The Herd with Colin Cowherd - Straight Fire with Jason McIntyre - College Football is Getting Canceled; Kawhi Can't Compare to LeBron

Episode Date: August 10, 2020

In the debut episode of Straight Fire with Jason McIntyre, Jason explains why the impending cancellation of the college football season stems from a lack of leadership both at the top of the NCAA (1:44) and the Power 5 conferences as a whole (7:06). He also tells us why it's time for the NCAA to do away with the term 'amateurism' once and for all (8:18), and why he doesn't begrudge Clemson star quarterback Trevor Lawrence for wanting to play the season because the young signal caller just can't see the forest through the trees (11:03). Plus, Jason does a deep dive into the weekend that was inside the NBA Bubble, and tells us why you shouldn't panic about the Los Angeles Lakers, Los Angeles Clippers and the Milwaukee Bucks all taking losses (16:53), why history tells us that Kawhi Leonard isn't in the same stratosphere as LeBron James as a player (21:49), and makes a very interesting comparison between Luka Doncic and James Harden (25:51). Finally, Jason helps you make a little money at the sportsbook as he hands out his Best Bet of the night for Monday's NBA slate (30:23). 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. 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 Smigel and friends on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal, but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque.

Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast's Superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the IHard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. On the Look Back at it podcast.

From 1979, that was a big moment for me. 84 was big to me. I'm Sam J. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick a year, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it. With our friends, fellow comedians, and favorite authors. Like Mark Lamont Hill on the 80s.

84 was a wild year. It was a wild year. I don't think there's a more important year for black people. Listen to look back at it on the IHeart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what I'm saying. Yep, that's me, Clifford Taylor the 4th.

You might have seen the skits, my basketball and college football journey, or my career in sports media. Well, now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifers Show. This is a place for raw, unfilled conversations with athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. So let's get to it. Listen to the Clifford show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok podcast network on TikTok. Get right to the romance and find the way to wow this Valentine's with 1800flowers.com. From classic roses and bouquets to decadent chocolate-covered berries, gourmet treats, and more.

Surprise your Valentine with 1,800flowers.com. Right now, get the 18-stemmed enchanted wiseries. rose medley for $39.99 or upgrade to 24 red roses for $10 more. Go to 1,800flowers.com slash tune in. That's 1,800flowers.com slash tune in. This is Straight Fire with Jason McIntyre. Fire. Up in here, it's burning hot, we all fire. So you get off, if it get too hot, up in this spot, we are fire. Let's go for five, five, right.

Welcome to the maiden voyage of Straight Fire with Jason McIntyre. It's me. Hope you guys are doing well on this glorious Monday morning. I want to tell you quickly about this podcast. This is the first episode. I am recording out in Los Angeles. And, you know, the idea for this podcast hatched back in February at the Super Bowl. Iheart told me, hey, we've got an idea for an authentic.

authentic, fearless, daily sports podcast, and we want you to be the guy. I'm all in. I'm all excited. And then COVID hits. All sports are canceled. And here we are five months later. Sports are finally back. And could we have picked a better weekend for the debut? I mean, how good of a sports weekend do we just have? Right. A 23-year-old wins the PGA championship. A thrilling Sunday. He shoots a 64. There was half a dozen guys in contention. some out for Dustin Johnson. You know, he went into Sunday leading it and kind of blew it. There was hockey this weekend.

There was soccer. Messi had an amazing goal. I posted it on my Instagram stories. I know you saw it because you guys obviously follow me. There was incredible NBA. The Lakers lost. The Bucks lost and the Clippers choked on Sunday night. We will get to NBA shortly. We'll do some NBA gambling later in the show.

But I think we got to start with the biggest story in sports. And that's college football. And it's not good news. It's actually very bad. I'm very upset, but it looks like we are headed toward a fall without college football on Saturdays. Right now I want to pipe in the Notre Dame fight song, right? I know you guys know it. You watched college football in the late 80s, early 90s like I did.

And Notre Dame was on TV all the time. So you just knew the Notre Dame fight song. And obviously now Wisconsin's jump around is immensely popular. You just feel that energy on Saturdays and it's all gone. It's not going to happen. Apparently, according to various insiders, the Big Ten is going to decide first. That will be either Monday or Tuesday. And we're expecting the Pact 12 to make a decision shortly thereafter.

