don't blame the Kansas City Chiefs, because it's just some random idiot person. I'm not blaming anybody here. It's just somebody with really, really, really bad judgment. But if it was reversed, it proves a point, is that every story with New England now comes the starting point is there guilty?

You're 100% right. If this was the Patriots, it would be Lasergate. It would be Lasergate. It would have Gate. It would be Lasergate Gate. It would spy gate, deflategate, and this would be laser gate. So we're getting to a point now that their superiority has created an agenda, a bias, and a resentment that's not even healthy anymore. That's not even fair.

Again, when Deflate Gate came out, I was very critical of New England. And then I started noticing Brady was better post deflategate. New England's dynasty has been stronger post deflategate. It had zero to do with anything but lasted two years. So it is interesting. The media's bias, by the way, is not just in what they say. It's in what they cover. The media decides every day what story to cover.

They suppress stories that make their side look bad. They elevate stories that make their opinion seem more valid. This would be a huge story if you reverse quarterbacks and reverse locations. Joy Taylor with the news. Turn on the news. This is the herd line news. Speaking of those patriots, we talked a lot about the Patriots this off season, a lot of other inner struggles,

Belichick Brady beef. It was a very non-patriots year. A lot of leaked stories, very unpatriot-like. But given the recent comments from Belichick and Brady, it sounds like it's all good in Foxborough. Tom Brady spoke glowingly of his head coach after the AFC championship game. And now Belichick is returning the favor by shutting down reports of any friction between the two.

Some of these people, I don't know who they, I've never met. I've never talked to them. So, I mean, I'm not going to get a bunch of, you know, gossip. We beat a good football team, and we were all extended. about it and everybody played a role on it. And certainly Tom played a big role and we've had a long and very productive

relationship and felt good about it after a win like that. I don't know how you cannot. I'm very ecstatic about it. I'm not buying this. I do think that there were some issues. I do think that Brady forced Jimmy G. out of there and there was some friction between Kraft and Belichick and Brady and they fixed it. Yep.

That's what I think. That's the, by the way, Joy, just like the Eagles with Foles, good teams fix it. Like the Pittsburgh Steelers have historically been a very well-run organization. A good team will fix the Antonio Brown situation. By the way, all these teams, as Joy point out, they all have tension. They all have friction. It's a bunch of young athletes making millions of dollars. And when I was 24, and if you pay me what Labian Bell made at 24, I would be a mess. Okay? So tension is part of this game, the pressure,

the, you know, the physicality of it. Your careers are shorter in football than baseball, hockey, and basketball. The key is, how do you fix it? Right. wince, fools, they'll get fools out of town. Somebody will overpay, they'll fix it. And this sat down, Kraft, Brady, Belichick, fixed it. Great season. It's possible. Speaking of Pittsburgh, Levyon Bell is on his way out of Pittsburgh, speaking of not fixing it.

And he left them with a little advice and criticism yesterday. He left a comment under a Bleacher report Instagram post that pointed out all the aggressive moves that the Rams made this year. And Bell said it was the right decision. better than quote unquote saving for the future. And he wrote exactly what you're supposed to do. They did it right and added the fire emoji and the fist pump emoji. Forget trying to save for the future. You better go and try to win that leap right now when you can.

And we talked about this last week that players were going to be rooting for the Rams because this is the perfect matchup for a completely pro player, pro-playing player. pro comfortable situations, elevations of players in the Rams, and the complete opposite of a system. No name matters. Even Tom Brady takes less money in the Patriots. No, how ironic is this joy? Last week we predicted, we said players are going to be rooting for the Rams because if the Rams get to the, even if they don't win the Super Bowl, Philadelphia last year and the Rams this year were hyper aggressive in free agency and trades.

Now remember, before Jimmy Johnson, no. made trades in this league. Jimmy Johnson of the Cowboys was the first to go, I'll give you this, you give me six players. So that started it. But free agency is, people have been reticent to do free agency for years. It's what the bad teams do.

It's what the dolphins do. It's what, you know what I mean? The Rams are going to, and I believe this, we said it last week, Joy, free agency in the NFL is the one place they've always been way behind the NBA. This March, it's going to be a different situation. It's going to be like an NBA free agency.

It's a lot of really high profile big names. And there's at least two Super Bowl quarterbacks who are going to be we're imagining on the market in New Falls and Flacco. And we don't know what's going to happen with Eli Manning, even if you think it's the end of the road for Eli Manning. Still Eli Manning and won two Super Bowls. March is going to be, March is always been a good sports month. March in October, a great months.

March NFL Free Agency is a real thing this year. Yeah, not surprising that Levyon's on that. Finally, the ending of the AFC championship game, Chiefs and Patriots, has many arguing over the overtime rules in the NFL. A lot of people are saying they should change the overtime format to allow both teams to get a shot on offense. Although the coin did not flip in his favor, Andy Reid is actually not in that group calling for a change for the format. I've sat in on a few of those meetings and, you know, they go back and forth. So it's what the lead came up with. I mean, I supported.

I sure would have liked to have had another crack, though. You've got to be a good coin flipper, and then you've got to get off the field if you don't have the ball. I know that this is a big topic about not overreacting. And I'm with you in the past interference. I mean, the games will take five hours if we add that. However, I do think you have to have this conversation about overtime, and not just because the Patriots won, just in general,

because we had two overtime games. Everything is so offensive heavy now. I think you have to do it. I understand defense is part of the game as well, but you can't change all the rules to favor the offense and change the catch rule and you can't hit the receiver and you can't touch the quarterback. Even if you break or raise the air in front of the quarterback's face,

it's roughing the passer. You can't do all that and then not allow both offenses to have an opportunity. But I'll argue this. This weekend, one team that got the ball drove and scored, the other team that got the ball got picked and lost. So it worked perfectly. Overtime this weekend, one team that got it one. One team that got, you know, the Saints got it, and they got sacked.

And the ball got in the air. It got picked off. So this weekend, in my opinion, prove that it's not always the offense. By the way, the reality is it's Tom Brady. You know, what happens if you get to overtime in the NFL and yet the Bears? But I just don't like that it comes down. If it came down to some point of merits that lets you get the ball first on offense, then that would be one thing.

But just luck in flipping a coin. That's what I don't like about it. Like, it's a coin flip, really, in this offensive heavy NFL that we have this year. And all the changes have favored the offense. So if it was some sort of merit thing that allows you to get the ball force, then I think that's fine. Do you know what I have always advocated for? I wrote about this in my first book. The road team should always get the ball first because football is completely built for the home team.

You can't even audible on the road. Do you know what a disadvantage it is for Jared Gough can't audible, Tom Brady? Well, yeah, we saw it. The road team automatically, if you can't beat a team after 13 possessions at home, if you're, if you're the- That'll give you more motivation during the regular season to win games. So the road team gets the ball first, no coin flip, because if you can't win a home game when you have the audible advantage,

the Rams traveled 3,000 miles to New Orleans. They couldn't hear, there were whistles, it was all allowed. You don't get the ball first? Yeah, I mean, because I think it's, I mean, the whole point of ending up in a tie and having to go to overtime is you guys are even. However, the game wins, however terrible the chief score in the first half. It was an incredible fourth quarter, and now they're even. And that's on the Patriots for letting them come back.

So I feel like there needs to be a change as far as that goes. Wouldn't it also, if it was me, the road team always gets the ball. Home teams in the end of regulation would get the ball in overtime. Wouldn't know. They'd get super aggressive at the end of regulation. If I'm New Orleans and I'm at home and I have the ball and I can take a knee with 50 seconds or no, the Rams get it first, I am going for it. Leagues should create rules to make teams in all sports be aggressive.

And if the road team always gets overtime, those home teams, they're not taking a knee with 48 seconds to go. Yeah. Joy with the news. Well, that's the news. And thanks for stopping by. The herd line news. I got some good stuff today.

I want to get to this LeBron story. I just want to point this out. LeBron didn't play last night. I thought last night was the night he was going to play. Oh, he didn't play last night. So when he got hurt, it was just a day-to-day injury. It was nobody. It's been 30 days.

He's missed 14 games. It's just a toenail injury. He had an ice cream headache. He'll be back tomorrow. It's been 30 days. 14 games. And he's not still. practicing hard.

As I reported first last week, LeBron's camp is trying to downplay the injury. Why? Think about it. Lonzo Ball got hurt again. He's no longer a trade asset. Nobody wants Lonzo Ball. Can't stay healthy. Brandon Ingram has been the biggest disappointment on the roster.

He's no longer a trade asset. Who wants him? The Lakers are trying to create trade assets to get Anthony Davis over the Celtics. Lonzo is now injury-laden again, hurt again. And Brandon Ingram, nobody wants him. Couple that with LeBron's serious injury, which is being downplayed, their trade assets are no longer valuable. Boston still are.

And if Anthony Davis went to a Boston and could, after a year move, would you want to go and play with Lonzo? O was hurt, Brandon Ingram, not as good as you thought. And LeBron was 35 and had a serious injury. I'm just saying, folks, reported it last week. This injury, I'm not saying it's career ending. I'm not, but it ain't a toenail. It's not day to day.

30 days, 14 games, still not practicing hard. They're downplaying it. because the longer you wait to trade, you generally show your hand. And the Lakers are showing theirs. Lonzo is injury prone. And that's now a fact. Ingram is never going to be great.

And that appears to be a fact. And 35-year-old LeBron, uh-oh, he's had his first serious injury. Peter King coming up next. one change that could help the past interference controversy go away. That's next. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays in noon Eastern 9 a.m. Pacific. Peloton's a game-changing indoor cycling bike, brings the energy alive studio classes to your home,

ride anytime you want. Learn more about the Peloton bike. Onepeloton.com. Visit your local showroom. Over 10,000 more rides on demand. What a day. And Peter King spent some time after the game with the, Tom Brady. I saw a picture just this morning. And so we go via the Coward Global Satellite Network to Peter King, NBCSports.com. First of all, championship Sunday was just crazy. Overtime games, absurd. I saw the picture of you sitting with Tom Brady at his locker afterwards. What do you say? What did you ask? What was that about? What did he say? He basically, Colin, I would say my one big takeaway from him.

Two big takeaways. Number one, he is truly not just kidding around. He's in awe of what he has done and what his team has done. Nine Super Bowl appearances in his 18 starting seasons. He just, he kept shaking his head about it. He said it's just unbelievable. That's the one thing. Second thing is, I showed him a chart of Tom Brady's playoff games in his 20s,

and Tom Brady's playoff games in his 40s, and how significantly better he's been in his 40s, performance-wise, than in his 20s. You know, he's 7% more better in completion percentage. You know, his rating is 13 points higher. But anyway, and I asked him about this, and I said, what does it say to you? And he looks at me and he goes,

aren't you better at your job now than you were in your 20s? And I said, yeah, but I don't get beat up for a living. Right. You know? But he just said, look, it's experience. And Colin, he pointed out the one thing, and I ended up writing about this Monday, but think about this. All right.

It is the continuity of coaching staff that is so important. Think of it this way. Brady told me they put in eight plays Sunday morning at 11 o'clock. That's six and a half hours before the game. in an offensive meeting at the Weston Crown Center Hotel in Kansas City, they're doing a walkthrough with the eight new plays, four or five of which they ran in the game and everyone gained positive yardage. So that's one part. And I think they can do that because Ivan fears the running back coach has been with Bill Belichick for 19 of his 19 years. Josh McDaniels, 15 of the 19 years.

