The Herd with Colin Cowherd - The Herd - Hour 1 - Defending the refs

Episode Date: March 23, 2023

Colin defends the refs after the Mavericks lost to the Warriors last night Lamar Jackson seems to be turning into NBA star Kawhi Leonard in all the wrong ways The Jets are making a mistake going after Aaron RodgersSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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It's the hurt, wherever you may be, and however you may be listening. Thanks for Megan House part of your day. Jason McIntyre here as usual. So we've got a couple interesting things last night. Warriors now are starting to percolate. Road Ws heading back home. Oh, boy. You're not going to talk about referees today, are you?

Can't blame the zebras. Oh, yeah. They're infallible. So the Warriors still alive, beat the Mavericks. There was a play at the end of the third quarter. Ref should have communicated better. It gave the Mavericks a free basket.

It wasn't ideal. It gave the Warriors, excuse me, a free basket. You know, it's not ideal, blah, blah, blah. It's a basket at the end of the third quarter. it didn't decide the game. It should be noted. The Mavericks have the same record as the Lakers. The Lakers that had the Westbrook disaster, a rookie coach,

LeBron's never available, AD's hit and miss, a bunch of role players, Austin Reeves is now their star, right? Mavericks have the same record as the Lakers. With, many believe, the best young player in the world, Luca. They've always been a mystery, and that's our lead segment today. Mystery.

I love their owner, Mark Cuban, passionate, smart cutting edge. Twice they found a unique unicorn international scoring star. Middle of the country, perfect geography for domestic travel, no state tax, beautiful arena, lots of capitalization. They got a lot of money. And they can never land free agents. I feel like I'm watching Dirk Novitsky 2.0. These Mavericks, same record as the messy, turbulent Lakers.

They land an international star, and they can't figure out who to put around him. And in both instances, they kind of low-balled Steve Nash. He went to Phoenix, became a star. They kind of low-balled Jalen Brunson. He went to the Knicks. He's become a star. Should we blame the Mavericks? How about this?

I was thinking about this this morning. Finding the right Robin for your superstar may be just really, really hard. Celtics found it with McAil to Bird. Warriors found it clay to Steph. Bulls found it, Pippin to MJ. Spurs found it, Tony Parker to Tim Duncan. In all four cases, it's not just that they're not quite as good as the star, but they have the right temperament.

Tony Parker, low-key like Duncan. Clay, let Steph run the show, chill. Scotty Pippin. Be honest, didn't want to be the start. The minute Jordan left, they handed him the range of the franchise. He wasn't comfortable with it. McHale Byrds, same thing. He loved Larry being the guy dealing with the media in Boston.

It's really, really hard to find Robin. Philadelphia, two times with MB, they can't find it. They tried the really intense. Jimmy Butler didn't work. Somebody with no intensity, Ben Simmons, didn't work. They tried it with aging James Hardin. It's fine. But they've never gotten to an Eastern Conference final.

Just an Eastern Conference final. Alan Iverson. They could never find the perfect Robin. LeBron James, think about how he elevates players. Seven years, first time in Cleveland. They could never find him a Robin. He left. Then he found Robin in D. Wade.

But even when you get the right Robin, the jazz did Stockton to Malone, they never won a title. Michael Jordan was in the way. So I can look at it and think, you let Jalen Brunson go. What are you thinking? You let Steve Nash go. What are you thinking? It's really hard to find the right guy. And with a star, I mean, you could say to yourself, Milwaukee found it with Chris Middleton.

Yes, in one playoff run, Middleton's been great. now he's hurt and most of us believe that Drew Hollidays the Robin. So that Robin worked briefly. Now we've got a new Robin. So I think I look at Dallas and I look at the turbulent messy Lakers season. It's the same record in the same conference. How is that possible? I think Luke is going to be a guy that's going to be hard to match somebody up with.

He has the ball. He's unstoppable. He should score 33 a game. He needs it in his hands. he's in good shape, but he doesn't do much on the defensive end. It's not going to be easy. I appreciate the big swing on Kyrie Irving, but between Luca and Kyrie, playoff basketball,

let's be honest, you got to play defense. They don't play great defense. So Mark Cuban, who I love, can complain about the officiating, but once again, the Mavericks find themselves in a shootout, and they lose. And today the same record as the Lakers. Speaking of mystery. So I was thinking about this this morning.