SEC obviously is going to hold out as long as possible. But my first thought is, who do we blame for this? How did this happen? Why did we get here? And I think back to March when coronavirus hit, start spreading in America. and there was like a one hour time span where Tom Hanks announced he had COVID, his wife announced she had it,

and then Rudy Gobert of the Utah Jazz had it, and Donovan Mitchell. It was like a boom, boom, boom, the domino effect. Next thing, you know, NBA season canceled within like 24 hours March. Madness was toast, and everybody blamed Rudy Gobert. You know, he had done that idiotic thing where he rubbed the microphones a couple days earlier

to kind of make fun of coronavirus, making a mockery of it. and he got crushed on social media. Rudy Gobert literally talked about going into hiding after announcing he had coronavirus. And, I mean, he was the blame guy. It was his fault. That's what we do, right?

We blame people. It's your fault. It's his fault. But in college football, there's really nobody to blame because there's no leadership. Now, I heart told me I'm allowed to say bad words, swear words, curse words,

whatever you guys want to call them. And I am allowed to, and I just wanted to unleash a torrent of F-bombs about the college. football situation because I'm ticked. I love college football. I mean, this was shaping up to be an incredible season. Trevor Lawrence back for his, what everybody thinks is going to be his final year,

Justin Fields, the Ohio State quarterback. I mean, you remember their college football playoff game? What are the great college football games in the last decade? I love college football. I'm like the Fox Sports gambling guy. I've been doing picks for college football digitally for like the last two years. A couple years ago, I was good. Last year, not so much.

but we're not going to have it. It's looking, I would say like 95% unlikely we're going to have college football on Saturdays. And the big problem is leadership. And I think back to real leaders emerging in times of crisis. Now obviously this example is sports, not a global pandemic, but think back to the Super Bowl, Super Bowl 23. Joe Cool, Joe Montana and the 49ers are playing the Bengals.

The Bengals somehow have the lead with four minutes left. They're up by a field goal. and Montana and the 49ers get the ball deep in their own end, right? And Joe Montana, I'll ever forget this story. He steps into the huddle. This is the second Notre Dame reference, five minutes into the podcast. I apologize to all the anti-Nodame fans.

So Joe Montana steps into the huddle of the 49ers. He looks at the faces of his teammates, and some guys are nervous, right? It's a Super Bowl. 100 million people watching the Super Bowl. Joe Montana's in the huddle, down three, needs to go like 90 yards. and he opens with, wow, look, there's John Candy in the stands.

Can you believe that? And, you know, the millennials listening, I have no idea who John Candy is. He was in space balls. He was phenomenal in Uncle Buck, which is a great movie. And John Candy was sitting in the stands visible at the Super Bowl, and his teammates look over there, like, what the heck? And everybody starts laughing, right? You know, popular comedian and actor.

And Joe Montana's talking about that with four minutes left to go in the Super Bowl. and you need to win the game. So what does Joe Cool do? Montana goes down the field. Game winning TD pass to John Taylor. 49ers win. That's leadership. That's what you need in sports.

And there's nobody like that in college football. So you guys know I'm friendly with Colin Cowherty. He helped get me to FS1. He lives out here near me in Los Angeles. And we're talking Sunday. And we start talking about Mark Emmert. And afterward, I decide, let me go look up Mark Emert. And, you know, his compensation in,

2017 was $3.9 million and he's not even in charge of college football. He runs all of college athletics. So if there's a big national controversy with the Boston College field hockey team, hey, we got to get Mark Emmer on the hoard. He's going to figure this out for us. Mark Emmert's not even football focused.

There is no leader. I want to put this in perspective for you, okay? I consider the quarantine shutdown, whatever you want to call it, March 13th. That's my start date. Okay? Because that was the day I was supposed to host Cowherd Show The Herd on FS1 solo for the first time. I was all fired up.

I had some great topics. And COVID hits. So the Thursday they say, hey, Jay, sorry, man. Studios shut down. It ended up staying shut down for like two months. I hosted the show radio only, but I'm not going to forget March 13th. Okay? And from mid-March to right about now, almost five months.

and college football had that long to come up with a plan. And guess what they came up with? Nothing. Nothing. Absolutely nothing. It's unbelievable. I mean, is ignorance the right word? Did they think that this was just going to figure itself out or go away?

I mean, the Power 5 conferences, okay? They basically run the college football show. They never got on the same page. There's no unifying force putting them together. And that's why they're the ones to blame if anybody. You know, the SEC, all they do is brag about football. That's all they do. That's fine.

They have great football. They dominate. The Big Ten loves to brag about academics. The ACC is kind of the whatever conference. You know, Clemson dominates them to the point of whatever. The Pac-12 is kind of the sleeping giant that has never been woken up. It's been asleep way too long. And the Big 12, I like to call them the All Gas No Breaks Conference because they play Arena League football.

But all those five are kind of separate. It's like they're in their camps. holding firm in their position of, hey, we're not going to really do anything. I mean, they came up with nothing. Think about this. The NBA put together a bubble in two months. Now, I know what you're going to say. You're yelling into the podcast.