Dante Scarnickey of the line coach, 17 years. So that allows them to do so many things because these guys can all complete each other's sentences. No, it's a really good point. That's what I worry about the Baker Mayfields of the world and these young quarterbacks that come into a league and you have a different coach by year two and a different coordinator. It's very, very hard in life. If I had a different producer and a sidekick every six months, continuity is a huge thing. I want to go to the Saints Rams game because I remember you,

writing about Jared Goff early in the year. And people forget he was a number one pick. He went into a bad cow program and really took a beating for three years and really carried Cal to respectability by the time he left. And you were saying in week three, we got to slow down here. This kid can actually play. Peter, I thought he outplayed Drew Breeze in the second half and overtime of that game. Did you?

He outplayed Drew Breeze. He threw the three best balls in that game, in my opinion. the one ball to Brandon Cook's at the end of the first half, you know, that basically got the Rams back in the game, that drive. I just thought that he played fearless the entire game. I'm so impressed with him. Colin, when they were changing coaches two years ago this month and going to Sean McVeigh, you know, the brass went to golf and said, hey, listen, we're going to change coaches. and he already knew because they fired Jeff Fisher late in the season.

But we're going to be picking this new coach and blah, blah, blah. And he just shrugged his shoulders and he said, hey, this is just like when I went 1 in 11 at Cal. So I think he was not blown away. He knew that it was possible to improve with the right coach. Sean McVeigh is definitely the right coach. There's something in psychology called recency bias. And this weekend in the New Orleans Saints Rams game,

the last blown call, everybody's blaming that on the outcome of the game because it's the last one you saw. Though we now on the internet have six or seven blown calls throughout the course of a game because football's fast and there's never been a perfectly officiated game. What do you make of the suggestion this morning that we should now consider reviewing pass interference calls, which seems to me would extend, would lessen the viewing experience and extend games uncomfortably long? What do you make of that? There's no way it would if they did it the right way. I have been in favor for years that every play should be reviewable. And I'll tell you why it would not extend games unduly.

You would not do anything to allow to give coaches any more challenges. So the coaches would have the exact same number of challenges. And in my opinion, Colin, they would always keep one in their pocket for, the end of the game so that, you know, they knew that if there was a potential game deciding play at the end, they would keep a challenge in their pocket. And they wouldn't be challenging the little cheapo eight-yard completion in the middle of the second quarter. It wouldn't be worth it. Yeah. So in my opinion, if you do that, you allow coaches to retain that one challenge for the emergency challenge. And I wouldn't be in favor of adding any challenges. I'd be in favor of keeping it the way it

it is, but allowing them to challenge anything. Yeah. Listen, I don't think the NFL lacks integrity. I think they whiffed on a call and I think it happens all the time. Peter, I said last week that if the Rams may... But Colin, it caused the wrong team, very possibly caused the wrong team to go to the Super Bowl. I understand everybody's saying calls get blown every day. But there is a real honest to goodness reason to think that if this call was officiated remotely correctly, that the New Orleans Saints would be in the Super Bowl. That's too important to ignore is just another call. Finally, I said last week, the Eagles last year went heavy into free agency and trades and won the Super Bowl. The Rams went heavy high profile trades and free agency this year and got to the

Super Bowl. I think it's going to change the way free agency works in the NFL. I think March in the NFL is now going to become July in the NBA. And I mean, that's my gut feeling is the Rams and the Eagles. This is a copycat league. Free agency is going to become a huge deal in the NFL. Teams will be more aggressive. Agree or disagree? I think it will for a couple of reasons. Number one, you look at the teams that are getting far in the playoffs now. Less need in the Rams. Les Needs never met a move he didn't like. Howie Roseman and the Eagles, unafraid of making any moves.

You look at John Schneider with the Seahawks. You look at a lot of these teams that are bold in making moves, and a lot of these teams are winning. That's number one. I think number two, the other impact, in my opinion, is that it's very good news for Antonio Brown,

and it's very good news for Levyon Bell. Yes. It's good for big stars who have probably reached, their expiration date with their teams. No, I think this is about my first takeaway during the break, you said Lavian Bell, and I'm like, God, he will. I mean, you start looking at Lavian Bell now, and you got a Jets team that's got a young

quarterback that needs help. And you got some young players in this league that need help behind them at the running back spot. And no, I think it's a really good point. By the way, do you think Breeze's future? What is Breeze's future in New Orleans? I think it's good, but Colin, the last. last seven weeks of the New Orleans Saints, they were at best a pedestrian offense.

Yes. They scored 19.7 points a game in the last seven weeks, five regular season, two playoffs. So Sean Payton has got to do a very hard, serious, no-holds-barred analysis of his offense right now. They've gotten the defense playing well. Yeah. But just when you thought that the offense was the state of the art, you know, a little bit after mid-season, it went downhill, and they got to figure out why that happened.

Yeah, no, we actually, yards per play, which is a stat even Vegas cares about, they were fourth entering the weekend of the four teams. And after the weekend, even at home, they were fourth of the four teams that play. They're just not explosive enough. Peter King, NBCSports.com. Great having you, Peter. Finish your lunch. Sorry to interrupt you.

Thanks, Colin. All right. Don't let your age beat you. Feel stronger, more energy. Buyemdrive.com code heard. Buyemdrive. I think New Orleans is interesting because I had a scout tell me, I picked the Rams to beat the Saints.

I didn't do it because I'm in Los Angeles. I picked the Red Sox to beat the Dodgers in the World Series. I don't think, you know, I pick the Lakers to get bounced early in the playoffs. I don't care where I live, okay? I don't. I will say this, though, that when you start kind of looking at the Saints offense, I had a scout tell me this a couple weeks ago. He said there's arm fatigue with breeze, is that he's not throwing the ball as accurately

downfield. They're kind of a dink and dunk offense. And one of the reasons I like the Rams, I said when you go on the road, it really helps to have playmakers. Well, Brandon Cooks made some big plays, the catch of the game over the top. Now, New England, by the way, which I don't consider a team with playmakers, it should be noted that Grunk had two huge plays in the second half. He became their playmaker on the outside when they moved him.

He's hard to defend. So there you go. Chris Haines will join us. Warriors last night were unbelievable, but coming up next, Bill Belichick talks about the gossip with Brady and how it's a bunch of hot air, and it does prove one thing.

And that's coming up an hour or two in L.A. Sunny L.A. again, it's the herd. One more herd. The herd streams 24 hours a day, seven days a week within the IHeart radio app. Search Herd to listen live or on demand whenever you'd like. Ah! This is The Herd, Hour 2.

Wherever you may be and however you may be listening, we are live in Los Angeles on IHeart Radio, Fox Sports Radio, and right here on FS1, Peter King just stopped by. Joy Taylor's more than stopping by. She's every day. Rams Patriots Super Bowl, I am going to be completely unbearable for the next two weeks. Even my wife said, you got the Patriots and the Russians. Rams in the Super Bowl?

When I lived in New England, the team I watched the most kept getting to the Super Bowl. Then I come out to L.A., we get a new team, and the team I watch the most, because they're here, practices, preseason, you know, every game's on. Can you start watching another AFC team the most? Start watching the Steelers. They're very interesting. You know, Cleveland, you should really, you know, you should probably try to recruit me to move to Cleveland. That would help. Well, you do watch a lot of Cleveland games.

I do. Baker Mayfield is interesting. I'm going to say something, and I think we all know this to be true. I want everybody to personalize what I'm going to say. If somebody tells you, if you're listening in a car watching me on TV, you're not very good. You're overrated. You'll never be successful. Doesn't that make you want to work harder?

It does for me. It does for me. You'll never make it. You don't have the voice. You don't have this. You don't have that. when you tell people or criticize people, most people react the same way.

Oh, I'll prove you wrong. I won't speak for joy, but I think you probably have a little of that. Yeah. There's been a few people told me I couldn't make it. That's right. Same here. It's pretty much all of Twitter. Okay. So that's a driving force.

Criticism is an ally. It's not an enemy. Criticism is your friend for driven people. And to be a professional athlete in the NFL, well, these guys are pretty driven. They're not weak. They've been told no, too short, too slow, too fat, not athletic enough. Of course, the centerpiece of that would be Tom Brady.

Still has a chip in his shoulder all these years. But I saw a story this morning that said Belichick and Tom Brady, all that stuff was just gossip, and I don't believe that to be true. I think they had a little off-season Garoppolo issue. But here's what I know is true with the New England Patriots. I know it's true with Belichick, and I know it's true with Brady because I have video proof. That they used the media to galvanize. That they watch the media, they watch the show, they watch the other place, they watch and listen to WEEI,

and they use those clips as motivation. Remember what Tom Brady said after losing to the Chargers? Remember this? You know, I know, you know, everyone thinks we suck and, you know, can't win any games. So we'll see. It'll be fun. Well, who said that? The media.

Nobody in Boston has said that. And then after the game against the Chiefs, and this will be harder for radio, easier for TV. Did you hear the first thing Brady said when he went to congratulate seconds after the game, Julian Edelman? You're too old. You're too slow. You got no skill players. We got no defense. We got nothing.

Unreal, bro. Those are Chris Hogan, excuse me. Those are direct quotes from this show, the other place, from the media. They hear him and they use them. Folks, they hear everything. Aaron Rogers hears everything. Kevin Durant hears everything. LeBron hears everything.

Tom Brady, if he doesn't hear it directly, gets it fed to him. everything. I've never understood why fans don't get this. Guys like me ripping your team, I'm your friend. Your team will use it as motivation. The Cleveland Browns are the worst run franchise in the league and they have the most offensive fans because their fans like their team don't get it. Ripping Baker Mayfield doesn't hurt him, it motivates him. Ripping the Browns

doesn't hurt him. It motivates him. The New England Patriots 18 years, nine Super Bowls, they are able to use the media regularly use the media to convince themselves, nobody thinks we're any good. Do you know how ridiculous that is? That's like the royal family in England saying, we're poor and have no leverage. We've got no power in our country, but we're the royal family. Just trust me on this. Nobody, nobody can do anything. and it's a ridiculous idea that the Patriots are doubted. And the only people who doubt them are us, the media. And they use it brilliantly to their advantage.

Cleveland, a dumpster fire of a franchise, bristles, angry, if you criticize, anything. They don't get it. Use us. Criticism in life is not an enemy. It is an ally. James Harrison played with the Steelers for years. Then he went to play with New England. He said he couldn't believe how often the underdog stuff using media clips.

You saw Tom versus Time, right, where they spliced in criticism throughout the whole thing. Harrison talked about in New England. I was like you. You know, like this is funny. Everybody against New England, all that, this. But it's real. Like, I have no problem with this. You know, they really believe that.

They feel that. I felt that. I was only there for six weeks. And I'm like, yeah, it's New England versus everybody. Everybody hate us. Nobody loves us but New England. And when you buy into that, like he said, you get those 10 guys that really to buy into that, you go out there and you give everything you got.