We all know in football that the quarterback is like 75% of the equation and the coach is 25%. All the other parts aren't worth a point a game. Even a great receiver is maybe worth half a point. You got the right quarterback Mahomes and the right coach Andy Reid. Everything else, you can rebuild the O line. This year the Chiefs played a ton of rookies. They had to rebuild the defense. It doesn't matter.

Same with Josh Allen. They can't figure out the offensive line. They don't have a dependable running game. They got to move off free agents. They'll still be really, really good. Cincinnati, Joe Burrow and Zach Taylor offensive lines. It's been a wreck. Defense was good.

Wide receiver, young stars, not perfect. Move off this running back. They got Joe Burrow and an offensive coach who embraces him and elevates him. Everything else doesn't really matter. And then there's Lamar Jackson. And, you know, there's a bit of him that it's getting very interesting to me, is that is Lamar Jackson becoming Kauai Leonard? Think about it. Unquestionably, top 10 franchise talents.

Neither trusts anybody. Kauai uses Uncle Dennis as his agent. Lamar used his mom and now an unlicensed agent. They've got a trust issue. both have had injuries and around both injuries there's nothing but mystery both in college were overlooked and have a chip on their shoulder both land in ideal situations kawai leonard who's not real verbal goes to san antonio very quiet about the culture not the stars perfect situation lamar goes to the ravens exceptionally well run defense run game patient letting him grow

with Flacco for a year. But yet by like year four or five with Kauai Leonard, it got odd and he got hurt. And there was mystery. And we never really got a straight answer. And now in year three or four for Lamar Jackson, he's hurt. And there's mystery. And it's odd. And we never really got a straight answer.

Could he have played? I thought he was ready to play in late December. Then he never played. They're kind of becoming the same guy. Kauai is an enigma. So is Lamar Jackson. None of us. None of us would question their franchise worthy.

But they have very unique personalities, and I'm not sure either personality translates to long-term success or leadership. Lamar came into the NFL as it was pivoting to a passing league, and we had questions, could he pass? Kauai came into the league as it was pivoting to a three-term. point league and what's always been the enduring question early for him, is he ever going to shoot three-pointers consistently? Very, very interesting. The difference is that for a franchise quarterback, it is a highly verbal position. You got to talk, you got to lead. Mystery doesn't work.

Think how great Aaron Rogers' career has been. And yet in the last two years, what's happened? there's a lot of mystery. What is going on? And it's even eroded trust by the Packers with their star quarterback who's given them nothing but division titles. Mystery, it could be great for movie stars. The great Jack Nicholson said, I'm not going to go on Leto or Letterman or Carson. Why would I give away my product for free? I want mystery.

There's a lot of areas. I think mystery is really good. Michael Jordan mostly hid for his NBA career. he wasn't out at clubs. Not Michael, he'd go chop it up with some friends, be in his hotel room. That's why his documentary and the air movie's so fascinating. There's so many layers to Michael Jordan we didn't know about.

He wasn't on Instagram. They didn't have it. He wasn't on Twitter. And frankly, even as an owner, he was private. Retirement, he's private. He golfs, he hangs out with his fam. He's private. So mystery works.

But does it work for a franchise quarterback? I don't know. But I wake up this morning. I'm hearing about the Colts wanting to make a run at Lamar Jackson, and I think, is it true? Who would know? Nobody ever talks. I'm not anti-mystery. It sells.

It's fascinating. It makes me want you more. But I'm not sure if it works for a franchise quarterback. I know the Clippers have been nothing but frustrated with Kauai Leonard, who sometimes shows up at 3.45 to 4 o'clock at the arena and advises Ty Lou. Yeah, I'm not going to play tonight. wasn't it Lamar Jackson in December? We were told he was ready to play. Now I'm not going to play for the next couple of weeks.

I really like him. I really like Kauai. But it's getting odd and strange. I'm just not sure that's what I want running my franchise. Kauai doesn't trust anybody. Lamar apparently doesn't even trust the Ravens. They're one of the top four or five run organizations in the NFL. But the story this morning,

Colts, are they going to make a run at Lamar? Jackson. I think you have to ask yourself more than just football questions with Lamar these days. And I don't think that's a good thing. All right, the tournament's back up tonight. Tom is on this week. Keep your eye. I'm going with Michigan State. Mr. J. Mack over here, I think likes Kansas State at the Garden. That's going to be a fantastic game. Gonzaga and UCLA tonight. Going to be one for the ages, I hope. Remember the last time they met, Jalen Suggs, half-court bomb, final four? Yeah. This, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, um, My guess is UCLA Gonzaga has a chance to be the best game in the tournament.