Jason, Jason, you can't do a bubble for college football. You just can't. Well, why do you think that is, guys? Any ideas why you can't do a bubble? Oh! Because the college athletics model is broken. It's a billion dollars. business, you can continue to call it amateurism all you want. And that's fine. Mark

Emert clings to amortemortem like grim death. Okay? That's what he does. It's a billion dollar business and they want to call it amateurism. It's laughable. I mean, shamiturism is a much better term for what college athletics is. I mean, I had to look this up, okay? The players, we know they get a full scholarship, right? That's great. That's outstanding. They get a free education that's well-deserved. That's like the minimum they should get. Coaches get like what NFL coaches get. There are 25 coaches in college football that make over $4 million a year. The players get a scholarship and that's it. The college athletics model is broken, guys. I'm sorry. But you can't in a pandemic globally. Over 150,000 people

dead in America in 2020. You can't say, hey, Nick Saban. You can't say, hey, Nick Saban, you. Here's your 7.5 million or, you know, whatever he makes. It's in that ballpark. Maybe more. And then you can't look 18 to 22-year-old kids in the eye and say, hey, guys, go play football. You're probably not going to die. You know, you might get sick, but you're probably not going to die. We don't know the long-term ramifications of COVID, but hopefully it's not going to be that bad.

But go out and play the football because, you know, the university really needs it. Oh, they really need it because college, football props up the entire athletic department? Oh, I get it now. Okay, that makes sense. So these 18 to 22 year old kids go out and I mean, risk their life is a little bit strong, but I'm going to give you two stories in a sec. Maybe you'll disagree. 18 to 22 year old kids, go play. Hopefully you don't get sick. And, you know, Mark Emmert's going to make his nearly $4 million. Twenty-five coaches are going to collect their big paydays. The commissioners of these conferences get paid. You got strength coaches around the

country making $750,000 or more. But yeah, you guys go play. Do you know how stupid that sounds? I can't do, I could not do that. I could not look a college kid in the eye and say, you know, go play. You're probably not going to get sick. I just couldn't do it. Maybe there's something wrong with me that I couldn't do that. Or maybe I'm right. Because if you guys heard of a kid named Xavier Thomas, I know college football fans listening have. Okay? Six foot two, 265 rocked up.

I mean, this kid's jacked. He was a top five recruit coming out of high school. Top five. Beast on the Clemson defensive line. Preseason All-American this year. He was going to go to the NFL next year. He got COVID in the spring. Then he got strep throat.

And now Xavier Thomas lost so much weight. He could not work out. Dabo Sweeney, his country. coach came out and said, we're going to have him red shirt or just sit out the whole year. Sit out most of the year, probably red shirt the year. He got coronavirus three or four months ago, and now he can't play college football this fall. How terrifying is that? Now, I know Trevor Lawrence is out there saying, we want to play, we want to play.

I get that. That's fine. I'm with you, Trevor. I want you guys to play. I want it to be safe. You don't know what you don't know. Think about this when you were, I don't know, 20, 21. You were fearless.

And no fear whatsoever. Come on. How many dumb, idiotic things did you do when you were 21? I would tell a story about spring break, but if my wife listens, I'll get in trouble. I did a lot of really dumb things as a college kid. A lot. I'm sure you did too, because you didn't know.

You were fearless. So, yeah, obviously Trevor Lawrence, adjusted fields and all these guys want to go play. Well, do you guys know the name? Eduardo Rodriguez, Red Sox pitcher? He's E. I did not know he was E.Rod. but that's how he goes.

He's one of the best pitchers on the Red Sox this year, 27 years old, and he got COVID. And he's all ready to go back, and then the doctors check it out, and they're like, whoa, you got some heart issues. Yeah, we're seeing that from COVID patients. What? So now Eduardo Rodriguez,

27-year-old Red Sox pitcher, has to be shut down for the year because doctors say there's some heart issue. They don't know exactly what it is. And, hey, it's a little risk. get a pitch. So do you see where the university presidents are coming from where they're like, whoa, whoa, we got to chill with this. Okay. I've seen the data that says it's very unlikely that if you're under 25, you're going to die from coronavirus. I've seen that. It's more than just

that. It's not just the deaths. It's obviously more than that. Like these small college towns, do you really think they're equipped to handle an outbreak on a campus because, oh, I don't know, there's 20,000 kids going to Clemson in a couple weeks. And I get it. The 80 to 100 kids on the football team are going to do their best to not party. Although, try to tell rock stars to not party. Let me know how that goes, okay? Because I remember when I was a college kid, I was partied every weekend.