Like, you really believe that it's New England. It's us versus everybody. Let me shift to this. The team that didn't make the Super Bowl and thinks they got robbed the Saints. Their owner of the Benson family, a family for years sort of shrouded in mystery. and gossip and rumors. I won't get into that. Gail Benson came out and said the NFL must commit

to providing fairness and integrity. Oh, wait, timeout. New Orleans talking about integrity? Okay. Oh, right, let me get this straight. This is the Bountygate franchise. The league had to suspend the coach. Belichick's never been suspended.

They had to suspend the defensive coordinator. Had to suspend players. had to suspend their general manager for lacking... What was the word again, Gail? Integrity. Yes, when I think of New Orleans, I think of an Integrity. Actually, I think of a party city. When I think of the Benson family,

I think a lot of things. But when I think of the Saints, it's a great story. It's a great team. But this is the Bounty Gate team. You're going to lecture us on integrity? Oh, that's adorable. Integrity.

Your GM was suspended. Your coach was suspended. Over a year. Players suspended. League had to step in. You were paying players to hurt other players, lacking complete integrity. Thanks for lecturing us. By the way, that pass interference call, it should be noted.

There's very few pass interference calls on running plays, New Orleans. You may have wanted to run the ball in that situation. kind of a clock issue, but not to be snarky, there is a massive gap between missing a call, which the official did, and integrity. I make mistakes all the time on this show, but I don't go out to make the mistake. The word integrity is very personal. The NFL, you're saying, could have, for the record, moved your franchise. They did not.

They had integrity and honor and loyalty to the city of New Orleans, which, post-Katrice Katrina was really in a rebuild mode. They could have never allowed Sean Payton back in the league, Greg Williams. And they did because they have integrity. They didn't overreact, although they were furious. Just be careful about New Orleans and Gail Benson and the Saints and their fans screaming and protesting over integrity Bountygate team. Now, call was missed.

Calls get missed. crappy call didn't help you that we can agree on nobody here is disputing it was a good call I think there's a great deal of recency bias the last big calls the one that lost it for us it wouldn't be that the saints in the red zone early in the first quarter there was zero on the clock and were allowed to snap the ball and score that isn't being talked about of the two face masking penalties one would have set up first and goal for the range giving them a 24-20 lead. That, of course, isn't talked about as well.

But I'm going to push back a little on the integrity thing, Saints. Chris Haynes just got off the phone with LeBron's agent, Rich Paul. We'll have an update on LeBron's status. I think it's something. I think it's a story that will be coming up next. Plus, Sean Merriman, Tony Gonzalez. We're not even halfway home, a Tuesday show. Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd.

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. Listen to Sports Slice on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast.

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

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

Absolutely. And that's two different levels of trust. I want you to just really be a good person. Join me, Kear Gaines, as we have real conversations about healing, growth, fatherhood, pressure, and purpose on my new podcast, learn the hard way.

Open your free, our heart radio app. Search learn the hard way and listen now. What's up, fam? It's Isaiah Thomas. And I'm C.J. Toledano and our podcast Point Game is about defying the odds. Like LeBron heading into the playoffs without Luca and Austin Reed. And finding ways to win no matter what. He's the smartest player to ever play the game.

His IQ is at a level that we've never seen before. And he knows without Luca and Austin Reeves, I got to manipulate the game. We get a player's perspective on the challenges of the playoffs. I think Joker's going to be exhausted. this series because when they don't have Rudy in the lineup, he has to really guard guys like Nas Reid. He has to guard Julius Randall. And then he has to give us everything he gives us on the night-to-night basis on offense. And when IT's friends stop by, like Quentin Richardson, we dive into some playoff history too. Steve Nash would get that thing. That man,

hell get the flying. He running up the court, licking his fingers why he got the ball like, after you go through a training camp with that, Isaiah, you figure it out real quick. Oh, yeah. Get your ass up and down the car. court and you're going to get the ball. So listen to Point Game on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. What's up guys? This is Clever Taylor the 4th. And on my podcast,

the Cliverts show, I'm bringing you conversations about all kinds of stuff. Like being an internet famous referee. We're in the middle of a game. This linebacker, this linebacker walks up to me, he goes, hey, ref, my mom wants you to wave at her. What?

Time out. Quarterback on office, Blue, 42. Hey, Wreck, my mama want you to weigh better. What? Where's he at? Hey, Miss Parker. Listen to the Clifford show on the Iheart Radio app,

Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Big Ten College Hoops action is coming your way Friday on FS1 is number five Michigan Battles, Indiana, in a conference showdown. It all tips off Friday at 6 Eastern on FS1 and the Fox Sports app. I think Michigan is getting to the national championship against Duke. That is my prediction. I think it'll be a good March madness this year because I think everybody wants to watch that Duke kid, Zion

Williamson. I saw him play this weekend. He was he's crazy. He didn't even look like a college kid. He's just, and then Michigan's the best coach team in college basketball. By the way, cold and flu season, try Vic Synex nasal spray, works up to 12 hours use as directed. All right, he's my friend Chris Haynes. He's a senior NBA insider for Yahoo Sports. Started bringing him on a couple years ago. Started reading you a couple years ago. I said, got to get this guy on the show. So let's start with this. I'm going to throw my theory out.

Okay. That LeBron James gets hurt and they diffuse it day to day, not a big deal. They don't talk about it. But this is the NFL's, or NBA's Iron Man. It's now 14 games. It's now 30 days and he's still not ready. I believe it is a smart move by LeBron's people to diffuse it. LeBron's rock solid.

There's no injuries. swear people, it's a toenail. So let's first address that because I think to be a more attractive team and franchise to get free agents, you do not want to have a, you know, LeBron, this is a major injury. You talk to Rich Paul.

Yes. Part of the Clutch Sports Group represents LeBron. What are they saying? Well, he said this injury was always a four to six week period. And today actually happens to be the four week period. Yeah.

So if you're looking at it, from that standpoint, this could potentially be another two weeks. Now, obviously, I don't think he's going to get to that point. But if he misses 17 games, this is the first major injury for LeBron James. It is, but they've also cautioned, you know, Rich Paul, that this is, you know, everything is precautionary. And, you know, LeBron wanted to get back into that game on Christmas Day when he did get injured. Obviously, that was the adrenaline talking at that point.

But, you know, they said they will not be, they will not rush him back. You know, they will make sure he is close to 100% as possible. There's absolutely no reason to get him out there too prematurely. And so they're going to take the easy pro. But this is, you know, it's a real thing. It is. This is an extended. We've never seen this from LeBron Jones.

Yeah, and for the record, I'm not questioning LeBron's want. I know LeBron wants to play. That's not it. What I'm saying is there is a reason that most of the time during this injury, it's been played down. Like, it's precautionary. I heard two different reports. If it was a playoff game, he'd play. I was told that was a bunch of baloney.

He's not, he can't play. He hadn't had contact yet in practice, and it's more serious. Here's the other issue, Chris Haynes joining us, is that we all know the story behind the story, Anthony Davis. Anthony Davis is in a losing franchise, great player. We all know that. Anthony Davis is represented by clutch sports that represents LeBron. Oh, he is?

Yes. You're breaking news on that. Okay. So in order to get him, instead of waiting a year and a half, you'd have to trade for him. Yes. The Celtics are also interested. Celtics have a lot of parts. When the season started, Lonzo Ball and Brandon Ingram were real assets.

Ingram's been the biggest disappointment. And Lonzo Ball is now, and this is not deniable, he's injury prone. So you have two assets now that New Orleans would probably say, not real assets. Yeah. Boston still has all their assets. assets. So what do you make? I thought the Lonzo Ball injury was a real, real bit of bad news for the Lakers because now we have a narrative, Chris, in this league is, dude can't stay healthy. Yeah. Six-week injury. Yeah, I didn't think it was that severe. Obviously, it was a nasty

sprain, but I didn't think he would be out this extended amount of time. But, you know, you look at the Lakers standpoint, they still have young asses. Brandon Ingram is still a young guy, Lanzo Ball. So I don't want to say their stock has dropped tremendously. But I, will say this, as it pertains to Anthony Davis in pursuing him, it would have to be on Anthony Davis part first to first request a trade out.

And then once it gets to that point, that's when we get the ball movement. Because Los Angeles Lakers, you know, they probably reached out to New Orleans already. New Orleans like, man, we're not making a move right now. We got, they got the Supermax deal that they can offer them over the summer. Then if it gets to that point when AD says, look, I'm passing up on this 240-plus meal.

Then New Orleans had to say, all right, We got a risk course. Of course they want to keep him as long as they can. He's good for attendance. He's good for marketing. New Orleans does, they want this thing to go as long as they can to keep him in town and convince him. But it's on AD's part first. He has to be the one to make the Domino's move and say I won out.

And I don't think if it does get to that point, I think that point is over the summer. Okay. So, you know, I want to be very careful here. People think, Joy, I have been marginalized as anti-weights. Westbrook. And I do. Oh, very unfair. Oh, uh-oh.

Okay, I just want to throw this out there. Westbrook, by the way, the Thunder played very well last night, very efficient. The highest plus minus in the game was on Westbrook. Why? He didn't shoot. Six of 12. OKC just went through their worst stretch of the year, one in five. He averaged 24 shots a night.

Can we now, Zach Lowe is admitting it today. I got to give Zach Lowe some. You know Zach Lowe. I don't know Zach, but I know of his work. He acknowledges today, which few will. Westbrook's shots broken. Layups are hurried, can't hit free throws, three-pointers are a disaster, mid-range is gone, the dude's broken.

OKC, when he takes less than 19 shots, 13 and 2, under 500 more. This is a real thing. Like, I've never seen this in my life, Chris. A MVP two years later, it has gone completely sideways. Can't play. And what do you make of what's happened? Well, you know, he has surgery to start the season. Right.

He's not attributable to that, of course. He wouldn't do that. But look, he hasn't been at full Westbrook forum all this season. That's for sure. But what has helped them is the emergency. I know you like that guy. Paul George. Paul's been great.

Paul's their go-to guy now. He's their go-to guy out of the Fresno State University. Let me throw that out there, Kyle. Did you go to Fresno State? I went to Fresno State. During Tarks? No, no, no. Not that old.

But that's my hometown. But no, he's playing an MVP caliber level, and that is why Rustbrook hasn't been getting a lot of attention for his bad play. Because Paul George has been stepping. I mean, look, take the game the other night. Paul George hits the game winner. Yeah, no, no. Westbrook fouled out.

Yeah, Paul George stepped up. No, it's just, it is an interesting thing. I don't want to be framed as anti-Westbrook, though. I have never seen. He's shooting 64% of free throws. I've never seen in my life a player go from MVP to literally cannot shoot. His free throw percentage has gone 83, 74. That's unheard of.

Well, I mean, we kind of seen it not at this level, but Markell Falls. Well, yeah, but he was never great. Well, yeah. I mean. At a different level. High school and college, yes. Correct. But yeah, this is rare.

We haven't seen this. All right. And finally, listen, the Warriors are a dynasty. best offensive team I've ever seen. So they bring in Boogie Cousins. They acquire him. He has to get healthy. They bring him in.

Now, he's not in great game shape. In fact, talked to a source last night. I said, what do you make? They said he's not in game shape. But from setting screens to getting rebounds, to being intimidated, can I just throw this out there? That if he keeps it straight personality-wise,

because he's always been a little tougher in the room, this is going to be the best version of Golden State. I think it has the potential to be so. I'm curious with the small ball lineups that teams are throwing out there. I'm curious to see if he'll be able to play with those lineups. The best lineup still might be when they moved Draymond to the center. Right, the small ball death lineup. But I don't know.