It was that year. It was as good as any game in the tournament. So they just announced that the big kid on UCLA is questionable tonight. He had left with some kind of injury in their last game. If he's not there to guard Drew Timmy on the block, it's going to be tough for UCLA to pull down. Well, right now, they're the two best programs on the West Coast. Arizona's really good, but they're kind of transitioning with their roster,

and they've kind of underachieved in the playoffs. Right now, I would say Gonzaga, UCLA, feel like got the right coach, mostly got the right players, got the right culture. One's more of an offensive program, Gonzaga. UCLA could do a little bit of both. Sometimes maybe a little overlooked on the defensive end. It'll be classic. Should be a great game. And the Michigan State game, yeah, we're head to head. The line has gone my way in the last 24 hours. Started out your way earlier this week. A lot of tug of war over this Michigan State, Kansas State game. Should be a great And two great point cards.

Okay, the Jets are making moves. My thoughts on that coming up. 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. 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.

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I don't care what you're saying. Yep, that's me, Cliver 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

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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 is 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,

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You're now honoring the no bull zone sponsored by credible great rates and none of the bull. So the Jets have traded Elijah Moore, a slot receiver, kind of immature. Nobody knows quite how he fits. They trade him to Cleveland. and they get a number two pick, a second round pick, and they give up a third pick in Elijah Moore, so they're going to use that pick eventually to land Aaron Rogers. The Packers won at least a second round pick,

so now the Jets have two. The Jets receiving court today is better than last year already. Alan Lazzard is a dependable, probably a number two or a number three, big receiver. Not a lot of drama with Alan Lazzard. Aaron Rogers likes him, and now McColl Hardman came over as well from Kansas City, so they're bigger at wide receiver

and they're faster at wide receiver. Aaron Rogers Airlines always has some turbulence, but the Jets are having to make a bunch of moves, but there's no denying this morning with McColl Hardman and Alan Lazzard, and eventually Aaron Rogers, the Jets are better. And as you look at the Jets, you think, oh, my gosh, they're making a bunch of noise and noise isn't good. Jets quarterbacks, the good ones and the talented ones, have almost always been noisy. Joan Namath, the rock star, partying late into the night, was noisy.

Mark Sanchez, the GQ cover. You know, the good-looking kid was noisy. Farr was noisy for a year. Zach Wilson, rumors about his mom's friend was noisy. Sam Darnold partied so hard he got mono. Aaron Rogers is a perfect fit. The New York Giants are the opposite. Jeff Hostetler, Phil Sims, Eli Manning, Daniel Jones.

They're quiet. They're kind of funny once they retire, but they're very corporate. The Giants are blue blood. The Jets have always been the little brother. They're the little dog in the neighborhood that makes all the noise to prove how tough he is and the big dog rolls its eyes because it doesn't have to prove how good it is, how big it is, how tough it is. That's the difference between the Giants and the Jets. One, the Giants are an accounting firm. One's a nightclub.

The Jets bark and bark and make noise and that's what they do and that's what they always do. And you can bank on it. Aaron's going to make the Jets newsworthy and fun and flashy and they'll get more. headlines than the Giants and they won't win the Super Bowl because the Jets don't. And the Giants will be quiet and efficient with a brilliant offensive coach and a smart GM that will help load up the roster and fix the offensive line. In the weaker NFC, they will make the playoffs and then watch out. I mean, watch out.

But this is what they are. The little brother always has to make noise, a big splash, to bark loud, to show what they are. And nothing is more fitting than this morning the Jets are reported. interested in OBJ. That is so New York it hurts. So New York Jets, it hurts. The minute he got loud, the Giants moved on. He's still loud. And the Jets lean in. They're a make news franchise. And that's the reality. When you get two pro teams in a city and so much money at stake, they take big swings. They want to make headlines. They want to be in the back page of the tabloid. So OBJ and Aaron Rogers, I mean, it is just such classic Jets. I meant Rex Ryan was the

coach of the Jets and he couldn't stop talking, couldn't stop making promises, couldn't stop being outspoken. They wanted to be on hard knocks. The Giants, that's just not the way it works. That is not. It's a blue blood franchise, understated, almost embarrassed. I can tell you what the Jets are going to do, but I can also tell you how the giants privately are reacting to the OBJ news and the Aaron Rogers drama.