I'll never forget. My parents dropped me off at school. Virginia Tech. and within like two hours I had a beer in my hand. And that night, you know, you're out with a bunch of people you just met, living it up, because that's what you do at college. You kind of find yourself. You can't expect the other 19,900 people on college campuses around the country

to not party and not behave, I mean. So did you see at Cincinnati? They're just letting the athletes back. Three soccer players were dumb enough to host a COVID party last week. The virus spread, they have to shut down athletics, and now these idiots lost their scholarships. Like, again, I'm not totally blaming the athletes because guess what? It's tough to tell someone who's young, don't party. So I don't know, man.

I'm really upset and disappointed about college football. It seems like we're going to have a decision this week. And the college model is broken. I mean, I do believe that there is some fear among the presidents that the players are going to use COVID as an opportunity. to unionize, if you will, and get paid. And I'm all for that. We know the Pact 12 is trying that. I just, I don't know where this goes.

Like, I don't think spring football is an option. Now, I'm sure there are people out there, and I'll wrap up the college football part on this. I'm sure there are people out there. We're saying, well, wait a sec, Jason, you've bashed them endlessly for 10, 15 minutes. Where's your solution? Well, my solution would have been some sort of bubble

around the college football team. But then it comes back to you can't put people in a bubble unless you pay them. And the university presence, they don't want to pay him. So what are the options other than a bubble? That's where it gets bleak. You've got to bring in the doctors and the scientists, the experts. You've got to trust them. And ultimately, I don't think spring college football could happen.

Because if you're Justin Fields or Trevor Lawrence and the draft is coming up, do you want to be playing football and risking injury right before the draft? and potentially jeopardizing your first year in the pros? I don't think that's a plausible option for a lot of players. Now, the SEC would hate spring football because obviously many of the best athletes and the best future NFL players are in the SEC. Big Ten would probably like it a lot.

Pack 12 would love it. They don't have as many. Obviously, we know Michigan and Ohio State turn out tons of pros. But by and large, you know... Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque.

Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast's Superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the IHard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is a win.

A win is a win. I don't care which I'm saying. Yep, that's me. Clipper Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, the reactions, my journey from basketball to college football, or my career in sports media. Well, somewhere along the way, this platform became bigger than I ever imagined. And now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show.

This is a place for raw, unfiltered conversations with some of your favorite athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. One week, I'll take you behind the scenes of the biggest moments in sports and entertainment, and the next we'll talk about life, mental health, purpose and even music. The Clifford Show isn't just a podcast. It's a space for honest conversations, stories that don't always get told,

and for people who are chasing something bigger. So if you've ever supported me or you're just chasing down a dream, this is right where you need to be. Listen to the Clifford show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok.

Do you remember when Diana Ross double-tap little Kim's boobs at the VMAs? Or when Kanye said that George Bush didn't like black people. I know what you're thinking. What the hell does George Bush got to do with Little Kim? Well, you can find out on the Look Back at it podcast. I'm Sam J. And I'm Alex English.

Each episode, we pick it here, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it. Including a recent episode with Mark Lamont Hill, waxing all about crack in the 80s. To be clear, 84's big to me, not just because of crack. I'm down to talk about crack on day but just so y'all know I mean at this point

Mark this is the second episode where we've discussed crack so I'm starting to see that there's a through line We also have AIDS on the table right now so Thank you finishing that sentence I don't think there's a more important year for black people

Really? Yeah for me it's one of the most important years for black people in American history Listen to look back at it on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcast 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, Tript 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. Minnesota's got a handful of guys. Personally, if you're asking me for advice, I would say to anybody who's got like a first or second round grade, sit out.

It ain't worth it. Stay in your own little bubble. Work out, you know, talk to an agent, probably sign with an agent, work out and get ready for the NFL because that's where your future is. But college football in the whole, I'm extremely disappointed.

And hopefully, hopefully they can figure things out and get the players paid and then get the season started on time next year. If you love to be remembered as the person who gives the best birthday gifts, I'm here to tell you that 1-800flowers.com is your ultimate birthday gifting destination. 1-800 Flowers has thoughtful and artfully created options that are guaranteed to deliver the best birthday surprise.

Shop thousands of unique gifts at 1-800flowers.com for exclusive offers and great values. To order today, visit 1-800-flores. Plows.com slash tune in. That's 1,800flowers.com slash tune in. Adoption of teens from foster care is a topic not enough people know about, and we're here to change that. I'm April Dinwiddie host of the new podcast, Navigating Adoption, presented by Adopt U.S. Kids. Each episode brings you compelling real-life adoption stories told by the families that live them with commentary from experts.