I don't know. But look, I would tell you this, Colin. If they remain healthy, Cousins is going to get to form. He looked pretty good in his debut. He did. So if he gets to forms, close to form, Hallstar Form, I don't see any team in the Western Conference that can give them a battle In fact, if they are healthy throughout, Golden State will sweep through the Western Conference Field.

I totally agree with you. Listen, I've always bristled at the comparisons of greatest all time because Jordan's Bulls played in a different era. It was a much more physical game. It was a much more daunting game to play. Michael Jordan could hand check. He was hand check. He was knocked to the floor. But I will tell you this.

If DeMarcus cousins, from what I saw in the opener, if he's healthy, then they've got their tour-to-force big man. This is going to be the best version of Golden State. and in my opinion, probably the best team in league history. I mean, look, they will be up there. It'll surely be up for debate. And I think, like I said, I'll probably get killed for saying that going through the Western Conference field. But you look at the landscape of the Western Conference?

Like, who really can go out there and give them a legitimate threat? Well, nobody can beat him over a series. What you're saying is, and I don't think you're wrong, when you add the physical component in size and talent of Boogie Cousins, and the other thing is, he is a great screen setter. Clay off a screen, Steph off a screen. I mean, you don't want Durant off a screen. You don't want any part of this team.

And for the first time in a while, I think Golden State's true threat, assuming they get there, their truest threat is in the East. I agree with you. It's in the East for the first time in a while. Yeah. And for the record, Boston's now, Kyrie now playing really well. It's taking him a while. You got Kyrie back.

You had different personalities. The Star is back with. the emerging young players, Boston looks like. I know Milwaukee, I know Toronto, but I did say before the season, I thought Boston could beat Golden State. I did over a seven-game series because I thought Boston would have home court advantage in the weaker east. But I think of this boogie cousin thing works, Golden State is going to lose about four

games the rest of the way. They look serious. You're sleeping on Toronto, it sounds like, over there. Come on. Oh, I can't do that, Colin. I can't do that. The baby dinosaur. LeBron extinct extinction.

He's not in the East anymore. He's not in the East. That's a new team. Kauai's over there, Colin. Come on. Give us some respect. Give Canada some love. Canada has wonderful people. But in April and May, they do not advance in the playoffs.

It's a wonderful country. I went there this summer. I love Canada. I just don't love them in the NBA playoffs. I don't know if you're going back anymore, man. All right, Chris, great seeing you, bud. Thanks, my God. Joy with the news.

No, no, no. Turn on the news. This is the herd line news. I'm telling me the baby dinosaurs are different teams here. I know. Yeah, I keep everybody, listen, at some point there are franchises, like the Chargers. Everybody like the Chargers, but you and I were like, they're going to go to New England, and this is not going to work.

And they're still the Chargers, though. Certain franchises shrink. And they get to big games, and they just, and then certain franchises. You know, Kansas City, by the way, in the NFL, Cincinnati in the NFL, Chargers. They tend to just shrink a lot. Little. New England. Well, Kansas City has Patrick from Holmes now, and the Raptors have Kwai Leonard, so we will see.

All right. So, New Orleans, there's still a little upset over that call. A little? And when it asked about that, past interference, missed call. Sean McVeigh had this to say about it. What we try to do a good job of is understand that it is an imperfect game. You know, I feel bad for when it occurred in the framework of the game, but I thought Sean said it best, too, where there's a lot of other opportunities and there's a lot of

of things that do dictate and determine the outcome of the game. That one did work in our favor, but there was a couple of instances where it didn't, and we can't control those things. Yeah, there was two face mask penalties against the Saints not called. It's like, again, I know it was at the end of the game, and I know it was a bad call, but, you know, handle it. Sports is imperfect from commissioners to officials to players. People don't want to hear that, though.

They don't. And then this was, this was a egregious miscall, although, It's bad. Look, it's unreasonable on our part to expect fans to sit there and say, well, the Saints could have run it instead of passing and they could have kicked the go ahead field goal and then they wouldn't be in this position. I'm not blaming, Joy, I'm not blaming fans for being crazy people. But when the owner of the Saints comes out and says the league needs to have integrity and it's like, you're the Bounty Gate franchise. I mean, yes, but I think you could probably dig into every single franchise. I mean, which franchise is without some kind of mark on it,

if we're really going to go into it like that. My thing is, why doesn't the NFL just come out and say they messed it up? Yeah, butchered it. It's very simple. Like, just the commissioner can just come out and say the call was terrible. We recognize that. We're going to have discussions in the off season about the rules, even if they don't change it, which I do not think that they should.

But sometimes it's just all people want to hear is an apology. Like, that's all people want to hear sometimes. And then everyone settles down. Even if it means nothing, even if it changes nothing. Even if they don't even really mean it, we know the reps aren't going to get everything right all the time. But these things are lasting forever. In the smaller markets like Charlotte and Green Bay and Buffalo and New Orleans,

the NFL team is everything. You know, in like Los Angeles, if you had to reverse it, people have been upset for about an hour and then had a cocktail on the beach. Right. But, you know, in New Orleans and Buffalo and Green Bay, the NFL teams are, I mean, it's like San Antonio on the Spurs. I mean, that's something you talk about on local radio. for 24 months.

I mean, this will be talked about... Yeah, I mean, and in Los Angeles, if the call would have gone the other way, people would be ticked off, and by the night, they're going and doing... You know, they've got a million other teams in town. It's really... It's rough, but sometimes all you got to do

is just come out and say you got it wrong and then everyone will move on, or at least feel better about it. So Tom Brady's favorite to win his fifth Super Bowl MVP. That should be shocking news to no one. Yeah. Vegas has Brady as the betting favorite,

followed by Jared Goff. You have a sleeper on. that list. Todd Gurley, Sonny Michelle, C.J. Anderson, Aaron, Donald, James White, Julian Edelman, or Gronk. That is a really interesting list. You know what it jumps out to me? Sony Michelle was a really good draft pick. You think they're going to give it to Sunday Michelle over Tom Brady? I think if you're going to go with a sleeper, you've got to go with a Rams player. Yeah. The funniest thing is, C.J. Anderson is on that list. Isn't that amazing? He'd been cut by two teams got rid of him.

I mean, look, Todd Gurley, he didn't do anything. I really like, I got to tell you something, I really like this free agent trade NFL more than the static NFL, which is here's your roster and you live with it for a year. Because I've always loved the draft. I think you like the draft too. I love the NFL draft. It's a convergence of college and pro football. I love both. But I really like this new NFL where teams in the middle of the season, we want Golden Tate in Philadelphia.

We want Amari Cooper. Here's a first round pick. We'll take C.J. Anderson. It's way more fun as a consumer that. The team you start with may very well look much different in November. I love that. And it really kind of should. It's a very long season.

And I don't like the idea that you have to work with what you've got. There is a free agent market. There are guys that have the ability to do movement, make trades. Find out what you're missing and make changes. Isn't that what fantasy football is all about, that you can change your team? Well, it's a little easier in fantasy football. The concepts are a bit different. But yes, in general, it would be fun to just pick and choose your players like that.

Finally, Shaq thinks Carmelo Anthony would fit with the Lakers moving forward. The Rockets traded Mello to the Bulls for cash yesterday, and he's expected to be waived or traded without ever actually playing for the team. And here is Shaq on his reasoning. Oh, boy. I think there's a liquor fit. I think, you know, a lot of people think he's done. I think he got maybe one, maybe two more years left.

And, you know, it would be a good city for him, warm city. I think if he can get some opportunity, especially when the Brown's out of the game, to get it going, maybe he could create some type of spark for them. Could I disagree vehemently with that? I think yes, you can. I do too. I don't think this is a good move. I think this is more of a send Carmelo somewhere where he can play with a friends.

You know what? What's interesting about Carmelo, and I've seen this before, I would say the primary reason that Tom Brady has aged well, as an athlete. And LeBron is aging well as an athlete because they're really serious about their diet and their sleep. They take care of their bodies.

Carmelo has always been one of those guys, never took care of his body. He was never one of those guys that was doing kale shakes and kale pajamas. The knock on Carmelo, I heard when he got into this league is he never really came into camp in great shape. No, D. Wade, by the way, is another guy

that aged really well to the very end. De Wade took meticulous care of his body. I'm not saying he wouldn't go out and have a cocktail during the season. season. But when I look at Carmelo, I just don't think he's age well. I think when you as human being, athlete or not, do not

take care of your body. When you go and decline, you go off a cliff. You have to respect your craft. Whatever it is that you do, if you're not evolving, if you're not taking the time to find out what's new and what's changing and bettering yourself, then you're going to fail because the

people around you are going to do that if they respect their craft. And this is the highest level of what it is that you do. Not to mention your body is, I don't know, the thing that provides you the ability to do that. It's not just relying on your brain or, you know, a model on their looks or something. Like, it's kind of important that you take care of your body. Yes. By the way, he hasn't played since November 8th.

Not good. It's not a fit. Joy with the news. Well, that's the news. And thanks for stopping by. The Herd Line News. The former pole pole linebacker, one of the more outspoken guests we ever bring on the show. Sean Merriman, Patriots Ram's Super Bowl.

What does he make of that? He'll be joining us next. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd. Weekdays in noon Eastern, 9 a.m. Pacific. Don't be that guy in the room with a long, sloppy looking untucked shirt on tuckit.com. Code Hurd, 20% off. GQ calls it perfection. Speaking to GQ, you're Sean Merriman.

Look at this guy. Eight NFL years Pro Boulder. He was looking sharp. You're doing movies and stuff too, aren't you? Yeah. Yeah, I got one coming out next month, I believe, February 19th. Are you a tough guy? Yeah, something, something like that.

Romantically. No, I can't play the romantic roles. I'm not there yet. You just beat people up and throw them around the room. So, you know, we were talking during the commercial break about Brady. And the most remarkable stat this entire weekend, he is now in the playoffs, drop back to throw 90 times. Forget the no sacks. Okay.

He's been hurried once. He's been hit three times. You said during the break, you'd change that. Yeah. What would you do? Yeah, I would jump to snap count and at least get a hit on him. Yeah, I know the play is going to go on because I know that the more you stay in his face or at least make him knowledgeable, like, hey, I'm back here, and you're not going to stand back here and just pick us apart and not be touched.

Yeah, I would start jumping a snap count, at least until I get one back there, why I at least hurry him and get him off the spot and let him know that I'm back there. I'm not saying I would get an off-sides penalty, but I would kind of bite the bullet. I would take one for the team if I had to get back there. If he's picking us apart that much and we couldn't do anything about it. In your career, you faced Brady more than once. Is it frustrating? Is it demoralizing? It is.

I've had multiple sacks on Brady in the playoff games and the season and whatnot. But, you know, even when I got back there, it wasn't, you know, he patted the ball one time. I just flat up beat the tackle. It wasn't like he was standing back there all day. I just had to go and do a double swim move and get around the corner and get back there in less than three seconds. If you're back there in three seconds, the ball is gone. And what happens as a pass rusher, if you don't get back there, you get back there, you don't get back there. And when you do, like when they threw the halveback pass, in your mind, you're already thinking like, I'm not getting back there.