They're laughing in that building. They're gone. Look at those guys. As much as things change, they stay the same with New York football teams. J-Mac with the news. No, no, no, no. Turn on the news. This is the herd line news.

Sorry, Jay Mack, I'm right on that. I love the opening segment. I got to just, I didn't appreciate it. going after the Jets there. Did not love that shot at OBJ. You just take a jab's low blows at the blue collar jets. Very nice. Good way to start Thursday. Kind of right though, right? Like that move is so Jets, it hurts. No comment. Let's start with C.J. Stroud column. He threw at Ohio State's Pro Day. Much was made about the Panthers contingent bro-hugging C.J. Stroud. The owner, you know, dapping him up. It look, a big show by Carolina out there in full force,

Frank Reich, obviously the owner, David Tepper. After the workout, Stroud said it meant a lot to see so many people from Carolina come and see him. Now, you and I, not quite conspiracy theorists, but this is all lining up way, way, way too much. Is this a smokescreen? Is this misdirection? Who telegraphs their move this much a month before the draft?

I don't buy any of it. C.J. Stroud, by the way, went up to minus 400 this morning in one gambling market to go first overall. Count me as suspicious of all of it. Yeah, usually the smart teams in this league and the smart people, they don't telegraph their moves. I mean, we didn't know Stafford was going to go to McVay until it happened. We didn't know Brady's going to Tampa until it happened.

Yeah, Patriots in their 20-year dynasty. We didn't hear about the Randy Moss thing. Then it happened. Remember Baker Mayfield and the, where do you go, Browns? That was like a last note. Nobody had any clue what was going on? And then it was like, whoa, wake what? Even last year.

Aiden Hutchinson, this time last year, ticketed to be number one. He's definitely going number one. And then the kid, uh, Walker, goes number one to Jacksonville last year. And Colin, I keep looking around. I just, I'm suspicious of the Stroud stuff. Now, I will add Seattle Seahawks came in, uh, and posted something on social media, C.J. Stroud and a room full of Seattle Seahawks people,

Pete Carroll and company. Uh, a lot of love for. Strout out there. I wonder what's going on. I still contend, you know what I feel about this, that Bryce Young is the most polished and the most ready to play tomorrow. I just don't know how long he would last, but he's been a rock star since he was 15 years old in LA high school football, 15, 16. So I think if you want a polished, refined, heady, seize the field, accurate quarterback tomorrow in this draft, it's Bryce Young. So we can talk about who's big, who's strong, if Bryce Young was bigger, he'd be a slam dunk number one.

That's the only question with him. Do you think they're using Stroud as leverage? Hey, we now have the number one pick. C.J. Stroud is taller, bigger than Bryce Young. He's more refined and ready than Anthony Richardson. He's got to be number one. If you want CJ Stroud, you're going to have to come up and trade with us for him. something feels weird here Colin.

I don't think it's going to be Stroud. I am not a conspiracy theorist. I do see how somebody could have your opinion. I don't think this is a conspiracy theory, but your cynicism, I think, is well served because I do think teams do this all the time. Mel Kuyper told me years ago. He goes, I know I'm getting lied to.

In the last week to two weeks up to the draft, I know I have to be very careful. I know I'm being used. used a bit as a mark. So he goes a lot of the stuff. I hear, I just don't report because I feel like, you know, I've got to watch being manipulated. He told me that 15 years ago, he said, so in the last couple of weeks to the draft, you have to be careful about what you're told because it may be somebody that wants the news out for a reason. Let's face it. If you go to your life, take a look at your whole life. When things are really important, I know in my life,

they don't get out. Keep it close to the vest. When I have something that really matters to me, nobody finds out about it. It's not in the newspapers. The critics don't know. If I have something big, it doesn't make news. Same in your, it could be personal, it could be professional. Nobody knows. Hey, you don't go around telling everybody what your next move is.

That's right. You just don't do that. So we'll see. We've got a month left of that fun. Let's go to your Denver Broncos. So bullish on Sean Payton, who sat here for most of the season and talked to us, regaled us with stories. So the Broncos now have Peyton, Russell Wilson.

and a new right tackle in Mike McGlinchie. Here's what he had to say about the opportunities ahead in Denver. I'm very familiar with Russ playing against him twice a year for four years. He's broken my heart numerous times. I know his game. I know what he's capable of. He's a Hall of Famer, and he's capable of doing great things and winning a lot of games in this league like he did for a decade in Seattle.