Visit Adoptuskids.org slash podcast or subscribe to navigating adoption presented by Adopt U.S. Kids. brought to you by the U.S. Department of Health at Human Services Administration for Children and Families and the Ad Council. What grows in the forest? Trees? Sure. Know what else grows in the forest? Our imagination, our sense of wonder, and our family bonds grow too. Because when we disconnect from this and connect with this, we reconnect with each other. The forest is closer than you think.

Find a forest near you and start exploring at Discovertheforest. brought to you by the United States Forest Service and the Ad Council. All right, college football got me all worked up and upset, but I want to pivot to the NBA where I can finally get excited because a lot of great stuff happened in the bubble in Orlando over the weekend. So I just want to be clear about this. The media loves to go after LeBron James. We know that, okay?

I don't know if it dates back to I'm taking my talents to South Beach or losing in the finals a bunch or people comparing him to Jordan, but they love to go out. after LeBron. The Lakers lost to the Pacers and the T.J. Warren show Saturday night. A crazy game. Okay? T.J. Warren's unconscious right now. And people go after the Lakers. Oh,

geez, Lakers, nobody's good. Quinn Cook is scoring. They're playing the kid Horton Tucker. Lakers just aren't that good. They're not going to win anything. It was like total panic that the Lakers lost again. Oh, yeah. Also, the Bucks lost Saturday night. But nobody would know it because nobody talked about it. All the talk was Luca, Luca, Luca, Luca. And Luca Donchich was unbelievable.

I'll talk about him in a minute. He gets his own little moment. But nobody mentioned that the Bucks lost. Bucks haven't looked good in the bubble, but nobody's talking about them. This was a team that was on a historic pace during the regular season. I'm not kidding. Look at some of their analytics. They were in line with what the Warriors did with Kevin Duran.

No lie. That's how stacked this Bucks team is. And then they kind of limp into the bubble. Remember, they struggled there at the end. end right before the quarantine, that bad loss of the Lakers in L.A., then Yannis was dinged up, and then they go to the bubble and they haven't looked particularly sharp. Obviously, that Nets loss was bad, but Yonis didn't play in the second half and Bledsoe was coming back. But anytime people start to talk about the Bucks, you hear the excuses.

I don't hear those for the Lakers. And then the Clippers Sunday night, the three best teams with the best odds to win the title. Lakers bucks Clippers. Clippers gag one away to the Nets. Mets have now taken down the bucks and the clippers. Well, Jason, Paul George, didn't play. Yeah, I'm aware of that. Kauai Leonard did play.

They sat Kauai on Saturday against Portland so they could play him Sunday against Brooklyn. He doesn't do back-to-backs. You know, I call him on my Saturday radio show load management fraud, Kauai Leonard, because he's been load managing since friggin' October, which is a joke. But I just don't understand how

when the bucks can lose and the clippers can lose, it's, eh, well, you know, yada, yada, yada, let's make an excuse. But the Lakers lose and it's, whoa, LeBron's not getting the title. And you got everybody going after them. I think it's unfair and kind of dumb. And it's just not really productive. My thoughts on the Lakers, listen,

they really miss Avery Bradley, their best on-ball defender. And I looked at this in-depth a little bit. If you go to this website, 82games.com, you can see what units play together the most and the best and the most effective for the Lakers. Would you believe it, their number one five-man unit, their best one, Avery Bradley was in it. Their number three most effective five-man unit, Rajan Rondo was in it. And people want to dismiss Rondo.

Oh, he was good 10 years ago, Jason. Stop it. Okay. Well, you know, how many big-time games has Alex Caruso played it? And I like Caruso. How many playoff wins does KCP have? How many playoff baskets does Kyle Kuzma have? You know the answer. He's never been to the playoffs. Kyle Cusma hasn't won a meaningful NCAA tournament game.

Neither is Caruso. KCP didn't do squat. He's never done anything in a big game. And nobody wants to worry that we're missing Rondo? Like, that's not a big deal? Rondo's, I don't know, been to the finals? Been an instrumental, Actor in NBA finals games? Avery Bradley? With the Celtics,

has been in some high-level playoff series against LeBron's Cavs. Every Raleigh's a really good player with a lot of experience. Dating back to college, he was a big-time player. Playing some big games. Like, that stuff matters. Eric Bledsoe was missing for the Bucks. I mean, what was Eric Bledsoe last year in the playoffs? I mean, nothing special. I like Pat Conantin. He's like their ninth guy. Now the Clippers, I'll give you a little wiggle room, but I kind of want to focus on the Clippers for a second, and especially Kauai Leonard. Because I have this theory that I was bouncing off the producer of this podcast. His name's Rob. We call him Rob G. He used to be my weekend producer.