I'm not getting back there. So you can't rush 15 to 20 snap as hard as you can because one of those times he is going to hold the ball, but you just don't know when. No, I think the word is deboralized. Yeah. I noticed it in the second half with the Chargers. Now, they were down big, but I thought the pass rush basically died. Like players knew. Even in overtime, and a part of that, you know, it's funny about overtime because both games went into overtime, is that I, Kansas City didn't get pressure on Brady the entire game.

They looked completely gas to me. And Brady said after the game, first thing he said in the interview goes, I'm so tired. as a defensive player, is your pass rush generally better early than late? Because I thought Kansas City looked completely shot up front defensively. Yeah, but that's what happens when you don't get back there because you've got to think as a pass rush or even an interior D-Limon, every time you come off the ball, it's full speed. You don't know if it's going to be a pass or run that place. You're coming off the ball, coming off the ball, coming off the ball.

How much can you come off the ball at full speed at maximum explosion before you see? say, okay, this is the play. They're going to run a ball and I'm not going to be able physically come off as harder than I did the first 15 times. That's when they hit you deep. That's when they'll throw that one deep ball to Gronkel. They'll hold on to a little bit for that big explosive play. And it's hard mentally as a defensive player to stay out there knowing that that's going

to happen to you. Yeah. It's going to happen. Did you ever beat Brady? With the bills. Actually, my last couple years when I played with the Buffalo bills, we beat them at home. That's the game. He threw four picks. I remember that.

Yeah. It was actually a nice day and he struggled. Yeah. I mean, he threw four interceptions. We hit him and, you know, it was almost like a parade after the game. We did beat him. I remember that. It was high scoring.

It was kind of a mess. Let's go over. So here's the thing. New Orleans says we got robbed. But can I just say this? You did win the coin flip in overtime and couldn't do anything with. with it. So you got a huge break from the league because Kansas City lost the coin toss and the home team never got the ball back. The Saints, okay, you got job. But you got the ball in overtime.

So you got, you kind of got what is a 50-50 complete break. But, I mean, New Orleans today is like, well, you know, the whole season, couldn't I argue this? There was a face masking penalty, not called against the Saints earlier that would have put the Rams out 24. 20 first in goal. That wasn't called. Why are the misses on the officials, and by the way, officials missed 10 calls a game. You go holding every play. Yeah. Why are we putting so much on one play? Well, you know, even as a kid and you're playing football, we always were taught to not put

the game in the refs hands. Right. Always. That was one of our rules, even through college, through the pros, it was always, don't leave it up to the refth to let them decide the game. Yeah. There's going to be some miss holding penalties. There's going to be some miss pass interference or off-sides. or false starts or whatever.

Those things are going to be missed. But when you have something this blatant, just wide open where everyone's looking at it, that someone who don't even know, my grandmother who don't even know the rules of the game, had text me and said, that's a pass interference. Right. If she knows that,

then you would think that qualified people who do this for a living should. And you can't do anything that. But it's almost like we used to tell our defensive backs that if you get beat, if you feel like you're going to get beat on a deep ball, grab, hold, trip, do something. live to fight another down.

That's what it looked like happened here. Like he knew he was going to be beat. I'm just going to take a shot at him, no matter what. We're going to get a flag, and we're just going to live and fight another down. You know what's interesting about this? I thought something I noticed in both games, Sean. The refs didn't call squat in both these games. In fact, the New England gang, Kansas City, until the fourth quarter, there was only five flags total.

Which when you have a loud crowd, usually there's more penalties. The road team can't. I mean, the Rams were completely flummoxed. I, you know, when I was thinking about, Roby, who was in on that play, should have been called for two PIs earlier in the game. And they didn't. And so to him psychologically,

it was obvious to me that in both games, the NFL told the crews, listen, don't call crap. Because all year, Sean, the big complaint about this league was, they fixed the catch call. Yeah. The big knock was, too many damn flags. And it looked like the league said,

swallow your whistles. So Roby in that game was hyper aggressive and didn't get called. And my takeaway on him is he's like, hey, he ain't calling anything. I'm blowing this guy up. I kind of feel like you've been in games. You know very early in games, certain officiating crews are tight and certain crews are loose. This was a loose crew. Yeah, you know what?

And I do like the fact of letting both sides play. I do, too. Because you don't want the knit, nag, a patty, you know, going back and forth and saying, you can't do this and you can't do that. You don't mind if a defensive back is putting his hands on a wide receiver past five yards. In the next play, the wide receiver push off just a little bit. But not in this situation. The game, you're talking about advancing to the Super Bowl.

We're not talking about lining up and playing another down or possibly having a game to play next Sunday. This is it. This is your whole entire season, the whole entire year, is relied on this one. play. And for you not to call that is embarrassing. Even for the Rams. I wouldn't even want to be in a Rams situation where somebody can walk up to me and say, you guys shouldn't even be here.

Because that's going to happen. I'm sure that's happening all over. You guys don't even deserve to be here in the first place. So don't take that away from me and what I've earned a whole entire season, but that's what's going to happen. If the Rams get really throttled in the Super Bowl, this story will reemerge as wrong

team. Now, if the Rams win, or it's overtime, then nobody will care. Right. But, I mean, when you watch what New England did to the Chargers and how they dominated the Chiefs defense, and you know the Rams defense has been very inconsistent, if New England dominates the field of play, and it's ugly, this story is going to reemerge in two weeks. By the way, who do you like the Super Bowl? The Patriots. I like the Patriots. I want to get some two back-to-back weeks at this point.

You really can't go against them. I thought this was probably one of the weakest teams they've had. sort of I. In the last several years, and they find a way to get back there, now they're being dominant. By the way, and I said last week, if the Rams got to the Super Bowl on the heels, on the back of the Eagles getting there, it would be the second straight team that went all in on trades and free agency and some divas, and it paid off. Now, you know that most of your career, free agents, divas, trades, leagues like, that's not what the good teams do. My feeling is, Rams winning is great for players.

Oh, Labion Bell, Antonio Brown is great. I mean, the year that in 2006, when we were 14 and 2 and had 11 pro bowlers, we had 11 pro bowlers, players win games, period. And so if you want to win now, you pay guys. This is Labian Bell. Where is this, Joy? This was on Bleacher reports Instagram. So on Instagram, Lavian Bell said, hey, everybody.

And he listed all the Rams moves. No, Bleacher Report posted this with the list of all Rams moves. He made a comment under it, basically saying that they're right, and this is the way that you do things if you want to win right now is paid people. He's right. No, listen, with the new offensive rules, you've got to find great offensive players. New England's doing the opposite of that, but they're completely an outlier. They're the only team.

In the lead, they've got a genius coach and the greatest quarterback. Other than that, go for it. Good seeing you, bud. Same here. Sean Merriman. Final hour on the show, Tony Gonzalez will be joining us as well. By the way, yesterday we said something and people bristled at it and then we're going to double down on that something. And I really do believe the Tom Brady story when it ends, there's another Tom Brady out there.

That's coming up. The new Casper Wave Mattress Ergonomic System aligns your body, 33 different points. go to casper.com slash wave code herd terms and conditions apply i apply casper dot com slash wave one more herd the herd streams 24 hours a day seven days a week within the iHeart radio app search herd to listen live or on demand whenever you'd like ah hour three this is the herd live in los angeles wherever you may be and however you may be listening we're on iHeart radio we're on fox sports radio and we're right here on fs one joy how are you today i'm doing great how are you feel very very good about this super bowl i will be mostly um obnoxious and unbearable for the

next two weeks well what else is i mean are you what you rooting for i'm not really rooting for anybody. I felt a few years ago when the Patriots, my sister never liked sports. So when Russell, my sister loves Russell Wilson, so Russell Wilson came, the Seahawks were always kind of a beleaguered franchise. Not always terrible, not Cleveland, but you know,

they had little bits and pieces, got to a Super Bowl lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers. And by the way, a lot of bad calls in that game. Seattle didn't gripe about it. Anyway, so I thought the Seahawks and I love Russell Wilson and the patriots. I was like, this is fun. I don't care. My feeling on the Super Bowl is I don't give a rip. I mean, I just, I'm happy. I live in a city in Los Angeles. People will be very happy.

It's good for the league I love. It's good for Los Angeles. It's fun. Sean McBays, a genius. Jared Goff. So that's a great story. And all my neighbors, I mean, the other day when field goals are getting kicked, I can hear my neighbors screaming. Or if New England wins, I have, I lived in Connecticut for 10 years. So I love this story. I like when smart wins. in life. Smart people, smart businesses, smart coaches,

smart players. So New England's this academic football team that is just smarter than everybody, so I love that. And I lived in Connecticut. And, you know,

I watched every, you know, when you live in an area, you live in, go up in Pittsburgh. I mean, everything, every story you read about the Steelers.

Right. So I have these two organizations that I know well, know people inside. So I don't have a rooting. It's just fun. I'm very much rooting for the Rams. You are?

Very much. In a blowout? No, I just not have to be a blowout at all. I'm perfectly fine with the W. I just hope when you and I next year, because Fox has the Super Bowl next year,

I'm just hoping that you and I don't get the jags against, you know. I think the sports gods were just teasing us with that. Let's just keep you all on edge. You don't have to really watch these games. Well, you and I could get Baker Mayfield next year. I'm okay with that.

In a strange way, so am I. Very, not good feelings about that happening, like actually coming true, but I'd be okay with it. All right. 15 minutes, soon to be Hall of Famer, Tony Gonzalez, stops by, Chief. Later and best for last, this will be really fun. My fond farewell to the most debated topic in sports history. Well, the fallout continues from the controversial non-pass interference call in the NFC title game.

And would you look at this? The NFL plans to study making pass interference reviewable. Why? Because they had a bad call in a game? By the way, that wasn't called pass interference. So now you're going to allow coaches on plays that aren't called to say, you know, across the field, I thought there was a pass interference. It wasn't called. Yeah, I know, but I want to review it.

This wasn't called anything. What are you reviewing? It was a non-call. So you're going to allow coaches now the ability throughout the course of a game to just demand. I see something I think I saw on the other side of the field that should have been past interference. and I, folks, referee whiffed happens all the time. There are now pictures all over the internet of six calls against the saints that weren't called. But this is recency bias.

In psychology, that's what they call it. You remember the last bad call. That one, cosh of the game. Listen, if you watched football all season long, what was the one complaint about the NFL? They got the catch thing right. The one knock on the NFL all season was, man, there's too many flags. All season. Every Monday had show up.

That's what everybody complained about. Me included. So the NFL, and they've done this through their history, made a conscious decision this weekend. We're not calling anything. There were face-masking penalties twice on the Saints. Never called. Rams, cornerbacks were hyper-aggressive. There were a couple pass interference calls in the Rams in the first half.

never called. There was a Saints player stepped on a Rams player. Never called. These officials didn't call anything this weekend because they listened to you, the fans. You and the NFL's been doing this for years. You got tired of the catch situation. They changed it. Right in the middle of a season.

Super Bowl. We're going to change it. Catch is count now. So they listen to you and you're this morning waking up in New Orleans. The league's got it out for us. give me a break Kansas City, New England was the highest rated

AFC game or second highest rated AFC championship game at 42 years. Want to know a reason why? There was almost no penalties in the first three quarters. It was a good game. It wasn't that good. I mean, the game wasn't that good. Why did it get the rating? Because the flow was good. No penalties.