And I think a coach like Peyton and the situation were going to elevate his game even more. I think you and I do agree that they will be the team that will double their win. There's always a double a win team. I will say this. How many did Houston win last year? Few. They did not win many.

I think if Houston gets Bryce Young with their moves and D'Amico Ryan's, it doesn't feel like a circus like it did before D'Amico got there. I think in that division, Houston, did Houston win Greg, four games? Okay, so Houston won three games and one tie. So Houston's going to double their wins. If they get Bryce Young, Houston will double their wins. I feel strong about that. And Denver won how many games?

five? Five. I feel pretty strongly they're in the nine or ten win category. So the Chicago Bears, they must have won two games. They had the first pick and then trade it out of it.

So they won three games. The Bears won three games. Okay. So they will double their win total. Now, by saying that, Bears, Texans, Broncos. I feel very strongly

if Bryce Young goes to the Texans, they'll double their win. I'm not saying they're going to, they could be just six and 11. But if Denver, Houston, and the Bears double their win,

wins. I think those are very reasonable bets. That means somebody else is going to have to come down. Right? That means that. So who's, who is pulling back? Minnesota is not going to go 11 and O in those close games. That's one. We both agree with that. Raiders go from Carr to Garapolo. I think it'll just be kind of the same. Will Baltimore without Lamar Jackson in that division? Crater a bit for a year. Brown's just got a difference maker and Elijah Moore. We know he's, he's capable, him and Amari Cooper, on the outside. We'll see... Because, you know, everybody likes to be optimistic. Everybody in New York thinks the Jets are going to double their wins.

Everybody in Chicago Bears... They're not winning 14 games. They're not going from 7. But I will say, every time you have somebody doubling their wins, somebody's got to pull back in the league. Well, two years ago, the top seeds were... Tampa. Hold on, Tennessee and Green Bay. Both missed the playoffs the following year.

I'm not saying Buffalo will. I think there will be some regression on the Buffalo defense. Okay, we know Tampa's going to regress. And Minnesota's probably coming back down to Earth. those two I feel strong. Somebody in the AFC is coming back down to Earth. Will it be Baltimore if they don't sign Lamar? I think it's very realistic to think they'd be strong and defense,

and they would lose a lot of close one school. New York Giants from playoff team to, ugh. I don't know, dude, the NFC's wonky. It's not very good. I can't see Brian Daibble cratering. They're going to fill up their offensive line. I don't think it'll be Daibel's fault. It'll be that overpaid quarterback they got.

Just for the record, I know you like some pro football focused numbers. McGlinchie, who some feel was a bit of an over. Overpay, graded out as the 35th best right tackle in the league out of 81. What grading system was that? Pro football focus. I don't know, 35th out of 81. Final story. Oh, this is spicy. Sunset coach Monty Williams was ticked off last night after seeing the Lakers shot 46 free throws and Phoenix only shot 20.

Now, Phoenix did not have KD, obviously, or D'Andre Aiton. But L.A. outscored Phoenix by 21 at the line, helped them get the win. After the game, here's Monty Williams. sounding off about the lack of respect for his sons. When do you see a game with 46 free throws for one team? Like, that's just not, that's not right. I don't care how you slice it. It's happening to us too much.

Other teams are reaching, other teams are hitting, and we're not getting the same call, and I'm tired of it. It's just, it's old. I'm tired of talking about free throws. Our guys have to do their job. We understand that. but that's a huge disparity.

46 free throws. And I'll say it again, 46 to 20. That's it. That's all I got to say. Okay, so let me defend the officials. Phoenix shot 31. 31 three-pointers. Lakers shot 17.

So the Lakers created more contact, didn't launch three. Secondly, Kevin Durant and Aiton didn't play. Two bigs that would initiate contact. I just looked this up. DeAndre Aiton, average, just fewer free throw attempts per game than DiAngelo Russell. Like he's not a back to the basket. I'm going in and going to get the line.

What Monty Williams has is a soft, finesse jump shooting team. Well, especially when Durant, I mean, Durant, again, initiates contact and gets foul. He did not play. Devin Booker does get to the line leading them six free throw attempts per game. But you look the rest of the roster. Like, none of these guys are getting to the line. They don't attack the rim. I hear this a lot when current teams lose.