And then he moved on up to the big leagues. He now produces the odd couple. He's a Laker fan. He's pretty funny on social media. And I bounced this theory off him and let this marinate while I put it out there. If Kauai Leonard is so good, and you guys want to put him in the same breath as LeBron, and consider him for top 10, top 15, top 25, why are the Raptors the second best team in the East and legit threats to get to the finals? Plus 500, second best odds in the East. How is that?

How does that work? Because all I know is when LeBron left the Cavs the first time, they went in the tank. they became a 20-win team. A dumpster fire. That's how they got Kyrie Irving. Then LeBron left the heat, and he won two titles in four years, and, oh, what happened? They missed the playoffs. That's right.

They have won one playoff series in the last five years since LeBron left. And then LeBron left the Cavs for the second time. And how are things working out? Train wreck. An abomination. So LeBron leaves franchises, and they become completely. and utter garbage. And Kauai Leonard,

the finals MVP, leaves the Raptors. And they went over 50 games. And they're the number two seed in the east. And this is a pretty darn good team. I mean, I'm not going after Kauai Lennard. I'm not taking shots. I'm just asking you,

how can you put him in the same discussion as LeBron James All Time? You can't. The answer is you cannot. He's not ready for that. He might win the title this year. Although, you know, he's got Paul George, who hasn't been out of the first round in six years.

Just quick reminder, yeah. I'm a big Paul George fan. I was a little scorned when he didn't go to the Lakers. They could sure as hell use him right now. Paul George is a great player. But I just, I want you to let that sink in for a moment. Kauai leaves. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal, but encouraged.

It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast's Superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the IHard Radio app,

Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what you're saying. Yep. That's me, Clifford Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, the reactions, my journey from basketball to college football, or my career in sports media.

Well, somewhere along the way, this platform became bigger than I ever imagined. And now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfiltered conversations with some of your favorite athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. One week, I'll take you behind the scenes of the biggest moments in sports and entertainment, and the next we'll talk about life, mental health, purpose, and even music. The Clifford Show isn't just a podcast, it's a space for honest conversations, stories that don't always get told, and for people who are chasing something bigger.

So if you've ever supported me or you're just chasing down a dream, this is right where you need to be. Listen to the Clifford Show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. Do you remember when Diana Ross double-tapped Little Kim's boobs at the VMAs? Or when Kanye said that George Bush didn't like black people. I know what you're thinking. What the hell does George Bush got to do with Little Kim?

Well, you can find out on the Look Back at it podcast. I'm Sam J. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick a here, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it. Including a recent episode with Mark Lamont Hill, waxing all about crack in the 80s. To be clear, 84 is big to me, not just because,

of crack. I'm down to talk about crack on day, but just so you all know. I mean, at this point, Mark, this is the second episode where we've discussed crack. So I'm starting to see that there's a through line. We also have AIDS on the table right now. Thank you for finishing that sentence. Yes. I don't think there's a more important year for black people.

Really? Yeah. For me, it's one of the most important years for black people in American history. Listen to look back at it on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your 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. The Raptors. And they win over 50 games. You know, there was a guy by the name of Jordan. Awesome player, obviously.

All-time great. Best player in NBA history. Six titles. Remember when he quit the Bulls to go play baseball? And Scotty Pippen led them to like 57 wins? I mean, LeBron is just different, guys. If you don't understand that at this point, his 17th season in the league,

I can't help you. You can dislike him. That's fine. And I said at the outset of this podcast, I'm going to be as authentic as possible. LeBron is a bad game. I'm going to call it. I'm going to call it like I see it.

You guys know, if you follow me on Instagram and social media, you know I'm a curry guy. Okay? And I'm not talking about just chicken curry, which I do love. But Steph Curry as well. I had a podcast way, way back. my first foray into podcast in like 2010 or whatever.

And Steph Curry is my first guest. And I was able to get him because he hadn't become a superstar yet. And I was just a fan of his since Davidson. He came on. And recently he was working out of my gym rehabbing, obviously pre-COVID. And I went up, I was like, hey, you remember that podcast? We did. No, I didn't say that.

I didn't lead with that at least. But he was very down-to-earth guy, super nice. He follows me now on Twitter, which. is whatever, irrelevant. I'm just tossing that out there. At any rate, if Curry has a bad game, I'm going to say it. That's how I am. I'm a huge Jets fan.

When they're trash, they're trash. I'm going to call it like I see it. So I'm sorry, I can't put Kauai in the class of LeBron James. I just can't. He hasn't done it enough. He's load managing in October, which is really, really bad. No player in NBA history has done that, who hasn't been coming off like a massive surgery.