Only five through three quarters. That's why the NFL is king. Major League Baseball is rigid. The NBA takes a while to figure stuff out. NFL will change stuff overnight. And they did. They told their officiating crews, don't call anything.

They didn't, and they butchered one call. Let the Saints have their pity party. Let the Saints laughably talk about integrity. Yeah, this is the Bounty Gate franchise. This is the franchise that had to basically suspend the coach, the GM, multiple players, assistance, because they had

bounty's out on people. But hey, my bad. The Saints, the Saints can claim the NFL has no integrity. Like New Orleans. Really? Integrity? You want to go there? Okay. All right. All right. Let me shift gears to this. My job, mostly as a sportscaster, is to watch sports and give you the answers. Why did blank happen? That's my job. 75% of my job is to watch sports and react to it. You tune in every day. We'd call them think about that. Okay.

Now, 25% of my job is to theorize on what's going to happen next, predict what's going to happen next, tell you who's going to win this game. But a big chunk of my job is to watch sports and give you answers. And there was one story all NFL season. I even joked about it. I couldn't figure it out. It was the unsolved mystery of the NFL. How the hell is Nick Foles better with the Philadelphia Eagles than

Carson Wentz, Carson Wentz a way better player. It was our unsolved mystery. It makes no sense. Nick Foles appears from nowhere as a career backup. And in must-win games, he's 7-1. MVP at the Super Bowl for a career backup, who was the sixth-best quarterback in his own conference his final year in college. It makes no sense.

Well, well, well, well, folks, the unsolved mystery this morning, It got solved. According to various players and sources within the organization, Carson Wentz, quote, selfish, didn't run many of the concepts because he felt that was, quote, Foles stuff. Ah. So a month ago I said on this show, I said the only thing I knew about the Foles-Went's thing was that I was told it fulls, Foles was more reliant on coaching, less talented guy, that makes sense, easier to coach.

And I said a month ago, Wents was a little tougher to coach because like anybody that's really talented, Cam Rogers Wence, they're more reliant often on themselves and a little bit less reliant on coaching. That's all I knew. And today it's been confirmed. Foles is easier for the staff to coach. and that by the way, this is a very human thing and I don't want to see everybody bang on Carson Wentz. Folks, this is what would happen with anybody in that situation. Tom Brady, an absolute legend,

with not only a trophy case, probably has a trophy rumor to, his night Super Bowl, he felt somewhat threatened by Jimmy Garoppolo who won a single game. And Garoppolo got traded for an end table. And that's Tom Brady. If you're a star or a top draft pick and you get hurt and your understudy comes in and wins a Super Bowl, it's incredibly human for you to kind of bristle when you come back and say, I want to run my plays, I want to run his plays.

Carson Wentz is just like anybody. Hell, Brady, according to various reports, didn't love the fact that his understudy was right behind him. You don't want him there. So, you know, the story, by the way, says that Carson Wentz plays favorites. Do you see who supported him in the story? Zach Ertz. When Zach Ertz and Wentz are together, they're like, you know, bosom buddies. They're buddies.

That's who he throws to. Not a shock, the one guy that supported him in the story and said, it's not true, is Zach Ertz, his favorite target. So, yes, this is sort of what I was told about a month ago. Now, there's much more severe quotes. He's arrogant. He's selfish. The story also said he's an incredibly hard worker.

He's brilliantly talented and a lot of people like him, but he's harder to coach. So I, to be honest with you, the only thing that would be surprising is if there wasn't a little tension in the room. Star gets drafted, star gets hurt, understudy comes in, gives the city its first Super Bowl. And you don't think the star is going to have a little ruffled feathers? Of course he is. And there is no moral to the story other than Carson Wentz is human. And how do you solve this story? Very easily.

Smart teams do this all the time. You trade Nick Foles and there's a sucker out there that's going to overpay him and give you more players than he's worth. Carson Wentz is clearly the future. Carson Wentz is clearly more talented. Carson Wentz is absolutely who you should build around. And Nick Foles, there's a sucker every minute. We'll pay him a fortune, trade multiple players, and Philadelphia will do what New England does, what the good teams in this league do. Manipulate the suckers.

So this is an easy problem to solve. Move out of the Nick Foles business. Trade him for somebody. Get some pieces. Draft another quarterback to back up Carson Wentz. It's all good. But the only surprise here would be this didn't happen. If Brady and Garoppolo had tension and he played a game in a half,

you don't think Nick Foll's getting Philadelphia at first Super Bowl? That's not going to create a little tension? Of course it is. Coming up, the next Brady is already here, and it will be impossible to deny, plus Tony Gonzalez. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays in noon Eastern, 9 a.m. Pacific. On Fox Sports Radio, FS1, and the Iheart. radio app. Last night, a blown call changed a game. This morning, the internet lost its mind. Highlights are

trending, opinions are flying, and nobody's telling you exactly what happened. That's where Sports Slice comes in. I'm Timbo. Every episode, we're cutting through the noise, breaking down the plays, the controversies, and the stories behind the headlines. We go straight to the source, the athletes themselves, their locker room stories, their reactions, the stuff nobody gets to hear. The laughs, the drama, the triumphs, the moments that never make the highlight real. From viral moments, to historic games, from buzzer beaters to controversial calls, we break it down, give you context, and ask the questions everybody wants answered. 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 in the TikTok podcast network on TikTok. Welcome to my new podcast, Learn the Hardway with me, your host, and your favorite therapist, Kear Games. And in recognition of mental health awareness month, I'm bringing over a decade of my own experience in the mental health field and conversations with so many incredible guests.

I'm talking. Tripp Fontaine, Ryan Clark. Sometimes when we're in the pursuit of the thing, we get so wrapped up in the chase that we don't realize that we are in possession of the thing. And we're still chasing it. And we don't know when we've done enough. Because people scoreboard watch.

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

Join me, Kear Gaines, is we have real conversations about healing, growth, fatherhood, pressure, and purpose. On my new podcast, Learn the Hardway. Open your free, our Heart Radio app. Search Learn the Hardway and listen now. What's up, fam. This Isaiah Thomas. And I'm C.J. Toledano and our podcast Point Game is about defying the odds.

Like LeBron heading into the playoffs without Luca and Austin Reed. And finding ways to win no matter what. He's the smartest player to ever play the game. His IQ is at a level that we've never seen before. And he knows without Luca and Austin Reeves, I got to manipulate the game. We get a player's perspective on the challenges of the playoffs. I think Joker's gonna be exhausted this series because when they don't have Rudy in the lineup, he has to really guard guys like Nas Reed.

He has to guard Julius Randall. And then he has to give us everything he gives us on the night-to-night basis on offense. And when IT's friends stop by, like Quentin Richardson, we dive into some playoff history too. Steve Nass would get that thing. That man, hell get the flying. He run up the court licking his fingers while he got the ball. Like, after you go through a training camp with that, Isaiah, you figure it out real quick. Get your ass up and down the court, and you're going to get the ball.

So listen to Point Game on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. What's up, guys, this is Clever Taylor the 4th. And on my podcast, The Cliverts Show, I'm bringing you conversations about all kinds of stuff. Like being an internet famous referee. We're in the middle of a game. This linebacker, this guy, this linebacker whops up to me. He goes, hey, ref, my mom wants you to wave at her. What?

Come on out. Quarterback on office blue of 42. Hey, Brett, my mama want you to wave at her. What? Where's she at? Hey, Miss Parker. Listen to the Clippers show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast.

Car shopping's confusing. A lot of terms, dealer price, list price invoice. True Car shows with other people paid for the car you're looking for, new or used. Go to Truecar.com. It's going to be a Hall of Famer. He's a finalist. He was at the NFC title game.

He will cry, by the way, when he is elected into the Hall of Fame. He's acknowledged that. You're not a fake tough guy. You cry a lot. I do. Occasionally? I let it go whenever it feels right. You just let it go. I don't mind. You know what I? Or they hold it back. Don't do that. It's not healthy. It feels good. Feels good. I got, you have been a very, you have created new health factors in my life. I now take a cold shower in the morning because of Tony Gonzalez. No, it's a true story. So Tony told me one time off the air. He said, I take like a minute cold shower before I turn the heat up. And so that's why my wife hears me screaming at 5.15 every morning.

Good for your joints. Good for your joints. Good for your hair. Good for your. cardiovascular system. Good for everything. Stress. Stress. Yeah. And so Tony and I are aligned that way. We're both taking a cold shower, me at 5 in the morning and him at 10 when he gets up.

When I get up. And so let's, you know, it's interesting. Everybody's, you were at the NFC title game, and everybody's freaking out. And I know it was a bad call. But I would like to say this. Everybody is outraged that Tom Brady got the ball in overtime. And Kansas City didn't get a chance to get it. It's not fair.

Yet nobody is acknowledging that the Saints got the ball first in overtime and that terribly unfair thing. After that crappy call, they got that unfair and they could have driven down the field and Jared Goff because they never touched the ball. But they threw a pick and the Rams got it and won the game because I believe the Rams were better team. That's why I picked them to win. Is that you can't tell me in Kansas City the overtime is outrageous because the rule is it doesn't have to be both teams because the Saints had the same advantage and didn't get it.

So even though the call was crappy, they still were at home and got the ball first and overtime and butchered it. Yeah. So I don't feel a great deal of sympathy, but you do. You don't have sympathy? Win the game. No. Win the game. I know win the game, but at the same time, we were there on the sideline.

Bad call. That is a, no, it's not a bad call. It's not a bad call. That is a horrendous call. That is the worst call that I've ever seen in NFL history because, of the implications of it. It's devastating. And it's something I've lost in the NFC championship game. And to know that the game is over right there, because they get the ball, first down,

game is over, kick the extra three points or whatever. And the game's over. They're going to the Super Bowl. And they should have been called. How do you get over that? By the way, how do you know they don't have a first down? And how do you know that they don't score in the first play? Rams get it back with a minute and a half and go back and score. Because you run the ball. You actually sit on the knee. Oh, yeah. That's what you think you would do. but Sean Payton's four plays earlier

passed the ball in first down instead of running them. They butchered a lot of stuff, but it's still in the end, they should have had that. Who did you feel was a better team? I picked the Rams to win. I know you did. You picked the same reason I did. Yes, but looking at that game,

I mean, the Saints were dominating that whole first half, obviously, and it looked, I don't know, I still feel like the Saints were a better football team. You do? I do. I do. Rams are a great team. After watching that game,

I picked the Rams, but I think the Saints, they did enough, they should have won. They should have won that game. By the way, Sean Payton did some weird coaching stuff late. He did. It's funny about these young hot shot coaches. You know, it's funny, Tony, my whole life, I remember watching as a kid watching like football shows. And one of the golden rules was take points.

This isn't the NBA. It's not one, 12, take points. it's funny that all these hot shot coaches now are like we're so obsessed by getting a touchdown over a field goal. Sean McVeigh late in that game said, I'm going to take a field goal. I want guaranteed points. I'm going to trust my defense.

I thought Sean Payton butchered at the end, throwing the ball on first down and ostensibly giving the Rams an opportunity to win the game. I could not believe that. I didn't understand it. The only thing that you could think why he would do that because he's thinking ahead. He's probably thinking, all right, Wade,

on the other, the defensive coordinator is saying, yeah, they're going to run the ball here, so I'm going to catch them off guard, and I'm going to throw a quick slant, safe pass. Ball didn't come out that good. That was kind of a Drew Brees. No, it was. And you think that you could be able to complete that.