We're not at the free throw line. when you're shooting 35-3s a game, you're not initiating any contact. And so last night, Austin Reeves is driving to the basket. And you watch the video here. He's drawing fouls. He's initiating contact. Who do you think are more popular Laker right now? Austin Reeves or what Alex Caruso was?

Remember, he had the nickname Caruso, because he would do so many dunks and defensively, but Austin Reeves is catching. He was, was he the third best player on the court last night? Well, it's been a very brief stretch of about nine or ten games. He's been excellent. Yeah. And he's exactly what they need. But Caruso was pretty darn popular.

He was special. And LeBron loved him. I mean, they really, that was a mystery. That was a mystery to everybody. Caruso was not that expensive. And he played great with LeBron. LeBron really liked him. But offensively pretty much limited.

He was like slashing, cutting, and getting layups and dunks. But Austin Reeves offensively can do damage. I'm not kidding. He could attack people off the bounce. Great passer. Yeah, high IQ kid. I like this kid a lot. Darvinham's got to get him more minutes.

You know, we talked about it. Troy Brown's playing a hell of a lot of minutes. I know he had an okay game last night. More minutes for Austin Reeves, please. All right. Jay Mack with the news. Well, that's the news. And thanks for stopping by.

The herd line news. Like it's even like Dallas last night, they get upset with that referee situation. And it wasn't ideal. They didn't communicate well. You can go look at the video. The ref does point that it's Warriors ball. But then another ref,

apparently there was some miscommunication. It wasn't ideal, but it's a bucket at the end of the third quarter. The issue with the Mavericks is, they just can't make enough stops. That's why they only win by shootout. And so, yeah, I mean, it's crazy by the, the officials don't communicate well enough. And therefore, the warriors get an easy basket. So, you know, I don't think you reprimand the officials. I don't think you get the game back. But I do think, you know, some official could be, you know, talked too sternly by the head of officiating. It was not ideal. deal, obviously. But again, this is what Dallas is.

When fans start blaming officials, and then I look up and you shoot 35, three-pointers, it's like, well, what do you expect? You're not getting to the free throw line that way? And Kevin Durant's not playing, and he draws a lot of fouls. You want to see something crazy? If you look at the start of this video, Colin, number four referee, you can see him at the bottom of the screen, is staring right at Luca Donchich as Looney just straight up yanks his jersey all the way back.

He just yanks it back. Number four referees staring right at it. Look at this. Just yanked his jersey. Jersey, the ref's staring right at the play. And Luca does not get the call. He turns to the ref and he's like, dude, he grabbed my jersey. Ref just does it.

Luca complains so much. He's not getting some of the calls. Yeah, they, they, they got to dial it back. Yeah, no, they, they, he is. He is, Magic Johnson, it should be noted to complain about calls too. So did Michael Jordan. But he had with a smile on his face. Lucas kind of got like a, like a, how are you, you know, like a little disdain for these guys.

Yeah. Well, I mean, it's, uh, what do we say the other day? You attract more bees with honey than vinegar. Like the great college. coaches. If you, if you, this is a, Herm Edwards used to tell me this all the time. Herm Edwards knew who the officiating crew was by like Thursday or Friday, and he would make sure when he saw the official, how's Helen doing? How are the kids? Didn't your kid just go up to, you know, I got a coaching friend up there. They're human beings. Yellen barking them all the

time, Bobby Knight. You're not going to get that call. I'm coaching in a fourth grade girls basketball, I'm coaching my daughter for fourth grade basketball title game. Do you work the officials? Well, I know some of them because they see me on the show. show. And they come up, hey, Jay, what do you think about LeBron? You know, always chat them up. Oh, very good. Make you sure to get the good officials this week. Gotta have the calls early. Fourth grade girls basketball. It's fantastic. Audience loves that. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays in noon Eastern 9 a.m. Pacific. Two NBA insiders podcasting twice a week to plug you right into the NBA great buy. All happening in only one place. This league

Uncutt. The new NBA podcast with me, Chris Haines, and me, Mark Stein. Join us as we team up to expound on everything we're covering, hearing, and chasing. Listen to This League Uncut with Chris Haynes and Mark Stein on the IHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. 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 is a win. I don't care where you're saying. Yep, that's me, Cliver 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 a 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 is big to me, not just because of crack. I'm down to talk about crack on day, but just so you're just so you. y'all know. I mean, at this point, 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, oh. Thank you finishing that sentence. And 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 podcasts. You can't stop me now. Kevin Owens and Sammy Zane are back together. What is this mean for the Uso's plus Cody Rhodes competes in the Smackdown rank for the first time in six years and all new Friday night Smackdown. I'm going to 8 Eastern 7 Central tomorrow night

on Fox. I'm going to be talking to Charlotte Flair next week. Charlotte Flair is awesome. She wins the internet like two days a week, minimum. Are you going to that, by the way? Going to what? You know, a big...