And Kauai wasn't. He wasn't coming off surgery. He started lobe managing. Thunderstruck, adjective. Shocked and amazed by the power of fun on Carnival. Riding Bolt, the world's first roller coaster at sea. Brian got Thunderstruck so hard, his 93-year-old grandmother felt it 3,000 miles away in Nebraska,

and immediately booked a cruise. Hooray! Get Thunderstruck starting at 289. Carnival. Shoes. Fun. Cruise is in U.S. dollars per person double occupancy. Taxes, fees, import expenses, additional restrictions, apply.

Full details on carthel.com, ships, registry, Bahamas, Panama. Look through your children's eyes to see the true magic of a forest. It's a storybook world for them. You look and see a tree. They see the wrinkled face of a wizard with arms outstretched to the sky. They see treasure and pebbles. They see a windy path that could lead to adventure. And they see you.

Their fearless guide is this fascinating world. Find a forest near you and start exploring at Discovertheforest.org. Brought to you by the United States Forest Service and the ad council. If I could be you. And you could be me for just one hour. If you could find a way to get inside. Each other's mind. Walk a mile in my shoes.

Walk a mile in my shoes. Walk a mile in my shoes. We've all felt left out. And for some, that feeling lasts more than a moment. We can change that. Learn how at belonging begins with us.org, brought to you by the ad council. All right, I got to find my final NBA topic. Actually, it was prompted by the producer, Rob G.

We know each other pretty well. We were texting about Luca. And that Luca passed Saturday night between the legs for the dunk in overtime. Bucks win. Oh, I'm sorry, bucks lose. Bucks lose to the Bavricks. and Luca Donchish was phenomenal. 19 assists, triple double.

Just an amazing player. He's 21 years old. And then some, you know, I'm hyping him up on social media. I'm so proud of Luca. He's an awesome player to watch. And somebody sends me a tweet that says, hey, Jason, James Hardin makes that pass all the time, and I don't see you freaking out.

And I was like, okay, so I look at the clip. And James Hardin has indeed done the between the legs past plenty. And then I said it to Rob G, and I was like, what do we have here? And, you know, Rob had an interesting take. Rob, do you want to, you know, first, pledge your allegiance to the Lakers just so everybody knows you're in the tank for LeBron and the Lakers. Well, first off, thank you for introducing me, Jason. I appreciate that.

First off, let's not, I'm glad you understand. The Lakers are going to win the championship. Them starting slow in the bubble has nothing to do with anything. Wait for playoff, LeBron and turn it on. It's going to be fine. Lakers in 6, hashtag, you know, I put that on Twitter on almost every one of my tweets. But, yeah, we were texting about Luca. And James Harden, that comparison with those videos.

And I told you, the problem with James Harden now is that we've become immune to his greatness. We've kind of taken for granted. He's done this so much in the regular season. He puts up these 50-point triple doubles and he gets the most in history. He's just sitting the record puts on fire. And then he gets to the playoffs and nothing. He's always coming up a little bit short. So eventually the narrative around him became, hey, he's great in the regular

season, hey, he's putting up these great numbers in that Dantone system, but he's always coming up small in the playoffs. So you kind of, you're not as impressed anymore because, you know, all of those, you know, between the leg bounce passes and the 50 point triple doubles and the step back, you know, with three steps and then a three, you know, because it's kind of a travel. We don't talk about that too much, though. All of that happens and nobody cares anymore because, you know, once he gets to the playoffs, he's going to flame out. Yeah, it's almost like he's to the point where, hey, man, I've seen this movie before. This is one of those rom-coms. I know what's going to happen in the end. They're going to get together, blah, blah, blah. And you bail on the

movie early. But you're right. I mean, Hardin has been, you know, people compared him scoring-wise to Jordan. And I think he led the NBA in 30, 40, and 50-point games this season. Like, he's a pretty incredible guy. And I'll never forget. I was a little down on Hardin, Rob, coming out of Arizona State. And I'll never forget it. I saw him against Syracuse in the NCAA tournament. And of course, Syracuse threw the two-three zone at him. And Arden couldn't really do anything. This was pre-beard, of course. And, you know, he was a little doughy. And I just, I didn't see him as this utterly dominant force. And even in his early OKC days, I didn't see him like leading the league in scoring, did you? No, not at all. But you know who else is Doey? Is my man Luca Donchich.