So I would say with an all-pro wide receiver and an all-pro quarterback that you can make that happen. I understand why you did it. I wouldn't have done it, though. I would have said, just run the ball. Be conservative. Be conservative.

Why not? You know, something that impressed me in this game is that I said this a week ago and people just went, whoa! And I said, of all the young quarterbacks, Mahomes, Watson, I mean, you can, Carson Wentz, DAC. There's only one that reminds me of Brady, and it's Jared Goff. California, tall, thin, kind of gawky early. That looked physically like he's ready.

Incredibly coachable. Very good athlete. I mean, Goff was a number one pick. Brady was drafted in baseball. stable, solid, supportive family, pretty low ego considering their success, good-looking California kids, who both inherit a genius head coach.

And people are like, whoa, and I'm like, you do get that Goff actually at this stage, it's probably more talented that Brady was in year three. You sat and watched Goff. I thought Goff outplayed Breeze. I really did late in the game. I thought he outplayed him. He played really well.

He played really well. And he wasn't playing that well coming into the game. He wasn't. But I thought he played well. And I, you know what, I like that. I agree with you there. Eric Collin. Because if you look back at Tom Brady's stats,

not even until year maybe seven or eight, he had been winning Super Bowls, but he wasn't even going to the Pro Bowl. That means he wasn't even a top three quarterback in his conference. They were a defensive lead team with guys like Curtis Martin, Corey Dylan. They were coaching defense and running games. And he wasn't putting up these unbelievable numbers.

I mean, Jared, he's putting up good numbers. He was in the MVP race this year. And then Cooper Cup got hurt and things fell awful. little bit. But yeah, I think with Sean McVeigh, going forward, you could look at these guys, I think Andy Reid and Mahoney, I think those two coaching combination, quarterback combinations are going to be around for a long time. They're going to be very, very good. Yeah, you like the way golf throws the ball. That Brandon Cook's throw. That's as big a play as the NFL had this year. He can throw the ball. That he really can. Some guys, Tony, you cow guys. Some guys

are just great throwers of the football. It's like, Dak, you've said this. It just doesn't look natural. Andy Dalton doesn't like, some guys that looks clunky. Gough, it's just Matt Ryan's like this. It's velvet. Yeah, it looks great. It just looks great. It's smooth. All right, so New England, it would be, you know, it's funny.

You, and I knew this when you played, I'd bring you on my show at the other place, and we always talked about nutrition and body extending your career. I've got to tell you, the last two weeks I've watched Brady, Tony, I, like even Kobe Bryant at the end, he was great, but you're like, not the same guy. Yeah.

I don't know. I looked at Tom the last two weeks. He was a wizard. Looks great. That game gets the Chargers. I was like, I've never seen him this accurate. Yeah. His velocity's great.

Yeah. It's like, does he wait to turn it on until the playoffs? Is he bored? I love Tom. I really, really do. But I will say this, if D. Ford doesn't line up in the backfield on that. Something Pop Warner, just be on your side of the ball. That game is over.

and Tom threw kind of a wobbly pass there behind, and it was picked off, and now we're sitting here going, three interceptions, one touchdown, and you lost in that game. The narrative would be a lot different about Tom Brady, but you cannot give an assassin like that. You can't.

Michael Jordan, he's not going to miss too many shots in that fourth quarter or in overtime. And Tom, you gave him a second chance, and he came back like you knew he would. As soon as that was, I was like, it's over. It's over. Here comes Tom Brady. He's so good.

The whole New England organization, people try to hate on them because they win. It's the same reason I talk about Duke basketball. People don't like Duke basketball. Why? Because they win because they graduate their players, because they have good guys. That's what the New England Patriots are.

People try to paint this picture that they're the evil empire, and they're not. They're a bunch of good guys. Grankowski's a good guy. Tom Brady is a good dude. Bill Belichick, I think he's a good guy. He loves football, and that's probably, I don't know what else in his family,

but there's nothing. I don't know why people always, always trying to look at them as this evil empire. I think it's, I think it's resentment, and I do think Joy said this earlier, is spy gate, deflategate, you know, there was a laser, there was a piece of video during the game in Kansas City. There was a laser multiple times on Tom Brady, which, by the way, if you did that to a pilot and a plane, you'd break a federal law. Yeah. You know, it's like, you can't do that. If that was, here's the tape, if that was in Foxborough and that was Mahomes, it would be called Lasergate. That's what Joy said earlier. She's right.

But instead, there's so much resentment for New England because of their success. I think we're the only show that's talked about this. Nobody's even talked about this. So I think to your point, greatness creates animosity and jealousy and resentment. It does in sports, it does in life. Yeah. And talking about cheating a little bit, first of all, every organization out there cheat. That's ridiculous, obviously.

And I'm a Kansas City. Obviously, you know, gung-ho. The organization had nothing to do with that. Just a goofy fan. Yeah, but, I mean, you know, the stuff, people, talk about SpyGate, people talk about deflake gate. They talk about all that stuff. I mean, this is normal. Have you ever

cheated on a test? Oh, God, yeah. Yeah, you've cheated, you've copied homework. Oh, a million times. You go out, you get hung over, you're going to take an Advil the next day? I mean, that's a little cheating, maybe, or I don't know. Yeah. But performance enhancing. My point is, with New England, they are

the epitome of how to build an organization. No ego. They have guys, if Bill Belichick thinks you're a bad guy or cancer and you're out of there. Antonio Brown would never, and I'm not saying he is a cancer because I don't play with him, but Antonio Brown is not going to play in for the New England Patriots. What Tom Brady has done, he's taking less money.

We've talked about that before. If you're building an organization, my first pick overall in NFL history, I'm going to take Tom Brady. If it's one game, I'll take Peyton Manning. But I'm taking Tom Brady just because he has no ego. He'll take the five yard out. He'll take that all the way down the field. He'll hand the ball off 50 times.

He doesn't care. That is what makes this organization so good. It's what makes Duke so good. They have no ego. No ego? No amigos. Yeah. Ego has no amigo.

Ego has no amigo. And this is what they do. They win because of that. And that's why I love the New England Patriots for that reason. This is why they're successful. The media historically, and this is probably a healthy thing, it's probably healthy that our comedians are mostly liberal and they pick on powerful people. That's funnier.

It's funnier. It's funnier to pick on the rich guy than the poor guy, right? Yeah. So it's probably better that comedians. tend to lean left. They stand up for the little guy. They rip the presidents and they rip powerful corporations. It's also probably a very good thing that the media historically goes after governments, corporations, rich people. And so I don't think it, I don't think it's unhealthy looking at the Patriots and being on them, being tough, because they are the powerful.

But I do think that's a component to the New England coverage is that the media is going, they're just waiting for the Patriots to make a mistake. That laser story, if it was in Foxborough, all the media would come pouring in. Outraged. We've got to replay the game. We've got to replay the game.

And I do think New Orleans, one of the reasons that people are ticked is because Los Angeles, gigantic, palm trees, little New Orleans got kept out of the Super Bowl. New Orleans is much more likable than the Rams. Kansas City is much more huggable than the Patriots.

So this weekend, everybody's like, The Chiefs got robbed, the Saints got, I just think there's a reason. Success creates resentment. Yeah. That's a sad thing, too. Not everybody out there listening to. We're not talking about everybody, but there are people out there.

It's Twitter. It's everything. We're going to talk about the person on top. And if you are that one, you probably have a little envy in you, little jealousy going on inside you. And I think that's exactly what's going on here, especially with New England, especially, even more so than L.A. But nobody, people are tired of them.

You're tired of them being so good. By the way, the rating for the Chiefs Patriots game was the second highest AFC championship rating ever. So as everybody tells you they're sick of the Patriots, they got the second highest AFC championship rating in 40 years. People tell you they hate Duke. The minute Duke gets bounced out of the tournament, the ratings go down. Yeah. People tell you they love to work out and eat right. Go to a mall, look around. What people say isn't what people do. I hate the Patriots. I hate Duke. I hate the Yankees. It's like, not really. You watch them. And don't think you don't cheat either. Everybody cheats. I want to talk about that. Everybody cheats. So in Atlanta, Kansas City, everybody's cheating a little. Everybody. You talk about diets. I'm on a diet. They even have a thing called cheat.

day. I have a cheat. You have a day designated to cheat. When you're on a diet. And when you're on a diet. I'm going to go out today. I'm just going to let it all hang out. So every NFL team you've been on is pushing the envelope. Every NFL team pushes the envelope. I can't give stories but absolutely. I mean, you see it all the time.

All the time. I mean, Atlanta got busted for pumping noise. You hear about Seattle. Pumping noise into that. Adderall. Seattle had Adderall issues. All that stuff. Kansas City's using a laser. By the way, those whistles inside the Superdome. There were whistles.

What was that? Aggravating. That is. You weren't aggravated. It was one guy. It actually did not bother me, so maybe my ears don't pick up that tone or something. Swear it didn't bother me. Did you hear all the whistling in the stadium?

It was one guy. His name's whistle monster. He's a fan. Oh, whistle monster. He doesn't have a whistle. He does the, like, thing. I can't do it. You know, how about throw whistle monster out of here?

Yeah, get out of here. Out of here. Whistle. Recount. The whistle. thing. They show them all the time. Okay. If that was a Patriots. Oh, Whistlegate?

I'm tired of it. Poor patients just get picked on all the time. They do. Tony Gonzalez is going to cry pretty soon. Hall of Fame induction. I'll be there with you. Joy with the news. No. No. No. Turn on the news. This is the herd line news.

Now, are you going to cry when they come to the room and tell you? Because Jason didn't cry when they came to the room. He cried on stage. Yeah, you cried on stage. I'm going to have a tequila and a me. I celebrate. That's what I'm going to cry. I was the one trying.

A medello and a key one. Yes, a medella. So the Patriots. We did talk about them a lot before the season started about their, the Belichick Brady craft beef. It was very unpatriots like year. A lot of rumors coming out of there. It's not normal.

But they did just win the AFC championship game and had some nice comments. First Tom Brady spoke glowingly of his head coach. And now Bill Belichick is returning the favor by shutting down any reports of friction. I love this. Love this. Some of these people, I don't know who they, I've never met them, never talked to them. So, I mean, I'm not going to get a bunch of, you know, gossip. We beat a good football team, and we were all ecstatic about it.

And everybody played a role in it. And certainly Tom played a big role, and, you know, we've had a long and very productive relationship. And they'll good about it after a win like that. But you know how you could not. 18 years together, if you don't have a fight, you're weirdos. Fighting is natural. It is natural. You and I'll have some big fight.

If we stay together 18 years, there'll be a day. I'll be like, oh, I'll tell the staff, I'm so mad at joy. And she'll be like, he's a jerk. I should have never joined this show. He's a jerk. We haven't had a fight yet, though. We will 18 years. In 18 years?

Yeah, I have a huge ego. I'm impossible. Look, this is not, it was never believable that they didn't have problems. That's just, that doesn't make any sense. The bottom line is they all got in a room together and figured it out. You know why people have problems? Love Triangle. Brady Belichek love story.