No, I don't think so. I mean, unless you could talk to somebody get me hooked up with some access. I got some access. I got some access. Maybe the kids might enjoy it. Oh, no, no. You've ever gone to one of those things? You know, I was the biggest wrestling fan when I was like nine years old.

Yeah. I haven't monitored it as much lately. Well, of course, but let me just tell you something. The big events, they're crazy. Are you going to be there? The production level. I've been invited. I'm strongly considering it.

It's fun. Is it a mutual friend of ours? I need to text him and be like, yo, hook me up? No, it's one of my very few important friends. He got tickets. So I was going to say this about, so the Lakers won last night in Austin Reeves was really good. The NFL gives us Austin Reeves all the time. Half the league is undrafted.

And I mean, that means after seven rounds of drafting, half the league is still undrafted guys. They're coachable. They may have some physical limitations, but they work hard, head down, and they become productive pros. The NBA only has two rounds, and it's very. rare, very rare when you can find a highly productive second round player. The great ones, they run out of production after about the 17th pick in the first round. So to get an undrafted player to come into a big franchise and do what this kid is doing is rare.

Last 9, 10 games, he's average in 20. He can score. He's a tremendous passer. He draws fouls. He may be the rare diamond in the rough. So with AD and LeBron, either aging or getting hurt a lot, they know. need role players to be essential, but DeAngelo Russell and Malik Beasley are such hot and cold scores and shooters. Austin Reeves, every night that he gets the minute, shows up, draws fouls,

great passer, and hits the basket. The irony is they thought it was going to be an expensive, toxic former NBA superstar Russell Westbrook that would provide that because they knew AD was brittle and LeBron was getting older, so they brought Westbrook in to just give them 30, two minutes a night and 24 points. And the irony is they got it in the last 10 game, nine game stretch from an undrafted player who like a lot of NFL stories undrafted, works hard, gym rat, can be productive, coachable, gets a little better every time he's on the floor. He's a great, great story.

Now, my takeaway on guys like this, you know, it's the Jeremy Lynn story, is that once the playoffs arrive. Roll players, especially undrafted, second round, they shrink. Right? The NBA playoffs, all the veterans are playing. There's no load management. The rotation shrink. And so Austin Reeves will not be nearly as consistently viable as he is now.

But the word is role, role player. And his role right now with LeBron not playing is to create offense and somebody to help out Anthony Davis. And he's doing that. These are pretty heady numbers. Last nine games, 20 a game, six assists. You know, he's shooting 57% from the floor and a massive plus minus of plus 97. And so it's called role player for a reason.

This is the time in the NBA season where the Warriors are crossing their fingers that Andrew Wiggins comes back. And, you know, the sons are, you know, crossing their fingers on Kevin Durant. the West right now is about who's not playing instead of who is. And he's been a really nice fun. One of the reasons the NFL, I think, is so relatable is that, you know, the players have limited power as employees, like all of us, right? They don't have a zillion revenue streams like NBA guys and shoe deals. NFL players, even the great ones, can be cut at any time.

They got to play in bad weather. They got to play sick. They got to play hurt, just like the rest of us. But I also think something that's a very redeemable quality about the NFL is that hard work, coachability really matters. It's not about being a first round pick. If you can provide production, head down, focused, you can make a lot of money in this league. Austin Reeves is very rare in the NBA.

I mean, off the top of my head, second round great players ever in the NBA. Draymond Green, Yokic, wasn't Manu Genobli? Was it him? Yeah, he was a second round player. Not many of them. There's about six or seven all-time great second-round players in, you know, in the last 25, 30 years. So for this kid to be undrafted, it's really impressive. And he's playing his role perfectly.