And that ain't going to stop him from putting up these 34, 19, and 14 games every other night. That guy's incredible. The other thing I had on Luca Donchich was like, obviously because he's white, you know, the comparison to Larry Bird are going to happen. That's just natural, folks. I know you don't, you're not going to like it. I don't love that, but that's just how it's going to be. People are going to compare him. And I just remember Bird winning three straight MVP awards. Think about that. Three in a row. Curry won two, and it was like, whoa, unbelievable. LeBron won, I think four and five years. He won two, then Derek Rose won one, one, and then LeBron won two. But, Rob, do you really think Luca could win three straight MVP awards?

Oh, absolutely. In NBA history, there's only two guys who have ever averaged 29-9-9-9. Russell Westbrook, the big old Oscar Robertsonautil, he had the triple-double. So that's obvious. They got 29-99. Luca Donchich, the last I checked, is like 0.2 assists per game away from 29-9-9-9. And this is his second season. what is he going to be putting up in year four, in year five?

And he's putting up these video game numbers. I'm sure the Mavs are going to be winning at a pretty high clip by that point. How would you not give him an MVP at that point? I mean, it's really how they build around him. But so far, Mark Cuban's done a pretty dang good job getting Porzingis as a steal. Listen, folks, I do want to just tease this. The lineup today for NBA games is absurd. Dallas, Luca Donchich against Utah.

The lines are kind of spotty right now. Dallas is favored. I mean, I don't know how you don't love Dallas in that, although a lot of people will say, hey, they're going to not perform as well given the win over the bucks. Toronto versus Milwaukee. Now, Milwaukee's a five and a half point favorite.

These are the two best teams in the east. Unfortunately, for Toronto, you know, they had that bad loss to Boston, so I think people are a little off on them. I actually think that's my favorite bet. Raptors getting five and a half against Milwaukee. I just, I'm not buying the bucks right now. can't stop anybody defensively.

And Toronto's not great defensively. Sorry, offensively, their offense is not great. Van Vleet's a problem, but he's struggled the last couple games. I just think Toronto, big, huge spot. Now, it is, you know, not the greatest spot given the back-to-back, but they know how much

gap there is between Milwaukee and the rest of the east. And I think Toronto shows up. I like them plus five and a half. The other two games, Lakers, Denver's huge. Rob, this is a big game. Denver has a chance now at the number number two C, given that Clippers loss on Sunday. I don't know if

Jamal Murray's going to play, but eventually they're going to need him. Michael Porter can't keep carrying this team. And the other game is the big one. Indiana, Miami. And I know you're like, oh, Jason, come on. It's a bubble game. The last time they played, T.J. Warren and Jimmy Butler got into a fight. Jimmy Butler was blowing kisses to him as he got ejected.

And like, basically, it was talking down T.J. Warren. Jimmy Butler's a lockdown defender. He's that dude you won in the foxhole. I mean, he's came up from nothing. Jimmy Butler is a great success story. I can't wait for this game. Indiana, Miami, and the bubble. Just a great Monday of NBA.

And the playoffs, I think, start next week. So very fired up about that. So I'm going to hit you with gambling picks all the time. You guys know I love gambling. Obviously, NFL will be massive. There will be an NFL season. Don't worry about that. That's happening, unlike college football.

So my pick of the night, Toronto Raptors, getting five and a half against Milwaukee. Listen, when you hear this, maybe the line has moved. You never know what's going on in the desert, but I definitely like the Raptors in that spot against the bucks. Remember, subscribe and leave me a nice comment, and also five stars on iTunes, Spotify,

wherever you get your podcast. Catch me tomorrow, 5 a.m. straight fire with Jason McIntyre. Get right to the romance and find the way to wow this Valentine's with 1-800flowers.com. From classic roses and bouquets to death. Decadent chocolate-covered berries, gourmet treats, and more. Surprise your Valentine with 1-800flowers.com. Right now, get the 18-stem enchanted rose medley for $39.99,

or upgrade to 24 red roses for $10 more. Go to 1-800flowers.com slash tune-in. That's 1-800flowers.com slash tune-in. 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 Smigel and friends on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal but encouraged. It's the enhanced games.

Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast's Superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the I-Hard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

A win is a win. A win. A win is a win. I don't care what I'll say it. Yep, that's me, Clifford Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, my basketball and college football journey, or my career in sports media. Well, now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfilled conversations with athletes, creators,

and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. So let's get to it. Listen to The Clifford Show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok. Podcast Network on TikTok. On The Look Back at it podcast. From 1979, that was a big moment for me.

84 was big to me. I'm Sam Jay. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick a year, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it. With our friends, fellow comedians, and favorite authors. Like Mark Lamont Hill on the 80s. 84 was a wild year. It was a wild year.

I don't think there's a more important year for black people. Listen to Look Back at it on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, wherever you get your podcasts. This is an I-Heart podcast. Guaranteed human.