Garoppolo entered the picture, Love Triangle, had to get them out of town. Well, also, they're all competitive. They all have egos. They're all rich now. They're all rich, even though they may all have one goal. They all have different ideas of how to reach that goal and what it's going to take to make that happen.

So I don't buy that there was never any friction, but the bottom line is they solved it. So, Levy on Bell and Steelers have a little friction. He's likely on his way out of there, but he left him a little advice and criticism yesterday. He left a comment on a Bleacher Report, Instagram posts that pointed out all of the aggressive moves that the Rams made this year. And there it is.

The Talib trade, the Peters trade, the Fowler trade, paying Sue. Shields has been played since 2016. Cooks, Gurley, Aaron Donald. And he basically said that was the right decision, better than saving for the future. He wrote exactly what you're supposed to do. They did it right. Forget trying to save for the future. You better go and try and win that belief right now when you can.

He's not wrong. I think it's a, all I know is this. I root for interesting and you and I root for interesting. If March in the NFL free agency becomes as good as July in the NBA free agency, it gives us another month that would be a dead month with a bunch of good stuff. Well, I don't know that it'll ever get to that level because the biggest quarterbacks, the quarterbacks don't have the mobility in the way that the biggest stars in the NBA have mobility. But flakos available this year.

But yes, you have flacco, you'll have foals, you'll, you'll have maybe Eli Manning, you have Levyon Bell, you have Antonio Brown out there. So there's a lot of big name pieces that will likely be moving around. But the bottom line is it's more about the structure of the team that Leveon's talking about, paying free agents, being aggressive,

and being a player-friendly environment, and that leading to success. When you're going up against the Patriots, who are the complete opposite of that. They cut people, their cutthroat. They're the exception. A Brady takes less money. It's all about the system.

It's all about the Patriots. way. It's not about individuals. So Levion is basically saying that's not the way to go. Finally, the ending of the AFC championship game between the Chiefs and Patriots left a lot of people arguing over the overtime rules. A lot of people are saying they should change it to give both teams a shot in offense. And even though it did not work in Andy Reid's favor, he is not calling for a change in format. I've sat in on a few of those meetings and, you know, they go back and forth. So it's what the lead came up with. I mean, I support it.

I sure would have liked to have had another crack, though. You've got to be a good coin flipper, and then you've got to get off the field if you don't have the ball. Yeah, I mean, it is what it is. We had two overtimes. One team got the ball and scored. The other team got the ball through a pick. So this idea that, by the way, we should look up a stat on this.

If the overtime is so flawed, let's go look at a stat. How often does the team that gets the ball first win? and I bet you it's a little more than 50%. Well, how often does it go into overtime in the playoffs? Not much. Not much. But for me, I just feel like if you're going to change all the rules to favor the offense, which they clearly have and you can't argue that,

then you have to give the other team an opportunity to go and score as well. The game's not going to go on forever. Make it more like the college rules. You don't have to play an entire extra quarter, but you've got to give the other team an opportunity to score. Because if it came down to a thing of merit that gave you the opportunity to have the ball in offense first, then that would be different. But a coin flip. How about this?

How about this? End of regulation. Who has the most totally yards? Whoever has the most totally yards, they have earned the right to the ball first. I mean, why don't you just give both teams an opportunity on offense? Isn't that easier? Do you have 20 minutes, 30 minutes? Who cares?

You got two weeks off. Well, now, but not in the regular season. Well, first of all, I don't. all ties are the absolute worst. Ties are the absolute worst. I despise ties. So changing the rules during the regular season, I am 100% for anyway, because ending in a tie is the worst.

It's just a waste of my afternoon. I just watch this whole game and now it's a tie. Like, those need fixed anyway. So I'm all for changing it across the board. But I do think if you're going to change all the rules to favor of the offense, you got to give the other team. Somebody looked this up for tomorrow's show. What percentage of teams that get the ball first and overtime

win. Because if it's like 94%, then I think Joy's point is, okay, it's ridiculous. But if it's 50-50... Well, I mean, they just changed all the offensive rules, so do you count for that also? I'm just going to see the number. Joy Taylor with the news. Well, that's the news. And thanks for stopping by. The Hurd-Ly news.

Coming up next, it may be the most emotional segment I've ever done. My fond farewell to the most debated topic in sports history. Next in Best for Last. There's a timely stat coming up for you right here. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays in noon Eastern 9 a.m. Pacific. Don't be that guy in the room in the long sloppy. Look at Untuck shirt on tuckit.com. Code Hurd. Code Hurd, 20% off. GQ calls it perfection. John Goula is amazing. He went out and looked up the stat. Last six years in the NFL have been obviously very offensive-minded years. This last year, the regular season, everything tweaked.

But the last five or six years, NFL has been very offensive driven. The overtime rule, which everybody he's outraged about because it is possible to get the ball with a coin flip and take it down. But actually, that doesn't happen. The team that wins the coin flip in overtime wins 52% of the games. Coin flip. So even when you get the ball first, generally teams don't take it down. Other team gets it. It doesn't end that way.

Anytime anything is 50%, it's not outrageous. If you want to change it, go ahead. But in this offensive assault football in the last five or six years, winner of the coin flip, 50% wins the game. I don't think it's, I mean, that to me doesn't move me to change it. All right, here, you know what, Joy, I thought best for last today. There have been so many anti-patriot takes through the years. Yes.

Anyway, we've certainly enjoyed debating them. Yes. And America has. But now that there's been a ninth trip to the Super Bowl, Belichick and Brady, we must say goodbye to many. of these anti-patriot takes forever. In Memorium, expired Patriot takes, 2001 to 2009. First, we must say goodbye to this expired take.

Brady can't win on the road. Yes, he was 0 and 3 in a 12-year period, but Sunday he beat the Chiefs at noisy arrowhead. It's time for this take to hit the road. Remember this one? There's a rift inside the Patriots organization. Robert Kraft, we were told, took Brady's side. This rift would doom the organization, Joy. The only thing doomed is that bad take. Remember this one, the Patriots don't have any weapons.

Julian Edelman, averaging 123 yards receiving in the playoffs. James White, a record 15 catches against the Chargers. Sony-Michel five touchdowns. huge against Kansas City. Goodbye, old take. Goodbye. Remember this one. Tom can't play into his 40s.

Since he's turned 40, he's won an MVP. Last year he set an all-time passing yard record in the Super Bowl. And he's now going to his second Super Bowl since he turned 40. The only thing that hasn't aged well is this take.

Remember this one. The Patriot should have kept Jimmy Garoppolo. They said he should have never been traded. Then he got hurt in week three in San Francisco. Now he's an injury prone quarterback who dates adult film stars. We now bury this take. Next to the one about how they should have stuck with Drew Bledso. Remember this one?

But he deflates footballs. Well, after that four-game suspension, Tom's been to a Super Bowl every year, won the MVP, and has put up some of the most remarkable stats of his career. Turns out, it was the bad take, not the football that was full of hot air. Finally, we must now say goodbye to this classic take. The Patriot's best weapon is a camcorder. Remember that? SpyGate?

It's a good line, though. Now this take is just as relevant to modern life as a camcorder. quarter. There it is, our goodbye to all those expired Patriots takes. Farewell, dear friends, farewell. Salty discharge. It was very... Are you wiping tears? Wiping tears. It was very emotional for me. Speaking of the Super Bowl, Brady faces Jared Goff. And, you know, I've laid out how I think we are looking at the next Brady. Now, I'm not saying Jared Goff's getting to 18. Super Bowls, but they have some similarities. California kids, tall, lean, little gawky early, incredibly coachable, come from very

solid, stable families, a lot of humility. And they both have genius head coaches, which will mean over time that Brady's never quite gotten the love that Montana and Peyton Manning get on sheer talent because his coach is a genius. And McVeigh will ensure that Goff, even if he goes to Super Bowls, Gough will never quite get the love he deserves because, you know, McVeigh is a genius. But they do have stuff in common. And another thing to think about, go to the third season, Brady and Gough.

Gough's actually the better player. He's actually the better player. Passer rating, wins, losses, touchdown interception. Now, it's more of an offensive league. I'm not denying that. But he's clearly the better quarterback early. And Trent Delford was on the show yesterday and said he, spotted golf early at the elite 11 camps, and they talked about Brady.

When he was in high school at the elite 11, we as a staff really made a lot of Brady comparables to him. A guy that has tremendous competitiveness, competitive fire, guy has great mental toughness, is very precise in the intermediate type throws, the piercing type throws, is a commanding leader, but most importantly, that grit that he has. He's had a lot of doubters, both in high school, he was too skinny, he wasn't strong enough, only Cal recruited him. And then he's a bust his first year at the Rams. And he is not flinched through any of that, very much like Tom Brady.

And then you see the physical traits, obviously, they have the same stature, same type of arm talent, same type of precision in their game. I think it's a great comparable. And if I think you want to be compared to somebody, I'd want to be compared to Tom Brady. The other thing, I do believe Goff has the type of personality where he would take less than the maximum offered because he comes from his dad was a major league baseball player, pretty

notable baseball player. Money's not a driving force. I don't believe for Jared Goff. I do think, you know, when I hear these stories about Patrick Mahomes, 200 million, I'm like, no, no, no, no, I don't want to hear that. I want to see Patrick Mahomes in the AFC championship. I don't want to hear that. I think Goff could be very Brady-like in the fact that

maybe he would take a little less. I think all these young quarterbacks, I get the money, but taking less and sure's wins. We'll see you tomorrow. Speak for yourself next. Last night, a blown call changed a game. This morning, the internet lost its mind, and nobody's telling you exactly what happened. That's where SportsSlice comes in. I'm Timbo, and every episode we're cutting through the noise, breaking down the biggest moments in sports and giving you the real story behind the headline.

And we're going straight to the source, the athletes themselves, their locker room stories, their reactions in the moment, and the stuff nobody gets to hear. Listen to Sports Slice on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more, follow Timbo Slic Life 12 in the TikTok podcast network on TikTok. Another podcast from some SNL late-night comedy guy, not quite. Unhumor me with Robert Smygel and friends. Me and hilarious guests from Bob Odenkirk to David Letterman help make you funnier. This week, my guest, SNL's Mikey Day and head writer, Streeter Seidel, help an a cappella band with their between songs banter.

Where does your group perform? We do some retirement homes. Those people are starving for banter. Listen to humor me with Robert Smig. Michael and friends on the IHeart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. What's up, guys? This is Clifford Taylor the Fourth. And on my podcast, The Clivert Show, I'm bringing you conversations about all kinds of stuff. Like being an internet famous referee. We're in the middle of a game. This linebacker, this linebacker walks up to me. He goes,

Hey, ref, my mom wants you to wave at her. What? Time out. Look. Quarterback on office blue 42. A rep, my mama want you to wave at her. Hey, Miss Parker. Listen to the Clifford Show on the Iheart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. What's up, fam? It's Isaiah Thomas. And I'm C.J. Toledano. It's our favorite time of the year on our podcast point game, the playoffs. We're digging into the biggest surprises of the season.

And I'm looking back on some of my greatest playoff moments. If we didn't talk ever again, I was harmed. You just understood. That's how personal it got. Wow. Then after that game seven, Marquis' keep coming to Houston. He's like, you know I love you, dog. You know, it's all love.

This was just playoffs. This was just basketball. So listen to Point Game on the Iheart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. This is an IHeart podcast. Guaranteed Human.