Can pass it, can shoot it, no drama. You know, this is what they thought Westbrook was going to provide because they knew AD gives you about 55, 60 games. LeBron's going to give you 55. So when they brought in Westbrook, I remember saying when they brought in Westbrook, I remember saying when they brought him over. I don't like Westbrook as a player, but he can give you 24, 28 a night, and he'll give you 36 minutes and nobody in the NBA plays harder. They thought that's what Westbrook would do, but he wasn't willing to screen or defend, and he could be toxic if he had

bad nights or didn't get his looks. This kid, you don't get any of the toxicity, but you get the production in minutes. So he's been, uh, Darvin Ham after the win for the Lakers last night over Phoenix on this very impressive stretch. His ability to play downhill, draw, files, you know, score at all three levels, fine guys, you know, his ability to play, make. He's in a great space right now, feeling him his game and just locked in to what we're trying to accomplish. They're a much better defensive team as Westbrook has left. So this is a really, really good story for the Lakers.

We have criticized them for being two inslers of franchise, too many friends of Jeannie Bus in the building, and we've criticized them for being star-obson. But if you go back to many of the Great Laker teams, they've had these classic role players that Phil Jackson would elevate or, you know, Jerry West would find or Pat Riley would elevate or find. Austin Reeves a great get. He just does not. There's not a lot of Austin Reeves in the NBA, and he's been great for a two and a half, three week stretch. One thing I love about his story, Colin Day, everybody tries to put you in a box. What are you?

You know, what is Austin Reeves coming? Well, six, seven white guy. can he guard small forwards in the NBA? Probably not quick enough. Can he guard twos? I don't think so. Can he handle enough to be a one? No.

So nobody knew what to do with him. What position is he? Which is an old school way of thinking. And now the Lakers have tinkered and tinkered. And they're like, is he a small forward? And look what he's doing at point guard. How many assists last night? 11?

The kid can distribute. He's a smart, high IQ player. He's got long arm so he can finish at the rim. Colin, I love this example. Cam Chancellor came out of college, went to Virginia Tech. Yeah. And I've sat with an executive at a, TV network and I told him like, people try to put Cam Chancellor in a box.

I remember. What was he? Was he a linebacker? Because he was an awesome high school basketball player. He played quarterback. He played running back in high school. What was he? Well, Virginia Tech, some linebacker, some safety.

But he's too big. He can't play safety in the NFL. And he's probably not quick enough to be a linebacker. So nobody knew what to do. He falls to the fifth round. Seattle says, we got an idea. I know what the hell to do with this kid. Camp Chancellor becomes a superstar in the NFL.

Awesome safety. In the box. Playmaker. I was at a Vegas pool one time. I was too. And he was right next to us. He was right next to me. Yeah.

And I end up talking to him about it. And he was telling me like his story. He's like, nobody knew what to do with me. They didn't think I could do this. And that's the problem when you have closed-minded thinking. What is he? Don't try to put people in a box. Tinker with where they can go, what they can do.

And Austin Reeves is shining with the Lakers right now. Well, that's always been one of Pete Carroll's strengths in Seattle. It's like, especially his defensive eye is, we'll figure out a way to use him. If Jamal Adams, was healthy more consistently, he would be great for Seattle because Jamal Adams doesn't have a lot of range. But in New York, it's like he was great on special teams and he was great in the box and he was great on blitzing. And Pete Carroll looked at him and said, I've had so many players at USC, New England, Jets, Seahawks. That's what Pete Carroll does. Like, I'll figure out a way to use him. Is he a playmaker?

And when I watch Austin Reeves, my takeaway is a very, very good offensive player. Initiates Fowls, can put it on the deck. He's quick enough. To your point, he is long. He's a great. He's a great. great passer. He's just a, he know what he is? He's just kind of a basketball player. And by the way, we fall in love in the NBA with athleticism. John Wall and Russell Westbrook. And my takeaway is if you're under six four and can't shoot, there's going to be limitations. Austin Reeves can shoot. He can dribble. He can pass. He's got a lot of skills. I think we get too caught up sometimes. We forget that many of the key cogs in the history of basketball, that we consider that the talent sport, have been guys that play.

a great role. Just guys that are, I mean, how long, Eudanus Haslam for the heat, 20 years in the league, maturity, toughness, leadership, intelligence. Like Pat Riley's like, keep him on the roster. For Pat Riley and Spolster to keep him in the building, he is adding so much value. Road trips on the plane, at practice, on the bench. Stuff fans don't talk about. Like, Pat Riley's not keeping a guy for 20 years unless he adds bonus everywhere you're at. 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 I-Heart 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, unfills of conversations with athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. So let's get to it. Listen to the Cliford Show

on the I Heart 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 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. I mean, 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. This is an IHeart podcast. Guaranteed human.